My Own Version of Eat. Pray. Love. -- in Boracay

In Liz Gilbert's memoir of her life, Eat. Pray. Love., she writes about her trips across the world in search for everything... Though she supposedly has everything a woman would want and dream of -- a husband, a house, a successful career -- still, she found herself lost and in search for what she really wanted in life. She ate in various restaurants and enjoyed life in Italy (Eat). She found her spirituality in India (Pray). And finally, she met her true love in Bali, Indonesia (Love).

I could totally relate with her story because almost a year ago, I was in the same page as hers. I was confused, in the middle of a crossroad, just hanging by a thread. Looking back, I thank God for getting me out of that brink of giving up. I'm now slowly discovering who I am and what my purpose is as He continues to guide me along the way.

But that's a whole another story right there. I could also write a book and perhaps won't finish because I'm always a work in progress...

It's in my recent trip to Boracay where I can say I experienced these three verbs to the full.

I ate. I prayed. I loved.

EAT

I've been trying to limit my food intake before I went off to Boracay (who wouldn't want to be beach-body ready?). But surely when I got there, I didn't want to control myself eating since I want to enjoy the different types of food the beach has to offer. From the simple hamburger joint or inasal chicken in D*Mall, or fresh seafood in the D*Talipapa to the finest restaurants in the triple A resorts of Boracay, you are sure to find something that you would like to eat. Station 2 has always been a staple where you can find most of the restaurants, bars, and establishments. We just diligently walked there even if we were booked in Station 1. If beach laziness hits, one could always take a trike on the way back to your place.

There's always a few hits and miss in Bora's restos though. I ordered a "bolognese" in this resto in front of a resort (the food was so bad, I forgot the name--and I didn't take a picture). When the pasta came, I was surprised to see that it was like a spaghetti from a typical Filipino children's party.

I also had experienced seafood allergy in one of the paluto in D*Talipapa. I guess I was too confident that I didn't have shrimp allergies anymore. Combine that with bad ventilation inside on a hot afternoon lunch. Note to self: always bring an anti-histamine.

I felt sad when I found that our favorite fruit shake in town (and only the best) Jonah's, was already located on the roadside and no longer by the beach. I can't blame them since the cost of rent beside the beach was rising.

Sipping fruit shake by the roadside just isn't the same...

It's in Mañana in Station 2 where I got really satisfied with their real Mexican food. Finally, I found what I was craving for...

Quesadillas favorite.

Burritos another favorite.

Top it off with their banana shake, which can be good for two.

PRAY

Nothing beats starting the day at the beach by praying, having quiet time with God, then capping it off with a good jog.

My friends having their alone moments.

And it's in those long walks alone that you can find sights such as this.

My friends and I have been looking forward to this trip since early this year because we're attending our dear friend's ultimate beach wedding. A week before the big day, there was a major glitch on the bride's wedding gown. Then a day before, we found out that she was still feeling sick. On that morning, we woke up seeing dark clouds hovering over us. And, by mid-morning, we went swimming in the beach and it started raining! Even with those series of unfortunate events, we have been continuously praying and having faith that God is on the move, up to the day we've all been waiting for.

We just thanked God for the shower of blessings. After an hour, there was like a spotlight over us as heaven started opening up and the skies clearing up. A big sigh of relief.

It was God and with our prayers who made all things work together for good. It was indeed a beautiful day!

LOVE

No, I didn't exactly fall in love. I felt the looove in Discovery Shores, Boracay. Just witnessing this wedding and hearing the couple's vows put tears to my eyes because I saw how genuine their love is for each other and how God blesses two people who make Him the center of their relationship.

I loved? Oh yes I did. I loved my friends even more with all the adventures we've shared in Boracay (Zorb balls, Zipline, sharing a big family room, eating breakfast in a veranda, late night games and more) . I loved the quirkiness (or OC-ness?) we've discovered of each other. I loved God even more because I know He also has a love story He's writing for me.

* * *

You don't have to search and travel the world to find these three. Everyday, right where you are, you can always eat and savor life, pray, and love.

CouchSurfing: A new way to do backpack traveling?

Recently, a friend told me to check this site called CouchSurfing (http://www.couchsurfing.org/) which is a community of people around the world sharing hospitality with one another. In short, "couchsurfers" open up their homes to a fellow couchsurfer / traveller who is visiting their country. At the same time, when they visit a certain country, they can get in touch with a "couchsurfer" in that country willing to take them in their home.

From their site:

These exchanges are a uniquely rich form of cultural interaction. Hosts have the opportunity to meet people from all over the world without leaving home. "Surfers," or travelers, are able to participate in the local life of the places they visit. We also give more people the chance to become travelers, because "surfing" lowers the financial cost of exploration.

And what about Safety?

Through CouchSurfing, it's more like meeting a friend of a friend. You have the chance to read all about other members' experiences with that person, whether positive or negative. You have a full profile's worth of information about their interests and perspectives. You can see who their friends are and how they know them. And you have the ability to correspond with them as much as you want before you meet them.

Do you really have to host your home?

Regarding your hosting availability, there's an option when you register that if you select "Coffee or a drink", this means that you can show someone around your city for the day or meet up for a quick drink, but not host.

What are the steps to join?

1. Register your name and address and other pertinent details.

2. Confirm your identity by donating via credit card. (Minimum verification amount for the Philippines based on the economic sliding scale is USD 11.47 ~ PHP 516.15)

3. A postcard will be sent to your home address to verify your location.

With CouchSurfing, you are not actually limited to travel with just a backpack. It just enables you travel in a budget without spending too much on hotels and accommodations. It is for the adventurous. It IS for those who want to meet people in that culture and make their travel experience richer and more memorable.

It's always been my dream to do backpack traveling (before I get married?!) in perhaps at least 5 countries in Asia. And why not also Europe. I've always traveled with my suitcase or a big travel bag -- but never a backpack. Hmm, CouchSurfing may be a way to finally have this dream.

As what I've told my friend, there's GOT to be a purpose while we're traveling to a certain place. It's not just about seeing the exotic places, taking wonderful photos, eating local delicatessen, or maybe finding your true love or knowing your purpose in life. It could also be about touching other people's lives, sharing about the love of God you've seen and experienced. :)

So, let's go?

Walk Write This Way with Carlos Celdran and Writer's Block Philippines

Why was June 19, 2010 memorable for me? Nope, that wasn't a holiday. I didn't even go out of town that day. It was a normal sunny Saturday -- but I woke up early, prepared my camera and drove my way to Manila.

Yes, the Old Manila.

I was just on my own! As soon as I read about this event promotion in Travelife Magazine's Facebook page, I didn't even bother to ask my friends to join me in this walking tour of Intramuros with Carlos Celdran and Walk Write This Way workshop on travel writing and photography by Writer's Block Philippines. Haha, I guess that was selfish of me.

MORNING

I kinda regretted not inviting any of my friends to join me here (after all, I thought they might not be interested in the writing workshop in the afternoon, or even the Philippine History Carlos was going to talk about). As soon as I arrived in Manila Cathedral, the steps of the church were almost filled! "Are we this many?" I thought. Later on I found out half of it were in there for the workshop and the other half were Carlos' group of tourists who were also booked. I admire him for being able to handle such a big crowd (we were combined for the morning walking tour) and all of us were intently listening to his entertaining stories. It was such a treat!

Carlos starting off with Lupang Hinirang

Carlos and his hat!

"If these walls could talk..." Carlos kept on saying. He indeed puts words and life to the walls of the churches in Old Manila and Intramuros through his storytelling, music, props, and old pictures. It was like Philippine History 101 but Carlos delivers it in a flamboyant and theatrical way. Unlike most of the kids in school, History was my favorite subject in highschool and college. Probably because I had interesting history teachers back then who would incite our imagination and stir up good discussions regarding history, its characters and its issues. I would love to have Carlos to be my history professor any time and surely I'd have a 1.o grade. If we were to have a quiz and ask what I learned from the walking tour, here are some of the things I'd enumerate:

• Kilometer zero in this present age is in Luneta Park (or the Rizal monument) which is our reference in measuring distances. Kilometer zero during the Spanish colonial times was considered to be at the cross on top of Manila Cathedral, which symbolized that the center of society was the Church.

• When the Americans came, they made Jose Rizal the national hero (pushing other heroes such as Andres Bonifacio, Apolinario Mabini and Emilio Aguinaldo like second-class heroes), plucked him out of Paco Park and moved his remains of what is now known as the Luneta Park. It was then known as Kilometer zero. The Church was no longer the center of power.

A kalesa ride from Manila Cathedral to San Agustin Church and Museum. We then crossed to Casa Manila.

• San Agustin Church was just one of the seven beautiful churches in Old Manila. The other churches were utterly destroyed during the war. It merely survived because a red cross was painted outside, and inside was where all the wounded and dying were nursed during the 2nd World War. (It felt heavy to hear this part especially when Carlos was sharing this story inside the tombs).

There were so many lessons learned in this tour that I could list down but I want you to experience this yourself. Before, I would only remember Manila as where I've spent my college years -- with all its noise, pollution, and poverty. Somehow it made me ponder and imagine how beautiful Manila was -- the center of culture, art, religion and it made me quite sad that it could be hard to bring back its original beauty. At least in Carlos' efforts, this walking tour will change the way we see Manila (the way it did to me) and how we see ourselves as Filipinos one step at a time.

AFTERNOON

I've never been so inspired to hone my writing skills after the travel writing workshop in the afternoon. The ladies of Writer's Block Philippines treated us for lunch in the Syquia Apartments (courtesy of Victoria Court catering which was surprisingly good!). We had a fun ice-breaker with Ana asking us to introduce ourselves and answer the question if we were a city or a place, what would we be and why. (I said I'd be that white sand paradise under the sun and palm trees like in Maldives!)

Each of the ladies then lectured about feature writing (by Ana Santos), travel writing (Nikka Sarthou), art and culture writing (Nina Terol-Zialcita). These ladies have gone a long way especially now that they have their by-lines in different magazines and newspapers. Ena Terol also gave us quick tips on travel photography. I was also able to network with people from Travelife Magazine and other travel and photography enthusiasts.

Ana Santos with her students

I said I was inspired to write but months passed and a long series of events and schedules have piled up after that writing workshop. I've been putting off practicing my writing skills and I even told myself before I will definitely start by submitting and contributing to publishers. I didn't even have time to blog. I know these could be excuses but I've got to start somewhere! So here, I'm back on my PC typing and recalling my favorite adventures with my camera and Havs.

So why was June 19, 2010 memorable for me? I didn't realize this was my way of having a post-Independence Day celebration with a remembrance of Jose Rizal's birthday (remember: June 19, not December 30) and an appreciation of the beauty of the Old Manila -- Thanks to Carlos Celdran and Writer's Block Philippines!

Next time... I want to go to a writing retreat! :)

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To know more of Carlos Celdran's walking tours, visit http://celdrantours.blogspot.com/

(He now has tours in Intramuros, Chinatown, Quiapo and Sta. Cruz, and CCP Complex)

To find out about Writer's Block Philippines' workshops and events, visit http://www.writersblockphilippines.com/

In Your Face!

Even if I don't own a macro lens, I do enjoy macro photography. I had a chance to practice doing this a few months back (thanks to my friend who owned a macro lens) when Zone V Camera Club had a photo exhibit entitled Zone V Gets Back In Your Face at the Graphic Expo and Photo-Video Expo, SMX Convention Center. It featured ordinary objects shot up close, taking on a new meaning and showing abstract beauty. According to Jay Camus, one of our members, the concept was to make the viewers wonder exactly what they were looking at. The “in your face” claim does not stem from any attitude on the part of the photographer. It comes from the idea that one would have to place the subject of the image right into one’s face in order to see it in the same manner as it is presented in the images.

Those are my two images up there! Guess what they are? See answers below.

Other photos from fellow photogs: a closer look on the colorful ice candies and corn kernels

A micro beauty of a rose and a leaf through the lens of other Zone V members.

What I like about the concept is that it makes viewers (and photographers as well) appreciate and capture the beauty of an object even in its minute detail. I remember this verse in The Message Bible:

Psalm 8:3-4 (The Message)

I look up at your macro-skies, dark and enormous,

your handmade sky-jewelry,

Moon and stars mounted in their settings.

Then I look at my micro-self and wonder,

Why do you bother with us?

Why take a second look our way?

After seeing these photos, I realize that God also does see each of us the same way -- He appreciates this little me inside this gigantic universe... Almost so inconsiderable and puny, yet He favors me and loves me!

* * *

Answers: The colorful back of a CD and a red lipstick mark on a coffee cup.

* * *

PS. Watch out for Zone V's next exhibit on vertical panorama. I'm really excited for that!

An Exciting and Appetizing Way to the Sun in San Pablo, Laguna

My closest friends at work normally see each other every week (the cue is just a text to each other, "Location?!" then we meet up in a Starbs hideout) but we hardly have a chance to go out of town together. These three girls are travel junkies and we've been looking for a sure-fire fun roadtrip this time. Finally, one Saturday, we decided to go for an easy drive to San Pablo, Laguna.

We went off to a not-so-planned roadtrip, with only a map from a website description of Viaje del Sol (Way of the Sun) adventure guiding us. I only Googled about it that morning and good thing I was able to contact Mr. Mandy Marino, an environmentalist and promoter of San Pablo lakes and the brainchild of Café Lago in San Pablo City. We left Alabang almost 10:00am already and arrived Café Lago by the Sampaloc Lake about lunch time. (Of course, if you want to maximize your day trip, you HAVE to leave Manila early morning.)

Sampaloc Lake with the view of the blue mountain -- Mt. Cristobal

(You might get distracted by the good view of Sampaloc Lake and miss Café Lago. It's in front of the pumpkin slide facing Sampaloc Lake.)

Café Lago is inside Mr. Marino's wonderful abode, where he turned the receiving area to a quaint café. He was very accommodating and we had a good chat with him while we waited for the lunch to be served to us. He shared the places to visit in the area and also his causes that made the San Pablo lakes beautiful once again. Sampaloc Lake, in particular, used to stink and was polluted and congested because of the bars, night clubs, and squatters beside the lake. Mr. Marino was instrumental in slowly turning it back to its original beauty. He organized a group of advocates to protest and call the attention of the local officials. Thanks to volunteers like him who gave back to the environment, friends and families can now spend relaxing weekends like this beside the lake.

Thanks and good job Mr. Marino!

Two of my lovely travel buddies who I call Pards and Sweets.

Inside the homey café

Top to bottom: Fresh fried tilapia, cream dory sa gata and lengua.

After a sumptuous lunch, Mr. Marino gave us the Viaje del Sol map and contact to our tour guide in the lakes. San Pablo is known for the City of Seven Lakes so we never missed to tour two of its lakes -- Pandin Lake and its twin Yanbo.

We kinda got lost looking for Brgy. Sto. Angel where we would meet our tour guide for Pandin Lake. We finally saw a vacant lot where a small 'Pandin' sign is posted. We quickly changed to our swimming clothes in a little house in the lot (with the permission of the owner) since we knew we're going to take a dip in the lake. We trekked the trail to the lake under the hot sun for a good 15 minutes. It was just like an oasis seeing the cool, pristine lake ahead.

We hopped on a bamboo raft as we explored Pandin Lake with several women paddling our raft. It's these women who are wives of the fishermen and lived nearby managing the lake tour. Asked why it's mostly women who are guiding the tourists, they feel that female guests may feel uncomfortable if men are driving the rafts especially they wear something skimpy for swimming. That's how they respect tourists.

The tour has a fee of P180 each, which includes a fresh buko juice. Being a beach person myself, it's only now I appreciate the different feeling inside a green, tranquil lake.

Refreshing hues of greens and blues in Pandin Lake

After we crossed over the other side of Pandin Lake, we stopped over a plateau for a five-minute hike to see the glimpse of the twin lake, Lake Yambo. After going down from the top, we rested under a balete tree, which was our jump-off point for a swim in the lake.

Manang "parking" our bamboo raft under the tree.

Diving to the serene lake!

Pards was joining the Subic International Triathlon and Iron Man in Cam Sur, so it was good warm-up and practice for her to swim from the end of the lake to the start, while we paddled the raft going back, keeping an eye on her.

By sunset, we were in Sitio de Amor Farm Resort to do some “ocular” in the place. It's an orchard fit for garden weddings, bed and breakfast, or team building sessions. Apologies to the owners if we were gate crashers. They don't accept walk-ins and it's by appointment only. Nevertheless, the husband owner was still kind enough to accomodate us and tour us around despite the hour.

Sunset view in the infinity pool of Sitio de Amor Farm Resort

Inside one of the dining areas.

We then had our dinner in the Spanish ancestral home turned fine dining restaurant, Sulyap Gallery Cafe. Its interiors and furnitures are all antique types with a vintagey feel and romantic ambiance. Obviously, it doesn't have aircon but the cool breeze from the windows makes the experience more relaxing as we ended of our Viaje adventure.

Why not bring your date here next time?

While our orders were being prepared, we went inside Sulyap Arts and Antiques to look around the antique collections like wooden furnitures, carvings, and religious icons.

Old school cameras!

As for the food, they weren't really memorable for me. Can't believe I actually forgot what we ordered. Anyway, it's still something you shouldn't miss if you're in for an art and culture tour.

I know we still missed a lot of establishments in the Viaje del Sol in Laguna and Quezon. A day is never enough to visit all of them. But at least we've explored places new to us where we've enjoyed every minute of it!

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For more details of the Viaje del Sol routes, visit: http://www.casasanpablo.com/viajedelsol.htm

For Pandin Lake tour arrangements, call Mr. Mandy Marino: 0917-5016694.