Guimaras Island

May 22, 2010

We found ourselves heading out to Guimaras Island on the first flicker of light of Sunday morning. The journey was short and sweet, a 15 minute boat ride from Iloilo City. Upon arrival on the island, we hurriedly boarded a jeepney that maximized it's seating capacity by cramping all of us 30 passengers inside. During the trip, I battled cramps and endured an uncomfortable seating position for an hour before we reached Brgy. Lawi in Jordan town. From there, we took another boat ride for 20 minutes to Barras beach. There, we found a lovely resort situated in a tiny islet dotted by wooden cottages perched atop a rocky path leading to a perfect magnificent of the sea.

Aileen Siroy

Along the way we passed by a few small islands suitable for an overnight camping and other rocky islets.

Ben with Tin Buenavista

When we finally reached our destination, we immediately decided on what to eat. While waiting for our lunch we strolled around and saw the beautiful view of the sea from the island. From atop a rocky hill, facing the sea, from the small trail leading to the cabins and looking back at the shore and even from a small window overlooking the sea. Each scenery were unimaginably wonderful.

Aileen Siroy

Well, I guess the pictures shows what I mean by the views being beautiful. After lunch we swam, paddled, laid around as I listened to the interesting conversation between my friends Aileen, Chin and Mina. Tinay and her German hardcore backpacker Ben cozy up under a coconut tree with Ben's pet rooster "Tagay". 

Jomie Naynes

I just sat there and savored the beach vibe. (listening to other people's stories is one way of getting to know them better - and I did liked what I learned about them in the process). After a while, I walked further around the tiny island.

Aly Barzaga

While waiting for the sunset I listened to Backpacker Ben's story about his travels around the world, as he puts it "before he goes back to his normal life" back in Germany. I was amazed at how foreign backpackers have more knowledge about the places in the Philippines than most Filipinos do. 

Marky Ramone Go

Most of us would dream about going to another country when there's so much places to go and see here. Ben was talking about the lost opportunity of going to Cuyo Islands, which if you consult the map you could see that it lies somewhere in the small group of Islands between Cebu and Palawan.

Chin Achinete with Aileen Siroy and Mina Erandio

We met a man from Oregon who says he was reading a book about the different phases in a man's life. Among the phases of one's life were the warrior phase and the wanderer phase. He says he currently belongs to the wanderer phase. I would love to live that phase as well. It is still my dream to set out on a long journey on a lengthier time as currently, much to my dismay, I can only travel during long weekends because I need to go back to work and live my normal life.

Aileen Siroy with Chin Achinete

However, I'll make sure someday to experience that wandering phase for like a year or two. Probably map out places that most foreign backpackers do when they go to the Philippines. To thread on the less traveled route and avoid mostly touristy areas.

Aly Barzaga

By nighttime, we lit up a small bonfire while burdened by little guilt that we're contributing to global warming. It turned out fun though as Chin, Mina and Tinay made funny chicken slash fire dances around the bonfire while Aileen and I just watched them while laughing our asses of.

Chin Achinete with Aileen Siroy and Tin Buenavista

If you have an additional day or two to spare it's more rewarding to explore the rest of Guimaras island, as I understand there is still a few places around the island that are more isolated. Go check out the Mango Research Facility and the old Trappist Monastery. Transportation around the island. It is easy to get as there are a lot of jeepneys, multicab and tricycle that serves different routes all day long.

*The room we got cost about 1,500 and is good for 5-6 people. A bit expensive for 2 people, so be sure you come in fives. It's a fan room with an average bathroom but comes with a magnificent view.


Nomadic Pranksters Visits Miagao Church | Iloilo

May 10, 2010
How I love traveling with friends both old and new. My trip to Iloilo was green lighted after an initial plan hatched by Chin. I first met Chin online in Multiply about 5 years ago and has since been looking forward to meeting her in person. Also joining us on our Iloilo trip was another online buddy; Aileen–one of my favorite online buddies who used to work for UN projects in Mindanao. She is also a great photographer and has ventured out in wedding and portrait photography.

Iloilo Travel Guide

Around Iloilo City

May 09, 2010

During my first day in Iloilo, while awaiting for my friends Chin, Aileen, Tinay and Mina's arrival the next day. I spent the whole Friday walking around downtown Iloilo City. I tried La Paz Batchoy on both Ted's and Deco's (both located at Valeria Street). I'm not suited to be a food critic as I rarely encounter a food I didn't like. However, I still gave Ted's and Deco's a high mark for their La Paz Batchoys.

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I stayed at this cheap backpacker Inn that Mina found online called Ong Bun Pension House. Not much to expect but a place to sleep in and keep your things for the meantime. I was able to check in at lunch time after arriving very early in Iloilo at about 6:00AM, I spent the time in between walking around, having breakfast and buying ice cold drinks to quench my thirst.

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By lunchtime I was able to rest briefly in my room, a small space with an A/C unit, a single bed and a cable TV and a respectable size bathroom. After taking a bath I went out on another briskly paced walk around the area. I ended up Gaisano Mall on the opposite side of a bridge, I saw some remnants of old Iloilo in Calle Real, the old and new Provincial Capitol building.

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Iloilo actually reminds me of some areas in Manila like Escolta and Recto. Thriving with activity, seeing people from all walks of life engaging each other in their daily resonance and eaves dropping on conversations that echoes back in your ears like buzzing sounds and wonderful catchphrases. Chaotic for some, romantic for others. Well it could be romantically chaotic as most cities in the Philippines would present to visitors. Some would love and find it indulging, while others would like to escape from and settle on a more quiet and lazy setting of a tropical island.

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In my case, I dig both worlds. I may sometime grew tired of the big city setting here in Manila, Makati, Quezon City and might find wonder in almost similar set up in Cebu, Davao or in this case Iloilo City. Same but different and in those tiny set of contrasts one could see enough reasons to appreciate the diversity in how people live in different locations and all that add up to the charm of walking into and experiencing a new place.

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As night time approaches I settled back to my room and slept early to anticipate the arrival of my travel friends the next day. In the middle of my sleep though I was awaken by a mild earthquake, still half awake I went back to sleep and waited for the next day ahead in a new place.

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The next day (Saturday) my new friends started arriving one by one. Aileen and Chin (I first met the two of them online in multiply.com way back in 2005), Mina and Tinay along with her backpacker German boyfriend Ben and myself started our journey around Iloilo.

The first stop we went to was Miagao Church before proceeding to Guimaras Island the next day. We stayed at the same inn in Iloilo, this time on a much bigger room good for 5-6 people at about 850 pesos per night. Do the math its only about less than 150 pesos each. A good deal if you ask me. It still comes with an A/C unit, a cable TV, a bathroom with a view lol (as the next image would show).

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and a hallway that usually reminds you of horror films.

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It was a day spent on getting to know each other as I just met all of them for the first time in person that day. Aileen is also a passionate photographer, in fact she is doing it professionally as she puts it "I shoot people for a living", while Chin, just like me loves to write although she writes far better than me. So we kid her of "underachieving" because instead of blogging she should very well be having her own regular newspaper or magazine column as she definitely writes way better than most columnists we have today.

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Mina, works at the Philippine Daily Inquirer while Tinay, in between backpacking trips with her backpacking boyrfriend does writing gigs online. Backpacker Ben meanwhile is not your average Joe who spends Euro and US Dollars in third world countries like they're from a first world country (well they are) but not Ben, he is a hardcore backpacker who travels a lot BUT ala Chris McCandless, he travels by spending as less money as he could. He ditches beach resorts in favor of sleeping in a tent, he wont buy food and would rather cook pancit canton on his stove. He calls these rules as part of his "Backpacking principles".

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Not as hardcore as him, but I do share his notion that traveling should not be limited to rich people. One can experience the joy of traveling by not spending so much money and the thing that counts the most are the new things and experiences that you'll gain after a period of venturing into a new place. 

Just like my trip in Iloilo, I met new friends, learned a thing or two about traveling, was able to visit my mother's hometown of Dumangas. and most of all kept my itchy feet itchier than ever before. If not only for work, I'd be backpacking around the Philippines now for a much longer time. However I need to go back to my own life and by doing so, I'm already thinking and wondering about my next destination.

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Visiting my Mother's Birthplace - Dumangas | Iloilo

May 09, 2010
Since my friends left for Manila the day before my flight, I decided to spend my last day in Iloilo by visiting my mother's birthplace of Dumangas — a town approximately 30-45 minutes from Iloilo City. It was a special trip because I saw with my own eyes the place where my mom grew up. According to her, this was the place where she spent here happiest and formative years with my uncles, aunties and my grandparents.

Dumangas Iloilo Travel guide