They say that Bohol is ”God’s Little Paradise” but I let you see for yourself if it truly is.  So by any means, come and explore the island and be amazed on how diverse the options are.

The main gateway to this tourism estate is Tagbilaran. The port is made busy by several fast craft companies with trips from the city to other Visayan points such as Cebu City, Dumaguete and Larena in Siquijor.

The bulk of the trips are plying the Cebu-Tagbilaran route.

As you reach Tagbilaran City, you would be greeted by throngs of tour operators and van drivers and offer your tour packages in and around Bohol. Here are some of the options you could choose:

1. Visit the Chocolate Hills in Carmen

2. Explore Panglao Island and visit Alona Beach

3. Visita Iglesia (Baclayon, Albuquerque, Maribojoc, Dauis etc)

4. River cruise and lunch on a raft at Loboc

5. Outdoor adventure in Danao

6. Experience the Sandugo Festival (which is held every first week of July)

7. Diving at Balicasag and Pamilacan Island

8. Visit the Bohol Bee Farm

9. Shop for Calamay and Peanut Kisses

10. Have pictures taken with the nocturnal Tarsiers

Before stepping out of Tagbilaran’s port terminal, make a shortlist of the things you want to do and experience. As you traverse the city, have those list come in handy and start ticking those options away.

In between the terminus of life and death are strings of events and experiences that shaped who we are. Sojourns are integral part of it.

If I were to describe my life now and the way I have lived my life, I would probably tell it through the travels I have made. After all, life itself is one great trip. It is an amazing adventure filled with challenges and surprises.

I would like to start describing my life by retracing my origin. My roots.

I was born here.

I never had vivid memories of my birthplace. The hospital had grown so much that it has become the preferred private hospital in Bacolod. They always called it the Riverside. It now has a medical school.

The Riverside Medical Center continues to be a major, if not the best-equipped, tertiary hospital in Negros Occidental.  RMC is located along the busy street that connects Lacson and La Salle Avenue.

Part of my roots are in Bacolod City.

When I think about Bacolod, I remember its provincial capitol.

The capitol building in itself is remarkable.  It was built under the term of Governor Jose Locsin. Designed in 1927 by Juan Arellano, the capitol sits on the site where the old house of Jose Ruiz de Luzurriaga. The imposing structure is in the complex where the Negros Museum and the lagoon are located.

That vast expanse of water is guarded by water buffaloes on opposite sides, one is handled by a man, the other by a woman.

Mom carried me in her arms as she strolled around the lagoon almost every afternoon, as she waited for dad to come after work. Mom would tell me stories that on Sundays she would have me and my sister play  at the sides where the swings were.

I remember the city cathedral at the shopping district.

This is where I was baptized.  The San Sebastian Cathedral. It is on the same block as the La Consolacion College.

Across it is the city plaza which is surrounded by shops in old 2-storey buildings. The central piece of the plaza is the gazebo.

This particular kiosk is memorable for mom and dad. They used to meet here after school, when mom was still studying at a Recollect university and dad was still teaching at an Augustinian school.

I remembered mom telling me how she and dad would just sit at the gazebo, sharing banana cues (fried bananas on sticks) and ensaymadas. Dad won mom’s heart here. They got married in 1975 and lived in Bacolod for about 5 years.

In 1980, I had my first travel. Cebu was the first destination. Our family needed to move out of  Bacolod and settle in Cebu. I don’t have memories of the transfer. I do not recall how we traveled to the Queen City of the South.

All I know is that I have somehow grown and become who I am now and the very roots that nurtured and continued to sustain me are shared by the roots I have in Bacolod and the place which I considered home.

See,that is what Diani does to me.. whenever i sit on the white sandy beaches of Diani,it’s like reality is just me and the beach then,serenity,tranquility, i can’t explain it..Diani always holds a special place in my heart,and you know what they say;home is where the heart is..for me Diani is my second home..Diani is one of those peaceful places you’d ever visit in the South of Coast,the people are amazing,the beaches are clean,no hustle and bustle that comes from the polluted air in Nairobi..Just peace and quiet..
The ride through the ferry is always comical to Diani…but the traffic can really annoy you at times…it takes you an Hour to get to Ukunda…i will do a later post on Tiwi,but Tiwi is just before Diani..a very relaxing place too…Well when you get to Diani always remember to pass by Forty Thieves
The view from the Beach there is always breathtaking..and not forgetting Forty Thieves has the best Karaoke on Tuesdays anywhere..and you can’t convince me otherwise Nairobi…and Ali Barbour for me is the best cave restaurant i have ever dined in…love the whole Pirate ambience to it…it’s just amazing..Diani is a tad bit quiet..but Ushago always has some nice tunes playing for those of you who want some noisy quiet nights there..Flamboyant restaurant well what can i say,bellisimo is the word!i could go on and on about Diani and I’m sure i will soon,but for now if your headed there..have fun and enjoy the peace of mind that comes with the place..i found love in Diani,and i fell in love with Diani..i hope y’all do too:-)
Peace and Blessings,Vionna

At the distillery, there is this beautiful garden of flowers. I don’t know which came first, the distillery tour or the gardens. But I think the tour did! The photos are from 10 February 1998. Cheers!

We’re really excited about it.  It’s a new sound for us, dance music/disco/synth/rock/party music.   It’s actually an album that’s mainstream, maybe a first for me.

Anyway, today’s song “A Place Between Awake” is about my returning home late at night from my music/work endeavors that keep me away from home and my comfy bed with my wife.

I guess that’s a recurring theme this month, “Sleeping Sweetly” was kind of about this a little a week or so ago.  But it was more about the cold weather than my sojourns.

Thanks for listening!!   Click the play icon below to hear  ”A Place Between Awake”

Read the lyrics @ chriscates.com/jan20.html

Buy the Greatest Hits Vol. 1 for only $5

Buy ’365 Songs for 2010 Volume One’

for only $5

Click Here!!

What? Is she mad, touting adventures on a short work week (for those of you still working), or a mere four days before Christmas and cheekily calling it Christmas Getaways? Hard times often require bigger imaginations, loftier goals, out-of-this-world aspirations. Everything begins with the slightest of thoughts, the faintest of wishes. A few adult fantasies to carry you into the new year and, perhaps, land you right into the middle of something you hardly thought possible. Just in time for next Christmas. You can dream, can’t you?

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While this may not appeal to the seekers of sun and warmth, the idea of watching the legendary Northern Lights (Aurora borealis) while curled up in bed as a twosome basking in the glow is certainly an enticement worth considering. The Hotel Kakslauttanen is the home of the Igloo Village, famed for its unique Glass and Snow Igloos. This winter wonderland also boasts the World’s Largest Snow Restaurant completely furnished in elaborately carved ice sculptures illuminated in celestial light. The Northern Lights are visible from late August to late April and are reputed to be as breathtaking as described.

Kakslauttanen Hotel & Igloo Village
Saariselka Lapland
99830 Saariselka

For those of you who gush over Madame Bovary (“Moi? ” she exclaimed in feigned surprise) and dream of rambling through magnificent French chateaus in the countryside, the Mirais House is most decidedly your rose petaled cup of tea. The 16th-century five-story townhouse resides on the oldest street in the Marais and is a museum of character, brandishing a 15th-century vaulted cellar and stone floor. If this sounds wonderfully “Harry Potter” to you, consider that its neighboring house was built by the very chemist who inspired J.K. Rowling’s precocious wizard.

This is a bed and breakfast meant for holiday romps overflowing with wine. Where do I sign? Owner Yann-Gabriel Hentschke is a gifted storyteller, using as his tools gorgeous silks, antiques, wrought iron banisters, stone fireplaces and 16th-century terra cotta tiles while crowning the five bedrooms with clunky wooden canopys and mahogany-paneled bathrooms. Rent a room, or rent the entire building, as the famed and fabulous are wont to do.

Marais House
Rue De Turenne
75003 Paris
T: +33616133990

Who of us, particularly those of us, with a penchant for the far flung lust-driven affair has not entertained the possibility of an old-world romance? Just once. Imagine strolling arm and arm through the vineyards of the Valpolicella region just outside Romeo and Juliet’s hometown of Verona, with plans to spend the coming days and nights in a hypnotic Venetian-style villa infused with a whacky blend of contemporaneous uber-stylish-arty-luxe rooms?

Welcome to the fabled Byblos Art Hotel, just 7 kilometers away from the noble, operatic and romantic city of Verona. It is no wonder that the Italians seem to have perfected the nuances of love, no? Everything is considered. Dining in the Restaurant Atelier with local and international dishes that make every meal a culinary sensation, or spending unusually prolonged moments of lost time in a refined atmosphere of cocktails, aperitifs and delicately prepared h’orderves in a place as unpretentious as its name: Peter’s Bar. Or sampling one of the 1400 selections of wine housed in what is fittingly described as a fourteenth century wine cellar furnished with classical pieces coordinated with works of contemporary art. Romeo and Juliet never had it so good.

Byblos Art Hotel Villa Amista
Via Cedrare, 78,
Corrubbio Di San Pietro In Cariano
(Verona)
37020 Italy
T: +39-045-685-5555

I have no way of knowing who reads these pages, but I would suspect that a few of you share my yearning for the unconventional, which is why a sojourn to Adrere Amellal is so suitably in order. Located at the foot of the White Mountain in Egypt’s Siwa Oasis, this is not a spot for the meek, the spoiled or the entitled. For example, do you expect your hotel to be made out of bricks and mortar? Does living without 24-hour room service bring you out in a rash? Is air conditioning essential, or even, is electricity itself essential? If you answer yes to any of the above, you may wish to click your browser’s “back” button, as the Adrere Amellal will feel like a step into another world.

Because it is. A step into another world, which is exactly what you’re looking for. Right? Adrere Amellal is a serious eco-lodge built using all local design, manpower and materials. Moreover, everything that is eaten, (carnivores beware as the menu is primarily vegetarian) is grown in the gardens. The 34 rooms and suites are simply furnished, but quality is of a high standard, so the thought of a palm-frond door shouldn’t put you off. Despite the lack of electricity, hot water is available thanks to a gas heating system, and lighting at night is from lanterns and candles. Included in the price of a stay at the Adrere Amellal are a variety of excursions including a trip to Cleopatra’s Bath and visits to the picturesque village of Siwa.

Just to reiterate; there is no reception, air-conditioning or electricity. What there is is a pool, and less tangibly a feeling of total seclusion and peace. If you crave insight into what it feels like to be a Berber living in the Sahara, or if you ever dreamed of escaping the world as it is, and who hasn’t, Adrere Amellal is there. Truly there. Not a mirage, but a certifiable once-in-a-lifetime destination. Change you can believe in as the saying goes.

Adrere Amellal
18 Mansour Mohamed Street
Zamalek, Siwa,
11212 Egypt
T: +202.2738.1327

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You may be wondering what’s left for those of us blighted with debt, responsibility, near impoverishment and not one plan for anything special this Christmas. Fear not. I’ll get to you tomorrow.

NAIROBI, Kenya, August 22 (Compass Direct News) – Muslim extremists seeking evidence that a Somali man had converted from Islam to Christianity shot him dead Tuesday morning (Aug. 18) near the Somali border with Kenya, according to underground Christians in the war-torn nation.

Al Shabaab rebels killed 41-year-old Ahmed Matan in Bulahawa, Somalia, according to Abdikadir Abdi Ismael, a former leader of a secret Christian fellowship in Somalia to which Matan belonged. Matan had been a member of the underground church since 2001.

The early morning shooting comes at a time when Islamist groups led by al Shabaab are hunting down converts to Christianity as they seek to establish sharia (Islamic law) throughout Somalia.

Ismael, who fled the area in 2005, said he received a telephone call from Matan two weeks ago in which the convert told him that monitoring by the Islamic extremists kept him from leaving his home and carrying out his small-trade business across the border in Mandera, in eastern Kenya.

“I am afraid for my life – the al Shabaab want to get a proof that I follow the Christian faith,” Matan told Ismael. “They have not been seeing me in the mosque and seem to have realized that I am not part of them.”

Ismael subsequently learned from a member of the underground church who requested anonymity that on Aug. 18 Matan was shot dead as he was about to enter Mandera with a donkey carrying goods for sale such as sugar, batteries and shampoo. He was a father of three, his last child just 3 months old.

Since the beginning of this year, Ismael said, the Islamic militants had been questioning Matan about why he was carrying on business outside of Somalia.

“They then began monitoring him, especially from the beginning of this year,” said Ismael.

Besides his infant child, Matan leaves behind a widow, Fatuma, and children ages 7 and 4.

Ismael was visibly shaken by the death of his close friend.

“We have been going through difficult times because of choosing to follow Christianity,” Ismael told Compass. “We have lost everything. We even lack words to share our feelings. I have been always on the run from one refugee camp to another. The Muslims have issued a fatwa on me.”

Ismael had been the leader of the underground church in Bulahawa before fleeing in 2005. Bulahawa has gained a reputation for harboring Islamic extremists, mainly al Shabaab militants said to be linked with al Qaeda terrorists.

Matan, who is from a Maharan sub-clan called Habar Yaqub, was an industrious small-scale merchandise trader. His problems with the Islamist militia began long ago when he expanded his business sojourns to Kenya’s northern town of Mandera, Ismael said.

The border area near Mandera, including Bulahawa, has become the site of frequent kidnappings. Lack of security forces in the area has given free rein to brutal activities by al Shabaab, which kidnapped three foreigners in the area on July 17 and spirited them into Somalia. Ismael described Bulahawa as “a very insecure and sensitive area.”

In Mahadday Weyne, 100 kilometers (62 miles) north of the Somali capital of Mogadishu, al Shabaab Islamists on July 20 shot to death another convert from Islam, Mohammed Sheikh Abdiraman, at 7 a.m., eyewitnesses told Compass. They said the Islamic extremists appeared to have been hunting the convert from Islam.

The sources told Compass that Abdiraman was the leader of an underground “cell group” of Christians in Somalia. He was survived by two children, ages 15 and 10, and his wife died three years ago due to illness.

Intent on “cleansing” Somalia of all Christians, al Shabaab militia are monitoring converts from Islam especially where Christian workers had provided medical aid, such as Johar, Jamame, Kismayo and Beledweyne, sources said. Mahadday Weyne, 22 kilometers (14 miles) north of Johar, is the site of a former Christian-run hospital.

Already enforcing sharia in large parts of southern Somalia that they control, al Shabaab rebels have mounted an armed effort to topple President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed’s Transitional Federal Government and impose Islamic law.

The militants reportedly beheaded seven Christians on July 10. Reuters reported that they were killed in Baidoa for being Christians and “spies.”

Report from Compass Direct News 

Previously: A quiet day until about 6:30 pm, then…

Previously: I am circumnavigating Svalbard Archeipelago (Spitsbergen) on the National Geographic Explorer, a wonderful ship and crew–we are breaking the ice and actually went out on the hydraulic lift over the ice.  Have seen 5 beautiful polar bears and they are magnificent.  The birds are cool, and of course the ice, blue and cold.  Have yet to see the sun–though this is the land of the Midnight Sun–no darkness.  We hope to see narwhals, whales and walrus, etc. We are up to the 83rd parallel, close to the North Pole .  Ate gravalax and drank aquavit  for lunch.!

Previously: North of the Arctic Circle At the 82nd parallel, in fog and ice–and one great polar bearIt is a great trip thus far, but not as much wildlife yet as I had hoped–much less than Antarctica. We have seen 3 bears, and have yet to see narwhales, walrus, or whales. One caribou and one arctic fox. The boat is terrific, and some great people, so it is lots of fun and today is restful–no landings as we go around the top of Svalbard, over to the west side. Have been doing stretching daily and using the eliptical trainer…boat is very steady.

Previously: Not here for the peace prize, but it is a lovely city and  wish I had more time here.  We leave early AM for our flight to Spitsbergen, and hopefully, adventure to see narwhals, walrus, beluga and minke whalesand polar bears.  Have met some nice people–not used to 150, but the ship is supposed to be great. Trip over a piece of cake–only 7 hrs.  50% of people own boats here!!!

You forget about it eventually and fall back into your routine of mind-numbing work and grocery shopping coupled with mind-body-spirit rejuvenating yoga and reading. You go through the same hum drum schedule day in day until another year comes in with less anticipation than astonishment.

“Oh, the year is over,” you whisper to yourself, caught in between surprise and indifference,

And just when you least expect it, it latches onto you again just after you received news of a family tragedy, of the Patriarch’s passing. He’s finally going to be with the Matriarch who went ahead of him. It’s double whammy – a wintry blast to the heart and an avalanche of guilt as images of Abuelo swim through your mind and parade before your eyes. Wasn’t it just yesterday when he helped you with your sewing project? Dismayed at the crooked stitches on the apron you dared to sew on your own, he proceeds to show you but eventually makes you a new apron to submit the next day. Didn’t he just bring home sweet cakes and corn on the cob from the market? Through the dark veil of grieving you fall back into a droning timetable that threatens to rip you of your sanity while dodging that desire to disappear, to travel. But there’s no escaping from wanderlust when it assails you, filling you with his intense longing to jump off the world.

Travel from the norm has always been a necessity like breathing. In the past, distance was a matter of taking leave of a routinely experience for something novel, as the mind always craves new challenges and encounters. Traveling to exotic places was a bit too much on the budget, but with the advent of low-cost airlines in the region, it has sparked a risorgimento in traveling.  They’re descending upon kith and kin to catch up on who’s getting married, who gave birth etc. Some are enjoying a week in Bangkok and others are trying to locate the best ice cream, looking for the best shoe deals or savoring nasi champur in Ubud.

Traveling is indubitably the panacea for that seasonal wanderlust. It provides space and distance to examine work and personal situations with a level of sharp intelligibility that had dulled through time. Travel allows you to extricate yourself from the knotted state of affairs for a panoramic view of things. What, for instance, is causing the friction between you and your colleagues when you were almost thick as thieves? What is hindering you from taking the relationship to the next level? Or why are you easily slighted by a comment that you normally tossed aside with nonchalance? In certain cases, travel helps to heal the red, puffy eyes and hopelessness after a bad break-up (I still wonder what others mean by good break-ups). It kicks the slugabed out of you, putting you in a new place with various people and circumstances that let you move one – not dwell on the past – with the present into the future.

Journeys, most importantly, help you to find you. Where is that person that lived life with enthusiasm and a hands-on approach? Where is that person that laughed heartily and looked forward to tomorrow? It lets you re-discover your heart and the passion with which you jumped into things and the optimism you woke up with in the mornings. You finally face yourself – after taking several rain checks for numerous reasons – together with the mistakes and transgressions with a strong sense of acceptance dovetailed with the determination to move ahead. You finally ask yourself what you want in life, are you happy with whom you’ve become and where do you go from here – questions that you’ve sidestepped all the while.

Brushing that ennui and restlessness won’t do. It’s time you face it, take a leave of absence from the world and preferably with your favorite drink and book at hand.

She is a beautiful Himba woman, and I got a terrific hug.  We look like chocolate and vanilla, and my shirt is forever imprinted with the ochre, mud and other body paint. Spent a whole day photographing in the village and at every turn, I had a shots of an exquisite woman, child, baby, and a few older men.  The husbands were hunting. Their faces, jewelery, and customs were amazing!  This was a day I will never forget.

Scout is my 9-year-old 130 pound Bouvier. No way would he get on my lap, and he is bigger than this 18 month old wiggly baby. They they are both soft and cuddly.  We had to be totally germ free, but were able to put this little guy on our laps for as log as he would “sit”. By the time my grandsons 11 and 12 month are 18 months, they will wiggle, too! Pandas are very calm.

We spent our first lap around the rink mostly glued to the support railing. It was faintly embarrassing, but we both soldiered on and refused to give up. Shey had never been on the ice before, and she was alternately exhilarated and mortified. We complained constantly at our initial discomfort and lack of skill, muttering curses every other minute, hoping that the children sailing gracefully past us wouldn’t pick up our, ah, colorful vocabulary.

After one circuit, though, I decided to try pushing our comfort zone out a bit more. Hell, we’re adults! It’s unbecoming to scoot about in constant fear while kids a third of our age were gallivanting around us without a care. I let go of the railing altogether, and kept insisting to Shey that she should also try to maneuver without it. I told her that the ice away from the edges was smoother and easier to handle, which was true. I told her that she could trust in the ice to not give her a hard time if she just relaxes. At first she didn’t want to because she was still having trouble getting her balance and forward movement right, but eventually she agreed to leave the railing.

I held on to her as we took a few more circuits around the rink, each time getting progressively braver and moving further away from the edges. We were by no means moving with grace or panache, but we were definitely moving! Every step (slide? skate?) of the way, we were ranting and talking about how still-difficult-yet-satisfying it was becoming. I think the increasing leg pain we had added to our frustration, haha. We still muttered curses under our breath, but as we made more progress, we cursed less and rejoiced more. Eventually we even cut across the rink in the middle areas, which was very satisfying (given how we started out totally afraid and unbalanced).

We took a couple of breaks to rest our feet during our session, and I got my camera at one point so that we’d have photographic proof that she did manage to get on the ice. We really wanted to keep going, but the pain was beginning to overwhelm the joy, so we decided to just skate some more another day. And hey, we didn’t fall! Not once!

Shey’s post, and the rest of the photos, are here.

Mizu, located along Annapolis Street in Greenhills, is a cozy little affair. It offers a signature massage that combines aspects of the familiar methods around these days (Swedish, Shiatsu, et cetera, which you can also ask for specifically). It also offers  lymphatic drainage, foot reflexology, steam bath treatment and bentosa therapy. Mizu may not have the most comprehensive of services because of its relatively small scale, but given the affordable price, pleasant atmosphere and good service, it’s a worthwhile place to frequent. I’d likely go there more often myself, if I lived in the San Juan area.

The signature massage that I got ran for around an hour, and did feel comprehensive. I felt much better and more relaxed afterward, and I was in a calm, placid mood for the rest of the afternoon and evening. Now, if only I could afford to visit them and have spa massages a couple of times a week. :p

If you want to inquire about Mizu’s services or make an appointment, you can call them at 382-0260. Their full address is 47 Annapolis Street, Greenhills, San Juan (near Tapa King, beside the Monterey Meat Shop).

while moving my stuff about i chanced upon an old appointment diary. quite befitting actually as my work here has come full circle. it was from the first year i joined my current place and the first time i started scribbling in an appointment anything to keep track of work and other things. flipping through it i noticed that the diary was simple and my penciling neatly scripted, with some design scribblings here and then. work-wise, i actually had more items noted in it than i remembered. things seemed a lot slower then. i had actually been trying to recall some films i saw in that year, but without much avail. so it was also quite a nice surprise to see some record of that turn up suddenly.

nowadays i don’t do pen and paper much justice. the diary has gotten a little more fancy looking but the handwriting has gone out the window. i have my strength in my fingers to type all day long but not enough to write decently with a pen for a paper. such an irony – i used to always have a rather tight pen grip and paper pressure, so much so that certain fingers developed bumps in school.

so it begins and so it ends. moving cubicles has also proven an opportune time to not just junk stuff, but also pack up and be ready. some will stay where they are. for others the move is temporary because they will move again when renovations are done. they have little need to unpack. and neither do i. it will be a more permanent shift for me. it will be a nice round-up of my time here, to leave at about the same time i came in. it will be a strange sort of parting though: i will leave friends and the environment i know now, but yet i will not be considered as having left service. supposedly i am to return some day.

but in the meantime i will get a change of scene and pace. i will run briefly with the press, which will seem akin to a job introduction without the obligation. after that, the country club on a hill. meantime, there is much else to be done on the home front.

so much awaits.