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BORACAY PART TWO
Posted By Kaiz on August 30, 2010
“TL, can you ask Bien to go home? He isn’t aware that I filed a leave for him. It’s his birthday tomorrow and we’re leaving for Boracay. Just tell him that there’s an emergency and his presence is needed here. Thanks!” That was the exact text message I sent to his team leader a few hours before our scheduled flight to Boracay. He went to report for his duty oblivious of what’s about to transpire.
It was last year when I took the liberty of purchasing tickets to Bora, which were on sale, as my surprise birthday present to my significant other, Bien. We’ve been to Bora just once and that was when we were still in the getting-to-know- each-other stage, when digital cameras aren’t a craze yet, when glass bottom boat was just a divine plan. Now, we’re close to celebrating our fourth year of togetherness. Since then, we’ve been dreaming of going back as we find the place enchantingly wonderful.
Fine white sand, friendly Akayanons, incomparable night life, and of course, serene atmosphere, which can’t be found in the Metro, are just some of the things Boracay can offer.
With all the expenses we have to shell out these days, a Boracay splurge is pretty pricey for Bien and me. We won’t mind staying at an inexpensive lodge, eating the cheapest foods, or walking a mile to get to the shore just as long as we get to visit the place once more.
Oh yes, we’ve been to quite a few places in the country. Sure, we’ve been to Bukidnon and have climbed the country’s second highest peak, Mt. Dulang-Dulang. Sure, we’ve been to Camiguin and have enjoyed its White Island’s vista. Sure, we’ve been to Coron and have snorkeled some of its islands and lakes. Sure, our bodies have been dragged by a cable in CamSur Wakeboarding Complex. Sure, we sustained bruises during our rock climbing activities in Padre Burgos’ version of Boracay and Palawan, Borawan. Sure, we pleasured ourselves with Nagsasa’s pristine sand. But Boracay is Boracay and hell yes I’d love to be in this place over and over again.
Because our office is just a few minutes away from where we reside, I already heard Bien unlocking the door. With no words coming out from his mouth yet, I can see that his eyes are full of questions as to what’s going on.
I hugged him, greeted him happy birthday, and handed him the tickets for our trip.
Then the phone in my pocket started vibrating. Geez. I have set my alarm and now it’s telling me to wake up from my dream.
DO-IT-YOURSELF CAMSUR
Posted By Kaiz on July 27, 2010
Part Three – Naga City Town Tour
Bigg’s Diner
After wakeboarding at CWC, we started this part of the trip by eating in one of the most famous fast-food restaurants in the Bicol Region, Bigg’s Diner in Centro (where Shakey’s Pizza used to be located). Bien specifically requested for us to eat there because of the pictures of the diner he saw from one of our friends. It’s a less modest version of TGI Friday’s and, of course, with Western foods. We spent Php433 over Pork Cordon Bleu and Reuben Burger with fries. It was a bit pricy but no regrets though. We enjoyed the food and the place’s ambience.
Molino Grill
The night for us has just started so we decided to have a few bottles of beer before going back to our lodge. Next stop, Molino Grill in Magsaysay Avenue. Just like what I stated, I have been to some places in Bicol already and that includes Naga. I am pretty familiar with its local scenes. Going back to Molino Grill, it is so much different from what it used to look. It had a mini garden the last time I went here. Now, it looks like one of the junky drinking spots in Timog. Bigger but not better. It now has a wider area but it fails on its attempt of creating a club-like atmosphere. Dissing the grill’s changes wasn’t our reason of being there. After consuming a bucket of beer and a plate of sizzling buttered corn (totaled Php235), we returned back to Moraville Hotel and called it a day.
Geewan
So it was 8AM and we haven’t decided yet on where to eat our breakfast. We walked back to Centro (since the lodge was just a few minutes away) and headed to Geewan, another fast-food resto only operating in Region 5, which is just beside a smaller (compared to where we ate last night) Bigg’s Diner. The service isn’t good (considering it is the first time I ever ate there). They were fast (it can be agitating to others) in getting orders. And because they were sooo nippy, they finished up serving incomplete foods. I wanted Bien to try pinanggat, one of Bicolano’s delicacies, but he refused because we didn’t know its ingredients. We paid Php232 for a not-so-bad breakfast.
The Churches
I boasted Naga City for having big churches and rich religious traditions. One of which is the famed fluvial procession or Translacion. We did nothing much when we visited Naga City’s biggest churches―the 400-year-old Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist, the Peñafrancia Shine, and Nuestra Señora Peñafrancia’s home Basilica Minore of Our Lady of Peñafrancia. It was Sunday hence the churches were crowded of worshippers hearing the Sunday Mass. I didn’t even have the chance to take a close-up picture of the Mahal na Ina as we might disturb the people inside Basilica Minore. This could have been better if it we went there September so Bien could see how Bicolanos celebrate the Peñafrancia festivities.
Our Lady of Peñafrancia Musuem
It was September 2006 when I last visited Naga City and became a witness of the well-celebrated Translacion. It’s comparable to how Quiapo Day devotees adore the Black Nazarene. And it’s surprising to have known that a museum dedicated to letting people know of Our Lady of Peñafrancia’s must-known facts was already built. With just Php10 entrance fee (Php5 for kids), you get to see commendable dioramas (and other stuff) explaining Bicol’s religious history.
The Ukayans
It’s surprising that for a small city, Naga has loads of ukayans and with way cheaper goodies. Bien and I found a slightly-used Nike SB (or so we thought) for 200 bucks only, which we thought would fit me. Unfortunately, it didn’t and we had to let go of it even if it’s of little worth. We haven’t had the chance to take home anything with us since we didn’t wanna be charged of overweight check-in baggage at the airport.
Graceland
The last stop. After checking out of the Moraville Hotel, we headed to SM Naga to have our lunch. I wanted to stick to our plan of all-Bicol-food-only so I urged Bien for a Graceland-lunch. When we were still in Manila, I told him of a restaurant called Red Platter, which, for me, is a less-expensive version of Racks. Since Graceland and Red Platter is owned by one proprietor, it serves similar foods. And there I found the crispy riblets I had been dreaming of back in Manila. We paid Php (crispy riblets, two-piece chicken, and halo-halo) for our last meal in CamSur.