The week long vacation had just begun.  At the break of dawn, we were off to the port of Piraeus for our travel from Athens to Santorini.  This is the second part of our Greek vacation.

There are two options to the island of Santorini.  By plane, the flight would just take less than 50 minutes.  But traveling to the airport, getting baggage checked, waiting for boarding and repeating the cycle when you get to Santorini was less a thrill than taking a superfast ferry (which will take you 4 1/2 hours with one stop at Ios Island).  It also was much cheaper taking the ferry than flying (150 Euros for a one way flight from Athens to Santorini vs. 58 Euros by ferry).  The ferry was super comfy and breakfast could be purchased on board. You’d also get to appreciate the other beautiful islands of Greece.

The brief stop at Ios Island featured a typical laid back fishing village. Restful and calm.

Santorini is divided into various cities within the city.  Fira, Firostefina, Oia, and Imerovigli. Fira is the capital of Santorini.  It is also where the major nightlife is. It’s the most touristy area.  Just imagine a larger scale Boracay marketplace!

We stayed at the Dreams Luxury Suites (at Imerovigli) for the next 6 nights.  The lodging alone deserves a story in itself. It had its own jacuzzi and breakfast was served at our suite at whatever time of the day we wanted. Overlooking each of the suites is the caldera.  According to our hostess, the island of Santorini was born out of lava during the eruption in 1660 BC.  The middle part of the volcano sank into the sea, leading to what is now left to what is known as Santorini. The massive rock formation surrounding the caldera was actually from the lava over the past several centuries.

The sunset from the room between 930-10PM was the most stunning sunset I have ever appreciated in my lifetime.  How beautiful it was to just watch the glory the world God created sipping a glass of wine or champagne from any balcony facing the caldera.

The best way to get around Santorini – is to rent a car! At 60 euros a day, that in itself was worth the price.  Walking around will just take you around between Fira and Oia.  But to those who wish to venture a bit more, here are two other places that would make your stay in Santorini worth it all.

Ammoudi

Going around Santorini (which is 35 km from the north tip Oia to the south tip Akrotiri) by public transportation – bus or taxi.  Or renting a car.  The latter is the best option. Parking is free everywhere. And with 10 Euros worth of gas, the Nissan Micra should make your trip in the island worth every minute.

On the far end of the north is the fishing village at the bottom of Oia – Ammoudi. And stunning is a word that would not do justice to describing the village – from the view to the food! At Katina, the freshest lobsters and greek salad were to die for.  Katina is highly recommended by the New York Times as a must place to eat.  And nothing gets more authentic than having the freshest seafood caught and served right after the catch.

Perivolos and Oia

What else is there to do in an island surrounded by sun and sea? Go to the beach, of course!

Amazing water, cosmopolitan shops, home to the “elite” in the island of Santorini is Perivolos. It’s a short 20 minutes drive along winding roads from Imerovigli to the beaches on Perivolos.

Anemos Bar (situated in a yard of an old tomato factory) was where we stayed for our “picnic” on the beach. Drinks were brought into the cabana and lunch served on a beach basket. The huts of course were not free.  You had to dish out 10 Euros on top of the meals and drinks (which you had to order from there). It was life at its finest.  It even had a service button on the hut, which had the waiters/butlers at your beck and call.

Oia was a perfect getaway from the party life in Fira.

Oia is one of the more picturesque villages on the rim of the cliff side which takes you all the way to a village of 79 churches.  Oia is considered the cultural heart of the island as it plays host to a cultural centre and art galleries as well the most beautiful resorts in the island right at the caldera. Oia is practically the highest peak at the north of the island, and thus has the best sunset view in all of Santorini.  Unlike Fira and Imerovigli, many of the walk ways in Oia are not made of cobblestones but of marble!

Dining at 1800 (and yes, that is the name of the restaurant) would speak a million languages on the excellent quality of the food in Santorini.  Highly recommended and reviewed by the New York Times, gourmet dining at 1800 takes food to a different level.  And why not for almost 150 Euros per person?

Unforgettably stunning vacations is what life is all about.

The spectacular? Well, it’s up to us!

Amsterdam, located in the province of “Noord-Holland”, is one of the more popular destinations in Europe.  And for good reasons.

Our travel on a starry starry fortnight after our trip to Berlin took us to this northern part of the Netherlands (once upon a time, Holland).

In the early 13th century, Amsterdam was a bustling fishing village on a river bed. Today, it is the centre of commerce, tourism and culture.  If Barcelona is home to Catalan Modernist Antoni Gaudi, Amsterdam is home to the Van Gogh Museum where the works of its tortured native son Vincent are found.

And, if you’re not yet “nauseated” with the cultural heritage that Europe has to offer, make sure you drop in to more museums like the Rikjsmuseums filled with Rembrandts and Vermeers or the Stedelijk Museum where Matisses and Mondrians fill its modern stocks. And of course, one should not miss the house of Anne Frank (Anne Frank Huis, author of The Diary of Anne Frank).  There is a long queue to this museum alone (drawing more than a million visitors each year).  The focus of the museum of Anne Frank is the rear house, also known as the “secret annex”.  This part of the house is a dark, airless space where the Franks and other people observed complete silence during the daytime. Its somber and eeriness is the perfect match to the jigsaw trip, after Vienna and Berlin.

Aside from deep historical culture, there are many other places to enjoy in Amsterdam.  The Jordaan and the West was a former worker’s quarters teeming with cozy pubs, galleries and markets.  And of course, there’s the infamous red light district as well, that’s well, so touristy.  I suggest that before you go, make an itinerary of where you want to visit in Amsterdam, as you may miss the neighbourhoods that have their own stories to tell.

Amsterdam is also home to a gastronomic experience.

And if you’re wanting for tulips (make sure you go in the spring), take a bus ride to Keukenhof gardens.  It’s one trip you shouldn’t miss, as these pictures alone speak volumes for why it is worth the side trip.

Jet lag.

Who was it that once said

After a vacation, one will always need another vacation to get over the hangover.

On the flight back, I was already contemplating on where our next travel destination would be.

More importantly, is the when.

Traveling on a vacation isn’t a spur of the moment decision. This decision is based on the factor of resources. I peg an actual vacation budget, then try to look for bargain destinations and airline fares that fit this. Agoda.com or Trivago.com comes in helpful as well when you want to look for bargain and discounts on hotels to your destination.

Thorough research is done (that’s where the fun is) so that you can maximise your trip. Where to go. What to do. When is the best time to be there without being too burdensome (e.g., traveling during the winter may entail carrying so much luggage for winter clothes that it’s really not fun traveling during the winter season of your plan is to go shopping). Timing of events (e.g., SALE, concerts, dining privileges and more).

On my return flight, reality had begun to sink in as my tired weary body was returning to its physiological stage of reasoning on why the vacation has ended so quickly…

Upon arrival into Manila, you get a sense of being back home and not wishing it was home. Don’t get me wrong! It’s just that you get to wonder why our airport (that alone being the showcase window to the world) is not at par with the other airports where we came from? The customs counters were super efficient this time around (and kudos to that).  Then there were just 3 baggage belts working (2 were being fixed) and we came in with 5 flights almost one after the other. So you know what that meant. When you go out of the airport, the mayhem at the arrival area tells you that you are in Manila.  It’s such a let down that you’re trying to manoeuvre your baggage carts in the rain with a crowd of relatives that have flocked to the airport.  It’s a disappointment that you end up comparing our disorganised airports with those where we travel to.  The reality check is – I am back home.

The traffic.  The weather.  The work.

A few hour after arriving, I receive a call.  It is back to work.

Because, I owe, I owe…so off to work I go.

…there was you and I.

We knew each other.  Your parents and my family were once close. We went to the same school.  Attended the same birthday parties.  We knew each other’s likes and dislikes like the back of our hands.  We fought the same ideals.  We were on the side of truth.

After every election, we’d talk about how a new government could provide better opportunities for its people. Every time the subject matter of politics came up, you’d always tell me that if so on and so forth became president or senator or congressman, you’d migrate.  Thirty years later we’re still both here in this country.  Trying to make ends meet.

Two years ago, things changed.

It wasn’t only the political landscape that did.  The story of our friendship took a twist as well.

I was not a fan of PNoy (or for any president for that matter.  To me, every president is paid to do their job.)  On an unbiased note, I gave him a passing grade during his presidency.  There were noises in the background, particularly when the presidential sister would be in the picture. In hind site, she had her own bragging rights.  There is not much you can do for being born into a family of politicians. He had his faux pas moments.  From the botched hostage attempt at Luneta at the beginning of his term, to the Mamasapano slaughter towards the end of his presidency.  Death hounded him from beginning to end. There were also allegations of placing friends in formidable positions.  As any politician would, friends would always be your first choice. This is made on the premise that because they are your friends, they will protect you rather than harm you.  But some friends will have their own vested interests at hand.  It is, after all, not an easy position to be in.  A hallmark, however, of his governance was the fact that he did get the “best and the brightest” to steer the country from where it was at the time Macapagal-Arroyo left. And while he had good decisions, he had unpopular ones as well. (Name me one president that didn’t.)

Growing up, we had various opinions on the performance of each and every president. We grew up knowing Marcos for quite some time. Gloria’s father was Philippine history in our classroom.

Back then, there was no social media.

We took to writing, with hopes that a legitimate press would pick up the pulse of the masses and that government would listen and act on the issues at hand. When this did not happen, we took to the streets to fight for our rights and freedom. And the future generation of Filipinos.

We fought for truth. Democracy. Independence. Moral values. Life. Decency in public service. Trust. Even when at times the stakes were high, we protested against corruption and inept government officials.

In spite of the odds, we believed that competence was essential to every public servant. We believed that truth, honesty and accountability were the hallmarks of hope in bringing change to a country we grew up in and raise our loved ones. More than 30 years after we gained back our democracy, we fought alongside each election to sustain the gains of independence so that our children and grandchildren would have a better future.

That was why the debates before the elections was highly viewed.  Well, by the more educated.  The rest of the land were still busy hanging on to their telenovelas – in both reel and real life.

That was merely two years ago.

After an election.

Something happened.

There was a political divide. You were mired in defending your political stand.  And I respected that. Those who did not agree with the current administration were called “dilawan” (Yellow).

While I went to the polls, there was one position I did not vote for. I was unimpressed at the candidates. Whoever won, I would respect. Because that is the way a democratic country works.

But for indecency to now find difficulty understanding why it needed to be rationalised in this changing world of politics, baffled whatever is left of my senses.

The lies. The scandals. The fake pictures and news. The empty promises. Even when they were blatantly wrong, you defended it.

I did not say a word. I only wondered.

Why?

Your rabid desire to be a follower of whoever won was your choice to make. Who was I to stop you?  After all, we’re almost the same age. Señor-itos already. Entitled to make the right or wrong choices at this point in our lives. The last I remembered, we lived in a free country.

I have never spoken about the political sphere because there were more credible people who knew what to say. About the economy. Crime. Drugs. Policies. Foreign matters. Health. Traffic. Employment. War. Peace. Life. Death.

I am not a politician.  I do not have political affiliations.  Only a sense of pride and love for a country.

My friend, I watched you from the sidelines. Commenting like an economic expert or ranting at matters of foreign policy when dealing with China, Russia and the US. Even when I disagreed, and shook my head when you desperately tried to explain the many whys and hows on social media, it was with a heavy heart that I knew that I began to lose the friend I once knew.

The person I shared many ideas with.  The man who stood by his principles on ethics, morals, values, life and liberty.  The father who made his children proud because they knew that this was the man who would fight all forms of evil and false communication. And I asked myself and your family – what happened?

I still gave you the benefit of the the doubt. And myself as well. Who knows. In 2022, when he is no longer president, I may be wrong. You may be right.

But the noise in the air is too heavy to bear. The trolls who continue to patrol social media like loyal soldiers was the first big disappointment of this government.

The signs were there.  With social media being used to slowly erode the very core of humanity. Chipping away at the little human decency left. The troll patrols used vile languages and incomprehensible reasoning in order to provide chaos and sow hatred and confusion at the opposition. I thought they were invisible. Not real people. Just paid nobodies. Living inexistent lives. Earning a pay by day, destroying a country by night.

The idea of creating trolls was to bring into mainstream social media, real people who’d believe these lies and incredulous stories of deception, of dubious fiction, of a story gone awry.

But mainstream news became a slave to technological advances as well. That was the second big disappointment. Rappler was the firm believer of “real time” news reporting.  Here, the news reporters would report on real time and the news would be posted as a “live” VLOG.  The problem with this was that wrong information may not have been double checked before it was reported.  I should know.  I’ve been in the shoes of the person the reporter who did not know what she was writing about until after the smoke had faded.  But the harm had been done.  The story had been written.  There were no apologies from both Rappler nor the news writer. I am not writing this to ask for an apology nor to reveal what is true (as what they claim to furiously fight for). Or to have a cheap columnist in a popular newspaper write fairy tale stories and whodunnits from Lala-land because it is her means of livelihood. I don’t know if her children know how their mother makes a living, but I am sure she will never be able to look them in the eyes and say that your mom is a decent human being.

I am writing this to tell you that between you and I, I know what it feels to be in the right and yet have no one stand up for you.  Because everyone is afraid. To them, these are chapters in their lives which they will move on from.  But these are stories in mine that will never make me forget how painful it is to live with made up lies.

The irony here is that in the two years that has passed, our 30 years of friendship has  completely drifted apart.  The bonds. The laughter. The stories over lunch or dinner.  The tears.  And when we bump into each other, it’s an awkward moment.

We greet each other with “hi” and “hello”, but that’s about it. Like two long-time lovers who have drifted completely apart.

Before Mocha and Drew, you and I shared a sense of reasoning.  I am writing this for you, not because I want to influence your political belief. I am writing this to tell you that I am missing my friend.  Someone who on my worst days made me laugh and on my best days, patted me on my back. And to tell you that I saw your name commenting on various posts in social media.  Unabashedly using words that I never knew you’d use. It was then that I realised that perhaps I really didn’t know you at all.

I will never compromise my principles in life.  It will take more than a friend or family to change my mind on why I believe fighting against all these lies, fakes, and indecency is the right thing to do in my declining years.

We are not young anymore.  We have fought the good fight.  We need to return decency and honesty back into society, where our children and grandchildren will be the generation that will benefit from our actions today.

Our friendship has nothing to do with politics.

There will be no epitaph on our tombstones reminding us how we drifted away from one another as friends when we were still alive.

After the dust settles with Mocha and Drew, I hope we remain human beings who respect the value of decency and dignity of every human being. We owe ourselves that much.