Disturbing Siquijor

I’ve been to this mystical island for the nth time and every time I come here, something amazing happens to me. 

When friends started planning for the visit, they told me to go with them, acting as their tour guide.

They had booked our stay in Salagdoong Beach without me knowing. They were sure of themselves on what to do, where to go. Of course, I will be the tour guide since they have laid out plans and didn’t know the way.

Okay. So be it.

We started late from Cebu. When you take a land trip to Dumaguete, the starting point for Siquijor island, you should consider the traveling time that usually takes almost four hours + ferry boat transfers. But there are princesses that need grand preparations and wanted grand entrances. In short, we were still in Cebu two hours late of our agreed time of travel and we sure were running very late.

We arrived in Dumaguete City almost ten in the evening with no hotel reservations and no dinner and someone was pissing us off because she was heartbroken and crying since we left from Cebu  and like we should all be concerned with issues between her and her love of a lifetime. In short, tempers were as thin as our egos.

The night was a disaster.

Rainy days are here to stay?

The next morning, everyone was late again. The gloomy morning did not only brought rains but also bad tempers.

Jinx must have followed us everywhere because we were greeted by long lines at the Dumaguete port. It was a Saturday, people came in droves, and some shipping company cancelled its trip for the day for religious reasons.

Long lines greeted us at Dumaguete port

When we arrived in Larena port, we waited for multicabs that seemed not available because we were there. So we opted for a tricycle that we found outside of the port premises because my friends wanted cheaper transportation without considering the distance between Larena and Maria where Salagdoong is located. The tricycle heaved its way to Salagdoong beach overloaded with tired, nasty, broken-hearted, irritating and irritated passengers.

The view at Salagdoong was extremely spectacular. Men and women guests were interestingly in different stages of undress. The sea was calm and blue. The wind blowing constantly.

We could not be accommodated at our reserved room because we were too many and they were full. We have to climb to Hotel Agripino so we can have rooms to stay.

We have to rest to extinguish the bad vibes we brought in with us.

Salagdoong was calm. Not like us.

We each went our ways to discover what Salagdoong could offer to the tired soul. The men drowned several Red Horses to forget the day. The women and halfs, sensing indifference amongst them, had their cliques huddled together ignoring past friendships.

We were appeased the next morning by the presence of a male macaque that the hotel staff claimed, had not visited the hotel for so many years. This is not a good sign, the staff woefully informed us. He further told us that this alpha male caused the destruction of their WiFi and cable TV connections, several of their aircon units and even attacked some guests. Surprisingly, the alpha monkey stayed, hopping between our terraces and the women’s, eyeing at our closed glass doors as if wanting to decipher us individually. He might have sensed we have done more damages than himself, so he went out silently unnoticed.

Naughty monkey

We checked out tired from Salagdoong and purchased an expensive ticket for a fastcraft so we could get home fast. Like the macaque, we silently went our separate ways.

A group travel is not always an assurance that you could have an enjoyable experience.

Lessons learned from this travel:

1. If you travel by group, always inform everyone joining of the plans and itineraries involving the journey.
2. Know the schedules of your bus, boats, ferries, fastcrafts, etc. and the locations of your hotel and resort before embarking on a journey.
3. Always confer with your hotel if they can accommodate extra persons especially if extra means three more persons. 
4. Be sensitive to the group. If you do not want to join the trip at the last minute, DON’T! Do not expect the group to sympathize with your whining and tantrums.
5. Bamboos don’t break because they bend with the wind.
6. The next time your group goes on an adventure trip without them informing you- it’s obvious. You are the problem.

Best halo-halo in Dumaguete?

We were looking for a nice place to cool down due to a very tiring journey from Cebu City to Liloan, Santander in Cebu and then to Sibulan, Negros Oriental and finally in Dumaguete.

My friends were hungry. I was thirsty!

We passed by this La Caviteña Restaurant (very near Dumaguete's Boulevard and just beside the Silliman Hall) and was interested to try. They ordered burgers and myself, halo-halo. 

The halo-halo was quite okay despite the claim of the waitress that they served the best halo-halo in that city. It was a very Tagalog recipe with more fruit preserves and some camote, saba, and as the waitress apologized for the lack of gabi (taro?), and was kinda shocked to know their version of halo-halos have gabi in them.

But it was good, really. Not the best but good still. It was consistent and not too-sweet. The syrup they put in it did not "flood" their halo-halo like you were drinking juice instead, unlike the halo-halo at Cafe Lawis in Dauis, Bohol which was the exact opposite and pricey. The ice and fruits mixed well, giving you that crunchy feeling when you chew the halo-halo. I paid only 60 pesos.

The burger, as my companions claimed, were heavy to the stomach and with lots of trimmings. The beef patty was generous. The burger was only 50 pesos and 40 or so for the mango shake. Not bad! 

Overall, we went out patting our full stomach.

Fasting and Ramadan: The Invisible Cloak

I made a very long travel over the weekend considering the distance and the time made for travel alone. I readied myself for this because I knew from the start that I would be wearing my invisible cloak and take shelter from it to drive away the temptation I called friends.

It was a double edged-sword, actually. Imagine, it seemed forever to reach Dumaguete and Siquijor by way of land from Cebu. The whole stretch made me feel so tired. And it was a torture for anyone who, like me, was fasting.

My brother Muslim told me that travelling adults were exempted to fast but I tried my best to do mine and keep it intact until September 21. That was the torture part.

Food of every kind swamped me during the course of the travel. My friends insisted that I break my fast. Food suddenly appeared every now and then. Out of their bags. Out from hawkers. Out of everybody. You know Filipinos love to eat when they are tensed. I was alright.

We stayed at Rex's house in Dumaguete last Saturday. Dumaguete is in fact a good place to break fast. Food choices was not a problem.

Sunday came and we braced ourselves for another stretch. This time, to Siquijor. The mad sea made us groggy. I declared that the ferries going to Dumaguete and Siquijor are not real men. They swayed all thoughout the trip and back. Like some ladyboys we saw everywhere.

I succumbed to temptations when our gracious host in Siquijor offered us fresh buko. I texted my adviser if it was okay to eat fresh fruits and drink fresh juice. He told me that I am not a Muslim and I should not consider myself as one. At twelve noon, I thirstily grabbed the buko juice and had my fill. It was heaven. I broke my fast more later towards late afternoon. The invisible cloak was abandoned.

Despite the same torture on the way back to the route we travelled, I again took my fasting seriously, doning my invisibility cloak one more time.

I arrived home intact. A gift from Azary, waiting for me.

Yummy!

Who could tell that Dumaguete can make a very tasty health food called Chewy Fruit Bar? This looks nice but even tastes better!

I took the pics for the International Food Exhibitions when they participated in that show.

Now in the Enchanting Island-

My expanded network has allowed me to visit places in the country and around the world.

This time... SIQUIJOR.

This is my fourth time actually but Siquijor is always a welcome sight to behold.

From Tagbilaran, I took OceanJet this morning to Dumaguete before going to the island. There is no direct fast craft early in the morning. When I arrived Dumaguete almost 2 hours after, I have to run and catch up with Delta Fast Ferries (about P160) which would be sailing in a matter of minutes.

I don't why Siquijodnons always bring bulky things when traveling. Maybe because they are in an island? I have to share with mountains of bags when I rode the ferry. And right before my eyes, a whore-like woman seems to be magnetized by the foreigner friend she is with. They kept smooching right in the public. I was hoping she was not a Siquijodnon or else my mind would create more unbelievable scenarios Siquijodnons would hate. A big baggage indeed.

Arrived here and wow...

I don't know what magic Siquijor accords to its visitors, but everytime I come here I am always feeling at home and at peace with myself. Maybe it is true after all that this is really a land of enchantment for I am enchanted for sure.

The usual tag for Siquijodnons (as they are called) is mamamarang (I don't know the exact translation of this but it reminds me of voodoo activities). But being here I can always say that they were unfairly mislabeled gentle people.

Siquijor is a clean island and slowly trying to blend in with the outside world.

(Please see my Siquijor shots at this link here.)

Missing Dumaguete

My recent trip to Dumaguete taught me all about patience and friendships.

I was supposed to go through Tagbilaran that day because I have to get swatches and sample baskets for our meeting in Dumaguete. But when I arrived Tagbilaran and ready to purchase a ticket for Dumaguete, they were not issuing any because the port there was closed due to some labor problems and a riot just ended that day. Whew!

My bosses from Manila and DTI were calling me frequently to push me to do jump to that city and bring my designs and props intact. So I hitched the earliest float back to Cebu and took the long and rigorous three-hour trip to Liloan, Santander and a 15-minute boat ride to Sibulan, Negros Oriental and a 10-minute ride to the city proper! What a trip, indeed.

But all my worries were gone when I arrived the city of gentle people. I was treated like a VIP the moment I arrived at Sibulan pier. My hosts from the Negros Oriental Investment Promotion Center (Tetsi and Cindy) and DTI (Ms Bing) made sure I felt at home in this beautiful place.

I stayed at HCPPI (hwatever that means I didn't ask), a big convention facility where rooms were unbelievably cool and easy to the budget. My room, a dormitory type that could accommodate 8 people was air conditioned and very clean. Even the comfort room is tactfully clean and well-stocked (shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, soap, tissue). And for only P350 a night. Cindy from NOIPC made sure I was alone in that room. I was tempted to find someone to stay with me but conscience told me not to.

I met several people there and made instant friendships. Being a drinker gave me an advantage to meet people, a positive note on drinking hahaha. One cute guy we met told us he was a PBB candidate belonging to the top 8. Whatever that meant, he must be enjoying the limelight. He asked for my number so I could show him around Cebu when he gets there for a taping with Channel 23. A Janina-wannabe also basked the attention from us. She would be on the spotlight during the Ms. Teen Philippines in Dumaguete. Charlie, an online friend, made sure I was comfortable in his motorbike and show me the city at night, from the Boulevard to Mahayahay and made sure my beer was icy-cold at Happy Fred's. And these friends made sure I bloated in fullness. When they see me they would always ask if I have eaten and offer lots of food I could no longer take.

When I bid farewells, they also fed me to the brim. Ms Nanet insisted that I ate because I am supposed to be traveling.

What a warm and hospitable people they were! I was wondering why there has to be a riot at their port when these people in fact were gentle people.