Wondrous India – Part 1: The Dream

India (officially the Republic of India) is a country in South Asia and the 7th largest in the world by area. It is the second most populous country with now over 1.2 billion* people.With its cultural history spanning over 4,500 years*, and being a country with notable religious diversity, one needs to list this country to his/her bucketlist of places to visit in a lifetime. [*Data presented from Wikipedia, August 2013.]

It all started way back 2008 when I started having Indian friends. Of course, when you got friends not of the same race as you, you tend to share some insights about your culture and your place of origin. Everytime they talked about India, I am always so amazed. The dream then on setting my foot to the mentioned country never died down.

I could not travel to India spending my own funds, because the airfare alone might be very costly. But working in a global company kept that dream alive (I experienced working in Australia and Singapore because of this). And hola, an opportunity to stay for 6 weeks in Bangalore, India, came my way mid of 2013. I needed to be there as a Subject Matter Expert for a pilot conduct of a global course. And what can you expect from me? I immediately grabbed it without hesitation.

Let’s do a shortcut: multiple entry visa has been granted, ticket has been purchased, accommodation has been reserved.

 

On 3:00 am of June 12, 2013, I posted a message on FB greeting my fellow Filipinos a Happy Independence Day – and the location where that message was posted from? You guessed it right. India!

 

FB Post on 7/12

Let me just go back to some story prior my arrival in India. I took a Cathay Pacific flight from Cebu to Hong Kong (2+ hrs), had about 6 hrs layover in the Hong Kong International Airport, then boarded Dragon Air (regional carrier of Cathay Pacific) to Bangalore. ‘twas a bumpy ride. After more than 6 hours from HK to Bangalore (14+ hrs overall: Cebu - HK - Bangalore), I safely reached Bengaluru International Airport.

 

The drive from the airport to the hotel took an hour. Tiring wasn’t it? But it was my first glimpse of India. I never felt sleepy in the car (the hotel generously offered an airport pick-up) as I took that moment to savor India’s after-midnight atmosphere. The impression? Less people in the city streets if you compare it in the Philippines during that same time!

 

 I stayed in Aloft Bengaluru Whitefield, a 4-star hotel, a member of Starwood Hotel Chains, and the most accessible hotel from the office where I would be reporting to. The hotel is really decent with the most courteous and helpful staff I ever met.

 

 

L-R Clockwise: (1) Study; (2) King-Sized Bed; (3) Lavatory-Toilet-Shower; (4) Mini-bar; (5) Hallway; (6) 42" TV; (6) Aloft Room Card

 

 

I slept for a few hours, and reported to the office where i would be meeting the faculties of the training... But that is another story in this blog series.

Just watch out for Part 2: The People.

 

 

Leyte Adventures of 2010

The idea of going to Leyte came out of nowhere after typhoon Juan, which ravaged parts of Luzon, exited the Philippines. Since the semester had ended, plus Khijel was on his “multiple choice” (Ababarians know what this means) days, timing was no less than perfect. On Tuesday night, the 19^th of October 2010, they disregarded the slight rains, and went onboard Gloria 2, which would later bring them to Hilongos.

First Day at Hilongos

The morning of the 20^th of October, 2:00 AM, they reached Hilongos after a very smooth sea travel. They were warmly welcomed by the Dianon family who served as their host. A quick ‘painit’ was served, and they then went to their respective rooms to rest – to preserve the remaining energy for the day ahead.

Excited, they were up as early as 7:00 AM. Without even taking a bath, they went to the town center where Khijel had his first taste of ‘puto monggos’. They strolled around the area – wet market, municipal hall, the ruins, and the church.

Strolling around the town proper was enjoyable. One can notice the cleanliness of the place. People were generally nice. But they noticed that they badly need to take a bath. LOL.

The group went back to the wet market to buy some food to cook and immediately went home to have a rest (and take a bath!) and let Dulrich’s father took charge on cooking what they bought from the market.

Canigao Island

At Matalom, Leyte, there’s an island a couple of meters away from the mainland. It’s Canigao.

The group had the boat all by themselves to transport them to the island. Instead of taking a dip, they opted to go around the island first to bond with Mother Nature. The natural beauty of the island never failed to amaze them. 'twas truly wondrous.

After an hour of completing the point to point tour, the three (Peewee, Dulrich, and Oliver) took a dip on the cool water. Khijel stayed on the shore and waited for them. In about a quarter of an hour, they were done, and they headed back to the mainland since it was getting dark. Fortunately, the boat crew waited for them.

They learned that they could spend their night in the island, but they chose not to – not because they didn’t have money, but because dinner was already prepared for them back in the house where they were staying.

Canigao – for sure they will be back bringing more friends – and on that time – they’ll stay for at least a night!

Bontoc Caves

Hola!

Still full of zest after a day of activities, the group was on their way to Bontoc – the destination which made them most excited on their trip to the island.

Amazed. Again. Since that was Khijel's first time on the place, he appreciated the grandiose beauty of nature. They explored the caves (not one, but almost ten!), and took pictures. The last one they explored was the Cathedral Cave - the biggest of all. Not contented, they found a way to climb to the very top of the cave. 'twas an experience of a lifetime.

Leyte - Ababarians will be back for sure!