Biliran in a day or two: Waterfalls, beaches, and memories

I’ve been out of blogosphere for quite some time because… life happens. BUT so much for that, I’m happy to be back! It’s been a while that I have shared some vignettes and snippets of my life, too. So here’s a little treat for all of you… 🙂

Ladies and gents, meet the gorgeous Biliran.

Biliran is an island province in the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. It is one of the country’s smallest and newest provinces. Formerly a sub-province of Leyte, it became an independent province in 1992. This island province of lush mountains, countless waterfalls, and pristine beaches in the east of Visayas is a hidden paradise that is slowly making its name in the Philippines.

The waterfalls

Biliran is surrounded by mountains which explains the province’s abundant waterfalls- the number of which is not yet known. While there are over 10 waterfalls easily accessible to tourists, local mountaineers talk about more waterfalls that can be reached through longer treks, and even about unexplored ones.

My friends and I were able to visit two waterfalls, Ulan-ulan falls (image above)  and Recoletos falls (image below). We would have loved to visit all but time is tissue.

The Tale of the Mad Cow

The Mad Cow

It was a perfect time for rocking chair and morning coffee when suddenly his grandson came barging in from the backyard.

“Grandpa! Grandpa!” Nathan yelled, his face flushed from the sun.

John let a sigh and spoke sternly, “Kid. I told you… No running inside the house.”

“Grandpa, you would be proud.” Nathan said abruptly as if not listening. “I found a mad cow in your herd and I set the cows free! You should have seen them. They were running so fast. I knew they were so scared of—

“Wait, what? What mad?” John knew his grandson is too hyperactive for a seven year old but he must have heard wrong.

Nathan, his eyes brimming with pride, led him towards the backyard. “Remember? The one you and Uncle Jerry were talking about—mad cow disease! I found one who never stopped staring at me. He was totally mad.”

And then John was at lost.

Word Count: 155

© 2017 Maria. All Rights Reserved.

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Here is for Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers prompt. This week’s photo prompt is provided by MajesticGoldenRose. Thanks PJ for hosting another fun prompt.

Enjoy more stories here:

Doodles and Scribbles at 2

YAY! It has been two awesome years for Doodles and Scribbles and I, and the counting goes on.

Through the Years

Doodles and Scribbles has grown such a warm blogging community and I have grown as blogger myself. I remember a certain someone once told me,

“…you only want attention; to bask in praises from strange faces, unknown to you and you to them, never knowing what lies deep within.”

I felt bad for these harsh words and disappointed at this someone, who never had a blogging community in the first place, saying such things. He called it shallow and pretentious, which is not.

I am grateful for the people of passion that I have met through this blog. Their worth are far beyond the praises that I have received and in contrast to what that rude someone said, these bloggers–who I consider friends–have read and seen right through me. Vise versa.

Blog Update: One Word After Another

From the words of Neil Gaiman…

“This is how you do it: you sit down at the keyboard and you put one word after another until it’s done. It’s that easy, and that hard.”

I’ve been out of the blogosphere longer than I originally planned. Somebody, call my muse!!

In the meantime, I’ve decided to tidy my shelf and post some long overdue drafts in the next few days. Sigh. Why must writing be this easy and hard?

Old Whang-od

Old Whang-od

Amid the verdant mountains
Wild rivers and slopes
Reside the countless culture
And the mambabatok

The tattoos etched on her skin
Flaunts beauty and grace
The history of headhunters
She wears on her face

Old Whang-od taps the bamboo
And the tattoo session begins
Officious tribal patterns—
Ethic outlines worth the pain

The tapping sound of bamboo stick
Sends a hum of thrill and fear
For at the end of the citrus thorn
The charcoal ink shall smear your soul

© 2017 Maria. All Rights Reserved.

Photo Credit: Lantaw

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In response to dVerse’s Tuesday Poetics: Artisan.

Tending the bar for Poets Pub today is Kim who challenge us to write a poem about an artisan or wright emulating the style of Irish poet, Seamus Heaney.

This one is a tribute to the 99-year-old Whang-od who is considered as the last mambabatok (traditional Kalinga tattooist) from the Butbut tribe in Buscalan, Kalinga and the oldest tattoo artist in the Philippines.

Head over here to join the fun:

Midnight Musings

On a moonlit night, I stood by the balcony of what seemed like the bitter end of the world. A baggage of misfortune and mistake rest beside me and there is a lump on my throat that I can’t breathe. Tears gathered in the rim of my eyes as my past replayed a deafening mock and there’s no one— there’s not a soul to hold these shaking hands. So I looked up to find the star-speckled sky, those thousands and millions of shimmering lights. I looked up and finally realize that the night was made to make the stars shine bright.

At the darkest ends
Stars guide my wandering soul
Off to a new start

© 2017 Maria. All Rights Reserved.

 

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In response to dVerse’s Tuesday Poetics: New Beginnings and  and MindLoveMisery’s Menagerie’s Heeding Haiku: New Beginnnings.

Tending the bar for Poet’s Pub today is Mish with a treat for us all- eight visual inspiration from various artists! I chose the artwork by  Michaela Sagatova – “New Beginnings At The Ends Of The Earth” because I simply love the night and everything beyond the night sky. ❤

Head over here to join the fun:

An Inch Closer: Renegades

Perhaps an inch closer is all we need. Let’s be two renegades running away from a world of reason— forget chasing the secrets tomorrows hold and live the now. We need not let our minds speak for silence speaks louder under the moonlit sky. Let’s meet halfway where silhouettes dance around a bonfire. And if this world deems ours is but a dream then let’s dream harder tonight. Let the colors burst from our eyes brighter than neon lights. So, baby, how about you take your first step and I’ll take mine?

© 2016 Maria. All Rights Reserved.

Image Source: Favim

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Written for November Notes hosted by two lovely and awesome writers, my dearie Rosema of A Reading Writer and Sarah of Heartstring Eulogies. Come, join the musical fun!

Music Prompt for Day 8: Perfect Strangers by Jonas Blue. This one’s also inspired by my previous poem, An Inch Closer.

5 seconds

5 seconds

your stare is but a chasm
drawing me to the depths
i dread those five seconds
i am miserable at best
if i stifle a smile
or blink away your gaze
it’s a way of remembering
that you weren’t mine but hers
so, baby, please steer clear
for this heart of mine is frail
don’t lend me five seconds
if you can’t hand me forever

© 2016 Maria. All Rights Reserved.

Image Source: Favim

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Written for November Notes hosted by two lovely and awesome writers, my dearie Rosema of A Reading Writer and Sarah Doughty of Heartstring Eulogies. Come, join the musical fun! 😀

Music Prompt for Day 1: Almost Lover by A Fine Frenzy

Filth

Filth

Let’s plunge into a hive
Where honeybees nests
Kiss my lips until they bleed
Trace this body with those fingers—
Every convex, every depth
Deconstruct my being
Lift my flair until I am nothing
But a sullied wraith;
A keepsake of a night’s spark.

© 2016 Maria. All Rights Reserved.

Image Source: Favim

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In response to dVerse’s Quadrille– 18: Spark and MindLoveMisery’s Menagerie’s Wordle #126.

Head over here to join the fun: