Siquijor Island knocked my socks off. It was breathtaking. It was a day spent relaxing under the sun, the waves lapping around me and nothing but the vast expanse of the sky for company.
Seeing so much sky was shocking for a city rat like moi. It has been ages. Sometimes, I don’t even notice it anymore. Manila’s endless skyscrapers and billboards cover up the sky so much that you sometimes forget it’s there. All you see are images of Buhay Coke, Centrum Complete, Belo, Folded & Hung, Bayo and countless Kris Aquino endorsements. You forget the sky exists.
In Siquijor, the sky really makes its presence felt. Everywhere you look, you see it. Reminds you of how small you really are in the grand scheme of things. In a way, you go back from Siquijor feeling humbled. More grounded. It’s a soothing retreat—I felt my worries vanish into oblivion after only a day in the island. Forgot all about the qualms I had about my career, the toxic Manila traffic, my relationship issues, my dramas…the only thought that entered my mind the whole time was how life, at that particular moment, was perfect.
Anyway, enough with the babbling.
Mementos!
Haha! We look so happy! 
Here’s a photo of me in the middle of self-reflection. Okay, kidding. This is a faux candid shot. Hehe but I look so serious you almost believe it’s true right? Right.
Siquijor is teeming with breathtaking views like this one:
And this one. My favorite taken during sunset. So magical:
Lovely action shot!
I loved the texture here.
Check out the seabed. Mother Nature in drag!
Igor and I stayed at the Hambilica Seaview, a small resort owned by a woman named Fides. The place was nice, although they could’ve done a better job with the rooms. Really high ceilings. It wasn’t as cozy as I wanted it to be but it was pretty decent. Here’s Igor doing Yoga by the garden:
We also went to check out the convent at the town proper. It had a haunting appeal to it. Loved the walls.
The veranda is reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet. 
(I’m a closet hopeless romantic)
Sigh. I love it.
I once had this conversation with Auntie Char. I was still in grade school then and she was telling me how important it was for me to explore my country, my roots. She said something along the lines of ‘Before you go off making your mark in the world, take a look at where you come from. Go around the country. Find a place, a something, that you will proudly talk about with the people you meet along the way.’
I was too young to grasp the meaning of what she said and it just kills me sometimes that I had to lose her first before I realized it but I’m also happy that I finally found something OF her to take with me. I didn’t think my aunt and I had a lot in common until recently. I see more of her in me now. We’re both travelers at heart. And she made a lot of difference in people’s lives during her reign as governor. I’m pretty sure I’m not going to be involved in politics any time soon but I definitely will make my mark.
I plan to hit as many places as possible this year. And every place I visit, it’ll be a tribute to her memory.
