Philippine Travel Notes

Lunch today caught up with me while in the area of Palo, Leyte. The easiest choice for me (as usual) was Red Beach SUTUKIL, the restaurant across DPWH Leyte and the Philippine Science High School. Nothing new, nothing fantastic.., other than I was happily surprised to see this group of diners.., Look at their heads. All focused to one direction. No one talking. All intently listening. Dapat lang? Yes I think dapat lang that they listened to their new boss talking. The 2016 presidential inaugural speech. As I looked at them listening very intently to what their new boss was saying, I wondered.., what could it be that runs in the minds of government employees after a change in the country's leadership? Can it be different from what the rest of us also think? Maybe, right? Some of them could now be rejoicing while some may be apprehensive, right? Maybe this affects only the 1, 2 or 3-downs of the president? I wonder.., But let's see what happens in the next 6 years.., Go

Many of you will probably remember my little muni-muni over at Café Lucia some days ago. Intrigued where those Jetskis are/were coming from, I asked around who owns them and where are they kept - perchance I be able to swing by and borrow any of those toys for "a little stroll" on the bay sometime. It did not take much of asking around, and I found some of them resting floating silently here ... That is part of Leyte Park Hotel's "grounds" - the little wharf that had a "floating restaurant" (red arrow) frequented by executives and politicians for many years, until it was obliterated when Yolanda struck. Someone told me, a tandem of local investors (probably even the owners of that previous restaurant) are planning to put up something anew, initially where the blue arrow points to. And, if things go well (my informant further revealed), they could even develop that whole wharf into something lively again. Hmm, something to look forward to! Meanwh

This afternoon, this place suddenly became a wonderful time and place for introspection... The placid sea at Cancabato Bay.., viewed from Café Lucia, along Real St., in Sagkahan, Tacloban City. Not that it's always like so (for me at least), as I've been to this area many times before. I just dropped by Café Lucia on this gloomy Saturday afternoon, to while a little time away, actually "in conformance" with a local belief that we shouldn't go straight home from a cemetery (funeral), my driver advised me. Superstition or not, that belief actually lends practical, if not scientific credence, that is: don't bring the sorrow straight to your home. Be distracted' by things around, to get your emotions in check, if only to move forward with a clear mind - especially on this funeral that I just came from, which was full of not only grief but anger too (he was defenselessly murdered, by one that we, his family and friends know). As I sat admiring the serenit

Satisfied and done with the underground river tour , we headed back to Puerto Princesa's city center, to check-in at Aziza Paradise Hotel, for an overnight stay, where our last dinner (party) in Palawan was to be celebrated. Physically exhausted from the tour, all slept (including our tour guides) as our two vans traversed the Puerto Princesa North Road that was many times zero-visibility due to heavy rains. Hah! It took us an hour and 25 minutes (without stops) from the Sabang Boat Terminal to this hotel. Driver told me it could have been faster, but the "zero-visibility" on many parts of the road, due to the pesky downpour, slowed us down a bit. Well, no one was rushing. Everyone was dry and comfortable. Oh.., the comfortable clothes we wore on the van, was due in part to that Aziza front desk girl who did not allow us to drop our bags early in the morning, before we went to the underground river tour. Thus, after the tour (still at Sabang) we chose our most comfy