Hello, blogfriends!!! My golly, I missed you all! Okay, my pace at work is gonna be slower now. I am on my day off (jumps and skips and hops in glee while clapping) and I am enjoying every minute of it because tomorrow will be a barrage of meetings. (sighs) Anyway, I am gonna give you stories of my trips in installments. Primarily because I have to organize my thoughts and pictures as to which goes to what trip. It’s that many. Hahahahahahaha! But for the first wave, I give you my Compostella Valley experience. Enjoy!
Okay. Let me start by saying that it was my first time to visit Compostella Valley. I will not give you a map like some travel blogs do. All I have to say is it is bee-yoo-tee-fool! My trip to Brgy. Mabini, Tagnanan, Compostella Valley is an hour-and-a-half from Davao City. But since I came from Malaybalay City, Bukidnon, I went from North Mindanao to Southern Mindanao in 6 hours (uuuuuggggghhhhh!). Our trip was work-related. We trained their in-plant educators on family planning as part of our engagement with the banana plantation we were helping. It was around 6:30 when we reached the plantation so it was dark. From the national road, we turned left to enter the gates of the banana plantation. 15 minutes after, we reached the guest house where we stayed. The driver, in true “Shake, Rattle, and Roll” form, started telling us a story in a deep, James Earl Jones voice:
Driver: Did you know that the guest house is more than a century old? (meanigful pause as camera intercuts on him and our reactions) There are lots of stories behind that house. From the guests who stayed there and to the people who have lived in this community.
Me: Who lives in the guest house?
Driver: No one lives there. (pauses and looks at us) Only the katiwala or helpers.
Me and Weng say nothing. Finally, we reached the house. Camera dollies in to reveal full view of the house which can be described side-by-side a more popular house:
Weng and I gulps. When the katiwala came over to us to help us with our baggage, she tells us that we will sleep in separate rooms. Secondary Training Diva, Weng, immediately said that we are used to sleeping in the same room. As in, natakot si gaga. Hahahahaha!
So we entered this door:
…which led to an eerie staircase…
…to our room’s door.
…which revealed the most horrifying thing I have ever seen…
…TACKY ELECTRIC BLUE CURTAINS! (rolls in laughter) Oh, dear! We were laughing out loud at the sight of it. But not to underplay the “horror” theme, it was really eerie, dearests. The room had this large cabinet which was as old as the house.
Thoughts of that “Shake, Rattle, and Roll” episode where a little girl and her father was found murdered in the cabinet somehow made Weng decide to move the bed AWAY from the cabinet. Hahahahahahaha! Not to mention the fact that in order to get to the rest room, you have to cross a semi-room, the veranda, to reach the rest room which was big and had a high ceiling. Ugh, the eerie feeling you get!
Actually, it’s very pretty in the morning. It has a Rachel Ashwell, shabby chic feel to it with the old white theme, old cabinet, and vintage faucets. It has two large windows that let in natural light. But at night, darlings. Ugh. I always get the feeling that someone is lurking and watching me. Using the mirror made me think. If it is true that mirrors trap memories, how many events has this antique mirror witnessed? (cue eerie musical score as I touch the frame of the medicine cabinet ala Carmina Villaroel in the movie, Maruja. Hahahahahaha!)
Not to mention the living room which was so big and with a couch with these pillows…
My lord!!!! Who is the stylist of this crib???? That’s why I decided to put these into good use…
…by turning those hideous pillows into a fabulous shirt with rolled sleeves and a paja ala Brylle Mondejar and Jigo Garcia. Hahahahahaha! That’s the veranda that you have to cross before you could get to the rest room.
Okay. Not everything’s about horror and comedy. We had a great time staying at this century-old house.
It has a swing porch which was so cool! (and it became prettier with me on it. right? hihihihihihi)
…a view of the beach from the porch. How divine!
…a lotus pond at the back of the house, which was the prettiest thing I have ever seen!
…the sight of goats in the morning and this sweet dog who was so happy to see me!
…not to mention a training venue located just feet away from the beach! Oh, and the people are the greatest and the warmest! We had socials that night on the beach, the venue transformed into a videoke playground!
This is their welcome gift to Weng and I…don’t you just wanna go to Compostella Valley right now? Hahahahahaha!
And of course…my favorite of all…
The sunset! Which is more beautiful…
…when I’m in the picture. Hahahahaha! Was aiming for Barbra Streisand in the cover of her People album which won the Grammy’s Best Album Cover. (cue musical score: People…people who need people…are the luckiest people…in…the…*ends with a high note*…wooooooooorld!)
So when you are in Davao, take a trip to Compostella Valley. You will love it…
Hugs to all and thanks for your comments in my high school memories entry. I love you all!
Bridget Jones Is A Man 
Looks like you had a great time inspite of the eerie house where you stayed. The pictures of nature you took are breathtaking, especially the sunset. Welcome back! *hugs!*
Oh my! Even I got scared of the curtains! haha!
Honestly the place looks eerie and idyllic at the same time. Very nice and by the looks of it, you can breath clean fresh air
Funniness!
You looked dead beat though but heck…
Jerome, to tell you frankly, if I didn’t know which side of the fence you really were on, your picture by the porch is just so “nakaka-in-love”. (Jher, don’t bop me in the head..) But I missed you.. welcome back!!!
It surely looks like a great place, sistah-gurl… katakot nga lang yung place that you stayed in. How tacky were those throw pillows! Hahaha!
I like the ambience, eerie with the laid back atmosphere. Ganda ng pagkascript ng shots. I think I have seen that staircase in a pinoy horror movie recently. Ang layo ata ng lugar na yan ah?
And of course, gusto kong iarbor ang Iraqi-inspired scarf.
Electric blue curtains. Wow. Did you catch a sighting of either David Bowie or Olivia Newton-John?
mare bakit ang gwapo gwapo mo este danda danda mo pala … yung pic ng guest house sa labas ang ganda yung doorstep parang sa animated movie na The House ba yun? medyo nakakatakot pero aliw ako sa curtain ng bintana… mare miss ko na yang mga ganyan kelan kaya ako makakalayo?? di bale niweis punta naman ako sa Bintan Indonesia this weekend kaya hehehehe kaw naman inggitin ko if ever maganda nga kapag nakuhanan ng pecture 🙂
miss u to mareeeeeeeeeeeeeee mwahh mwahh mwahhh hulaan mo kung saan dumapo yang mga yan lol!!
Wow! And I mean Wow at the house and the whole place. Man, if I had the money I’d buy the place and retire there… and replace those ghastly curtains and throw pillows. 🙂
Dear, iba talaga ang charisma mo, love ka agad ni blackie. Sobrang kakatakot naman ng house na iyan, iyong 2nd shot parang may muka iyong bahay, hehehe.
Hahahahaha Bridget, ang kulit mo. Mukha ngang nakakatakot yun hallways. Eerie nga! But the lily pond was pretty and so was the sunset, so I hope those relaxed your jarred nerves. 😀
Wow, nice sunset. It could have been more beautiful if the husband was there beside you or hugging you as you both wait for the sky to loose the sun and welcome the moon.
Dont fret. Choz lang lahat ito.
nang-iinggit ka? nang-iinggit ka eh. kahit nakakatakot sa simula. nang-iinggit ka pa rin.
Gwapo gwapo ng husband ko… 😛
The view is lovely indeed, but the curtain is que horror!!!! Ang tingkad ng pagka-blue niya ha, mukhang cheap! Wahahahha!! The house is lovely from the outside. Ang classic ng feel.
gawd. that was funny!
kala ko kung ano na ang mangyayari. hahaha.
great place, though, they have to do something with some of the designs of the spaces, the interiors (meaning, design).
heeh. ^_^
parang familiar sa kin yung place. I think Gemperle family may ari nun.
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