The Octopus’ Garden

Last weekend, with the brute force planning of Dikky and a good friend, Ama, I was able to drag my ass out of bed to go on a flight to Coron via Busuanga. It was tempting to spend the long weekend resting at home but this trip had been planned for months already and I must say I was also excited to go. I’ve been eyeing this trip for years and finally, with a lot of political will, it has happened! After all, my ideal vacation has always been to spend it out at home with no additional expense. Yeah, I could be that boring at times. :)

Since we got to our hotel (Coron Village Lodge located in Coron Town, Busuanga Island) around mid-afternoon Friday, there wasn’t much left to do so we opted to visit the Maquinit saltwater hot springs north of where we were staying. We spent the rest of the afternoon there and started heading back slightly after dark, after which, we had a sumptuous home-cooked meal. Yes, our lodging had a good kitchen in it!

Early the next day, after filling up the chiller with fresh food, water, and beer from the Coron Public Market, we hopped on a boat to go around the Coron Island cluster itself. And that’s when we experienced the sheer awesomeness of what nature has laid out before us, from the interesting and towering granite formations of the island cluster to secluded white beaches, and of course, to the calm and really clear waters. The sights were simply captivating! While it’s okay to enjoy Coron from the surface, I believe, the real deal is when you dive into the water and experience for yourself the diverse marine life and shipwrecks beneath it, and if you don’t, you will just be short-changing yourself. :)

Before leaving Manila, I was contemplating on bringing my DSLR so I could be better “equipped” but decided against it and just brought a P&S so it won’t feel like “work.” The heft of the DSLR was also an issue so travelling light proved to be a better idea.

One would assume that I would have shot thousands of photos during this trip but you’d be mistaken. When Dikky and I got home and started organizing our photos, I soon realized that I only got to shoot a little over a hundred! Imagine my surprise and dismay! What was I thinking? What was I doing? Well, that’s what this paradise can do to you. It was just so breath-taking and peaceful you can get drawn to it easily. While I may not have lots of photos on this trip, I’m happy I still got a few keepers. Besides, what’s important was the total experience, right? It may have been disappointing at first but I realize this is another good enough reason to go back as this trip was definitely just a teaser. There’s just so much to experience in Coron! Of course, it was equally fun being with good friends from the other telco network so you could imagine ourselves bashing each other (in the spirit of fun) throughout the whole time. :)

I may not have been around much, as I have yet to see the rest of the Philippines, but I would tend to agree with what’s written on this funky tricycle we rode in on our way to the pier: There’s no place like Coron.

I’ve been spending the past two Holy Weeks in a lovely beach-front home in Dingalan Bay in the Aurora Province (Philippines). Here, I offer a collection of photographs I’ve taken while seeking temporary asylum from the noise and chaos of the city. It wouldn’t have been possible without the hospitality and care of the lovely Dimarucot-Magbanua family who surely made us feel we were also part of it. My gratitude is yours! :)

Dingalan Bay Moon Rise

Dingalan Bay Sunrise

You can see the rest of the photos in this gallery.

Have you ever found yourself trying to work on something for hours and still ended up with nothing at all? Sometimes, the best way to actually get work done is to just walk away from it and have a change of scenery. Let’s admit it, there will always be times when you’d want to just get away from the cubicle dungeons and I’ve found that one of the best places to seek refuge on would be the nearest cafe.

Why coffeeshops just work.

it’s not so much about the expensive coffee but how it makes itself conducive for work. A cafe is a good balance between a prude office environment and your home that’s too comfortable for real work to get done. It can be surprising what you can accomplish in just 30 minutes to an hour. As I said above, while coffeeshops are technically more distracting than the confines of offices, the change in environment is what we’re really after. Simply put, it’s peace among strangers.

But for me, it can’t be just any coffeeshop. I still do have my preferences as far as choosing which coffeeshop to lay a nest on. Here are some tips you might want to consider in your own pilgrimage.

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Several months ago, after years of whining, I finally consulted a doctor and was finally diagnosed with Plantar Fasciitis on my left foot. For those who don’t know, Plantar Fasciitis is a very painful condition of the heel which is aggravated by extensive standing, walking, running, and weight-bearing (including my own) activities. It has been bothering me ever since high school but I’ve been ignoring it all these years thinking it was just natural fatique. It would turn out, since I’m slightly flat-footed, that I was really predisposed to such a condition. And those CAT/ROTC boots just helped aggravate it!

The doctor also said that this is pretty much irreversible but its worsening can be delayed by going through physical therapy, by wearing a customized insert (orthotics) inside my left shoe, and by considerable weight-loss via cardiovascular activities. The first two was easy. It was the latter which was the problem. It meant I had to lose more than 8kgs.

Why Cycling?

I love to walk. I love to run, and I was hoping that that could help but the doctor also told me to avoid impact sports in particular. I’d love to swim but the pool at the rooftop of my condo which is just a few meters long doesnt provide much challenge. I call that pool, a formality. And that’s when I considered my other old love, cycling.

How I Did It.

Living in the city has its perks but being able to bike safely is definitely not one of them. I had to do my sessions when the roads are less filled with cars. Plotting a good route around Makati that isn’t that boring was a real challenge but I really didn’t have any choice but be like a hamster. I couldn’t afford to just wait for weekend out-of-town trips and I wanted to be able to bike whenever I could squeeze it through my work.

And while it wasn’t really necessary, I bought a Garmin Edge 705 so I could keep track of my “performance.” It also helped push me whenever my speed was too slow, if my pedalling was too loose, or if my heart was racing too fast (that happens whenever I get a close call with a speeding car). It also has a calorie-burnt calculator but I have yet to find out whether it can actually be trusted. For what its worth, it does give me an idea that I’m indeed making progress.

So How Did It Go?

Well, 4 months since I started cycling again, my beer belly has started to disappear dramatically that people would actually notice! I definitely feel much lighter after losing around 5kgs, and the effect on my foot is very significant. I also haven’t had the characteristic morning pains and the need to take a pain killer! It’s a very liberating feeling and my only regret was not conceding to a checkup much much earlier. Heck, now, I even miss my whining! Hehe. Of course, while this may have worked for me, it’s still best to consult your doctor.

How about you? Do you have Plantar Fasciitis as well? How are you dealing with it?