Spontaneous Lunch on A Rainy Sunday in Balay Indang

The day started out hot and sunny. It was so tempting to stay at home and do nothing. But ever since our little S came out, we have been making more effort to go out on weekends so by the time she's big enough to be curious about the things around her, we'll also be used to taking her out on so many small and big adventure trips.

We decided to try Balay Indang since we have been thinking of spending some time there for quite a while. Luckily, when we called at around 10am to ask if they accept same day reservations, they said they can still accommodate us! :)

We took the Daang Hari route. As we entered Trece Martires, it started to pour. We were not sure whether we already missed the place so we had to stop several times to ask for directions.

Finally, we arrived! The entrance is a huge gate. After the parking lot and to the main dining hall, there is the pathway in the photo below. It reminded me so much about our wedding venue. It looked like the same pathway that made me fall in love with the Moon garden and decide to hold our wedding reception there.


The place is even bigger than it seems from the outside. It had lots of open space, lots of greens and lots of quirky molded cement decor all around. They have a small pool and an intimate space for events. 

What caught my interest the most are the collections. Lots of them, from plates to Buddha to rooster and hens, masks, mirrors, metal pots and so many more. The main home itself that houses all the collections is quite lovely and homey. 

As for the food, it was delicious. I liked everything. R said it was like eating at home. And because he pointed it out, I realized it was strangely like eating my own cooking. That's probably why we liked it so much.

We had a salad, carrot fried rice, papaya with coconut milk and chopped shrimps, japchae, baby back ribs, shrimps and cheesy baked salmon. A pitcher of dalandan juice was also served and for dessert we had a plate of fondue.

I'd say it was like coming to grandma's house with the assorted plates, the collection of this and that, the garden and the satisfying home cooked meal. That was a great and fun first out of town trip for our little traveler in training.

I am looking forward to so many more fun small and big trips. Excited to plan them all one at a time!

Cheers to rainy days and the weekend! :)

Deep Sea Fishing in Siargao

A few days ago, a friend asked me about Siargao because she is scheduled to go there in a couple of weeks. I went to Siargao in February 2011 but I loved it so much that I remember every detail of my trip as if it was just yesterday.

Of course, I recommended that she go to the beautiful Sohoton cove. But the most amazing experience that I had in Siargao was deep sea fishing.

I started the day checking and sending out emails before having a quick breakfast. It was during a time when my workaholic self would work every chance I had. Looking at my photo now, I could not help but cringe because I can re-live how incredibly stressed I felt during those times. 

The whole CARAGA region was under typhoon signal # 1 the night before and even in the morning so we were not sure if our activity will push through. But it was sunny in the morning so we decided to go.

From our resort, we rode a tricycle going to a beachfront property where the local fishermen and their families lived. When we got there, our boat was ready. It was a small motorized boat with wooden benches on each side and a small roof above them.

Junior, our boat captain was a man in his late fifties. He said he has been doing this for a long time and affluent deep sea fishing enthusiasts would book him for a month to go fishing with them in their yachts. 

Not long after we took off, the wind began to get a lot stronger and the waves became higher and higher. We could not take our hands off the handles on the boat for fear of going overboard. Junior and his first mate, on the other hand, were very relaxed and were even snacking on bread while we were too nauseated to move.

There were only a handful of times when we were not traveling on stormy weather because the typhoon season is less busy for us in terms of work. We are used to braving stormy seas but when the waves seemed to reach above 1-storey during this adventure, we just had to ask the captain if we should turn back. He said they are used to even bigger waves. He also told us not to worry because he was the one who made his boat and he is sure it is unsikable. As soon as I heard the word unsinkable, I gripped the handle harder and looked for a life vest because I remembered the movie Titanic.

There were brief moments of calm when I was able to enjoy the view and the deep blue sea but those moments were often short lived.

Amazingly, despite the rough seas, several big fish bit the bait. Once the first mate screams HIT, we would prepare to reel the fish into the boat. This is when I realized how extremely tiring angling is. The humongous waves made it even more challenging. 

Fishermen have many tales. I must say I was very much entertained by the stories of our captain and our first mate. They talked about catching a huge shark, about their rich clients who would take them fishing in their yachts and the Japanese clients who were always ready with their knives, their wasabi, lime and soy sauce so they can eat their sashimi straight from the sea. They said that the fish tastes much better, almost sweet, within two hours of being caught from the sea. I thought to myself..."We will have to see about that".

After a few fish, we were ready to call it a day.  

We only took two of our catch back to the resort and gave the rest to our boatmen. We had the smaller fish cooked three ways - sweet and sour, battered & fried and curried. The other fish we sold to our resort so that we ended up having to pay next to nothing for our total bill for three nights after deducting the price of the fish.

Fresh fish does taste so much better than the ones bought in the market. Even the texture is different. It is much more firm.

Since I have been to Siargao, I have always longed to go back. At one point, we even planned to settle in this island. I've had so many great adventures in this island that I do not know which one in particular drew it close to our hearts. One thing is for sure though, that my first deep sea fishing adventure will definitely not be my last. I cannot wait for my Summer to experience it and for us to finally try that mouthwatering sashimi.

Monday is almost over. Let's drink to that! :)

It Was Once Just A "What if?"

I can make a long list of reasons why I hate the summer heat but in an effort to live an optimistic and happy life, I consciously choose not to. This has been a huge personal growth for me for more than a year. Instead of negativity, I like to look at the good side of things, those that I can be thankful for and remember with a smile. This particular memory never fails to make me smile...

It was summer and Holy Thursday in April 5, 2007. I've been crying my eyes out to the point where no more tears would flow. I was dehydrated and I did not have the appetite to eat anything. A few days back, I just ended a relationship and realized that this time, it really was over. In an attempt to regain my sanity, I spontaniously decided to come to my friends' flat in Makati just to have someone to talk to and maybe momentarily forget about how terribly in pain and betrayed I was feeling. 

When I got to the flat and started to hangout with my two friends, I did begin to feel better. We had our usual conversations while our friend was cooking chicken adobo for their out of town trip the next day. We were foolishly doing log rolls on their baby floor mats when we heard a knock. We immediately sat around the dining table before one of us opened the door. It was Russell. He came to borrow my friend's backpack for their trip the next day. Ofcourse, I already knew him from that frisbee party in January when I came from a photoshoot to fetch my friend so we can go home to the South together. He probably did not remember me because he was so drunk while he was talking to me. 

We were introduced again. I said hello. My friend mentioned that I was a mountaineer who traveled a lot and that I wanted to document my travels around the Philippines. Because he was planning to put up a travel agency, he said maybe we can work together on something in the future. I politely said "Yes, perhaps". But the whole time we were talking, I could barely look at him. I might have come across as being rude and a snob. I was not ashamed about my puffy red eyes. I just could not see him clearly because my eyes and contact lenses were all dried up from all the crying. He went home and that was the end of our chance encounter. We went back to our log rolls immediately after he shut the door.

As I was on my way home that night, partly tearing up again, I thought it must be nice if I went out with Russell or someone like him because it must be fun to have someone that I can travel with and someone who has a taste for adventure for a change. It made me smile to think about that possiibility. But I quickly brushed it off because I remembered swearing off men from my life.

A few weeks later, he asked me out through our mutual friend but I said no because I was not ready to date again. It really wasn't him, it was me. I was perfectly happy drowning myself with work. I repeatedly said no to his invitations months later. Needless to say I eventually said YES to dinner and tea...then to a lifetime of adventure with him.

It Was Once Just A "What if?"...something I thought would never happen in a million years. But deciding to take the leap by starting with a simple friendly date turned out to be one of the best decisions that I've ever made. In 5 minutes I imagined that he could be someone I can share my adventures with. I never thought it would become a reality. Life has a funny and twisted way of making things work out, doesn't it?

My 5 minute what if turned into cliff jumping in Siargao, snorkelling in Apo Island, boat rides on stormy seas, mountain climbing in Mt. Mayon at alert level 2, crossing a river just after sunset without knowing where we were headed, underwater swim to a cave in El Nido, game fishing in Siargao, swimming with the whalesharks, swimming with a sea turtle, walking through murky mangrove, sudsod barefoot in muddy mangrove, sand dune surfing in Ilocos, outrigger boat ride for 8 hours from Coron to El Nido, 2-hour motorcycle ride in Dumaguete, endless backpacking, whitewater rafting, encounters with sea snakes, meeting people from different regions and different countries, foodtrips and eating just anywhere, jumping off a boat and swimming for several kilometers to a sandbar, spelunking for 10 hours, flying an ultralight plane and many more fun and crazy experiences.

Who knew that some "what ifs" can come true?

Happy weekend!

Pre-nup shoot in Anawangin

Pre-nup shoot in Anawangin

Pre-nup shoot in Anawangin

A List of Firsts

I never thought I'd live to see myself transform into a mommy. I know our journey has only just begun but these past two weeks and four days have brought more joy to me that I have ever felt in my entire life, combined.

I will never forget the first time I heard you cry. It was a very soft cry as soon as you got out, followed by another sot cry and followed by another loud, continuous cry as they were cleaning you off right before I dozed off completely. That moment, I knew that I will do anything and everything for you.

I will never forget the first time I saw you in person. I saw you through a glass viewing window while you were in the incubator in the NICU. I remember how I desperately wanted to come to you and hold you in my arms.

I will never forget the first time you heard my voice. It was as if you heard a very familiar voice and you started moving your tiny body, as if searching for the source of that sound and listening to every word I was saying. 

I will never forget the first time I touched you. I gently stroke your soft little fingers as you held my finger and would not let go. I stayed until you fell asleep that day.

I will never forget my first Mother's Day celebration in May 10, 2015. Thank you for making me your mom. I could only see you through the incubator and I can only touch you instead of holding you in my arms but just to be able to look at you is more than enough for me.

I will never forget the first time I saw you open your eyes. It was as if you were looking for the voice singing your favorite nursery rhymes while you were still in my womb. I looked at your eyes and you looked at mine. I know it will still be a while before you really see me though.
   
I will never forget the first time I held you in my arms. My heart was pounding so fast but I quickly got used to holding your tiny body next to mine. Until now, whenever I would hold you, you quickly fall soundly asleep.

I will never forget the first time I breastfed you. I could just stare at you all day and not notice time passing.

I will never forget the first time I saw you pout your tiny lips. Your were so so so cute. I also remember thinking that your Papa and I are in so much trouble because you will surely have us both under your control. Of course, we will pretend it isn't so.

As I said, I know that our journey had only began. And I'm sure it will be one heck of an adventure. We are new to this but we will get better as we get to know you and you get to know us. Although life is full of surprises and uncertainties, I know one thing is for sure. That we will always love you will all of our hearts and we will always be by your side through this whole ride called life.        

Ready to Take a Leap? ...Five Awesome Cliff Jumping Adventures

A cliff jumping adventure is not for everybody. It is almost always scary when you're about to jump. Plus, since you will be hitting the water, it will be a bit crazy to do it when you don't know how to swim. 

For novice cliff jumpers, the Philippine cliff jumping sites are ideal because it varies in height. The ones that did not make my cut are in the rivers in Laguna and Cagayan de Oro during the whitewater tour because they are quite low but they are perfect for first timers.

One thing is for sure, these cliffs always look lower from below than it actually is. But once you're at the edge, there's nothing left to do but to take a deep breath and take the leap. Don't even give it any thought!

Ariel's Point, Boracay 
Try it if you dare. The fun starts at the boat going to Ariel's Point where party music plays and unlimited alcoholic drinks are served. They say it helps build up your courage. The more you drink, the more you dive. Because I do not have a death wish, I opted to pass on the alcohol. 

There are several jump points with varying heights - 2 meters, 3 meters, 5 meters, 8 meters, 15 meters. Go ahead and take your pick. 


Malapascua, Cebu
The cliff can be reached through an outrigger boat during your island hopping tour. Frankly, this was my favorite part of the island hopping tour. The drop is approximately 50 feet. The view from the top is definitely much more scary than the view from below.

Enchanted River, Surigao
This river is as mysterious as it is beautiful. There have been many stories about this river and this is still being studied continuously. The jump is one of the lowest I've ever tried but it is one of my favorites because I was jumping into one of the clearest, deepest aquamarine waters I've ever seen.

Bucas Grande Island, Sohoton Cove National Park, Siargao 
The Sohoton Cove National park deserves a whole article because of the many things to see and experience inside. It is like an entirely different world with an elaborate maze of islands inside.

Magkukuob cave is partly submerged in water. When we came, the water was almost up to my shoulders and the cave entrance was about to close. There are some stalactite and stalagmite formations and one has to climb through the rocks leading to the cliff where the only way out is to jump! 

Salagdoong beach, Siquijor
Siquijor remains to be one of the hidden tourism gems because very few have come to visit the small, quiet town. We were just there to relax at Salagdoong beach when we saw several kids jumping over, and over and over. We got curious and tried it out. Jumping into clear turquoise water is always an amazing experience!