By LPJ
Bicol is a progressive region composed of three provinces in the southern tip of the big island of Luzon in the Philippines: Camarines Sur, Albay, Sorsogon. In all my vacation travels to Bicol, I found new spectacular places to see, new buildings and structures that showcase attractive art and architecture, and new tourist resorts that seem to sprout everywhere. And of course, I have relatives there; likely, that claims a big part of why I’m drawn to Bicol every time I visit the Philippines.
During my Bicol trip In February-March of this year, I enjoyed a “surrogate” home base, my Auntie Rosie Manuel Cruz’s place that always offers comfort and ease, due much to Auntie’s warmth, loving generosity and hospitality. The travel agenda was packed with fun field trips joined by several cousins, nieces and nephews; the core group being my regular travel companions (my brother Tzetzu and sister-in-law Rorie) and myself. Auntie Rosie, an amazing lady in her eighties, was of course, up for adventure and joined our travels. We all were up for adventure.
(Photos by Monette C. Valencia)
Vitton Beach Resort in Donsol, Sorsogon — early morning before the boats went out to sea.
Modesta Resort cabins in Irosin, Sorsogon
The Sports colosseum in Sorsogon City
Restaurant hopping in Naga — coffee and dessert at Primus Cafe after a hefty dinner at Ragazzi
Ladies pose before the sumptuous lunch at the Alberto residence in Naga
A major event for me in Naga was a lunch soiree with my high school batchmates from Universidad de Santa Isabel, formerly called Colegio de Santa Isabel. It was an honor to sponsor this gathering coordinated by Ester Vasquez and Elna Nidea Chia. Lunch was at Royal Emelina’s café, a comfortable facility that allowed program activities in the middle of seating arrangements. The buffet featured Filipino cuisine one of the highlights of which was lengua, a delicate dish of ox tongue tenderized in rich sauce flavored with tomatoes, vinegar, soy sauce and a dash of sugar. I hesitated to eat it as I had in the past because of its name, but I ate some anyway. To my surprise, it was utterly delicious! There also was kinunot, a Bicol dish of fish (often, shark or stingray) cooked in coconut milk with malunggay (moringa) leaves. Traditional Bicol dishes are generally heavily spiced with pepper. Kinunot can range from mildly hot to very hot, especially when slivers of hot peppers are added (as in Bicol Express). During the entertainment part of the gathering, the young once felt and behaved like young ones again. Ester, the emcee, made sure there were enough jokes to pass around, enough memories of high school days too silly yet too funny and worth bringing up. She even had a surprise gift for us all that almost made us roll on the floor with uncontrolled laughter. That gathering, indeed, could make our list of unforgettable moments. What also contributed to making this event very special for me was the presence of Santa Isabel friends Aida Osea, Glorietta Arcilla Ribano and Orfelina Tuy.
While our Naga stay was wonderful, we had to leave it for some days for Sorsogon, high on the agenda of my Bicol itinerary. The province is a lush stretch of land on the southern most tip of Luzon. We like saying that the southern edge almost touches Samar, the northern part of the Visayas islands in the middle part of the country. From Naga to Sorsogon, we passed by Albay, the region’s middle province where the elegant Mayon Volcano proudly sits. It couldn’t have been more perfect that day, bright sunshine, blue skies, and just a few thin clouds drifting by Mayon. This time, Mayon was not shy and exposed her pointed top and graceful slopes. Our ohs and ahs kept flowing as we viewed her majestic stance, and craned our necks till they hurt (except for our driver) before we lost sight of it as we travelled on. The volcano is called Mayon from the Bicol word magayon, meaning beautiful. Mayon must at times get tired of being admired, so she hides behind the clouds, as she did in our previous trips.
The beach resort at Donsol, Sorsogon did not disappoint. Our group of 19 were distributed to several cabins. Ours was right on the beach, facing a vast ocean with several boats lined on the shore for tourists. I roomed with my Auntie and two nieces, and in the early morning, my aunt made it a point to rise early to catch the sunrise on the ocean’s end. Sunrise over the Donsol ocean was a spectacle to wake up early for. The waters were calm as they welcomed the rising ball of yellow from its hiding in the ocean’s horizon. There were fewer boats docked on shore that morning. Many tourists took the early rides to navigate the waters as they watched the sunrise and sailed farther down for whale watching.
I didn’t get up early enough for the sunrise, but I saw pictures that made me wish I had. I’ve watched many magnificent sunsets at the ocean’s edge, but rarely a sunrise. From an imaginative, poetic mind, I can say that sunset elicits a thankfulness for a lovely day drawing to a close; while sunrise ushers in joy and anticipation for the promise of a day just beginning.
During the day, a number of jet skis pulled smaller boats with tourists shrieking in pure delight, thrilled when the jet ski went faster. There also were just jet skiers creating wild splashes as they sped on the ocean, reckless with much bravado that challenged the surface of the deep waters.
The wide pool right outside the resort’s dining area was a major draw for kids in our group, Ritrit and Tiantian, children of Siegfrid and Gerlyn. On our way to dine, there they were, mindless of our calls to get out of the water to join us in eating. Food didn’t have enough pull. Neither did the elders’ calls.
Again, much as we enjoyed Donsol, we moved on. In the afternoon, we traveled to the foothills of Mt. Bulusan, passing gorgeous ocean views and lush fields of low vegetation bordered by groves of coconut and palm trees. Our convoy of three cars drove on stretches of well-paved, smooth roads. Sorsogon’s infrastructure outside the main cities and inside was impressive. There’s much good to say about the official management of the province, and perhaps, the adequacy of funding for roads and bridges. Furthermore, the layout of cities showed remarkable city planning and management with certain highlights boasting of superb architecture, as the sports colosseum in Sorsogon City that celebrates the archaic beauty of old Roman architecture. Looking at the graceful curve of the structural design and the whitewashed walls accented by pillars is a feast to the eyes. An architectural and artistic triumph. The building’s front, still adhering to the Roman theme, features the large carved head of the majestic lion on the wall of a long shed that serves as a welcoming gate.
While viewing the sports colosseum that momentarily transported us to ancient Rome, ice cream vendors rolling their carts right outside brought us back to reality. The vendors’ metallic high-pitched bells called and we eagerly responded. In the sultry, humid weather, who could resist the cold, icy cheese- and fruit-flavored smoothies and ice cream? My group of 19 must have almost devoured the vendors’ supplies. As we bid goodbye to the sports colosseum, the vendors bid us goodbye with grateful smiles for the big sales and generous tips.
It was nightfall when the roads changed to rugged, rocky paths that led to Modesta, a cozy resort secured in the enclaves of Mt. Bulusan’s forests. Our hosts, my niece Hazel and her husband Larry, arranged accommodation for our big group in three villas each of which faced a wide pool that beckoned right outside the cabin’s door. We didn’t mind not having TV in our rooms, since we were mostly outdoors.
One of the highlights of our Modesta R&R was the dip in the hot springs pool of a nearby resort. Hesitant at first to join my group in the middle of the pool, I merely sat on the pool’s steps under the water. I gave in, however, to my nieces Karen and Hazel and cousin Monette who determined to have me exercise my legs in the four-feet water. So glad I did it! Crossing slowly to the other side, I stood under a hot faucet spouting hot water that felt like strong massage on the back. I enjoyed the pool so much that I didn’t want to leave. We had been there for an hour, but I kept begging for 10 minutes more. The ten minutes became an hour more. Then there was the fresh shower flowing through half a cylinder of bamboo. I didn’t want to get out of there, too, especially with Karen working a rigorous massage on my back as I luxuriated in the strong shower. A repeat of the hot springs experience will definitely be high on my agenda on my next travels to Bicol.
What also was lovely about the Sorsogon visit was meeting Richie, my Uncle Carlito Manuel’s daughter. After acquiring her medical degree from the University of the Philippines, Richie and her doctor husband set up a hospital in Sorsogon. Now, both are part of a medical group that operates a large medical center in Sorsogon City. I hadn’t seen Richie since she was a little girl. So, that meeting over a sumptuous dinner (compliments of Larry’s Mom Flor) was most meaningful.
The day before we left Modesta, Hazel and Larry showed us a property they own along with Larry’s Mom and sister, a picturesque piece of land that starts from a tree-surrounded valley and stretches to a sharp incline up the mountain. Work had started then for the property to be turned into rustic glamping grounds to attract nature lovers and campers. The idea is to build around the trees to maintain the forest-like ambience. Further development would depend on the initial success, considering that this property is in the middle of currently operating resorts that seem to be packed or never enough especially during high-peak seasons.
Regretfully, we had to say goodbye to beautiful Sorsogon, to be in Naga before our trip back to Manila. Our travel to Naga was a wild rush as we aimed to see our Auntie Tindeng Manuel Alberto (Auntie Rosie’s older sister), her daughter Dorothy and son Ricky before their bus ride to Manila for their flight back to the US next day. We reached them just in time before they boarded the bus. For some of us in the group, that wasn’t the first time to see them in Naga during our stay in Bicol. Seeing Auntie Tindeng was especially special for my nieces and nephews who could not join us at the lunch party in the Alberto residence the week before. Spending minutes with an elderly aunt whom we rarely see was truly precious.
Our Bicol vacation, though tightly packed with activities, was definitely fun-filled. Every trip was rich in enjoyable touristy and culinary adventures, and more importantly, warm bonding. But we had to move on for our next beach resort adventure in Batangas.