i'll never love blue eyes again

i wish i had a better camera.

officially on tour

The night is so quiet and I finally have my chance at the computer. My husband is gently snoring beside me and I could not sleep. A thousand thoughts flicker in my mind like fireflies. Ideas are chasing each other and dreams beckon once again.

I remember what Paulo Coelho wrote in The Alcemist about the universe conspiring to give us what we most desire. It's a lot like Ignatius' Id Quod Volo or The Secret's Law of Attraction. Over the years, I knew deep in my heart what I desire. I seldom talk of it and I think I've written about it in one of my blog posts. But everyday I make a fervent, hopeful wish and prayer.  I had no doubt it will happen. I just didn't know when.

Bugoy has never disappointed me.  And it is in His infinite love that I place all my hopes and dreams. I have strayed a trillion times and expected all sorts of punishment and karma known to womankind. Yet, he still GIVES. It never ceases to amaze me. Talk about being the Ultimate Provider. 

And so I am at this thirty-ish point in my life when I knew I just have to try my hand at something I love doing at the place I most love. Siargao--my Soul Place. This tour business thing is not so much a business but an invitation to experience the sacred. I was apprehensive when I started this. I did not want to ruin my sacred experience by mixing it with something as "cold" as business. A million things could go wrong and my dream place just might become my worst nightmare.  But I looked back over the years and I remember the people whom I have brought to Siargao. I remember their awe and wonder at the sights that I feel such deep joy in being a part of it.  I found these pictures and somehow a deep, still voice is telling me that I am doing the joyful thing...

My first Siargao trip with my beloved SICO people from Davao. I remember that I spent a meager Php1,500 for the whole 3 days 3 nights trip. We crashed at my cousin's place. 

Unforgettables: There was a tropical depression and the banca's motor got wet. A speedboat owned by a hunky Aussie surfer had to tow us to safe waters. We discovered that our Bankero was a former surfing champion and speaks English with a British accent 

Motto: The muffler got wet!

Tour mates: Ate Tess, Ate Liza, Jennybabes, Liyah, Sherlo

This is my first combi-tour. Friends from Davao and CDO came to Siargao. Again, we crashed at my cousin Mariave's place.

Unforgettable:Being able to steal our way into Pansukian Resort for 5 minutes,  go to Sohoton Cove and meet the hilarious fine trees and fitcher flants tour guide, luch at Taktak Falls in a forgotten island.

Motto: Ang Tunay na Pag-Ibig, Itsahi na lang na sya og halas!(coz Cez wont jump!)

Tourmates: Gen and Fr. Xave from CDO and Cecil, Dr. Lore and Liyah from Davao. 

This is my special tour for Binsoy from Japan, Ana K and Mark from Davao. Binsoy is visiting and wanted to tour Siargao. I think this is also the last time I saw the surfer bankero.

Unforgettable: Binsoy lost his sandals. We wanted to go to Sohoton and we had no money but some Yen nobody will exchange. The first time I used the roro to get to Dapa (4 hours!)

Tourmates: Binsoy, Ana Karenina, Mark

Another group from XUHS went to Siargao but we have no soft copy of the pictures. Only Gen had a camera and it was not digital. (Will scan pics as soon as i get my HP printer)

Unforgettable: We went to Mam-on and La Janosa Islands! The waves were HUGE and we spent the entire boat trip praying. Gen's logical argument with a local surfer that got us a surf board for rent at 50 pesos only for 2 hours!

Tourmates: Paulo, Daphne, Gen

JVP's in Siargao. I helped organize the gorup's Year-end Evaluation and R&R. It was a 2 days 2 nights tour that was a lotta fun! It was the first bigh group I brought to Siargao.

Unforgettables: Zawu thought there are real snakes in the water! Riding a motorcycle around GL for free. Ate Grace, Mitch and Shy thought we were kidnapped and looked all over GL for us in the middle of the night. The sack of Saang we ate raw. Gate-crashing at Castrence's Reunion party.

Motto: Batchmates!

Tourmates: Ate Shy, Ate Grace, Ate Mitch, Ate Ayns, Zawu, Joel, Bryan, Kale, Ate Gloan, Sir Chuck and Dr. Jojo.

OSASI in Siargao. We got a go signal from our beloved Fr. George to spend our year-end evaluation in Siargao. Gen and I get to visit Sohoton once again. Sadly the amazing tour guide was not around and the sea of jellyfish was not in season.  

Unforgettable: Had to haggle with Satur-Honor for the resort rates. Nitz and Angie screaming over HUGE waves. We actually had a whole day evaluation.

Motto: Ayaw ko ihapi! (Nitz)

Tourmates: Nitz, Gen, Angie, Pam

Another combi-tour of friends from everywhere. Another Siargao magic is being able to bring different people together and still have a blast! 

Unforgettable: Snorkeling in Daku Island, riding the habal-habal in the rain, going all the way to Nabago and finding no crabs just crablets.

Tourmates: Janice, Gerlie and Larsen, Macoy and Bakit, Rosela

And the stories will continue with these official tours from my yet-unnamed tour company. The first group who actually paid for my services are these guys from CDO. They got the promo offer so I actually got nothing. Hahaha! But I was on honeymoon too so I didn't care about not getting anything.  Plus the joy of seeing them there was enough.

Marie Tinampay and cousins in Daku Island. You have no idea how hard it was just to get to that rock. Oh yeah, that was hard on their feet.

Michael Ho and the Addiks. Another Siargao Jump.

I'm just starting and so far this looks like a fun thing to do. Next up is getting legal and serious. Plus I have other tour packages soon. We will be exploring all those secret places other tourists wont discover on their own. 

I will keep you posted.

bad dreams

i've been having weird dreams ever since we got a new mattress. charlie says that because we have a proper bed now, i am getting good sleep. it is only when you sink deeper and deeper into sleep that you enter the realm of dreams.

many times i wake up crying because of this dream or that. thankfully, my alert husband could wake up at the first call and hug me back to sleep. the other night, the dream was so bad i couldnt get it out of my head.

let me tell you.

yesterday, charlie and i went to XU main to watch Kabuwadan. It was National Museum Day and there was an opening program. It was supposed to start at 5pm. We arrived around 4 and toured the museum exhibits while waiting. It turned 6pm and the program has not started. We decided to go home.

That night, I had a dream.

It was an eerie continuation of my story. While walking towards the place where we ride the multicab to Balulang, we met a hysterical  Cathy and all her family. They begged for our help and her sister even cried and begged us, saying her baby was in the hospital. Cathy seemed to be really angry and frustrated.  I asked them how much do they need since I only have 2,000 pesos with me. Then somehow I ended up giving them pork humba and they were very happy and started eating.  Enter ethel neoniz carrying her very cute baby girl. I showed the baby to charlie and he carried her in his arms. I remember thinking how happy i was to see him holding her. Then we decided to go on home. But then i suddenly went back to hold the baby and play with her. After a while, i gave her back to her mom and went to join my husband. I saw him arguing with someone on the street and i said to myself, not again. Suddenly i saw him fall. I ran and shouted his name. Then i see him on a truck, on the floor.. and i saw blood everywhere. I was now screaming with horror and saw that he got a steel pole stuck on his chest, like somebody stabbed him with it. It was weird coz as he lay gasping for breath he keeps saying, its not your fault. And i see the man beside him doing his best to stop the bleeding. I remember saying sorry over and over again and blaming myself for leaving him on his own.  

and i woke up with tears in my eyes and my husband hugging me tight saying, "its just a bad dream..."

the search for the elusive sunting

ap-ap in bisaya, haole rot in hawaii. this skin fungus manifested in charlie's legs the day after we went swimming at the pool.  charlie said white men suffer this disease in hawaii and somebody has yet to find the ultimate cure.

i said, really? well, here we treat it with sunting. actually, i've never had ap-ap before but when i was young i remember one of my friends had one and she treated it with sunting. as a student in surigao, we were also made to memorize all the herbal plants. in second year, we were required to tend a herbal garden as a biology requirement. that's how i got to know about sunting.

of course, anything herbal and natural fascinates my husband. so for hours, he researched about sunting or akapulko. incidentally, we had one growing at home but mama recently cut it down. charlie picked a few leaves and using the blender, made juice out of it. he then rubbed it on his legs.

he looked so funny with his green legs and he suddenly had this wild idea about selling the stuff in hawaii and calling the medicine Dr. Boo's Green Legs. hahaha!

the medicine is supposed to be applied for 3 to 4 weeks and there was not enough sunting at home. we heard about sunting growing near the river. so the adventure begins!

"don't kill the plant guys!"

together with ai-ai and aiza, we scoured the whole puntod area of balulang for sunting. we must have walked four miles for just a kilo of sunting leaves! we were expecting lots so we brought four big plastic bags but returned home with just charlie's green bag full.

"isn't it interesting that this plant grows right beside the road?"

the river was muddy brown from the rains, the roads had potholes, and the sky was gray but we just walked on and on. we reached ai-ai's house and charlie became instant celebrity with the kids. 

"hey, you guys! what's up with that?!"

along the way, charlie couldn't resist the animal farms and ended up talking to pigs and cows. he just had to have a photograph with them! 

"dont you have the flu?"

"how's it?!"

finally, we gave up and sat under the cool shade of coconut trees. we did some photoshoots then came home to start making akapulko juice. i felt like collapsing afterwards. the last time i walked this far was during the immersion years! then i realized what i just did and i was actually bringing my own husband out for his immersion! hahahaha! i was able to show him a brief glimpse of rural philippines. this is just the beginning.:)