LIFEANDTRAVELSOFRIZAL(ASUMMARY) During our hero‘s time, traveling is very limited to the lay Filipino, since it was expensive. And also during that time, there were no airships that would hastily bring people to a certain place as we have today. The major transportation means were streamers, horse-power, trains, and foot. Rizal was not merely a sightseer but a traveler who studies the culture of the places he visits. He is also traveling to acquire more knowledge, most of which are sciences and literature. This article will talk about the different travels of Rizal, the values and knowledge he acquired, friends he met during his travels, the places he visits and what happened there, and the special friends of Rizal. This will also deal with the fascination of Rizal and the rather bad opinions in the places he visits. Lastly, it will attempt to talk about the growth of our hero‘s knowledge and acquiring skills that would later spell downfall to the 333 years of Spanish reign. CHILDHOOD TRAVELS During Rizal‘s birth her mother nearly died in delivery because of his big head. He promised to the virgin of Antipolo that if she would help her take Rizal to the sanctuary. Our hero‘s starting point, just like on any ventures there has to be a place to start, in his travel is his hometown Calamba, a town our hero loved so much. At Calamba, taking walks in the night when there was a moon takes Rizal in great pleasure. The pilgrimage of Rizal in Antipolo was on June 6, 1868. With his father, he left Calamba to fulfill the vow of her mother to the virgin of the province when Jose was born. Doña Teodora couldn‘t accompany them because she had given birth to Trinidad. It was the first trip of our hero traversing Laguna de Bay and his pilgrimage to Antipolo. They rode then a casco (a barge), which was also his first time. He did not sleep thewhole night because he was amazed by the watery expanseand the silence of the night. After their trip at the Virgin of Antipolo, Rizal and DonFrancisco pursued to Manila to visit Saturnina, who wasthen a boarding student at La Concordia College in SantaAna. They went back to Calamba eventually.Time to time, he would take short walks to Laguna de Bay,accompanied by his pet dog, and meditate at the shore.The early travels of Rizal (although not far) develop his traveling side which would be evident as he grows and eventually would venture in greater horizons.SCHOOLING IN BIÑAN It was a Sunday afternoon in June, 1869, after a tearful parting from his family, he left Calamba for Biñan. He was accompanied by his brother Paciano. They rode in a carromata, a light, two-wheeled, boxlike vehicle usually drawn by a single native pony. After a one-half hours‘ drive, they proceeded to their aunt‘s house, where Jose was to lodge. It was almost night time when they arrived. At the same night, his cousin named Leandro went sightseeing in the town.
His life in Biñan is simple and methodical. There he experienced his first school brawl, painting lessons, and being the best student in his school. Then the time came when he had to leave Biñan since his schooling has ended. He received a letter from his sister Saturnine telling him of the arrival of the steamer Talim that would take him from Biñan to Calamba. Upon readingthe letter, he went to the town church and prayed, he evencollected pebbles in the river for souvenirs and badefarewell to his teachers and classmates.He left Biñan on a Saturday afternoon, December 17, 1870, a year and a half of schooling in that town. During his trip in the steamer Talim, which he was very excited about, hemet a Frenchman which was a friend of his father who tookcare of him.SCHOOLING AT ATENEO DE MANILA After the martyrdom of Gom-Bur-Za, Jose went to Manila to study. He studied at Ateneo Municipal. During his first year in Ateneo, his first day started with a Holy Mass at the college chapel. He was at bottom of class when he started but became the ‗emperor‘ at the end of the month. At the end of the school year in March of 1873, Rizal returned to Calamba for it was summer vacation. He then visited his mother who was in prison during that time and was gladly embraced by his mother. When the vacation ended, Rizal returned to Manila for his second year term in Ateneo. During his second year, Rizal had a prophecy that his mother will be freed, and in which it came true. Later, Rizal read Travels in the Philippines by Dr. Feodor Jagor, a German scientist-traveler who visited the Philippines. Rizal was impressed by the observations of Jagor like the defects of the Spanish colonization and someday Spain would lose the Philippines. During his third year in Ateneo, he received the news that his mother was released from prison. And during his fourth year, he became an interno in Ateneo. One of his professors, Fr. Francisco de Paula Sanchez inspired Rizal to study harder and to write poetry. His schooling ended at 1877 wherein he graduated with highest honors in all his subjects. MEDICAL STUDIES AT UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS After finishing the first year of a course in Philosophy and Letters, he transferred to the medical course. During his stay at Santo Tomas, he won more literary laurels and other romances with pretty girls. At University of Santo Tomas, he pursued higher education, although her mother opposes his decision, his father and brother Paciano insists so. Through his stay in UST, he was experienced the brutality of a Spanish officer, fell in love with Miss L, and wrote ‗To the Filipino Youth‘.
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In the summer month of May 1881, Rizal went on apilgrimage to the town of Pakil, famous shrine of the BirhenMaria de los Dolores. He was accompanied by his sistersand their female friends. They took a Casco from Calambato Pakil, Laguna. Rizal and his companions were fascinatedby the famous turumba, the people dancing in the streets during the procession in honor of the miraculous Birhen Maria de los Dolores. COURSE TO SPAIN His studies continued in UST until he was unhappy at theDominican institution. After finishing the 4th year of hismedical course in UST, Rizal, being disgusted with themethod of instruction in the Dominican-owned Universityand the racial prejudice of Dominican professors againstFilipino student, decided to study abroad. He predicted that his decision of studying abroad would not be favored by his parents; he did not asked their blessing. And aside from studying in Spain he was on a secretmission. This mission was to observe keenly the life andculture, languages and customs, industries and commerce,and government and laws of the European nations in order to prepare himself in the great task of liberating his oppressed people from the Spanish tyranny. The course to Spain is the start of Rizal‘s travels. DEPARTURE FOR SPAINRizal‘s departure for Spain was kept secret to avoid detection by the Spanish authorities and the friars. Even his own parents did not know because his mother would not allow him to do so. Only his older brother, his uncle, his sisters Neneng and Lucia, the Valenzuela family, Pedro Paterno, Mateo Evangelista, the Ateneo Jesuit fathers, and some intimate friends. The Jesuit priests gave him letters ofrecommendation to the members of their Society inBarcelona. He used the name Jose Mercado.Before his departure he wrote a farewell letters for his beloved parents and another for his sweetheart Leonor Rivera. On May 3, 1882, Rizal departed on board the Spanishsteamer Salvadora bound for Singapore. With tears in his eyes and gloom in his heard, he gazed the receding skyline of Manila. He then took his pencil and paper and sketched it as it vanished in view. SINGAPORE (May 3, 1882) During the voyage he carefully observed thepeople and things on board the steamer. There were sixteenpassengers. He was the only Filipino and the rest were Spaniards, British, and Indian Negroes. The captain of the ship, Donato Lecha befriended Rizal. To kill boredom of the voyage, Rizal played chess with his fellow passengers. He then defeated them many times, for he was a good chess player. On May 9, the Salvadora docked at Singapore. He then stayed at Hotel de la Paz and spent two days on a sightseeing soiree of the city. He saw the famous Botanical Garden,thebeautifulBuddhisttemplates,thebusy shopping district, and the statue of Sir Thomas Stanford Raffles, who was the founder of Singapore. TO COLOMBO After days of staying in Singapore, Rizal boarded the ship Djemnah, which was a French steamer and left Singapore for Europe on May 11. It was a larger and cleaner vessel which carried more passengers. French was spoken on board and Rizal attempted to converse with his fellow passengers in French, but he found out that his book French could not be understood, so he spoke a mixed Spanish-Latin and with the help sketching on paper. By conversing daily with the French passengers, he then was able to improve his knowledge of the French language. On May 17, the Djemnah reached Point Galle, a seacoast town in southern Ceylon. Rizal was unimpressed by this town. The following day the voyage resumed towards Colombo, the capital of Ceylon. After a few hours of sailing, Rizal reached the city. Rizal was amazed by Colombo because of this scenic beauty and elegant building.THROUGH SUEZ CANAL From Colombo, the Djemnah continued the voyage crossing the Indian Ocean to the Cape coast of Africa. Rizal sighted the barren coast of Africa, for the first time, which he called an ‗inhospitable land but famous‘. The next stopover was in Aden. He found the city, hotter than Manila and was amused to see the camels for it was also his first time seeing them. From Aden the ship proceeded to the city of Suez, the Red SeaterminalofSuezCanal.Uponarrival,Rizal disembarked and went sightseeing. What impressed him most was the beautiful moonlight which reminded him of Calamba and his family. The Djemnah took five days to traverse the Suez Canal. Rizal was thrilled because it was his first trip through this canal which was build by Ferdinand de Lasseps. At Port Said, Rizal landed in order to see the interesting sights. He was fascinated to hear multi-racial inhabitants speaking a wide variety of language. NAPLES AND MARSEILLES From Port Said, the ship proceeded on its way to Europe. On June 11, Rizal reached Naples. This city pleased Rizal because of its business activity, its lively people and its scenic beauty. He was fascinated by the Mouth Vesuvius, the Castle of ST. Telmo and other historic sights of the city. The night of June 12, the steamer docked at the French harbor of Marseilles. Rizal bid farewell to his fellow passengers. He visited the famous Chateau d‘lf where Dantes, was imprisoned. He stayed two and a half days in Marseilles. BARCELONA On the afternoon of May 15, Rizal left Marseilles to proceed to Spain via train. He crossed the Pyrenees and stopped for a day at the frontier town of Port Bou.
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