Unexpected blessings make us feel God’s presence. All the time, in my wanderlust, I feel these blessings in discovering or rediscovering a particular destination that takes my breath away.

Sorsogon is a province that is very close to my heart. Thirteen years ago, my family was approached by a very compassionate priest named Fr. Gerard Deveza who asked for our help to build a mission school for underprivileged yet deserving students. Today, through a lot of hard work and the kindness of many generous souls, the Divine Healer Academy of Sorsogon stands proudly as a mission school in Cabid-an, a peaceful town in Sorsogon City with verdant surroundings, famous for pili products as the best pili nuts come from the prolific trees that dot the region. From one classroom with 46 students when it started, the Divine Healer Academy now has grown to 335 students from Kinder to Grade 10.

Because of our commitment to the young minds in the province, Sorsogon has become our second home. We have made many friendships that continue to blossom and grow through time. We have also discovered, through them, the bountiful blessings this province has to offer.

Our recent trip affirmed that indeed God has blessed Sorsogon immensely. Butanding season had just begun and our trip to Donsol Bay was joyfully exhausting because of the many whale shark jumps we did. There were multiple sightings one after the other by our best and favorite whale shark interaction officer Omar Nepomuceno. Mimi Rodrigueza our balikbayan friend from Canada, jumped, 12 times and was so charmed by the gentle giants of the sea. You must plan to experience swimming with the whale sharks from December to May.

That evening, to rest our bodies and quiet down our souls, Sorsogon City Mayor Sally Lee recommended we go on a firefly river cruise in Buhatan. What was magical about Sorsogon were the oh-so-cool nights. When the sun went down there was an exhilarating chill in the air. A refreshingly cool breeze accompanied us all the way down to Buhatan River as we watched colonies of giant fireflies dance through the lush vegetation of the riverbanks, and dart through the tall trees. We were served iced fresh lemongrass juice that we couldn’t get enough of, which we enjoyed with the locally made cassava chips. It was a surreal surprise, the ultimate relaxation experience amid nature of the highest order! Right now we all can’t wait to go back. We plan to invite our masseuse for a soothing foot massage, too. Oh, did I tell you that what we rode is a huge floating bamboo raft that looked like a floating sala with the most comfortable white cushioned seats like beds? This raft was gently pulled by a quiet little banca.

There is also a very quaint, charming bamboo house on stilts for dining on the Buhatan river. The really fun part is you can catch river fish, crabs and shrimps and have them cooked the way you want. They have different menus to choose from for dinner groups, too, on the boat or in the bamboo house. Tour arrangements can be made by the Siama concierge.

The Bee Farm located at the foot of Mount Bulusan is a must-visit. The meandering natural rock pools of fresh spring water are an awesome sight. The gardens welcome you with riotous colors. The food was another experience as the dining area overlooks a picturesque natural pond teeming with fat koi fish swimming below cascading waterfalls. They produce different varieties of honey here due to the abundance of flowers that thrive in the fertile volcanic soil. Accommodations are available for overnight guests.

Biri, which is accessible by a 90-minute boat ride from Matnog, Sorsogon, was one fascinating place we got to explore on our latest trip. The island of Biri, famous for its magnificent natural rock formations, is located in the northernmost tip of Samar, facing the blue sea of the Pacific Ocean to the east and the famous San Bernardino Strait to the west. My nephew Vincent was the most adventurous one as he got to climb the rock formations to take some photos. Aside from the amazing sights, the reward of the day was a swim in the crystalline blue waters of the huge lagoon. Last but not the least was discovering the best halo-halo stand in Biri on board the habal-habal or local motorcycle.

One memorable night was the 29th wedding anniversary of my sister Michelle and her husband Benny who surprised her, with the help of Milo and Kathy Naval, sweet owners of Siama Estate, a beautiful boutique resort located in San Lorenzo, Sorsogon. The Siama chef prepared Michelle’s favorite Sorsogon dishes like pako salad, chicken caldereta with pineapple and fresh pili, sweet and spicy grilled prawns and tinutungan manok (which is native chicken carefully seasoned, smoked and stewed in fresh coco milk with strips of green papaya). There were also melt-in-your-mouth barbecue satay à la Siama and native ube and cheese ice cream enticingly served in young green coconut shells. The intimate and memorable evening ended with Michelle and Benny cutting the cake while our family friends Ding Mercado and Christine Lee belted out a nostalgic repertoire of songs.

After dinner, the happy couple took a night swim in the soothing warm waters of the picturesque Siama pool under a sky littered with stars that were beaming an ethereal glow over the giant fern trees and swaying coconut palms.

Another surprise was a beach trip to Pagol Beach in Bacon, Sorsogon. This was another fun thing to do in Sorsogon as arranged by Siama’s indefatigable couple Milo and Kathy Naval. They enthusiastically organized a day on the beach for hotel guests. This beach picnic comes with a beach barbecue lunch and merienda, including the best seaweed gulaman. This refreshing concoction is so addicting, a drink served iced cold, made especially from fresh Sorsogon seaweeds, pandan and palm sugar. Transportation and beach furniture setup is all provided. Just lather on sunblock, put on your swimsuits, board the van and enjoy the day.

On the way back to Legazpi before we boarded our plane to Manila, we stopped at Colonial Grill located at the Pacific mall for our last feast. The bahay kubo salad is served by waiters singing the famous song Bahay Kubo because all the ingredients mentioned in the song are contained in this luscious healthy salad. The crispy pata Vince devoured with gusto. One whole order of eggplant adobo was finished by Michelle. Buco chop suey and vegetable kare-kare with sweet spicy bagoong was favored by Benny. Mimi had the sili, ginger and pili ice cream to refresh her palate in between bites of grilled squid, rice and laing.

Indeed, Sorsogon, no matter how many times you’ve adored its splendor, will always be waiting to surprise you anew. It will pamper your senses. It will fill your body and soul with remarkable reminiscences and you will always find yourself running joyfully after those memories.

We left Sorsogon with hearts full of gratitude for the many unexpected blessings God surprised us with.