Romblon: Remembering a traveller's younger years

On board a ship at the Batangas pier with my childhood friend Margie

After a fun filled afternoon of playing with my friends, darkness was slowly conquering the surroundings  that was my cue to go home. As I step inside our house I found my mom discussing with my dad about something. As soon as we finished dinner my mom told me that I coming with her to Romblon!

That night was one of the most difficult night to get some sleep, I couldn't! How could I? It would be the first time for me to ride a big ship!

The following morning my dad drove us to the Pier, I couldn't remember the name of the ship but it was a big one but not as big as a super ferry.

Romblon pier circa 1990's

I was so amazed how it was able to move over water at that time that I had my mom explain to me over and over how is it possible for a big heavy thing able to float over water, that was the time I learned about buoyancy.

The ticket included dinner and it was the first time that I was able to taste chicken curry, I was so into the dish that I asked for another serving. But since it was just a single serving per ticket we had to go to the canteen to buy some more unfortunately they weren't serving it there.

By dawn when we arrived and disembarked at the pier and rode a jeep. The vehicle was packed up to the roof as at that time there were not so many vehicles transporting people in the island. When I got off from the vehicle, I was greeted with a beautiful morning and a great view of a marble boulder (I think it was) protruding at the peak of a mountain.

Playing soft ball with the locals of Tablas Island, Romblon

Thinking about it now, this trip could be considered as a "couch surfing" experience. We stayed in my mom's friend's friend how's that for a relationship!? haha!

I had a great time in the island though there was no electricity back then, yes not even TV. We light the night with I coleman that I remember breaking the mantle cause I didn't knew that it was so fragile.

For dinner I had another first, they serve us Sinaing na Lanka. I could not complain and has been submissive to the hypnotic flavor of the Lanka cooked with coco milk, even if it was our viand everyday!

Pebble beach of Sugod, Tablas Island, Romblon

And for the first time in my life I got to experience the beach. It was a pebble beach so I was kinda disappointed or maybe confused if I can really call it a beach since my idea of a beach is with some fine sand. I even asked my mom if what we were stepping into is sand! lol! Innocence....

Tubing on the beach with mom, Tablas Island, Rombon

Then of course the mandatory "bury the body" was done on me. I kept on asking my mom again if it was really sand becuase they were bigger and a lot more different that what I know they should be. But at the end they all succeeded, and boy that was heavy!

With our hosts at the Sugod beach, Tablas Island, Romblon

Since it was my first time to actually swim in the sea, I was amazed that even if I was so far away from the beach, yes I didn't understand and know all about high tide and low tides.

Mom posing against a rock at sogod beach in Tablas island, Romblon

We also went around the town near the church and market to buy some stuff. Our hosting told us stories about Aswangs and that they know people who are and who admit that they are.

They also took me to the mountains and gave me a piece of sliced ginger on my pocket to drive the bad spirits away.

Too bad our flood prone city has damaged many of our old photos and only a few have survived. When I found our that these photos still existed, I was so glad to have found them! It brought back so many memories that seemed to be vague from quite some time.

I thank my parents for taking me to places that early in my life, it has taught me to be the independent person that they have always wanted me to be.

This will now be a  the start of my story telling for my old trip photos that has survived through the years.