On the 31st of May 2011, I published my very first post on this blog. It wasn't just my growing passion for photography then that inspired me to launch this page but more because of my then two-year-old Hamlet which clearly explains the site's name. 

Fast forward to June 6, 2021... my Drama Queen as I named her in my first post here > https://hamletslair.blogspot.com/2011/06/my-drama-queen.html, finally crossed the rainbow bridge. It's sad to think that my last blog was for and about her 12th birthday and now, 10 years from the time this site was launched, I'm writing about her passing.

I was visiting Cologne that day with a heavy heart. My thoughts were focused on Hamlet. I shared the experience on my Instagram account the following day. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by SHΞЯУL BΞЯTHMANN (@shyllzkie)

I didn't just lose a pet. I lost my most loyal friend, my confidante, my baby. Words are not enough to express my grief and I know not everybody understands. Not everyone gets to love and be loved by such a wonderful creature. But I thank the Creator of heaven and earth who made me a steward of one of His most lovable beings. In my sadness, I recognize the blessing and I know I will be forever grateful that I was given Hamlet. 

Paradise Beach, Bantayan Island

You're excited to feel the warmth of the sun on your skin, take pleasure in the sight of the vibrant colors of the ocean but you end up wanting to grab your sweater and hide in your hotel room. Sadly, it's cold and gloomy where you booked your supposedly warm-weather vacation. That's the exact scenario when I arrived in Bantayan a few days before Christmas.

I've always known that December in most parts of the Philippines isn't usually a nice month for sun seekers. Still, because my Sunshine wanted to, we took the risk and went back to this gem of an island in the Visayas - a place both of us would always want to return to.

Panoramic shot of Paradise Beach taken with iPhone 8plus

While we had this lovely accommodation right in front of the ocean, I felt like the wind was going to destroy our hut and the sea would swallow up the entire coastal area.

Thankfully, we were no longer strangers to Bantayan so we knew where to go. On the other side of the island was perfect. The water was calm, the sun was out, and the entire place was serene. It's the same Paradise we once knew although traces of development could already be seen. Somehow it saddens me knowing that in the future, this place is going to be fully crowded. I love this part of the island for its privacy or exclusivity.


What’s worse than gloomy days on a tropical vacation? Losing your prized photos because of your stupidity. I don't need to elaborate how it happened but what I have on this post are just a few shots I was able to retrieve (mostly of Paradise beach) from my phone.



I also just now realized that I didn’t get to blog about our 2018 Bantayan trip yet. That will be next and hopefully soon. I haven’t been active here since my Hamlet got diagnosed with cancer.

In the meantime, you may want to check my blog on another beautiful getaway in the Visayas - Malapascua. Click this link:  https://hamletslair.blogspot.com/2017/06/malapascua-and-kalanggaman.html


P.S.
Shoutout to my followers on Instagram who are also following my blog. Thank you for taking the time to visit my site. To those who watch out for my IG stories, thanks. Yes, I see all of you. Whether here on my blog or on IG, I know when you visit. I know who you are and I know where you're from :) Love and PEACE!

No one else loves me like this girl does. I'm grateful for this amazing creature that has filled my life with so much love and joy for 10 years now.

Happy birthday my love bug!

“Dogs have a way of finding the people who need them, and filling an emptiness we didn’t ever know we had.” – Thom Jones

It’s been three years now since you passed away but you’re still very dearly thought of.

Non-sting translucent jellyfish

Lagoon jellyfish

I'll be posting more photos of my recent trip to El Nido but in the meantime, you may want to visit this link: http://hamletslair.blogspot.com/2018/01/el-nido-storm-sunshine-and-promises.html.