After we finished our Samar adventure, I took my friend Jenny to Leyte, where my mother grew up. I took advantage of the chance to see my relatives on my mother's side as I hadn't seen them in how many years, and I always spent so much time in Samar on my vacation.
On Saturday, we departed around midday and took a three-hour journey to Tacloban. As soon as we got to Tacloban, we proceeded to my sister's house to unpack all of our belongings before setting out to meet my friend, with whom I had previously worked.
It is good to see Mariel again. I consider her a family member, and I cherish the closeness we had when she was still in Cebu. I was saddened when she returned to Leyte, but I know that even though she lives far away, our friendship remains strong.
We went to a coffee shop that a friend suggested, and I'd been wanting to go there for a long time. We didn't notice the time because we were having a fantastic time, so we arrived home a bit late.
As part of my visit and devotion, I requested my sister to join me and Jenny to the chapel where my Mom and Dad used to go when they were in Leyte when I was probably not yet born. My father was the one who really encouraged me to go to this chapel since he constantly dreamed about it. When we got to the chapel, I was surprised to find it. This chapel, unlike the one we used to attend, was built within the house. We remained for less than an hour before heading to Dulag Leyte, where my mother grew up. While we're on our way to the bus station, I see that the town where the chapel is located has shifted significantly since the entire region was devastated by Super Typhoon Yolanda.
It took us another 35 minutes to get to Dulag, and when we arrived, I was relieved because, after all these years, I would be able to visit this place again. While we were driving, I noticed how relaxed the people are and how quiet the environment is.
We walked directly to my Aunt's house, and it's similar to the situation in Guiuan, where my Aunt's house is on the same complex, so we can actually select where we want to go, eat, and sleep. We were able to explore a bit as I invited Jenny to accompany me and light a candle on the church, which had also been reconstructed over the years. I showed Jenny my relatives' houses, which are close to our compound, and in the afternoon we went to the market and walked around the town, admiring the decorations for the upcoming feast which, by the way, will take place on September 8th, this year.
On the same night, my cousin and I went to the beach resort that piqued my interest. Despite the fact that it was destroyed by typhoons, the owner decided to restore it again. I was extremely impressed with this resort, and I will be sharing my own experience and more photos with you in my upcoming blog. We also returned to the town proper, where we spend some time before flying back to Cebu the next day.
That's it for our Leyte adventure; and in my future blog, I'll tell you about the places we saw and visited, so stay tuned hivers.
Explorewithsasha Blog about her passion, daily and weekly routine, travels, and experiences, and in between. I welcome comments and feedback to improve my content and to continue learning.
If you love what you read, feel free to comment, follow and upvote my content.
If you want to get to know me and reach out outside of this platform, feel free to check out my other social media accounts.