Vacation! Vacation! Vacation!

Its been a while since I actually went away for vacation.  And I was finally able to do so last June 9-16.  I went home to mama's hometown in Anahawan, Southern Leyte to attend the town fiesta.  The last time that I was able to come home to Leyte was around 25 years ago.  And honestly, I was both anxious and excited about the trip!

I took the bus to Leyte and it was nice sweet DLTB bus that had wifi on board.  Although my butt hurt from the 30-hour trip, it was well worth it!  The scenery was really nice and I have to say it was really great to be traveling like this.  Armed with 3 siopao buns, a liter of water, a roll of tissue paper, and a fully-charged power bank, I was all set!!

I arrived at Anahawan at 1245pm and got off very close to the house.  Papa was already there waiting for me and I had an awesome lunch.  It was June 10th and the town was already in Fiesta mode.  The actual date of the Fiesta was on June 12th (Philippine Independence Day!) and the town was draped in banners and signs announcing the fiesta.  Oh yeah!

The next day Papa and I went to Cabalian town to buy a slightly used motorcycle.  It was a China-made bike sold under the HaoJue brand.  Hmm.. It wasn't so bad.  After buying some helmets, we went back to Anahawan to rest.  By this time, other guests had already arrived in time for the fiesta.

What was the fiesta like?  It was an excuse to eat meat, more meat, seafood, and drink softdrinks and liquor.  Almost all the houses had a karaoke going and roasted pork (lechon) was everywhere!  Poor me was looking for vegetable dishes all fiesta long.. Huhuhuhu..

All the time I was there, I took every opportunity I got to go jogging at the newly completed baywalk.  And I really loved it!!  Getting to jog at the seaside with that wonderful sea breeze was unforgettable for me.  The smell of the water was something that I had always fond memories of.  Its a shame however that I was not able to take a dip at the beach the whole time I was there!  Ahahaahaha!

A shot of the house in Anahawan with Papa

A day or two after the fiesta, papa and I went riding on his new motorbike.  We visited the towns of Silago, Hinunangan, and Hinundayan.  Those three towns were far bigger and far more prosperous than Anahawan town and it really got me thinking on what can be done to make Anahawan bloom into a place everybody would want to visit..

A seaside shack we saw at Silago town.

A day after visiting Silago, Hinunangan, and Hinundayan, we visited Cabalian and St. Bernard to the South.  Cabalian is a bustling port town while St. Bernard is a very prosperous trading hub with a very well-developed road network.  We also visited the site where a landslide had buried an entire barangay and saw just how much area had gone under the muck.  It was very humbling.  We went back to Anahawan town and my mind was abuzz with ideas for business and tourism..  Ehehehe.

The newly finished Seawall and Baywalk that stretches from Barangay Look to Barangay Poblacion in Anahawan.

A view of the Baywalk at night.  Nice LED lamps illuminate the place!

When it finally became time for me to head back to Manila, I got myself a bus ticket and packed my bags.  It had been a nice lazy week for me in Anahawan town.  My folks would be staying behind until July 10th to fully enjoy their vacation.  Early next morning I was at the terminal waiting for the bus.  Sadly the bus that arrived didn't have wifi internet but was nonetheless spacious with plenty of legroom.

It was a vacation well spent for me.  And I'm glad I made the trip.  Dad and I have a lot of business ideas we want to try out and he's still intent on having me take care of the business dealings there in the years to come.  I'm not really averse to the idea and I just might take him up on his offer..

Until next trip!!