Boracay, here we come!!

Last November 19-23, I finally got the chance to go and see for myself what the famous Boracay is all about. Even though it's basically the rainy season (starting June) in Philippines, my friends and I still went ahead on this trip to avoid the usual large crowd during peak seasons (December to May). Despite having rains during the evenings and overall slight downcast weather, we weren't disappointed and were able to Banana Boat, Sail, Island hop, and Snorkel. I really enjoyed this trip, and I'm already thinking of going back some time in the (near) future.



Day 1 - 11/19/2007
Our journey begins by air via Cebu Pacific, and we boarded the plane at 9:30am. The flight was a bit shaky due to the rain clouds we passed through but that's fine. This did not lessen the excitement we feel. After about 40 minutes, we arrived at Kalibo Airport. Kalibo Airport has this nice "booth" about the Ati-atihan festival Kalibo is known for. From here, we traveled for 1 1/2 hours by Van to Caticlan. At Caticlan, we met Ate Lea who is to serve as our guide and help us get to the place we're going to stay at. From Caticlan, we rode a boat to Boracay. The ferry/boat ride is about 20-30 minutes.

At around past noon, we arrived at Boracay. We rode a tricycle that took us to the house we'll be staying at (very near Boat Station 1, southern tip of White Beach). After quickly dropping our things since by now we are hungry - we headed to D'Mall (this is where popular "fast food" restaurants are located, as well as other souvenir shops, located between Boat Station 1 and 2) and ate at Mang Inasal ... where we sampled the place's Chicken "Inasal". :D

We then headed back to unpack our stuff, and rest a bit. Before we know it - it's already time to eat dinner and we went back to Mang Inasal in D'Mall. On our way back, we passed by numerous sand castle built by the locals where you can have your name written on a space on the right side and have your photo taken - for a fee. But, it's free to take a photo of the sand castle. To commemorate our first day in Boracay, I took a photo of it:

Blog template changes...

Today, I made some minor changes on this Blog's template. I wanted the Blog entry area to be a bit bigger. I sacrificed the default template's rounded corner for the header, footer, and content area - but have retained this in the Profile and Links section. I'm planning to make more changes one of these days - probably do something about the header or so.

For documentation purposes, here's a Before and After screenshots I took to show the changes I've made:

Before

After

Hanging out with friends from Saipan

Last June 21-29, friends from Saipan came to Philippines. They were: Jon, Frank, and his sister Ernesta. In the duration that they were here, I was able to hang out with them only three times. But those were really good times, and I enjoyed hanging out with them immensely. :)

The first time we hang out was last June 22, and we met at Glorietta/Greenbelt. We had some snack at this place called Cafe Havana located in Greenbelt 3 (if I am not mistaken), and the food there were really superb. I wasn't able to list the food we ordered (or rather, Frank ordered) but they were all really good. After that, we basically went around Greenbelt doing some shopping (actually - just them). It was good for me to see Glorietta/Greenbelt again after two years or so. :) This also gave us time to catch up on each other.


The second time I was able hang out with them was at Gateway, Cubao. Frank and Jon had been in Philippines for a few times now (this is Ernesta's first time), and has been familiar with the many shopping malls we have here. And so, finding out that they haven't been to Gateway, Cubao - I suggested we meet here, since I hadn't been able to explore the mall myself yet.

They loved the mall - and wished that it had been a little bigger than it is. I myself liked the way the mall was designed - and also the fact that it's not that big that you'd get tired walking around or so. But I do agree with them: if only it were a bit bigger. But - all is fine as it is. Inside Gateway, we found this nice place - I just forgot to jot down the name of the place! :( But it's located on the 3rd floor, if I am not mistaken, and it's wonderfully setup - with one wall made of glass overlooking outside the mall. I like the ambiance of the place, and we enjoyed yet another time just talking.

After that, we decided to try riding the LRT-2 (purple line) ... since I haven't been able to try this myself too! :blush: Anyways, the trip went really well - we avoided the rush hour, and we used the connecting bridge to take LRT-1 and reach Pedro Gil. From there, we went to Robinson's Place and had dinner at TGIF. As you can see on the photo, we all had a very filling and tasty meal. :)


The third time I hang out with them, we started early. We were supposed to walk around inside Intramuros, but since the taxi driver dropped us just in front of Manila Cathedral, and near the entrance to Fort Santiago - we decided to go there instead and take a look. It has also been a long time since I've last been here, and so it was really nice to see the changes IA (Intramuros Administration) has made on the place. The ground/park is well-maintained, and you can really see that a lot of effort has been made to preserve the historical value of the place.

Inside Fort Santiago is the Rizal Shrine, as well as an exhibit on Rizaliana Furniture. Some time in the future, I will devote one whole day exploring Fort Santiago alone, and probably be able to talk more about it here in my Blog. Overall, the trip to Fort Santiago is really worthwhile.

The gang and I then proceeded to have brunch at Max's Restaurant inside Intramuros. Having replenished our energy, we then took a stroll on top of the Intramuros wall and have passed 3 Universities along the way. Among them are: Letran, Lyceum, and Mapua. We then exited Intramuros and headed to SM Manila where we attempted to find a good place to just hang out and have another snack (one has too after that walk - although it's not really that far). But alas, SM Manila is packed (no surprise here considering the many schools and Universities found within it's vicinity) - and so we again decided to head to Robinson's Place. :D

Another noteworthy event in my day with the gang from Saipan is our going to Baywalk. We got there just in time for the sunset. And it was really a very, very nice experience especially for me who has been away from the country for a while (and hence, hasn't been at Baywalk - along with the new developments that were made). This is also the first time (for a very long time) for me to see Manila sunset in its glory. :) Here I share with you some snap shots I was able to take before my camera's battery died out on me.

Sharing the sunset with Jon, Frank, and Ernesta has somewhat reminded me that that will be the last time I'll be able to hang out with them in this particular trip. For, at that time - they were bound to fly back to Saipan the next day.


Anyway, I really enjoyed hanging out with them - and I would surely love to have them back in the future. For now, I am glad that I have these photos to remind me of those "adventures" we had, the company, and the experience.

Philippine Folk Dances

Last June 12 while taking a stroll inside SM City North EDSA mall, mom and I chanced upon a Cultural Show - mainly showcasing the cultural/folk dances of Philippines in celebration of Philippine's independence. Good thing I had my digicam with me and I was able to catch some of the dances on video. Let me share here a few photos captured from the videos I took:

Tinikling
(tih-NIHK-lihng)
Honored as the Philippine national dance, Tinikling is a favorite in the Visayan islands, especially on the island of Leyte. The dance imitates the movement of the tikling birds as they walk between grass stems, run over tree branches, or dodge bamboo traps set by rice farmers. Dancers imitate the tikling bird's legendary grace and speed by skillfully maneuvering between large bamboo poles.


Binasuan
(beeh-nah-SOOH-ahn)
This colorful and lively dance from Bayambang in the Pangasinan province shows off the balancing skills of the dancers. The glasses that the dancers gracefully, yet carefully, maneuver are half-filled with rice wine. Binasuan, meaning "with the use of a drinking glass" in Pangasinan, is often performed as entertainment at weddings, birthdays, and fiestas.


Maglalatik
(mahg-lah-lah-TIHK)
This mock-war dance, originating from the Spanish Regime, depicts a fight between the Moros and the Christians over the prized latik, or coconut meat residue. This dance, originally performed in Biñan, Laguna, is also performed as a tribute to the patron saint of farmers, San Isidro de Labrador. Maglalatik is a four-part performance: the palipasan and the baligtaran showing the intense combat, and the paseo and the escaramusa, the reconciliation. The Moros of this dance usually wear red trousers, while the Christians don blue trousers. All of the men use harnesses of coconut shells positioned on their backs, chests, hips, and thighs.


Singkil
(seehng-KEEHL)
This dance takes its name from the bells worn on the ankles of the Muslim princess. Perhaps one of the oldest of truly Filipino dances, the Singkil recounts the epic legend of the "Darangan" of the Maranao people of Mindanao. This epic, written sometime in the 14th century, tells the fateful story of Princess Gandingan, who was caught in the middle of a forest during an earthquake caused by the diwatas, or fairies of the forest. The criscrossed bamboo poles represent the trees that were falling, which she gracefully avoids. Her slave loyally accompanies her throughout her ordeal. Finally, she is saved by the prince. Dancers skillfully manipulate apir, or fans which represent the winds that prove to be auspicious. Royal princesses to this day in the Sulu Archipelago are required to learn this most difficult and noble dance.

There are other versions of Singkil. Perhaps the version more widely performed by dance companies is the "Garden Singkil." The story goes that the princess goes into her garden, accompanied by her slave, and plays with the butterflies, which are represented by the fan dancers. The movements of the fans supposedly represent those of the butterflies, as opposed to the diwatas. In another popular version, the prince uses a scarf instead of a sword.


Ragsaksakan
(rahg-SAHK-sah-KAHN)
This dance portrays the walk of the industrious Kalingga women, carrying water pots on their heads and wearing the colorful hand-woven "blankets of life" around their necks. Their walk imitates the climb up the Rice Terraces in the Mountain Provinces of the Philippines.



Bagobo Rice Cycle
This Bagobo tribal dance protrays the cycle of planting and harvesting of rice.






Katsudoratan
(kaht-sooh-doh-RAH-tahn)
Katsudoratan depicts a royal manner of "walking" among the Maranao people who live mainly around Lake Lanao. Ladies of the royal court perform this stately dance in preparation for an important event. The bright colors and flowing handkerchiefs add to the drama of the dance.


Pangalitawo
(pahng-AH-lee-TAH-woh)
From the Subanon tribe of Zamboanga del Sur in Mindanao comes this courtship dance, typically performed during harvest time and other social gatherings. The female holds shredded banana leaves in each hand, while the male wields a kalasay, a type of shield.


Sources:
Noel's Pilipino Folk Dance Glossary
Camperspoint
Sayaw Pilipinas