Day Trip to Jomabo Island

Finally, we were going to Jomabo. It has been a year since I last saw the island. Back then, it was only from Old Escalante's Port Barcelona, and the island looked like a tiny white speck out on the horizon. Now we were finally getting on a banca with bags, food, and sunblock galore, ready to experience the island that I have heard so much about.

We reached the pier located in the old section of Escalante City at about noon. Our Jolibee lunches were still warm, and so was the noonday sun. To my chagrin ( and everyone else's) the only banca available did not have a tarp, and so we were doomed to spend the trip to the island under the glaring heat of the noonday sun. Fortunately, we are a family of hardy optimists, ready to brave any trial, be it suntroke, drowning, or a tarpless banca just to reach our destination. So we slapped on some sunblock, donned our shades and made our way down the pier to the little boat that was waiting to take us to Jomabo.

Getting down to the banca sure was no walk in the park

The banca ride lasted for about 30 really hot and sunny minutes. Most tourists can avoid a ride under the glaring heat of the sun by making reservations with Paradise Beach Resort, the resort on the island, ahead of time for a boat ride to and from the island. Paradise Beach Resort has a couple of bancas just for this purpose, but we did not know of this at the time. Banca rides to and from the resort come as part of the package that includes the accomodations and the entrance fees to the island. A 6-8 person group can usually expect to spend about 5,000 pesos or more for an island package that includes non-airconditioned accomodations, entrance fees, plus the boat rides that will take them from the port to the island and back.

The image of the island looming larger and larger with every grunt of the boat was a welcome sight, and everyone heaved a sigh of relief when our boat finally rounded the small, narrow, white tip of the island and touched the sandy bottom. One by one we made our way to the plank and jumped off into the white sand with the help of our guides.

Getting off the banca with a little help

Jomabo Island is really something. One look at the pristine white stretch of sand and you'll feel a wave of calm wash over you in instant. And because it was Friday, a weekday, the island was pretty deserted. We would later be informed by John, the friendly island manager, that most visitors make their way to the island on the weekends, which is the reason why we had Jomabo for ourselves that day.

The beachfront, Jomabo Island

We set up camp on one of the tables near the beach, which was fortunately under the shade of trees. It turned out that we really were the only ones there, apart from John and the rest of the construction workers and staff. Unfortunately, the tide had already receded by the time we got there, which meant that swimming was already out of the question. We managed to amuse ourselves by exploring the island, which was undergoing heavy construction and didn't quite look like the island that we saw online. Most of the cottages were falling apart, and the hotel was padlocked and looked deserted from the outside. The tennis courts did not look too well-kept, either. John, the friendly manager who mans the gift shop, told us that construction is indeed under way, but they have to make frequent stops especially if the boatload of sand and gravel for the construction do not reach the island on time.

The resort has a beachfront bar, where guests can preorder their meals. It was a good thing that we brought our lunches since the bar was closed when we got there. The island has no corkage fee, which is a good thing. We didn't get to try the videoke bar, though, because it seemed that everyone was tired from the little banca ride. The videoke bar was located inside a cottage at the edge of the beach, overlooking the ocean.

John said that allappliances, the videoke machine included, run on the generator, since there is no electricity on the island. He also informed us that if there are no visitors, the staff is only allowed about 3 hours of electricity, from 5 pm to 6 pm.

at the island bar

Eyeing an empty bottle of Tanduay that previous guests have left behind

taking a walk barefoot

The resort also has equipent for snorkeling and kayaking,which we did not get to try, either. However, all was not lost. We compensated by taking pictures of everything that we saw. My cousin had a great time collecting shells, which abound on the seashore. (He found a starfish, but after some prodding decided to return the poor thing back into the ocean.)

Jaijai looking for shells

Jaijai under the walkway

The island is a really great place to take pictures in, and we made the most of our cameras by posing in every nook and crany of the resort. We also had a great time chatting with John, who happens to be a very funny and talkative guy. We got the impression that he misses having other people to talk to during the weekdays when the resort is low on guests, which is why he was particularly chatty with us during our visit.

Lolo with John, the guy who mans the gift shop

Another disappointment was that we didn't get to experience one of the island's famous sunsets, which people say is one of the best in the world. We left in the middle of the afternoon, a bit 'bitin' but thankful nonetheless that we got to experience at least a few hours on the island.

All in all, a great trip. We didn't get to go swimming, but perhaps a dip in the island's pristine waters was meant for another day. Will surely be looking forward to another trip to Jomabo.

Sidewalk adventures: Isaw and Hotdogs

I have always liked to eat at sidewalk food stalls. There's something unique and exciting about eating isaw (chicken intestines) and adidas (chicken feet) that you just cannot find in the cleanest and safest of restaurants and fast food chains. A friend and I were planning to reward ourselves with a really delicious dinner in one of Dumaguete's chicken barbecue houses, but as soon as we emerged from the gates of the hospital the delicious aroma of sizzling sisig, chicken innards and grilled cheap hotdogs greeted us and we couldn't resist. It was going to be chicken butt for the night.

Streetfood vendor across NOPH

We sat down on one of the dingy plastic tables and waited for the lady owner to clean it up. It still had the remnants of the previous diners' meal. We took the time to order our dinner, three pieces of isul ( chicken butt)for me, 3 pieces of puso (cooked rice) and two pieces of isul and one piece of grilled hotdog for Tonton.

Isul tastes just like your average chicken, if you don't stop and think that you're biting into a piece of plump, fatty, chicken rear end. What makes it so tasty is the sauce, which I think the best street vendors have perfected into an art. We were particularly lucky with our vendor for the night, since our orders came well-done and dripping with sweet and sour sauce (streetfood style) , which I think is a mix of ketchup, soy sauce, garlic, vinegar, a little bit of sugar, flour, and a bunch of other stuff that I do not know about. We allowed our vendor ample time to cook our food, since we didn't want to eat anything raw, chicken butts pa naman.

Chicken butts on sticks---yum!

"Puso"---rice cooked in coconut leaves

Tonton and I got into a little discussion about why street food tastes better when eaten on the sidewalk, and not so much when you eat it at home. It's probably because of the unknown ingredient, which could be anything from dust and automobile exhaust to sweat. The same is true for puso or rice cooked in coconut leaves. I have tried cooking rice in coconut leaves at home, but the result could never compare to the taste of streetfood puso. Go figure. Tonton laced his rice with soy sauce, while I was content with the barbecue sauce that came with my isul. I was tempted to make another order, but Tonton, who diets in his sleep, gave me a shocked look and so I passed.

One more day.

One more day till the big Two-five. I'm looking at it with a mix of anxiety and trepidation, with a little bit of regret thrown in. I didn't get to finish my list (umm, what list?!?), which is easily the saddest part of this whole affair. After Tuesday I won't be able to make a list called "Things to DO before the Big Two-Five" ---it'll have to be "Things to DO Before the Big Three-Zero"...Hope that one will take its own sweet time to come.

Help in Times of Trouble

Depression has been a recent topic of conversation for a friend and I, specifically, the kind that most people often get when the colder months set in. It has been studied that the suicide rate goes up when we enter the -ber months. This has probably something to do with the cold. Having to endure cold and chilly nights all by your lonesome cannot be good for anyone, especially if you do not have the anticipation of a warm, year-ending Christmas party or New Year's celebration to look forward to. i also noticed this pattern on myself, although I never got to the point of wanting to kill myself becasue I felt sad. However, there were times when I felt exceptionally lonely and alone, even though I could easily surround myself with family and friends. In need for a little pick-me-up, I Googled 'inspirational stories' and stumbled upon a few really insightful pieces. Here's one that I found over at http://www.all-inspirational.com/.

God's Plan

Some things are beyond planning.

And life doesn't always turn out as planned.

You don't plan for a broken heart.

You don't plan for a failed business venture.

You don't plan for an adulterous husband

or a wife who wants you out of her life.

You don't plan for an autistic child.

You don't plan for spinsterhood.

You don't plan for a lump in your breast.

You plan to be young forever.

You plan to climb the corporate ladder.

You plan to be rich and powerful.

You plan to be acclaimed and successful.

You plan to conquer the universe.

You plan to fall in love - and be loved forever.

You don't plan to be sad.

You don't plan to be hurt.

You don't plan to be broke.

You don't plan to be betrayed.

You don't plan to be alone in this world.

You plan to be happy. You don't plan to be shattered.

Sometimes if you work hard enough, you can get what you want.

But MOST times, what you want and what you get are two different things.

We, mortals, plan. But so does God in the heavens.

Sometimes, it is difficult to understand God's plans especially when His plans are not in consonance with ours.

Often, when God sends us crisis, we turn to Him in anger. True, we cannot choose the cross that God wishes us to carry, but we can carry that cross with courage knowing that God will never abandon us nor send something we cannot cope with.

Sometimes, God breaks our spirit to save our soul.

Sometimes, He breaks our heart to make us whole.

Sometimes, God allows pain so we can be stronger.

Sometimes, God sends us failure so we can be humble.

Sometimes, God allows illness so we can take better care of ourselves. Sometimes, God takes everything away from us so we can learn the value of everything He gave us.

Make plans, but understand that we live by God's grace.

Although the message of the poem can easily be applied to almost any form of crisis or storm, not just some seasonal fluctuation of good and happy moods, the poem perked me up, perhaps because it reminded me that there is really nothing to be sad or depressed about. Life is wonderful, and all the more so when it is lived in Christ. And even if the waves hit us and we think we're about to drown in the sea of circumstance, needs, and wants and responsibilities, we can rest on God's promise that He will never give us a problem that we cannot carry, as long as we do it with His help.