Cagayan De Oro vacation
I know it's too late to post this, pero sayang naman yung ginawa ko. Busy-busihan kasi ako eh kya I forgot. This was my best family vacation!
Day 1 (Dec.13, 2007 - Thursday)
| Flying alone to Cagayan De Oro |
We've got two cars left at home and can't use any of them since I don't know how to drive! So at 12 midnight, I and Ate Lor pulled my luggage along the rough road of Fil-Heights til we reached the subd. gate and got a taxi. We reached the airport one & a half hour early and consumed the time by chatting and eating stuffed pandesal with Cafe Latte.We had our 4-day vacation at Cagayan De Oro last Dec.13-16. My family already went to Nasipit, Butuan since Dec.11 and I was left alone w/ 'Te Lor in the house. Funny thing was, Ate Lor & I walked at 12 midnight, pulling my luggage, inside the subdivision til we got a taxi at the main road. We felt like we're "magtatanan" with the way
It's my first time to fly alone and the first time I didn't get excited on boarding an airplane. At the check-in counter, there were "rockistas" along w/ their crew also lined up in front of me. First impression: these are damn cute 'Emo' guys! Then I thought, "Wish I could also bring my guitar". Upon boarding, "Thank God my seat's beside the window & the rockistas are seated at my back!". The only problem is the rockista's leg is too long and I can't recline my chair and sleep comfortably. It's a good thing that I slept quite a bit at the taxi. It's also my first time to travel at a time of complete darkness with a bit of rain showers. This was also the first time I got to see Manila in a spectacular view. A trail of lamp posts still lighted around the city gave an exhilarating view, a picture difficult to forget.
Tito Snag with my cousins, Carlo & Kaye, fetched me at the CDO airport. Since the cemetery is only 15 mins. travel from the airport, they took me to Lolo Joaquin and Lola Josephine's grave. It's also my first visit and I did a short prayer for them. Cagayan De Oro amazes me with its cleanliness and warm friendly people. The roads didn't have rubbish or sidewalk vendors like in Manila. We reached my tito's home and had a long chat about politics, his hobby on flying airplanes and other tsismax about our relatives. I receive calls from my sister and dadi that they just checked-in at Dynasty Hotel and would be fetching me. I wasn't able to go with them last Dec.11-12 in Lawis, Nasipit , Butuan City, to spend time with Lola Justa (its also the province of my Dadi).
Voyage to Dahilayan Village.
Originally, Dadi just wanted to sleep the whole day which I attested because I don't want to waste my first vacation day. So at 3 PM, Tita Beth's brother drove us to Dahilayan Village. Going to our destination gave me and Nicole a nostalgic journey to our former school, Dole Philippines School, in South Cotabato. Like in Dole, we also passed a large field of pineapples except that Del Monte doesn't have curvy roads with big humps. We also passed by Camp Mckinley. Dahilayan village is situated above the mountains and only a few house are being built. The w
Day 2 (Dec.14, 2007 - Friday)
| Camiguin island Escapade |
We rode a ferry boat which took an hour travel. Most of our time were wasted with travelling. We had two hours van travel to Camiguin Highland Hotel, which is situated at the higher plane of the island. It seems like there were only two families who checked-in so we felt like the place is exclusive for us. We visited Katibawasan Falls (what a cute waterfalls),
the Sunken Cemetery and the Old Ruins. Long ago, there was a large volcanic eruption and this caused the floating grave crosses/"lapidas" and the visible large cross from the Old Church. Our last stop was at the Ardent Hotsprings. Sinking ourselves to 38 degrees water was relaxing. We played charades while on the hotspring, in which I was the only one acting out! (Many thanks for the cooperation guys!)
At the hotel, while waiting for dinner to be served, we spent an hour in the entertainment area. The Lopez trio played pool, Nicole & Louise, Dadi & Kuya did pingpong and I...what did I do? I did everything even videotaping them! The fina
My childishness came out again. While waiting for breakfast, I and Louise went to the playground and went for a swing and tried to climb the monkey bars (reminiscing the Gr.2 days at Dole) Then when we went riding the seesaw. And because I was heavier than Louise, when she left her seat, I fell to the ground and rolled like a siopao! It was very funny. I always rolled like ball. So upon going back to the breakfast table, I had grasses hanging in my pants and shirt.
Day 3 (Dec.15, 2007 - Saturday)
| Return to the city |
I read the Stargirl pocketbook of Kaye while riding the ferryboat back to the city. An Italian couple sat beside me and were also reading a pocketbook (Coelho's Veronica decides to Die). Though I don't know Italian, I understood what the lady said. She was complaining about the taxi they rode. Anyway, I enjoyed the smell and feel of the sea breeze patting on my face.
Time to raft the Rapids!
We ate our McChicken breakfast on the Raft Jeepney (that's what I like to call the Jeepney that fetched us because it has the Rafting boat at the top). I didn't know that we shared the Raft Jeep with another group which looked like yuppies to me. Anyway, the other guy named Michael was an uper duper hunk. After an hour or two travel to the ever slopy and rocky roads, we reached our destination! I was sort of nervous and yet excited when I saw the brook (or a lake, I dunno). The water current was very strong and I began to remember, I have my period! Another group of Englishera kids also went rafting. A briefing was done by the instructors before the ride. I wanted to join Kaye & Carlo on the boat and yet I missed riding w/ my parents & w/ Lang & Kuya. There were four rafts on the trip & we were always the 3rd one. Tito Snag & Carlo sat at the front & I was beside w/ Kaye at the second, Nicole was alone at the back with the instructors-Jeff & Mark. The first rapid water was the scariest maybe because it was our first (you get what I mean?). The boat was diving into 60-90 degrees! Three rules: Always lock your feet at the rapids, Hold the Green Line(rope) for support & follow the instructor since we're only the engine & they're the driver! It was a good thing that our instructors were always joking.
"Ang 3rd rapid ay called Paolo Santos rapid kc jan sya nahulog" "Si PGMA sumakay na ng chopper sa 3rd rapid kc may appointment pa raw sya" "
Tito Snag fell and he got scared quite a bit. At least the emergency rope was used. Later, he almost had his head bumped into a big rock if I had not told him to avoid it. Carlo was all giddy and kept on standing. ON the still water, the instructors encouraged us to swim. Carlo wanted to dive but was scared. So I told him that I'll dive to accompany him even though I don't know how to swim! Partida may period pako non! I doubted at first since I tried to touch the bottom of the lake with my paddle but cannot feel any ground! We were the first ones to swim on still water and I panicked as I dived! The instructors were laughing at me for my courageousness despite the inability to swim. The others got envious and dove the water. Tito Snag was again floating farther and farther from our boat and yet was calm. It was sunny and the scenery we were passing was a picturesque beauty. We also passed the "Snake rock" because there's a time in the year where that white rock of mountain was full of snakes. The instructors kept on surprisingly pouring us with lake water to keep us cold. And at times I felt so hot, I removed my helmet & scooped water to bathed myself. When two boats coincidentally got side to side, there's always a paddle fight. (I love it when it was Michael's boat!) No there's no hitting of paddles but only splashing of water. At every rapid, we would always hail "High Five" and patted our paddles high on the sky. At the 13 & 14th rapids, we were instructed to stand. I was scared of standing and having our boat dive the rapids at 90 degrees so I sort of bended and held on to the ever reliable life-saver green rope. White Water rafting at Cagayan De Oro was the "real thing" than EK's Rio Grande Rapids, absolutely! I wouldn't trade the experience in the world.
| Last Vacation Dinner |
We had our last dinner at what they call the We decided to have a henna tattoo after that. At first, we all agreed to have a dragon mark but all of the dragon image choices were too large that I and Louise wanted a butterfly to be tattoed on the back of our hands.
Return to Manila flight was at 9:45 and ate tapsilog breakfast inside the airport with the Lopezes. I also got the chance to see a celebrity couple- Gwen of Abt Ur Love and Jayson Abalos, together?! Hmmmm....issue yan! When we landed in Manila, we were taking pictures with the airplane as our background and we didn't know this celebrity couple jokingly joined at the back of us (check one of my CDO photos)
okay..so I quite got tired from writing. You may visit my album to see the pictures.
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