Don't quote me

my night-table

A book is the only place in which you can examine a fragile thought without breaking it, or explore an explosive idea without fear it will go off in your face. It is one of the few havens remaining where a man's mind can get both provocation and privacy. ~Edward P. Morgan


Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers. ~Charles W. Eliot


Books serve to show a man that those original thoughts of his aren't very new after all. ~Abraham Lincoln

My little garden

ginseng flower

There’s a small patch of soil outside my window. I dreamed of planting roses there but it remains a dream to this day. Besides, I have never grown a rose in my life! Six years ago, when I was new in the apartment, I asked my mother to plant squash and ampalaya outside the window to shield the living room area from direct sunlight. I wanted to plant ivy to cover the exterior wall of the apartment but my landlord thinks it’s a bad idea.

I’m not really a gardener although I love flowers, admire gardens and enjoy being in one. My mother is more of the gardener in the family. She planted a hybrid blue gumamela in my garden but my landlord’s dog ate it. A friend gave me a bonsai but it died after 6 months in my care. So I’m not really ambitious when it comes to gardening. I like plants that grow on their own.

A few months ago, I got inspired and planted oregano because I love to cook pasta, and I also use the dried leaves to some meat and fish dishes. My oregano is now a small forest! Now, I’m thinking of buying potted basil, bell pepper and other herbs.

oregano

My mother planted ginseng because of its medicinal benefits---although we have not tried it yet. Ginseng roots are said to be adaptogens, aphrodisiacs, nourishing stimulants, and could treat type II diabetes, including sexual dysfunction in men.

There are also a couple of ‘alogbate’ (a slimy vegetable) stems my mother planted, and a bunch of other plants that I don’t recognize. My landlord also contributed bougainvillea and a few pots of red-leaf plants.

When I visited my grandmother in Fairview late last year, I saw an enchanting white flower at her neighbor’s garden. It’s an all-white flower, beautiful in its simplicity. Through my grandmother, her neighbor gave me a bulb that I planted outside my window. Yesterday, I was playing with my dog when I noticed the flowers. They’re pink instead of white, but I like them anyway. I don’t know what this flower is called…my office mate said it’s a Lily.

So, this is my lily.

"In my garden there is a large place for sentiment. My garden of flowers is also my garden of thoughts and dreams. The thoughts grow as freely as the flowers, and the dreams are as beautiful."

~Abram L. Urban

Palawan, more than the usual beach

illegal parking

Enough has been said about the natural beauty of Palawan---it is said to be the Philippines’ last frontier and has been declared as a nature sanctuary of the world. Who has never heard or seen the astounding natural beauty of El Nido, Calauit, Coron, Tubbattaha Reefs, the outstanding dive sites, rainforests, primeval caves, and pristine beaches? I’ve been saving for an El Nido vacation but blame it on the never-ending ‘Sale’ at the malls, food trips, and other pocket-draining activities, I still couldn’t afford a trip to El Nido. To satisfy a long-time dream of setting foot in Palawan, I spent my 6-day vacation in Puerto Princesa with my friend Cecille last summer.

a young adventurer looking for star fish

Luli Island (lulubog-lilitaw)

Framing the intriguing and rugged coastline of Puerto Princesa is Honda Bay. Islets with white sand beaches dot the crystalline blue waters. Snorkeled in Snake island and fed the fish---I've never seen such explosion of colors underwater before in my life! Schools of fish are everywhere...in various shapes and colors. I can say now that I've swum with the fishes. :D We island-hopped to 2 other islets, the Starfish Island and the Lu-Li Island (as in lulubog-lilitaw...the island disappears at high tide during the rainy months of June to September).

cecille with our tour group

after lunch at snake island

what creature is this?
star fish island
die-t another day

The best part of my Palawan vacation is the food! Fresh seafoods were so inexpensive. We tried the best restaurants in town--Kalui, Bilao at Palayok, Kinabuchs...they are all value for money. But we missed having dinner at Badjao Seafront Restaurant---we fell asleep after a whole day at Honda Bay and woke up around 10pm. Badjao was already close when we got there.

posing at bahile beach

boat-ride to underground river

A two and a half-hour drive from Puerto Princesa and a 20-minute boat ride from Sabang brought us to the Subterranean River National Park in Bahile. It takes the first time visitor like me into the breathtakingly rugged beauty of Ulugan Bay. Limestone cliffs standing guard over crystal waters, most of them uninhabited. Millions of years of wave action have carved and shaped these rocks into something awesome and majestic.

puerto princesa subterranean river, a world heritage site

Canoeing into the subterranean river was a mixture of excitement and fear of the unknown. With only a small spotlight lighting our way, our boatman/guide told us that the underground river has a total length of 8.2 km but we're only allowed to navigate 2.3 km. It’s one of the world's wonders and reputed to be the world's longest underground river. Inside the cave are various shapes of stalagmite and stalactite pillars---some in shapes of corn, puso ng saging, mushroom, a melted candle ( a guy in front of me said it looks like a rotten tooth ); there are even formations that resemble the Holy Family and Jesus' face! There were bats, a shy snake, marble cliffs and the highest cavern reaches up to the 65 meters. There were some marks on the walls of the cave...one was "1937", perhaps made by some explorer.

At the camp site, the monitor lizards were walking around, curious of visitors invading their neighborhood. The monkeys were also quite sociable...they even grabbed some bananas and watermelon from the picnic table!

one of the world's wonders

Somebody said that like clouds, the limestone formations in Palawan are subject to interpretation---like these jagged marble pillars pointing to the heavens.

limestone cliffs at ulugan bay

ulugan bay

We hired a tricycle and visited Iwahig Penal Colony, the butterfly farm, Mitra's Farm and the WW II American cuartel near the cathedral. We walked the streets after dinner, had coffee at Itoy's (Puerto's version of Starbucks), cooled down at the fountain in front of of the capitol. We ate halo-halo at Chowking every afternoon and had a massage. Life's great! I wished I'd never go back to Manila!

iwahig penal colony

cecille at the butterfly farm

It was Holy Week so on Viernes Santo, I followed the faithful climb the Calvary Mountain. The innkeeper told me that there's a Sinakulo with 'real' crucifixion. We waited and waited---no crucifixion. The Dutch guy, the German with his Filipina girlfriend, the married couple from England, the two Filipino guys from Singapore and myself walked back to the city, disappointed. Good thing the German guy bought mango shake for everybody! :D

calvary mountain

The Plaza Cuartel was a Japanese garrison during World War II where 143 American soldiers were burned alive.

plaza cuartel

with a dark past

snake island, honda bay

Palawan has indeed extraordinary scenic wonders. But don't just take my word for it---go and see for yourself.

Samal Island

deserted Dayang beach

Sallie, the cast-away girl

our own private beach

a chunky mermaid

Isla Reta beach-front

the Moncadistas, circa 1920

view from Moncado's attic window


early bats

Sally, ang diwata ng Hagimit Springs

jammin' with the band

Chico's, Davao City

Thinking the bar was full of strangers, I shamelessly sang with the band. Grateful there was no violent reaction from the audience---perhaps, they were all too drunk to protest or I was too wasted to remember (hehehe)!

Samal Island: Life's a beach!

Kaputian Beach, Samal Island

My first trip to Davao City was in October 2006 just when killer-typhoon Melenio had left Metro Manila battered and powerless. I was spared from low-bat anxiety attacks and other inconveniences that the storm left behind---my timing couldn't be more perfect! Flew to Davao City with 2 friends, I was happy to leave behind the devastating sights on the way to the airport. My first impression of the city was the absence of garbage on the streets. Living in Metro Manila for the past 20 years where garbage on the streets is a common sight, the cleanliness of Davao City was a welcome sight. We checked in a small hotel in CM Recto, walked around and found an al fresco restaurant called Madayaw Ihaw-Ihaw along Rizal Street. I introduced grilled bihod (fish roe-our version of caviar) to my 2 city slicker friends, and until now, they are still craving for more bihod! Bihod! Bihod! Bihod! A few meters from Madayaw is Chico's Jazz Bar...where we grooved with the band's salsa and jazz music. The bar looked like the hangout of the city's gentlemen---a city councilor at the bar, a few were still in their office barong, a number of foreign-looking guys behind us, and later, an Eddie Mercado voice-alike, who claimed he's indeed an announcer--- for SuperFerry! Or more of a barker! Then a pretty lady snuck up at me---it was Cecille, a chat-friend who lives in Davao. Cecille welcomed me and my friends with the warmth of an old friend. She even took us to a fiesta the next day where we ate & ran to catch our boat to Samal!

Talicud Island our cottage in Paradise Island Resort Samal Island

A serene escape from crowds, a quiet retreat to soothe my soul---that's my idea of a perfect vacation place. I found it in Paradise Island Park & Resort in Samal Island, a 15-minute boat ride from Davao's wharf. The resort is tucked away in 50 hectares of lush tropical gardens, clear blue water, powdery white sand beaches and nipa-thatched cabanas. Giant talisay trees surround the resort, the orange leaves reminded me of fall! Our cabana has a private veranda and a fenced garden overlooking the beach, surrounded by stunning colors and lyrical sounds of nature. An aviary of rare birds and a mini zoo with a number of deer, sea turtles and a python are added attractions. The service was excellent and the food's great...serenades at dinner-time echo romance and serenity. It adds to the ambiance for enjoying grilled fresh seafood in a pleasantly relaxed atmosphere.

a gumamela in our front yard

sunset at Paraside Island

gulf of Davao

I watched the sunset on our first afternoon in Paradise...it was my first sunset in a long time! Night-owls like me seldom see the sunset [much less a sunrise]. Reclined by the beach, I enjoyed the horizon of water and tranquility of Paradise Island.

My friends woke up early for our inland tour, and I was practically coerced to leave the bed! I don't count getting out of bed at 6am part of my vacation. I only get up at dawn when I have a plane to catch, or somebody's dying! But in this case, I was out-voted and out-numbered. So at 7am, we were at the mouth of a cave which is said to be the world's largest bat colony. The first fingers of the sun were warm on my face as I gazed at the sleeping vampire bats, envious of their slumber party. They looked like bunches of danggit hanging from the cave's ceiling and walls.

Batman's cave

Still sleepwalking when we reached our next stop---Hagimit cold spring. We splashed in the refreshingly cold spring water, unfortunately, we didn't bring our bathing suits. The trek back up the main road made us catch our breath. It was a good morning exercise...good thing I had rice for breakfast.:D

Hagimit cold spring

dragging Miss Sally

We drove for about an hour until we reached Kaputian town to get a boat for Talicud Island. On the way to Kaputian, we bought water, watermelon and pomelo, and breathed in the fresh morning air. I admired the scenic Pearl Farm and the tiny islands along Davao Gulf. After a 45-minute boat ride, we docked along the white beaches of Isla Reta in Talicud Island. There, we bought our lunch of fresh fish they call mulmul, squid and rice. I also bought a sleeveless shirt for my swimwear. We sailed again around Talicud Island...the island is small compared to Samal, perhaps, the size of Boracay. It has rugged cliffs, kaleidoscopic dive sites and pristine white beaches. From the boat, I could see the coral reefs underneath the clear water...how I wish I could dive! Looked out for dolphins but they were shy that day.

Sally and me @ Isla Reta

Finally found our own private beach...Dayang. It was like a scene from the TV series, Lost. The beach was deserted, the pebbled beach and crystal clear water welcomed us. Oh, I forgot to mention our guide, Dondon and driver Manong Rudy told us to take a swim and chill...we will be called when lunch is ready! Yeheyyyyy! I guess, they read our minds... Oh, it was pure bliss! To feel the warm water on my skin, the sun on my face, blue skies, coconut trees, and the sounds of nature...I thought, I'm so glad I came here! I was singing Seals & Crofts' "Summer Breeze" in my head.

lunch prepared by Manong Rudy

On our way back to Paradise, we took a side-trip to see the Moncado settlement and the old white house overlooking Davao Gulf. The white house was built in the 1940's and owned by General Hilario Moncado, a self-proclaimed 5-star general and founder of a religious sect. I would love to visit the old house during a full moon. An ancient Balite tree shaded the front steps, and the general's monument guarded the side of the house. I explored the old house up to the attic...took pictures of old framed photographs of its members. The view from the general's bedroom was remarkable. On a clear day, one could see the city across the gulf from the attic window.

Moncado's [formerly] white mansion

Samal Island is truly an interesting destination. The whole island is relatively small, but without a doubt, it's a grand source of amazement. Back in Davao City, we met Cecille for lunch in Probinsya Restaurant near Victoria Mall. Then she took us to Magsaysay Market for our pasalubong of pomelo, mangosten and durian candies. And the finale---the durian market in San Pedro for our first taste of the infamous fruit. A friend once told me that eating durian is an acquired taste, like uni sashimi...I love uni sashimi so I should be able to eat durian! The fruit was sliced and opened---I braced myself and inhaled...it's not so bad, not as disgusting as I imagined it would be! I tentatively took my first bite and hmmmmnnn...it tastes good, the texture was smooth (like tiesa, an orange-colored fruit I hated when I was a kid) and the flavor was very rich (nakakaumay). Cecille recommended Sprite to go with durian. After we demolished the whole fruit, I was happy that I tasted durian before I'm older. The fruits and sweets from Davao and the distinct smell of durian remind me of all the unforgettable experiences I had in Davao and Samal Island.

the infamous durian

our first durian experience