Getting to Know My Roots
The past twelve months has given me many opportunities for travel, and although it has only been a month and a half since my last expedition, I’m finding myself looking for my next destination. However, I noticed that I’ve posted photos from my other trips, from Palawan to Bataan and wherever my feet have taken me in between, but I have not posted those from my most recent trip yet - a trip to my father’s hometown, Surigao del Sur.
I’ve been to beautiful places before, but this trip to Surigao last August was special because in my entire twenty-four years, that was the first time I set foot on my dad’s hometown. It was amazing, and the six days that I spent there were not nearly enough. I didn’t even get to see the one place I really wanted to see - the Tinuy-An Falls. (That will be for a later trip.) But I did get to meet a lot of my cousins that I have never met before, and I got to eat an endless supply of seafood.
The lifeguard station at Kansilad, crabs and other food galore, the dam at the Agusan river, and the grotto at Kansilad.
What really captivated me though I was not able to go to Tinuy-An and the Enchanted River was another gift from nature - the Britania Islands. Shallow, clear blue seas, white sand so fine and white it is only second to the famed sands of Palawan, the lush green of untouched flora - what more can you ask for? The entire tour cost P1,700 (and there was about twenty of us), where you get the boat that will take you to all the islands of Britania, and you get to go snorkeling as well. You also have the option of camping out in one of the islands overnight as long as you have your own camping gear and you bring food.
The walkway to the pier, “We’re flying!”, different starfish, and one of the beautiful islands of Britania
Of course, what made this trip stand out from the rest is the fact that I got to meet the side of my heritage that I have not quite had a chance to come face-to-face with: my father’s side of the family. Ever since I was little, I was surrounded by my relatives from my mother’s side, and am really close to them, and so I was surprised at how quickly my relatives warmed up to me even though most of them were seeing me in person for the first time. It was also nice to see my dad reunited with his siblings, as I’m sure he has been waiting for that moment for quite sometime now. He always talks about home and how he wants to spend his retirement at home in Lianga, and so I can only imagine his longing.
Meet (just a handful of, this is nowhere near the actual number) the Sanchez - de Castro clan!
I really hope that I can go to Davao sometime within the year to meet up with my cousins again to have adventures of our own (sans the chaperones, haha) but I can say that this trip to Surigao is one of my most memorable ever. It’s nice to get to know my roots and get to appreciate such a scenery as a bonus.
