have gas, will travel

"Di ba kayo napapagod sa kakaalis!" an obviously exasperated Margie, a good friend of mine once interrupted me in mid-story about our trip from Morong, Rizal to Los Baños, Laguna.

Actually, nothing makes my husband and I happier than jumping into our trusted Chug-a-Bug on weekends and heading off to somewhere.Yes despite the hot summer heat and the fact that we don't have airconditioning. It's my husband's way of unwinding after a whole week of being stuck behind a desk. And I wasn't born with a nunal on my left foot for nothing.

Travel broadens the mind, I've always believed. It is also a good way to test your relationship. If you're still talking to each other after you've traveled together then you're made for life. That is until you find too late that your partner forgot to put your bag of underwear and toiletries in the car. (Solution? Share a toothbrush and borrow his or your son's briefs).

As someone who has travelled with family, friends, colleagues, husband and child, I think myself sufficiently endowed with enough wisdom to offer advice for those who want to set out on a holiday and survive to tell the tale (and show off the photos). Check them out ....

- Explore your surroundings and eat local food. Don't do like the Americans and look for the nearest Mc Donald's (or in our case, Jollibee). Ask around what the local specialty is and try it. If possible, head to the palengke and the most crowded pwesto to find out what all the fuss is about.

- Get off the beaten path. Why take the highway when you can take the side roads and enjoy the scenery. Sure there'll be the usual traffic, the exasperating tricyles zooming in and out, the jeepneys stopping at the most opportune moments but it's worth it to catch the local flavor.

- Don’t buy everything in sight. Staying in budget is the operative word. (Yeah, right)

- Lacking in budget? Don't let it stop you. Take day trips or look for a friend or family to stay with. Don't let the lack of a car stop you. Public transportation is a good and cheaper way to travel, too. Bring baon so you won't have to spend on every meal.

- Go to market. It's the best way to find the freshest food and discover the heart of a barrio or town.

- Go walking and interact with the locals. Not everybody can afford to go on tours so do the next best thing: check out the churches and old houses and explore them on your own. Talk to the locals to get 1. tips on the places to explore 2. get an overview of their town 3. suggestions about what to take home as pasalubong or where to eat. 4. Be courageous and get the history straight from the locals.

See it's not that hard to get the best out of travel..

love + travel = forever?

THEY say that the best way to find out if you and your partner can stand the test of time is to travel together. That way, you find out about each other's idiosyncrasies and can test your patience to the max.


Now whatever differences my husband and I  may have (taste in music, hobbies, jobs, interests), we at least like to travel together (or at least stand each other to last the trip).


Much to our son's dismay, Ned and I can find any excuse under the sun to ride our trusted orange Chug-A-Bug or creamy Dolores (VW beetles) to attend a birthday party in Morong, Rizal, a reunion in Angeles or Guagua, Pampanga; a christening in Bataan and make a side trip to Subic, spend New Year's Eve in Los Banos, Easter in Sta. Rosa, a summer weekend in Tagaytay.


Just say the word and we're ready to pack -- clothes, books, magazines, tapes, firs-aid kit, junk food, juices and water.


"How long will you be away?" my dad has been known to ask me every time he spots our large heavy-duty blue sportsbag which can hold clothes for about a week.


"Overnight," I'll say without blinking, then add, "Buti na ang ready..." while my dad simply shakes his head in amusement. Buti na lang walang limit ang luggage sa kotse.


And while others are content with simply taking the expressway to get to their destinations fast, we prefer to take the loooong and winding road. That way, we are able to look at old houses and buildings, take the off-beaten track, check out if there's something to be discovered -- an antique shop, a small dining place, a bookstore, a museum mayhaps, a second-hand store, maybe even an old Beetle!)


Yup, travel is a sure way to test a relationship, and summer is the best time to do it. That is, if you don't kill each other first. Or your son does. 

lucky in love

An "unlucky" couple was on the news just recently. Why? They went on their honeymoon with baby in tow and ended up experiencing every disaster conceivable (snowstorm, hurricane, floods, bush fires, eqrthquakes and tsunami). Here's the link to their story,  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/8432283/Swedish-couple-havehoneymoon-from-hell.html 
I don't mean to be mean but the story  cracked me up because it reminded me of my sister-in-law's not so lucky honeymoon in Boracay.....

I first met my sister-in-law, Bloom, when she was but nine years old and we clicked instantly.

As far as sisters-in-law go, I've had no problem with mine. With Bloom, I got to share not just her adventures and misadventures but also her successes and triumphs (she was fourth in the Dentristry Board Exams). I also got to meet her friends and Marvin, her buddy, long-time beau and now husband. And this is where my story begins....

A super sweet couple, Marvin and Bloom make. They met as members of the UP Singing Ambassadors and have been (corny as it may seem) playing sweet music together since. Both very creative and artistic, they are the perfect match. Or should I say, lucky match?

You see, things have a way of happening when they are together. Flat tires, brownouts, flash floods, hold-ups, you name  it, they've probably been through it.

Their honeymoon is the perfect example of how life and love goes --the Marvin and Bloom way. A week after their beautiful wedding, they set off for Boracay, courtesy of one of their ninangs. The night before they left, they went to National Bookstore to buy something, only to be told that they had insufficent funds. It turned out that an overzealous cashier at a hardware store Marvin had visited earlier had swiped his card twice more than necessary. With no cash at hand and all banks closed for the long holiday (it was the Halloween-All Saints'-All Souls Day week), we had to look for cash to tide them over until they got back.

They left Sunday morning for sunny Boracay. Well, it was sunny, until they arrived. To be fair, the sun was out until Marvin and Bloom waited to see the island's famous sunset. They didn't get to see it. It rained, and hard.

Then they met up with Neil, a friend, who invited them out for dinner, his treat, at an Indian restaurant. While enjoying the food and the cozy ambiance, a brown-out struck the island. Guess what? The restaurant didn't accept credit cards during brown-outs!
Guess who had not much cash?

But life goes on. The following day, they were eating again when they heard the cafe owner muttering about the 18-hour brownout and how it was the longest the island had ever experienced.  Marvin and Bloom could only look at each other and smile wrly.

But, hey, our happy couple was not to be put off. They walked hand-in-hand along the white sand beach, humming along, when something fell from the sky and landed right in front of them. "Buti na lang hindi tumama ang buko sa inyo!" exclaimed the people behind them. Again, they could only look at each other and smile.

Their misadventures would continue with a botched massage on the beach -- the sun that was shining brightly disappeared just as they'd gotten the services of a masseuse. The boat ride they'd scheduled to go nearby islands was cancelled because...well, I'm not sure anymore if it was because the boat suddenly had a hole in it or the clouds turned so ominous that even the boatman dared not venture out.

And the famous sunset? On their last day in Boracay, Marvin and Bloom woke up very early to catch it. Alas, it was raining. When they finally headed home and their plane went up the skies, the sun slowly came out and shone brightly in Aklan to bid them goodbye.

A lucky couple? Well...you could say that they are lucky to be soooo in love and be loved by many. :)

*************

Written, November 19, 2002. Illustration by melanie de jesus patterson