Habal²

One of my wife's relatives live in a small town named Indahag. They wanted us to stay their for a night or two since they missed us so much. So from Macassanding we went to a not very long and not too short travel to Indahag riding a multicab (a small utility van that the rear seats are arranged the same as a jeepney with an open rear entrance). The interesting part is that when we reach the middle part of the trip, the road will begin to go dark until its pitch black (coz we traveled during the night 7pm+) and the only light you will see is the light coming from the multicab. Not only that, the road is so small that only 2 small vehicles can only fit and it has so many curves! We finally had our rest when got to our destination. So for 2 days we were traveling from there down to the main city by riding a single motorcycle they called Habal-habal. I prefer to call it Habal squared (²x) eheh. Janneth had difficulty riding it because its a bit high and she is a bit scared since its just a single motorcycle and traveling through those winding roads. We got a chance to travel at daytime and I just realized that the road is indeed full of dust that it already looked like sand on the road. The most interesting part is that right beside the road is a very steep ravine and its like 100ft deep! I just don't think that its deep because it will just scare us, instead we appreciate the beauty of the whole scene. At night, when we went back using the same mode of transportation. I could still recall the whole scene but one thing popped in my mind, I looked behind and its really pitch black that you really cant see anything. I took out my camera and took a picture with a flash hoping to see something interesting but unfortunately my camera wasn't that powerful. Oh well, so much for the ghost stories I've heard from townspeople about riding at night.

Nostalgia

After we landed at Cagayan de Oro Airport and gathered our baggages, Janneth's relatives where there to meet us up. Then we got a cab to go down to the first place that we will be spending the night in. There is nothing special when we got off from the airport since that was the first time I've been there because we usually take the ship when traveling to and from manila. As we go down the road, I began to recognize familiar places and huge changes. My eyes went through the path I usually go through when I was still in elementary. It was just hardened soil back then and was converted to concrete when I was in high school. Now they already have an overpass which is good. Then of course our elementary school, seems like nothing has changed from the outside but I wonder from the inside. I was able to visit places that I want to see like the new Limketkai Mall, Gaisano City and Mall (magkaiba pala daw yun kahit magkadikit), Divisoria and their every weekend Night Cafe, Carmen and Cogon market. Before Limketkai was just an open mall now the design is more like Robinson's Galleria. They Just simply put roofs on the pathways and 2nd storey stores while Gaisano Mall and City remained the same. Divisoria is more lively since there are more internet shops in every block (literally!) and ihaw ihaw restaurants. They also have this JRJ restaurant that is very popular because of their fried chicken. Every friday to sunday nights they have this Night cafe that covers most of the divisoria area. these are series of stalls and half of it is "tyange" and "ukay-ukay" and other is again chicken ihaw ihaw or "chicken alacarte". We really missed the "puso" (rice in coco leaf) and "chorisong bisaya" and this is the place where you can find it (aside from those ihaw ihaw restaurants that are already there). You get to eat with your hands at the same time watch live bands (cool eh?). After that you can go to the biggest fruit stand nearby and buy some deserts. Sadly there was no "marang" available that time. fruit that resembles a lot like durian but the spines are more like harmless. marang price here in manila is like Php 80 plus per piece but in cdo, it will just run like Php10 a piece. After dinner, you can just choose from one of the gazillion internet cafe's around and play dota or rf :)

Palamig

My wife and I decided to go to a pool in laguna as to visit some friends and relatives and to get some really good tasting siomai Los Baños. Nothing special really happened during the trip and during the time we were in the resort but We just realized that malls arent really helping us unwind anymore like it usually did. Going out of town once in a while really helps a lot. One drawback though was my entire body was aching and I was the only one like that. Well thats ok, now I feel I`m already gaining so much weight. Getting in shaping ain't really easy so I have to think of an enjoyable way to do it. We werent able to visit some old friends coz it was already late and I still have work the day after (no to mention I was aching all over). Maybe sometime soon we'll go back and do that. For now.... back to work ehehhehe