28 April 2010
When we went to visit Aunt Ligaya (sister of Uncle Dennis - Aunt Jo's husband) the day before, she told us that she will be visiting her son in Siapar, and when cousin Dang told her I am a travel blogger, she thought it would be nice if I could come with her, too, so I can see some sights and eat fresh seafood, too. Of course, I didn't say no to that, but Aunt Jo asked cousin Dang and niece Grace to come as well, so I won't be shy and be out of place.
From the old port in Brgy. Pilar, we took a small boat to Brgy. Siapar - in the neighboring town of Anda. I already started taking pictures (even if the boat ride was quite scary because it was too small), and here are just some of the many pictures I took that time.
Thanks, Mister Boatman. This was the boat we took going to Siapar. See, it was really small, but we got to our destination safe and sound, thanks to this boatman. It was free of charge, too, by the way - I just took him a couple of pictures and that's it. :)
House on a Hill. Aunt Ligaya's son lives at a top of a hill, and we took this steep trail going to the house. Going up was difficult as the soil was a bit loose and there were small rocks falling as we make our step, but going down sure was more difficult.
Anyway, we stayed in the house for a few hours because they still prepared lunch. Aunt Ligaya's son and daughter-in-law both earn a living by gathering seafood, and for that day they cooked squid, oysters, and grilled fish.
Little Island. Taking their boat, they took us to this little island to enjoy the view, savor the fresh air and take a dip in the cool water. This may be in the middle of the big sea, but water in this part wasn't deep, so we were able to walk around.
Little Island. Taking their boat, they took us to this little island to enjoy the view, savor the fresh air and take a dip in the cool water. This may be in the middle of the big sea, but water in this part wasn't deep, so we were able to walk around.
Clam Picking. Lunch was still an hour away, and since none of us wanted to really take a dip in the water, most of them just started picking clams, which were scattered around the island. They were able to fill up four big plastic bags, which we divided and took home.
Shells. Not clams, yes, but as I find my little spot to rest at, I saw a part of the island with lots of these little shells. It was so great playing with them - every time I pour sea water, they'd open up, then close back again. :)
Starfishes. Grace and another girl named Filipa was able to see lots of starfishes in the sea bed and decided to collect them as well. They would gather lots and lots of starfishes and place them in a basin-like part of the island with very little water. Well, what they forgot to realize was that these starfishes were alive, so they would walk (errr... crawl?) away when the kids go back to gather more. None of them took home any of the starfishes because yes, they did care about the welfare of these critters, and they knew it was best to leave them where they belonged.
Satisfied with the clams they gathered, they served lunch, and although I don't eat oysters, I feasted with the grilled fish and squids. We took some time to relax after eating lunch, but soon after, they decided it was time to travel back home.
Cousin Dang cooked the clams for dinner that day, which was really awesome! I wasn't much into shellfishes, but it was the only food for dinner, so might as well eat it. Well, I guess it being fresh made it really, really awesome, and I did eat a lot for dinner that time.
It was so great being a travel blogger (or a blogger in general)... not only was I able to see new places, I feel blessed that the people around me are "conspiring" to make my day really, really great!
*** Jenn ***
*** Jenn ***
