Sugar Rush

          Who’s afraid of the dark? I am. I had always hated the dark. Because for me, the dark is full of things that are…unknown. NOt just ghosts and supernatural beings (if there are such things), but the unknown. I’m not making any sense, am I?

         I came across this passage while reading the book, Les Miserables:

"Darkness makes the brain giddy. Man needs light; whoever plunges into the opposite of day feels his heart chilled. When the eye sees balckness, the mind sees trouble. In an eclipse, in night, in the sooty darkness, there is anxiety even to the strongest."

        This is so true. At least, to me. Because that’s exactly how I feel whenever I enter darkness. Whether I’m walking alone a dark road or inside our house and there’s a blackout, I follow what my instinct tells me. RUN! I know it’s kind of childish. But if I don’t run, my heart pounds really fast and I feel like I need to let go of this energy inside.

        The question still remains unanswered, though. Why am I afraid of the dark as if it’s going to kill me?

Stayed in Bicol for one day. From

Manila

to Bicol, the drive took 14 hours and another 14 hours from Bicol to

Manila

. But I’m not writing this to complain about the looooooooooooooooong drive, scorching heat, and cramped legs (woow. I guess I just did). I’m writing this to share with you my sudden appreciation of the

Philippines

(nationalists, please don’t strangle me for the long overdue appreciation of our beloved country).

            When we arrived in Legazpi (after that looooooooooooooooong drive and a couple of stopovers at gas stations), it was around 7pm. Found a good hotel to stay in and…well…the next day (I’m such a bad writer. Please forgive

me.

), the majestic

Mt.

Mayon

stood in front of me in all its glory. And it was so amazing that we got to see the peak because the locals say that the mountain peak doesn’t always show itself as it is always covered by clouds or fog. That made the trip totally worth it. Then late in the afternoon, we visited the Cagsaua Ruins. It was….breathtaking! The ruins really transported me to the time when

Mt.

Mayon

erupted.  It was sad, of course. Imagine the volcano erupting and people scrambling, desperate to get away. But my soul was singing! There was really something different in that place. Something unexplainable that tugged on my emotional or psychological strings. The church remnants were also heartbreaking. And equally amazing that something was actually left. There’s so much history in that place that really drew me. Walking alone in the church ruins, it was weird. I don’t know why I felt weird. I just did. Then, of course, face to face with the Mayon volcano, it was a beautiful feeling! I never thought those history pages would come alive. And I never thought that one day, I would actually stand at the foot of the mountain and marvel at its beauty. It was just so amazing that no words could describe how I felt.

            Then I went to the souvenir shop to get a little something. As I was looking at the stuff, the salespeople were so friendly to me. There it was. The world famous Filipino hospitality.

            On our way home, my cousins and I had fun despite the cramped situation we were in. We talked a lot, listened to music and sang along, took a lot of pictures, and, well, we bonded. Something that we never did after a long time. Then I realized that I missed them. Because of this trip, we became close again. And that made this trip so worth the cramped legs and looooooooooooooooong drive and the gas station hopping. That and the fact that for the first time, I saw the beauty the

Philippines

had all along, and I was just too blind see it.

I just arrived home from a family vacation in Bohol. It was beautiful. Finally, I appreciate the beauty of the Philippines. The world is just too beautiful. If you can’t agree with me…why don’t you try looking closely?

Despite the heat, I still got to enjoy the breathtaking view of the famous Chocolate Hills (not to mention the little exercise I went through on my way to the view deck.). Then we went on the river cruise, shop for souvernirs, tarsiers, shop for souvenirs, we went inside the old churches (which are beautiful, by the way), then we stopped at another souvenir store to shop some more. Argh!

The second day was not about shopping for souvenirs anymore (thank you!). We spent the entire day  at the Bohol Beach Club which did a lot of wonders for my soul and damaged my skin (not so I think). It was paradise! The cold, clear blue seawater was relaxing. The sand gave me a free foot exfoliant. hehe =p And I just love the smell of sunblock!

Hmm…the vacation was fun but it also taught me a lesson. I should exercise! I can’t take the steep climbing and running anymare! Help!!! I always hear Beyonces Irreplaceable! It’s becoming my LSS now! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!