CEBU, Philippines - Dear Freeman readers, I must confess that I am in love with your amazing country and you should remember everyday when you wake up that you are one of the luckiest people in the world. Your 7,107 beautiful islands are a dream come true for half of humanity. We, the Europeans, travel all the way to the Pacific to be able to catch a week of your wonderful weather and your magical beaches, and you have it 365 days per year, no matter how rich, poor, tall, big or small you are – the sea and the sand are there for fishing, playing, swiming and surfing, giving joy to all! I have been travelling my whole life to several places but Filipinos have that special halo and unique friendliness that make me stay. Of course, sometimes I feel a little bit sad and think about going home to Spain. But in those moments, life would give me the chance to postpone the nostalgia. As one evening while talking with my friend Lana Osmeña, she came up with an invitation to spend All Saints' Day at their family's island called Carnaza (off the northern tip of Cebu). I was ecstatic and I thanked my new friend profusely.
So, on November 1st I was so excited about our trip that I started cooking some omelette sandwiches because I wanted to show my best. I cooked with all my heart but with zero knowledge and almost burned my kitchen. But even though I am far from being a culinary expert, Butch Carungay, Keltoum Harmouz, Matt Straigh and my husband Javier Jañez García, ate them with a smile. I could see in that moment that I was in the right company.
We started our trip at the Bellavista Hotel, where my husband and I met Butch, the film maker Joanna V. Arong, the chef and personal trainer Matt Straigh and Butch´s driver, who made me think I was travelling with Fernando Alonso(Formula 1). We drove up to the tip of Cebu island, 3 hours, giving us views of the province.
Once we arrived at the Daanbantayan Port, Lana and Mimo Osmeña with their children and friends, Keltoum Harmouz, Rafael Ruiz and the brilliant designer Luisa Robinson with her son Matias were waiting for us. I was so surprised how everything was so greatly prepared.
Then was the funniest part, going on a boat as Pirates of the Caribbean but in the blue waters of the Philippines without ghosts. Somehow, maybe because of my acting background or because I was born this way, everytime I go on a new adventure, my mind would conjure Hollywood, imagining that we are in the middle of a movie! Fortunately, I didn't think of Shark even though we were traveling with a director (Joanna) and a future movie-maker (Santi Osmeña).
While I was wrestling with my imagination to stop thinking about Titanic or Cast Away, my husband Javier, who is a Cebu Pacific pilot, was talking with 2 other pilots on board. Mimo and Javier enjoyed sharing stories about engines and propellers, and I was so glad to see Javier happy. I was finally out of those conversations that, I must confess, are as difficult for me to understand as cooking.
I had the chance to talk in Spanish with Lito and Annette Osmeña, who were so nice in explaining about Philippine culture. It was a pleasure to see in their eyes how happy they were sharing their time with their grandchildren.
As Columbus said, "Land in sight!" The beautiful Carnaza welcomed us with its wild and magical ambiance. I didn´t know that in this era of capitalism, Facebook, fastfood and resorts, where everything is almost always fake, we were enjoying a real virgin island, full of palm trees, vegetation, harmony and with a very nice and warm community with the cutest children.
Lana showed us our rooms in the wonderful resort that they have in Carnaza, a new honeymoon suite for Javier and me. Meanwhile, Santi, Butch and Rafael were organizing a huge surprise:
The Amazing Carnaza Race
They did a real magnificent job as we were running through the mountains, fishing bangus in the mud, playing basketball in the village and even singing in a small local Karaoke joint. It was better organized than the real Survivor Show (where I´d been working in Spain). We were laughing so much and I tell you that this kind of nature experience with so much fun and fantastic people is better for the skin than botox, because it moisturizes the soul. The BABABA team, because of their athletic preparation, arrived first, but Lana, Joanna and Keltoum were so close, followed by Javier and me. The great thing was that all of us felt as winners when Butch gave us his beautiful Avatar creations.
In the middle of the adventure the rain poured heavily and a big storm appeared in the Island. We were all together, sharing our time and stories until the weather got nicer. It is great to spend time with good people, create some memories that make you smile. I loved those moments talking with Lana and Luisa, two top women who helped me to understand a little bit better how to live in the Philippines with humour and love.
But the best part was at night – long late night conversations in the company of the stars and the special sound of waves. It is true that the foreigners in this case were the last ones to go to bed, as always Matt (English and kiwi), Keltoum (French and Moroccan) and Javier and I (Spanish) stayed awake the longest to enjoy the mystery of the night, looking for shooting stars and making our own wishes.
(Thanks to Luisa Robinson for the great pictures and my special GRACIAS to Lana and Mimo Osmeña for your generosity). (FREEMAN)