August 14, 2006
Dipolog City, Zamboanga Del Norte
Sunday morning Peter and I woke up really early to get ready for our planned outing with the newlyweds, their officemates, and the groom's parents and brothers. Bootsie, PingPing, Nate and family, weren't able to come along as both Boots and PingPing weren't feeling good at that time and Nate and family needed to catch a flight back to Manila that noon. We were picked up at around 7 am instead of the planned 6 am. Breakfast was served at the Velasco (Jigger's in-laws) house in the city. Their home is one of the old houses built around the spanish occupation. Everything was made of solid wood. Anyway, Peter and I only ate the suman (steamed sweet sticky rice wrapped in banana leaf) and a steamed chocolate rice cake (which the muslims used to bring on their trek to Mecca in the olden days because this lasts quite awhile). They go together really well. By 8 a.m. we were on our way to one of Dapitan's tourist resort, Dakak. It took about 45 minutes to get there. On our way though we passed by a local supermart to buy bottled water and snacks to bring inside the resort (because if we bought it there it would cost double). The road to the resort was long and winding via a narrow cemented road the snaked the side of the mountain. Dakak is on the bay nestled in between to peaks. The water was a bit rough and kind of clear. The sand was an off-white color. The resort has its variety of swimming pools, cottages, gardens, play areas, and restaurants. We paid an entrance fee of PHP200 per person - about 40 cents). With the fee includes a free drink and snack provided by the resort - one small bottled soda and half a sandwich and cheese roll. Jigger and Joyce, the newlyweds, along with Rose (the office mate at the Call Center in Cebu), jigger's brothers, Eric and Aji, went straight for the ocean. The rest of us lounged near the beach wall. Peter and I walked around the resort to see what else they offered. We even hiked up the side of the hill to get to an old, quaint chapel they had built. Saw their clay tennis courts. Wished we had brought our rackets. After hiking and getting so hot and sweaty, we both went into the water to cool off. The tide got higher and the waves a bit more rough. I only stayed in for a few minutes then showered. The water wasn't as clean as I thought but at least it cooled my entire body from the heat. After everyone has had their fill of the ocean we boarded our van and went to Rizal Shrine (again!) to eat our lunch of lechon manok (roast chicken) and bread. Two small whole chicken and two loaves of bread fed all 14 of us. Quite surprising really. I am used to seeing more portions served for the number of people there were. But it's good though because we all had to think about the others and not overeat. We were dropped off at the hotel before the rest of them, except for the newlyweds, had to be dropped off at the Port to catch their slow boat to Cebu. By the time we got the the hotel, Nate and family had already left for the airport and Boots and Pingping for the Port, too. That same afternoon Peter and I went to my mom's ancestral home to ask someone to bring us to Gulayon so we could visit our relatives there. The day before we arrived in Dipolog we heard the news that my mom's first cousin, Aunty Nimfa, died of a heart attack while gardening in the field. Her family lives in Gulayon, where Joyce - Jigger's wife's family also lives. They all know each other. Anyway, Iyay Mending took us to visit the wake of Aunty Nimfa. There I met my other relatives I haven't met before: Aunty Nemia - an Austrian Consul's wife living in Seychelles, Aunty Nellie - living in Chicago, Aunte Naida - living in Zamboanga City, Uncle Jupiter - living in Tondo, Manila, Marnie and Noli - my cousin, the daughter of Aunty Nimfa, and her husband, Bobby - Marnie's brother, Aunty Ging - another cousin of my mom's. And many more. It was a reunion of sorts but sadly as a result of an unfortunate circumstance. We stayed there for about 3 1/2 hours just talking story and getting to know each other more.
Dipolog City, Zamboanga Del Norte
Sunday morning Peter and I woke up really early to get ready for our planned outing with the newlyweds, their officemates, and the groom's parents and brothers. Bootsie, PingPing, Nate and family, weren't able to come along as both Boots and PingPing weren't feeling good at that time and Nate and family needed to catch a flight back to Manila that noon. We were picked up at around 7 am instead of the planned 6 am. Breakfast was served at the Velasco (Jigger's in-laws) house in the city. Their home is one of the old houses built around the spanish occupation. Everything was made of solid wood. Anyway, Peter and I only ate the suman (steamed sweet sticky rice wrapped in banana leaf) and a steamed chocolate rice cake (which the muslims used to bring on their trek to Mecca in the olden days because this lasts quite awhile). They go together really well. By 8 a.m. we were on our way to one of Dapitan's tourist resort, Dakak. It took about 45 minutes to get there. On our way though we passed by a local supermart to buy bottled water and snacks to bring inside the resort (because if we bought it there it would cost double). The road to the resort was long and winding via a narrow cemented road the snaked the side of the mountain. Dakak is on the bay nestled in between to peaks. The water was a bit rough and kind of clear. The sand was an off-white color. The resort has its variety of swimming pools, cottages, gardens, play areas, and restaurants. We paid an entrance fee of PHP200 per person - about 40 cents). With the fee includes a free drink and snack provided by the resort - one small bottled soda and half a sandwich and cheese roll. Jigger and Joyce, the newlyweds, along with Rose (the office mate at the Call Center in Cebu), jigger's brothers, Eric and Aji, went straight for the ocean. The rest of us lounged near the beach wall. Peter and I walked around the resort to see what else they offered. We even hiked up the side of the hill to get to an old, quaint chapel they had built. Saw their clay tennis courts. Wished we had brought our rackets. After hiking and getting so hot and sweaty, we both went into the water to cool off. The tide got higher and the waves a bit more rough. I only stayed in for a few minutes then showered. The water wasn't as clean as I thought but at least it cooled my entire body from the heat. After everyone has had their fill of the ocean we boarded our van and went to Rizal Shrine (again!) to eat our lunch of lechon manok (roast chicken) and bread. Two small whole chicken and two loaves of bread fed all 14 of us. Quite surprising really. I am used to seeing more portions served for the number of people there were. But it's good though because we all had to think about the others and not overeat. We were dropped off at the hotel before the rest of them, except for the newlyweds, had to be dropped off at the Port to catch their slow boat to Cebu. By the time we got the the hotel, Nate and family had already left for the airport and Boots and Pingping for the Port, too. That same afternoon Peter and I went to my mom's ancestral home to ask someone to bring us to Gulayon so we could visit our relatives there. The day before we arrived in Dipolog we heard the news that my mom's first cousin, Aunty Nimfa, died of a heart attack while gardening in the field. Her family lives in Gulayon, where Joyce - Jigger's wife's family also lives. They all know each other. Anyway, Iyay Mending took us to visit the wake of Aunty Nimfa. There I met my other relatives I haven't met before: Aunty Nemia - an Austrian Consul's wife living in Seychelles, Aunty Nellie - living in Chicago, Aunte Naida - living in Zamboanga City, Uncle Jupiter - living in Tondo, Manila, Marnie and Noli - my cousin, the daughter of Aunty Nimfa, and her husband, Bobby - Marnie's brother, Aunty Ging - another cousin of my mom's. And many more. It was a reunion of sorts but sadly as a result of an unfortunate circumstance. We stayed there for about 3 1/2 hours just talking story and getting to know each other more.
posted by Mimi | 6:16 PM
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