~manila, you're not that ugly

From GMA News:

Starting Wednesday [June 30], Southeast Asian Airlines (SEAIR) will discontinue service to five destinations for the installation of additional exit doors in planes flying to these locations.

The airline’s flights to El Nido in Palawan, San Fernando in La Union; Marinduque; Zamboanga City in Mindanao; Tawi-Tawi; and Jolo will be discontinued on June 30, Wednesday, the company said in a statement.

…

The statement made no mention of the airline’s flight resumption to these areas.

Oh this is a major setback for El Nido tourism.

Been actively planning a trip to El Nido, now the only transportation options from Manila are land travel from Puerto Princesa or boat travel from Coron, both of which have direct flights to and from Manila, or via (expensive) chartered flights from Manila to El Nido. Boo boo boo and triple more booos

Montalut, Gouache on paper, 2005

Got this in the mail– a random list of world wonders, some grandiose and public, others quiet and personal (esp the last one!):

WONDERS OF THE WORLD

Cherry Blossoms Japan
Tundra
Autumn in Germany
The beauty of Antarctica
Scenery of Europe
German’s New SwanCastle
View of Holland
Beauty of Tibet
DisneyCastle
Golden Maple Leaf
Edge of Glacier
Lavender Farm and Tree
Lavender Farm
The Night Scene of EiffelTower
BlueSea
Rainbow
MirrorLake
Lavender at the Foot of the Mountain
The Moon and Star on Earth
Comet (Make a wish)
The Purple Romance
The Beauty of the Desert
BreithornPeak( Switzerland )
Deep Autumn

Under your desk….

What would be YOUR wonders?

Will draw up an updated Manila Wonder list, here’s an old one from an old post in 2005, Where to take visiting friends:

* Bell field in Ateneo on a full moon
* a drive along Roxas Boulevard at midnight or 5am on a Saturday morning
* Divisoria and Quiapo, where they can haggle in broken Tagalog and fail miserably
* Makati Cinema Square, to look but not buy (piracy is born in the third-world, should stay in the third-world)
* all my secret favorite restaurants
* Museum-hopping

I’ve always been a fan of solo travel, but wow, this new online community I’ve discovered is just rocking my boat and really getting me all roared up for another adventure! What a way to travel (and live overseas)!

First heard of Couchsurfing years ago–knew someone who used it to travel around Germany alone. Knocking on strangers’ doors and sleeping on their couches seemed too much of an adventure to me, so didn’t give the idea much thought.

Last month, was told by another friend that you could register on couchsurfing and offer your time (instead of a warm bed or “couch”)…meaning you agree to meet up for drinks, coffee, whatnots. This is exactly what I loved about Madrid before–that it was an open city, and it was easy to meet new people ALL THE TIME. Never figured such a facility already existed in Manila–and in nearly every city or country on my travel list for that matter!

Check out these very active group pages:
Couchsurfing Manila
Couchsurfing Philippines

The whole CS community exists on a premise of TRUST. And for an online group, this is just amazing! To be able to use the scope advantage of the internet without losing the personal touch of real-life encounters, this is quite a gift! It gives us traveljunkies more reason to go out there and explore, even our own backyard.

Imagine being able to narrow down your local contacts in any country to specifics relevant to you: artists, indie music fans, etc.!

Most Active Groups

Just read Does the Internet Cheapen Your Travel Experience? from bravenewtraveler.com. Got me thinking about the whole business of preemption, particularly how reading up on other people’s experiences–of a a new movie, a new place, a new book–steals something from our own experience of the same thing. The rawness, the cutting feel of connecting to or being engaged by something real and for the first time–either gone or shortchanged. This is why I’ve made a habit of insisting on skipping movie or book reviews and not overplanning trips…

Author Jacob Bielanski says:

A plethora of sites offering pictures, reviews and personal testimonies ensure that we know exactly what’s going to happen long before we even attempt to do it.

Yet, in the cataclysmic-yet-searchable flood of information that has become known as “the Internet” do we lose the sense of adventure that comes from discovering a destination?

Friends and I have been talking about how different kids are these days…and I’ve always come to the defense of my 14-year-old students, saying they’re just like how we were in high school– curious, playful, innocent. A recent conversation with my own teachers (many of them still teaching), however, put that well-intentioned defense in check.

If there’s one glaring difference–and it’s not new, it’s something we’ve been told ourselves when we were in school–it’s that kids are growing up too fast. They’re in such a hurry to try grown up things, to look grown up, to know know know about everything grown up. Maybe this is part of adolescence itself, but the acceleration is happening at an alarming rate (like global warming! ha!).

A friend asked me if I thought this was because of the internet..

I’m a big internet fiend–I’ve turned my back on tv, radio, and print media in favor of my dandy “connected” computer–but to that question I just had to nod my head.

Everything’s at our disposal these days. I never would’ve thought that there could be such a thing as overlearning, but especially with a four-year-old kid in the house now, I’ve been more aware of outside influences and guarding the “innocence” of the ignorant…a sponge is a sponge, and a kid will remember and take in whatever comes his or her way. We are who we meet, what we read, what we see… Reminds me of something a friend told me years ago–there are just some things we can’t unsee. Even in my late 20s, that remains true.

Whether I like it or not, however, the internet is one of my most cherished friends, and I will keep coming back to it. I can choose to use or misuse it… it’s really up to me.

As Jacob Bielanski puts it:

The line between what the Internet can and cannot do for us can seem fuzzy…Do we allow the Internet to take us down that road that many have traveled or do we…follow the best opportunities?

Technology won’t cheapen our travel experience. Only we will.

As teachers and moms and older sisters, maybe the best we can do is to make sure our kids and younger friends understand what it will cost them to hurry, to settle for cheaps or hand-me-down adventures or premature moments.

I like what my friend said when asked what he really wanted to do in life: Gusto kong maranasan ang mundo!

With only 3 months of my teaching post left, excitement in my life has taken a 1000% upturn– possibilities are endless again!

So glad for cheap flights these days–yey! Plan to visit Iloilo (if I’m lucky, can get a roundtrip plane ticket for P1,500, or so they say), then maybe a solo trip on hermit mode to beautiful Baguio City, which is one of two pedestrian cities that call my name in the Philippines (the other is Boracay, oh it will always be a home to me!)..

Also getting ready for my BIG trip this year, roaring to go back to Spain, taking one of two routes– arts or tourism studies (that’s the plan now at least)… still exploratory now, but been heavy on the research already, first treasure trove I’ve put together: inspiring movies on travel and the wandering lifestyle! Hulled from the net:

MOVIES FOR TRAVEL BUFFS:
Movies that inspire actual visits to filming locations! I organized them by region.

Australia/Oceania
Whale Rider, New Zealand, 2003
South Pacific, French Polynesia, 1958
The Lord of the Rings, New Zealand , 2001, 2002, 2003
“Crocodile” Dundee, Australia, 1986
Rabbit-Proof Fence, Australia
Ten Canoes, Australia
Japanese Story – Australia

Asia
The Beach, Thailand, 2000
In the Mood for Love, Hong Kong, 2000
Lost in Translation, Tokyo, 2003
M*A*S*H – journey of three civilian doctors drafted into the Korean War
Balzac and the Chinese Seamstress, China
Days of Being Wild, China
Farewell my Concubine (by Chen Kaige) – China
The Yellow Earth (by Chen Kaige) – China
To Live – China
Apocalypse Now (filmed in the Philippines)
Old Boy, Korea
Darjeeling Limited – India
The Warrior – India
Eat, Drink, Man, Woman – Ang Lee, third in a trilogy of films about the island of Taiwan
The Beautiful Country – Vietnam
The Scent of Green Papaya – Vietnam

Africa/Middle East
Out of Africa, Kenya, 1985
Lawrence of Arabia, Arabia
The Sheltering Sky, three American expats in northern Africa
Wah Wah 2005 – Family drama with Gabriel Byrne set in Swaziland during their declared independence from Britain
The Constant Gardener (2005) – africa
Hideous Kinky, Morocco
Hotel Rwanda – Rwanda

Eastern Europe
Topkapi, Istanbul, 1964
No Man’s Land, Bosnia/the Balkans
Grbavica: the Land of my Dreams, Bosnia/the Balkans
Welcome to Sarajevo
Gori Vatra/Fuse, Bosnia/the Balkans
Black Cat, White Cat, Bosnia/the Balkans
Mongol, Great Mongolian footage, actually shot in Kazakhstan

Europe
The Talented Mr. Ripley
Casablanca
The Bourne Identity/Conspiracy/Supremacy
Eurotrip
National Lampoon’s European Vacation, 1985
A Little Romance, Paris, Verona, Venice, 1979
The English Patient (1996) – wartime Italy
Summertime, Venice, 1955
Death in Venice
Under the Tuscan Sun
Only You with Marisa Tomei and Robert Downey Jr. (Italy)
Amarcord, 1974, life in fascist Rimini in the 1930s, won Oscar for best foreign language film
Roman Holiday, Rome, 1953
A Room With a View, Florence and England, 1985
Miss Potter – England
Das Boot ist voll, Switzerland
Der Berg, Switzerland
THE PIANIST, Warsaw, Poland
Before Sunrise, Vienna, 1995
The Sound of Music, Salzburg, Austria , 1965
The Third Man, post-WW II thriller set in Vienna
Waking Ned Devine (London, Isle of Man)
Trainspotting, London
Brief Encounter, London
I Know Where I’m Going!, Hebrides Isles, Scotland, 1940s
Doctor Zhivago, shot in Spain, about the Russian Revolution of 1917 all the way into the 1960s.
An American Werewolf in London
The Hours, New York & East Sussex, England
Amélie, Paris , 2001
L’auberge Espagnole (by Cedric Klapisch, travels of grad students)
Les Poupees russes (by Cedric Klapisch, travels of young professionals)
Hotel Chevalier – 13-min short, set in France, prologue to Wes Anderson’s Darjeeling Limited
Two for the Road (1967) romantic journey across France: the Riviera, Provence, Camargue, the Rh”ne Valley, Lake Geneva, Burgundy, the Loire Valley, and Paris.
Two Days in Paris – An un-romanticized Paris
French Kiss- Kevin Kline, Meg Ryan
400 Blows, Paris
Children of Paradise, Paris
Love me if you dare/Jeux d’enfants, Paris
An American in Paris
Paris, I love you/ Paris, je t’aime
La Femme Nikita, Paris
Last Tango in Paris/Ultimo Tango a Parigi (Italian), Le Dernier Tango à Paris (French)
Breathless,Paris
Rendezvous/C’était un rendez-vous, Paris
La Gloire de mon père, Provence, France
Le Château de ma mère, Provence, France
All About my Mother, Barcelona
Barcelona
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Summer Lovers – 1982, Peter Gallagher and Daryl Hannah in Santorini
In Bruges – gorgeous shots of Belgium’s answer to Venice.
Munich – post-1972 Olympic Games in Munich
Run Lola Run (Lola Rennt), Berlin
The Edukators, Berlin
The Lives of Others (Das Leben der Anderen), Berlin
Berlin Alexanderplatz
Good Bye Lenin!, Berlin
Funeral in Berlin
Wings of Desire, Berlin

North America
Little Miss Sunshine
Where the Buffalo Roam
My Blueberry Nights
National Lampoon’s Vacation, 1985
Road Trip, 2000
Thelma and Louise, 1991 (Ridley Scott)
R.V., 2006 – Robin Williams
It Happened One Night, 1934 (Clark Gable, by Frank Capra)
Smokey and the Bandit, 1977
Cars, 2006
College Road Trip (2008)
Planes, Trains & Automobiles, 1987
Auntie Mame, New York City, 1958
When Harry Met Sally, New York City , 1989
Breakfast at Tiffany’s – the classic New York City travel picture
Gangs of New York
The Hours, New York & East Sussex, England
Vanilla Sky, New York
Taxi Driver, New York
Goodfellas, New York
Ghostbusters, New York
Short Circuit, New York
Last Exit to Brooklyn, New York
Big, New York
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, New York
Raging Bull, New York
Easy Rider, The southwestern U.S., 1969
Swingers, Los Angeles, 1996
Chicago
From Here to Eternity, Hawaii, 1953
Sullivan’s Travels – Swiftian satire of the social problems plaguing the United States
O Brother, Where Art Thou? – the Coen Brothers’ 2000 nod to Sullivan’s Travels
Flirting With Disaster – cross the United States, Ben Stiller
Borat – Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
Deliverance – diminishing wildlife, the dangers of the southern U.S. backwoods, survival story
North By Northwest – Cary Grant fugitive/spy flick, the best film to showcase Mount Rushmore
Key Largo (1948)
The Trip to Bountiful (1985) – Geraldine Page
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Dirty Harry, San Francisco
Zodiac, San Francisco
The Birds, San Francisco
40 Days, 40 Nights, San Francisco
Tales from the City, San Francisco
The Joy Luck Club, San Francisco

Latin America
Motorcycle Diaries, 2004
Notorius, Hitchcock in South America, 1946
Y Tu Mamá También, Mexico , 2001
10 – Dudley Moore, Bo Derek, Julie Andrews midlife crisis in Mexico
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, Mexico, 1948
Black Orpheus (Brazil)
Cirandirul – life in a very crowded Brazilian prison
City of God, slum kids in Brazil.

All over!
The Indiana Jones films, The world, 1981, 1984, 1989
The Endless Summer (the first great surfing movie), California, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Hawaii, 1966
Moonraker, France, Venice, Brazil, Guatemala, Outer space, 1979
Airplane! – either makes you never want to set foot on a plane again, or get to the nearest airport immediately
Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure – travel as far back as the 400s BC, Austria, Germany, Greece, Mongolia, France, Antebellum D.C., and the Wild West
Gallipoli -WWI epic taking two Aussie soldiers through Australia and Egypt.. scenes in Turkey were filmed on a beach in Southern Oz.

Sources:
The 25 Movies That Literally Moved Us from budget travel, December 2004/January 2005: with detailed tips, tour prices and contact info for movie and travel fans

Movie Quest! also from budget travel, December 2007/January 2008: an updated version of the above list, listing more movies, with the same detailed info

The 20 Most Memorable Travel Films (That Aren’t Really About Travel), from brave new traveler, March 2008: doesn’t just list movies, the article dissects travel movie themes– first date, holy pilgrimage, etc. Has lots of comments with their own great lists.

Top 10 Travel Movies to Get You Going
Top 10 hotels from the movies
Motorcoach Movies
BootsnAll Travel Community
Lonely Planet Presents Travels with Oscar
+ own input

UPCOMING TRAVEL MOVIES:

I’m interested in three out of WorldHum’s Nine Travel Movies to Watch out for in 2009:

• A Walk in the Woods: adaptation of Bill Bryson’s travel classic. Robert Redford will lead
• The Rum Diary: adaptation of the Hunter S. Thompson novel, been in the works for nearly a decade, Johnny Depp to play lead role of Paul Kemp, a New York journalist who relocates to Puerto Rico
• Escape From New York: remake, Gerard Butler plays Snake, the war hero/convict sent to Manhattan to rescue the President, whose plane was brought down over the island by terrorists

Others on the list:

The Descent 2: horror, caving trip
Point Break: Indo: surfing bandits on the loose—this time in Bali
Angels & Demons: Dan Brown adaptation, Rome
Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian: Ben Stiller as museum night watchman
Last Chance Harvey: Dustin Hoffman, Emma Thompson
Fast & Furious: yet another sequel, this time they race from LA to Mexico

Got this from my dad. Sharing it not to dissuade people from going to Anawangin altogether, but to make sure as many people as possible are aware of the dangers/risks in this “untouched” place..

I was always under the impression that coves are safe for swimming because the underwater current (is undertow the correct word for this?) there is not so strong…

Of course one can still insist on going to Anawangin (I’ve never been there myself, but it does scream adventure! you can look at pics here), but I think it’s also good to consider the things pointed out in the article in the places we visit (proximity to health/emergency facilities, attitude/openness of locals, etc.)

P.S. I notice that Daet, Camarines Norte is getting on the tourist radar more and more these days.. Daet is my dad’s hometown and I’ve been going to Bagasbas beach yearly since I was young. I know it’s being promoted as a surfing destination, especially with Seair flying there again twice a week (they resumed the flights just before Holy Week, after 15 years!)… and I do hope it brings in more income for the town, but my relatives who still live there always warn vs. swimming in the water, even close to the shore.. “Nangunguha yung dagat (the sea takes lives),” they’d say. I’m not a surfer, so I don’t know if that’s a non-issue for surfers (is the surfboard also a lifesaver since it floats? I’m clueless).

Behind the Beauty Of Anawangin!! THIS IS A TRUE STORY!!
(a forwarded email)

This is the story behind the death of our dear officemate “Architect Melvin H. Maxino”…..

Si mel happens to be a friend of my husband kaya close kami,mabuti syang kaibigan,magaling sa magic tricks, kenkoy, magaling makisama kaya lahat sa office vibes nya….wala kang perang pang-load…loloadan ka nya, everytime dadaan ako sa table nya, he would always ask me “Ate len gusto mo ng biscuit?candy?,kahit ano na meron sya.”Si mel din ang YB partner ko sa office…..pero ang talagang kinahangaan ko kay mel ay ang pagmamahal nya sa magulang at kapatid nya,iniisip nya palagi kung paano nya matutulungan ang mama at papa nya…kaya pati pagtitinda ng chicharon sa office namin kina-career nya (pero in fairness ubos agad kasi masarap at mura pa) sigurado mamimiss namin ang chicharon ni mel.Sayang nga lang maaga syang nawala….alam kong sa kabaitan nya, marami pa dapat magagandang bagay na darating sa buhay nya….pero eto na nga iniwan nya na tayo….his back in the hands of our creator…at tanging ang diyos lamang ang nakakaalam kung bakit kailangan mangyari ito..but i know GOD has a plan lalo sa mga naiwang mahal sa buhay ni mel. Sa’yo mel mami-miss ka namain lahat…we pray that you may rest in peace and you will always be remembered in our hearts……

ETO NA PO ANG KWENTO:

Behind the Beauty of Anawangin

Holy week,..long weekend ng March, nagkasundong mag out-of-town ang sampung magbabarkada. Ang napiling lugar, Anawangin. Para medyo malayo naman sa polusyon ng Maynila at ma-relax naman ang mga utak mula sa araw-araw na stress ng opisina. A week before pa lang nakapagpa-reserve na kami ng tickets sa bus, seat # 1 to 10 pa nga kami,ganun ka-excited. Wednesday 12midnight ang byahe namin, mabilis at maluwang naman ang kalsada kaya alas-tres pa lang ng madaling araw ng huwebes nasa SanAntonio na ang grupo. Ang San Antonio ay isang bayan sa Zambales na jump-off para papuntang Anawangin.

Madilim pa ng mga oras na yun kaya tambay muna kami sa plaza ng San Antonio, kwentuhan at kulitan muna habang nagpapa-umaga para makabili sa palengke ng iba pang madadalang pagkain, habang ang iba’y nakikipag-negotiate na ng tricycle patungong Pundakit (shoreline para maka-arkila ng bangka patungong Anawangin. Very entertaining ang mga tricycle drivers (dahil kikita nga naman sila sa amin), halos lahat nag-aagawan para lang kontratahin sila, nakilala Ko dun si Kodz, siya yung pinili namin kasi siya yung mukhang mas informative, yung iba halatang pera lang ang habol. Ayon kay Kodz lagi siyang naghahatid dun, marami na rin daw siyang suking manilenyo at labing-isang beses na daw siyang nakapunta sa Anawangin mismo. Sa tagal ng kwentuhan namin wala siyang nababanggit na delikado o sakunang pangyayari sa lugar, pawang kagandahan lang ng lugar, binigay pa nga niya yung cell number niya para ma-text ko raw siya kung pupunta uli kami dun.

Mga 15 minutes from San Antonio to Pundakit, pagdating dun negotiate na kami ng bangka, nakilala namin si Vic, isang bangkero sa Pundakit, wala kaming ibang usapan kundi kung magkano ang kontrata sa kanya at kung kailan kami muli susunduin mula Anawangin.

Around 7am nasa Anawangin na kami, hanap agad ng magandang camp area sa gitna ng matataas na pine trees, di ko ikakaila na maganda ang lugar, tahimik at relaxing. Habang nag-aayos kami ng mga gamit at nagpi-pitch ng mga tents, lumapit ang isang ale sa amin, maganda ang ngiti at mukhang mabait, malumanay ang boses niya ng sinabi niyang siya ang caretaker ng isla, siya daw si Aling Ligaya. Umalis saglit at bumalik na may kasama pang isang babae, buhat nila ang isang maayos na papag na gawa sa kawayan, binaba nila sa gitna ng area namin at sinabing patungan daw ng mga pagkain o anumang gamit. Sabay alis, walang ibang sinabi kung may bayad man yun o wala, pero napagtanong namin sa mga katabi naming naka-camp na dun na P50 per head at per day daw.

Habang nag-aayos ang grupo may mga nagluluto na ng pancakes for breakfast, set na din ng tripod ng camera at picture taking na agad, halatang sabik ang isat-isa sa muling pagsasama ng tropa, matagal na rin kasing walang get-together dahil puro busy sa trabaho at kayod talaga para sa mga magagandang plano sa pamilya.

After breakfast excited na ang lahat lumublob sa dagat, kanya-kanyang labas na ng mga snorkel, goggles, vest at fins, makikita sa mukha ng bawat isa ang excitement na i-enjoy at i-explore ang lugar. Di alintana ng lahat ang lamig ng tubig basta sige lublob, kwentuhan, tawanan, halos wala ring pahinga ang mga digicams sa kakakuha ng pictures. Enjoy ang lahat, walang kj, lahat nakangiti, nakatawa, masayang-masaya ang tropa, ang tropa na walang ibang hangarin kundi ang i-appreciate ang ganda ng Anawangin.

Kinagabihan, set-up na ng lamp, habang nagluluto ng dinner ang ilan, nakapalibot naman ang iba sa kamustahang kwentuhan, bumangka si Mel, tropa ko since college na arkitekto na, bumanat na naman siya ng mga magic tricks niya kasama ang isa pang tropa na lagi niyang nililibang, kami naman kahit bilib sa ginagawa niya di na lang naming pinapahalata. Natatandaan ko pa nun na nagbilin ako ng pasalubong kay Mel kasi naka-line up na siya sa opisina nila na pupuntang Hawaii. Natapos ang gabing yun sa malalakas na tawanan at masasayang kwentuhan.

Kinabukasan, Biyernes Santo. Snorkling uli ang ilan sa tropa, explore uli sa islang may magagandang corals at makukulay na isda, halos di mo mamamalayan ang oras sa sobrang pagkalibang. Pagdating ng Lunch time, sabay nagsalu-salo ang buong tropa sa pagkain, pagkatapos yung iba umidlip sa pagkapagod. Bandang hapon ng nagkayayaan yung apat pa naming kasama na mag-swimming uli, dalawa sa kanila ang naka-vest kasama si Gwen, girlfriend ni Mel. Di naming akalaing may naghihintay na sakuna para sa kanila ng mga panahon na yon. Habang nagpapahinga kami sa camp site, bandang alas-kwatro ng hapon, nagulantang ang katahimikan dahil sa pagdating ng isang kasama nila Mel galing sa dagat, tumatakbo’t hinihingal habang sinasabing “nalunod si……nalunod si……”…..di pa man din siya tapos sa sinasabi niya agad naming dinampot yung natitirang vest at snorkel, dahil sa pagka-intindi naming nalulunod pa lang siya ng mga panahong yon.

Hinihingal sa pagkakatakbo ng pagdating namin sa lugar, marami ng nakapalibot na tao. Pagpasok ko sa loob, nakita ko ng umiiyak si Gwen sa tabi ni Mel. Si Mel walang malay at langtang gulay habang sini-cpr ng dalawang lalaking di namin kilala, yung ibang kasama naming nangontrata na ng bangka para madala agad si Mel sa hospital. Habang nasa bangka kahit walang malay patuloy naming kinakausap si Mel at pinipisil ang mga daliri sa kamay at paa niya. Halos paliparin ng bangkero ang bangka laban sa mga malalakas na alon ng hapon na yun. Bawat minuto parang ga-oras ang tagal ng byahe namin dahil sa layo. Tinatanong naming ang diyos kung bakit, mabait naman si Mel, mabuting anak sa pamilya niya, matulungin sa tropa, kwento pa nga ng girlfriend niya may ipon siya para sa pagpapatayo ng bahay para sa nanay niya, marami pa siyang gagawin….bakit si mel?

Pagdating ng Pundakit, ang daming tao pero kakaunti ang nagkukusang tumulong, kailangan mo pang murahin para tulungan ka sa pagbuhat. May nurse na lalaking lumapit he knows cpr daw, kaya bomba uli kami kay mel habang hinihintay yung ambulansya na pinatawag ng pulis na nakatalaga dun. Ilang minuto din bago dumating yung ambulansya. Kinailangan pa naming buhatin ang mabigat na katawan ni mel papunta sa gate ng resort para maisakay siya sa ambulansya, tantsa ko nasa 20 meters din ang layo. Dun namin na-realize na ganun kalayo ang tatahakin sa tuwing magkakaroon ng sakuna sa Anawangin.

Pagkarga kay Mel sa ambulansya, salpak agad ng driver ng oxygen kay mel, akala naming magiging ok na ang lahat, tsaka namin nalaman na ibabyahe pa sa kabilang town (San Marcelino), dahil wala raw hospital sa San Antonio,..Ang tanong, Bakit walang hospital sa San Antonio? Ang nagpapalakas ng loob namin ay yung maayos pa ang kulay ni Mel at may pulso pa siya , alam namin na aabot siya kung madadala lang agad sa Ospital. Pero sadyang ayaw makisama ng tadhana ang tagal na naman ng byahe namin bago makarating sa Ospital. Pagdating sa San Marcelino Hospital, ilang minuto lang ng mailipat si Mel sa kama ng ospital, dun na sinabi ng duktor na din na niya kinaya…wala na si Mel..Ganun kabilis ang pangyayari..Di man katanggap-tanggap.

Pagsunod ng ibang kasama namin sa San Marcelino Hospital, dun namin sila nakausap tungkol sa pangyayari. Ayon kay German, (isa sa apat na magkakasama), tahimik at mababaw ang tubig, umabot man ng ilang metro mula sa pampang ang babaw pa rin daw. Nung nagsi-swimming sila, medyo may distansiya si Mel sa tatlong kasama, nagulat na lang sila ng biglang nagpupumiglas at sumisigaw si Mel na para bang may puwersang humihila sa kanya na sadyang di niya makayanang labanan. Magaling lumangoy si Mel, at lalong hindi siya lasing, wala sa sampung magkakasama ang nakainom, kaya nagtataka sila kung bakit di niya magawang makalangoy. Sumaklolo si German pero paglapit niya kay Mel di niya akalaing ganun kalakas ang pwersa ng current sa ilalim ,gayung tahimik naman ang tubig ng lumusong sila. Parang may halimaw sa ilalim na gutom sa pagkuha ng buhay ng tao.,..di kinaya ni German kaya pinilit nilang makaahon agad para makahingi ng tulong. May sumaklolo pero di rin nagtagumpay na masagip si Mel, nung may pangalawang sumaklolo tsaka lang daw nakuha si Mel na wala ng malay. Ganun daw ang pangyayari. Paano pala kung walang kusang tumulong?..malamang pati katawan ng biktima ay din a makuha.

Walang “Danger” signs sa paligid,..wala ring Lifeguard,..wala ring salbabida man lang na pwede mong ibato sa nalulunod. Para saan yung sinisingil ng caretaker ng isla?…ano lang ba yung maglagay man lang sana ng signs para aware ang mga tao na ganun pala ka-delikado sa lugar nila. Hindi kapakanan ng mga campers ang priority ng caretaker.

Lahat ng ganda ng Anawangin ay nabura dahil sa pangyayaring yon, wala ka ng proteksiyon sa isla ang layo pa ng hospital na pagdadalhan sayo kung may sakuna. Sabi pa ng isang nurse sa hospital na nakausap namin, di lang minsan may ganung pangyayari, dati daw may pamilya pang nalunod, meron din daw isang case na swimmer pa yung nalunod, Puro dayo daw yung mga nagbubuwis ng buhay, halos taun-taon daw. Bakit di man lang nababalita?..maging sa internet walang ibang balita kundi kagandahan ng lugar.. Kaya pala tahimik lang ang mga locals, mga tricycle drivers at mga bangkero dun, kasi pag kinuwento nga naman nila masisira ang
hanapbuhay nila. Hanapbuhay nilang pagsasakripisyo ng buhay ng ibang tao.

Kung mahal mo ang kaibigan mo o pamilya mo, huwag mong ilapit sa mapanuksong ganda ng Anawangin, marami pang ibang magandang lugar. Gawin nating si Mel na ang huling biktima, at sigurado akong ikatutuwa ni Mel na makatulong tayo sa ibang tao na malayo sa sakuna. “Don’t be a victim behind the beauty of Anawangin!!”

At para sa’yo Mel, ang pagdarasal namin para sa Mapayapang Paglalakbay. Habang-buhay kang nasa puso namin. May you Rest in Peace.

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Maganda mang tignan ang lugar ng Anawangin, pero may multong nakatago sa gandang nakikita natin. Huwag na po nating pabayaang may madagdag pa sa mga buhay na nawala sa lugar na iyan, huwag nyo pong isapalaran ang inyong mga buhay! Magandang pakikisama ng mga nagpapatakbo at nangangalaga ng Anawangin lalo na
ni Aling Ligaya hindi po matutumbasan ng buhay na lalamunin pa ng isla ng Anawangin!!!!!

Mel, maraming salamat sa iyong kabaitan hindi mo pa man oras ngunit kailangan naming tanggapin ang katotohanang binawi ka na ng Maykapal. Marami ka ng taong natulungan, marami ka ng mapasayang tao, mahirap man sa amin pero kailangan mo ng tumuloy sa iyong pupuntahan. Alam kong nasa tabi ka ng Diyos na Maykapal, at alam kong magiging masaya ka dyan. Huwag mo na kaming alalahanin dahil binigyan mo na kami ng mga alaalang hindi namin malilimutan, napakabait mong kapatid, tito at lalong lalo na bilang anak sa mga magulang natin. Humayo ka na at matahimik sa kandungan ng Panginoong Diyos. Maraming maraming salamat kapatid ko!!!! Mahal na mahal ka namin!!!!

MICHAELA MAXINO HERNAEZ
Sister of Melvin

Related links:
Inspiring Anawangin (Feb. 25, 2008) – Photo album (multiply) of my friend, Rj. With travel info to Anawangin.

This is my deposit page for this blog. Will use this for at-a-glance information, directories, photos, links that I’ll update as I go along.

Ongoing projects:

Interactive Tagaytay Maps

Stuck in traffic on the way to Tagaytay, I took out my pen and paper and started writing down what I saw along the road: shops, service areas (gas stations, etc.), restaurants, subdivisions. This project is what came out of that burst of travel geek, yey.

Started on March 16, 2008, it is very much a work-in-progress…organic and with no real deadline. Hope it grows into a comprehensive and updated (enough) guide, with blurbs on the places or spots of most interest or relevance or chutzpah. Email if you want to help!

My Tagaytay: a personal travel guide

Another pet project, I hope to compile enough information to come up with a rough travel guide for Tagaytay, for a daytrip or more, suited to different fancies: luxury, budget, adventure, culinary, culture, history, sports.

Again, any help most welcome

Photos – links to my Tagaytay albums:

Flower Power! – March 28, 2008
Inspiration for Tagaytay house – March 28, 2008
On the Way to Tagaytay – March 16, 2008
Breakfast at Antonio’s -
Sonya’s Garden – June 26, 2007

Directory of things Tagaytay-related:

Construction needs/furniture suppliers

Wood of Ages, Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay Road
c/o Averile A. Pocopio
0928-2038670

WOW (Wood Art – Ifugao), Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay Road
c/o Rhonda
0929-2385452

JCT Furnitures (Abaca shop across PNPA, Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay Road)
c/o Veronica Alonzo
0921-5172432
0927-9365959
jct_furnitures@yahoo.com

Antillan Window Shades & Home Furnishings, Country Market, Paseo de Sta. Rosa
c/o Shella
0916-4631892

City Bed outlet (mattresses), Tagaytay ridge
c/o Edwin

Travel/tourism

-

Government

-

Stuck in traffic on the way to Tagaytay, I took out my pen and paper and started writing down what I saw along the road: shops, service areas (gas stations, etc.), restaurants, subdivisions. This project is what came out of that burst of travel geek, yey.

Started on March 16, 2008, it is very much a work-in-progress…organic and with no real deadline. Hope it grows into a comprehensive and updated (enough) guide, with blurbs on the places or spots of most interest or relevance or chutzpah. Email if you want to help!

On the way to Tagaytay: South Luzon Expressway

Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay Road (Tagaytay bound)

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Tagaytay Ridge along Tagaytay-Calamba Road (from Sta. Rosa road; Batangas bound)

One of the coolest things about living in Madrid was the openness of the people there, where weekly language intercambios were as normal as paella buffets and chocolate sandwiches. Meet ups with strangers of similar interests (language, travel, painting, food, etc.) was a regular social activity, with many invites posted online or in personal ads of free newspapers like segundamano (similar to the Philippine “Buy and Sell”).

Many times I considered hooking up with travel buddies through those ads, but guess in the end, I was still Pinay and Maria Clara about a few things, including sleeping in the same room with complete strangers. The most I got to do was meet up with painters in the park one sunny afternoon.

Back in Manila, I joined all the online groups on Philippine travel I could find. Members of these groups, mostly travel enthusiasts who meticulously documented their travels and willingly shared their research, set up regular travel dates that were open and “free for all”. On many occasions, was also tempted to join these trips, perhaps starting out with a day trip that didn’t entail too much “risk” on my part (like being stuck with a crowd I didn’t get along with, or one with a travel culture or style I found obtrusive). But well, shy me remained a lurker in these groups. Maybe the audacity “to brave new worlds” that pushed me to explore Spain didn’t apply here, where it didn’t make sense to travel with complete strangers when I had tons of friends and family to travel with…

Problem was, these friends and family always took forever to decide. Work, school, budget constraints or mismatched destination wishlists always got in the way.

January of this year, though, got an email about a fun climb to Mt. Pinatubo organized by Travel Factor, a newly set up travel agency run by true blue travel fanatics.

The overall vibe I got was different from normal travel agencies– it was friendly, young (active), and indie (budget!), plus it encouraged group travel, meaning an organized travel buddy system among strangers who wanted to visit the same place…

Felt that it was my chance to try it out once and for all. Three girlfriends took the email bait I sent out (so yes, it wasn’t a blind try out for me), and a week after, we found ourselves braving the two-hour trek up that infamous volcano, with about 20 other travel buffs we met for the first time –mostly photographers who turned out to be level-headed, generous and flexible..

Photo courtesy of Cedric

What made me decide it was okay (or safe) to do a 180 and join strangers in an overnight travel activity? Critical was Travel Factor, the neutral organizer that acted as our designated “mommy” for the weekend. The trip felt like the first day of class in school, only that class was already a field trip. There were a few familiar faces, but no worries because Teacher was there to make sure we all got to do what we were supposed to do and that we all got along in the process…

Many blogger-travelers share DIY tips these days, but there is still value in letting “experts” take care of that monster called logistics, so that all we’re left to focus on is traveling itself.

ABOUT TRAVEL FACTOR
Travel Factor is a registered travel agency made up of fun-loving, helpful girls (and boy) in their mid 20s, who are themselves budget travelers in love with the Philippines. The group was recently featured in businessworld.

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Old posts on Madrid-Manila:

Mad-Mla 6: Of Diplomats and Art
Mad-Mla 5: The English Language
Mad-Mla 4: Metro and Unlimited Rides
Mad-Mla 3: Painting Club!
Madrid-Manila 2: Pedestrian Life
Madrid-Manila 1: An Introduction

Support Philippine tourism!

30 November 2006
Philippine Department of Tourism launches “Out of the Box” promo

The Philippine Department of Tourism (PDOT) is set to raffle off fabulous prizes on line to lucky residents of the US and Canada with the launch of its “Out of the Box” promo this month. The promo represents the second phase of Philippines: Explore, Experience, Return (PEER) program of the (PDOT).

Under the promo, U.S. and Canadian passport holders and permanent residents, 18 years old and above, who travel to the Philippines from October 1, 2006 to December 31, 2007 will have a chance to win in the monthly, semi-annual, and grand raffle draws.

Joining has never been so easy. To qualify for one promo entry, visitors/tourists must register their name, email addresses, date, passport number, and flight number online at www.experiencephilippines.ph under the “Out of the Box” registration section. Every visit to the Philippines entitles participants to register his or her flight details. Registration must be done only after arrival in the Philippines and can be done even if participant is no longer in the country.

Exciting prizes at stake include first-class airline tickets, domestic tour packages, PNB Global Filipino Money Card and remittance packages, furniture and appliance showcases, eye treatments, shopping sprees, and for the grand draw – a condominium unit at St. Francis Towers in Ortigas, Metro Manila. All prizes are transferable.

“Out of the Box” sponsors include Abenson, American Eye Center, Avis, Globe Telecom, Kuok Group, EDSA Shangri-La, Makati Shangri-La, Shangri-La Plaza, Traders Hotel, The Shang Grand Tower Corporation for the St. Francis Towers, Snahgri-La Mactan Island Resort and Spa, Mango Tours, Philippine Airlines and the Philippine National Bank.

Winners must be able to present any of the following documents as proof of his arrival in the Philippines: passport with stamp of arrival in the Philippines, passenger copy of airline ticket used, or airline boarding pass. Arrival dates must match with that of the arrival date registered online. For complete details of the promo mechanics, interested parties can check www.experiencephilippines.ph.

The site mentioned, www.experiencephilippines.ph, has a lot of good links, with detailed info and pics on the Philippines — worth a look.

When I was working in the DOT, had a run in with a thundercat in the Tourist Info office who didn’t want to release the regional profiles containing all relevant (and updated!) information on every single town and city in the country… yes, there exists that magical book where all the travel basics (i.e. backgrounder on the province / town / festivals / tourist attractions and accommodations, complete with contact info) are thoughtfully compiled, and the DOT updates this book yearly. Was so happy to see this information finally available online!!

Visitmyphilippines.com even has downloadable powerpoint presentations on visitor stats and insider information that I wasn’t allowed access to before– To the team behind this new trend of info sharing and transparency, GOOD JOB!