cebu, the third time around

It’s never too late to write about a trip. Or at least show pictures and point others to the right direction.

When in Cebu:

1. Light a candle at the Basilica Minore Del Santo Nino (Osmena Blvd).

2. Check out Magellan’s Cross (across from Cebu City Hall just a short walk from the Basilica) and chat up the ladies.

3. Stop and smell the roses . . . sold at the market.

4. Say a prayer at Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral and drop by the nearby Museum.

5. Walk to the Heritage of Cebu Monument in what used to be Plaza Parian.

6. Eat at STK Ta Bay! (Sugba Tula Kilaw). Try the Panga ng Tuna, the crabs and the baked scallops. (Orchid St, Capitol Site)

7. Visit UP in the Visayas - Cebu Campus. Wala lang. I’m making it a point to visit all the UP campuses. I went to UP Diliman, been to UP Manila, UP Baguio, UP Los Baños and the two campuses in Iloilo (Iloilo City and Tigbauan).

8. Spend some quiet time at the Apostolic Sisters of St. John walk up the Chinese Cemetery and marvel at the view of Cebu City below.

9. Visit Mactan Shrine and take a picture in front of Lapu-Lapu.

10. Buy pasalubong from the many shops there.

11. Chill at Ayala Mall. Have a cup at Bo's Coffee or get a sugar high from Leona's Cakes and Pastries.

12. Have dinner at Casa Verde. Brian’s Baby Back Ribs is to die for and the watermelon salad is good, too. (V. Ranudo Extension)

OR

Have dinner at Larsian while trying hard to forget about the smoke stinging your eyes and how too much barbecued food is carcinogenic. (Located near Fuente Osmeña and Chong Hua Hospital)

OR

If isaw, atay and barbecue is not your thing you can try Siomai sa Tisa along B. Rodriguez. Just around the corner from Larsian, you can order siomai to go or eat at the tables and chairs provided along the sidewalk. Come early, the siomai gets sold out very early in the evening.

(No pictures of the food. I wolfed them all down before I could even take a picture.)

tickets

Raring to go back on the road again.

pandan island: rain or shine

I usually plan my travels weeks before I leave. At the very least I know a little about my destination. Not this time. I received the message confirming the trip to Pandan Island the day before we were supposed to leave. I took a peek at my Lonely Planet guide, read the half-page entry, and that was it. I had no idea what the trip had in store for me.

On that same day I had just finished reading The Beach by Alex Garland. I still had all these images in my head of an isolated beach - the perfect getaway. I had to stop myself from daydreaming so I would not be disappointed if reality fell short of this paradise.

* * *

It had been raining the past few days with a low-pressure area forecast off the coast of Mindoro. It was drizzling when we got on the boat to Abra de Ilog in Occidental Mindoro. Our group was split in the middle with regards to the weather. The ladies were continuously begging the sun to come out with their sun dance while the men were praying for overcast skies.

It was well and good that we were initially rained in on the trip. The open bus ride to Sablayan (3 hours - P113) would have been insufferable if not for the rain. The highway was like a jigsaw puzzle with 50-meter stretches of asphalt road interspersed with kilometers of dirt road. The rain had spared us from suffocating heat and asthma-inducing clouds of dust.

We met our host (a friend of a friend of a friend) at Sablayan and was whisked by a tricycle to the water's edge where we took a fifteen minute boat ride to North Pandan island. It was still overcast but it had stopped raining for a while. The view that greeted us could well have been paradise.



We had a hut to ourselves with a sleeping space in the attic, enough food to last us for 3 days, beer and a whole island to explore. Rain or shine we were determined to have some fun.


A short walk on the powdery white sand brought us to a nice spot for a swim. Aside from the occasional snorkler or passing boat we had the spot all to ourselves. After hours of soaking up the seawater we headed into the heart of the island. A short trek through coconuts and forest trees brought us to a lagoon where the waves had carved small basins into the rocks and corals. We swam in tubs of bubbling sea water as it drizzled. Another shorter trek brought us to a tinier cove with a rock formation the locals called the Spanish Nose.

We took a different route going back to the hut. We walked over sand and sea grass, sharp rocks and corals. A slight misstep would have inevitably resulted into multiple abrasions and lacerations. I was glad I was wearing rubber sandals which prevented me from slipping. A friend was wearing 3-inch platform Havaianas, it was a wonder how she got through without a single scratch.

It was drizzling the whole time. The cooling effect tricked us into believing that the 40-minute trek back to the hut was effortless. As soon as we sat down, stomachs grumbled, muscles cramped and we all gave out sighs of relief.



The rest of our stay in Pandan Island was more chill time. The sun finally came out on our second day and we basked in its radiance. The water was clean and clear. Fish kept swimming in schools near the water's edge and we were on constant lookout for pawikan.

Not far from where we were staying foreign visitors in the island's resort sunbathed. Kids played in the sand while the grown-ups played volleyball. A French guy caught his breath near our hut before turning around to continue his morning run. And I had my third cup of coffee as I stretched on a bench reading a good book.



When it was time to go our host gave us an added treat and took us around the island by boat. The ride lasted only 10 minutes, but it was a good and satisfying 10 minutes. We passed all the now familiar places and then some: our small hut with the "No Trispassng" sign in front, the small lagoon, the Spanish Nose, underwater caves, the sandbar, the island's resort and the stretch of white sand where the sea turtles (pawikan) lay their eggs at night. Rain or shine we had enjoyed our short stay in Pandan Island.


The rest of the afternoon was spent singing our hearts out at videoke while waiting for the van to take us back to Mamburao.






Boat from Batangas to Abra de Ilog, Occ Mindoro (and vice versa) - P208 (+ P42 for an aircon upgrade)
Terminal Fee - P30
Van to Mamburao from Abra de Ilog (and vice versa) - P80
Tricycle to the Bus Station - P8/passenger
Bus to Sablayan - P113
Van to Mamburao from Sablayan - P230
Tricycle to Van Terminal P10
Contribution for food and lodging - P800

back to work

I went on the trip alone. A colleague I usually go with had passed on work this month and was going home for a vacation.

I took an earlier trip. It was windy but the sea was flat and the sky was a clear blue. Another boat run almost parallel to the Baleno Otso before it veered a little to the left to head for Calapan. As the boat grew smaller in the distance I shifted in my seat and started reading.

"There is nothing nicer than doing nothing all day, then having a rest afterwards."

I agree. Take me away from the city any time. Take me away from the noise, the pollution, the congestion and anxiety. Give me space. Give me green trees and blue sky every day.

The boat docked at Abra in under two hours. I was lucky enough to get a ride on a passenger van that had gotten on the boat from Batangas.

I never get tired of the ride to the hospital. It is still a vision to see the clean green of rice paddies in the light of the setting sun. The coconuts frame the paddies in the distance. Only white cows and birds (egrets?) break the green sea.

Small towns always give me a warm and fuzzy feeling as I enter them. I always hope that this feeling of "home" is not replaced by a feeling of stalker creepiness. Small town people can be intrusive. They always know when somebody is new in town. In such a small place everyone knows what you've been up to.

After settling in and giving my dorm room a little clean-up I headed out to the hospital to chat up with the previous group of doctors. I had arrived just in time for a bon voyage party for two of them. After an unhealthy dinner of liempo and crispy pata we spent the rest of the night drinking and howling at each others videoke miscues.

I've never been much of a drinker. Occasions to drink don't come too often either. Recent R&R trips had me drinking more in a month than what I usually drink in a year.

At 2:30 in the morning I turned in earlier than the others. They would all be off in the morning while I was just going to start my work week. I made sure to hydrate and went straight to bed after I washed up.


I woke up early in the morning and run a 6k.



Reading:
Underwater To Get Out of the Rain: A Love Affair With The Sea (Trevor Norton)

R&R

Cebu City and Bantayan Island
April 1 - 7, 2009

My last trip to Cebu was in August last year. For this trip I decided to stay longer.


After a nice dinner at STK (baked clams, grilled tangigue, mixed seafood and crab curry) a ride around the city revealed a very active bunch of graffiti artists.


In the morning, as the best friend headed for work I headed to McDonald's for breakfast. I sat in the roadside veranda trying to soak up the energy of the city. I read the local paper and calmly waited for things to happen Cebu-style.


On the weekend we started the trip to Bantayan Island.


On the early bus to Hagnaya: Thorntree discussions at Lonely Planet has called this ride as one of the craziest bus rides. I am almost grateful of the darkness before sunrise as I am spared of the scary cliffside view. The bus careens up and down the mountain road not even slowing down for blind curves. [Ceres bus ride: P80 - regular fare, ~3.5 hours]


First look at Sta. Fe: I was apprehensive at first about going to Bantayan Island just before the Holy Week. I was expecting a beach full of tourists on their holiday. I couldn't be more wrong. [Boat to Sta. Fe: P130 - ~1.5 hours]


Bantayan was wonderful. We stayed at Sta. Fe Beach Resort [aircon room for 3: P2000 - a really big room that could easily fit 5 or 6 persons, hot and cold shower]. After brunch we took a dip in Ogtong Cave, jumped the waves back at Sta. Fe and basically just soaked in the salty water. We had dinner at the D' Jungle [all you can eat for P300 with over 50 dishes to choose from]. After a long walk at the beach and divulging secrets over SMB we called it a night.


Sunrise at Sta. Fe looked like sunset everywhere else. We heard mass first thing the next morning (it was Palm Sunday), then took a habal-habal to Bantayan to buy seafood. We had chartered a boat to take us islandhopping.

We had earlier planned to go to Virgin Island but I'm glad we changed our plans and headed to Hilantaga-an (I think) instead. There were too many people at Virgin Island we wouldn't have enjoyed it.


Harry was our able cook and guide. We had an overabundance of scallops, shrimp, squid and tilapia for lunch all washed down with buko juice. [Islandhopping: P800; Snorkeling gear can be rented for another P100]


It was like we had the whole island cove to ourselves. The sand was white hot, the water was clear, it was so quiet you could speak at your normal voice and be heard a kilometer away.


Back at Sta. Fe I took a quick run around town. I couldn't help laughing when a sikad driver offered to give me a ride back to the resort in the middle of my run.


More pictures from Bantayan:

Flip Flops!

Late afternoon, taking a breather

Another sunrise at Sta. Fe.

Last look before we leave.

I don't think I would mind if I never went back to Boracay again. But I certainly would love to go back to Bantayan.

terminal

I love riding on buses and trains. I love the feel of being in perpetual motion. I love passing on bridges and going through tunnels. I love the play of light and dark coming through the windows. I love the colorful characters I share a seat with.

But I am not a fan of waiting. Buses and trains never seem to leave the terminal on time. I always lament over wasting the better part of an hour waiting when I could already be some place else.

On the other hand, waiting in airports is another matter entirely. With longer lines and longer waiting time one would expect me to absolutely hate it. I don’t. I love it.

There is something in the air in airports. There is a buzz that makes me feel that I’m already moving even though I’m sitting still. There is that excitement within that connotes that the journey doesn’t start when I hop on the plane. It has started the moment I left home. Waiting in the airport is already part of the journey.

Though for most parts I am at airports for domestic flights the buzz, the excitement is not diminished. And in every new flight the buzz is amplified.



Arriving at Hong Kong International Airport, we were debating whether to take the airport express or the train to the city.



Rows and rows of empty blue seats to choose from – I could change my seat every five minutes and I still wouldn’t run out of a place to sit down



I fell in love with the shadows made by the afternoon sun filtering in through the windows



Having a book to read is a good idea, but who needs reading material when there’s a whole airport to see

katipunan

I had nothing to do the whole day. I didn’t want to stay indoors. It wasn’t exactly the best time to be cooped up especially after getting the unfortunate news of non-acceptance in my hospital of choice. So after the midday rain I ventured to my old college grounds in Katipunan.

I started walking at the corner of Rosa Alvero. During my last two years in college I had stayed in an apartment building on the same street. I used to satisfy my sweet tooth with Twix and Coke from the convenience store, had mudpies at DQ and coffee at Mister Donut – all of which have now been replaced by different shops. The McDonald’s at the corner was undergoing renovations and was a very sorry sight to behold. The take out van was deserted and only a young couple was inside the small area for dine-in customers.

I walked past Starbucks, still empty at that time, and went straight to National Bookstore. I had spent many afternoons at that NBS branch but I don’t remember it ever looking as festive as it did today. The Christmas trees were up and the lights gave out an orange glow that warmed my insides. It almost made me feel happy.

Next door the Subway where I used to have a bag of Doritos and Tuna on wheat bread was now replaced by Greenwich. Walking further along I noted that Seattle’s Best Coffee now stood where Burger King used to be. I used to have endless refills of grape juice with my breakfast at BK.

Seven years is a long time. I remember late nights sitting by the fire escape in my old apartment. I could see Katipunan from there. I was a terrible insomniac and would stay up the whole night watching as cars drove by. On weekends I could watch kids play soccer over at Ateneo.

I expected a lot of changes in the area but I had not expected an almost entirely different landscape. The shops are different. The restaurants are different. I didn’t even notice what was standing over the spot where the 24 hour Goodah used to be. At two in the morning I used to swap stories with my sister over a hot bowl there.

A whole strip of shops had been torn down. The Filbar’s where I used to buy comic books and Ken Afford with its orange walls were also gone.

I would’ve continued walking straight on to UP (following my usual route back in college) if the sky didn’t show signs of rain again. With my nostalgic trip cut short I took a cab instead and went straight to a bookshop in UP Village. I'll just have to take a rain check.

fly solo

What do I do when I can't go out and travel?

I read about traveling.

I recently fished out Fly Solo: The 50 Best Places on Earth for a Girl to Travel Alone from the bargain bins at NBS. The author Teresa Rodriguez Williamson is the founder of TangoDiva.com, an online travel magazine. Blurbed as an inspiring guide to the ultimate destinations, the book includes "candid advice and insider's secrets about some of the most exciting places on earth."


For each of the fifty travel destinations in the book Williamson utilizes a CAWS rating which she herself formulated with friend Stephanie Block. CAWS which stands for Cultural opportunities, Activity level, Weather preference and Social interaction is a rating scale to help a girl find her ideal travel destination. A short CAWS quiz is also included in the introduction with suggested travel destinations based on the final score one gets at the end of the quiz.

Why you should read the book:
Williamson definitely considers the wide spectrum of women's interests. The book covers a mix of culture, history and nature trips for the seasoned traveler and at the same time highlights must-see tourist spots and places to shop, socialize and party. Of course, for those who want to be pampered, spas, resorts, five-star restaurants and hotels are also listed.

Why you should think twice before getting the book:
Cost of transportation, accommodation and tours are not listed in the book but at least Williamson includes the numbers to call and websites to check out to get more information.

Duration of packaged hikes and treks are indicated in some entries but travel time between some destinations are sorely amiss.

As with any kind of information, you just can't get enough of it. You gotta have more, more and MORE. Sadly, there's just not enough info in the book to plan a trip on. It was not written as an on-the-road travel guide that you lug on your trips. BUT, if you can't decide where to go it is a must to check the book if only for the CAWS quiz. Once you've determined your ideal destination grab another travel guide (a Lonely Planet or Rough Guide perhaps) to plan your trip in greater detail.

BONUS:
I loved the Flying Foreplay, Read Before You Go and Movie Musts sections for each destination. The section includes what books to read and what movies to watch to learn more about your travel destination. Cheeky as it sounds, I did read Paul Theroux's Kowloon Tong before I went to Hong Kong and I would definitely watch The Last Emperor before I visit mainland China.

So, did I like the book? Let's just say if I happened to have enough money in my pocket I probably would've bought another copy and given it to a girlfriend to read. But for the seasoned traveler, I suggest you save up for the Lonely Planet guide instead.

rain check on the road trip

A week after I went to Cebu I was planning to go on another trip with friends. We were supposed to go to Baguio, spend a day and a night there, and before going back to Manila pass by the Shrine of Our Lady of Manaoag in Pangasinan. But the trip did not materialize. Too bad. I wanted to have a road trip with friends very badly. Well, maybe next time . . .

Still waiting for the right bus at the terminal

back to cebu (day 3 and 4)

I had a big Continental breakfast to start the day. Then we walked along the whole stretch of the Alona Beach before picking a good spot for a swim. It was still early morning and the sun was not so hot yet. The water was cool but not cold.

We took the fastcraft back to Cebu before lunch. I was staring out the window the whole time, watching the water, wanting so much to be in it instead of speeding over it.

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Back in Cebu I finally had a taste of their famous Lechon for lunch. It did taste different - the brown skin really crunchy, and inside the white flesh was dripping with juice. I could feel my arteries clogging up as I shared a quarter-kilo spread.

In the mid-afternoon we headed to the market to buy danggit and other pasalubong. We got a good price for the danggit and squid. We were happy with our purchases and I'm sure the three helpful sales ladies were happy about their sale also!

Dinner at Mr. A's had us loosening our belts. I drank most of the fruit punch and had my head in my hands the whole time as I told myself I can't possibly eat any more before reaching for another piece of fish.

Even if I was close to bursting, after dinner we headed off to the small eatery in front of V. Sotto Hospital. Both my co-intern (who had her clinical clerkship at V. Sotto) and my friend swore that the small eatery served the best siomai. They would not allow me to leave Cebu City the next day without trying it. So try I did, and I'm glad I did.

We walked around the corner after that to a place that used to be open rows of grills and tables. Once people had their barbecues, isaw, chicken feet, liver, hotdogs and almost anything you could put on a stick grilled and served to them under the night sky. But as more people came the city put a big tent over the area so that dining could continue even as it rained. This might have increased revenues but I think it was not a particularly good idea. Either exhaust fans and fumes hoods were absent or were not sufficient. The inviting lights and smell of grilled food was clearly overpowered by the thick smoke that made my eyes water even as we stood by the gate. We decided against entering and called it a night instead.

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I left for Manila early the next morning, still quite full and undeniably very happy, vowing to come back for more.