My Solo Trip to Bantayan

So here I am in the office since I was stupid enough to file for 3 hours of overtime. Anyway, I'm not here to talk about that.

I'm here to talk about my solo trip to Bantayan.

This is to also help out those who are planning to go to Bantayan Island.

People keep on teasing me on why I chose to travel alone, thinking I'm on a trip to find myself yadah yadah. I just want to give myself time to check one of my bucketlist of going on a trip alone, without someone thinking for me and taking care of me. 

I went on a very early Monday morning. I want less people to places I go to. 

I then went to ride a taxi going to North Bus Terminal where all buses going to Bantayan. 

My last trip dated May 25,26, 2015, fare I paid on the bus was 160php which will drop me off from the pier going to Bantayan; the Hagnaya port. I then paid 200hp (est) for the boat ride going to Bantayan Island.

When I reached the beautiful port of Bantayan, you'll walk towards the gate and lots of Habal habal drivers will offer you the ride. It's 30php to which resort you're going to and mind you, they're all nice to check if you already have a hotel or if none, they'll tour you around. 

I checked in to St. Bernard Resort, the reason why is because based on the feedback, they have a nice Customer Service, which I'd rather have rather than good food but having no good customer service, and it was indeed true. 

You can also rent motorcycles for a day for 300php exluding gasoline. I filled up mine for 120php; that's equivalent of 2 bottles of gasoline. You just need to provide an ID to them. 

On my first day, i just took a long sleep/rest and woke up in the evening for dinner. In the town proper, there's lots of restaurants where you can dine and the food was seriously delicious. Given my appetite, the meal was good enough to fill me up.

I then went back and took a rest again. I woke up early morning for breakfast, toured around the town proper, bought some souvenirs and prepared to visit their oldest church. GPS helped a lot given that I don't have any idea where to go, but still, I got lost. Good thing they were nice enough to tell me how to reach the said oldest church- St. Peter and Paul Parish. It was rather a breath of fresh air to travel alone, listening to music while riding my motorcycle (see video below) since there were few vehicles there. 

I wasn't able to visit the famous Virgin island and worse, I wasn't able to take a dip at the beach. Such a loser right?! I just took home a bag of sand, since I'm collecting sands of beaches I visited and the staff notified me that it was time to go. 

I went back to return the motorcycle,got my I.D. back and went to the pier. I'd definitely go back and this time, take a dip and visit the Virgin Island. 

On the bus, I took a nap and was surprised that it was routing via Consolacion so I asked to be dropped to SM Concolasion since I was dead hungry and there's transpo on my way home, which was just a 12php jeepney ride away from my humble abode. 

Next stop, will be blogging about the Mysterious Simala and how to get there!

Here are some of the pictures I took during my trip! Enjoy!

 goodbye Cebu!

inside the big big boat!

 Bantayan Port!!!!

 so clean, so good.

 riding the habal habal going to my resort

 One of the sought after restaurant in Bantayan town proper.

My breakfast before I toured the island.

 Welcome to Bantayan!

 Town Proper Map

 St. Peter and Paul Church in Bantayan, their oldest church

 St. Peter and Paul Church in Bantayan, their oldest church

 St. Peter and Paul Church in Bantayan, their oldest church

St. Peter and Paul Church in Bantayan, their oldest church

no Photoshop, this is how clear their water is.

be sure to wear your sunblock lotion or else... THIS!

This is to show how the water is sparkling clean 

while walking in the Bantayan Port...

Those stupid moments; 

I took a video of me riding my motorcycle 

and didn't realize my phone was taking videos upside down

laid back update

I received an e-mail from a dear reader that he was enthralled with my blog. Whoever you are, I dedicate this blog to you. Today is a Canadian Holiday (Canada Day), just like our June 12’s holiday. So we have less work today.

I’ve mentioned that I think I have a fairy blogmother that gave me the chance to have a work around with my blog and here I am now.

I  just decided to keep this blog and not make a new one. I’m here at work, (ghad, I hope they don’t get to record this blog, or I’m dead.)

Cebu

My 3rd home.  It was not actually planned for me to transfer here, however, stress was getting into me, that I decided to move and even if some people don’t believe in “talking to your connections,” health comes first.

So, here I am now going two years this September on my life becoming a “Cebuano.” Last year, I went back to Manila once in a while, plane tickets, most specially pre booked months before were a bit cheaper, but last March 2014 was my last. Kapoy (Nakakapagod, tiring). It’s a bit tiring to go back and forth from Cebu to Manila, and carrying my very big Dora backpack around Manila as well, takes toll on my mortal body. Whenever friends visits me here, I try my best, if I’m free to meet them, however, there are times that I wasn’t able to, and I owe you one Manilagayguy and Mcvie. Sorry kaayo. I’ll make bawi next time. 

Life

Less (to no) heavy flow of traffic (except for certain times), great food (for someone who has a peculiar taste buds), low-cost living, cheap food (for someone who has metabolism problems), and appreciates laid-back life. I’m not saying it’s perfect here, I still miss, lots of things in Manila, and Laguna. I could list them in a Manila paper, font size 11 and still get another paper, however, I get to appreciate things easily, and true enough, some friends/ old colleagues (from my previous department)  who visited me here last September 2013 loved it here, they too that they decided to move here with me. I don’t know if I’m able to sell it to them, or the effortless beauty of the Queen City of the South made them lesbians enough to love Cebu to apply and move here with me.

GayScene

I’m not sure if it’s me or I’m just paranoid, but I felt the silent discrimination in Manila. I also had bad experiences of getting bullied by our fellow LGBT whenever I walk at night and these people will mock me will sneeze as if I’m a walking black pepper (Paminta), and will say that out loud enough for me to hear. I’ve heard of gay guys being uncomfortable of lesbians and vice versa. I’ve experienced a church wanting gay guys to turn straight. Oh, the list is endless. I’ve read in the news that there were a few of them happening here, but personally, I’ve seen a different perspective on my end. I get to be friends with Trans, straight guys, even our foreign (straight) boss went out to a “date” with a trans who invited him to watch Queen of Cebu and it wasn’t an issue. Anyway, some of the issues are almost personal, but I’d rather point out the good ones instead. MCC wants me to start up MCC Cebu but it’d be a very very big responsibility. A few people know why I can’t stand that much responsibility but I’m happy that spiritual wise, the LGBT are a bit spiritual here and don’t need to go straight as they are accepted. I was surprised to see a gay highschool couple holding hands with the other guy’s mom going to Sto. Niño Basilica church altogether, a priest giving a sermon about their acceptance of the LGBT and “that” church who embraced the LGBT without asking them to go straight. So I guess I did judged “that” church group.

Spiritual

However, I still have to say, I’ve been struggling with my Spiritual life here as MCC has a different approach. BAKLA…. Yes, you’ve heard it right. MCC Makati’s way of mass is bakla, our pastor, our beloved pastor makes it a point that our homily won’t be boring, but will also let you learn lessons. I also love the fact that we just don’t study the bible; we go back ancient times. We go back to Hebrew and Greek definitions of the terms, which some of the churches lack since they just study the Bible per se. I just feel not Spiritually healthy here unlike when I was in Manila, though, enough to survive.

Travels(eseseseseses)

When we were still on our training days, same schedules on weekends off, we had planned an island tour in Mactan, and we were surprised how inexpensive it was! It followed more travel for me and my friends which I will create a separate blog for.

That’s it for now guys and update you soon! Amping! (Take Care!)

Nibalik nako! (I'm back!!!!) Casual Conversations and Updates

Is there such thing as fairy Blog mother? If there is, I think I have one.

I must admit, hands down to our IT personnel of our company. They were able to literally change the settings of our software, system, access so we can have limited access, and I can’t blame them; we work for  one of the biggest bank in the world (plus the fact AT &T's recent data beach here in the Philippines). Almost five years ago, when I can still blog from where I was and it was suddenly removed, there's also the...uhm “NSFW” blogsites were also getting blocked one by one.  I can still access the blogspot site it but I can’t post anything anymore.  I was sooooo amazed... Then, add up that my netbook got stolen here in Cebu, and I thought I would say goodbye to blogging. I’m actually saving for one since a friend of mine was very amused of my ideas of a "Tagalog” gay guy’s views and experience here in Cebu. Lots of ideas came to mind, but for sure, one of my topmost is my inspiration; ManilaGayGuy’s blog, and of course, I also dedicate this to the one who kept on pushing me to blog- Mcvie. I thought of re-creating his blog; Bisaya style. So I thought of couple of names; there was BayotMANgyudMi.blogspot.com (however, if it doesn’t look good with the man_gyud since it’ll become mang), I am still on the process of recreating another blog, another side of my (gay)life here in Cebu since I think that’s one of the things missing here. We have iluvcebu.com, lamikaayo.com, finlust.blogspot.com, and Cebu Fitness Blog are some. I have met a couple of bloggers here and would like to really get into the blogging life back again.

Anyway, so the reason why I think I have a fairy blog mother...

I found out a way to blog from the office computer... After Four years... I think I'm blessed with technology magic or something. Whatever you call it.

Anyway, going back to my Casual Conversations Series, here’s one about me getting a tattoo in my chest.

ME: I would like to get a tattoo in my chest with a famous Bisaya quote that I’ve heard a lot of times and it seems to be of an important part of Cebuanos and Cebuanas alike. 

PEOPLE: Amazed…

ME: It seems that this quote is believed to be of faith almost by everyone on a daily basis; that’s how important this quote is to almost all people of Cebu …

PEOPLE: Getting More Amazed… "What is it?"

ME: “Sinsilyo lang sa buntag.” (Barya lang sa Umaga) (Loose Coins only in the Morning)

Lastly, a couple of updates on how I look like now...

(Apologies for any incorrect/wrong grammar punctuation, etc... Why? Don't ask. lol)

November 2014 - Office Shoot

December 2014- Team Christmas Party