Hi everyone! I just want to share to you my latest vacation back to my country last May (3 months ago :P), my first summer vacation as an overseas worker. I took a 7:ooPM flight to Manila and arrived past 10PM. I rest for less than 4 hours at home and went straight to airport for my 4:40pm flight to Tacloban.
Day 01 – 11 May 2016
From the airport, I needed to travel for 5 hours just to reach my father’s hometown in Liloan, which is in Southern part of Leyte. 5 hours if you will take a direct van or bus to it, but that time, operators were bargaining to me for Php 3,000.00 for a special trip (I’m the only passenger in the van) directly to my destination. But I couldn’t spend that amount only for that! So another option was for me to travel to Abucay terminal (15mins drive from airport), take a bus or van to Sogod, Southern Leyte (150php) then from there, ride a jeepney to Liloan.
To cut the long story short, I endured 5 hours of travel, would you believe that?
I arrived past 12 noon and my father and my brother was there patiently waiting at the bus terminal. Seeing my father’s hometown after more than a decade is worth the long travel!
The rest of the family were already at the beach, kahit pagod sa byahe, push ang swimming! busy day for me indeed!
After 3 hours of playing and dipping in the water, we decided to go to the famous bridge; Liloan bridge.
Lilo is a visayan word which means “whirlpool” where in two different current from the pacific ocean collides and form a giant whirlpool directly under the bridge in which the little town was named and most famous for.
We couldn’t swim on the deeper part as it has active or whirlpool like current, so we just stayed on the shore and chitchat for the rest of the afternoon.
Day 02 – 12 May 2016
We woke up early to catch the sunrise by the port! 🙂
For today, we are scheduled to go to Hindag-dan falls, located in St. Bernard Southern Leyte.
After preparing the foods (and vodka and brandy 😛 ), we departed at around 10am. It was a short 20mins drive to St. Bernard
Hindag-an Falls has 3 levels, and this is the bottom level of it.
I have tons of video and pictures here (videos during our cliff diving etc.) but I don’t have enough space left for my media here in wordpress site (I just use it for free so limited storage, :P) but I’ll include it in my video, so be sure to watch out for it (lol)
After a couple of hours, the kids/young at hearts (me my sibblings and cousins) stopped by the beach (bridge again) to spend the rest of the afternoon to continue the chatting and drinking sesh. I even manage to ride a motorbike and drive all over the town without any license and protective helmets! (yeah perks of living in the province :P).
On our way back. I couldn’t help but stop on the bridge and take a moment to appreciate the magnificent view.
Day 03 – 13 May 2016
Have I showed you our pink house? This is the house owned by my grandparents which is made from narra wood. Now my Auntie Lydia and her husband stays here.
After breakfast, we went for a little adventure to the mountains. Several years back, my father bought a piece of land (a couple of hectares) which his friend pawned off to him at first, then decided to buy. There are plenty of crops there but mostly copras (dried coconut kernels used to extract coconut oil)
My 66yr old mother has still got her skills!
The youngsters honestly got tired and I’m soo proud of my momma! ❤
After the tiring mountain trek, we prepared stuffs needed for this day’s activity. The destination’s Molo-Polo beach, around 15mins drive from the house.
Luckily, we had the beach to ourselves! Cheers to that!
Sun+sea+sand+Jack Daniels = happy family ❤
While all are busy with the drinks and waves, my cute little niece is happy too, playing in the sand ❤
Ohana (minus Mamits and the 2 Aunts)
For the 3rd time, the youngsters stopped by the beach near the bridge and spent the rest of the afternoon drinking, chatting and enjoying everything.
14 May 2016 – Saturday
My last day in Leyte. 😦 I needed to go back a day earlier than my family cos I have some errands to do in Manila before I return to Singapore.
Early morning, we stroll around the town and buy some fresh meat in the port. We had an early cardio session when went to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Cross, around 300 stairs step to reach the summit where Jesus Christ’s cross can be seen.
I’m sooo proud of my mother hen, even in her age, she can still manage what youngsters and teenagers can do (like mountain trekking and this). Love you Ma! 🙂
Of course, me and my brother couldn’t miss to take a photo with this signage! haha 🙂
Around 10 in the morning, I left my Aunt’s house to catch my 5pm flight to Manila. I needed to travel 5hrs just to get to the airport and I had an appointment with my friend who was in Palo Leyte that time (thank God her place is just near the airport)
My Mom, Aunt and niece sent me to the bus stop. We just waited for around 10mins before the next jeepney arrived. Again, I needed to go to Maasin, a 30 to 45mins drive from my father’s hometown and from there, ride a van for about 3 to 4 hours’ ride to Tacloban City.
It was a rough drive and I’m not feeling well since the day before this day :(. Good thing, my seatmate know how to speak tagalog (cos the driver couldn’t understand me, he spoke to me by their native language Waray and I respond in tagalog, huh good thing I can understand a bit of their language! 😛 ) He drop me off the nearest mall which is the Robinson’s Tacloban and there I waited for my friend, Rica. She was there because of their town’s fiesta.
We’re too busy in our careers that even when I still worked in Manila, we didn’t get the chance to meet. Good thing our schedules agreed, finally! She accompanied me to the famous landmark in Palo Leyte, the MacArthur Landing Memorial Park.
It was my second time here, but I insisted to visit again cos I want to include it here in my blog. hehe
It was just a short catch-up for me and Rica. I was seriously in a hurry to go to airport (cos I don’t want to miss my flight to Manila) just to find out that my flight was delayed for 3hours! 3 freaking hours! Airasia sure was living to their bad reputation as one of the most delayed airlines! It was my first time flying with them and def my last! I endured 4hrs in the airport without them giving anything to compensate the inconvenience (pfft)
My condition got worst while waiting for my flight, I was freezing inside, had headache and runny nose to add up. 😦
Good thing my sister didn’t go to her appointment, she picked me up at the airport as soon as we landed. We arrived in our house around midnight and I fell asleep right away.
15 May 2016 – Sunday
My condition didn’t get any better, but I still have some last minute errands to do before my evening flight. I was scheduled to see my dentist, go to the salon, pick up my family to the airport, meet my friends in the afternoon and buy supplies that I will bring to SG. Don’t even know the word “relax” 😛
Thank heavens for the great food! 🙂 I somehow felt slight better, well who wouldn’t after that *&*^(*& great breakfast? After my appointment to my dentist, I went straight to David’s Salon and have my hair done for around 2 hours. I bought some lunch for me and my sister too! Chowking’s lauriat, gee I super missed it (no photo though), sometimes I wish they also have chowking in SG (puro jolibee eh! :P)
Around 3:oopm, we went to the airport to fetch my family (we hired van so they can all fit, 13 pax) Then I went straight to Mall of Asia to see my friends.
Honestly, they’re the only friends that I didn’t missed to see everytime I fly back home. Well, they’re the few who always keep up with me since I became an OFW. Almost everyday we always chat even sometimes we’re busy with each other’s lives, we still find time to catch up with what’s happening with us, and that means a lot to me. Considering the hard life every OFW faces everyday, but having them (including Sha who’s in Qatar), It didn’t feel like I’m working thousands of miles from home. ❤
So there you have it, it took 3months for me to finish this! I’m trying to finish my video before my adventure this coming weekend or hopefully I can finish it within this month. Thank you for still visiting my site! Till my next post! ❤
My Joyful World 
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