babble mix

April-May 2005 Bakasyon En Grande

5 months ago, I went to nearly a month-long vacation to the west coast.

Of course, meeting my relatives and spending time with them was the highlight of my trip, but my whole vacation actually gave me so many memories that it seems impossible to document all of them. So let me just share some of the most memorable events in chronological order.

Solvang, CA

I didn’t think a windmill can actually exist in California, much less someplace near LA. It was I think about an hour drive away, and it was beautiful. Feeling Denmark, including the food. At least now I know what not to order in Denmark, like regular or tap water, because for some reason it tastes like pool water.

Walang Ligo Tour
You know how it feels to wake up in the car after a 7-hour drive, beso with relatives you never met before and go places for a whole day without as much as brushing your teeth or washing your face (so much for first impressions)? I do. I’m not proud about that, but hey, it was an experience worthy of sharing!
Wednesday 11 PM: My titos, tita and 2 cousins who were all visiting from the Ph began our 7-hour drive to SF from LA.
Thursday, 6 – 9 AM: Breakfast at SF, went around the SF sights and attractions.
9 AM – 2 PM: Drove to Fresno to meet and have lunch with relatives (no shower here)
2 PM – 8 PM: Drove to Sacramento to meet and have dinner with more relatives
Friday, 1 AM: Arrived at Lake Tahoe, checked in a motel to spend the night. Actual sink and shower present! YEY!

13-Hour Drive from Reno, NV to LA, CA
This time though, I got to take a bath already. From Lake Tahoe, Tito Ike and I drove all the way from Reno to LA for a full 13 hours with about 4 stop overs and a total of 2 hours of sleep in the car.

“May Pulis!”

It felt a lot like the movies, except that it was real. We were driving back to LA from Vegas on a nice, sunny day. Nino was going 100 mph, obviously way above the speed limit, when we heard a siren… then saw a police car beside us, then the sound over a megaphone, “Pull Over!” Kilabot sa buong katawan. It was scary but funny at the same time. The first time Nino actually drove a long distance, we get pulled-over for speeding. There goes his clean driving record.


There’s so much more to tell about my vacation (like my trip to visit Justiniano cousins at Utah) but even if I can’t put them all on paper (or on this case, on cyberspace), these memories will be worthy of reminiscing. Somehow, it helped lessen my homesickness being with relatives I missed, family I just met and new friends I made, but it also made me miss my family and my old friends more, wishing I could share those moments with them.

Hence this blog. Right now, it’s the only way I can share these memories with you. Hopefully soon enough, I can create another set of memories of OUR grand vacation. Excited na ko!

posted by meL @ 10:04 AM