What is in a Plan?

What is the value of a good plan? A guy like me would spend lots of time to make it just so...the value is immesurable, no? This time I have taken the back seat to the planning in an effort to be more zen about life and travels. There are upsides to stepping back and seeing what will happen as well right?

But ya gotta have an IDEA of a plan somewhere in the corners of the brain, otherwise you would be as stuck as one of these greasy old foggies dottering on beer and women in the Philippines.

So here was the ROUGH IDEA:

In a sense of urgency to get southward as fast as possible, we would take the overnight ferry direct from Manila to Romblon island. Quickstep onward to the west to Tablas Island (Romblon group) and on to Boracay for some world class beach experience. Then on to Panay island, overland down the unusual and rarely visited west coast via wild jeepney and then from Iloilo City to Negros Occidental island.

We would now be in the 'zone' of touring. By negotiating the long way (clockwise) around Negros then hop-skip over to Siquijor island and skip again to Bohol Island.

Bohol is the jewel (it seems) in the Visayas. Tarsiers, jungle rivers, mountain retreats and the famous Chocolate hills. We have space arranged (three nights and the fourth free!!) and anticipate motorbiking around, through and within this space. Bohol provides the incentive for the aforementioned urgency.

Leaving Bohol, our plans become more vague. More like a race (is there enough time???) through Leyte (I must stand with McArthur and rush the beach) and then upwards through southern Luzon.

You see, the dream is not dead. We will rent a moto and then take a clockwise tour around the mountains and valleys of northern Luzon visiting such hotspots as Bagio, Vigan, Sagada and Banauae. We must must must make sure we have 2 weeks for this.

Such is the plan.

Yet here we are, after 10 days just enjoying the rainy weather in Boracay. We met a fellow while stuffed inside our first class accomodation on overnight ferry to Romblon (first class...you get a hard bunk in a stateroom with 59 other folks!!!!). He successfully suggested that we visit and enjoy the Ati-Atihan festival in Romblon THE FOLLOWING WEEKEND.

Well we stayed for the festival and enjoyed the drumming and the costumes and the skin and the dancing of the various tribes. Jolted out of bed by the pre-dawn competing drumming of the tribes is a different type of alarm clock all together. Not the usual chicken choir found in the provinces to be sure. Tonnes of pics to come.

We also got to visit and motor tour the nearby island of Sibuyan. Tick off another island. Sure hope we have enough time for Bohol now... ohmmmmmm life is good. It all works out.

Peace and Love.