French Fried (El Nido Expedition)

June 4, 2013
Summer has fallen. Together with the crisp of the French fried heat and humid of the sun-kissed air, he stood pensively revisiting the month that was, or maybe the life that passed. Nostalgic it is but things do change. He used to be afraid of anything beyond the four corners of his room; peeking through the windows wondering what’s in store for him outside. Being bullied is one thing, but growing up being laughed and ganged up is another.  Totally innocent, he was a plaintiff of a case that has no chance of defending. A verdict has been reached not knowing the reason behind. A life was indeed taken.

The man no one knows. He grins but spurts green. He smiles but cries blood. Cognizant of the people around, scared to be judged. Naive of the market trading other’s imperfection just to earn few coins of attention. What he needed was a temporary shelter from the world where no one understand.
To the point that all that was left was mystery.
To the point that all that was left was audacity.
A life was indeed, well hidden… well played.

This is freedom from the fence of employment -a 6-hour van ride just to experience paradise.

 

*breathe in – – –Summer has fallen.  Escaped together with the crisp of the French fried heat and humid of the sun-kissed air, he stood pensively revisiting the month that was, or maybe the life that passed. Nostalgic it is but things have changed.

Island Hopping/ Snorkeling/ Kayaking and anything in betwixt.

LUNCHED!

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Expressing my gratitude to Ninong Oscar. Hoping that you’ll come back here in pH often =) – at Secret Lagoon (which is no longer a secret).

Dugout Canoe (Cavinti/ Magdalena/ Liliw/ Nagcarlan Expedition)

For 21 years, we have failed to unearth the obvious.  Albeit peculiar it is to loaf around with them, traversing the municipalities of Laguna exposes history and customs.  Shooting the rapids was actually my 2012 year-ender and the best part in family trips is our freedom from financial responsibilities.  =) My words might be vague, but what I really mean is that I am missing home.

Here are some of the excerpts lifted from various sites.

Cavinti:  Do you know that the world-famous Pagsanjan Falls is actually not in Pagsanjan? This famous tourist destination is located in Brgy. Anglas, Cavinti, Laguna. A big “WELCOME TO CAVINTI” sign erected on top of a big rock on the river on the way to the falls will let the tourists know that they are no longer in Pagsanjan. http//www.waypoints.ph/detail_gen.php?wpt=pgsnjf

Magdalena: It was formerly a barrio of Majayjay, Laguna.  A petition from the residents of the barrio for the creation of a new town was presented on September 15, 1819. It was then proclaimed a new town by Governor General Don Mariano Fernández de Folgueras on January 18, 1820, and was originally named “Magdalena de Ambling”. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magdalena,_Laguna

Liliw: According to a story, Liliw got its name from a bird.  It was  said that Gat Tayaw and his followers decided to erect a bamboo pole and to name the town after the bird that would first alight at the top of the pole.  Within four days, a crow was the first to alight on the pole.  A crow was considered bad and so Gat Tayaw and his men moved south and erected another bamboo pole.   A beautiful bird alighted on the pole and sang, “Liw, Liw, Liw”. Thus the town became Liliw. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liliw,_Laguna

Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery: Considered a national historical landmark because its underground crypt was used as a secret meeting place in 1896 by Filipino revolutionaries (Katipuneros), members of the KKK.  During the Filipino-American War, Filipino patriots also used the underground cemetery to formulate their battle plans and to seek shelter.  There are no famous hero buried here but perhaps, it is enough that we pay our respects to this place where our nameless heroes and patriots sought sanctuary.  ttp://www.lagunatravelguide.com/index.php?page=nagcarlan-underground-cemetery