Boracay 2004

Friday, November 12

Really cut it close Friday morning ... twas almost boarding time when I arrived at the airport. The clerk, or whatever you call him, told me they were just about to close the counter. Point is, I didn't miss the plane and they were still open. There was this chubby lady in front of me with a familiar face ... and while I was waiting for my turn, I wondered if she was the comedianne on TV. Anyway, she took her time pulling out things from the bag that she hoped to hand carry but the airport guy said must be checked in. I found it amusing that most of her things were girly - that means in shades of pink and/or other pastel colors.

Esther, Rhoda and Jeng were in the same flight I was. Arriving at Boracay, Jeng and Rhoda rode a separate ferry from the one Esther and I took. Esther and I had fun watching the two of them being carried on the shoulders of the ferry porters ... maybe because the water level was too high for them?

People from the ferries walking towards the beach:


I thought we were booked at the Pearl. Apparently not, since I was back at Willy's. Jeng and Rhoda were my room mates. Esther and Vikki were in a nearby room. I would say next door, but there's a staircase dividing our rooms.


After lunch at Willy's, Esther, Jeng, Rhoda and I spent most of the afternoon buying souvenirs at the talipapa (wet market). We met Vikki there - she flew in from Cebu. Jeng, Esther and Rhoda went back early because Rhoda had a bad stomach. I stayed behind. Bought only a few t-shirts, wall decor and some magnets. Did not want to bring home food this time. I decided to find out how long it would take to walk from the Talipapa back to Willy's Beach Resort. It was LOOONG. However, if you're walking beside the beach, you don't mind it much because there are the people and establishments to distract you.

We decided to walk a bit along the shore before going to dinner:




Dinner was at Waling-waling.





Prebon hosted a night of drinks at nearby Seawind.



Saturday, November 13

Saturday was convention proper. Hung around the beach early morning.



On Willy's Rock:


After breakfast, we overstayed in our room and by the time we got to the convention hall, they had run out of Reuters bags to give away.

Right after the convention:




Willy's Main Hall:


After lunch, we hung around at the beach. Rhoda managed to talk Esther and I to join her in the banana boat ride. Five minutes into sea, she was asking the guy in the speedboat to turn around and bring us back to shore.

He he he he!


Saturday dinner was at Seawind. We got there early and also left early... unaware that raffle prizes were to be given away. Vikki would have won a stay at the Seawind Resort if she was present and not hanging out in her room. ICAP sponsored this year's Fun Night and held it at Pier One. We popped in and left after about an hour.

As usual, we woke up early Sunday in order to get to the airport on time.

Waiting for the ferries:


On a ferry to Caticlan:



At Caticlan:


We got to Caticlan early alright, but we waited ages before the bus left for Kalibo. That meant there was a long line at check-in by the time we got there. The ire of most people got directed at the representative of a group of Korean tourists because they got a whole line by themselves. This is one of those rare times wherein it's the plane waiting for its passengers instead of the passengers waiting for the plane.

At the NAIA airport:


Back at Manila, hitched a ride to Alabang Town Center with Rhoda. Had the film developed, ate lunch, then headed home.

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Team Building at Makiling Highlands Resort

The Team Building this year was held yesterday and today at Makiling Highlands Resort.

To get there, Lanie and I were supposed to meet Boss Dan at Alabang. Boss Dan picked me up at Sussana Heights instead just to make up for lost time. Milette didn't come to the Team Building because her husband is still recuperating.

Was among the early arrivees at Makiling though.

The Marketing guys were late! Gene was driving one of the vans and, at supposedly Cha's suggestion, he took a wrong turn and they found themselves on the northbound side of the highway going back to Manila. Texted Rhoda and Jong to ask where they were holding their team building as a joke. The funnier thing is that Rhoda answered "Tagaytay Highlands" while Jong answered "Lake Caliraya" ... not much of a team are they? he he he!

The place we went to had conference rooms and almost all rooms and cottages had a hot spring pool in front. The organizers (Jan, Cristy, and Che) made use of the uneven terrain and wide grounds to include a rip-off of the show Amazing Race as the final challenge.

Challenge 1 was a choice between an obstacle course or eating balut ... my team chose the obstacle course. Funny how some team leaders who chose the balut option had to force their members to eat (balut is an egg with a half formed chick in it).

Challenge 2 was a choice between buying an "Original" buko pie with a receipt to prove it, or grilling fish (Tilapia) using whatever materials the team can find and proving the fish was edible. We chose to grill the fish.

The resort was far from the main road. As the teams could only ride public utility vehicles in the challenge, a team had to walk to the main road before they could ride a jeepney to the nearest "Original" buko pie outlet.

The teams who chose to grill the fish had no problem finding grills as there are many scattered in the resort. The problem was starting and maintaining a fire that could cook the fish.

I mentioned that the terrain was uneven. During the next challenge, we realized that the gate we used going in is the back or side gate of the resort. To get to the main entrance we had to climb up 40 steep stone steps. Our team had gone up and down the first 20 steps before realizing we should have gone back up and climb 20 more steps. Jeng was about ready to murder Jan for not telling us!



Plant boxes lined the steps to the villas. The "organizers" made use of this in the next challenge: find 3 plastic eggs of the same color or diving in a pool to get especially marked coins. The teams who decided to look for eggs had a hard time looking for 3 of the same color as the area they had to cover was extensive. One must know how to swim though for the coin challenge. The good part is that the water is warm (hot springs, remember?)

For accomodations, Jeng and I got the ONLY tree house in the resort. The rest stayed in rooms called villas.

The tree house:


The place had videoke machine that could be rented if one wanted added entertainment.

Woke up early this morning so that we could leave early. After breakfast, did some picture taking. Having stayed in the Tree house, I didn't know what the villas looked like. So I followed Es to their villa and saw how SMALL it was.


Then Es and I crossed the hanging bridge and took each other's picture. The others didn't know they could cross the bridge, some didn't even know there was one. Those who did know of it complained they were told yesterday not to cross the bridge. Well there was a rope cordoning off access to the hanging bridge ... but it's sunny today whereas yesterday it was raining and rain=wet=slippery bridge. And doors and ropes did not always deter me ... how else would I know all those short cuts? he he!


Obviously, I have a lot of pictures of the tree house where Jeng and I stayed. Lorenz, who claims ability to see and communicate with ghosts, asked me yesterday if I felt comfortable sleeping in the place. Jokingly I asked him if the house was "invisible" to him, and he said it wasn't that, but the house is on a very old - probably ancient - tree. If he was hoping I'll be scared like Che, well I was not. In the first place, I'm blind to spirits, so if there are any in the place, I won't see them, ergo, they won't bother me. Assuming of course, that we believe Lorenz.

Took pics of the grotto under the stone bridge which was right under our tree house. The grotto is near the foot of the tree actually, which makes it a very tall tree that is at least 2 stories high. The odd thing about the grotto is the theme. While most grottoes would have the statue of the Virgin Mary or an angel in them, this one is Lazarus rising from the dead ... featuring Jesus, Lazarus wrapped like a mummy, Martha, and Mary. Now, grottoes with the virgin mary means the owner is a devotee of mary. Now, who is the person devoted to when he builds a tableau of Lazarus rising?



The scene is significant to the creator of that tableau for what reason?:

1. Jesus raising Lazarus was the high point of his career - and probably what prompted the authorities to make sure he ends up dead; or
2. The rising from the dead has esoteric meanings (leaning towards Egyptology and gnosticism)

You can search the internet yourself on the significance of that scene. You'll probably learn more than I will.


Anyway, after a group picture in front of the big statue of Makiling's face (Makiling is a legendary diwata/fairy of the mountain bearing her name), we left the place. I hitched a ride with Boss Jun and asked to be dropped off at Ayala Mall, Makati. Where I had my film developed, and where I hung out till time came to go to St. Cecilia's Hall to watch Sam's voice recital.

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My So-called Subic Trip

March is about to end so I decided to avail of the free overnight stay in Subic International Hotel as the offer is good till March 31 only. This is the prize I won last December in MART's Christmas party.

Met Sam at Victory Liner station in Pasay early morning yesterday, bought tickets, got in bus and spent most of the morning on the road. Got to Subic freeport after lunch. Upon entering the gate, we realized that you really need a car to get around.

We walked for two blocks under the hot sun without any idea where the hotel we're staying at is. Allowed Sam to choose the directions but we were still lost. Out on a whim, saw a bird fly to our right and jokingly told Sam we could try following it as we've already tried her logical approach. The bird was right, the hotel was to the right.

The hotel was in the middle of the freeport ... which makes it far from the bay. There are no public transportation in the zone, and renting a car is expensive. Not up to taking a long walk to the bay, we stayed in the hotel the rest of the afternoon sleeping, watching cable TV, sleeping, calling room service for dinner, eating, watching cable, and sleeping.

Why? Sam just got back from a trip to Taal lake with friends, I was tired from work. It wasn't how I envisioned we'd spend the day.

Availed the free breakfast this morning, walked around the freeport and realized we like Subic. We could not enjoy the beach as the part of the sea near the Boardwalk is contaminated with chemicals coming from the Subic Export Processing Zone. We had to satisfy ourselves with taking pictures.


Subic Bay's patrol ride horses. This horse is Gloria.


A group of janitors taking a break nearby temporarily placed their brooms and dustpan at the statue of James L. Gordon. I took this picture because I thought it was funny.


One of the nicer hotels near the bay.


Sam taking a rest in one of the cafes.
After lunch we hopped on a bus bound for Manila as Sam promised to attend a friend's conducting recital.

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Food in Chinatown

Sam and I was in Binondo this morning. We met at SM Manila, which is near Lawton. Had lunch in a Taiwanese restaurant that sounds like Yin Foo something. Her classmate Judith once brought her there and so she wanted to eat there again. She did most of the ordering, the only thing I had input in was the Yang Chow rice.

We had black chicken soup for starters and the chicken was really black - I learned that the skin of the local variety of chicken turns black when cooked. The soup's supposed to have medicinal properties much better than ordinary chicken soup (haven't heard of chicken soup's effect? why else would the spiritual books be called chicken soup for the soul?).

Then we had oyster omelette. I found it funny that the last time I ate out, I was also eating oysters. I don't know what you call the other dish, but it was basically "litid". It tasted good.

Sam being Sam, she ate slow because she likes to talk a lot while eating, I had to switch to chopsticks so that I won't finish ahead of her... I mean, you get more in your mouth using a spoon versus using chopsticks, right?

As we left the restaurant, we passed by some fruit vendors. We saw something that looked like a cross between an apple and a peach but is smaller than both. I asked the guy what fruit it was, I think he said macam. Funny thing is, when I asked what it tasted like, he told me he didn't know. I chided him for that and asked him how could he persuade others to buy that fruit?

Afterwards we went to Polland. I bought one Ma Chang and out of curiousity bought one pack Ube/langka hopia. Next stop was Bee Tin grocery. I bought some dried fruits (mandarin peels and champoy), and chorizo Macau, dried Tapa strips (sweet and chewy), and Haw flakes. I was curious at the liver chorizo but the salesperson (she must be hired help, I think if I asked the Chinese owners, I would have gotten an answer) didn't know what dish I could put that one in so I didn't buy. At Salazar street, we went into Salazar bakery and I bought some Mongo and Baboy hopia, plus the Lotus one which has salted egg inside. I had us detour to Eng Bee Tin Deli (there are many outlets of Bee Tin in China Town) to buy Ma Chang and different flavors of hopia which is supposed to be the best kind compared to Holland, Polland and Salazar.

It was around 2pm when we finished and we felt the hot sun.

Intramuros, Binondo, and CCP Complex

The revival of Intramuros and Roxas Blvd as a destination for people looking for a nightlife is part of Mayor Atienza's beautification process. Jon, being a med student, complains that his focus is entirely on that aspect that he has neglected health services. Encouraged by Atienza's fascination with raising pride in the history of glorious Manila, the Filipino-Chinese community would not be left behind... the Chinese community in Manila existed as far back or maybe even farther than the Spanish era.

This afternoon, the first Inter-school Lion Dance Competition was held at Ongpin Street Binondo. There were ten groups competing from around 6 or 8 Chinese schools. Some schools sent two teams. It turns out that there are two variations to the Lion Dance ... one is "Lion waking in a cave" and the other is "Lion crossing a bridge". The schools who sent in two teams showed both.

The competition was supposed to start 4pm, but it begun much later - probably because the organizers waited for the politicians to arrive. Jon and I watched the first five teams and the exhibition by the fire volunteers of Binondo. We met Victor who passed by Ongpin on the way to his in-laws' place. Victor is half Chinese and rents a room in Binondo.



It was past seven when we left Ongpin street. We passed by Eng Bee Tin to buy some hopia, machang, peanuts, sweet tapa, and ofcourse the food associated with Chinese New Year - Tikoy! We wanted to eat in a Chinese restaurant but didn't know which one was good or what food to order. While we were figuring out where to exit from Soler Street, I met an old college friend, Roanna Ong. Well, she was Ong when we were studying, I don't know her married name now. Roanna was walking with an older woman and seemed to be in a hurry so we just exchanged his... I never got far to asking how the hell do we get out of Chinatown.

We finally found our way out when we saw some jeepneys. Jon and I ate dinner at Max's Restaurant in Harrison Plaza.

Afterwards, we trekked over to the CCP to view the Amazing World of Lights and Lanterns ... which I've seen but Jon hasn't. We were lucky to catch part of the show featuring Chinese acrobats.




A couple of the lanterns:


One of the dioramas:


After seeing all ten lanterns, we crossed over to the next block to Star City.

I haven't been there since I was in college and since then, they've added new rides, a theater, and a second floor. Most of the rides that used to be in open air are now under a roof. The layout's crazy that it seems like you're walking through a glass maze that one would put a pet mouse in. Going through loads of people in a maze like layout means an eventual head ache.



Around 11pm, Jon and I left and passed by Starbucks before heading home. We were surprised to find out Papa did not eat dinner because he was waiting for us to arrive with his machang!