Going to Negros without the shades but with a ready palate

The City of Smiles is waiting. Photo grabbed from paraisophilippines.com

In a few days time, I will be going to Bacolod, Negros Occidental's capital city, for the first time, to join with foodies/gourmands from all over the Philippines for a once in a lifetime experience- to go on a food trip. The thought of sampling food from Sugarlandia makes my mouth water.

Did I just mentioned it would be my first time in Bacolod? And I am more than excited at the prospect of seeing the city I have heard so much praise given.

Our host, Lee Santiago, a fellow blogger who has an exceptional photoblog Give Me Travel Funds, after several coaxing, finally agreed to accommodate us in his busy schedules and act like a host. So far he has done more than mere hosting. We have not arrive yet.

My official airline: Cebu Pacific. Photo grabbed from airports-worlwide.com

Thus, despite the fact that I have very limited resources and the busiest schedule of the year, I signed up for the trip. That's aside from another fact that I already have a free round-trip airfare from Cebu Pacific courtesy of my sis who works in that company. The ticket and the will to visit that city forced me to pack up and be ready for the weekend visit. (Shhh, I fought with my supervisor with this "unwanted vacation" and we are not telling our manager.)

To make my visit miserable and complicated for me, Lee made up an itinerary that requires the assistance of Robert Langdon. The itinerary is heavily tainted with mysterious clues I have yet to decipher. But what's going to happen to me, a Bacolod-virgin, will be in the hands of Lee. Even if Langdon has not responded to my request. Yet. So I will be going there with a puzzled mind and will just sink and sync (or swim) with the group.

Our proposed itinerary includes:

DAY 1:

* Skyflakes and Water Buffet

* The "Mon" is Rising

* Avoid Lunch

* Scout for Provisions

* The Cow's Sound Wraps the Foot

* Dessert para wala na clue-clue!
DAY 2:

* Northern Exposure

* Lunch

* SugART industry

* KILLER TRILOGY
DAY 3:
* South to East: Eat Cheap... Forage... Beg... Ask to be Fed...

* A Negrense Dinner that will turn a saint to a sinner: (Must! We eat cheap at daytime for this.)

With that mind-boggling itinerary I am very sure my trip to the City of Smiles will be something worth smiling about. The sinful but exciting thought of food would surely be THE reason, the only one, why I will be bloating more from this trip. I won't be bringing with me my shades.

My life, so far

Source

Bad experience at Mang Inasal 138 Mall

UPDATE 2: WAY TO GO MANG INASAL! After sending them my complaint thru email, Mang Inasal responded through my phone (Sorry, Ms. Edna, I wasn't able to take your call) by calling me, I missed that, and by texting me. That was a less than 24-hours reply.

The text message said: Hi Sir Edik, good day! This is Edna, (Customer Service Officer of Mang Inasal). In behalf of Mang Inasal Team, I would like to sincerely apologize for the inconvenience that you had experience from our branch at Mang Inasal 138 Mall Cebu City. Our Customer Satisfaction Team is reviewing the information you sent us and will further evaluate your concern in order to resolve this matter fairly. Hoping that you will allow us to call you at your most convenient time and for us to express our heartfelt apology. Again we highly appreciate your feedback for this will help us in becoming better at what we do. Thank you very much.

******************************************************

UPDATE 1: I already sent my email to Mang Inasal through their website, enclosing this link and the pic of the receipt from them. Let us see if they would reply. Unlike Rai Rai Ken.

******************************************************

I've been a regular customer of Mang Inasal at their 138 Mall, Colon St., Cebu City branch. Their chicken inasal is actually good, tender and juicy.

When I went there at lunchtime with my officemates, we ordered our favorites, their paborito meals (PM) which came with an unlimited supply of rice. We preferred tap water today but I insisted on regular Coke because I wanted to wash the chicken taste I have accumulated during the holidays. 

I saw on their billboard that a 12oz Coke, Spite and Royal softdrinks cost only 19 pesos.

With our orders done and served, I saw on their receipt that the 12oz Coke was charged 25 pesos despite the billboard's and their website's claim that it was only 19 pesos! I asked their waiters and confirmed that indeed, a 12oz Coke is only 19 pesos.

Now I have an evidence that indeed they were cheating on me. The Coke was refunded but not the Sprite. See?

After eating, I asked my teller why she was charging me 6 pesos more. She replied she told me that there was a 19 pesos 12oz softdrink available. But what they were charging me was 25 pesos for a 12oz and not more! She called up the manager who furiously punch the machine so they could give me back what they cheated on me. I told him they should change this style because they are cheating their customers right in the face. 

I only received a cold stare like I was caught shoplifting from their store.

=================================================

MANG INASAL 138 MALL BRANCH

Operated by: T.C.R.H. 

TIN: 233-530437-001 VAT

Server: Anne Station: 2

Ticket # 97

=================================================

NOW I WANT TO CHECK ALL MY MANG INASAL RECEIPTS, JUST IN CASE! 

19 pesos is 19 pesos and not 25 pesos. To an ordinary Filipino, 6 pesos overcharge is already a big deal! That's already a jeepney or tricycle fare.

Nightlife in Alona Beach is more fun than in Tagbilaran City

Crostini

Yes it's true. While Tagbilaran's nightlife is like an all-time Holy Week celebration, Alona Beach in Panglao Island is getting more into the beat without getting invasive. Several cool and ambient places are sprouting like mushrooms, so to speak. The choices in Alona are more varied as compared to Tagbilaran's grill, grill and more grill options. I heard Tagbilaranons are now flocking to the island and having good times there.

Why not? At Alona, you can have a lot (and a variety) of food choices. When you are choked with the smoke of grilling, Swiss, Oriental, Mediterranean, and of course Filipino food becomes good, if not better alternative! I even tried an Italian menu in some nook where civilization really exist- behaved diners (meaning no noisy Koreans, thanks God!), soft and appropriate music, and good food. That nook was this restaurant- GRAZIELLA.

Bruschette

The menu at Graziella Restaurant is particularly interesting with all those Italian names, hence it is needless to say it is an Italian restaurant. I was tempted to order a dish without the server's interpretation so as to surprise myself. Take note, the servers at Graziella know what's on the menu, an exemption in Bohol where most, if not all, servers do not know what's the food in the menu they are holding. With Jollibee as an exception. I appreciate the chef's and the owner's generosity of briefing their servers on the food, and I imagined they have tasted them, too.

I feel like carbo-loading that night I ordered mostly carbo-based food. For starters, Bruschette with garlic, onions, tomato and oregano was served along with San Mig Light and regular Coke. The food came and they were serving them together with a bottle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sosyal!

For my main course, I ordered a hefty Al Gamberetti Tagliatiatelle in curry sauce (P275). The flat noodle was just tender and the shrimps cooked just right and to my surprise, generous enough. I mean, there were a lot of shrimps on the pasta. Some restaurants in Tagbilaran brag about seafood pasta but you could not see why their version is called as such. Even a heapful of Parmesan cheese came with the pasta, which is a very rare happening in Bohol.

Graziella is pure indulgence at an affordable price.

Unya mireklamo pa nganong midako akong tiyan!

Al Gamberetti Tagliatiatelle

Rainforest Park Cebu: Confused!

I had the chance to experience a different venue for a social function here in Cebu last Saturday. A friend of mine had the reception for his son's christening at the Rainforest Park Cebu somewhere in Panagdait, Mabolo, Cebu City, just infront of the Citi Park Hotel.

Although the "park" has many small stalls, the reception was done at the Oceanarium Restaurant. It is sad to note that nothing in that restaurant reminded me of where its name was based from. 

At the main entrance, a life-sized toy bear stands guard and a tiger (?) yawned at its souvenir stand. Inside the resto artificial forest vines and plastic leaves hang from the ceiling and trees on the side with an artificial rain dropping from time to time did not convince me it was an Oceanarium. The only semblance of an "ocean'' were the empty tanks with no water at all because they "were treating the tanks." 

Since it was a christening party, I was not able to taste what was on their menu. If the food they served during the function was also what they were serving on ordinary days, I have to admit they were passable if not good. The beef was tender and delicious.

What irritated me during the whole time we were there was the loud music outside of the establishment. The trees that supposed to "mute sounds in airports and terminals" as their signage claimed, could not even absorb the noise it brought inside. We have to shout at each other just to be heard. And the recorded electronic forest sounds of birds, macaques, and other weird sounds made the place irritatingly worst for a conversation. The confusion inside the restaurant was very visible and I hope the owner saw that. No, I don't think so.

Even here, they spell DIFFERENCE differently.

The only good thing that could be called "environmentally-friendly" there was the signages at the tables limiting your supply of paper napkins and drinking straws.

Even their comfort rooms were not comfortable at all. When you want to wash your hands, males have to go to the ladies room. The urinal at the men's is smacked right at the door of the toilet, a good opportunity for those who love watching men piss. Discomforting comfort rooms.

There are other stalls outside of the restaurant and a Jungle Adventure that featured a Wall, Zipline for kids, etc. But it is not a jungle out there, actually. My friends wanted to get out of there right after the reception so I was not able to explore the whole place. I am planning to come back and see it in a different setting.

I hope I won't be dismayed again. 

But if you are interested, you can make your reservations through Rainforest Park's phones at (032) 2390350 or 5168069. Goodluck!

The bear stands guard at the Oceanarium Restaurant

Inside the Oceanarium, plastic vines create a semblace of a forest

Outside the resto is a "Jungle" adventure

Where in Cebu City can you find this?

We went to dinner in one of the newly opened restaurants in Cebu City and ordered shrimp rebosado we found on their menu. It only said the best and sumptuous words restaurant copy-editors could think of and nothing of its simplicity and minimalism. Never mind the 170 pesos price if it could have been more than just a fried shrimp.

Guess where it could be ordered:

a. ZUBUCHON

b. NEONEO

c. SUGBAHAN.

In case you'd wonder what a Shrimp Rebosado is, here is a recipe I got from filipinovillage.com:

Ingredients:
1/2 kg. med. sized raw shrimps
vegetable oil for frying

For marinade:
1/2 white vinegar
4 garlic cloves, crushed
10 peppercorns, crushed
1/2 tsp. salt

For batter:
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. baking powder
1 c all purpose flour
1/4 c water
1/4 c evaporated milk
2 tbsp. atsuete (anato seeds) water
1 egg, well beaten

Instructions:
Combine marinade ingredients and marinate shrimps for 1-2 hours. Cover and set aside.

Sift together salt, baking powder, and flour. Set aside. Combine water, evaporated milk, black pepper, atsuete water, and egg. Gradually pour this mixture into the flour mixture, stirring constantly. Mix until smooth texture. Drain shrimps. Dip marinated shrimps in batter one by one and deep fry in vegetable oil. Drain in paper towel. Serve hot with Sweet & Sour sauce.

This is the PhP170 shrimp rebosado we ordered from a newly opened restaurant. Make a guess where, above.

> > > = = = = = = A N S W E R = = = = = = < < <

The answer to the question above on where we could order shrimp rebosado is B or NEONEO! Neoneo opened its SM branch a few weeks back at the 3rd floor of SM City Cebu. When asked if shrimp rebosado was available, the waiter readily answered a yes and so we ordered on at the hefty price of 170 pesos excluding government taxes.


Much to our dismay, the rebosado arrived in a white saucer unadorned, literally running around the plate due to a very spacious container since they were only five small pieces of them.


We called up the waiter to asked if they were wrong in serving the shrimps but their head waiter came and told us that shrimps that costs 170 pesos were actually for a hundred grams or so. He told us if he was the one taking our orders, he would tell us such. But I argued that it was not fair and that all people ordering shrimp rebosado have to see him. The girls who were with me asked me to just eat them so we could get out of the place.


I cried when I took a bite on one of those cute but dead headless shrimp that costed 34 pesos apiece.

Back at Garden Cafe in Tagbilaran

When I was in my college days and later when I worked at the provincial government of Bohol, my favorite hangout in Tagbilaran was the Garden Cafe, a restaurant owned by the Bohol Deaf and Disable Foundation (IDEA).

When you go there, you are doing a two-pronged activity- enjoy their food and help the deaf of Bohol. In fact, the waiters and waitresses at Garden Cafe are all deaf. 

From a simple hut-inspired building, the Garden Cafe is now a showcase of American dining. The place has changed into a sort of cowboy-inspired diner, with all the boots and other Americana. Even the waitstaff are donning cowboy regalia sans whips. Interesting.

And the food too has become interestingly varied to suit the Montana theme. My friend brought me there to have a late iftar celebration. I ordered a chicken quesadilla and avocado shake. The quesadilla was quite exceptional specially with lots of salsa on it. I finished my meal with a slice of blueberry cheesecake which was so-so. I could have ordered coffee but my friend planned to do it somewhere.

If I will be in Tagbilaran, I will visit once again Garden Cafe.

Chicken quesadilla is the best (you can order beef, too)

Their blueberry cheesecake has more gelatin than cheesecake

The avocado shake I ordered is creamy and nice

Garden Cafe opens daily from 8 in the morning until 10 in the evening with exceptions on Sundays. The restaurant opens 1PM til 10 on Sundays. Garden Cafe has a themed room upstairs called Montana Room with several displays of Americana- stuffed animals, boots, skates, pictures, and the like. They also have a small function room and a music room. You can call for reservations at telephones (038) 4113701, 4112028.

Ladies and some slimy issues: snails

I was with the girls last Saturday while they were at their "observation post" at MetroCentre Hotel. Observation may mean seeing who is coming in or out and who wore the weirdest outfits, who is who, etc. In a place like Tagbilaran, "observing" people might be a good hobby. Especially in a hotel like MetroCentre.

Over sandwiches and water, the girls were talking about the latest craze now- slime, snail slime, to be exact. To the rest of us who are not into these girls' stuff, this may sound yucky. I mean, these human species are actually inventing the weirdest beauty ingredients they could think of just to defy nature and get all the attention they deserved. 

Remember, they were the ones who used bird-poop facials and placenta serums just to be above the rest. But- ewww.

And now- snail slime.

We used to get snails when we were younger to feed our pigs. As part of our assignment, and perhaps training on how to secure family sustenance, we would go to meadows and creeks very early in the morning when snails feed on fresh grass. These snails (we call them Umang; pictured above) were then cooked and the meat taken from the shells to be chopped and mixed with cooked taro leaves and rice bran. Our pigs were the epitome of  healthy and classy lifestyle: veggies, bran and escargots (French for, yes, you got it right, snails). Maybe Marketman should take note of that.

Anyways, I never knew those slimy snails is now the latest beauty trend to hit the market. Who would have thought? Snail slime are thought to cure skin problems like acne, scars and burns, and of course, wrinkles.

Women!

Pic from Ecouterre

Vacuum frying has come in the province

There is excitement in new things, a challenge, a welcome respite from boredom. Especially if that thing is food, I mean, healthier food. 

When I was in Ormoc this weekend, an acquaintance introduced me a new food product from Baybay, Leyte: Vacuum Fried Jackfruit (Langka). And I fell in love with it.

Photo from web.evis.net.ph

Vacuum frying has been the trend nowadays since most consumers prefer healthier lifestyles. I am not that familiar with vacuum frying, but as I understood it the technology enables fruits or vegetables to be immersed in a vegetable oil at a controlled temperature to optimize the quality of the products fried.

In ordinary frying, the product is subjected to extreme heat thus scorching (burning) and darkening occurs. In vacuum frying or others call the process as atmospheric frying, the product is subjected to gradual reduction of moisture, like slow frying in extreme heat but not enough heat to boil water. This way, the fruit or vegetable undergoing the process retains most of its original color, taste, aroma and nutritional content.

Here in the Philippines, the technology is quite young and many entrepreneurs find it hard to acquire the machine since it is quite costly, thus, products undergoing vacuum frying technology are not for the masa (common people). Not yet.

But with Leyte State University's Department of Food Science and Technology introducing this vacuum frying technology in the provincial areas, healthy snack products will soon carve a niche in the Philippine market. Perhaps, no more oily snacks in the future?

(Leyte State University is formerly known as Visayas State College of Agriculture or ViSCA. A 50g pack of Vacuum-Fried Jackfruit costs about 45-55 pesos.)

Another spicy experience

No matter how bad is the service at Spice Fusion at SM City Cebu, we always go back there. The food is not the best but sure it is good.

But then again, it is always the service that counts. Like tonight.

When we went in, I suggested we stay at the table near the cashier and the kitchen for obvious reasons- so that we can be readily seen. Indeed, my suggestion bore fruits. We were served just in time when a customer fumingly walked out because she was seating in a corner for almost an hour and no one took notice of her. I even heard from the waiters saying that even if she ordered, she would not be served even for an hour because everyone forgot about her. What a shame!

Another group, a family I guess, wanted to seat inside. The waiters insisted they should take the tables outside, even if there were vacant tables beside us. Just an additional chair and I am sure they would stay there. But no, the waiter would not gave in. Like they do not want customers to come there.

You can even observe that the waiters would stay closely in one place- the counter near the cashier. Why? Did the owner specifically advise them to focus their attention at the cashier?

What is happening Spice Fusion?

The nasi goreng is exactly what I want: not oily, no pork and just as spicy.

Before that, we already were having a confusion at Spice Fusion:
• Spice (con)Fusion
• Bigby's: A pleasant surprise

Another chance of seeing Marketman change people's tastes and faces

If the foretold Rapture happened tonight I am very sure there will be a few who would remain on earth because no ecstatic or heavenly movement would be able to lift the bodies of about 40 people attending Marketmanila’s lechon eyeball. Never.

Yes. It happened again today, a few hours ago, the long awaited Lechon Eyeball of the fans and followers of Marketmanila.com. It has been more than three years,  I think, that I had my first taste of the culinary innovations of Marketmanila and my first attendance to a Lechon Eyeball. Yes, I never got to taste those lazy pigs crouching in a tray but everyone said it was the best.

And tonight was no exemption. Of course, nobody would say it was just a so-so affair!

When I arrived at the venue, everyone was already scampering ahead to taste the first treat of the night. What else but the famous lechon Anthony Bourdain confirmed to be the best. So far. He has traveled that far to discover and affirm that. And not just one lechon suffered at the hungry mouths of Marketman’s guests that night but, four, I counted. There was a lechon with whole chickens stuffed inside while they were grilled. I wonder what would they taste.

Grabbing a bottle of cold beer and making beso-beso with long-lost-co-bloggers-turned-friends, I stayed where I am comfortable with, near the cooking pits. Because Marketman was preparing a seafood paella.

It has been my desire to cook paella. Honestly, I am just scared to try because I thought it would require more patience and time. But after watching Marketman and his sidekick, Angel and their staff breezing it out, I was again inspired at the sight.

So I promised myself I will make a paella and would make it better than Marketman’s. Soon.

I left at the venue after an hour or so because I still have to work. I left bringing along with me a souvenir cupcake with the proud pig logo of Zubuchon and a pack of piyatitos from Lee.

I haven’t eaten them yet. I will wait for another ecstatic moment. At midnight, perhaps?

(The only thing that disgusted me at the Eyeball was that I have only my phone camera with me and I could not capture the intimacy of the selected few guests attending the event. I failed to capture the ecstatic faces of guests receiving the crunchy lechon skin from Marketman. I can only sigh.)

Filipino resilience and the E. Coli

Lately, Germany is attacked by Escherichea Coli bacteria popularly known as E.coli. E.coli is mostly found in raw food like vegetable salad and beef.

Strangely, this bacteria lives in our intestines without us knowing and surprisingly help us in our digestive processes within. But some strain, the term used for viruses and bacteria that has acquired superpowers so to speak, gets into our blood and cause serious infections.

From Germanu, the bacteria attack has spread in Spain and throughout Europe and several deaths have been reported.

But poverty in the Philippines has shunned E.Coli bacteria from its vocabulary. Mostly. Only those in the upper strata have actually blamed the bacteria for some diarrhea attacks.

When a fruit has started to get brown, because they were displayed first before being eaten, the affected areas were pruned and given to pigs to eat. Ok pa to. This is still okay. When vegetables started to rot, the rotten area were pinched and carved while the rest goes to cooking pots. Wala pa yan. When bread has accumulated molds, the greenish part were taken and the rest toasted or given to domestic helps to be eaten right away. Pwede pa. There is no E.Coli in the Philippines!

And then kidney problems started to become a trend in this part of the world.

Before cooking up something, wash your vegetables first, thoroughly I should say, and pause to read the following articles. These are worth a read:

Washington Post: Germany presses to find cause of E.Coli outbreak that killed 18
CNN: E.coli: Is my salad safe?
VOA News: E.coli: Good Bacteria Gone Bad

Serenity

Serenity is knowing that your worst shot is still pretty good.
~Johnny Miller

O2 Spa is no longer appealing

After almost consuming our ordered quesadilla, a haphazardly done sauce of catsup and mayo arrived in exchange of the original salsa and sour cream. Disgusting!

====================================

UPDATE: May 31, 2011

Like a real fortune teller, my guess that O2 Spa will be closing its business seems right after all. For almost 3 weeks now, the O2 Spa's doors were closed and seems there are no activities going on there. I was not able to go and investigate, but one thing is very sure- they are closed.

====================================

I used to promote O2 Spa as the bar to be in Cebu. It used to have good food, affordable beer and a vibrant yuppie crowd.

Not anymore.

O2 Spa's usual 195 pesos a set of 4 beers + 1 is now 250 pesos. And the crowds have dwindled to a table or two the past two visits we had. Worst, their quesadilla becomes unappealing minus the salsa and sour cream. It infuriates me when bars and restaurants take your order and later serve them with lacking ingredients. It's like lying to your face. Only when we question for the lack did they explained the salsa and cream unavailable.

After a year of meeting at O2 Spa, my group decided to transfer somewhere affordable, with delicious food, great ambiance and serves you what's really in the menu. And no more replays of all Manny Pacquiao's fights like everytime they play it something new will happen.

We found the place- The Vienna Kaffehaus at The Gallery in Mabolo.

Palmistry: The art of making palms on Palm Sunday

When we were young, I almost always got excited during Palm Sundays because my grandparents allowed us to design our "palms" for this great event among Catholics. 

The focus of the design was the standard cross with a more open creativity on how you decorate around it. We stripped and cut leaves to form swirling decorations to make our palms stand out in a mammoth crowd. We usually used the young leaves of coconuts in these designs. I remember I asked my Lolo why only coconuts but I could not remember his answer. Maybe because Bohol has bountiful coconut farms and palms always point out at them.

Nowadays, Palm Sunday is no longer as exciting. People got busy. Palms no longer accessible and you can actually get them right at the entrances of cathedrals, churches and chapels- for sale. People no longer make their palms stand out in the crowd and has a boring uniformity among them.

I think the only people who are really excited are the vendors of these palms.

Off to a road less traveled: Cawayan, Masbate

Three hours bus ride and six hours overnight boat ride is a serious travel business. Unless your destination is a well renowned tourist spot. 

But Masbate, I assume, is not a good tourist destination. I have not seen ads nor heard tourists recommending the province in that part of Bicol in the Philippines. In fact, all I heard about Masbate are typhoons and deaths. Armed conflict, be it the revolutionary type, blood wars or gun-for-hires were my description of Masbate, thanks to the Philippine media who would rather sensationalize gore and drama.

Map showing our travel from Bogo City in Cebu to Cawayan in Masbate

And to make it worst (unless you've been there before to say the worst), my destination this time is to a more elusive town in that part of Masbate- Cawayan. Elusive because if you search for Cawayan in the internet, all you get are incorrect data pointing to another parts of Bicol. Yes there are some vague town data that won't help. At all. No data for hotels or pension houses. No official website. Fuzzy pictures from residents of Cawayan. All are adding mystery to that place.

But the road less traveled, I think, is the most exciting place to go. I packed my bag and go. 

From Cebu City we took the Ceres Bus at the Cebu North Bus Terminal for Bogo City where a direct ferry ride for Cawayan is available daily. This is a good three-hour trip so I made myself ready. It is advisable to take the six or seven PM trip to Bogo because the ferry departs at 12 midnight for Cawayan and there is nothing much to see in Polambato, Bogo City.  So getting there at past ten is justifiable. 

Disservice at its best

I say our trip was not quite good. We were seated at the economy section and the winds at night were extremely cold. Everyone of us was shivering from cold despite our jackets and hoods. You have no chance of getting a good night sleep because Super Shuttle Ferry is a seating ferry. That means no cots to sleep on Mister. 


Worst, the crew and staff would not and did not offer good service to paying clients. You could not even distinguish them from other passengers. They would just grab your tickets and leave you wherever you are onboard.


I have to knock several times at their food bar for me to be noticed despite they were just seating in the passengers' seat right next. Worst still, they jacked up their food and beverages at 200 percent making a 5 pesos junk food into a premium commodity without the service. The beer in can that could have saved me from the cold was worth 65 pesos, the price of a 1 liter (grande) Red Horse Beer. I got drunk just by asking the price.

Despite the happy colors, the seats of Super Shuttle Ferry does not offer comfort

This sign as well as other facilities and other services in the ferry show how the staff and management has taken the passengers for granted

Halfway through the trip, the waves were getting bigger and the noise from the machines and the seemingly upturned cargoes made me shut my eyes without sleeping. I was so glad when the ferry finally docked six hours after.

Good sign

From afar, Cawayan was engulfed in a fog, a good sign for me. When we got near the port, the place seemed remote and rural, their port being far from the town center in a barangay (village) called Mahayahay. Since we were there because of a friend's invitation, we were billeted at their home in the Divisoria section of Cawayan, a jumble of the old and new Cawayan and the goods they trade.

The port of Cawayan, Masbate, small and still undergoing road construction

Barangay (village) of Mahayahay in Cawayan

Without rest we were toured around town. From the town proper up to the highlands of Cawayan, down to its marine sanctuary in Recodo. We were supposed to go to some islands in Cawayan but time is against us. But one thing worth remembering during this trip is the hospitality of the people there despite the short notice and the short visit.

Mind you, everywhere we go food were served and we were not allowed to go without eating as if it was our last visit. It was in Cawayan that I first tasted a binga (a kind of shell) cooked in a simple way- salted and steamed- to get its flavors from the sea. When I saw its original form I was shocked because of its hugeness that was unseen from the tender slices of its meat. Maybe because it was cooked in its simplicity or when still fresh from the sea.

The shell called Binga

The cooked binga meat is a good beer accompaniment

Manta ray meat cooked in oyster sauce is definitely delicious.
Our master chef and host is Eric Dubongco.

In fact most of the food I tasted from there were fresh, literally jumping before they were subjected to coal fires or vinegar. Their kinilaw (fresh raw fish with vinegar, spices and coconut milk) has a different taste and the fish crunchy to the bite. The saang were tender and sweet. The variety of seaweeds dipped in vinegar and garlic interestingly bursting with a taste I never experienced in Bohol, Cebu or Samar.

Intoxicating

Nowhere, I said, no-where had I seen an open market that was so big and so varied my sense of smell and sight were intoxicated by its presence. Cawayan's market was a sight to behold and to be experienced. From transistor radios to ukay-ukay, vegetables to seaweeds, from livestock meat to fish of different species, we found them all in their market. 

Although I did not made notes and do not wish to, seeing the whole of Divisoria on a Sunday was like seeing the whole island of Masbate.

The open air market extends right at the beach

Sea cucumber locally called bat is one of the unique displays up for sale in the Cawayan market 

The only thing I detest in these kind of markets in the provinces is the uncontrolled buying and selling of illegal species. I do not know if getting the egg sacs of squids are illegal but they were abundant there. Rays, mantas and stings, were butchered right in front of the public. I am glad I did not see turtles or dolphins.

The squid egg sacs put on sale with tiny squids still squiggling inside

Promises

When we left Divisoria for Mayahay port, we made a promise to go back. And as I looked back I wondered what would happen to Cawayan years from now. The fresh air we breath there were occasionally mixed with the foul smell from somewhere. Although I did not see overflowing garbage bins in the roadsides, their rivers and seas were already floating with plastic and other garbages, a sign that the municipal government is not stringent in its waste disposal laws, if there are any.

Plastic and other garbage litter the waterways of Cawayan

Divisoria is quite dirty and the local government should make moves to have a real marketplace, separating wet and dry goods. In their case, the sea is the main reason why the wet market is at the beach front- water. It is a sad fact that this part of Cawayan lacks proper water system and of course drainage system.

I envy the village of Recodo who is "far from civilization" but was able to put up a good water system. Why can't the municipal government do the same?

But in all, my travel to that side of the Philippines was worth it. New friendships were established and a new experience was realized on my part. I will be back.

Relevant information:
Super Shuttle Ferry [#38 Gorordo Avenue, Cebu City 6000; Telephones: (032) 232-3150, 231-0639, 234-4121, 345-5581; Fax: (032) 233-5733, 345-5583] leaves from Polambato, Bogo City to Cawayan, Masbate every day at 12 midnight and departs from Cawayan to Polambato every day at 12 noon.

For bus trip schedules in and out of Cebu call Ceres Liner Cebu at telephone number (32) 345-8650.

More shots:

The God-makers of Jakosalem

These people at Jakosalem Street in Cebu City do wonders with just a piece of wood. For a short time, they would make an amazing sculpture of saints and gods in their image and likeness. And they always amazed me to no end. I wish I have their patience and creativity.