Blood in Bohol

On our first day in Tagbilaran, Bohol, one of our first stops is the site of the blood compact between the Spanish king conquistador Miguel López de Legazpi and Filipino native of Bohol, Datu Sikatuna.

The blood compact between the two leaders happened in 1564 or 1565 (different dates based on which book one reads), when Spain dispatched more expeditions to set colonies in the Far East. Remember, the Spaniards were competing against the Portuguese.

One of the expeditions, led by Miguel Lopez de Legazpi reached the Philippines in the beginning of 1565, and established a Spanish settlement. He tried to land Cebu but was thwarted. To make the long historical story short… he met up two chiefs of Bohol, Datu Sikatuna of Bool and Datu Sigala of Loboc. He convinced (or misled) the leaders that they came in peace.


Termed in Spanish as “pacto de sangre,” a blood compact is an ancient custom or ritual where two people drink each other's blood to seal a friendship, a pact or treaty.

And on 16 March 1565 (or 25 March?) Legazpi and Sikatuna undertook the now famous blood compact. Today, this in Bohol every year as "One Blood" festival.

For me and Chief, our “blood compact” will last until all future becomes past. But no blood involved.

Tarsiers of Bohol

Friday morning brought us up close and personal to the tarsiers. Yes, those small “monkey-like” animals found in Bohol. I told Lenelle and Chief that I remember the government gave Prince Charles a tarsier a few years ago during his visit to the country. Lenelle validated this “donation” and said that the tarsier died.

“They are very territorial and will survive only in their natural habitat,” says Lenelle.


We saw their enormous eyes and their extremely elongated feet, which gives them the strength to jump to up to 2 to 3 meters. But they can’t walk. Their fingers are also elongated, a little scary site. The third finger is seen to be longer. They also have a slender tail which can reach up to 25 cm long.

Can you believe that the head can turn 180 degrees? One tarsier sampled to me that 180-degree turn and I could not believe it until I saw it.

Tarsiers have very soft, velvety fur, usually colored beige or ochre. Tourists are not allowed to touch these tarsiers and they could be squeezed and suffocated.

Lenelle says that they are also suicidal and have been known to knock their heads on walls to kill themselves. They are easily stressed when caged or in captivity. The males are territorial and pee on their territories. The females salivate on these territories to show that they are attracted to the males and then, the male search for the females and their relationship begins.

What is amazing about these animals are their vision? They have extra big eyes like owls, who also sleep at night. They seem extra lazy when we were at the sanctuary but are used to being photographed. All tarsier species are nocturnal in their habits.

They catch and insects by jumping at them. They prey on small vertebrates such as birds, snakes, lizards, and bats.

Lenelle says tarsiers give birth to single offspring and gestation takes about 6 months. They reach sexual maturity after one year.

Would you believe that they have been around since the Jurassic times? That’s more than 45 million years. And they could also be found in Borneo and Sumatra.

Thanks to the efforts of the Boholanos, people can continue to appreciate the presence of tarsiers!

Crowds at Chocolate Hills

Next to the beaches in Panglao Island, high on the list of must-see in Bohol is the Chocolate Hills. Our guide Lenelle Isabela shared many stories and insights about these natural wonders. She says there are around 1,268 perfectly cone-shaped hills. The hills has been declared the country's 3rd National Geological Monument and proposed for inclusion in the 7 Natural Wonders of the world, together with Mayon Volcano and Tubbattaha Reef in Palawan. The hills are basically found in the town of Carmen and other municipalities of Sagbayan, Batuan, Bilar, and others.

From the "Chocolate Hills Complex.", we could see different shapes and sizes of these hills, spread over an area of more than 50 square kilometers. They are covered in green grass that looks like the color of pandan says Lenelle.

They are not really man-made like the pyramids or great wall. The domes vary in sizes from 30 to 50 meters (98 to 160 ft) high with the largest being 120 meters (390 ft) in height. The lands, in between the hills, are cultivated to rice and other cash crops. Quarrying activities threatens some of the hills.

Lenelle says some local residents claim ownership of the hills besides their property but the local government has jurisdictions on these hills. No houses are allowed to be built on top of these hills. Dapat! These are wonders of natures not to be abused or used.

Our guide told us a few stories of how these hills came to be, from simple limestone formations to an ancient active volcano that self-destructed and spewed huge blocks of stone which were then covered with limestone.

Whatever the reason how these hills came to be, we are just glad to have been here! And hope to visit again really soon!

Arrival in Tagbilaran City

We barely had an hour of sleep before Manny Gabutina arrived at our Greenhome to bring us to NAIA 3 for our long long long long weekend trip to Bohol. Often when people rush to pack stuff for a trip or vacation, chance are one would forget something. I nearly forgot our airline tickets.

NAIA 3 was nice and clean and cool, but really still not yet 100% operational. I told Chief that most budget airlines like Cebu Pacific are now housed here at NAIA 3.

By 5:45am, we were at NAIA 3. We didn’t have time to buy breakfast at Cinnabon or donuts. Or coffee. Running late for our flight. But we were used to that. Our Cebu Pacific flight took around an hour and our seats, 1D and 1E were the closest we could get to the pilot. Nothing fancy about this flight, except most passengers were really all dressed down in their shorts and Havaianas or rubber shoes (like Chief and myself).



By 7:30am Chief and I were in Tagbilaran Airport, Bohol, located in the Central Visayas region.


Can you identify where our green American Tourister luggages are in these carts? I remember we bought these bags in Oakland, California, when we were in the States last December 2007. Siyempre, it was bought on sale.

Also, see the first copies of the major newspapers flown in from Manila. Can you spot them in this cart?

We breezed through arrival and soon we saw the blue van which would bring us Villa del Sol, our home for the weekend. Tere had recommended Villa del Sol as a good place to stay while in Tagbilaran. Her family had stayed here last summer.

Bohol is an island province located in the Central Visayas region and is the 10th largest island in the country. Its capital is Tagbilaran City. To the west of Bohol is Cebu, easily accessible by boat. Even Camigiun is just 3 hours by boat, but we wouldn’t really want to do that now. Chief and I, together with Rene, Nady and Christie were in Camigiun just last summer.

And for the next few days, we would be discovering the chocolate hills, the tarsiers, Bohol Beach Club and Tanglao Island, but most of all, get a weekend for ourselves away from work and emails... except blogging. And yes, these travel steps are part of our 7th anniversary weekend.

More Cathedral Scenes

Outside the Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity in Daet, I snapped these photos of other buildings and the green environment.

Stations Of The Cross

Below are some pictures of the stained glass artworks that depict the passion and death of Christ through the Stations of the Cross, found in the Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity in Daet, Camarines Norte.







Maybe, one day, my pamangkin, Miguel, will look at these pictures in this blog and remember our visit to Daet, Camarines Norte.

Cathedral of Most Holy Trinity

When Miguel and I visited my dad's hometown last April 2008, Robert Pilar was most kind enough to show us around the town and one of the places we visited was the Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity.



It was mid-afternoon when we visited. The Cathedral was empty, a rare scene for us as it gave us opportunity to get up close to the altar and stained glass art works that depict the Stations of the Cross. That would be another blog.

These travel steps to Daet is really a homecoming for me and brings back many beautiful memories with mom and brother and aunts when we visited a few years ago. And even my first visit here back in the mid-70s with my lolo.

Rides Around Camigiun

The orange-colred multi cab jeep that picked us up at the Camigiun port and brought us to JA Fishpen for our breakfast and lunch combined. Your food would be free if you caught what you would like to eat, But nobody really wanted to dive into the fishpens!


There were many cylists around the island, pedaling their way through the dirt roads and sometimes, up and down the slopes. We encountered these cyclist as we visited the buried church. I wanted to rent a bike at the resort but they wouldn't give me a half-day rate. Some of the resort people do need a lesson or two in customer service!


Inside the multicab that picked us up at the port. Cost was 400 pesos from the port to Caves Dives Resort. But a whole day tour around the island cost 1,400 pesos.

The Clouds of Camigiun

I snapped this photo as we stopped along the dirt road that had been hit by a landslide. Nady and Christie had gone down of the multicab and also snapped photos of the sunken cemetery from this road.



Maybe, next time we would go hiking at Mt. Hibok-Hibok. But you would need a permit from the DENR office in Mambajao. It normally takes 3-5 hours to reach the summit from Ardent Hot Springs in Mambajao.

From the beachfront of the resort where we stayed, I snapped this photo of Mt. Hibok Hibok which has erupted five times in recent history. The first recorded eruption occurred in 1827. It is one of the 22 active volcanoes in the Philippines and part of the Pacific Rim of Fire!

Now, the clouds just shadow the volcano!


These are the clouds around Mambajao, Camigiun. But they can really be much closer to Bohol or Butuan. I don'y really know. But I remember when our Cebu Pacific flight back to Manila passed through some clouds, both Miguel and Julius were a little shaken but amazed.

Arrival in Cagayan de Oro

Last Wednesday morning, we arrived in Cagayan de Oro, together with Rene Bernal and Nady Nacario, my best friends from UST Graduate School. Unfortunately, another friend, Christie Que, arrived late at the airport but was able to join us Thursday morning.



For this trip, two boys joined us. Miguel, the only son of my sister, Violet and Julius Gabutina, the eldest son of Vangie and Manny Gabutina.

And for Cecile and myself, this vacation, together with my best friends from UST Graduate School.

Sunken Cemetery

Photo shows all of us before the Sunken Cemetery, during the Holy Thursday. We spent around 20 minutes at this location. From where we stood, we could some boats rowing their way to the Cross and people having their pictures taken.

It is reported that a series of earthquakes in 1827, 1862, 1871 and 1875 wreer caused by Mount Vulcan. This resulted to hundreds of deaths of local residents and some parts of Camigiun to sink underwater, estimated to be beyond 20 feet.

In 1982, the cross was built on the solidified lava or hardebed lava to serve as a marker for the graves of the ancestors.

The place is also one of the world's favorite dive sites. Kind of eerie to see tombstones underwater.

Miguel and Julius

Here are pictures of our two nephews as they enjoy the water and the sites around Camigiun, specially in Mambajao. Miguel, the only son of my sister, Violet, is graduating this year and this trip is our graduation gift while Julius is the eldest son of Vangie and Manny Gabutina.

It was their first trip together. Actually, many firsts. For Julius Gabutina, it was his first real out of town trip that included an airplane ride and a ferry boat ride.

Miguel had experienced a plane ride before when he went with his mom and grandma to Puerto Princesa, Palawan and also to Boracay.

And for Cecile and myself, our first long vacation with two young kids and practice to being future parents. Maybe? Hopefully?







These photos were taken at Sto. Nino Cold Springs in Camigiun.

Off to Camigiun

Yes, tomorrow morning,Wednesday, 8am, together with Nady Nacario, Christie Que and Rene Bernal and two young boys, Miguel Cuenco and Julius Gabutina, we are flying out to Camigiun via Cagayan de Oro.

Singapore Steps

Am checked in at the Royal Plaza on Scots, just a few meters from Orchard Road. Really nice and warm hotel. Plus, very convenient as Borders is just across the street and Isetann Department Store just a few meters away.

Love in the States

Yes, it is Valentine's Day today here in the Philippines, but definitely, Cecile and I have been celebrating our love through the years, and most recently, when we travelled to the States last December 2007.

St. Joan of Arc

This is St. Joan of Arc Parish Church in Jackson Heights, where Cecile and I celebrated New Year's Day Mass last January 1, 2008.

Around Chinatown

Our day trip around San Francisco last 18 December 2007 brought Cecile and me passed through Chinatown. There was really nothing new and spectacular, except maybe, because, this version of Chinatown was in San Francisco.


And we really had no chance to get off the tram and walk around the streets, hear the “Chinglish” from the residents. Many of the apartment buildings looked like those we had seen in HK and would see if we went to Mainland China.

Still, I snapped a few pictures.

Cecile said, “Mayroon din naman Chinatown in Manila.”

Steps Around Universal Studio

Eric had driven all night long last 21 December 2007, from Hayward to Los Angeles, California. It was easily an 8-hour plus drive. Laly had rented a big van to fit all the stuff the three girls were bringing to Los Angeles. Saturday was the big day, as we were all going to Universal Studios.

We could see the excitement in the girls, specially, Nicole. The 8-year old girl had been in the States for three years. Carla and Geneve are grown up young ladies now, with iPods and mobile phones, and boyfriends.


Today, all their tech gadgets take a back seat with the surprise and excitement the rides at Universal Studios provide. Terminator 3D with the Governor Arnold himself reprising his role. The Indiana Jones ride drew screams from us as we sneaked slowly into the dark caves with a sudden drop.


Carla and Geneva convinced me to take the Mummy ride. Chief and Eric opted to pass on this ride. It really wasn’t scary and fast, only the reverse pull created louder screams. We survived.

Paeng, Paul and Rlyn

It was inevitable that during this trip to the States, Cecile and I would meet up with my friends from UST High School and Arts and Letters while here in the East Coast. While I would have wanted to meet more friends and batchmates, one big fiesta gathering didn’t appeal to us as this would not really give us “quality time” in catching up with our friends. It would be hard to be talking to many in a big gathering. Small and intimate was better. Thus, we shared precious moments and a few discoveries with Paeng Adriano, Rlyn Alvarez-Stalamasky and Paul Henry Albano! Photo shows all of us as we closed down the Japanese restaurant.


Paul had made reservations at a Japanese restaurant near the Rockefeller Center. He had organized the gathering. Cecile and I were coming from MOMA that Friday afternoon. Paul had given us train by train directions on how to get to the restaurant coming from the Met Museum


By 8pm, we had arrived. We were greeted in Japanese but more smiles and hugs from Paul and Paeng who had arrived ahead of us. The last time we saw Paul and Rlyn was in December 2003 while it really had been so long since I last met Paeng, my Section 324 classmate from UST High School. That was the year when the entire batch was moved to the Central Seminary after the old building was gutted down by a fire during the 1st day of school.

Rlyn arrived a few minutes later, as she was coming from “Clinton” territory! She and Cecile sat together while I sat besides Paeng!

Paeng is really like an “encyclopedia” of high school stories. He has kept in-touch with almost all of the batchmates. And would mention names, careers and love stories. But the surprise discovery was finding out that the late Tom Flores was the youngest brother of Cecile’s mom and that Mary Jane Gariffo is Cecile's cousin! Wow! Diba we meet certain people for a purpose? Guess… that is Paeng’s message to us during this trip. Photo show Paul, me and Paeng describing a story

Bitin ang kuwentuhan and we really didn’t want to part ways so we extended the reunion for coffee. Lito Vergara had buzzed Paeng through the night but unfortunately, we didn’t get connected.

Maybe, during this nearly 6 hours, some of our HS friends like Bong Lopez, Armin del Rosario, Raul Siasoco, Bien Perez, Roy Roque, Aped Santos, Antonio Mangabang, Juanito Bocalan, Cecile Cabahug, Chi-chi Jalijali, Ami Rosales, and other suddenly thought about us, as their names popped in and out of our kuwentuhan. Photo shows Paeng and writer.

Maybe, old college friends like Marianne Sandejas (now reportedly married to a politician in Pangasinan), Amy Pacheco, Jojo Guadiz, Vincent Paul Justo, Perlo Chua and others also suddenly, for a moment, remembered their days at the Faculty of Arts and Letters.


Thank you to Paul, Paeng and Rlyn!

Steps to the Met Museum

The last time we were in New York City, we visited the Guggenheim Museum. My cousin, Renelle Velez, had met us in Times Square and we went to Guggenheim. MOMA was also closed for renovation back in December 2003.

This time around (29 December 2007), we were determined include culture and art into our itinerary.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art or "the Met" is one of the world's largest and most important art museums. It is located at the eastern edge of Central Park (which we haven’t really visited), along what is known as Museum Mile. According to Wikipedia, the Met occupies more than two million square feet or more than 20 times the size of the original 1880 building. Photo of Cecile on the steps of the museum.

After two train transfers, we walked down 4 blocks, following Paul Albano’s direction. We encountered a couple of tourists carrying the all-familiar blue MET shopping bag. “We are in the right direction.”

One would quickly be amazed by the façade of the museum. The bigness and magnitude. Plus, the crowd on its steps. We stopped for a few minutes for photo opps. “Let us do it now, as later, when we get out of the museum, it would be dark already.” I told my tired wife.

The Met's permanent collection contains more than two million works of art, from classical antiquity and Ancient Egypt, and more paintings from many all the European masters. The Met also has an extensive collection of American and modern art. We really couldn’t really see all these artwork. The Met Shop alone took much of our time. Books. Books and more books at reasonable prices. Thanks to American Express, we swiped nearly 200 dollars worth of items.

Cecile needed to rest her feet, so she sat at one of the benches in the lobby. I left one Met shopping bag and moved around the museum. She said, “Sige na go ahead… para at least one of us saw the museum.”

I really didn’t know what gallery to check out. The museum was really too big. My sense of direction led me to check out the “reliefs” in the Velez-Blanco Gallery. Yes, a Velez Gallery. Then, I moved quickly around the Clock Gallery and then, the Christmas tree display.

After 20 minutes, I returned to where Cecile was resting and told her to check out an entire sixteenth-century patio from the Spanish castle of Velez Blanco. Yup, a Velez castle meticulously reconstructed in a two-story gallery. And the large Christmas tree.

Olwen called and shared in our excitement and strongly urged us to see the Van Gogh Gallery.

Thus, we walked through the Van Gogh collection and saw Van Gogh's Self-Portrait with a Straw Hat.

Our next stop for that night was dinner with Paul, Rlyn and Paeng. Maybe, next year, more of Van Gogh, Rembrandts, Vermeer and Monet.

Narita

Who is narita?

Leaving NYC

We are leaving NYC at 8am abroad a NW flight back to Manila

Grease is the word

There was a long line outside Brooks Atkinson Theatre at 256 West 47th Street, Manhattan. It was cold night. We had bundled up as per Olwen’s advice. By 7:30pm, the doors opened and we found our way one row before the last row. It was a US$60.00 ticket.


The theatre was nearly full house. A mom in front of us, with her daughter offered to take our picture. Thanks. Behind us was a family with two young kids. Barely teens. And quite naughty too. Even a bit disturbing to the two ladies besides Cecile.

By 8pm, the band started to play the overture to the songs of Grease. The band was located at the top of the stage, raised above the stage, unlike other plays we saw where the band or orchestra was at the “pit” front of the stage.

The minute the first note of Grease was hit, the curtains raised and the silhouette of Max Crumm (Danny) and Laura Osnes (Sandy) appeared, the audience euphoria started to rise in anticipation of a fun and energy filled evening for Grease, the 4th Broadway production we are watching in NYC.

Images of John Travolta and Olivia Newton John moved in and out of the memories as the song “Summer Nights” filled the theatre.

The audience was really into the music and the songs, thanks to the popularity of the movie, released back in the 1978. People were clapping. Humming and singing along to "Sandy," "Hopelessly Devoted to You," "Grease" and "You're the One That I Want." Some, even stomping their feet. It was a “feel-good” production. High energy. A few laughs but a lot of memories.

“Grease” was a good production to end our 2nd trip to the East Coast. Thanks to the music of Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. This 3rd Broadway edition is produced by Paul Nicholas, David Ian, Terry Allen Kramer and the Nederlander Presentations Inc., with special arrangement with the movie's producer, Robert Stigwood.

Curtains

Cecile and I watched our third Broadway play last Saturday, 05 January 2008. The play was called "Curtains" and starred David Hyde Pierce! Yes, he is Frasier's brother in the award-winning comedy series called "Frasier." We have watched Pierce in Frasier, even when we were in Vietnam and back in our Greenhome here in Makati City. He won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical at the 61st Tony Awards last 10 June 2007 and this was another reason why we opted to watch this play.

David plays a detective in Boston who tries to find out a murderer amidst a stage play.

“Curtains” also stars Tony and Emmy Award winner Debra Monk as producer Carmen Bernstein, Tony Award winner Karen Ziemba as lyricist Georgia Hendricks, Jason Danieley as composer Aaron Fox, Jill Paice as ingénue Niki Harris and Edward Hibbert as director Christopher Belling, with John Bolton as theatre critic Daryl Grady, Michael X. Martin as stage manager Johnny Harmon, Michael McCormick as investor Oscar Shapiro, Noah Racey as choreographer Bobby Pepper, Ernie Sabella as producer Sidney Bernstein and Megan Sikora as understudy Bambi Bernét.

Scott Ellis (Twelve Angry Men, The Little Dog Laughed) directed the play while Rob Ashford choreographed the steps in "Curtains." The play also marks one of the last collaborations by one of the longest-running songwriting teams in Broadway history — composer Kander and lyricist Ebb. Both have worked on Cabaret, Chicago, Zorba, The Rink and Kiss of the Spider Woman.

Photo of "Curtains" from the Broadway play "Curtains" from www.playbill.com but I really do need to frame and mount our own poster.