IN February 1996, Malaysia Airlines invited a group of Cebu media to a fam tour. First stop was the island-state of Penang from where we crossed a long bridge to mainland Malaysia. We saw the Cameron Highlands, and were taken to a rainforest thousands of square kilometers in area. This was Taman Negara.
We got there on a boat through a long and wide river. If one was observant, one could discern the birds and the numerous monkeys that swung from tree to tree. It reminded me of the movie “Mogambo.”
We were told that Taman Negara was home to tigers that roamed freely, and which sometimes could be heard. We never heard, much less saw them, which was just fine. At the resort facility, we were assigned cottages and told to be at the restaurant pavilion for dinner.
After the meal we were given a tour of the nearby forest by night. Our guide had a flashlight to focus on trees, flowers and insects. We went to an observation post to watch the roaming deer.
Next morning, we had a more comprehensive tour of the rainforest where we recognized many of the trees and blooms that we also have in the Philippines. Quite thrilling was a walk on a hanging bridge among the tall tree tops. I did not want to look down but I had to because some of the slats were missing.
The rest of our stay in Malaysia was spent in Kuala Lumpur where we took a direct return flight to Cebu. A surprise awaited me the day of my arrival.
Spanish Ambassador Herminio Morales informed me that I had been granted a Knighthood in the “Orden de Isabel la Catolica,” the highest honor an ordinary citizen of Spain could aspire to. Cecilia and I had to go to Manila on Feb. 27 for the imposition of the medal.
I was quite touched by the honor granted, and more so by the words the ambassador said before pinning the decoration on my coat lapel. He said it was not so much in fulfillment of my duties as Spain’s honorary consul but because of an exemplary life and patriotism.
Back in Cebu, Cecilia and I intensified our projected trip to Spain, the preparations for which had begun in January. We were taking our sons Jimmy and Luis as soon as classes would be over in March.
We chose Singapore Airlines as it had direct flights to Madrid. It took weeks to complete our bookings.
Finally, our departure and return flight were confirmed.
It was our desire for Jimmy and Luis to meet our relatives, specially the old uncles and aunts on both sides of the family, particularly our beloved Tita Isa, Maria Luisa Rodriguez, who lived in Zaragoza.
In January, we had called her to inform her of our plan so that she would be the first to know. Then we called our Perez first cousins—Marilar, Victoria and Hugo.
We asked them to reserve for us two suites in the old people’s home where Tita Isa lived.
We were all set to go and left our household in the care of our niece Ana Maria Escaño who was my alter ego in my duties as honorary consul. We left on a SilkAir flight to Singapore where we stayed overnight.
This was the first time Jimmy and Luis took an airplane. We had brought with us some sandwiches prepared at home in case they did not like the food on the plane or at the hotel in Singapore.
The day after our arrival, we were given a complimentary city tour of Singapore and shown its three facets—Malay, Chinese and Indian. One of the places we visited was a shop where they cut semi-precious stones like topaz, amethyst, beryl, carnelian, amber, turquoise, jade and all kinds of soap stones, including onyx.
In my pocket I had a ring that belonged to Lynn Suaco whose rectangular black onyx had shattered. I thought I’d find someone in Spain who’d help me replace it. At this shop in Singapore, I asked if they could cut me a piece of black onyx to fit the ring. They said yes, to leave it, and they’d deliver it to our hotel before 7 p.m. I paid the charge and left the ring.
Meanwhile, we spent the afternoon at the Singapore Zoo and returned to the hotel by 5 p.m. to rest a bit. The vehicle that would take us to the airport would leave the hotel at 7:30 p.m. We sighed with relief when a little after 7 p.m. the ring with the onyx was delivered. That was quite a story to tell Lynn when we returned home in June.
We left Singapore for Madrid on April 17. It was a 12-hour non-stop flight to Paris after which we took off for Madrid. At the airport we were welcomed by Paco Lozano, brother-in-law of Rosario Muñoz who had thoughtfully called her sister Tere from Cebu to assist us.
Ana Maria Manguerra, at that time residing in Cebu with her mother Doña Concepcion Cuenco Manguerra, had given us the keys to her apartment in Madrid, which doubled as her office.
Her secretary Arantxa Alonzo welcomed us and indicated Ana’s bedroom which was spacious enough for the four of us. We settled our things and decided to go out for a walk. Our idea was to beat the jet lag by exhausting ourselves and then getting a long sleep.
Ana’s apartment was centrally located so from there we walked to La Purta del Sol. At El Corte Ingles department store we had a snack at the cafeteria, bought chocolates at the supermarket and booked our train tickets for Zaragoza for two days later.
We walked to the Royal Palace, and backtracked to Calle Arenal for lunch at a bar. Jimmy and Luis asked the waiters for some extra bread the crumbs of which they used to feed the pigeons at the plaza in front of the palace.
When we noticed that they were getting tired, we hiked back to Ana’s apartment where they plopped down and slept non-stop for the next 12 hours.
Next morning, we visited the state apartments at the Royal Palace and had lunch with Tere and Paco Lozano at an Italian restaurant. I wisely ordered fish and abstained from the generous portion of pasta. There was crusty bread which we dipped in a bowl of olive oil mixed with herbs.
At about this time, Jimmy and Luis were very much into decals that they applied as tattoos. Near Ana’s apartment there was a store specializing in black leather togs and metallic chains that also sold these decals. It was a rather special shop, if you know what I mean, and its clients were all dressed as if they were going to some wild party.
So, in we went, Cecilia and I completely out of place in that crowd, and the children even more so. But they knew what they wanted and they were happy with the decals purchased.
Finally the day came for our train ride to Zaragoza on the efficient Talgo. For Jimmy and Luis this was another first. It may not have been the Orient Express but the dining car was very elegant and the waiters were impeccably uniformed.
Back in our seats, Cecilia sat with Luis who had a window seat. I sat across the aisle with Jimmy on the window seat, but he slept all the way.
