In September, I flew last minute to surprise my mom on her 80th birthday.

I had already scratched the idea of going home to be at my mom’s birthday due to busy schedule and tight, or should I say, nonexistent budget. So when an opportunity (s/o to my brother and niece for the tix) came a couple of days before her big day, I bought a ticket and flew.

Surprise!

Birthdays –  indeed – are once in a lifetime moment. Sharing this experience with the people that matters is truly priceless -memories worth a treasure.

But I have a secret, this wasn’t the only reason I gambled on going back home despite being negative broke. Truth is – I’ve been dreaming of warm blue waters, and craving it, too!

To add more surprise and spice, my friend from Bulgaria, Tereza, hopped on a plane from Athens (on a vacation/work) bound for the Philippines after she found out I was there. First, she said “What?”. Then an itinerary. Next thing I knew, she’s at the airport.

Free spirit?

“It’s more fun in the Philippines”, so they say.

During our stay in Cebu, I became the de facto tour guide while also being a tourist – I’m still not sure how it works.

Also, this meant I would have to postpone work. Projects and never-en… Well, that can wait, right?

We had just spent the night in Kawasan Falls, in Badian, and were on our way to the other side of the island to watch the whale sharks in Oslob, about 2 hour bus ride, when we were told it’d be closed by the time we get there.

So we took a different route and traveled north by bus to the next town of Moalboal.

A spur of the moment trip.

It also helped that we didn’t have  a plan B and hated to loose a day without doing anything. In any case, it was worth it.

Once in Moalboal, we made our way to Bas Dako taking a tricycle.

And good lord was it lovely.

We made friends with a couple of travelers from Russia, too.

We were famished after spending hours in the warm waters and stopped by the public market to refuel on our way back. I knew what I wanted and was boiling with anticipation. At long last, I got what I had been craving for – the mighty dugo-dugo (pig blood & some other weird meat).

The commute back to San Fernando didn’t feel quite as long I barely remember it happening. But the dugo-dugo?

Good gods!