Anglers
Wednesday, September 9, 2009Tanzawa, Kanagawa Prefecture
I noticed several cars and SUVs parked by the roadside. They weren’t there earlier as we climbed the hill. I went by the wayside going down a slope to see what’s in the woods. Nearby was a river. Between overhanging branches, a rod was being pulled while another was cast. Anglers! I saw another by the bend, and yet another atop a rock. They have claimed their own spaces. They fished quietly, and talked to themselves quietly. So I left them alone. But I was expecting a gathering of a clandestine variety, of Yakuzas, and things like that.
Somersault
Badian
We never run out of things to do at the waterfalls. Finding a bamboo bridge, we used it as a platform for somersault practice. I made the biggest splash as I couldn’t complete the turn, and my back hit flat on the water followed by an anguished howl. Alix hit the water next, followed by a louder howl. Then Hannah made a back flip, and everybody flipped with wonder. The girl in blue bikini can deliver a back flip? Awesome!
BEAR!
Tanzawa, Kanagawa Prefecture
Constructed on a bluff overlooking a confluence of two rivers is a cabin linked by a hanging bridge to the other side. I crossed it and climbed the pathway up into the woods. I basked in this vast expanse of wilderness when I saw the sign. It was in Japanese, with an exclamation point, and the unmistakable picture of a BEAR! My feet, which by now suddenly acquired a mind of their own shuffled back to the cabin in no time. Was I afraid? No, just a heightened sense of awareness.
White Tip
Isla de Gato, Malapascua
The cave has twin narrow openings festooned with overhanging soft corals. I sensed movements inside. Something with razor-sharp teeth and powerful jaws! It circled back and forth. The white tips on its tail and dorsal fins gleamed in the darkness. For a moment, I was mesmerized by this overly feared and greatly misunderstood creature. Time passed. As we moved out, I swam sideways to get a last glimpse of the shark, generally branded as the most vicious and bloodthirsty predator on earth, and driven to kill by an insatiable lust for flesh and blood.
Consul
Ho Chih Minh, Vietnam
I was bound for Hanoi. But in my haste, the ticket I booked was for Ho Chih Minh. I turned this mistake into an opportunity to visit an acquaintance who was to meet me at the airport. He was Consul General Gerry Paglinawan, a modest man occupying such a distinguished position at the Philippine consulate in Vietnam. He toured me around. I met Filipinos, foreign tourists, and droves of motorbikes! It is the preferred mode of transport numbering more than 4 million in Ho Chih Minh alone, causing terrible traffic and even more terrible air pollution, Gerry said.
Fear Of Heights
Badian
I still got the fear of heights even after jumping off a perfectly fine plane at 6000 feet. But another chance at conquering this fear presented itself, so I coaxed everybody to jump off a ledge on the second waterfall. It’s a modest 40 feet. After jumping, Felix stealthily swam underwater to the edge of the pool near the cottages, then surfaced flashing the diver’s ok sign, triumphant being the first to jump. Then I jumped. My stomached felt like being sliced as gravity pulled me down frighteningly fast! The others lined up for their turn as we watched below.
Hey Sexy Girl
Seoul, Korea
I was sitting on a bench in a park one afternoon when an elderly woman approached and asked in broken English where I was from. I said “Philippines”. She nodded and said “Oh Filipin.” Later, I saw an empty bench vacated by a couple. Since the old lady kept looking at me, I wanted her to know that I was moving on that sunny bench. I smiled, pointed at the bench, then drew my arms to my chest to signal cold. Her face was suddenly contorted in disgust. She totally misunderstood. She thought I was suggesting something else!
Hometown
Cordova
Father grow up in a fisherman’s village in Cordova but emigrated to Zamboanga. In Cebu he was diagnosed with cancer. That same day he asked to visit Cordova. We brushed it aside as a trivial request. He didn’t insist, but he longed for his hometown. I can tell now from the sad look in his eyes then. He wanted to plant his feet on the ground, smell the same air, and gaze at the same seas of his youth. Near the very end of his life, father sensed that primordial instinct, to visit home for the last time.
Keynote Address
Madridejos
I was invited. I came. I was surprised. Then made a keynote address in place of Ace, chief of Philippine Tourism. The occasion was the dedication of Kota Park, a restored Spanish fort in Madridejos. It was absolutely nerve-racking. I reckon, without Toastmaster’s training, I would not have the courage to deliver an impromptu speech, at such a historic occasion, and before such a distinguished audience. I was still smiling long after the applause subsided. And I remember walking differently that day, taller, straighter, prouder.
Grand Canyon
Arizona
The Grand Canyon is a gathering of huge crumbling rock mountains carved by the elements through time. Sudden vertical drops of the gorges and their sheer size plus astounding color changes throughout the day make for a dramatic landscape. The towering red and orange solid rock mountains dwarfed everything else turning tourists into moving ants as we strolled along the edges of the South Rim plunging 3000 feet below to the winding Colorado river. You will feel small and insignificant in the presence of such overwhelming natural wonder. Ah the Grand Canyon, someday I will return.
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