The three of us on two wheels is an adventure... Especially when traveling to places for the first time! Our friends recently relocated to the charming province of Carcar in Cebu. Intrigued by their new home, we excitedly planned a weekend getaway to visit and explore the area. Manghupe is tucked in the mountains of Carcar, 20-minutes from the city center and has the best view of the Carcar dam below.

Beautiful view covered by lush tropical trees

We arrived there 8:00 pm on a Friday night. Don't be fooled by the quiet village setting, even though the road leading there may be bumpy and dimly lit by sporadic streetlights. Why? Because Filipinos love to party. May it be in the light-filled city or in a small mountain town. We had brandy, got drunk and our friends sang karaoke. Yes, Brandy. Because alcohol in the Philippines is cheap!

After a night of drinking and talking with the locals, we woke up to a hangover-busting breakfast. What's more filling than Nilat-ang Baboy (pork stew with vegetables), Nilung-ag na Saging ug Ginamos (boiled bananas and fermented fish) and dried fish?

Fried Dried Fish and Bagoong (shrimp paste)

You dip the banana on the Ginamos. Sweet and salty.

And of course, we had the choice of coffee or Milo for breakfast while basking in the tropical morning sun. I allowed my kid to have a sip of coke.

Filipinos eat a lot, breakfast lunch and dinner. We eat hearty meals during good times and more of the fermented stuff during the tough days than usual. Canned goods are last resort.

Kids stay in this lounging bed under the shade in the afternoons for the Wifi

After lunch, we went driving around town partly hoping to get lost in the woods. That would be a challenge, but luckily it never happened. The road to Manghupe, although far and still in the works, is easy to navigate.

However, there are stories about capricious enchanted beings lurking around the woods. Our friend tells us the spot where I took these pictures is where unexplainable things usually happen.

Did we see a mysterious lady in white crossing the road? Or the infamous red-eyed cow that chases passersby? Not today, and hopefully not ever. But as a traveler, it's always one of our deepest fantasies to encounter the unknown. Besides, we usually travel to explore-- I wouldn't be surprised if you have the adventurous spirit too!

We had to stop by the river to take some pictures of the new footbridge built over the old. A young mango tree was just sitting on the side of the river with its helpful shade. It was a relaxing afternoon and the sound of the flowing waters made it even more calming.

After our short escapade, we went home to find lolo (grandpa) enjoying his afternoon sightseeing.

Lolo is a very fit man for his age. We told him we'd want to get some Pomelos but we weren't very skilled with the stick. Lolo came to the rescue.

Pomelo is a sweet, tart citrus fruit. It has a thick rind that's quite challenging to peel off but it's packed with health benefits. One Pomelo is quite pricey when sold in the city markets so we didn't miss the chance of grabbing a couple of these from Lolo's tree!

We spent the afternoon sitting outside the patio. Luckily, the remote village isn't entirely off the grid. Although there was zero network coverage, there's a good Wifi connection, electricity and water supply. Faucet water flows once a week, so people gather water every Saturday. But if you're not lazy there's a nearby spring you can go to any time of the week.

After the afternoon vibe, the night fell and we were invited to have a dinner at one of the neighbors'. Every Sunday the locals would gather for dinner at someone's house, usually the one who won the cockfight. People usually travel to other towns to join a cockfighting derby. If you won the derby, you won't just take home a cash prize, you also take home the opponent's rooster. Most of the time, you'll be sending off several roosters in a cockfight. Several wins mean several defeated roosters to take home.

The roosters are then cooked in many ways. That night there was a stew, grill and Tinola (chicken soup). I know a lot of people are against cockfighting. But I'd like to invite you to look past the differences in culture and look at where we bond.

Filipinos love to share a meal. With fanily, neighbors and even strangers like us who just happened to visit the town. We are gathered by the victor to share his blessings and celebrate his victory. It has been our nature, even as hunter-gatherers, to huddle in front of the fire and break bread.

It is here, in our one-ness that we find ourselves in the company of warm people and warm bowls of soup. I think this is one of the best things I love about simple living in the Philippines. Bayanihan. We got each other's back. If we're able to, if we can, we will be there for and with you. You're not alone.

## Hey, I'm Jan Writes ✍️ I express my art through writing and cooking. I love to feed the world with good food and good words. I write about all sorts of things. I don't have a niche. I write about everything. I also take pictures of my travels, although I'm not a huge traveler myself. I'm more of an Urban Hiker and I enjoy taking pictures of people and places. @janwrites

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