Row, Row, Row Our Boat

Some 2000 years ago, Chinese statesman, warrior and poet Qu Yuan threw himself in the Mi Lo River as a last heroic act of protest against the tyrant government. His people rushed to their boats and tried to save him by beating their drums and throwing rice dumplings into the river to distract the fishes that might devour him but Qu Yuan still drowned.

Fast forward to the new millenium, the Dragon Boat Festival (Tuen Ng) was held every fifth day of the lunar month (June in the Gregorian calendar) to commerate the frantic search for the body of Qu Yuan.

In the Philippines particularly here at the Manila Bay (at the back of the Manila Yacht Club), dragon boat racing is fast becoming a popular sport and drawing a number of teams and enthusiasts alike. Laila a member of One Piece Dragon Sangres, one of the teams that compete in the Annual Dragon Boat regatta, has been very insistent that I should try out paddling as a guest in their women's team. For a while, I have been putting it off for a lot of reasons: foul smell of the Manila Bay, tight schedule and most of all, the activity itself is bawas ganda points (you'll get emusculated through too much sun exposure and physical exertion since to be good at it you need to practice everyday. Plus, you also need to be a strong swimmer, not just good swimmer, if you will be competing in open sea regatta.)

Probably it's the time of the month, a desire to be close to the sea or need to trim down my current body fat content all conspiring together so Laila did not exert much effort in dragging me and another newbie, Chiqui, to Manila Bay yesterday. We arrived at the Philippine Navy pier around 5 p.m. and after a brief orientation, we were led to the boat and I had to hold my breath (yes, good cardio) till we went closer to the breakwater walls of the Manila Yacht Club due to my morbid fear of inhaling microbes and further aggrevate my colds (yup, I'm a little bit crazy for going. :P).

Admittedly, it was not all that easy as it looks on TV. The rowing part needs to be properly coordinated and timed so you move smoothly and flawlessly in the water. The oar is a little bit heavier and trickier to manipulate in the water since the paddle is flat compared to the customized and tapered kayak oars. The movements are precise and more technical. With a minimum of 12 rowers in a dragon boat, teamwork is the key. You need to be really attentive on the movement particularly the lifting arm of the rower in front of you so you don't make a mistake and destroy the momentum of the team.

The fun though starts when you finally get the rhythm. It is when paddling becomes a joy, the smell of the Manila Bay starts its immunizing effect on you and the lull of the waves underneath the boat drowns away your stress. It leads you into a trancelike state until you paddle load home, see the murky water close to the pier, board off the boat, feel your saltish-tanned arms and ease your aching limbs through hot shower that you start questioning why you went in the first place.

But like most things unknown, the joy of knowing them pulls you back for more...

Visita Iglesia: Las Piñas Bamboo Organ

The Parish of St. Joseph in Las Piñas is home to the world famous bamboo organ. Although some parts of the Church have been restored, it retained much of its charm and outlook since 1814. (Note: Bring your own transport and travel during the day, if you plan on going.)

World famous 19th Century Bamboo Organ, the keys maybe rustic

but still they produce harmonious missal melodies to the delight of parishioners

La Pieta

Christ on His cross

Facade of the Church, hours before the procession

Mongolian Memoir 2

Ranch hand with supladitong camel on his ward, Turtle Mountain

Mongolian String Quartet at the Piatza of the Red Theatre

The Red Theatre in Downtown Ulaanbatar showcases the unique music and culture of Mongolia

The Khan Family of Rulers

Through these harsh plains, the Khans ruled Mongolia

At the Genghis Khan wax replica. Sa tangkad niya, I looked like a midget.

Turtle Mountain, Mongolia

Traditional Ger (Home) Furnishings, di ba aliw? Who wouldn't live in this tent?

Inside a Ger Tent: Super Lupit na Skylight!

Traditional Mongolian Music, Hotel Mongolia

Mongolian Memoir

Golden Temple, Ulaanbatar

Dinner with friends, Hotel Mongolia

One can always start the travel itinerary doing the usual stuff: unpack, soak in a warm bath for one hour to ease the jet lag, check out the shops, get dolled up, visit some famous landmarks and have quiet dinner with friends. For some free spirits like myself though, any trip is not complete without sneaking out to some rustic and uncharted destinations (usually unplanned and without the whinny or sheltered friends or family members).

Modern Mongolia Country Home: Quite colorful amidst the arid surroundings

Rural Mongolia

I believe I am a backpacker at heart (but with better fashion sense :p) . Never really felt contented travelling through the usual tourist routes, except if I'm travelling with my mother who hates adventure. I love to see the country for what it is (not through glammed up post cards or posh travel buses). Rural Mongolia is truly a delight in its simplicity and quiet charm.

Mongolian Girl, Hovgol Nuur

This girl's family is also taking a field trip at the famous lake when we got there and she was so adorable in her underpants and pink hat not to take her picture...

Hovsgol Nuur, Asia's second largest freshwater lake

When we arrived at the place, my friends got busy taking pictures but I just had to take off my shoes and walk through the cool, clear lakebed...bakit? Instant foot spa, what else?

Marshland, Outskirts of Ulaanbatar

Mongolia is a hard but an exciting place to live: dry weather, beautiful mountain ranges and water basins far and between.

Commercial signage in Ulaanbatar were mostly in Russian

"It was a delight to see someone who looks so Chinese but behaves totally like a Russian especially when drunk."

Colossal mural at the Liberation Monument, Ulaanbatar

The artistry of this colossal mural, which depicts the 'white knights' of the Mongols, is so awe inspiring in its vivid detail and mastery of the chiaroscoro. The monument is also a proud reminder of the long-standing relationship between Mongolia and Russia, which the locals consider to be their "white knights", in defending the territory against Japan during World War II and geopolitical tensions with China that dates back as far as the reign of Genghis Khan.

Tourists on top of the Liberation Monument

The climb at the 1,500 step of the Liberation Monument definitely could strain your tendons but the spectacular view of the Ulaanbatar provides an idyllic respite for any weary traveller. "It's definitely worth it!"

Mongolian Hills, Ulaanbatar

I have never seen the sky so blue and the smell of the morning breeze so crisp from any other airport except in Ulaanbatar, Mongolia.

What about Mac?

Lynn's Birthday Lunch at Teriyaki Boy, Macapagal Boulevard

No, not McDonalds or Mac notebook but Macapagal Boulevard. With the strip hugging recent headlines due to controversy involving development 'bruhaha', I wonder about the impact on its patrons --- my friends and myself included.

Source: Kristin, Digital Format (2008)

The reclamation and development of the area led to the sprouting of an eclectic array of restaurants and other commercial establishments. This means an alternative night spot and watering holes for foodies like us from the traffic congested Makati and Eastwood.

Sayang naman if it will be closed because of too much politics like the night spots in Baywalk...

Revisiting the Old Nayong Pilipino

Our original intent was to test drive the new Honda driving facility in Sucat, Parañaque but ended up in the old Nayong Pilipino Complex that Sunday. Sa dami ng re-routing in Parañaque, we obviously took the wrong turn and ended up facing the facade of the old Nayong Pilipino that brought back old, childhood memories for my brothers and myself.

We have a relative that used to live close to the area and most of our weekends were spent biking, strolling and running in the 45-hectare leisure park. I learned how to ride a bike in Nayong Pilipino. My brother learned the history of the Cagsawa Church from my grandparents in Nayong Pilipino. Apart from the obvious trip to memory lane, the park was wide enough for practice driving so, we decided to proceed since it was no longer operating commercially in view of the opening of the new Nayong Pilipino theme park in Clark, Pampanga.

Nakakalungkot lang. It was not the same Nayong Pilipino we knew so much in our childhood days. The nipa huts in the Ifugao Province were gone. The area where they place the beautiful kulintangs inside the Maranao Village was empty with termites and moths slowly eating away the beams. The manicured vermuda grasses that used to align the walkways were replaced by wayward cogon grasses, indicating the obvious neglect of the place throughout the years.

When the guard told us that practice driving (much to the disappointment of my younger brother) is not allowed, we decided to do our usual pasttime instead: biking. I took my niece to a ride and toured her on the biking grounds. Although the overall ambience was changed with the presence of some homeless and street children that now enjoy the fringes of the theme park (open to the public), the ruins still provide an idyllic calm in the midst of the hustle and bustle of a crowded metropolis.

While my niece could not appreciate the replica of the majestic Mayon Volcano with candy wrappers littered along the wild cogon grasses at the foot of the 'volcano' in the old Nayong Pilipino, I had to remind her that this was not the real thing and that the Mayon Volcano in Albay has inspired many poets and epic stories, which some of them already made into children's books that I read to her in National Bookstores and Powerbooks. She nodded absently and hopped her way out of the bike to catch a butterfly. And, I was left thinking whether I should be glad I have seen better days of the old Nayong Pilipino.

Kayaking in La Iya

It was almost four years before I had the guts to paddle out again. The last time I went on a single kayak was in New Zealand and I nearly drowned when the kayak went belly up as I struggled through the reeds. Totoo pala yung sinasabi nila na sisipunin ka if you stayed too long underwater. Medyo mahal ang cold tablets so I stayed out of kayaking for a while.

Kidding aside, the call of the water is one thing I know I cannot ignore foreover. So, when Daisy urged me to go kayaking out to sea, I had to swallow my apprehensions and paddle out. It was my first time to go kayaking with a partner and it was both our first. Ang saya!

It took us almost 15 minutes to get out from the shore trying our best not to hit and paddle the hapless heads of unsuspecting 'swimmers' and kill them instantly. Bakit naman kasi ang hihilig ng mga Pinoy na maligo sa gilid ng shoreline ?!? Ang lawak-lawak naman ng dagat, nagsisiksikan sila dun sa gilid. Hayy!

Daisy and I realized that we will end up kayaking onshore and look like complete morons if we do not synchonize our movements. We decided that I paddle on right and she paddles on left on every other count and we gradually went out to sea. One could imagine our sighs of relief and the jubilant cheers of our friends na kanina inip na inip sa kapapanood sa amin : )

Once we got the rhythm, everything went on smoothly. We paddled out till our arms hurt. We went past the fishing boats and only stopped till we realized that the water underneath was already deep blue. Daisy still wanted to paddle out, ala lang just to see hanggang saan kaya namin, but I told her that we should rest already just in case we reach China and we did not bring our passports.

We stopped at midpoint and just enjoyed the lull of the waves with the breath of the morning sunshine on our faces. It was the most relaxing experience I had in a long time and if not for Daisy complaining that her limbs were numb from my weight, we could have stayed there for much longer.