Min-Vis-Luz Overland Adventure (Being Updated when able)

Day 1: Davao-Surigao-Leyte

We left Davao around 2:30 AM on a Saturday, 27 Jul.  We were hoping to arrive at Surigao City Port before the 12 noon Supercat Ferry schedule.  We did not make advance bookings as we are not certain of our ETA. There was also a typhoon a few days before so there were some 2 days worth of ferry load (vehicles and passengers) that is ahead of us.  We were quite hopeful but also pragmatic, bracing ourselves at the possibility of having to wait it out for another day. To console ourselves, we thought crossing Siargao instead could be an alternative.  

We fueled at Petron Bangkal, full tank at 53+ pesos per liter (Php 3,515.00) but also had to buy coolant so we paid Php 3,700+ in total. We had a quick breakfast of native chicken tinola at San Franz.  We were hoping to see family but the pawnshop (of my cousins) was still close when we passed by at around 6 AM.

We arrived at Surigao Port at 11:30 AM.  We made a quick stop to take a few pictures at Lake Mainit.  We were really happy that we still managed to get a slot for the 12 noon ferry schedule.  Tatay was quick at processing and there were fewer passengers than we've expected.  

On a side note, we were torn for a while about taking the Lipata Port instead.  But there was mixed information about ferry services having cancelled and whether we'd end up in Liloan or San Ricardo.  On the latter, that would mean longer drive distance (and hours).  It turned out we made the right call since the drive from Liloan to Tacloban took such a long time that adding more to it would have been unbearable.  

We left the port at around 1PM and arrived at 4:00 PM. It was a comfortable ride as we were the lone passengers in Business class (Tatay said there was very little difference with the Tourist and Economy.  He was hoping to catch up on sleep as we left really early. He was not able to though.  Was wide-awake the whole time.)  We paid  Php 4,000+ for the pick-up and some Php 2,000 for us 5.  Usually drivers are free but not in this case.  

It was quite a slow crossing but the most exciting part was seeing dolphins at one point.  There were a lot of them, swimming along-side the vessel.  I've seen dolphins in previous trips since I was little but at this instance, there were quite a number of them.  

The drive from Liloan to Tacloban took 4++ hours in total, passing through coastal and interior roads that are mostly unlit and not quite well-maintained.  As is always the case in the Philippines, there's a lot of ongoing roadworks here and there which slowed the trip considerably.  I wasn't quite expecting such bad roads, to be honest.  It is a major trade route after all, evidenced by the many trucks we've met on the road, bearing all sorts of wares from cars, motorcycles (from Luzon), to bananas and other agricultural products (from Mindanao).

We were quite tired by the time we reached Palo, Leyte.  We wanted to stay there so we can visit their church the next day, which was a Sunday and the historical landmark, Mc Arthur's Landing Shrine.  We had a hard time getting rooms though so we ended up staying at the outskirts of Tacloban (Palo is only 27 minutes away).  

We all squeezed into 1 room.   Felt safer that way. Tatay and I had to sleep on a mattress on the floor while all 3 kids slept on the big queen bed.  My OC self is too tired to even be bothered wahehe :) I slept with a blanket over my head as the kids are still up and about, so slow about changing and settling in. (We paid Php 1,900 for the room, extra person and bed.  For dinner, earlier, we splurged a bit at Hap Chan.  I guess our tired bodies were at the forefront when we were ordering :)

Day 2: Palo, Leyte-Allen,Samar-Matnog,Sorsogon

We wanted to leave early since the trip to Allen would take 5 hours.  We intended to catch the 3 PM Fastcat. At the same time, we wanted to make time for the Mc Arthur Landing in Palo.  It seems such a shame that we just breezed through Leyte without being able to visit it.  And visit we did, driving back instead of forward.

Now, thinking back, had it been Singapore, tourism would have capitalized on this piece of history by coming up with a light show and play to highlight the same.  Perhaps it is something the LGU of Palo can think of and charge it for a fee, same as they do in Sentosa.  And it is more educational that way, isn’t it?  I don’t know about what that means for the environment though.  So perhaps a study on that as well. 

While the monuments of Mc Arthur and the memorial mural was picture worthy and worth looking at, I called the attention of the children to the sea beyond.  I told them to imagine what it must have looked at that historical time – an American big ship out there and many other small ones, dotting the sea… Imagine the energy of the place at that period in time…

We knew we had a long drive ahead so we made haste.  The boyscout monument at the rotunda fascinated us so much though that we wondered what is the story behind it.  Had to google for the story much later.  Glad I did since I also learned it is a replica of the first ever (?) boy scout in human form monument in the world, dating all the way back to 1942. (Travel really is such an education experience in so many ways.)

The most exciting part of the day though was beholding (and eventually crossing) San Juanico Bridge for the first time ever.  It was huge (long) and quite impressive.  Imagine connecting two major islands, Leyte and Samar.  The kids were quite excited.  I could hear the ohh’s ad ahh’s from the back as we made our way…

It was a long drive but the sights along the way made it all worth it.  At one point we spied lechon being roasted right by the roadside. The kids laughed at that.  Indeed, only in the Philippines.  It was also planting season and we’ve seen many bent backs, toiling hard at planting palay.  I did a mini-lecture, reiterating all the hard work that goes into the rice we eat everyday and thus the children shouldn’t be wasteful. 

We were looking out for big cities from the map to mark our progress. We’re quite sorry to just be breezing through Calbayog and Catbalogan, passing through diversion and by-pass roads as they are the shortest and less congested way to the port.  But there were quite interesting municipalities along the way. Most, we’ve heard only for the first time – Calbiga, San Sebastian, Jiambong, Gandara, Santa Margarita, etc. We got excited when we passed by this long queue of stalls selling oysters, mussels and shrimps in the municipality of Jiambong.  Or maybe, just me and Tatay.  I love Iloilo and been talking about going back, mostly because of oysters haha

At Calbiga, we came across this really large Divine Mercy statue and that of Mama Mary. They were quite huge.  It's a shame we did not have time to stop by.  It was also at a distance from the main road and would require much walking and time we did not have at the moment.

At Calbayog, we stopped by a roadside resto (diversion road).  It’s past 1 PM and we’re a bit concerned about missing Fastcat but we’ve got to eat too.  It was a good call because the food was great.  We ordered some soup, that was supposed to be Lapu-lapu sinigang but they ran out; eel, mushroom sisig and baked scallops.  I told them that scallops are one of the delicacies in Samar and we shouldn’t leave without having any…  (I was remembering DAP days and all those Resource Mob trainings in Cebu with the Visayas LGUs. Scallops made quite an impression on me when presented by the LGUs of Samar then, so I have not forgotten).  The scallops was so good we had to have another order.  The kids couldn’t have enough of it.   

It was past 3 PM when we got to Allen.  We were surprised to find out there are actually 3 ports there operating. We were not sure which one to take. We ended up with the farthest one because that is where google map directed us.  Actually, it’s on the first one that Fastcat plies through.  Even then we were not able to catch it.  We were able to take the Montenegro one that does not leave until 5:30 PM (On paper. In actual, we were quick to learn, ferries often leave 1 hour or even 4 hours after the published time.  Often it is to wait for the Manila-Mindanao passenger bus.  We're thinking, it's either they are partner companies or the latter has an annual arrangement with the former).

Since it is a Sunday and we have time, we sought the nearest church to say our prayers and light candles, in lieu of attending Mass.  Tatay had to be with the car and to see to our tickets so it was just I and the kids.  We hailed a tricycle and the driver was quite chatty, asking if we have a car in queue, etc.  The funny thing was that Forest would squeeze my leg every time, to signal that I shouldn't give out information quite easily.  That amused me a great deal.  Here is my 13 year-old bunso, acting all protective of her 40-something, well-travelled Mom :D 

When we were at the church she asked, "Why is he asking all those questions, Nanay? So if we tell him we do have a car, he will increase the trike fare?!"  Lol! So that was her thinking! I told her, probably not.  He was perhaps just wanting to chat.  I didn't know what to tell her next -- to be more kind and answer questions politely or what.  But I wouldn't want her to be too trusting either.  Especially on travels where she wouldn't be with us.  So I let the conversation dropped right there.  

The church was St. James the Greater Parish.  There were preparations for a Mass but we couldn't stay because we needed to go back to the pier.  We lighted candles instead.  The funny thing was while waiting for Kuya Rod and Jade to buy the candles, Forest and I stood outside the church.  Rod was all protective and scolded us for not staying inside the church.  It turned out, there was a naked, homeless guy near where we were.  And I wasn't aware at all!

We had to wait awhile before we were able to board the ferry.  It was not as fancy as Fastcat, the day before.  It was clean though.  The exciting part was how the kids and I waited at the rear to witness the anchor being pulled up.  We were so curious how it would go.  At one point Rod and I are arguing what this "turn-metal" is for that the big ropes passes through.  I said it is to make sure the ropes are wrung dry before passing through the roller where it's kept.  Rod totally disagrees. I guess neither of us would know what it's for really :)  But it was fun, watching that with kids, learning a thing or two about boats.  We felt for the corals that must have been dredged every time. Rod remarked that part of the sea must have all the corals dead from a long time ago.  

Sorsogon

We  docked at Matnog at aroud half-past seven.  Tatay wanted us to stay at the first accommodations along the road that we'd find that looks quite okay.  There were some but I waasn't comfortable staying in remote areas we are totally unfamiliar with.  I insisted we travel all the way to Sorsogon City.  Tatay, understandably, is so tired by the.  It's been day of driving long hours, plus the added pressure of trying to catch a ferry schedule.  That is not quite easy.  

We're almost at Sorsogon when we have to park by the roadside.  Tatay could hardly keep his eyes open.  I told him he can take all the time he needed as we are almost there anyway.  He took just a total of 10 minutes though and then we were on our way again.  

We aimed for SM City and I felt it was a good call.  Nothing like well-lighted streets, open stores and a good peppering of people in the streets to make one feel a little bit more secure.  We found a newly opened inn cum boutique hotel just across SM.  We got a room with 3 beds.  It was clean and the interior decoration is a bit modern compared to most.  

It was a bit late already and when we asked the front desk for nearby restaurants, we were referred to 711 which is walking distance and McDonalds and Jollibee which is a short drive away.  The kiddos wanted rice so we had no choice but to opt for McDo.  The funny thing is when we ordered, we were told they had no more rice except for 3 orders.  Forest, Tatay and I had the rice while Jade and Rod ordered burgers.  While we were eating, we noticed that Jollibee is just across the street.  The ending, the kids requested if we could drive thru for rice meals and so we did. 

Driving back, we passed by Sorsogon’s Coliseum.  What a sight it was at night. It is huge too!  We obliged the kids’ wanting to take a photo.  Instagram generation, after all.   

Back at the hotel. the children were excited to find that the room comes with youtube and Netflix.  While Tatay and I washed up right away and slept, the kids spent most of the night starting with youtube, watching their favourite music videos and finally settling with Netflix watching the K-movie of PSJ and IU, “Dreams.”  I wanted to watch it too but was too tired. While the kiddos sleep at the back for most of the road trip, I had to remain awake to keep Tatay company. 

The next day, I woke up early to get started with work.  It is a Monday after all.  We would have a shorter drive today, aiming for Naga City which is just two hours away. We would do a quick stop at Daraga for church and Cagsawa.  It would be the first time in Legazpi for Jade and Forest.  Rod was barely 1 year old when he came her last, accompanying me for a work trip.  He had to tag along because I was breastfeeding,

I was deep at work when I received a message from Libby telling me she is on her way home and that she brought the moka pot that I pakisuyo for her to buy for me from Poland.  She said she will be sending it to me through LBC.  What’s funny about that is that she lives in Sorsogon! So I replied, “I’m now in Sorsogon with the kids!” Imagine that! How fortuitous! The last post she had at FB was that she was in Paris.  I thought all the while that she is still in Poland for the Ukraine deployment.  

So we met at her house a little later. I was urging the kids to hurry up because I knew how jetlagged she  must feel. Her house was just a little further than the colosseum. The latter even looked grander during the day.  

Day 3 - Daraga, Albay to Naga, CamSur

We headed straight to Daraga Church right after.  The church holds a special place for us since as I already mentioned, we were able to visit it when Rod was just a baby.  Plus, the church is really beautiful.  

The road is quite confusing.  The church is on top of the hill and there are a lot of side streets branching off the main road.  We did manage to find it though.  We were so hungry by then, haven't had breakfast yet so I bought some pili nuts from the stalls in front of the church.  We bought some candles too.  We went inside the church to say our prayers and then went out to light our candles.  Outside, it was quite hot but we endured it just to take photos.  The funny thing is we tried to make a “17 years after” comparison of the photos we took there before.  The result is hilarious 😊 But sure felt grateful that we had the privilege to visit again and do a repeat.

We then decided to proceed to Cagsawa but since we haven’t eaten yet, we opted to have a quick brunch first. We went to Chowking. Right, why??? We’re in Bicol and yet we ate at Chowking.  Why???? We were still on our way to Caraga and I was already looking forward to being able to have pinangat, kinonot and laing again after so long.  We do cook these at home (except kinonot) but nothing beats the real thing.  I asked Jade to google for “lutong bahay” type of resto and she managed to find some.  

The road network is quite confusing coming from the church though that we’ve made several wrong turns much to Tatay’s misgivings.  The ending, Chowking it is.  It was a better alternative to McDo or Jollibee, all three of which were quite accessible and stared right back at us while we were looking for the native restos.  

The kids had sweet and sour chicken and some vegetables though. At some point Rod’s face was stricken when he thought he was mistakenly given the pork kind. We were happy to note later that it was chicken.   I was so looking forward to lutong Bicol that I did not order anything at Chowking.  Good thing we had some tofu as baon so I ate some of them with rice which Tatay gave me from his. 

Cagsawa Ruins. We intended to just have a quick “comparison photo” again; have Jade and Forest see the place and then leave.  We managed to do that and then, totally unplanned, went to do an ATV ride as well.  Even from the church, we were already being offered ATV experience tours.  They were quite pricey though at around P 2,500 each for the shortest route.  Good thing that the kiddos did not insist on it. 

At Cagsawa, someone approached us and said that he could give us a discounted rate of Php 700 each.  This is the fee for the shortest route but then he said, he would also extend to 2 more stations further than that.  It was actually quite a steal since the actual rate for that longer route is around Php 4000 .  It would be quite a shame to pass up that experience for the kids. Who knows when they would be back again or if ever, so I relented. 

Initially, we decided Tatay, Rod, Myself and Jade get an ATV each while Forest ride with either Tatay or Ate.  We were about to prepare for a test run when she approached me and asked if she could exchange half-way through with Ate, and drive it herself.  She said she wanted to try.  

Now, Tatay has been encouraging her to start learning to drive. She’s been the one starting the car in the mornings when going to school   She already knows the basic.  And when she was little, Tatay would often sat her in his lap from school and let her steer while watching and guiding her.  Seeing her so intent at driving, I decided that I would ride with Tatay instead so she could take one of the ATVs.  We did a quick test driving, turning and driving at the “training area.”  It was quite impressive noting how Forest manage to drive the ATV.  She made her turns and steering quite well.  No hint of fear at all!  What a mighty girl we are raising!

After that, off we went.  The trail is a bit easy at first but it has its “little dunes” route which I thought would be quite daunting for Forest. It was very satisfying watching her doing so well.  Then came the water part.  We had to do some stream/river crossing and Forest managed them as well.  She was quite brave and hurdled them quite easily. 

Kuya Rod on the other hand was quite mischievous, stepping on the gas quite often and turning to look at us with such a big smile plastered on his face.  Tatay was always quick at admonishing him to look up ahead while driving.  Jade was also enjoying the drive. All kiddos (Tatay included) looked quite happy and at their element the whole time. 

It was a nice drive that was made all the more special looking at Mt. Mayon showing herself to us.  She is quite close by then we can see some of the grooves of her slopes and could see the trees dotting her.  I told the kids they must be really kind inside since Mt. Mayon has showed herself to them even from Daraga Church. It’s been often told that she hides herself from people whom she dislikes 😊

Here are three of our favourite photos of that particular experience:

Naga City.  I had some scheduled calls that day so we left for Naga soon after.  We had to look for a hotel and I had to get settled too.  It was a bit tough looking for a hotel.  Tatay and Rod usually are the ones to check the rooms.  Not me because Tatay do not trust my judgment on a “commensurate for its price.” He said I would always opt for the family room and pay much whereas he could always negotiate for a double room with extra beds at a better price.  Whatever 😊 And Rod, because he is always the one who is picky when it comes to room (and food!). 

The first hotel they checked out, bearing the name of a popular hotel franchise, proved to be really outdated and “scary.”  We checked out another one but proved to be really expensive.  We managed to find one that seemed new. It is a tiny but cozy hotel.  Since they do not have a family room, we had to get two rooms.  Forest looked lost for a bit. She was not sure if she wanted to stay with me and Tatay or with Jade and Kuya Rod haha

The hotel was a bit close to the Basilica of Penafrancia which was actually the reason for opting to stay in Naga as well.  We wanted to hear Mass there.  It is a good thing to be close by coz we were quite surprised to learn that traffic in Naga could be quite hectic.  We were not expecting that up until we got stuck in a long queue entering the city from the main highway.  It us some time, maneuvering our way to the city centre. 

We were able to hear Mass and it was a good thing since it was also the Feast of St. Ignatius that day.  A Jesuit priest from Ateneo de Naga officiated the Mass. The homily was beautiful and I was driven to self-reflect right after (which seems to be often the case in every Jesuit-led Mass I had attended.  Or it could just be my Atenean blood speaking.).  Rod and I had quite a conversation on introspection after the Mass.  We lighted some candles and said our prayers.  Then we went looking for food as we were all famished.

We searched online for restaurants where we could finally have Bicol fare.  Some of the “green options” pointed us to SM Naga.  So we went there. Tatay also wanted to check out some ukay-ukay nearby so we decided to split after.  Turned out that all my fave – pinangat etc., have pork in them.  No vegetarian alternative in any of the restaurants there, including the stalls from the food court.  I was quite disappointed.  We looked for other recommendations online.

We ended up at Bob Marley’s.  It turned out to be a popular resto in Naga that is also visited by celebrities.  We found many framed signatures of popular actors and singers from Manila.  We loved the ambiance too. 

We ordered Bicol Express for Ate Jade as it was all pork.  We had some seafood dishes too like shrimp roll ups which is actually an appetizer.  I was again disappointed to find that they have ran out of laing and pinangat ☹ And that the only order they had left for laing had pork in it. ☹

So for this trip, I never really had my favourite Bicol dishes ☹

We went back to the hotel.  Our room's aircon was not working so Tatay had us moved to another one.  Tatay plopped into bed right after while I stayed awake to catch up with work.  The kids were in and out of our room though -- wanting facial wash, this or that other thing.  

Day 4 - To Dolores, Quezon

When it became certain that the kids would be tagging along to my trip and that we would be taking the road trip and not just me, flying, I got in touch with a dear friend and colleague, Pamela.  She has this really great place in Dolores Quezon that she is renting out.  I figured, it would be a good "before-Manila" stopover and it would be good to see her if she is around and has not gone on deployment yet.

She was indeed preparing for a deployment to Ethiopia.  She would be taking a bike trip with friends too on the day we would be there.  Still, she offered the place saying she can endorse us to the caretaker there.  

On the day itself, she had to cancel their bike trip because there was a typhoon brewing.  I had my doubts too since I'm not sure if the road would be tricky on a typhoon. And ours is just a 4x2.  We noted the darkening horizon as we made our way out of Naga at a little after 9 am.  We have 6 to 7 hours drive ahead of us.  Imagine that.

Still aiming for my Bicol dishes, we tried to get brunch at roadside eateries but to no avail.  Everything has pork in it.   We're trying to cut back on fastfood since we've had it twice already so Jollibee and McDo is not an option.  We very nearly caved in though since there are signs everywhere of either of the two, telling us that there is a McDo in 3, 4, 5 kilometers or a Jollibee in the next municipality.  Such good marketing strategy.  If one has kids on board, the sign could entice them to demand that the next "eat-stop" would be at either.  I myself am tempted as these fastfood chains usually meant good food hygiene standards and relatively cleaner toilets.  As we exited Bicol and entered Calabarzon, the signs began to transform from "kinalas" to "goto."  

We've seen so many "kinalas" signs along the highway that I looked it up at google.  It turned out to be the pork/beef meat taken near the bones of the head and/or brains.  Others would use "leg meat."  “Kinalas” translates roughly to “taken off” in English.  It is called so because the meat is "taken off" the bones.  Goto, on the other hand, is a rice porridge.  The Batangas version uses innards as "sahog."  Tatay wanted to stop by one of the eateries that has a huge sign of "Batangas Goto" that I had to tell him it uses meat ofal.  I knew he was looking forward to the "tofu" that usually accompaines it back home.  But not from around there.  Meat it is.  And we haven't had red meat in 20+ years.  

Anyhow, we did not expect that the trip to Dolores would take longer.  I had two calls that day.  I was working for most of the road trip as I could not sleep anyway. I worry always that Tatay would fall asleep on the wheel.  I thought I'd have enough time to set up and settle in at Pam's place.  It turned out, we had to stop by some cute, tiny house type of resto along the highway so I could take my first call of the day.  It was 4 PM and we haven't had lunch yet.  Tatay does not like overcrowded resto's even if we've passed by some of them.  I also do not like empty resto's since they are telling that the food might not be that good.  Also, fast food was out of the question. 

Good thing we stumbled upon this cute resto by the side of the road. They serve local tsokolate, or hot chocolate made from native cacao beans.  It was so rich that we were not able to finish the "pitcherful" served to us. It was served in a a jug with a spout and a batirol.  The latter is that wooden whisk used in melting cocoa tablets by whisking it along with boiling water, while on a stove top or fire.  I was not able to join them in eating as I was focused on the call. I ate only after I finished.  Soon, we were back on the road.

It was almost 6 o clock when we reached Pam's place.  Good thing it was mid-year and so the sun was still up and shining when we got there.  It's been a while since Pam and I saw each other face to face.  If I'm not mistaken, the last was in Bangladesh for the Rohingya Response.  We've constantly collaborated through work though since.  But it was always lovely to see a colleague face to face.

Pam was quite generous in offering her place, free of charge. And it was lovely! It was well designed, suited for anyone who would want to just rest and enjoy some time off.  I settled for another call and work tasks while Tatay and the kids prepared dinner and our beddings.  We borrowed Pam's tent as it gets cold up in the mountain where the house is nestled.  The children slept there while Tatay and I slept just outside it.  At one point in the evening, we got visited by a bat which had the children panicking haha But it sure felt lovely working with the full moon right at my back, filling me up with energy of sorts.  I wrote about the contemplative time I had there too in my other blog.

The next day, we woke up early and left for Manila, right after breakfast.  I watched the kids transform magically. From comfortable road trip outfits, their chosen outfit that morning screamed, "Metropolitan Manila!"  Hehe We had to trudge through mud coming from the house to the road where our pick-up was parked.  Not once did they bat an eyelash.  They maneuvered their way, very carefully, making sure they are not hauling mud with every step haha!

Rod in this photo -- Look, Nanay, down the hill in my shirt and tie, no sweat! Hehehe Forest followed close behind in her mini dress! These kids!

Day 5 - Manila!

We left at around 8 AM and by early afternoon, we were having lunch somewhere near Tutuban.  We could have driven straight to the condo we've rented for our stay but we were trying to squeeze in "want-to-visit" plans for the day.  And Manila is not like Davao where one could go back and forth at one's whim.  Tatay, as usual whenever he's in Manila, had to go to his suking fabric shop for his hammock and outdoor products.  (That is why we ended up near Tutuban.) When it became apparent that we would lose time tagging along with Tatay, the children and I opted to take a taxi and visit the National museum by ourselves.  Tatay and Rod have been, in their recent trip to Manila so it was okay if Tatay missed it this time.  

National Museum.  Needless to say, we had so much fun at the National Museum.  Even though it wasn't Rod's first time, there were new pieces on display.  We took lots of pictures.  When Tatay was done shopping, he called us so we can meet him at the entrance.  It took him awhile though because it had rained hard, which made Manila traffic even worse! He told us he got lost as well.  

It took forever to get to MOA where our accommodations are nearby.  Traffic was horrendous.  Some funny tidbit, Tatay wanted to pee at one point and we are still far off.  He had a hard time throughout the ride.  We were at Roxas Blvd when he had to park somewhere and did his thing. My gas! Only in the PH!

We find that the accommodations were so much prettier on the website than the actual hehe But we were quite happy to have finally settled in.  

Alanis Morisette. I was there to see Alanis.  I was set to fly there but the kids, having no class, wanted to tag along. Thus the spontaneous decision to do a roadtrip all the way.  It would give us an opportunity to visit some of the country's beautiful places too.  

The concert was awesome. She has always been iconic. I've spent a good amount of time in my uni days listening to her.  Her vinyl was one of the first few ones I bought when I started collecting.  It felt surreal to finally watch her live. 

The tickets I bought from way back were only for Tatay and I.  The kids asked permission to have dinner at the nearby Ikea instead of just staying at the condo.  I was fretful and did not want to agree at first.  Finally I relented but not withough reminding them time and again not to go anywhere else.  That they should go straight home after.  And that to make sure they are keeping Forest safe.  

As I was preparing for the concert, Rod fussed over me. He asked me to change the jacket I was wearing as the one he's suggesting suit my outfit more.  He also made sure I have powerbank so not to run out of battery so I could take photos.  He looked at are assigned seats indicated in our tickets and told us it is at this level, etc. etc.  

We all went together as Ikea and MOA are quite close.  We could have walked but it was raining a bit and it was much faster to just take a taxi. Taking the pick-up was out of the question. We knew parking would be a nightmare.  

It turned out to be such a lovely evening -- for Tatay and I at the concert; and for them at Ikea! Haha!

Day 6 - Batangas!

The next day was Tatay’s birthday.  The kids surprised him with a mamon and a simulated candle using Rod’s iphone haha (because they couldn't find a candle when I asked them to buy one the night before.)  They sang him happy birthday.  They came when Tatay was busy cooking breakfast. So he was totally surprised. 

We left Manila around 10 AM already though we intended to leave early for Padre Garcia, Batangas where Mama Dading now lives. We passed through SLEX.  Wanted to visit Pastour Ace’s  café in BF Homes as it is along the way.  Good thing we did since the café was really nice.  I ordered my usual macchiato and their healthy bowl which was really nice, loaded with kiwi, avocado, carrots, and silken tofu. Ordered chicken for Forest, carbonara for Jade, aglio for Rod and seafood fried rice for Tatay.  Paid around Php 1,500 for the entire meal and it was so worth it.  The ambience is quite good as well. 

We reached Batangas by around 4 PM. We bought a cake and red wine for a mini celebration later.  Dinner was a humble fish tola with lots of fresh malunggay and pritong isda with soy sauce.  It was quite simple but the catching up and the exchange of stories with Mama Dadaing, whom we haven’t seen for a long time, more than made up for it.

At around 10 PM, we left for Matnog.  Tatay has a long drive ahead and we wanted to cover as much distance as we could.  Google map says it would take us 11 hours and 15 minutes.  Tatay being sleepy, had to make several stops by a 711, and many times by the road, to take some cat naps.   

Day 7

I watched as the sky turned from grey to bright orange.  Sun is rising over the horizon, bathing everything in a golden glow.  I looked at the clock and it’s a little after 5 AM.  I’ve dozed on and off along the way.  Tatay has urged me to sleep since I’ve been navigating for him for the most part of this trip and so stayed up awake the whole time.  Often, I work but I was always awake. 

I had a hard time sleeping though.  I keep worrying if Tatay would fall asleep behind the wheel or would be in his usual auto-mode, driving with eyes wide open but actually is already sleeping inside.  And of course, we are not the lone travelers on the road. There would be others, truck/bus drivers who could also sleep behind the wheel.  Anyhow, tiredness won in the end and I just felt Tatay took the google map from me gently. 

We drove all the way. We stopped by a McDo store for comfort break.  Bought the kids and Tatay some breakfast.  I had coffee only.  Then off we went again.  Tatay stopped twice to take a nap but that was it. 

We were not able to catch the 1 PM Fastcat ferry which would have a  much comfortable ride than the Santa Clara we were able to get.  We had ordinary seats.