Philippine Travel Notes

Here is one story that would probably be my first on the convergence of us Humans (our curiosities) , Nature (the unadulterated world around us) , and, AI (new technology) . As I walked on the beach at Mika's Beach Resort, fascinated, I took this picture... Right there, I uploaded it to my AI Chatbot and asked " What is this crab-art called? " The reply opened with "indeed it is crab art" parang tao rin, trying to pull my leg! And went on to tell me that it has many names depending on the speaker or the location. I learned anyway that those are called (any of the following):     ☺ sand balls     ☺ sand ball patterns     ☺ sand pellets     ☺ sand pellet patterns     ☺ feeding pellets     ☺ crab feeding pellets     ☺ sand wreaths     ☺ sand rosettes     ☺ crab tracings and many more, depending on who's talking! So, oo nga, the names are descriptions. And dependent ...

This was it pusit! My roam of Gamay's central area - with no itinerary! I like doing this kind of walk, where I don't know which way to go, what to see, what to expect. Come what may or where my feet lead me to . Here I said: "which way now" ! Natawa ako sa sarili ko, as if I was asking St. Michael for directions! Eh on that shot I was standing at the church door , facing outside. That, is where I came from earlier. That big building is their municipal gym (or whatever it's called nowadays). I started my walk there going leftwards as I earlier saw a row of big houses both old and new. Ancestral Houses I was certain some would still be made of wood and old-era-style. Like this one: Still big and beautiful, right? But as we said in many past stories, they are difficult to maintain, mainly because wood is expensive and even by-and-by already prohibited. I went closer. Oh, the big doors are still made of wood, but the walls are 'corrugated galvanized...

I came chauffeured c/o Sonny, you know that from my last story ! So, I arrived here: He wanted to drop me off at walking paths on either side, so I would be nearer. But I requested that I be 'ejected' here! He instantly got it and even said aw picture-picture ! That's the St. Michael the Archangel Parish Church of Gamay Northern Samar . The park likely belongs to the church, as with many towns and cities in the Philippines. I say that because there is the statue of St. Michael the Archangel in the very middle. Notice that where that statue stands is a street, but I guess not for big vehicles: I went to that 'plaque' (or whatever that is called) , expecting I would read something about San Miguel or the parish or why he is the patron saint. Aruy, wara mana wara! It's just a very detailed, meticulously written monument of " epal ity" ! Hahaha, oo hindi lang politicians ang epal sa atin! It's part of our culture, salamat ke Padre Damaso?! ...

Time to stroll around Gamay's town center. But first this, at 6:36AM still at Mika's: Already much different from my ' morning has broken ' views more than an hour ago! I didn't know I was riding that van at left, c/o Sonny (the resort's manager), because yesterday, his son gave me a ride to town (to buy lunch) on board their own scooter. Free rides but nakisabay lang . They were really going to town anyway! Is it far? Is 'downtown' far from Mika's Gapo Beach Resort or Marcela's Resort Hotel ? I guess it is more than 2 kilometers, the first 2 of which, is on a highway along empty fields! Why not walk? Empty vast fields nga on both sides of the highway. It's lonely and might even be... Well, there's the New Gamay Terminal, and after some distance, the Gamay Doctor's Hospital, but they're both "in the middle of nowhere". Civilization is at Gamay Bridge! Yeah, alive moving things only start at Gamay River,...

From Nathalie's Resort on Araw Beach , a morning snack at Marcela's Resort , it was then time for check-in at Mika's Gapo Beach Resort , still in Gamay, Northern Samar. Finding the resort. Where is this place? Aw, an expansive beach property just behind Marcela's. While it is still distant from the highway, you won't miss their signage in big and bold letters. Here here, for clarity, I grabbed an image from google maps' street view. Got it? No? Aw, bahala ka sa buhay mo, malaki ka na haha! Sige na nga, let's describe the arrows: Starting from the right... White Arrow - the southward way to Lapinig, Arteche, San Policarpo, Oras, etc. Black Arrow - the northward way to Gamay proper, Araw Beach, Mapanas, Palapag. Red Arrow - the entrance gate and swimming pool of Marcela's Resort Hotel. Yellow Arrow - that perimeter wall signage shown in the picture above. Blue Arrow - the multipurpose, convention, events, whatever hall at Marcela...