IL BEL FAR NIENTE

Exactly a month ago..

I still don't know what virus I caught from the previous night that I woke up in the wee hours of morning with a fever. Lucky for me, there's nothing much of activity that day. Nothing but to lounge and/or sleep in these beach beds.

Pretty much my definition of relaxation: lying down while listening to music, with leaves of trees shadowing overhead and a great blue ocean presented before me. Best moment!

"The beauty of doing nothing."  :)

IRONICALLY UNFORGETTABLE

We arrived at Malapascua Island an hour past lunch after a fun 3-hour van ride from Cebu City. The long sitting did not seem waiting at all because it was spent chatting with my friends and around some occasional boisterous laughter.

After checking in to our hotel and unloading our stuff, we walked around the island to find a place to eat.

We ended up grabbing our late lunch at Malapascua Exotic Island Dive and Beach Resort. Calamari, Sweet and Sour Pork, Spicy Shrimp Soup, and a platter of grilled pork, potatoes and eggplant.

When we got back to Ocean Vida, we were greeted with tables, chairs and bean bags already hanging out in the beach. Apparently, it was happy hour already! :)

I always say this, and I don't think I can stress it out more. I have a soft spot for that moment in happy hours where you just sit there, feel the wind in your face, glance at the people around, and simply inhale those special seconds of unadulterated joy. I always try to capture this moment as I know they don't always come back around.

Happy hour indeed. Unlike the nightlife in Boracay, Malapascua didn't have any loud music, fire dancers or singing bands. I also love Boracay for that, but it's refreshing to spend the night quietly relaxing. Here, you can actually hear each other talk without having to shout directly to each other's ears.

After rounds of cocktail glasses leaving and arriving in our table, I woke up the next morning with a fever and vague memories from the night before. I don't even remember going back to the hotel room. I hardly remember what went on half of the night that I was so baffled to see these photos of a puppy and our table when I got my film developed.

Don't even remember taking them. Proof of a fun night :)

MAJESTIC

It was devastating to see old churches in Bohol and Cebu built in 1700s and 1800s brought down to rubbles due to a 7.2 magnitude earthquake just last week. I had the chance to visit Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, one of the churches that sustained damaged, two weeks prior to that unfortunate event.

I think I was able to utter a very audible "Oh, wow.." the moment I stepped out of the car in the parking lot. It was magical! The round lanterns that dangled from the trees immediately set a certain tranquil mood for me. I'm easily floored with settings like this.

And then there was the actual cathedral that stood up like a majestic king, praised by everyone that laid eyes on him.

Was able to step inside for a few minutes while there was an on-going mass ceremony, and holy mother of churches! The view inside was quite breath-taking. The pillars, the ceiling and most importantly, the altar (obviously, the entirety of it) was stunning. I was filled with awe that it disabled me to take a single photo while inside. There was no prohibition to cameras, but the sacred feel quietly sent that message to me, so I chose not to snap a shot.

I really hope that all damaged churches get the best possible restoration immediately. They are truly gems.

KIDS OF MALAPASCUA

Although life in Malapascua Island can be very simple (and also very peaceful), I believe they are also the happiest bunch of locals I have met. I guess it only makes sense that when the way of life is simple, there's also less tendency to worry about the world, and life in general.

Filipinos are almost always described as hospitable (or at least that's how we think we are), but it's only with the locals of Malapascua I've felt the most genuine when it comes to accommodating tourists in my ample experience of traveling in the Philippines. We've actually come across a local with a hidden agenda, but I'd like to believe it's an isolated case.

My favorite part of capturing life in this island is seeing innocent kids play in the sand and around the coconut trees. iPad, PlayStation and Nintendo 3DS are so far-fetched from the game plan of these kids, only the basic tools from nature!

I stopped by this boy doing something with twigs and stones in his hands.

No, the dog is not eating the toddler's arm, just sharing a playful bite :)

Run, Forrest, Run!

This little girl stopped and smiled when she knew I was taking photos.

Isn't she the most adorable? :))

A 17TH CENTURY HOUSE IN CEBU

Last stop of our one-day city tour in Cebu is one of the oldest houses in the Philippines, and possibly the oldest Chinese house outside of China: the Yap-Sandiego Ancestral Home.

I was so eager to shoot everything about this 2-storey structure because I like wood and the little details in general. A bit let down for me though was it had very minimal lighting inside. I was forced to dial down my shutter speed to 1/15, 1/30 at most. I can only imagine how everything looked and felt like if they were shot in daylight, but I guess the yellow light bulbs accompanied by the night time gave a different perspective to it. Yes, the creepy-goosebump-y side, perfect for a textbook horror film :)

There were statues of saints in almost every corner of the house, which tells you how religion, specifically Catholicism, was a real big deal back then, a great influence from the Spanish colony.

Love these tea pot sets and embroidery.

The second floor holds the dining area and kitchen. At this point, my light meter is already blinking at 1, but I casually ignored it and still fired away consecutively :)

Details, details, details.

 95 percent of the roof and walls are original. The house was constructed sometime in 1700 using coral stones glued together by egg whites. 1700! EGG WHITES!

The backyard was beautiful. It was surrounded by jars of clay, bonsai plants and a 14-foot wishing well. Sadly, it was too dark in the area to photograph them all :(

See the roof of the house inside? It's made up of stacks of clay supported by molave wood, and a piece of clay weighs a kilogram. I'm guessing there were a thousand pieces in here (what a heavyweight!).

So much history in one house. It's very interesting to see the past, how things worked back then, how these materials were built to last, and how it is still being nurtured and taken care of in the present. Jose Rizal would be proud, I guess? :)

P.S.

Would love to hear how you guys handle taking photos in places with very limited lighting :)