Siquijor - Island Butterfly Garden

 For those who want to read from the start, check the following Siquijor travelogues I’ve already posted:

How To Get To Siquijor

Guiwanon Spring Park Resort

St. Isidore Church & Covenant, Cambugahay Falls & Balete Tree

Siquijor - Capilay Spring - San Juan Beach - St. Francis Church

 Hotel Agripino, Salagdoong Beach

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 Entrance to the Butterfy Sanctuary with the owner at the backlground…

Another place we visited in Siquijor  that is slowly becoming one of its many tourist spots  was the newly launched “Island Butterfly Sanctuary” at Cabilao, Larena, Siquijor. It was launched last September 18, 2008, barely even a month old when our tricycle driver/tour guide suggested that we explore the said farm. Entrance fee is just Php25.00 per person and though Peter and I have been to several butterfly farms before, it would be exciting to see if this one would be any different. The sanctuary is a 200 square meter enclosure that houses around 20-25 species of butterflies, exhibiting pupae, larvae, and live butterflies that have been produced by a Butterfly Garden in Cang-agong, which is owned by Dante Jumapit.

Meeting the very hospitable owner, Mr. Dante Jumapit  

Mr. Jumapit was very happy to see us there. Considering that it was a national holiday and most, if not all of the locals we passed by were celebrating in their respective homes, he didn’t hesitate to entertain us at all. He even invited us over at his place for lunch and dessert where we met his wife, kids and several neighbors. They were a very amicable bunch and very hospitable at that.  It was really very nice of him.

The butterfly farm is still small but it is very clean and well-maintained…

This pond in the middle is shaped like Siquijor island itself with the seven lilies representing the seven major towns of Siquijor…

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Sexy Nomad also a Domestic Goddess??!!

We let our helper go last Tuesday. She has been with us for almost 6 years now and though she was trustworthy enough to not steal from us (considering that most of our precious stuff , including money, are just lying everywhere inside the house), we just couldn’t handle her mediocrity, laziness and constant loaning of money anymore. Actually, loaning money wouldn’t be a problem if we can see her doing a great job. But after all the hassles and stress she caused us, the many dresses she burned, & stained, the mountain of laundry she always left unwashed (to think that she only washes for us and we even bought her the latest Samsung Silver Nano washing machine with automatic water shut off where she would only have to put in the clothes and after an hour,  the clothes have already been washed, rinsed, dried and the only thing left to do is to hang the clothes)  & the numerous glasses & plates she broke, Peter and I decided that we would be happier and more peaceful if we let her go. The complacent services she offered were no longer valued and we figured that we’d be happier if we do the chores ourselves, since we frequently end up doing them ourselves anyway. That’s the challenge, I guess, when you work for someone like me. I consider myself a neat  freak, very O.C. and meticulous. She’s lucky she lasted that long. Blame it to my penchant for “pagtitimpi”. But the moment I reached my boiling point, I  just let Peter handle it. Otherwise, I’d most probably blow up and say things I will regret later on. I’m not much of a diplomat so yeah, when it was time to tell her to leave, I let Peter do all the work while I just waited in my room until she was gone. Oh well. That’s life.

True enough, since she’s been gone, Peter and I felt relieved and even more relaxed despite the many chores we have to share. Isn’t that ironic? It’s a wonderful irony so I don’t really mind. So aside from cleaning the house and washing the dishes (which I love to do since I was a little kid), for some reason, I just started cooking. I didn’t even ask Peter to teach me or consult with any recipe book. I just look at what’s in the pantry and in the fridge and voila — I’m cooking… or preparing food at least. I never told anyone this before but when I was a little kid, aside from climbing trees and picking fruits, I also used to cook leaves in tin cans with boiling water. What I did was cleaned an empty can of sardines, filled it with water, made fire with stones and paper and a bit of kerosene, then placed the tin can on top of the fire surrounded by stones. When the water boiled, I placed the leaves and “cooked” them. My so-called penchant for cooking started like that. I was between 6 years old.

When I was 11, my Dad taught me how to cook sinigang. I got it right the first time around. But since I found it boring, I turned into other more exciting hobbies instead like painting, drawing, biking, climbing the roof top and looking at boys. Hahaha! Oh, I also learned how to bake back in high school and I used to bake cakes for my bfs back then.

Anyway,  these days, it’s only when Peter is sick that I try to cook food. But now, the magic started to kick in again. I don’t know if it will last but it’s good to know that I still have it. The past two weeks, I’ve just been preparing easy stuff like rice, tcheesy pancakes, toasted pita bread, with cream cheese and salmon spread, fruit platters, healthy veggie soups, etc. But recently, I was able to make my own chicken adobo recipe and honestly, it tasted way better than what our helper used to cook for us. I think the tuna chunks, sliced baby potatoes and dash of rosemary, basil and sage did the trick! But not only that, I was also able to make my own red pasta! I used fussili for the pasta and real ham squares, mushrooms, tomato paste, dash of rosemary, basil & sage for the sauce, and topped it with shredded edam cheese. I served it with a glass of blackberry wine and voila — a nice gourmet pasta meal right at home. I wonder what I’ll cook next… Let’s wait and see. For now, I gotta run and do the laundry. ^_^

Siquijor - Hotel Agripino - Salagdoong Beach

It’s been a long while (almost 3 months now) since I blogged about our trip to Siquijor. So many things have happened since then (mostly parties and enjoying the night life whenever I can) and it’s only now that I got the time to continue writing about this particular travel we had over the Halloween of 2008. For those who want to read from the start, check the following Siquijor travelogues I’ve already posted:or those who wish to see the start of my Siquijor travelogue, do check these posts first:

How To Get To Siquijor

Guiwanon Spring Park Resort

St. Isidore Church & Covenant, Cambugahay Falls & Balete Tree

Siquijor - Capilay Spring - San Juan Beach - St. Francis Church

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For this particular travelogue, let me focus my post on the resort we stayed in — Hotel Agripino at Salagdoong Beach. It is considered to be one of the best hotels in Siquijor. Aside from it being very much affordable (only Php800.00 per night for an airconditioned room with 2 single beds),  Hotel Agripino is also known for its Samyz Pizza. We ordered a whole box which is best when eaten right off the baking pan. But even after several hours, its unique delectable taste is still very much appreciated.  Since it was the Halloween, most of the kitchen staff  were on a holiday break. And being a very a laid back town, all stores anywhere closed by 6pm. We made sure that we bought enough junk food to last us until Sunday morning. Our breakfast was already pre-cooked the night before so the only staff left there would only have to heat our food. I guess that’s okay, as long as we didn’t go on a starvation diet.^_^

The hotel, a simple concrete structure with clean lines, located on top of the hilly estate, is a short walk away from the beach. They made this winding pavement all the way down to the beach huts and ocean view rooms.  It’s a good way to spend your early morning before catching the sunrise by the beach. 

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To Go Or Not To Go

To go or not to go to Bali and Jakarta? This is one of the many things  occupying my mind lately. I first planned to visit my friend Lora in Jakarta last year. I booked my flights  just before I got the virtual assistant job. So when I accepted the job offer, I had no other choice but to have those flights refunded unless I let go of that very lucrative opportunity. Now that I am more flexible with my time and with Cebu Pacific’s zero air fare promo (which will end on Jan. 22), it seems more reasonable to finally go. The only catch is, I’d have to go alone coz Peter has work. The last time I traveled all by myself was when I went to Boracay and stayed there for one week during the Wind Surfing and Kite Surfing Funboard Cup. Though I had a different kind of fun meeting all kinds of people from all over the world, I got depressed after a few days and couldn’t wait to go home. Add to that the fact that I have this fear of flying. I don’t look it and it doesn’t show, but it’s always there (before and during the flight). So, traveling to Jakarta and Bali without Peter holding my hand the whole time is not a situation I am looking forward to. Also, lately, whenever I turn on the TV or watch DVD/TV series or surf the net, I always see plane crashes. Moreover, it doesn’t help  that I have this gut feeling that something bad is going to happen to Indonesia this summer. It’s most probably brought about by this paranoia I’m feeling as of late. I feel so pressured coz I only have two more days to decide and avail of Cebu Pacific’s promo. Lora and Jowi (my friends in Jakarta) have been very helpful with arranging the itinerary and my accommodation. A part of me is telling me NOT to go. Add to that the fact that with the global financial crisis, this may not be the best time to splurge on travels (to think that I’ve been planning to do a lot of that this summer, target destinations include Donsol for whale watching, Siargao for surfing, Caramoan, Macau and the usual hot spots: Boracay, Tagaytay, Batangas, La Union and Zambales)  But another part of me is also saying that this may be the best time to go there, spend time with my gfs, be independent of Peter and to not let fear and paranoia paralyze and prevent me from spreading my wings and doing what I love –  travel.   I know we spent a lot with Peter’s hospitalization, but this money I plan to use is MY money, not OUR money. Furthermore, I have been trying to make sense  of my recent moods and thoughts  regarding this serious business venture I have in mind which would need me to stay put. Oh God, I’m at a stalemate. Both my heart and mind are 50-50 on this decision. Halpz! 

Asian Hospital, Acute Tonsillopharyngitis t/c Peritonsillar Abcess & Pneumonitis

SUMMARY

I mentioned in my previous post that people have been getting sick this new year. It must be the cold weather. It’s been breeding some mean virus & bacteria which is very unfortunate for us humans . I was sick first week of January. I didn’t have my voice then and I had a slight fever. But that was all. Thank God I had my flu and pnuemonia vaccination in 2007 which was probably the reason why I may have built stronger resistance against this kind of infection or flu. As for my husband, Peter, he was not so lucky. Suffice it to say I spent 7 whole days babysitting my poor, sick husband.  It is at times like this when vows made in marriages (in SICKNESS and in health…) are truly put to test. It didn’t help that Peter can be very stubborn, so stubborn in fact that it almost (almost but not quite) cost him his dear life.Thanks to his  loving friends, they were able to motivate me to practice some tough love on my not-so-tough darling baby.

So anyway, by the 2nd week of January, Peter was already complaining of sore throat.  So I figured, he got it from me. I did the best I could to help him.  I let him take bioflu capsules and when that didn’t work, I bought him antibiotics (amoxicillin). He took a sick leave from work Thursday last week. I asked him if he wants to go to the hospital and he said that he’ll let the antibiotics do its job first. But as days passed by, it was just getting worse. He couldn’t eat, he couldn’t even drink the tea and sip the soup I made for him. Until last Sunday, he was already having a difficult time breathing. He was choking in his own saliva! This alarmed me so much that I plurked about it. His friends immediately insisted that I bring him to a nearby hospital. Asian Hospital is just 5 minutes from our house. It’s open 24 hours daily and so by 3am last Monday, Peter  (despite his condition) was able to drive us there (I should really learn how to drive!). He was admitted to the E.R. and was given first aid (throat spray to numb the pain). The doctor on call advised that he be confined. He will be given two types of antibiotics that will be administered intravenously for faster results. He resisted. He said he was more comfortable at home and he didn’t want to be injected.  For a guy with a high threshold for pain, I really couldn’t blame him. He witnessed his Mom die in a hospital after a long bout of illness (breast cancer that metastasized to the thyroid, lungs and brain) and prior to that, he was also there every time a nurse incorrectly injected a needle to his mom’s veins over and over again. He knew how much pain that caused his mom and he didn’t want to experience the same thing. So  I really don’t blame him for having such disgust at hospitals and nurses.  But I also didn’t want to be swayed by his pitiful requests. I wanted him to be treated as quickly as possible. The only minor concern I had then was how much it would cost us. Knowing that  Asian Hiospital cater to the more high-end  class of society, I was already expecting and considering paying big bucks.  And since we don’t have any health insurance covering for us, I more or less expected  a huge dent in our pockets. The doctor estimated that he might be confined for at least three days at an estimated cost of Php50,000.00. I said, okay. If that’s what it costs for Peter to finally stop his vice (smoking) and finally live a healthy life, then I’m all for it,  thinking that I’ll just postpone whatever plan I had of going to Jakarta and Bali. It’s just money. We can earn it back.  After much debate, Peter conceded.  He was given demerol  (a narcotic drug sort of like morphine) so he wouldn’t have to feel the pain anymore and that was when he finally slept. For the first time since Thursday last week, he was out.

“I never knew I could miss him snore as much as I did whan I heard him finally sleep.”

I never knew I could miss him snore as much as I did whan I heard him finally sleep.  To make the long story short,  after 20 hours, the two antibiotics they’re administering via IV worked.  The abcess in his throat popped & he was able to spit the pus. Otherwise his throat would have to be aspirated. Afterwards, he can  already talk & eat.  I thought everything would be okay. Then he started having chest pains. The x-ray results say he has pneumonitis or inflammation of the right lung. Fortunately, the tonsils got treated immediately with the right antibiotics so  that already  pretty much covered his lungs too. Otherwise, it could lead to pneumonia & that can be fatal.

Peter is now up and about. He got discharged last Wednesday (January 14). He still has 6 more days to finish the rest of his antibiotics though and hopefully never experience this kind of illness again.

ASIAN HOSPITAL

When you go to a hospital like Asian Hospital here in Alabang, you naturally expect the best. Their brochure says so on page1:

“ This is our commitment to you. At Asian Hospital, your health and well-being are important and we endeavor to make sure that with our hospital services, your experience will be as pleasant and as hassle-free as possible.”

So, I was a bit disappointed when I experienced several minor hassles. The following account was written as things were happening. I just copy-pasted it here:

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