Bicol 2021

It's been quite a while since I had a vacation and unfortunately there's still a pandemic so it's strictly prohibited to travel and to follow safety protocols. Last week, our family had the chance to visit our hometown. I miss my relatives, the fresh air, the solitude that the nature brings and I'm excited to go out and travel after almost two years of home quarantine.

We had our own private vehicle. Although, there are strict rules implemented and we really need to have our documents, results etc. to get pass on Naga City. We left at exactly 6 PM. The trip is easier with less traffic and I miss the roadside food trips and stopovers. A different kind of feeling when you're travelling to provinces. At midnight, we stop on a nearby eatery for a 75 Pesos Lugaw with hard boiled egg. At exactly 5:30 AM while on the trip to Lagonoy, we decided to visit a newly-opened eatery called "Kapehan sa Genorangan". I tasted their delicious corn coffee and some breakfast meal. We also had the Bicol kakanin, "Suman sa ibos" and longganisa with egg and garlic fried rice. They also sell some frappes and special types of tea and coffee. It's amazing to wait for the sunrise as I enjoy a cup of corn coffee.

We also went to Irayang Salog, a nearby river situated between the opposite barangays where my parents grew up. I enjoyed the cool and clear flowing water with lot of stones in different sizes. There's a giant round rock that we found under the water and my mom joked around saying I just discovered a dinosaur's egg. On our Second day, we packed up our things and decided to have a Beach overnight. It's on Aguirangan Island, a small white sand beach. We had packed some snacks and my uncle Reymond cooked some delicious foods for us like Inihaw na manok, pininyahan and Adobo. There are only few people who also had an overnight there. (maybe it's because of pandemic) We just played card games, relay games for adults and kids and had endless stories to laugh about. When I suddenly felt sleepy, I lay down in the sand using a small blanket. I just enjoyed looking at the nighttime sky with a lot of twinkling stars as I fell asleep on the sound of waves. I waited for the sunrise, had a breakfast before I finally took a swim. luckily, I saw the perfect cone-shaped Mt. Mayon and took it as a sign of good omen.

I'm just grateful to see my family safe and complete again after almost two years of not seeing one another. I just wish Lola Ebang is there to see everything. Unfortunately, she died a few months ago and I still miss her. It's really difficult to lose people you love specially in the middle of this season. It's really challenging, life is unpredictable. We need to just make the most of everything we have right now because every seconds of our lives really counts. As we went back to manila, I just miss all the moments I had with my relatives back there. I look forward that everything will soon go back to normal and we can get easily closer to the people we love.

Xx