crossing continents

An Aussie and a Filipina we met on mafia wars
seas and continents dividing us we defied all natures laws

the more we spoke our words grew fonder
and after time our love grew stronger

thrilling me, surprising me, exciting me, enticing me
i gave up all to meet u

beautiful, loyal, intelligent and kind
night and day you'd greet me

learning, laughing, sharing, loving
together every day

teaching me, caring for me, loving me
teachin me the filipina way

we're not without our problems and our faults are many
but one i'd rather grow old with i can't think of any

I promise to love, respect and honour u all my life
Avic, please make me the happiest man on earth and be my wife...

by Garry Norris

the safecracker and her wheelman

it all started in mafia wars... garry used to tease and entice me jokingly about running away with him for a week of no consequence which i answered with an LOL. the week turned into four months and not without consequence for the mafia wheelman ended up marrying his safecracker...

not bad at all...

i am a multi-awarded individual... i have received numerous awards and recognition for amount of effort done (in games, that is... coz in real life i suck, lol..) but there are particular awards that make me really proud. to wit:

DISH DESTROYER AWARD- for spoiling 4 dishes
CAPTAIN CURDLER AWARD - for spoiling 16 dishes
SUPREME SPOILER AWARD - for spoiling 32 dishes
DELISH DEVASTATOR AWARD - for spoiling 64 dishes
FUMING FOREPERSON AWARD- for firing 7 different friends as waiters
KING OF COMPOST AWARD- by harvesting crops fertilized by neighbors
LORD OF THE PLOW AWARD- earned by using the tractor to plow 10,000 plots
SET THEM UP FOR LATER AWARD - earned by losing 10 fights in a row

this one is my favorite though...

CRACKED AWARD - by opening 75 eggs

the waiting game

i am playing the waiting game...

waiting.. waiting.. waiting...

for energy to refill...
for energy pack...
for stamina to refill...
for light to turn green...
for pastries to cook... ooops, burned them again. waited too long...
for grapes to ripe so i can have them barreled, lol...
for answers...
for messages...
for calls...
for light to turn green.. its turned gray again..
for crops to ripen for harvest...
for something to smile about...
for light to turn green...
for morning...
for evening...
for rain...
for light to turn green... funny bout that green light, i used to be able to know when its gonna turn green... keeps turning gray...
to collect 350 coins, lol...
to live... (guess i better start getting on to it)
for sleep to come...

tick-tock... tick-tock... i will probably feel better in the morning...

island hopping and more... in camarines norte

i was badly sunburned and still peeling from our recent trip to Sariaya, Quezon when Cinch planned a 3-day trip to her hometown. we were supposed to go to the virgin island of Calaguas but the waves and typhoon Dante would not cooperate.

so we had to switch to Plan B.

we (Cinch, Tarits, P and I) left Manila on-board Amihan Bus Lines at 9:45pm. it was freezing inside the bus so every stopover was anticipated with gusto. since there wasn't anything i can see from the window, i snored off all the way to Camarines Norte.

Day 1 : the bus station was a few blocks away from Cinch's house. with heavy baggages under the rain, it was mandatory that we take a tryke. upon depositing our things, we had coffee and pan de sal for breakfast. at around 9:30am, Melvic (our tour guide and coordinator) arrived to pick us up. P and I forgot to pack our raincoats so I improvised a raincoat for him using a black plastic trash bag. how's that for a fashion statement!

Melvic gave us a tour of the city--trust him to get you inside the city hall on a weekend! he also showed us the first and oldest Rizal Monument and the Vinzon's shrine. later, we went to St. Peter the Apostle Parish. it was almost 12 noon so off we went to Villa Eusebia for lunch.




it was a cozy native restaurant with huge old trees. it also has a beautiful view of the river at the back (Labo River, i think). for lunch, we had lechong kawali and blue marlin in tamarind soup. as we were digesting our meal, P went all over picking up pili nuts on the ground. when we left, there wasn't one nut left on the ground.


after lunch, we drove to Paracale. Tarits and I wanted to see the famous gold of Paracale but it was a weekend and most of the shops were closed. it was still raining when we arrived at the Our Lady of Candelaria Parish. Melvic guided us up the church tower and showed us the 1858 church bells which are still being used.

from Paracale, we traveled to Pulang Daga, then went straight to the hanging bridge in Dagotdotan. we peeked inside Pineapple resort on our way to the twin falls in San Felipe. Cinch and P were sound asleep while i was taking pictures of the windshield. Melvic would purposely drive through water puddles and as the water splashed on the windshield, Tarits and I would shriek with laughter. along the way, we saw two funny signs : IPOT FOR SALE -- they were a block away from each other. Tarits and I figured they must be competitors, selling the most or least smelly manure. manure of what, we had no idea. i guess it must either be the weather or being soaked in the rain for the whole day that gave us ideas for new ipot slogans (i.e. BILI MO IPOT KO... IPOT-EXPORT... IPOT WHILE YOU WAIT...) Tarits and I almost died laughing.

as we neared the Twin Falls, we saw several pineapple plantations but it was pouring so i was not able to get a clear picture. on the way down to the twin falls, my slippers got stuck in the mud and had to walk barefooted all the way back to the car. P and I were soaking wet.it was past seven when we arrived at Cinch's house. for dinner, i prepared adobong pork and chicken. i was not able to eat much not being a chicken lover, least of all, adobong manok. it has been a long day so right after taking a shower, P and i hit the sack.

Day 2: Melvic arrived this time with Bryan, our cook (a guitarist and a Bagasbas surfer as well)... and a lifeguard (i didn't get his name but he looks like a baywatch lifeguard)-- to take us to Palm Beach Resort. how lucky can one get to have good-looking guys to take care of you?

Palm Beach for me is just... perfect. trees and native dwellings... wooden chairs and tables... sea shells all around... emerald waters... typhoon Dante cannot compete with that.

Melvic arranged for our lodging while we were busy taking pictures. no sooner had we left our things in our room, off we went clicking away again. it was awesome! our hosts efficiently took care of everything. the only thing we had to do was enjoy ourselves and worry about our cameras getting wet... P on the other hand was busy picking sea shells on the sea shore (ha-ha-ha!).

Tarits and I walked the length of the beach picking shells along the way. a little while later, Cinch called out to us--lunch was served. we had grilled pork and fried tilapia over steamed rice and bananas for desert. it was a nice meal compliments of our cook, Bryan. Melvic told us the boat that will take us island-hopping will be there at 1:00 pm.










the boat finally arrived. with our cameras safely wrapped in plastic, off we went to our first stop: Carijo Island.

next stop was Malasugi Island where we saw hermit crabs feasting on dog's manure. eeeewww... i thought it was a seaweed of some sort. Tarits and I even took pictures of those little rascals. Malasugi has a sloping pattern the end of which is where water splashes on both sides. amazing!

last stop was at the Apuao Grande, a beautiful but unfortunately non-operating resort. I heard it's being sold for P55M. it has big old trees, golden sand and a view of the emerald beach. Apuao Grande has a unique ambience--one of tranquility and nostalgia. it would have been a perfect setting for a wedding or honeymoon.

we were supposed to pass by the uninhabited Canton island but it was starting to pour again and the waves were getting mightier. we headed back to Palm Beach where Bryan and the lifeguard served us steaming hot coffee. spoiled talaga!

with coffee cups in hand, P and i wandered in the rain towards the end of the beach to look for starfishes and more shells while Cinch and Tarits took their first beach bath. the water had gone down to our knees. as P and I looked for starfishes, i noticed the beautiful formations on the sand. hey, my coffee is getting cold... and refilled, thank you.

a few moments later, Melvic called us to dinner. this time, Bryan and our lifeguard joined us. we were served fried chicken and the sumptuous stir fried veggies in butter. simply delicious. i had another cup of coffee after dinner while P and the guys had Gilbey's. by 10:30 pm, i felt i was ready for bed so i left them at the nipa hut. P returned to our room before 2am and snored as soon as his back touched the mattress.

Day 3: it was a beautiful, quiet morning... i got up before 6am to find Cinch and Tarits strolling along the shore. during the night, the waves washed more sea shells to the shore and we started gathering them again. Tarits wanted to take pictures of the Palm trees at the front and so we ventured.

after breakfast, we gathered our things and took last shots of the resort. Melvic and company drove us back and we were at Cinch's house by 10:am. after lunch, we went to the market to buy some pasalubong. by 3:00 pm, we were on our way to Bagasbas.

our bus leaves Daet at 9:00 pm. after a light dinner at Chow King, we took a tryke to the station and moments later, we were on our way to Manila.

we reached Manila at 4:30 am. having been roused in the middle of my dreams, i was still sleepy and somewhat disoriented that upon gathering our bags i went straight to a waiting taxi cab and asked the driver to take us home, back to the open arms and shrieking voices of the waiting Ayel and Anya.

it was a long trip to and from Manila but it was all worth it. we had the grandest time. I am looking forward to seeing the island of Calaguas as soon as possible, typhoon or no typhoon.
to Melvic, Bryan and our lifeguard (i will have to get your name next time!), thanks for a wonderful & educational weekend and for making our trip truly relaxing and worthwhile.

for more info on Calaguas & Camarines Norte, visit Melvic Brinas's site at: http://melvicbrinas.multiply.com

up the mountains, down the caves

we left Manila at around 11pm on a Florida bus -- first destination : Banaue.

it was a 7-hour ride with 2 stopovers along the way. there wasn't much to look at from the window so in between naps, i listlessly stared at the road ahead instead, lulling myself into dizziness so i could nap again. Tarits who was sitting behind us was sound asleep while Cinch who sat at the right side of the bus next to us was dead to the world and quite very comfy for she has reserved 2 seats. one for her to sit on and the other for her feet. ha-ha!

we reached Banaue at around 6am. what a breathtaking sight! our first stop was at People's Restaurant for a quick breakfast. we sat on the balcony drinking our first cup of coffee while savoring the feel of fresh wind on our faces.

after gathering all our belongings, we rode a tryke going up to our accommodations for the night in Hiwang -- in a traditional Ifugao house. our guide, Charles, informed us that Judy Ann & Piolo Pascual used that very same Ifugao house for the movie "Don't Give Up On Us".

the first thing i looked for was the comfort room. there it was -- an outhouse actually, about 8 meters away from our Balai. i had to laugh when i saw the toilet bowl. it was i think just about a foot from the floor and i figured once i sat on it, i might not be able to stand up again.

as soon as we have dumped our bags, off we went for a little sightseeing and picture taking. pomelo and lemon trees were everywhere and i excitedly pointed them out to P.

we passed by the market on the way back to the balai. Charles and his friends took it upon themselves to charbroil the pork ribs for us, giving us time to look around the area before dinner. i loved everything around me -- the mountains, the rice terraces, the clouds, the native houses and carved chairs. Charles generously gave us a carved wooden stool to take home for Ayel.

it was only 4:30 in the afternoon but the clouds were already dark and the mountains silent. the only sounds we heard were that of our own voices. while we girls were having dinner, P and the boys were drinking around the bonfire, speaking in Ilocano.

we had to sleep early for our trip to Batad. Tarits told me that Mark and Michelle were on their way to Banaue and will be joining us in the morning. P and i am used to taking showers before sleeping and today was no exception. i knew the water would be cold but i hadn't anticipated it to be freezing. when we got out of the bathroom, we were shaking all over.

P and i woke up before 6am. we hurriedly gathered our things as we were scheduled to move to Banaue View Inn. a few minutes later, Charles arrived with Mark and Michelle. we took some more photos and went down to have breakfast at Greenview Restaurant.

our room at the Banaue View Inn was facing the rice terraces. wouldn't it be nice to wake and see that in your window every morning?

the rented van was already waiting downstairs. after changing into something comfortable and ready for action, we traveled to Batad.

it took us about an hour to reach the top of the mountain (at least i thought it was already the top, but then again, i may be wrong) where the trekking starts. but we had to take pictures first. everything was wonderfully beautiful. i never saw so many mountains in my life.

Charles said we must have a wooden stick on our way to Tappiya. as soon as everyone was equipped with one, we started trekking. we were all laughing and taking photos during the first few steps down.

50,000 steps later (i didn't count but it felt like it), we stopped by Hillside Inn for some drinks, provision and breath. Tarits said we have to order our food now so it will be ready when we return. it was 11:00am. we started walking again.

Charles said the entire walk towards Tappiya is about one and a half hours. "noooo..." my feet menacingly whispered, "it's 3 hours..." and that's just going down.

80,000 steps more (i'm getting good at this estimating thing) and we could hear the falls. it started to rain when we got to the falls but we were all so excited. the water was cool and refreshing. after a few minutes of wading and splashing, we started back up. we reached Hillside Inn (and our lunch) at around 4pm. i had ordered "pizza" while P ordered pancit canton. hungry as i was, the pizza was a gastronomical disappointment. i gave it to the cat instead.

it was getting dark. Charles was feeling a bit woozy and Cinch was battling with her injured knees. the trek going back seemed longer. we weren't even halfway when darkness prevailed. P surprised me -- he could still see the path while i saw only darkness. good thing Tarits had her flashlight with her and patiently directed the light to the path ahead. i was walking in a trance-like state, watching P's every step, unmindful of the ravine to our left.

and oh... Charles was right about the wooden stick. when my legs and knees were threatening to go on a sit-down-no-more-walking strike, it was the wooden stick who acted as arbitrator.

halfway towards the hike, we got separated into two groups. P, Tarits and i walked several meters ahead while Cinch, Charles, Mark and Michelle followed behind. we rested for a while and i told Tarits i had to pee. "go ahead," she said, "it's dark anyway...". and so i did, right beside her and P. hee-hee...

when we were about a hundred meters away from the starting point, i wanted to say, "what would we do if upon reaching what we thought was the top but upon looking around we discover we were right back at the falls?" but i dared not. it wasn't a good idea to joke about something like that when one is scurrying to get out of the forest.

upon seeing the lights from the van, my energy zoomed. i walked faster and took my cellphone out of my pocket. cellphone signal!!!! i hurriedly called home. R was already worried that he hadn't received any text messages or calls from me the whole day. after saying goodnight to Ayel, i went inside the van and massaged my legs. we were all quiet on the way back to the inn.

upon reaching our room, P went with the others to buy water and snacks. i sat on the balcony and stared at the lights below... and thought about my two little girls. i've wanted to take Ayel along with us... but sitting there with my legs and thighs all stiff and throbbing, i was grateful that we didn't. minutes later, P and i took a cold bath (the hot shower was not working) and went to sleep. we're off to Sagada the next morning.

P wanted to have breakfast but it was too late. the others have finished theirs. packing our bags, we were ready for our trip to Sagada but we did some last minute souvenir shopping first, and of course, some more photo shots. i bought some wooden carvings, native bags and a hand-carved chair for Ayel. P fancied the hand-carved ifugao house made of narra. golly, P and i would have to think about how to take those wooden things home. later... later...

on the way, we stopped here and there along Bontoc for some pictures. we passed by Chico River -- it really is the longest river in the Philippines. we also visited Bontoc Museum, took some pictures before finally hitting the road to Sagada.

we had lunch at Masferre. it was the one meal i truly enjoyed during the course of our trip. then we headed straight to Residential Lodge -- towards a bed.... mwaaaaahhhh!!!!

we rested for a while before heading to Sumaging Cave. Cinch begged off, preferring to have her legs and thighs massaged by the local masseur instead.

our local guide Ben, said we were going 250 meters below. my thighs and legs were aching from the previous hike but i went on. we went down on hands and knees but it was fun. the funnest part was when Michelle refused to let go of the rope thinking she would fall into deep waters. she laughed hysterically when she realized the water was just below her knees.

we managed to get out of the cave alive. and whole. after Sumaging Cave, we stopped by the burial cave and stared at the ancient tombs. i was now walking funny with my legs and thighs aching every which way.

when we reached the inn, P and i showered and went down for dinner. all i wanted to eat was toasted bread and fried egg. P on the other hand wanted some vegetables that would go well with bagoong isda so he ordered fried talong. Michelle, Mark and Tarits ate out while Cinch slept on.

after dinner, P and i decided to make some coffee and watch tv at the inn's living room. a few minutes later, they joined us. Apocalypto was a nice and serious movie but we managed to make funny side comments and adlibs for the characters.

the next morning, P and i waited for the bus that will take us to Baguio. the others will take the afternoon trip. upon reaching Baguio, P and i went to Session Road and did some shopping -- jams, peanut brittles, the usual. then we went to Mines View Park to pass away the time. we were supposed to meet with the others but P was not feeling well so we headed back to Manila.

it was good to be home again. Ayel and little Anya were still up when we arrived. how i've missed them. P and i had a great time with friends up in the mountains -- it was a much-needed vacation away from stressful routine. but during the trip, there was one instance when i wanted to cut short our vacation and run home.

we were in Hiwang (Friday) when i received a text message from my mom, prompting me to call home. after that call, i locked myself inside the bathroom and cried.

Ayel has been used to seeing me home at around 6:30-7:00. when 7:30 came she became restless and would only brighten up each time the dogs barked. she would ran towards the door crying "Mami?!?"

taking my mom's hand, Ayel prodded her to walk outside towards the main street to wait for me. as they stood in the waiting shed, Ayel kept saying "Mami... Mami..." it was getting cold outside so my mom took her back in.

it broke my heart to hear Ayel's voice on the phone. R said Ayel was kissing the phone as she was saying goodbye to me.

P and i have plans of making several trips from hereon. Corregidor and Vigan is next on our list this year. one thing i've realized about our trip up the mountains is that i could never make another vacation without taking the little girls along with us.

we've survived Tappiya... we've conquered Sumaging... i'm pretty sure we can manage two energetic little girls and several baggages on the side.

for the complete travelogue, visit : Back to Banaue & Sagada Travel Blog (by tarits) http://realtravel.com/banaue-journals-j7745431.html