Tibsok and Looking for Birds

Quite an early bird and having alit at the wrong stop, the small pathway from the highway led us directly to the viewing deck designed for bird-watching. As it was too early for the season, birds are wanting but the lush mangroves in the area did not fail to impress. The onset of summer is the perfect time to come here when the migratory birds enjoy foraging the bounty that nature has laid before them.

Tibsok, San Enrique as an eco-tourism destination was not new to me. For two years now, Sir Jo Quitco, a fellow alumnus at UPLB has been busy in promoting his hometown during homecomings.

musings

the wind's soul-wrenching whistle all did hear

bidding the rains to hasten hither

in torrents the water poured in earnest
 keeping this poor soul buried 'neath the sheets

(inspired by the brewing storm)

Fare Thee Well Shifu

Before Summer, Rain and Alodia came about, a host of furry babies which number far outgrew their human housemates has been a constant source of fun and comfort. 
Leading the pack was a pug whose split personality was something to get used to. He has a penchant for biting and it opposed the nature of its kind of being sweet and affectionate. Being the "first born" somehow lent him that illusion of being different and may e more previleged than the others.
Change can be daunting especially when applied abruptly like not being let into the house anymore. It must have been so heartbreaking so as to cause maladies with deathly implications. And for it to come at a time whe everyone is still in mourning was a tad sad.
I will truly miss you our forever little boy and I am so sorry!
(Watch over me darling and I promise to raise Duke differently)

Puerto Princesa

What does this summer trip mean? Well, three things actually:  new learnings (Chem Congress), CPE points ( for my ChE license) and travel (Palawan is new destination for me).

Three days can be very short for a vacation but more than enough for a seminar. To document everything that transpired can fill a book so it's more convenient to just enumerate the highlights.

We arrived the afternoon at the Citystate Asturias before the event started. There was a mix up in the registration. The staff was apologetic as she couldn't find my name in the list of registered participants. I showed her my receipt and confirmation letter and in no time received my kit ( which include an 8GB flash drive and a waterproof bag) except for the ID.

Plenary speaker for Day 1 was a batchmate back in college. More than that, we sang in the same choir of The Church Among the Palms and he was a weekly visitor in my old boarding house learning violin from Kuya Sim. When we had a chance to talk he admitted that violin was not for him and found his passion for cello during graduate school. So I listened to his talk about... ano na nga ba 'yun? In the same assembly, Grace found me. It's amazing that eons after Philjustech, not only did she recognize my face but remembers my name as well.

There was a get together for UPLB alumni that night which we skipped in favor of swimming at the hotel pool.

Day 2 was abuzz with non-seminar related activities. We rented a taxi for our morning city tour. 

The first stop was at the TESDA Training Center where Bumble-Jeep greeted the visitors by the 

It doesn't hurt to learn new skills. Second stop was at the center of Weaving at Binuatan Crafts. They make a whole lot of stuff from the woven material that they produce from products such as bags, purses, table runners, plate mats, and a lot more from colored grass. They allow visitors to try their hands in weaving. and the experience does make one realize that these products are not easy to make and appreciate their aesthetics more.


Why do adventures cost so much? The closest place in the city that offer activities that can pump up some adrenaline is the Mitra house. Since it was not really the highlight of the day's tour, spending was a bit of an issue.

To enter the house, one has to buy a ticket. What's notable about the house besides the affluence that is common to rich people's vacation houses is its octagonal shape.  This manifests the Senator Mitra's love for fighting cocks. On the mantle are trophies of Derby's won and on the walls, portraits of the family members.

One can enjoy horseback riding, a hanging bridge walk or taking on a short zip over the valley.

Last stop before dinner was at Kuyba Almoneca which found its fame through the stalactite formation that looks like the face of Christ. 

It's a hole under the ground inside the a private property. It was developed by the owners as respite for souls yearning for some peace and quiet.

Besides that, there is an open chapel furnished with hardwood pews and tables, a therapeutic pebbled walk, a cold spring-fed pool and my favorite, a fish-spa.

To close the visit, one gets to enjoy a hot turmeric-ginger brew.

We made it to the 10 AM tour around the crocodile farm. We joined a big group of Koreans. It was disappointing that holding the baby crocs was prohibited and the fact that croc meat was also sold out.

Before going back to the hotel that morning, we passed by the Baker's Hill to check out their famous bean paste hopia only to find it sold out for the day. 

Bacolod Spa

I didn't expect to be back, this soon.
Barely a month ago, I visited Bacolod Spa upon a friend's recommendation for a much needed whole body massage. Though I had a vivid picture of what's inside from the regulars, I still caught myself lost in amazement at the whole experience. The reception, with it's earth-toned furnishing and soft-toned lighting set the stage for a truly relaxing and rejuvenating quiet time.
Using the sauna was a first for me then. The usage instructions was too small for me to read plus the fact that the light was low, I elected to sit at the corner and observe how it's done. My 20-min stay in the room must have dilated my pores to maximum which sent rivulets of sweat  down my legs. It wellmade up for months of having skipped running and biking.
For the massage, I chose the combination of swedish for its relaxing effect and thai to loosen up the kinks in my unused joints. Unlike before, the one hour did not leave me feeling punched all over deapite my preference of the application of hard pressure. Really, I have nothing negative to say about the whole experience.
Therefore, when madam mentioned about taking us (Jen and myself) out for some relaxation, I suggested Bacolod Spa. And I am glad that our afternoon was a big hit.

Year Starter Ride: 2017

Leaving for a very strenuous physical activity on an empty stomach was a bad idea.  As my body clock has been accustomed to these last two weeks, I woke up, with much regret, past 7 a.m. already. The weather, however seem bent on my making good of the promise I made to relive my new year's day ride (albeit a day late) that the sun was still hiding behind Canlaon even at the late hour. I've been meaning to beat the distance I was able to cover then and there was no better time to do it than at the moment. With the likelihood of my coming back around noon, I made the motions of preparing breakfast for the old folks before leaving. I only had coffee.
As I pushed my way up the slopes of Cubay, the numbness on my hands has set it in. It was nothing out of the ordinary so I pedaled on until my breathing stated to become shallow and my sight, grainy. It dawned on me that I was about to faint from , obviously, hunger. Luckily, I hurdled my first my first steep slope and stopped at the shoulder to text Ivan. Well, I should have known better than expect. reply at such an early hour. Since I could still think clearly, I pushed my bike and crossed the hiway to enter a store. I ordered water, crackers and mentos which I finished in small biyes until my breathing went back to normal and my sight clear.
Not one to quit easily (at times, hehehe) I biked on until my legs couldn't  pedal anymore. I failed to see the marker but I went past Palencia which means I covered not less than 13 km uphill.
Going downhill was as challenging. J might need new brakepads soon for all the braking that I had to do.  The continuous negative gradient made pedalling unnecessary I struggled to change gears with no idea which one to use. I feel so blest to have completed my objective unscathed.
As a bonus, as I passed by San Roque, my maninoy Polding was at the waiting shed, nursing his cup of coffee while watching the hiway traffic. I stopped over for a spell and tried to make a conversation. All was well until something prompted him on his retirement which completely made him a different person. Oh, the tales that he spun from his head. The poor thing!
Year Starter Ride: Achieved!

2017 Starter- What could have been...

...had I fought my way out of sleep and relived last year's ride. The roads proved to be bike worthy from
1. the motorized (virtually nil) traffic
...online friends complained on scarcity of buses
...missed the customary new year's day lunch at bff's due to the absence of trikes
...biked through the rain to the vesper service for the same reason
2. the spirit-dislodging crack of fireworks
...most neighbors went away for the holidays ( hope this happens every year... hehehe)
...effective anti- explosives campaign of the DOH
...people have finally came to their senses and thought against the waste

Then, for everything there is a reason or reasons.

Holiday is a time for family and  I had an interesting morninng with mom choosing to notice the clutter on the sink instead of the fact that breakfast was already on the table when she woke up and with Sum looking like the cat who drank the milk with both hands covered in milk powder, unrepentant. As for me, after dropping off the imp, that late lunch I took with a bottle of lager left me lethargic and out for more than two hours with Season 8 of TBBT playing on my PC.

Tonight, after the briefest  sermon from Philippians 3:12-16, I made a quick stop at a vulcanizing shop to have J's tire pressure checked. It was something I have been meaning to do before going on a long distance ride. This might have been subconsciously pulling me back from taking an unprepared venture. So tomorrow is the the day!