Sweet Sunday
It was Father's Day and I've been texting people all morning greeting them and their fathers. It's good that I am able to keep in touch with people.. thank God for technology!
I had to put up with my runny nose and watery eyes to go about fixing dinner. It's a simple soup with beef, potatoes and vegetables. I fried some sweetened ham and then boiled some rice. I haven't any dessert left in the fridge since I've already consumed the last serving of strawberry jello during lunch. I was in bed literally all day as i tried to force myself into sleep.
My hubby brought ice cream for dessert. I'm glad that he enjoyed the meal.. he finished most of it and even tried to trick me into eating more. Then we had ice cream and afterwards, he worked on the dishes, cleaned the stove and took out the trash. I just love it when he does that.. I feel really lucky to be married to someone who understands chores.
Afterwards, we got to finish where we left off that morning. And then we had more ice cream.
Cabin Fever
We finished Stanley Kubrick's The Shining yesterday during dinner. It's a classic horror film which still gave me some terrible visions just before I fell in deep sleep. I thought about living in a hole for a month, or any place that wouldn't allow you to go anywhere but there. I thought about the PBB house and how the residents are driven to the edge as they put up not just with each other, but with themselves during their imprisonment. I think one of the reasons why I opted for a place with lots of windows is because of my fear of being caged. If I do get stuck somewhere, I would be most grateful if I am with cheerful and positive people. If I am by myself, then I'd probably go mad as I seem to have a need to be around people. I guess that's normal.
Kitchen Demystified
The kitchen is the most important part of the house for me... Most of the concerns i raised while laying out the interiors of our apartment is how and where can we set it up. That's the only trade-off with the place. Oh well! I wanted a counter top with high chairs to function as both breakfast counter and work table. We got a new fridge last Sunday and have yet to fill it up with food until we get the stove and tank set up. We're now on the lookout for a simple two-burner stove. I protested against a microwave oven since we'll only use it for heating. I've already filled up my pantry with canned goods which were gifts from my Ninang. We now have a basic set of dishes, cookware and plenty of spoons, forks, knives, etc. We even got a coffee maker. I really look forward to having a fully functioning kitchen.
Loving Bohol
Welcome to Tagbilaran, the city of Firendship.
Yep, it sure is. We love it's people, I love their malls and it's so easy to get around the place within and outside the city. I can't believe that Panglao Island, a top diving destination is just a few minutes away from the city. There are so many places that we could visit in Bohol but we had such little time and energy left as it was the last destination in our honeymoon stint. We loved the place so much that we both agreed to have it our top choice to settle in. We just have to figure out how we'll make a living there. But we're sure to go back and maybe next time, we'll even check out those dive sites.
Cebu, the chosen one.
Due to our failed trip tp Batanes, we've decided to go to Cebu instead since we're already at the airport. The idea fuelled us both and we were so excited with the trip that we almost forgot about the miserable encounter with the Asian Spirit check in attendant. Upon landing, we went straight to the Tourist Information booth to help us find a good pensionne. Good thing that we had a place in mind when we hopped into the taxi. Cebu city was about 20 minutes away from the airport, passing through Mandaue City.
We don't speak Bisaya so Alan and I initially posed as Koreans among the locals. We visited the Tourism office that afternoon and that's were we got all the info about how to get to Bantayan Island and to Bohol, up to the Chocolate hills. We boarded the bus the next day for a few hours drive to Hagnayan where we took the ferry to Bantayan Island.
Bantayan is a very lovely and rustic place. It consists of 3 towns, with resorts all around the place. We rented a motorbike which enabled us to literally go around the island in a breeze. I still can't help but remember the yummy halo-halo at Kermit's in the sleepy Bantayan town as well as the motorcycle ride with its many pitstops for pictorials. We heard mass there and decided to go back the next day to explore more of the city.
Back at the city, we were astonished by the huge crowd and the setup at Sto. Niño Parish at the heart of Cebu. It was evening and it was the last mass. People were all over the place, it was surreal!
Early next day, we boarded the ferry jet bound for Tagbilaran City. We got about 3 or 4 shots left in the Holga, and Alan's saving it for Bohol.
These are the photos he took with that camera in Cebu and Bohol:
http://miongster.multiply.com/photos/album/15/HOLGA_EXPERIENCE_Honeymooners
Going back to Palawan
It's really not about the trip, it's who you're with.
First stop, Palawan. The rainy season has officially started but that didn't stop us from getting around Puerto Princesa. We sampled the noodles at the Vietnamese Village Restaurant that afternoon to bring some warmth in a chilly environment. With a map on hand, we headed towards the port to see the lighthouse (wasn't what we expected). So we walked downtown, found an Internet shop where we ruffed up the attendant by making a CD copy of the wedding pics from our camera. That evening we had dinner at Ka Lui's, a very nice place for pictorials.
The adventure started early the next day aborad the Sweety bus bound for El Nido. The driver is quite excellent with his skills given the endless bumps and muddy slopes, with fully loaded passenger seats and a couple of sacks of rice in his load. I still remember this kid by the road who wanted to load 2 sacks of coffee. The conductor declined by saying "hindi pwede pag may walang asukal!" (not without coffee!).. haha!
We reached El Nido after 8 hours and checked in at Marina Resort, the best budget lodging so far along the beach. There wasn't much to see in town except for the towering limestone cliffs that hovers around the place. We've had meals at the Badjao Restaurant, the Seas Slug and another resto by the beach. I was eating too much seafood i think. It rained heavily the next morning bu eventually cleared that evening. The sun came out and we took the boat for an island hopping trip.
I married a fish! I married a kid! Alan loves the water and he enjoyed swimming and playing on the sand. I was so amused. We had lunch at this beautiful island which we had to ourselves.
We returned to the city the next day. That's where we met Glenn, the Innkeeper. He gave us a very useful tip, in whatever place that you visit, always go to the tourist info center as they usually have the best information available. Walk around the place first, look around. Then by end of day, decide on your itinerary. He arranged a half day island hopiing tour at Honda Bay just before catching our flight back to Manila.
Things to do upon return: climb the cliff that's overlooking El Nido, visit the hidden beach, climb the nearby mountains in puerto princesa
