Manang Lourdes Aptimes Bennett is one of the first Igorot nurses in the USA and the first I-Besao woman to go abroad as a professional. Born in 1942 in Besao, Mountain Province, she graduated from Baguio General Hospital in 1964 as registered nurse. Then she enrolled in Far Eastern University (FEU) to complete her Bachelor in Nursing course. Meantime, she worked in St. Luke’s Hospital in Quezon City to support her studies.
Right after graduation in October 1965 from FEU, she went abroad as an exchange student, although she was already a full-pledged nurse. This was a government program and the only one available which would take her abroad. She traveled alone to the US and was met at the airport by the hospital which sponsored her. They brought her to the residence prepared for foreign nurses. She and her co-workers worked as nurses but with less pay. She was an “exchange student” for two years.
She is adventurous. In the ili when she was younger, she was always intrigued by what lay behind and beyond the mountains of Besao. When she learned that Pan American Airways had this trip around the world in 30 days, she grabbed the opportunity. The plane’s route included the places she wanted to see! She told herself that she will tour the world before she got married. She already had a boyfriend then.
In 1972, she bought the ticket (she forgot how much) that would bring her around the world. She boarded the Pan American Airways in Chicago to New York where she stayed overnight. Her luggage was delayed so “naskanaskawak” (“felt so cold”). From New York, the first stop was in London where she stayed for 3 days. She checked in at the YMCA and visited Westminster Abbey. At each stop-over, she would go to the Tourism Center “to see what I want to see”. After London, she went to Paris on another plane as it was not in the Pan Am route. She wanted to visit Lourdes but she needed 3 days for this so she didn’t go. She saw Eiffel Tower from her inn, and went to museums to see paintings. Then she enplaned to Madrid, Spain where she again stayed for 3 days. She remembers going to museums and the market. From here, she boarded Pan Am again and flew to Rome where she visited the Colosseum and other ruins. At one point, she got scared because a man was following her as she walked the street so she ran to her hotel, which, fortunately, was nearby. She wanted to associate with the locals so she chose to stay in inns or homestays.
From Rome, she was supposed to go to Israel but there was a war so she proceeded to Athens, Greece, where she stayed for two days. She visited the Athena ruins and museum. She didn’t know the food there and she remembers ordering mousaka, the first time she tasted such and she liked it. Next stop was Istanbul, Turkey. She went to the markets where she enjoyed looking at the leather products. They were expensive so she didn’t buy any. On her last day, the taxi driver wanted to tour her around the place but she declined and rode with a couple who were also going to the airport. Next stop was New Dehli, India where she stayed for two days and visited the Taj Mahal. By this time, she was already tired and dehydrated. She was advised not to drink just any water so she won’t get diarrhea so she only drank mineral water. Next destination was Bangkok. Although she was feeling sick, she was able to experience a boat ride, visited the Royal Palace and saw monks. She didn’t have Thai money to call Manila but a gentleman saved her by giving her coins. She needed to book a hotel room in Manila as she knew she needed to rest before traveling up Baguio.
Finally, the plane proceeded to Manila. She was really sick, she stayed overnight in a hotel in Manila. Then took the Dangwa bus to Baguio. Fortunately, her Mom was there and took care of her until she got well. She is very grateful for her mom for this. She was able to travel to her hometown, Besao, for her brother Romy’s graduation from Grade 6. The teachers there were excited to know about her world tour as she was the first iBesao woman to go abroad and to go on a world tour . She stayed in Besao for one week.
After that, she traveled back to Manila and Pan Am brought her to Hongkong where she took a boat for a tour of Kowloon. Then to Tokyo, Japan. Here she had the places she wanted to see written in Japanese which she showed the taxi driver. She visited the market and department stores. Then on to California and finally back to Chicago. She completed the circle around the globe, in 30 days!
In all the places she visited, she wrote postcards and sent them to her fiance, Benjamin Bennett, who was in the USA. She didn’t buy any souvenir except for a painting in France and decorative spoons from each place bearing the name of the place.
Manang Lourdes is now 83 years old. Looking back at her world tour, her face lighted up and she said “I loved the thrill of the moment. I felt so free! It was total freedom to be incognito. I wondered each day, ‘what will I see?’, ‘whom will I meet?’ but also mindful of safety. I really enjoyed!”
“Then I was energetic and adventurous and I wanted to explore. My gosh, I don’t think I would ever it again. Am glad I did it.”**Written by Penelope A. Domogo as narrated by Lourdes A. Bennett
