My Saudi Arabia sojourn

I decided to work in Saudi Arabia thinking it would be a quite a learning experience for me. I have been in many countries, but never have I stayed more than a few days away from family and friends.

To me, the chance to work abroad is an opportunity that does not come too often. I also see the opportunity to test my resolve and go through what millions of Filipinos all over the world have gone through.

So one clear day in July, toting my trolley bag and a backpack, I was heading toward the airport off to a foreign land to live and earn a living for a year.

My younger brother and my parents accompanied me to the airport. It was an uneasy feeling as I bid farewell to my family.

The flight was quite long and sleep was too difficult.

After eight hours, I finally arrived in Saudi Arabia, trying very hard to remember all the things I needed to do and preparing in haste all of the documents I needed to show.

A Saudi immigration officer passively browsed through my papers, and in a few minutes, I was off to the airport terminal.

Waiting for me was a jolly Indian fellow, who quickly grabbed my trolley and tossed it at the back of the car.

I was brought to my hotel, where I will be billeted for the rest of my one-year stay.

I was tired and spent, but it took a while for sleep to come to me. My mind was too occupied thinking what tomorrow might bring, my first day of work.

A visit to quaint Pundaquit

The coastal barrio of Pundaquit is becoming a popular destination in Zambales.
Located some 7 to 8 kilometers away from San Antonio town, the village typifies a small, quaint community where fishing is the main source of livelihood for residents.

It will take almost 4 hours to reach Pundaquit from Manila. The roads leading to Subic and other Zambales towns are generally well-maintained. It was a nice surprise to see the smooth and very straight tree-lined road leading to Pundaquit after we arrived in San Antonio.

For both sides of the road we saw rice fields resembling a massive chessboard of light brown squares.

Boracay it is not, but Pundaquit is slowly embracing tourism. It has become the take-off point for island-hopping to nearby Anawangin Cove and Capones Islands, to name a few.

But the beach in Pundaquit is truly scenic, with cottages and huts and colorful boats lined up along the sea shore. The view is more picturesque with mountains and faraway islands serving as a backdrop.

The sea itself can sometimes be quite rough, with at least six-foot waves regularly crashing in on the dark sand beach and retreating back to the ocean.

Surfers have found a haven in these waters, and when the waves are too rough for the boats, one can see a few brave souls, both local and out-of-towners, toting their surfboards to hit the massive waves.

Revisiting Potipot Island in Zambales

First visit to Potipot Island

I first visited Potipot Island in the late 1990s, back when the small island was yet to be developed and transformed into a major tourist attraction of the province of Zambales.

Potipot Island lies off the coast of Candelaria, Zambales, and is a part of Barangay Uacon.

Back then, there were only a handful of people, mostly locals, who know about Potipot. A distant relative told us about the island, which was said to be a favorite picnic spot for locals.

I distinctly remember that the island was not yet "commercialized" and that to get there, we had to find and bargain with a local fisherman hoping to hire his small banca to take us on a 15-minute trip to the island.

We secured the banca, a small, cramped motorized outrigger. The fisherman had to scout for a good place to dock his small boat. There were a few pitched tents when we landed. We brought along our supply of packed lunch and water.

A backpacker's paradise

Potipot Island back then was a backpacker's paradise. There were no lights, no electricity, no houses, and no comfort rooms. Coconut trees abound, as well as wild bushes. A few fruit trees are scattered along the beach with overhanging branches providing shade.

It was easy finding a good spot along the beach since only a handful of beachgoers were there. We swam in the crystal blue water and walked along the white sand beach, after pitching our tent.

Potipot Island is small but unique. One can actually walk and explore the whole island in about 20 minutes.

What is unique is that on one side of Potipot is a stretch of white sand beach, while the other side is "rocky," where corals and massive drift woods are often seen lining the shore, particularly during low tide. This rocky side of Potipot Island also provides a nice view of the sun at it sets on the horizon.

Return to Potipot Island

After almost 10 years, I was able to visit Potipot Island again.

By now, the island has been made into a full-pledged tourist destination, thanks to ample "exposure" from mainstream media, and most recently from the Internet, via numerous blogs.

From afar, the island is still a beauty to behold.

But the signs of commercialization are already there. A portion of the island has been made into a small dock, where colorful boats ferry local and foreign tourists.

Tourists

The traffic is brisk as boat after boat "unload" tourists to and from the mainland. According to locals, numerous hotels have sprouted around Candelaria town, and a day trip to Potipot Island has been a staple fare for hotel guests.

As soon as you land, somebody will approach you and ask for a 50-peso entrance fee per person for a day trip, or a 100-peso fee if you plan to stay overnight.

There is now a clearing at the center of the island, where a huge tree house and a few cottages stand. Potipot Island as well as the massive tree house are said to be owned by a prominent individual.

There is a comfort room for men and women and numerous nipa hut-type cottages along the beach that are for rent. There is a cooking area and a large grill that beachgoers can use. And if you happen to forget to bring some supplies, there is a sari-sari store nearby.

Finding a spot on the beach is now a bit of a struggle as numerous families and groups often had to compete for space.

The beach often buzzes with activity, as jet skis and ferry boats often whiz past.

Still a clean beach

Thankfully, the island local government seem to know the value of Potipot Island. Despite the onslaught of commercialization, caretakers are able to maintain the cleanliness of the beach.

One can only hope that Potipot Island retain its beauty for years to come and for more visitors to enjoy.

Getting to Potipot Island

Getting to Potipot Island is now easier than ever, thanks to the NLEX-SCTEX link that motorists can take. From Manila, you can travers NLEX all the way up to Sta. Ines, Pampanga, and take a right turn to SCTEX. From there, go straight to the last exit, which is Tipo Exit, which is already a part of Olongapo. Simply follow the road going to Candelaria town in Zambales and you are almost there.

Skimming Boracay’s waves in a paraw

Heavy commercialization and the continuous flow of tourists may make some frown on what Boracay has become.

But when it comes to water sports, Boracay is still the prime destination for snorkeling, diving, kite boarding, parasailing, and skim boarding.


For the more laidback type, nothing beats coral walking and of course, sailboating with a paraw, a native outrigger with huge colorful sails.

I was with my family on a long-awaited vacation in Boracay and after a few haggling with a local paraw operator we don our life jackets and got on board a blue and white paraw.

It was supposed to be an off peak season in Boracay a few months after the summer months. But it was ideal, as an overcast sky, and a frisky breeze powered the sailboat around the island.


To a jaded traveler, this seems not at all exciting.

But feeling the waves beneath you and the wind blowing the sailboat to skim at decent speeds is still exhilarating. An added bonus is seeing your kids experience the thrills and spills as the paraw sails catch the whistling wind.

You can feel the power of wind tugging the sailboat as we take a circular route to Boracay. The trip took less than 2 hours, although our captain, a seasoned paraw operator, said the trip could have taken longer if not for the wind.

At the onset, one can feel the turquoise seawater and the corals beneath one’s feet.

As the sailboat go further to the open sea, one can have a nice vista of the surrounding islands, the other sailboats and a lone fisherman with a quaint banca.

It was touristy, but it was an adventure.

The ridge at Tagaytay

It has been raining for the past few days and the rains have been drenching the city.

But a nice ray of sunshine peeking through gray clouds and the prospect of cool weather prompted us to drive to Tagaytay one weekend.

It was bonding time for the kids and for the grandparents. So off we went, traversing the famous Edsa, not very early, but early enough to dodge the equally famous traffic associated with this historic thoroughfare.

At the back of the van, the grandparents and the kids chatted merrily.

We reached one of the exits of the South Luzon Expressway in less than an hour, deliberately traveling at a lazy pace.

We were soon traversing the road to Tagaytay, passing by ritzy subdivisions, malls, restaurants, and roadside stores.

After sometime, we were soon passing by quaint houses, improvised fruits stands, souvenir centers, and craftsmen’s shops, as we got nearer our destination.

You know that you’re almost there when you see the modest resthouses, small hotels, and inns, all surrounding the ridge.


We passed by the famous Rotonda as we enjoyed the early morning view. We doubled-back, as we headed to go the popular Picnic Grove.

Unfortunately, the place was still drenched by the rains of the past few days.

What we found however was a simpler, nicer place.

It was a roadside eatery, just beginning to open. The owner graciously allowed us to take one of huts and our packed lunch. We ordered con gee to go with our lunch.

We talked as we ate, as cars loaded with weekend travelers, like us, passed by the road.

We were soon on our way to a nice spot to view the world-famous Taal Volcano.

No matter how many times you have seen the volcano, you do not get tired of its ethereal beauty.

We spotted the volcano, nestled in Taal Lake.

But the view took a drastic transformation, as fog begun blanketing the surroundings, carrying with it chilly air.

We linger for a sometime and took pictures.

As the afternoon rolled by, we headed to a famous burger house for snacks.

We were soon heading home, but not after taking some more pictures at some isolated spots along the ridge, against the backdrop of the Taal Volcano.

A pleasant roadtrip to Real, Quezon

Convoy to Real

It was a typical day one summer when the convoy rolled off.

The idea came from my brother, who happened to know a very good, although not very “commercialized” beach resort in Real, Quezon.

We were going to the beach with several cousins and nieces and nephews who were all excited. The roads going to Real, Quezon are mostly scenic and near the coast.

The road trip saw our modest convoy of a car and a van head toward Southern Luzon. We left very early in the morning, intending to enjoy the cool weather in the morning and to avoid the traffic rush in the city.

We also intend to enjoy the scenic route, because we will be passing by Antipolo, Tanay, and some towns in Laguna, including Pililla and Siniloan.

We then headed to Real, Quezon and proceed directly to one of the “rural” beach resorts.

Reaching Laguna

From Manila, the road begun to transform as we reached Laguna. We had packed our breakfast and planning to just eat along the way.

The scene took a gentle transformation, as an urban setting gave way to a more rural appearance. We passed by quaint houses, farmlands, and a carpet of green from both sides of the road.

After passing by Rizal, we negotiated a nice zigzag road heading to Famy, Laguna.

The travel time to the zigzag road was about 45 minutes, but we had to make quick stops. Some of the kids actually got dizzy and well, there goes the breakfast.

Thankfully, our itinerary included a sort of a pit stop in Famy where my brother’s father in-law was waiting for us.

We reached Famy and stayed there for some snacks. We got a nice “tour” courtesy of my brother’s father in-law who graciously showed us around. The kids played for a while, before we finally got ready and went on the road again.

Infanta, Quezon

The roads and the surrounding vista were even simpler, but more beautiful going to Infanta, Quezon.

The road, while still long and unwinding, was gentler. There were hills, and trees from both sides. We passed by a few bikers, and a few cars. After a few hours, we finally reached Real.

A quaint resort

The resort was along the highway and very near a small public market.

After settling in and exchanging pleasantries with the caretaker of the resort, the kids eventually headed off to the beach.

Against a backdrop of a green mountain, the beach is actually a small fishing town. Simple nipa hut cottages dot the coastline. Fishermen’s nets are hanged from houses found alongside the simple cottages.

While the kids frolicked, the grown-ups made a short trip to the market and got large squids, prawns, and some fish for dinner.

We had a nice time just letting the time pass by, sitting on the cottage with a view of the sea as we watched the kids play along the beach.

Shooting the rapids at Cagayan De Oro

There were about 6 of us, one on each side of the rubber dinghy, paddle on hand while our guide barked orders.

What started out as a tranquil trip soon became a roller-coaster ride, as the rapids became even more violent. We were told not to open our mouths lest the river decides to shove several liters of river water down our throats.

But forcibly drinking the not-so-pleasant river water was the least of our problems.

The dinghy was swaying uncontrollably on the left side, as we tried our damn best to keep the course straight. Our dinghy, and its occupants, was being thrown like a rag doll from side to side, and we were getting soaked to the skin.

The rapids seemed hell-bent on testing the group's resolve.

The rapids raged on, as we saw one large vortex after another, with white foam brewing at the center of each vortex.

We tried to steer clear of the vortex, remembering that falling off the dinghy and getting trapped in the middle of the vortex is a high possibility.

We grit our teeth and tried to listen to the orders of our guide, who seem uncannily calm and composed.

We were shooting the rapids in a white-water rafting adventure in Cagayan De Oro.

We braced ourselves, knowing that the worst was yet to come.

From two-foot high swells, the rapids soon rose to about 4 to 5 feet. Some of us were shouting in joy and in terror.

We caught a glimpse of other groups struggling as we were.

The calm water up ahead seemed too distant. Muscles started to ache, and the repeated rowing became an effort.

After a few hours, we were soon home-free, with a long stretch of flat, calm water up ahead.

The water stood calm and for the first time, we had the chance to enjoy the scenery.
The river bank was carpeted with grass and shrubs, and tall coconut trees. The river seemed unspoiled. And the ride was soon over.

We were tired and spent.

But we still raised our paddles in unison, a tradition for those who endured, and survived, the rapids of Cagayan de Oro.