THE LONGEST ROAD TRIP EVER

What would be my longest road trip ever was a 19-hour haul from Pili, Camarines Sur to Nueva Ecija via Daet.

But that is getting ahead of the story.

We were in Camarines Sur for the 96th Annual Communications of an ancient fraternity of which I am a member.

We were billeted in Pasacao, Camarines Sur in a resort owned by a hot Swiss-widowed Bicolana (how fortunate!?) which is some 30 minutes away from the convention center in Pili (how unfortunate we are).

We were 2011 Outstanding Worshipful Master although I was not outstanding secretary as whispered.

We got to pay homage to the Shrine of our Lady of Penafrancia and were greeted by a priest who is not as allergic to Masons as those from our province of Nueva Ecija.

We got to watch water denizens do there thing at the Camarines Sur Water Center and was able to shoot some sexy chics too!

We long tripped to Daet on the way home to buy an assortment of dried fish, lunched on Lolo Ompong's sinaing na dilis along Lamon Bay in Gumaca, and midnight snacked on gotong batangas in San Pablo.

And that's the story behind my longest road trip ever.

PHOTOS EXPLAINED (top to bottom): [1] Pasacao, [2] Model Lodge and their outstanding Master, [3] the Basilica of Our Lady of Penfrancia, [4] convention ushers, [5] CWC poolside, [6] sexy dancers@CWC, and [7] gotong batangas.

THE BEST REASON TO GET SUNBURNED...

...is them.

WATER WORLD

From the docks of the ugly reclaimed land...

...to snorkeling in crystal clear Siete Pecados...

...lunching at the Banol Beach hideaway...

...swimming the depths of the Twin Lagoons...

...exploring the mysteries of the Barracuda Lake...

...and teasing the sea-tizens of the Kayangan Lake.

I love Coron!

CORON

The last time I was in Coron was in 2000 during a 1-hour stop of a 22-hour ship trek to El Nido.

The MV Dona Juliana (?) docked; a sea snake swam towards somewhere but too quick and far for my Olympus Camedia; some passengers engaged in a quick basketball game; I walked around the pier; the ship's mess officer came back with some fresh crabs for his breakfast perhaps with the young crew member who was with him.

I'm back in Coron after some 12 years for 4 days of Oxfam-GB's Economic Justice Partners' Assembly.

My lady seat mate made a pillow of my shoulder after gorging on Piatos during the uneventful Cebu Pacific flight to Busuanga; Australian cows graze on Australian grasses as our van bumped on unfinished bridges on the way from the airport to Coron; anemic iced tea lemonade was served as we reached our hotel that was built on reclaimed land which scarred Coron Bay forever.

Of course, the first order was to seek for the usual church which I found on a hillside and under renovation (Photo1); I climbed the 750 or so steps to Mt. Tapyas and gazed at the profile of the Sleeping Giant with a mini hard-on (Photo2); we sidled to a bar where the cocktail waitress served us Coron Sling after Kawayanan Sling after Screwdriver after Frozen Margarita after cold San Miguel Beer Lights (Photo 3). 

Coron is hot. As in HOT!

PANATA

Ngayong undas ay panahon ng pagtitika...

... kaya pansamantala munang itakwil ang mga makamundong kaligayahan...

... katulad ng masasarap na pagkain, dyer-dyer, atbp...

... tayo nang mag-ayuno...

..... at kumain ng pansit.

Amen.

TALABABA: Ang pansit sa itaas gawa sa sotanghon na may sahog na abalone, tengang daga, at native na manok na likha ng aking hipag.