Friday Favorites: Keep Calm

It's been a common sight these days. A plain colored poster with the words "KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON". We've seen parodies including "Keep Calm and Travel On".

But how did the poster come about? Barter Books tells the story.

Aside from loving the Keep Calm statement, I would visit Barter Books in Northumberland because of the tea and books INSIDE an old train station. It is like an inception of my favorite things. I imagine myself going to the tea room with an Agatha Christie novel in my hand and ordering an earl grey  tea and maybe some pastries.

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Hello, Iloilo: La Paz Market Treats

Nothing spells local like the local market called palengke. The concept of palengke is not foreign to any Filipino. Most of my childhood was spent waiting for my mom to get back from her pamamalengke as it often results to getting the newest Funny Komiks and those one peso snacks.

The La Paz Market in Iloilo definitely offers the local experience. We decided to have our late lunch there straight from Guimaras. We took one jeepney ride from the port straight to the market. You can't really miss it with its big La Paz Market sign.

First stop: Netong's La Paz batchoy

No visit to Iloilo will be complete without la laz batchoy. Real, authentic, sinful la paz batchoy for only Php80.00. The serving will fill you up. We requested that the bowl be split up into two but we still got a generous amount of noodles, liver, chicharon (pork cracklings) and meat.


Next stop: Madge Cafe

A tall glass of iced coffee for 30php? Define cheap! I wish this existed in Makati so I can get my daily caffeine without my wallet suffering. And this, ladies and gentlemen, is way better than those hundred pesos drinks. It has the right mix of sweet and bitter. It is not watery and goes well with puto. You can see locals drinking coffee and reading the newspaper which is a sign that Madge Cafe is loved by locals. There are even customized mugs for their regulars. Madge Cafe has been around since the 1940s and it still serves the best coffee.



Afterwards, we grabbed some grille corn and headed straight to DB's Hometel for an afternoon siesta. So, do you enjoy the palengke too? Any favorite stores?


(all photos taken using my phone)

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Dreamy Palaui: Impressions

At the end of the 642^nd road marker is a dream. Most would turn back once reaching the end of the road but if you take the chance, you’ll see something greater. Many would talk about taking the road less travelled. Sometimes, the road is not there at all. It took us more than 14 hours on the road to reach the northeastern tip of Luzon. I’ve dreamed of this trip for months and the stars finally aligned last April 12.

There was no planning for this trip. Somebody else did it. Which meant I was there to just move my feet and capture memories. I skipped reading stories to avoid expectations. I felt it was going to be majestic. But I did not know majestic is not the appropriate term. Breathtaking would be more appropriate.

The 7km Lagunzad trail can sometimes make you catch your breath. Cape Engano made me lose my breath. To borrow words from Charlie, “And in that moment, I swear we were infinite”.

The underwater scene did the same. Schools of fishes – orange, blue, green – welcomed us. At a brief moment, a lionfish lay in the corals. Honestly, both the land and the sea were a feast to the eyes.

There are more stories to be told – about the lighthouse in Cape Engano, the flora and fauna on the trails, and the people in the village. But for now, I wish this pushes you to take the bus to Sta. Ana, Cagayan to see for yourself what the dream island has to offer. More stories, soon.

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Gratifying Guimaras: Old Light

Time passes and people forget things. Or rather time takes a toll on things and they become souvenirs of the past. Guisi lighthouse was built during the 18th century to be the light to the sea travelers amidst the Panay Gulf. Today, it is a rusty tower that bears warning to those who wish to climb its decrepit staircase. It is the second oldest lighthouse in the country. It carried the name Faro de Punta Luzaran.

It takes more than half an hour from Alubihod to reach Guisi in Brgy. Dolores. Visitors can get a view of the Guisi beach. A couple more steps and you see an old shelter that may have housed Spaniards. Rosaries adorn the wooden windows and doors.


You then see ruins - piles of rocks form what used to be a Spanish outpost. Today, it is a landscape for photographs of visitors who paid 10php. The caretaker knows the ins and outs of the ruins and would gladly take impressive photos of your visit.

I climbed the rickety staircase and welcomed a panoramic sight of the sea, beach and mountains. I breathed in the fresh air and watch the sun slowly set. My knees were wobbly but my heart was jumping. I live for sights like this – when you feel time is slow and everything is calm.

A newer, white lighthouse sits on top of the hill to guide the ships that still traverse across the seas. It’s not unusual for new things to come and replace the old, decaying ones. Yet, I still find charm in those old things that has a lot more stories to tell. And soon we all become rusty and old. Make those stories count.

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Meet Coron

I miss you. i miss being at the top seeing the sky turn orange while the cold breeze glides its hands on my waist. Your hot embrace on a quiet afternoon is still a memory. I remember the vast ocean just across us as the sky turned dark. The rickety bamboo bridge being swayed.

 


I miss the watching tiny kisses around me. There was the thrill of not knowing what I will see once I open my eyes under your blue blanket. Then I saw wonders of your present. Preserved from the harshness of the modern world.

 


I climbed steps just to see your beauty from afar. I went down to feel your purest soul. I saw tiny swords piercing through your clearest skin.

Your steadiness amazes me. I look at you and I see resilience and nature's hands.





Your past reminds me of my future. Old shipwrecks - remnants of a time of yellow and white and war. I hope to go deeper in those remnants when I go back to you.




I promise that when we see each other again, I will swim that small gap in you to see the beauty of the twin lagoons. Lagoons remind the child in me of mermaid combing their hair then pinning starfishes and shells on their hair. You remind me of childhood dreams.




With you, I find peace. I miss you, Coron. I know there is more to you than what I saw. We will see each other soon and I'll fall in love with you deeper. For now, I'll keep these memories in a jar.

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