January 2014

Some cool netizens liked, commented, and shared this.
Photos, videos and stories of town explorations.
"We talked with joy behind the darkness. That dinner unleashed the real us. The candlelight was a silent witness of our fears, happiness and life's perspectives."

That day, I defied the common belief that Buscalan is all about getting a tattoo from Fang-Od. In Buscalan. there's great joy from simple things; there are great experiences from a short moment; there is ample food from little amphibians, represented by frogs.

This set of frogs jumped to my stomach


Buscalan is a village where every visitor has no right to complain, even Justine Bieber. This is a village for resiliency. Residents here can survive with ease without the presence of continuous supply of water, power (to charge their cellphone battery) and Wi-Fi.

In terms of food, this is not a problem here. They till their fields with crops that supply them food. Sometimes, they get frogs and cook them. Yummm.

Preparing for the food


This piece you are reading now is a documentation of how I spent my first dinner and night in Buscalan. This is not the usual dinner I experience often in many restaurants. This dinner has a heart, a soul. It is very special that it is not easy to move this to the trash section of my memory.

My local host showed me what is our meal for that night. He showed me what's inside that silverware he is handling. I saw frogs.

Frogs, destined to be eaten


Frogs aren't new to me. I eat frogs in my hometown #VIGAN

#VIGAN

FAST FACTS: Vigan is the only UNESCO World Heritage City in the Philippines.

PHOTO: A girl handles an image of San Pablo during the city's Longganisa Festival Street Dancing.
, actually. This is a childhood food. I grew up eating frogs.

As a frog-eater, I know where and when is the right time to capture them based on my childhood experiences. We get them from the pond at our backyard created by a heavy downpour of rain. We get them at night wherein they turn noisy and active because these frogs are nocturnal.

But here in Buscalan, there is a twist and it was not present in my childhood experiences. My thinking is that these frogs dwell in swamps, ponds or any stagnant temporary accumulation of water. 


Frogs on the plate


In Buscalan, never have I seen a pond, let alone a swamp. But since I saw flooded rice fields, my theory is that these frogs reside there. At least, my ignorance that these edible frogs are only present in the lowlands has ended. I just killed that kind of ignorance and buried it to the trash section of my memory.


No frogs here. They have jumped to our stomach.


This is my first night in Kalinga, indeed memorable. I spent dinner with my local host's family and some other strangers-turned-friends I met for the first time.

This was the best meal ever. It was not just about the frog but it was about the essence of the dinner. I ate the local way. We sat on the floor with the food therein. We created a circle with the food at the center. Until...

Blackout


The power supply wasn't able to wait for us to finish our dinner. We spent that moment with a candlelight and a chilly air. This is a moment where there is no room for complaining. This is the life here. It's simple, kind of deprived yet no one seems to complain. 

It was that dinner where my heart is pumping joyously; not that I am lucky to have a continuous supply of power in my place but because I am learning to appreciate the little things.

Sometimes, we only get to appreciate the value of a thing when it's gone. We also tend to realize the good deeds of a person when he dies. In Buscalan, I learned the value of little things around that without these little things, there will be no big lessons in life that make us better persons. I always tell this, I travel to learn. I treat it as a form of education that our present curriculum can not teach.

We talked with joy behind the darkness. That dinner unleashed the real us. The candlelight was a silent witness of our fears, happiness and life's perspectives. All is well.

The talk went long, even longer than street conversations under street lights. The darkness cloistered us in one place. It bound us as one soul. It was a long night of exchanging stories of victories and heartaches. Then we called it a night. As the candlelight is about to be defeated by the darkness, I searched for that plate-of-frog. I should have picked another piece only to find out that the plate is already empty.

The next day I woke up and what happened was disappointing yet beautiful to the contrary. /to be continued...

*BUSCALAN SOLO INVASION SUB-SERIES | 1

[TINGLAYAN] The Day I Hiked Solo to Buscalan, Kalinga - Part 1/2

TEASER: "I am soliloquizing under the scorching strike of the sun that is adding more agony to my weary self. I hope I am not yet lost. But if ever I'm lost, at least I'm lost in a paradise."
| 2

[TINGLAYAN] The Day I Hiked Solo to Buscalan, Kalinga - Part 2/2


TEASER: "So I thought the hike is over, but as I took a turn on that road, I saw the other side of the mountain and it doesn't look like I am getting any closer. It goes farther, and farther..."
| 3

[TINGLAYAN] Fang-Od (Whang-Od): The Last Tribal Tattoo Artist of Kalinga


TEASER: "She is unwittingly ending a tradition she is not supposed to end. She's ending the tradition not by her choice but by the call of our ever changing society."
| 4

[TINGLAYAN] 17 Great Memories + First Time Encounters in Buscalan, Kalinga

TEASER: "Buscalan rose to fame because of Fang-od. But Buscalan is more than Fang-od. It is more than the tribal tattoo."
| 5 | 6

[TINGLAYAN] There was No Sunrise in Buscalan, Kalinga

TEASER: "So the sun didn't shine that morning. However, I was able to understand the other side of the story."
| 7

[TINGLAYAN] Buscalan Rice Terraces Kissed the Clouds

TEASER: "This is my story about the Buscalan Rice Terraces. At first there is a foreplay with the clouds but it always ends up with a satisfactory finish."
| 8

[TINGLAYAN] Blacksmith Kingdom of Kalinga: Turning Stones into Fire

TEASER: "If there is no concept of poverty, there shall be no poverty. But poverty has been introduced by greedy kingdoms while the little kingdom dwellers of the mountains recognized it's presence."

Tinglayan #TownExploration Series

Map showing the Location of #Tinglayan

Click map to view latest articles covering Kalinga


MORE POSTS FROM THIS CATEGORY: *FOOD TRIP*

[BATAC] Batac Empanada | So What Makes it Special?

TEASER: "I have to say that I was so tired and had no breakfast at all but this 30-peso empanada gave me the energy."

[VIGAN] Exotic Vigan Food | Edmar is Certified Frog-Eater

TEASER: "If you don't have a strong stomach, tasting it would let you vomit. But I must, say, it is all in the mind. It is 'safe' to eat anyway."

[NAGA] Camarines Sur | I Ate Squid After 13 Years (Bicol Express Squid)

TEASER: "I thought I will never eat squid again but my travel infection is manifesting that conquering your fear and eating the food you never attempted to taste (or eat again) is part of the symptoms."

[VILLASIS] I Didn't Know there's Tupig in Villasis, Pangasinan

TEASER: "Villasis is booming, many industries are flourishing, trade and commerce are doing well, but tupig, one little cheap food remains to soar high with pride from the community."

[BANGUED] Peace for Abra | Roasted Cow for Peace

TEASER: "The roasted cow served as a sign for unity, it was only one yet it can feed many which can simply be related to the goal of P.E.A.C.E. for Abra group to unite the people in one with peace and harmony."

[SAN MANUEL] Pangasinan | Witnessing a Bayanihan Cooking Culture

TEASER: "I know it was not easy to sacrifice a time, your strength and effort but it was so enlightening that what I was seeing at their faces are marks of smile and sincerity rather than stress or expression of being tired."

[SAN FERNANDO] Halo-Halo de Iloko Balay - Refreshed in La Union

TEASER: "...this blue-colored old house-turned-restaurant has many surprises to keep that can only be experienced if you try to visit this restaurant."

[SAN FERNANDO] Halo-Halo Inside a Buko in Two La Union Restaurants

TEASER: "I can say that this two restaurants have come a long way and they are topping the list in terms of restaurants with nice halo-halo."
NAGUSTUAM DIAY NABASAM/NAKITAM? MABALIN MO MET I-LIKE.

Some cool netizens liked, commented, and shared this.
Photos, videos and stories of town explorations.
"When most people think Florida, they will immediately think Disney magic and theme park haven."

This is however just the tip of the iceberg of what this state has to offer those who chose to holiday here. A holiday to Florida is no hop across to Europe, and the distance and the amount that there is to do means that most holidaymakers will want to spend more than a few short days here. 
 

Here you can enjoy the sun, sea and sand of your dreams...


Have a look below at the best of the resorts, then have a look at cheap Florida holidays from Co-operative Travel that might make this trip of a lifetime that bit more affordable.

MIAMI

The home of the beautiful people, Miami delivers all you would expect, with golden sands, high-end shopping precincts and a breath-taking city skyline. Not just a destination for those looking for a touch of chic however, there are also many family attractions such as the zoo and aquarium, as well as the watersports of Florida Bay to be enjoyed.

KEY WEST

Away from the mainland, Key West lies in the Florida Straights, and is a small island boasting a wealth of beautiful scenery and it’s a great place to de-stress. Here you can enjoy the sun, sea and sand of your dreams on the beaches, or get in touch with nature by visiting either the Butterfly and Nature Conservatory or the Eco-Discovery Centre.

ORLANDO

For families, Orlando is the top choice of resort when visiting Florida. Here you are a stones throw away from Disney, Universal Studios, Seaworld and Wet n’ Wild. If you want to do everything on offer then you will be here a while, so choose carefully the attractions that you and your brood really can’t miss.

Florida will always be one of the top holiday destinations in America, and for good reason! There are many fabulous resorts here for families, couples, friends and all other types of people, and with such great deals no one need miss out! /end

#TownExplorations You Might Like

Map Showing the Location of Florida

Map by Google

MORE POSTS FROM THIS CATEGORY: *GUEST POST*

[GP] Christmas 2013: Festivities with a Difference

TEASER: "Christmas is a joyous time of year for most and in many cases, little thought has to go into the plans."

[GP] Pearls of the Pacific: The Region’s Best Island Destinations

TEASER: "From low-key backpacking adventures, to five-star spa resorts, the islands of the South Pacific cater to all types of travelers."

[GP] Top Barcelona Museums and Galleries (Guest Post)

TEASER: "Barcelona is a fantastic city and, as such, it is one of the top holiday destinations in Spain."

[GP] First Time Cruising (Guest Post)

TEASER: "If you're a cruise first-timer and you're a little skeptical about spending a week or two at sea, one of the best ways to ease yourself into this unique style of holiday - and to find out if you like it - is to try a mini cruise."

[GP] Year-Round Holiday Destinations (Guest Post)

TEASER: "Sometimes it can feel like the UK has just one season: winter. So if you're fed up of feeling cold, scraping ice off your windscreen or trudging through yet another snowfall, don't despair - you don't have to wait until the summer to escape to sunnier climes."

[Jasper] Alberta, Canada | A Town of 5,000 People with 20 Million Tourists

TEASER: "Seeing the breathtaking view of the mountains and the beauty of nature, savoring the quietness and serenity of the place surely brought us peace, happiness and a feeling of more closeness and intimacy."
NAGUSTUAM DIAY NABASAM/NAKITAM? MABALIN MO MET I-LIKE.