Once in a while, my husband and I visited his mother’s ancestral home in Balete, Kalibo, Aklan. Away from the hustle and bustle of the big city (about 1-hour flight from Manila and 30-minute drive from Kalibo International Airport), it is a chance to experience a truly different and – in a lot of ways – simpler lifestyle.
So here is a little taste of things we do and/or see during our visit to Balete that we don’t normally encounter in the big city.
Take part in Ati Atihan Festival
Held annually to honour Santo Nino (Holy Child or Infant Jesus), this week-long festival climaxes in a street parade on the third Sunday of January in Kalibo town centre. Showcasing theme floats, dancing groups wearing colourful costumes, marching bands, people sporting face and body paints, they are a sight like no other!
Hala Bira!!!
Drinking coconut juice straight from the tree
Squeezed between one of my husband’s many cousins and my husband on a motorbike (this in itself is an experience we aren’t dare to attempt in metro Manila), we trekked up to mother-in-law’s ancestral land, where coconuts are aplenty. Said cousin would simply climb one of the many coconut trees, chopped off a few coconuts, climbed down, opened them up, and voila! We get to enjoy fresh coconut juice and meat!
What… exactly… is this?
Made out of plastic bottles and caps, we are yet to figure out what kind of apparatus this is. One could only predict it was for decoration purposes only…
Rice fields as far as the eyes can see
Earlier this year, we were lucky enough to visit around the time they were harvesting rice.
Playing sport in the middle of the street
With vehicular traffic nowhere near as dense as the major city, we could use the stretch of the street in front of the house as a makeshift badminton court. You just have to pause and move to the side to let incoming traffic through (which, given the heat, an occasional respite from exercising wasn’t such a bad idea…)
Trek up the mountains… barefoot!
Yes, you read that right! Especially during the rainy season, when the soil turned to sloshy mud after continuous downpour, barefoot is one of the best methods to trek up to Lumaynay to visit my husband’s cousin’s place. Not only it will save your footwear from being ruined (not to mention unsalvageable), but you will also discover (very quickly!) the additional use of your toes when you have to make your way across a narrow bamboo bridge!
Unfortunately, photographic evidence of such time is scarce… After all, one needs both hands to hold on to everything you can (other people’s, tree trunks, sturdy-looking weeds) to keep your balance.
What about you? Where have you travelled that was so far out of your comfort zone? Share your story by commenting below.
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