It's been a decade since I've been to Leyte... maybe less! I remember the first time I was there it was for the National tour of Ballet Philippines of the production of Shoes. . then we intermittently went to Leyte for the Kitefest every summer. So I have no exact recollection of when I was there last.
This summer I was invited by a dear friend to visit Baybay, Leyte. Who was I to refuse? I said yes at the first intstance. We planed in on the 8th of May on a 4a.m. flight on Zest Air. Unfortunately, the return trip was delayed for two hours (but that's another story.) I was with June, his sister Didith and hubby Carlo.
Photo ops were in order as we passed by the Mac Arthur landing monument. There was no water in the pool so we took the liberty of joining Uncle Douggie for some great shots. Then we motored our way to Baybay which was our final destination. We got there in two hours thanks to the great road network in Leyte. Just recently, Baybay has been elevated into cityhood. So progress was inevitable, although I must say, the city has remained quaint and unique. More importantly, green as ever!
The purpose for going to Leyte was to attend the Nunez Family re-union which was hosted by June's cousin, Bong. We crashed at their home and had a great rest at their bahay kubo that was cool and breezy, ventilation was never a problem. Lucky I brought my mosquito net tent, though. These mosquitoes have a habit of finding me wherever I am. We had to days to laze around prior to the event so we went around my old haunts like VISCA and the seashore.
A lot has changed since I was there last. There is a new apartelle aside from the hotel which is operated by the university. Another area is the cabanas which rent for P500.00/night. However all the cabanas were occupied by foreign students until June. The venue for the party was at the pavilion near the VISCA swimming pool. So the day before the event, Bong and his sisters and nieces started dressing up the venue which was turned into a barrio fiesta atmosphere.
On the day of the event, the family members started arriving. Registration was very orderly and the appetizers were offered by waitresses who went around providing snacks for the relatives who were milling around bonding with each other. Food was overflowing... so were the drinks. All in all, the event was fun, lasting until late afternoon.
After a fortnight, another re-union was in the offing. It was the APDANS re-union. APDANS is an acronym for Amihan, Poliquit, Diaz, Almeroda, Nunez ans Silao families. You can just imagine how many people were in attendance. Early morning Mass was celebrated as a form of Thanksgiving. Then the families started trooping to the Baybay Elementary school grounds. This re-union was a potluck affair. Each family had their own family recipes which they shared with the other families. One was required to go around and try the fares on the other tables. This was as much fun as the Nunez re-union. By the sixth day, it was time to head home.
I had too much fun in Baybay, that it could have been the perfect vacation... Swimming all day, night swimming under the full moon light with lots of siesta and fresh seafood in between. Well. something tells me I'll be back soon... after all... I've been adopted into the clan. That's one for the books!
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