|  | Hi Everyone,
Since our unforeseen relocation last month that resulted in our being transplanted to the city of Dumaguete, we find that we are missing our ocean view villa. We luxuriated for almost 4 years in the wonderful beach community of Moalboal, Cebu. I miss just looking at the sea over coffee in the morning. I missed the smell of the beach, the wind blowing my hair, and the roar of the waves synchronized with a cacophony of bird sounds as I sip that first cup of coffee greeting the sunrise. |  | Our old dig in Moalboal, Cebu By contrast, our new place in Dumaguete is smaller, as such, it’d restored my wanderlust and my feet were getting itchy! So, setting my new year’s resolve, after being stranded on one island for the last couple of years due to the pandemic, I’ve purposed in my heart to indulge in a bit of ‘island hopping’. After all, the Philippines is composed of 7100 islands. Oh gee, I’ve got lots of work and exploring to do. Luckily, I have the gift of time. As I pondered these things, the phone rang. “Hey guys,” my sister-in-law, Grace rang me. “How are you doing?” “Great!” I spoke. “Still exploring our new surroundings and getting used to living in the city again.” “Are you settled in?” “It has some advantages,” trying to convince myself. “There are hospitals around us, schools, and the shopping mall nearby even has 2 cinemas. I wish they’d open soon, but we’re golden!” “Well, if you’re not doing anything on the 12th, it’s Evelyn’s (yet another sister-in-law) birthday. Let’s have dinner at Bantayan Island.” “Omg, Bantayan Island?” I asked again. “Sure! We’ll be there.”
As soon as I hung up the phone, it dawned on me that I no longer live in Cebu; we’re on the neighboring island of Negros Oriental. It’s a short ferry ride and long drive 8-9 hours from southern tip end of Cebu to the north tip and then another short ferry ride. |  | My first thought after consulting the google map was, oh gee, what did I sign up for? But I told myself, a birthday celebration is just the excuse I need to take off to revisit Bantayan Island… no matter the distance. As it so happens my sister Conni and her son, Robbie Jr. had just arrived from California a fortnight ago. My eldest brother, Alonzo, his wife Evelyn (the birthday celebrant) and their son, Xanti also just arrived from Seattle, Washington a few weeks ago after their recent move from Sri Lanka where they’d lived for many years. My brother Butch and his enormous family of seven kids, five grandchildren, and various Yayas live mainly in Cebu City, and the neighboring islands as well as abroad. Unfortunately, I still had two brothers, one living on a different island, Iligan and the other, out of the country in Seattle, USA who couldn’t join us. But for the present, we all converged from different areas and parts unknown to get together and celebrate Evelyn’s birthday bash in Bantayan. Whether a birthday, wedding, funeral or no reason at all, there’re always sufficient cause for family gatherings. Just as family meetups are legitimate grounds for a journey; a family member coming from abroad is often motivation for family reunion as well! Yup Family is everything. A perfect cocktail of love and chaos, I thought. So, we were off to Bantayan Island, which is located north of Cebu, and is one of the favorite tourist spots for foreign and local tourists alike. We’d been there before but hadn’t really explored the island much. I was still very curious, so I jump at the chance to be able to come back.
Bantayan Island is in the Visayan Sea, situated to the west of the Northern tip of Cebu Island across the Tañon Strait. The major three municipalities are: Sante Fe, Bantayan and Madridejos. Sante Fe, is where the white sand beaches are like powdered sugar and where local and international tourist dare to tread. Bantayan is where the main town proper is located; Madridejos is renowned for its amazing sunsets and shouldn’t be missed.
|  | The entire travel is quite a long way from our new home in Dumaguete city. We drove from Dumaguete City to the port and took the ferry to Santander, the southern tip of Cebu. We drive from the tip of Cebu, at Santander to Moalboal which was roughly a third of the way. To reduce our travel time on the road, we decided to take an overnight break in Moalboal where we’d previously lived in order to spend a night, do some reconnecting and support our friends and their businesses who were still recuperating from the super typhoon Odette. As expected, the town is still wrecked, but there are strong signs of recovery already; people can be irrepressible!
We were delighted to see establishments re-opened and coming back to life; especially Okeanos Café Bistro which is owned by our friends Dyna and JP. It’s become a spot for excellent food and coffee and is filled with techies and other online workers. It looked like they’d taken the opportunity of having down time to remodel and now they have a brand-new look and ambience with even more seating. It’s gratifying to see our friends thriving even in these trying times.
|  | “We forgot to take pictures!” Dyna said after our brief interlude and lunch. “Don’t worry Dyna, I took this picture from your FB page and will keep you in my heart as we hit the road. Great job on your bistro!” We checked in at Tipolo Beach Resort - Last Filling Station, which is our familiar playground and pizza source.
” Where have you guys been?” Jochen asked. He’s the owner of Tipolo Resort; he looked glad to see us. “I have not seen you both lately!”
” Oh, we no longer live here,” I responded. “We moved to Dumaguete City.”
” That figures.” He spoke. “I thought you went back to the States.”
It felt good that people welcomed us and missed us in our old neighborhood.
In addition to saying ‘hi’ to people we’d missed, if we hadn’t taken the opportunity to spend the night in Moalboal, this little road trip would have been much too much! Sitting in a bus, even an air-conditioned luxury van, can be especially hard on the back and the tush! The van rental with a driver cost about ₱7000 (USD 120) a day. From Moalboal, we took the Toledo Road at 9:00 am and we arrived in Hagnaya port to catch the ferry at 4:30pm. We were hoping to meetup with the family at 3:30pm and take the ferry across together, but we didn’t make it. We arrived an hour late, but luckily, the ferry was almost hourly to the islands. In more remote locations, the ferry is scheduled for only 1 or 2 trips per day depending on the needs. This was clear confirmation to me that since travel restrictions had lifted tourism is already begun to show signs of recovery… and it’s clear that Bantayan is a favored destination. It wasn’t as crowded as last time we were here, but many people we’d spoke to were visiting from out of town on ‘getaways’ just like us. Cebu is one of the larger islands in the Philippines and traveling the length of Cebu was a long trip; we stopped at one my favorite hotels, the Ocean Breeze Resort. We had a pleasant lunch by the pool and overlooking the ocean. It gave us a chance to stretch our legs, empty our bladder, and just breathe organic sea breeze. After a long and winding road, we finally made it to Hagnaya port. The ferry ride was mercifully brief, about an hour more or less. Once on Bantayan, we headed to Sta. Fe, where all the beaches and restaurants are located. Philip, a talented Pediatrician is married to my niece, his father stem from Bantayan and they own a boutique hotel there called Rica’s Space. Phillip and his family graciously hosted our enormous clan and significant entourage. The hotel is centrally located between the beach, the clubs and restaurants. Rica’s Space is managed by my niece, Mikee Suson Gilbuena, Phillip’s lovely wife.
|  | Arriving at Hagnaya Port at sunset. By the way, one can also take an air-conditioned Ceres bus from Northern Cebu terminal all the way to Bantayan. | My niece, Mikee always amazes me with her efficiency; I’m so proud of her ability to do so much and still be a wonderful and involved mother. She’d arranged a flexible weekend agenda for us, which saved me a headache’s worth of planning. Our accommodations were very nice, and I was most grateful that I didn’t have to do much more than tag along, go with the flow, and visit with kin. As soon as we arrived and caught up with the family over dinner, we went to MJ Square. The square is known for the night life strip in Santa Fe and walking distance to our Rica’s Space. There is broad variety of food, restaurants, and wholesome entertainment for the night. You can wander safely here with your children or dogs. There were live bands, karaoke and clubs with DJs, as well as ice cream parlors and souvenir stores with just the right trinkets, beachwear and accessories for your visit. There were even vegetarian options! We strolled the narrow streets and found a place to watch my nieces and nephews shoot pool, down some beers, cocktails, and enjoyed a live band. After some liquid courage, my family took turns belting out songs backed by the band. Even if it isn’t a Friday night, local bands perform most nights! We were looking for fun and we found it. We got chewed by mosquitos even in every dark corner… next time I won’t leave my mosquito repellant in my hotel room!
It was so nice to feel that mask and distancing restrictions were finally relaxing, because everyone, no matter their position are feeling the fatigue and most people are longing to socialize and have a drink together without getting browbeaten about producing vaccination cards or for not wearing a mask every second. It’s a comfort to finally let the guard down. Owing to the long road, and the tall glass of red wine, I was feeling pummeled and turned in for an early night, but family continued, especially the nieces and nephews and birthday celebrant, Evelyn partied until early dawn. |  | There’s so much more to share but I decided to split this blog in two.
Stay tuned for the Bantayan Island Odyssey (Part Two).
Hasta La Vista, Baby |  | | Important Information to know: How do we get to Bantayan Island:
Bus - From Cebu City, catch a Ceres bus at the north terminal to Hagnaya Port.
Private car - One can drive to Hagnaya port from Cebu City or from any other location in Cebu.
Plane - There’s a plane that goes to Bantayan Island from Mactan International Airport. The flight takes only 40 minutes but it flies only twice a week.
Fares from Hagnaya Port to Bantayan Island:
(as of March 2023, subject to change)
One way - Php 150 (USD 3.00)
See schedule below. |  | Places to visit:
Moalboal, Cebu
Okeanos Hotel and Bistro – It was great to briefly catch-up with Dyna and JP, (Dyna Camille R. Fernandez and Jean-Pol François). The coffee shop had a brand-new look and a wonderful variety of healthy food.
They also offer freediving, and JP is a reputable freediving instructor! If you’re into that sport, he comes very highly recommended. |  | Tipolo Beach Resort - Last Filling Station:
Nice cozy boutique hotel right at Panagsama Beach. They have one of the best pizzas in Moalboal baked in a stone oven. They also bake yummy German Logan Bread and Pretzels on the weekend.
They have nice cozy reasonably priced rooms with breakfast where you can catch spectacular sunsets such as these below.
|  |
Clarita’s Beach Cottage - simple budget rustic cottages/studio right by Panagsama Beach.
TOLEDO: a town North of Cebu province known as “Copper City” for its copper mining and also known as “Power City” for its power plant. It has become known as one of the leading energy provider in the Visayas.
Ocean Breeze Resort - A wonderful resort with special VIP rooms. If you love a jacuzzi in your bedroom, this is the place to be. Usually, you only get simple shower rooms all over the Philippines and rarely you get a bathtub unless, you are in a 5 star hotel. The staff are really nice. BANTAYAN ISLAND:
Rica’s Space - A wonderful space in Santa Fe. Walking distance to the beach, the church and marketplace. Most of all, it’s a stone throw away to MJ Square, the street where there’s a strip of restaurants and nightly entertainment.
The rooms are very clean, and there is an outdoor kitchen and a place to eat outside the rooms to have an enjoyable vacation without hurting your pockets.
Bicycles are available to rent.
PHOTO CREDITS:
I have taken lots of amateur images and short video clips myself but some photos I have also taken from the web. So giving credit where it’s due.
Okeanos Café Bistro – taken from their FB page.
Okeanos Hotel & Bistro Moalboal | Facebook
Bantayan Island map – xed83 User Profile | DeviantArt
Cebu map with Bantayan Island - Certified Turista!: Bantayan Island, Cebu Philippines Tribute to Indie AuthorsI love and support Indie Authors. I have virtually met and interviewed couple of authors on my blog and struck special friendships with them from a very special group on FB; almost everyone referred and spoke highly of WLM (We love Memoirs) group. I decided to go to the source being an Indie Author myself. There was one very special lady there that I especially looked up to, a New York times bestselling author who has generously supported the Indie Author community, in addition to producing her series of bestselling books, Victoria Twead. |  | | 1.Tell me about yourself. Thanks so much for inviting me, Mitos! I’m Victoria Twead, and I’m a grandmother, an old fool and I used to be a chicken whisperer up a Spanish mountain. I’m also a New York Times bestselling author and a publisher, having founded Ant Press back in 2011. Oh, and I co-founded the We Love Memoirs Facebook group in 2013 which is a project that remains close to my heart. 2. Why did you write your first book? My first book, Chickens, Mules and Two Old Fools was written after Joe and I had experienced our first five wonderful, hilarious years of Spanish village life. We fell head over heels in love with our tiny village and the rhythm of life in the mountains. It was an absolute delight to write about the eccentric characters, the customs, the food and the animals that entered our lives.
3. Amongst all the books you have written, which is your favourite?
I think that must be Chickens because it was a life-changer. I thought I would write only one book. However, when Chickens was launched it had such an astonishing reception that I couldn’t help writing the next one in the series. Then the next, and next. When Two Old Fools on a Camel hit the New York Times bestseller list three times, I was utterly hooked on writing. Husband Joe is absolutely horrified that I am still adding to the “Old Fools” series. I’m currently scribbling number seven. I doubt that I’ll ever stop writing. 4. I am aware that you write fiction books as well, what is your preference? Fiction or non-fiction? Yes, I write fiction, too, but my passion is non-fiction. I find memoirs much easier to write than fiction because I don’t need to invent. And real life is often far more entertaining than any work of fiction. Don’t tell anyone, but my little fiction series, stories that take place in the English village of Sixpenny Cross, are all inspired by real life.
5. How many hours do you write in a day? Usually none. I long to write, but Ant Press and We Love Memoirs take all my time, along with trying to stop my dog, Lola, rolling in mud or road-kill. Writing happens whenever I can steal some time from other duties. Luckily, with my Ant Press hat on, I love to help new authors get published, and I also adore We Love Memoirs, so it’s a win-win situation really.
6. Are you currently working on a book at the moment? Yes, Two Old Fools Fair Dinkum is my current work in progress. I have notebooks stuffed full of amazing events I want to include, enough to fill two books. All I need is the time to write…
7. What would you advise emerging Indie authors?
Oh! I’d say don’t expect overnight success, particularly nowadays when thousands of books are being published every day on Amazon. Writing and publishing is the easy part. Marketing your book is much harder and never stops. And if you are a memoir writer, I’d say join We Love Memoirs immediately. You’ll never regret it!
8. Knowing what you know now about the publishing industry, what would you do differently to when you started?
I would never EVER have gone to a “hybrid” publisher with my first book. I think it’s wrong to charge authors to publish a book, then also keep a hefty percentage of their royalties. As a new author, I didn’t know any better so I was trapped. This experience inspired me to create Ant Press in 2011. At Ant Press we follow the traditional route where we offer contracts to authors, in which case they pay us nothing. Alternatively, we provide complete end-to-end publishing packages and do not take a cent of an author’s royalties. All rights and all control belong to the author, even if approached for translation, movie, TV or audio rights, etc. We think that is much fairer. Ant Press has published hundreds of books over the last ten years, including New York Times bestsellers. We love our job!
9. Are you still taking in submissions?
Yes! We have editors in the US, the UK, Spain and Australia. We specialise in Memoir but will consider any submission. We are always on the lookout for the next bestseller!
10. What are you reading right now?
I rarely have time to read books I choose myself but I am always excited to read submissions from new, undiscovered authors.
11. How did you come to form the amazing WLM that garnered so many members (6.3K)? Alan Parks and I co-founded We Love Memoirs because we wanted to form a friendly community where memoir readers and memoir writers could meet and chat together.
12. To what do you attribute the success of the group?
Without question, the group is so successful because we don’t allow self-promotion, which we know is a real turn-off to readers. Instead, we offer a huge range of opportunities for authors to get their books noticed in the group, without self-promotion and all free of charge. WLM has blossomed into a warm, caring community with real-time meetups all over the world. Deep friendships are formed and books discussed and devoured. With our virtual parties and regular events, there is never a dull moment in WLM. 13. If you were a fruit or a vegetable, what would you want to be and why? Easy! I’d be a grape. Why? Because I love the sun, and one day I might become a glass of wine. Bliss! Thank you so much Victoria for your time and all you do for the Indie Author community. You can check out more of Victoria here. See below. Victoria Twead’s website Ant Press website | Don’t forget your reviews! |  | If you love a book, please leave a review.
It is your gift to the Author. |  | My 5-star review for “Two Old Fools Down Under” by Victoria Twead posted at Amazon, Goodreads and Bookbub. Reading “Two Old Fools Down Under” I felt like Victoria opened her home to me over a cup of tea and scones as she shared about her life ‘Down Under’, making me feel as cozy as possible. Victoria has the gift of describing a turn of events, a very detailed account of her move to Australia. I felt like I was watching a reality show or a sitcom. How I wish I had all the time in the world because I would take a month off and binge on all of Victoria’s Two Old Fools series. I started at book 6, right after I read ‘Dear Fran, Love Dulcie’ and after having a brush with a history of Australia, I wanted to learn more about this country. Like opening a Pandora’s box, now I am hooked and want to start with Book 1. It’s definitely very entertaining as she shares details about her life with Joe, and Lola taking a supporting role. I love the recipes at the end of each chapter; it made me feel like spending the day with a special friend and moving from tea into the kitchen, while she’s preparing the ingredients over a bottle of wine. She is narrating the situations, with her challenges house-hunting, renovating her new home, training Lola, etc. disclosing everything, not holding back, the good, the bad and the ugly. There are lot of joyful and poignant moments as well. What a relief that its’ a series and I can have more of Victoria’s adventure. I recommend this book highly.
Get your copy here: Here’s a link to my 5* review fo “Dear Fran, Love Dulcie.”as posted in Amazon, BookBub and GoodReads |  | My BooksTen percent of my book sales from 2022, will go to “Help Children of War in Ukraine”
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