Weekend Story of Celebration and Family in Mindoro

It was 2020 when we last paid a visit to my mom’s hometown in Paluan, Occidental Mindoro, because it was the time she went back here to the Philippines as she worked abroad. Now, after years of her being waged overseas, she then returned for a quick vacation. One of the long lists is to have a meaningful and rewarding experience of going back and reconnecting with relatives who live far away from us. Most importantly, to celebrate my elder brother’s and Lola’s birthday.

Actually, on this trip, my Mom and my cousin already traveled on Tuesday — 2 days ahead of us, because we still have commitments at work. And they will have to wait for us there till we get there.

10:00 PM, Thursday, Harbie, Valerie, Jaryl, and I decided to depart this early and catch our 11:00 PM cruise at the Batangas port. This move definitely will help us avoid rush hour traffic and long lines, plus it can save us time and reduce stress. It can also give us more time to explore our destination or enjoy our quick getaway, as we’ll have more hours in the day to do so.

We booked our flight at the Montenegro Lines heading to Abra de Ilog. No long lines and no people rushing. I’m just sleepy. 😴

10:30 PM situation here at the Batangas Port. We have enough time to check in, go through security, and make our way to the gate.

We’ve got our tickets for the long way round. It costs 572 PHP for a regular fare and 458 PHP rate for a student discount fare. With an additional terminal fee. 🎫

Now that we’ve secured our tickets, we’re just waiting for our departure. Since I am sleepy, I can’t wait to sit and relax on a ship which is a very calming experience, as I’m surrounded by the calming sounds of the sea and can enjoy a slower pace of life. Hoping that I won’t feel nauseous all throughout.

Jaryl and I — luggage ready for this trip. 🧳

Harbie and Valerie — ready for the nth time during this Mindoro experience. 🫶🏻

What’s with the stare? When work is life. 😤

At exactly 11:00 PM, the Montenegro Lines ship arrived. We swiftly head our way to get ourselves to choose first where to sit and enjoy the view. Indeed, night flights are often quieter and less busy than daytime flights, which can create a calmer atmosphere.

Outside view of Montenegro Lines Ship at Night. 🚢🌌

With my direct view outside while relaxing, I’m more likely to feel sleepy. 🌚 🌊

This is my first time to catch a sight of this ship’s Male comfort room. 🚽 🚻

For some travelers, night flights can be a chance to unwind and relax without the distractions of work or daily life. It may have the opportunity to read, watch a movie, or listen to music, all while cruising through the night sky. However, the windy condition for this trip of ours also caused discomfort for those who are prone to seasickness. And as for me, I have to enjoy the sensation of the wind in my hair and the moonlight on my face. It’s sooo cold, by the way.

Our ship offboarded at Abra de Ilog port at around 1:45 AM. My mom and her cousin picked us up for another ride to reach my grandmother’s house, where we’ll stay.

Day 1. 4 AM, Friday, Touchdown! We settled and rested to help our body recover and prepare ourselves for the activities we are about to do for the day.

Time Flies. Looking at this old photo made me realize how quickly time passed. It reminded me to cherish each moment and make the most of the time I have. ✨

Memories. This photo brought me back some of my memories of this place from the past. It is a powerful experience that has shaped who I am today. ✨

Appreciation. This photo made me appreciate my childhood. It reminded me of the love and experiences I have received from family and friends that have helped me grow. ✨

Seeing these old photos reminded me of my family, friends, and experiences that have shaped my life today. It brought me a range of emotions, from nostalgia to regret, but it also provided me a perspective and appreciation for the journey of life.

Hi! It’s me in deep thoughts, deeper than the sea! 🤪

Good Morning, Mindoro, Philippines! I’m back at it again for another experience, and realization to carry with me. So much has changed. Seeing the changes in this place I once knew well is a reminder of the passing of time, which is both a sobering and humbling experience. And catching sight of how much this place has changed made me realize that change really is an inevitable part of life. Nothing remains the same forever, and it’s essential to embrace change. And even if the physical environment has changed, the memories I have of the place will always be with me. The memories bring me comfort and nostalgia.

Embracing the experience. Finally, I have embarked myself in front of the sea after a long while, so I should embrace the experience fully. Soaking up with the beauty and wonder of the sea is something I deserve, honestly. This is a powerful motivator that sometimes I deserve a rest, away from the usual busy routine. This will definitely leave lasting memories and a sense of fulfillment.

Standing in front of the sea makes me feel that this is an inspiring experience that can ignite my sense of adventure and desire to explore. 🏃

Sea’s POV at daytime. A vast expanse of shimmering blue water reflected the bright sunlight. ☀️

Sea’s POV at nighttime. At night, the sea is a dark, mysterious place, a bonfire is a good idea, right? 🔥

Day 2. Spending the quick getaway at the La Alegria beach resort, a 20-minute drive away from our house. Despite the windy condition, this resort by the sea provided us a relaxing atmosphere that can help us unwind and de-stress.

On our way to Alegria beach resort, with Kuya Muel in this photo.

As their tagline says, “The place where you can enjoy.” 🏝️

After a long walk along the beach, we took some amazing photos. 📷

And some more photos of the place, with me. 📸

First time riding on this three-wheeled Chariot. Cheers to more first times! 🛞

Alegria also has their landmark letter to take pictures with.

We weren’t able to swim here, but walk-in works fine.

They also have a pool here. 💦

And available cottages for more tourists. 🏡

The occasion wouldn’t be completed without the food. That’s absolutely true, the food should be fresh and well-prepared.

We prepared a lot of food. The ube specialty, spaghetti, pancit, puto, mangoes, vegetables, fish, biko, and chicken delicacy. 🍲

Grilled Sulahan and Eggplant. Definitely, mouthwatering! 🐟 🍆

An attempt to grill a Sulahan, but I just gave it a touch, because why not? 🐠

Sharing this table with a bounty of food with our family is a wonderful experience. This celebration brought my mother’s side of the family acquainted, and an opportunity for conversation and bonding. To create a festive atmosphere and add to the overall enjoyment of the event, we enjoyed singing at a Karaoke as well.

Remember to have fun and enjoy the moment! Group photos with food can be a great way to capture memories and share them with others. And so, we did! 🤍

You know what, it’s a great way to document this occasion and share it with others who have not been here. 🤍

Expressing gratitude and appreciation for the food and the people who prepared it, and acknowledging the blessings that we have in our lives. 🙏

This day with our loved ones and enjoying food together was a special day to have the opportunity to come together, no matter how distance sets us apart for a long time.

My Lola and Kuya’s birthday celebration paved the way to express appreciation for their presence in our lives and to reflect on the joy and happiness that they bring to us and others.

Truly, in this quick escapade, we created a sense of belonging and shared experience which strengthened our relationship and deepen our connections with the people we care about. Whether it’s a simple meal at home or a fancy restaurant dinner, celebrating with loved ones and enjoying food together is a meaningful and memorable way to mark the occasion.

Day 3. It’s time to go home now. This is a bittersweet experience. While, of course, it’s nice to return to the comfort and familiarity of home, leaving behind the excitement and adventure of a vacation can be difficult. Having to leave my Lola, uncle, cousins, and relatives have a pinch in my heart for I don’t know when’s the next time we’ll have the time to come back again here.

Unitl next time, Mindoro. 👋

Thank you for the experience, people, place, and food. 😎

Overall, going home from a quick trip is sad because it means leaving behind the fun and excitement of a new experience and returning to the responsibilities and stress of everyday life. Yes, going back to work, school, or other undertakings after a vacation can be challenging. I’ve felt like I’ve lost the freedom and relaxation that I enjoyed during our vacation. But I thank God because it’s the positive memories and experiences from this vacation became the reminders that I will carry with me as I return to my normal routine.

In the end, for a short time, I was reminded of the thoughts that it’s important to take breaks from the stresses of everyday life and to prioritize self-care and relaxation while creating lasting memories with the people you love.

“Home is people. Not a place.”

Robin Hobb

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A Weekend in Mindoro

I still have a few backlogs to write and one of those is this one.

The semester has finally ended, so I thought about finding a good way to spend it. Thus, I took advantage of having a getaway at my mom’s hometown, plus it was my Lola and Kuya’s birthday. And we wanted to celebrate tho.

The night before, I was thinking if I will be taking the shower already, so I won’t have any struggle in the cold and knee-curling temp of the water as we have planned a super early morning parting because we wanted to get there in Mindoro as early as we could as it is way too far. But that night, I was really feeling drowsy and worn-out so, I decided to just generally have a morning shower. Well, it did help me freshen and wake up in that early move.

Mom: “Saan na kayo anak?”
Me: “We’re on our way na po, na-traffic lang sa laot haha“

Unfortunate events normally happen in life. We missed the 8AM ship, I’m gagged. So my mom, auntie and uncle waited for about 4-5 hours in Mamburao (Occidental Mindoro capital) to pick us up. We boarded at exactly 10AM.  The usual travel time to offboard in Port of Abra de Ilog consumes 3-4 hours including the latencies. Plus, an additional 1-hour drive from the port to Mamburao.

It’s past 5PM when we got there. Painted on my Lola’s face was jubilee for the reason that we only pay her a visit when we’re free. And since my mom works overseas, we only have a seldom time to go to Mindoro. We briskly gave her a hug and mano — an honoring gesture as a sign of respect. Since there is no cellular signal in our place there, I then swift to the shore where there’s an available. I told my dad that we already made it to Lola’s place. That’s our day, we have had some fun-filled talks, we ate and rested afterwhile to recharge. And I thank God for it was indeed a safe trip.

#DayOne

Everyone’s recharged and so did I. We were about to go swimming in the sea, but we were caught by the blazing heat of the sun. So my brother and I went lurking, we’ve decided to go to our cousins to check how they were. They live near the mountain, so we considered hiking. For I was curious to see the picture of everything at the bottom when you’re on the top of the mountain.  It’s not arduous to climb it and the views were undoubtedly a good distraction. It’s getting late in the afternoon, so we took the moment and gave thanks that we were allowed to get there and prayed to return us safely to the trailhead.

This weekend trip wouldn’t be completed without fresh foods. Foods that we don’t eat on a usual day. Yes, we were blessed with an abundance of bounty — seafood, tropical fruits and creative cooking style. Evident in the picture, I wasn’t able to get away with cleaning the dishes, just as how I do in Batangas. To drench, I used water from the poso — an old-style water pump commonly used in the provinces of the Philippines.

#TheNextDay

To kick start the day, I walked by the bay, listened to the rhythmic swell of waves, and of course inhaled the fresh, briny smell of the sea. Just as the heat of the sun has an ability to damage our skin, it also has plenty of health benefits associated with it. As per research, a 5-minute stand under the sun will save us from skin disorders such as acne, psoriasis and fungal skin infections. Just avoid too much exposure that may lead to suntan which means the skin has already been damaged. Since it’s low tide, I found a starfish by the shore. Sea stars can be found in the rocky areas just below sea level. They’re easy to find, and seeing them is indeed an exciting part of being in the beach.

This was one of the highlights of our escapade, my Kuya turned 23 and my Lola celebrated her 60th year of existence, glad we were there. For her, age is just a number, and she is young as she feels. I thank God for the added year in their lives. He really is the redeemer, the anchor, and healer of all life seizures.

#LastDay

It has been a tradition of our family to go to Calawagan Mountain Resort on the last day of our visit in Mindoro, about an hour trip from Paluan.  It’s a nature-based resort good for leisure outings, evident lush vegetation, has a cool mountain breeze, there are available cottages, forest, and hiking trails. There’s a lap pool upon entry and a connecting bridge to the other side of the resort where natural pool with boulders and rock formations can be found.  The large trees which abound throughout the resort provides an excellent shade even on the midday sun. As they say, birdwatchers wouldn’t have to go too far to locate some of Mindoro’s endemic birds such as hawk-owls, flower peckers, fruit-doves, flycatchers and sun birds as it can be seen and heard throughout this resort. It is an ideal locale for anyone who wishes a unique outdoor adventure in Mindoro. Picture taking is really a must.

It’s our last day in Mindoro, the time when unwelcome thoughts bubbled up, as our so-mini-vacation ending was imminent in just a wink. I love this type of vacation when we used to travel back and forth where I used to get a sunk feeling. The feeling of I-still-didn’t-want-to-go-back to my daily routine. It’s like I’m having anxiety because I’ve been used to what I’ve had experienced for the past few days. Then all of a sudden, I’m dreading the end to a glorious trip. The post-vacation feels hit me like a wrecking ball. I closed my eyes, I’m  having the time of my life, I opened my eyes, I’m back facing the reality and what happened fades in an instant.

Life begins at the end of your comfort zone. The life in Mindoro was just so simple. The way of living merely has a big difference from our life at home. There’s no signal for some area, means for FM radio, mobile phones and television, unless you have cable TV. I was able to experience this which others cannot. The simplicity of the life of the residents, harvesting onion crops, riding in a boat and balsa- a small raft or boat, roaming around by the shore to pick up seashells, viewing sea stars, sightseeing around, and mountain adventures.

It was a weekend away from the civilization and overcrowded places. I was able to feel the sea breeze and it’s brine, and the sounds of the blow of the waves. I was also able to meditate, away from the pressure and social media.

God is good all the time. He provided us not just the financial needs but also the strength and the precious time to look back and visit the place and the people whom are part of who we are and how’s our life now. And I know He is with us, wherever we go.

Till our next.