Philippine Travel Notes

Scene: 0703H we were rushing out of Borongan to some southern towns, and eventually to Tacloban. Well, you can call this a Karan-un [kakanin] Drive-Thru as they have a lot. But I always buy Salukara! As you can see, they also sell many other delicacies - rice cakes or things mostly made of ground rice. All of them are delectably 'morning fresh' (even still warm). I like them all - but my favorite is Salukara . What is Salukara? Patay tayo dyan! It is like a pancake, made of local ingredients. But I know there are now lots of write-ups/images about it on the web, so just google it hehe! I'm only best at eating them! Where in that picture is the Salukara? Oh, where the white arrow points, those are the Salukara. I also am familiar with all others around it like bibingka, bakintol, kutsinta, puto, etc., but Salukara esda bes t! Where is that place? Oh well, oo nga naman. It's at the very center of Borongan City, along the national highway (Real St) at the city pl...

Does this scene/place look familiar to you? It may look like part of our previous story , but it is not! This one is maybe 4kms south of the WWII US Naval Depo and the beach where I was, but they should look similar, since both are parts of the 'generally untouched' long Pacific shoreline of Calicoan Island ! I say 'generally untouched' because, although there are now 2 or 3 post-Yolanda resorts built along the strip, none of them made anything down by the water's edge - for they know, they'd be stupid to do so! In fact, that's what I'm about to tell you, the Surf Camp that I visited back in 2010. That luxurous resort (I estimate) occupied about 200 to 300 meters of shoreline starting from that photo going to the right. That sand down there continues all the way to the right too, and even beyond, but the then resort was nested atop rocks to avoid the battering waves during hightide. Yet all those were 'erased' by Yolanda. You see that bl...

Still in Guiuan, we happened to have passed by this historical spot, that is not really that popular to the younger generation of tourists, because they don't know, a natural paradise is only a few meters away! Well actually, that's all that remains of the supply depot! And at least it looks like it's been cleaned and spruced-up! I heard sometime ago, that the reason this site was 'dolled up' again, was because of the  encouragement from foreign development/aid workers, who kept passing by this place, in the course of doing their Yolanda-related activities at Sulangan or nearby areas. The place looks like a park now! Not that this corner was totally "nothing" before Yolanda. This was/is already a locally identified World War II Memorial ever since, like during my visit in 2010 . Well yes, it also got a bit damaged by Yolanda. But what can a super typhoon do to a mere flagpole planted on a painted triangular road intersection? Nothing much to worry ab...

We just passed-by earlier today, and we saw that the Guiuan Municipal Hall is still in progress... Oh eh... pasasaan ba at matatapos din yan, di ba? I am now imagining, if Yolanda did not wreck havoc on this part of earth, Guiuananons wouldn't probably have even dreamed of erecting a new munisipyo! Blessing in disguise na rin, kumbaga. Sabi nga nung isang kaklase ko "blessing in the skies"! Anyway, by anybody's account, of course it looks bigger and better than this one, that I took in 2010 : Of course everything everywhere else is better in Guiuan, than what I saw when I visited after Yolanda ! Okay okay.., blessing in the skies nga!

From the last paragraph of the previous story, I said " let's go back to Minasangay ", right? Yes I did. But driver actually reminded me, we have already been to this place last 2016 . Which, all the more pushed me to come back because we said we'll be back! So, back to Minasangay Island we were. Here we go! On this visit to Minsangay, I thus, had 2 things in mind: 1) compare it with Canhugas Nature Park, and 2) see how the "island resort" has developed or progressed (if at all it did), since I last visited in 2016 ! Make the long story short.., I observed that... This is officially called the Minasangay Island Marine Ecological Park and Resort ! I didn't pay enough attention last time. I just noted the big font on that signage. But the smaller font completes the name. The long walk from entrance to that signage above, and the bridge is still the same - far! But something happened to the bridge entrance , Maybe it's almost done. And Mana...

On my way to Borongan this morning I had a chance to drop by Canhugas Nature Park somewhere on the Pacific Coast of Hernani in Eastern Samar. All I could say was "oh wow, our country also has this"? For the past 2 or 3 years, I've been seeing signage along the road, pointing the way towards this place. That early, I already wanted to come and see this place. But, there was just no opportunity, until today! Why the interest? Ah well, I'm a beach lover, many of you know that. And seeing that the arrows on the road pointed east, I said "this Canhugas thing must be along Eastern Samar's Pacific Coast. Tingnan"! So, thinking this was some strip of "sandy beach", this was on my bucket list for quite a time. And this opportunity was even just an attempt to "make my bad day become a good one". A "stop gap activity"! Thus, I did not ever think this was going to be "one fantastic day of discovery"! Y'know pol...