Spartan accommodations but I love it here

There’s more to the western part of Panay than Boracay. In fact, there are many interesting places in the provinces of Aklan, Antique and western Iloilo that just amazes without driving all the way to Caticlan. Ruins, churches, food and rowdy festivals are there waiting. The elongated room with just a single bed at one end near an aircondition unit and the draped window that led to a small veranda and a small table and cabinet at the other end near the door.

It was spartan and bunk like with nary a decor except for the curtain’s ruffles. The blue sheets and yellow curtain provides some cheer on an otherwise bare space. But I can spend all day staying in this kind of room, thanx to the complementary wifi connection.

The receiving area with the other amenities. The two doors are the two rooms.

As the name suggests, its an apartelle and the ground and second floors are actually inhabited. Rooms in the third floor on the other hand are still available and are being rented out per day.

Facade of the apartelle

There are no free breakfasts and, based on my last stay, the wifi has become spotty or nonexistent but most of the time, another hotel’s free wifi signal does reach the third floor. However, it pays to have a backup connection.

The place is situated at a residential area and thus far from the noise and is a couple of minutes walk to the main plaza. Do take note that during the Ati-atihan Festival, the room I stayed increases 266% at P3,000.

Eden’s Apartelle
L. Barrios Street
Kalibo, Aklan
Contact No.
+63 919 220 8814
+63 36 2681966

Ang Langyaw’s Panay Island trip courtesy of Airphilexpress, the fastest growing budget airline in the Philippines that made this trip possible!

Fresh buttered shrimp from RML Kamayan

Fat mud crab that the hotel owner gave me

After having seen so much cooked mud crabs, shrimps, fish and grilled chicken used as decor during the Ati-ati Festival in Ibajay, both procession and the street dancing, I was craving for seafood!

When I did reach Kalibo from Ibajay’s festival, I was checking foursquare for food recommndations as well as asked locals: Where can I eat crabs? Unfortunately, locals were telling me that either I buy them or have someone cook these for me.

Fortunately, a Twitter contact recommended RML Kamayan, one of the native food restaurant in Kalibo. When I did arrived there, I was told that there were no crabs that day. Darn! But they did have shrimps. Having been so hungry, I opted for it paired with some cool halo-halo.

The shrimp was fresh, as one can tell from the taste. It was cooked at just the right temperature, succulent and sweet. A plateful gone in a few minutes.

Having been sated, I went back to the hotel. While getting my key, I asked the owner where to eat crabs and, wonder of wonders, she has some. Her daughter brought some from a nearby town and she was willing to give me one!

Nevermind if I’ve already eaten but the thought of savoring the sweet crab meat was just too hard to resist that I gave in and was eating with my barehands. Not a failed attempt!

Ang Langyaw’s Panay Island trip courtesy of Airphilexpress, the fastest growing budget airline in the Philippines that made this trip possible!

Like puff pastry, the layered rocks looks like giant sliced strudels!

Unusual rocks in the area

The first time I saw the waverock formation at a beach in Barangay Afga, Tangalan, Aklan, I was thinking of layers of crisp and sweet puff pastry baked into perfection.

But instead of the flaky dough, these are limestone, soft rocks, which, for millenia have been shaped and molded by the forces of wind, water and continental drift to become what it is now, a beautiful rocky landscape so uncommon!

But wait, scanning the area, its not all layers upon layers of flat rocks. there are still other formations that just surprises: rotund and sponge but with bigger holes like that quizzes the mind on how on earth it got its form; grid like structure neatly laid out on the ground; and beautiful flowing and rounded rocks that attest to the action of seawater.

The old church of Tangalan, one of a few Spanish colonial era structures in Aklan, built in 1889

Tangalan seems to be just like other municipalities along the route from Kalibo to Caticlan. But entering the municipality, one is rewarded with a sight of a simple but beautiful church, one of the oldest in the province which was built in 1889.

For the adventurer, one might visit Jawili Falls, a few kilometers from the town center. However, as I lacked time during this visit, this will be for another visit.

Tangalan is just 30 minutes from Kalibo. One can ride the Ceres bus from the Ceres terminal (all buses bound for Caticlan or Antique or even Iloilo via Antique) or jeepneys from the Oyo Torong Terminal. Vhires also pass this town enroute to Caticlan.

Ang Langyaw’s Panay Island trip courtesy of Airphilexpress, the fastest growing budget airline in the Philippines that made this trip possible!

Dressed as an Ati with a Sto. Nino icon

Succulent mud crabs!

It’s just a small festival, colors are more subdued and less contingents than Cebu’s Sinulog but the Ibajaynons surely takes centerstage and knows how to have fun!

It was already 9 AM and the road infront of the municipal hall was already crowded with festival participants. Their skin blackened with soot and their costumes made from native materials adroitly fashioned into feathers, headresses and vests.

A couple of meters were simple floats decorated with palm fronds, cooked fish and crabs and an image of the Sto. Nino, the town’s patron saint. As the clock ticks to the start, in a few minutes, the participants are rushing last minute fixes.

The whistle blows and the drumbeats start, the dancer open with a few sways and stops, sways and stops and motions of their hands and feet. Stomp, stomp, stomp and quick pushes and pulls with their arms, head sway to the beat of the drums. Shouts of Viva Sto. Nino fill the air.

Another sooted and costumed dancer. CLICK TO ENLARGE.

Revelry participant in a woman's clothes

The crowd mill around, taking photos, craning necks and laughing. Some curious about what’s happening while others just stood there, ejoying the beat and the performance as the parade passed, with a bottle of beer in one hand. In my case, since it was my first Ati-ati festival, I was busy taking photos, stopping for a few minutes to look then shoot again.

After the dancers, groups of people pass in their festive march coupled with short dances. Step forward, gyrate and sway. Some in women costumes, men holding baby dolls, and the now ubiquitous seafood and grilled chicken on stakes being paraded. On floats are fruits, vegetables and meat. One even had several lechons (roasted pigs) paraded.

In the next few hours until lunch, the parade will wind through town, from the municipal hall to the main highway and back to the town center ending with an entrance to the church for a blessing.

Live moro-moro, a play-fight between Christians and Muslims at an open space near the church

The Ati-ati Festival of Ibajay follows the same storyline as that of Kalibo’s Ati-atihan Festival, Makato’s and Altavas’s and even Boracay which according to some historians, commemorate the barter of Panay and later, during the Spanish colonial period, the religious part was incorporated. While many contest this one, even putting forward a legend, what is important is that the celebration is meaningful to the townspeople.

At the church, people queue to have themselves blessed with the image of the Sto. Nino

While the Sinulog is very colorful, well choreographed and long, Ibajay’s Ati-ati Festival, personally, is better. There’s no big cash prize and contests for the best float or costume or dancing but its more of participation by the different barangays and the visitors who just come here for the festivities.

Ibajay’s Ati-ati Festival still retain that authentic festival flavor that is, sadly, lacking in most major festivals in the country.

Ang Langyaw’s Panay Island trip courtesy of Airphilexpress, the fastest growing budget airline in the Philippines that made this trip possible!

A windsurfing tyro tries on one

Boracay is not just a sun worshiper’s paradise, with its fine, powdery white sand and azure waters, but for thrill seekers, its also one of the best places for windsurfing.

Beachside, colorful, breezy and fun

Boracay’s Bulabog Beach, the side opposite White Beach is ideal for this sport. Especially during the northeastern monsoon, the wind is especially strong. That’s why during this time of the year, the Boracay International Funboard Cup is being held. During this event, lots of players, both local and international come and compete.

But for the novice, its not really difficult. First, there are several windsurfing (and kiteboarding) schools located along the Bulabog Beach strip with different price ranges and accommodations depending on one’s budget. One can even arrange with the different windsurf training providers via their website as they offer sweat free packages like these all inclusive Ski Holidays that simplifies the booking process via their websites.

Second, there are several competent and certified trainers that ensure you get the proper training that is recognized worldwide. Third, these windsurfing schools have world class equipment to boot. One can even chose to rent these out while learning at prices that are affordable.

Best of all, nothing beats learning to windsurf in one of the world’s best beaches, with great food, nightlife and very hospitable people that will make your stay enjoyable.

A man waving a palm frond with cooked mud crabs dangling from it

It was rather weird. Something that struck me as unusual that caught me off guard. People were holding skewered and grilled chicken or parts of it. Some with steamed crabs dangling from sticks. Whole fish tied to another and, even strange, raw meat stuck to a man’s body or raised up on wooden sticks, waved and being agitated to the loud shouts of Viva! Senor Sto. Nino!

A boy holding grilled chicken wrapped in plastic to protect it from the rain

A few meters away, beautifully clad gay men in fairy costumes were holding icons of the Sto. Nino, posing from time to time for amused people. But another lady was walking to the church with a nude baby doll strapped to her front.

In the first place, it was a Catholic celebration in Ibajay, one of the municipalities of Aklan that marks the 4th Sunday of January as the feast of the Sto. Nino, the Holy Child that is quite popular in the Philippines.

Second, people say that the Ati-ati celebration is more authentic. Third, hinting from the Ati-ati (from the word Ati, referring to the nomadic indigenous group who are short, dark skinned and got curly hair), I wasn’t just prepared for the ritualistic part that may have paganistic roots syncretized into Catholicism. People say that the food, both raw or cooked, is an offering to the Sto. Nino.

Bow and arrow with mud crabs and fish

Deafeningly loud!

The town is just one of a series of municipalities in the northwestern part of the province that celebrates the Ati-atihan. Foremost is the one in Kalibo, held every 3rd Sunday of January and now, allegedly, into its 800th plus year. Makato is another town with an ati-atihan event, every 15th of January while Boracay, every 2nd Sunday of the same month.

But in Ibajay, people just get into the mood. The feast is a given and both young and old soot themselves black and gather either outside the convent beside the church or inside the latter to await the short procession of the image.

I wasn't spared with the sooting

If you’re clean, even a visitor, you won’t be spared and people will place soot on your face, in the spirit of fun, of course! It’s even normal to see both men and women holding bottles of beer before, during or after the procession, even at church! Drunkards also abound.

Here, everyone just go with the beat of drums, and not just by one group, but two, three, five or even seven drum corps inside the church trying to outdo each other in loudness! And it can be DEAFENINGLY LOUD! As the clock approaches 11 AM, the drums get louder and louder as people start to get excited.

The image bourne on the shoulders of these men is transported to the church

People waiting outside the convent

As the image of the Sto. Nino is transported outside of the convento and into the church, just a few meters distance, the crowd start to be agitated.

The sticks, palms and branches either laden with seafood, grilled chicken, raw meat or even, succulent crispy pata is swung from side to side. People shout Viva! Sto. Nino and the pushing and pulling starts as the image passes.

Once inside, the drumbeats gets even louder and people are trying to go in one direction: to the image at the center of the presbytery to touch it.

The doll like image of the Sto. Nino bourne as it arrives inside the church. Devotees try to squeeze in to the crowd to touch it.

The sea of people down below. CLICK TO ENLARGE

The Ibajay Sto. Nino festivities is small compared to the one in Cebu, but the ardent fervor of the devotees coupled with the seeming paganistic/ritualistic practices makes it unique.

After this event, which falls on a Saturday, Sunday morning is the Ati-ati Festival and at around 3 PM, people again gather at the church and lead the image via a short procession back to the convent.

Ang Langyaw’s Panay Island trip courtesy of Airphilexpress, the fastest growing budget airline in the Philippines that made this trip possible!

Scantily clad survivors? Nope, they were just having fun in Bulabog Beach, Boracay

A tyro learning windsurfing

When I woke up at around 0630H this morning, it was raining outside my hotel room in Kalibo. Bad, I said to myself as I was trying to get a few more minutes of sleep before preparing for the day’s trips.

I arrived in this city yesterday, trying to catch up with the Boracay International Funboard Cup, even for a few hours and eventually go down Panay Island for Iloilo’s Dinagyang. But that wasn’t meant to be that I instead decided to witness this Sunday the Ati-Ati Festival of Ibajay, a town located between Caticlan and Kalibo.

Despite having second thoughts of going to Boracay, I dragged my feet to Caticlan later after lunch, ate at D’ Mall and walked to Bulabog Beach where the water sports tilt was held.

A lazy afternoon in Bulabog Beach

Unfortunately, it was a bad day. Despite the sunshine and blue skies, the wind was kind of erratic and the windsurfing and kiteboarding participants were just at the beach, lying in wait for the wind to pick up.

For almost an hour, I just preoccupied myself with taking photos of a few people in the waters: a man practicing how to windsurf, a pair of sexy ladies paddling atop a surf board, and greeted and chatted with friends like Nenette, the organizer of the event as well as those from Sports Unlimited who I have caught up in several sporting events across the country.

Bored with no action in the waters, I left Boracay and returned to Kalibo.

Ruins of the old church in Ibajay, Aklan

Beautiful 1930's Rizal monument

Earlier in the day, I went to Ibajay, to Barangay Naisud for its Mangroves Eco Park that is the pride of the municipality. Despite drizzling when I went down the jeep at the waiting shed, I still proceeded to hire a tricycle.

Unfortunately, the office at the eco park was closed when I reach the place. Padlocked and chained. The driver told me that the people might be at the town plaza as there was a parade, part of the fiesta activities.

With no other recourse, I decided to proceed to the town proper of Ibajay and look at the place, scouting it for tomorrow’s and Sunday’s shoot.

The town is quite lovely with huge open spaces, a park with a 1930′s monument of Jose Rizal, the national hero, a 19th century church and convent. Except for a tacky structure, everything would’ve been beautiful with the municipal building at one side, imposing.

But what really made me happy was the discovery of the ruins of the old church perpendicular to the current one. From the remaining shell of a building, probably the presbytery and nave walls, it looked to be huge and imposing. I don’t have much information, however, about the structure and will just leave it as it is.

As it was fiesta time, leading up to the big event on Sunday, people were everywhere and every kind of shops were set up along the open spaces selling from used clothes, imitation shoes, and food. With the festive spirit, I just hope that tomorrow and Sunday’s visit for the Ati-ati festival will be fruitful with wonderful images.

Ang Langyaw is in Panay Island courtesy of Airphilexpress, the fastest growing budget airline in the Philippines that made this trip possible!

Its a free ebook for tablets and smartphones loaded with information

I’ve been excited with this free eguide from Max and Marlen Limpag who painstakingly put this together with partners Smart, Ayala Center, the Department of Tourism, the Cebu City LGU and the Sinulog Foundation.

It is the first time that this kind of ebook has been done for the Sinulog, actually, one of three projects planned.

This electronic guide is available in several areas in Cebu: Mactan International Airport, select hotels, Ayala Center, Sinulog Foundation office and at MyCebu.ph. This can be downloaded via QR code scanning or direct from website.

But what does this eguide contain? Are the information here useful to the tourist and traveler?

Content wise, the eguide has the following:

• About the Sinulog including a short history
• a short article regarding this year’s Sinulog theme
• schedule of activities
• a short article about the solemn as well as the festive sides of the Sinulog complete with the processional route map as well as one for the grand parade
• highlighting prominent areas
• Sinulog highlights like the Fluvial procession and the Festival Queen competition plus other important events
• This is then followed by a series of pages that are quite important with tourists and travelers:
• Places to stay catering to different budgets from hostels to high end hotels including telephone numbers, even rates, address and grouped per area within the the festival route or not
• a short article on the shelter exclusively for pilgrims who can’t afford accommodations
• where to dine including the different options at Ayala Center as well as where to go for different national cuisines (Italian, German, etc.) complete with addresses and contact numbers
• a Cebuano phrase book
• useful contact numbers for emergency, tourist assistance, Sinulog related concerns, even the different consulates located in Cebu that are very important for foreigners

Its actually quit exhaustive and informative. However, just a few comments:

• the eguide is text heavy. A few more photos would have been better to really set the Sinulog mood. (there are plans to have a separate photo ebook, by the way)
• because this is Ipad/Android tablet/smartphone friendly, internet addresses, where applicable, of those listed should have been included especially for the restaurants and hotels
• for this review, I was using an .epub reader for Mozilla Firefox and it really doesn’t give you an idea how it is laid out in tablets due to its fluid layout nature. However, browsing from the Ipad when it was shown to me, I would just like to say that this will benefit with a better layout and other minimal artistic details.

I should note that the authors made this eguide for easy reading with an Ipad. The beauty of this also is that information can be updated on the fly and posted immediately. Do download this eguide at the website (link provided above) or via QR code scanning in select areas in Cebu.

Choose one of the cheap Car hire companies in South Africa. You will not find a better place in the world for big game. Besides its renowned national parks, South Africa boasts a range of private reserves, all offering excellent wildlife and bird watching.

The Sinulog e-guidebook is free for download and loaded with lots of information

It was a little past 3PM in the afternoon and I was hurrying up for my meeting with the editors Max and Marlen Limpag, husband and wife of mycebu.ph, who are also my friends in running, to check on their latest project with Smart. Meeting place, the Heritage of Cebu monument in Parian, Cebu City.

The Parian District was once the enclave of rich Filipino Chinese during the Spanish colonial period and, while the area has lost its luster in the present times, there are still notable heritage structures worthy of preservation and visit.

Its a free ebook for tablets and smartphones

But I wasn’t here for a tour. Instead, I was to witness a demo by the duo on the latest heritage tourism development, with Cebu City as their laboratory. It is both promising and relevant to today’s digital tourist armed with the latest gadgets and how technology can help enrich the experience.

MyCebu.ph together with Smart bring this three pronged project to fruition: first, a downloadable and free Sinulog e-guide (download here, review here) that visitors can download for reading in the Ipad, Android tablet, Kindle and capable smartphones. This is in partnership with the Department of Tourism, Ayala Center and the Sinulog Foundation.

It will be available at the Mactan International Airport, select hotels, Ayala Center, Sinulog Foundation office and online via MyCebu.ph. Visitors can either download it at the website or scan a QR code at a designated area. Internet connection is needed.

QR codes can be scanned and information on a particular Cebu heritage structure or monument is instantly available

The husband-wife team of Max and Marlen Limpag

Second, tourism information deliveryon key heritage sites and monuments via quick response or QR code scanning.

At the Heritage of Cebu monument, there’s a short info about the structure plus a QR code. Scanning the latter will fetch additional and more up to date information via internet.

This one is promising. Soon, videos, archival photos, and audio will be added to make the experience better. Other than that, the additional info will carry social media links to update like Twitter, Foursquare and Facebook.

Lastly, a Guide to Cebu 2012 will be made available during the Sinulog. This is another downloadable and free ebook that visitors can get. As this is focused solely on Cebu, expect it to be exhaustive in terms of what to do, where to go, eat and shop while vacationing in the island.

This surely is an important step in Cebu tourism. Asked why these digital books and latest technology?

Most travelers nowadays bring along tablets, e-readers or smartphones. An electronic guidebook would be very useful to them because they no longer need to carry around heavy books. Our guidebook is an extensive resource that you can take with you wherever you go.

The project showcases journalism that takes full advantage of new technology to deliver information to people. With this, people are able to read on their phone or tablet about historic events right at where these happened

- Marlen Limpag, MyCebu.ph editor

If you’re in Cebu during the Sinulog, don’t forget to get your copy of the Sinulog eguidebook and visit the Parian district where you can try these digital advancements in tourism.

The new Philippine tourism slogan unveiled today by the Department of Tourism

Why the Philippines? Because it’s more fun in the Philippines!” -DOT Sec. Mon Jimenez

Its more than a mouthful compared with the more short and catchy slogans of our Asian neighbors, but the new tourism slogan, which was designed by advertising firm, BBDO Guerrero | Proximity Philippines (BBDO was also the one behind the successful WOW Philippines a few years back), unveiled this morning by the Department of Tourism’s secretary, Mon Jimenez, is, well, interesting and good with the official Twitter hashtag #1ForFun:

It’s more fun in the Philippines

Just minutes after the announcement, #itsmorefuninthePhilippines and #1ForFun were trending in the country and my Tweetdeck timeline was scrolling down fast with friends’s tweets.

And what about the logo? Its simple, colorful and way better than the controversial Pilipinas kay Ganda unveiled last year which was more childish and, allegedly plagiarized from another country’s tourism design. I do love the map design which, from a distance, looks like a pixelized version but upon closer inspection is actually a section of a banig, native woven mat. It does say something about our culture and traditions symbolized in the briefest way possible without losing its significance.

It is just attractive, colorful and beautiful. Something that I’m sure Pinoys and most travel bloggers will support.

Now that the slogan has been unveiled and advertising plans put in place, I just hope that we go beyond sloganeering. First and foremost, the government should get their focus and mobilize to address the following:

• Infrastructure. We should make our tourism sites accessible as possible. Is the programmed P140B+ economic building stimulus fund include tourism revitalization and support?
• Cut down red tape, streamline tourism related tax issues  and apply standardized but tourist friendly rates.
• Train people and communities to be tourist friendly but at the same time protective what they have in their midst. I’ve come across many communities that have many heritage treasures but they don’t know its potential for their town.
• and so many things that we still have to address in order to reach the planned 10 million visitors.

There’s still a long way to go and I do hope we do our part as well. The slogan is already reflective of what we are as Filipinos and what we have in our country and let’s do make it happen.