Travels of Dr.

Jose Rizal:

Rizal's First Trip Abroad

May 1882 - Rizal left Philippines for the first

time to Spain. He boarded the Salvadora
using a passport of Jose Mercado, which
was procured for him by his uncle Antonio
Rivera, father of Leonor Rivera. He was
accompanied to the quay where the
Salvadora was moored by his uncle
Antonio, Vicente Gella, and Mateo
Evangelista. 15 June 1882 He left
Marseilles for Barcelona in an express train.

1. Rizal in Barcelona, Spain

20 August 1882 - His article "Amor Patrio"

was published in the Diarong Tagalog, a
Manila newspaper edited by Basilio
Teodoro. This was the First article he wrote
abroad.

2. Rizal in Madrid, Spain

 2 September 1882 - Rizal matriculated at
the Universidad Central de Madrid. He took
the following subjects: medical clinic,
surgical clinic, legal medicine and
obstetrical clinic.

4 October 1882 - Asked to deliver a poem

by the members of Circulo Hispano-Filipino,
there together in the effort to save the
association from disintegration, Rizal recited
"Me piden versus." The meeting was held at
the house of Pablo Ortiga y Rey.

2 November 1882 - He wrote the article

"Revista de Madrid" which was in intended
for publication in the Diarong Tagalog in
Manila, but was not published because the
newspaper stops its circulation.

7 November 1882 - Rizal wrote an article

entitled "Las Dudas". The article was signed
Laong - Laan.

3. Rizal in Paris, France

 18 June 1883 - With Felipe Zamora and
Cunanan, He visited the Leannec Hospital
to observe how Dr, Nicaise treated his
patients. He was stunned to see the
advanced facilities in the accommodation in
the said hospital.

19 June 1883 - He again visited Dr. Nicaise

who showed the technique of operation.
Later he went to see dupytren Museum.

20 June 1883 Rizal - visited the Lariboisiere

Hospital where Felix Pardo de Tavera was
an extern. Here he observe the examination
of the different diseases of women.
4. Rizal Back to Madrid

28 September 1883 - He enrolled at the

central Universidad de Madrid for the
second course in medicine.

October 1883 - He came to know of the

imprisonment, by order of Sr. Vicente
Barrantes, of the 14 rich innocent persons in
Manila. The Prisoners who knew nothing is
the cause of their detention and who
became sick later, were kept in a humid
prison cell. Rizal was indignant of his
inhuman act.

2 January 1884 - Rizal proposed to the

member of the Circulo assembled in the
house of the Pateros, the publication of a
book by association. This idea became the
embryo of this first novel Noli Me Tangere.

21 June 1884 - He finished the degree of

Licentiate in Medicine with the grade of
aprobado from the Central Universidad de
Madrid.

25 June 1884 - Rizal won first prize in

Greek contest, after which he delivered a
speech in honor of the two Filipino painters,
Juan Luna and Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo.
The occasion commemorated the triumph of
the two, especially Luna who won the first
prize for his Spoliarium during the National
Exposition of Fine Arts held in Madrid that
year.
 1 July 1884 - Rizal explained the term
"Filibusterismo" in the newspaper of Madrid
El Progreso, calling the attention of the
Spanish authorities over the case of future
of the Filipinos. He asked for freedom of the
press and the right of representation of the
Spanish Cortes.

20 November 1884 - Rizal witnessed the

tumultuous scene in the Central Universidad
de Madrid where the students and
professors staged a strike against
excommunication imposed by the bishop on
the lecture proclaiming the freedom of
science and of the teacher.

5. Rizal in Heidelberg, Germany

22 April 1886 - While in Heidelberg

experiencing the feeling of nostalgia for his
parents and his country, Rizal wrote the
poem "A Las Flores de Heidelberg.“
6. Rizal in Berlin, Germany

21 March 1887 - Copies of his novel came

off the press. He sent one copy to Prof.
Blumentritt. In a letter of his Austrian friend,
he say it was the first impartial and daring
book to be written on the life of the
Tagalogs. He opined that the Spanish
authorities and the friar would attack the
book.

7. Rizal in Manila

5 August 1887 - At 9:00 o’clock in the

evening, Rizal arrived at Manila after five
years of study and patriotic labors in
Europe.

18 August 1887 - In a letter, Archbishop P.

Payo instructed Fr. Gregorio Echevarria,
Rector of the University of Sto. Thomas,
that an information about the novel Noli Me
Tangere be issued by a Commission
composed of University professors Fr.
Matias Gomez, Fr. Norberto del Prado and
Fr. Evaristo Fernandez Arias.

30 August 1887 - He left Calamba for

Manila to see Governor- General on the
issue of the Noli Me Tangere which caused
torment among the friars in the Philippines.
Governor-General Terrero asked him for a
copy and Rizal, after a few days looking for
copy, handed him a worn out one. – On the
same date, the Calustro Universitario
formed by the Rector of Santo Thomas
upon the order of the Archbishop of Manila,
issued an order prohibiting the possession
and reading of the Noli Me Tangere.

15 September 1887 - Rizal decided not to

leave his family within this year. His sister
Olimpia died of hemorrhage while giving
birth. His father did not permit him to go out
alone and eat in the house of his relatives.

19 October 1887 - Rizal made a pencil

drawing of a sailboat sailing on Lagunade
Bay, which he saw with Jose Taviel de
Andrade, Lieutenant of the Civil Guards
assigned by the Governor-General Terrero
to protect him, during an excursion to Los
Baños. This drawing was sent to
Blumentritt.

29 December 1887 - The Permanent Board

Of Censure headed by Fr. Salvador Font
issued a judgment absolutely prohibiting the
circulation of the Noli Me Tangere in the
Philippines. Upon the recommendation of
the Governor-General, Father Font said: "…
Aside of attacking so directly, as you have
seen your Excellency, the Religion of the
state, institutions and respectable persons
for their official character, the book is
replete of foreign teachings and doctrines;
and the general synthesis of the same is to
inspire among the loyal and submissive
sons of Spain in these distant islands,
roundhand furious hate to the mother
country…"

3 February 1888 - Rizal, after staying in the

Philippines for almost six months, left
 Manila for Hongkong, bringing with him
P5,000 which he earned from his medical
practice.

8. Rizal in Hong Kong

19 February 1888 - With Jose Maria Basa,

Jose Sainz de Veranda and some
Portuguese, Rizal left Hongkong for Macao on
board the Kui Kiang. In Macao, they lived in
the house of Juan Lecaroz. Rizal went around
for observation, especially the botanical
garden.

22 February 1888 - After staying in Hong

Kong for almost two weeks, he left for Japan
on board the Oceanic.

9. Rizal Back in Madrid

23 August 1890 - He reported to Juan Luna

what transpired between him and Antonio
Luna. They had a quarrel and they also had
a duel.
10. Rizal Biarritz, France

29 March 1891 - He finished writing his

book El Filibusterismo. He planned,
however, of revising some chapters.

11. Rizal in Brussels, Belgium

1 May 1891 - In a letter sent to Basa, Rizal

reiterated [again] his desire to be in Hong
Kong, reminding the former of the amount
he was borrowing for his fare. He also
informed Deodato Arellano of his plan to
move from Europe to either Hongkong,
Philippines or Japan, and to renounce the
receiving of pension from the Propaganda.“
30 May 1891 Rizal set ready for printing 20
chapters of the manuscript of the El
Filibusterismo. He was waiting for an
amount to defray the publication expense.

12. Rizal in Ghent, Belgium

 9 July 1891 - He was financially hard up. He
did not receive for three months up to this
date any pension from home. He was living
in the most difficult situation, renting a small
room and eating the modest food in order to
economize and able to publish the Fili. He
had already pawned all his jewels.

September 1890 - El Fili was publish in

Ghent using the donations from Rizal’s
friends.

13. Rizal in the Philippines

26 June 1892 - Rizal arrived in the

Philippines from Hongkong on board the
boat Don Juan. After having been inspected
by the custom men, he boarded in the
Oriente Hotel where he occupied room No.
22, facing the Binondo church. His sister,
Lucia, accompanied him in his return to the
Philippines. In the evening, he attended the
reunion held in the house of Don Ong-junco,
a Chinese mestizo, who was living in the
district of Tondo. Here he met many
 Filipinos who were later arrested and
executed as a consequence of the
discovery of the Katipunan.

3 July 1892 - Rizal had again an interview

with Governor- General Despujol. He
thanked Governor- General Despujol for
lifting the order of exile for his sisters. The
Governor told him to come back the
following Wednesday. In the evening, he
attended a meeting at a house on Calle
Ylaya to discuss the proposed Liga Filipina.

14. Exiled to Dapitan

6 July 1892 - Rizal held the last interview

with the Governor- General. The governor-
general confronted him for anti-friar bills
supposedly found in the baggages of his
sister Lucia. He was ordered imprisoned in
Fort Santiago (from July 6-15).

15 July 1892 - At 1:00 on the morning, Rizal

was shipped on board the boat S. S. Cebu
 to Dapitan. He was given good cabin, but
well guarded.

15. In Daptian

He engaged in agriculture, fishing and

business; he maintained and operated a
hospital; he conducted classes- taught the
pupils English and Spanish languages and
the arts.

16. From Dapitan to Fort Santiago

When the Philippine Revolution started on

August 26, 1896, his enemies lost no time in
pressing him down. They were able to enlist
witnesses that linked him with the revolt and
these were never allowed to be confronted
by him. Thus, from November 3, 1986, to
the date of his execution, he was again
committed to Fort Santiago

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 the whole night
because he was amazed by the watery
expanse and the silence of the night.

After their trip at the Virgin of Antipolo, Rizal and

Don Francisco pursued to Manila to visit
Saturnina, who was then a boarding student at
La Concordia College in Santa Ana. 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
reading the letter, he went to the town church
and prayed, he even collected pebbles in the
river for souvenirs and bade farewell 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, he met a Frenchman which was a friend
of his father who took care 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’.

In the summer month of May 1881, Rizal went

on a pilgrimage to the town of Pakil, famous
shrine of the Birhen Maria de los Dolores. He
was accompanied by his sisters and their
female friends. They took a Casco from
Calamba to Pakil, Laguna. Rizal and his
companions were fascinated by 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 the Dominican institution. After
finishing the 4th year of his medical course in
UST, Rizal, being disgusted with the method of
instruction in the Dominican-owned University
and the racial prejudice of Dominican
professors against Filipino 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

secret mission. This mission was to observe
keenly the life and culture, 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 Spain

Rizal’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 of recommendation to
the members of their Society in Barcelona. 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
Spanish steamer Salvadora bound for
Singapore. With tears in his eyes and gloom in
his head, 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 the people and things on board the
steamer. There were sixteen passengers. 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, the beautiful
Buddhist templates, the busy 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 Sea terminal of Suez Canal.
Upon arrival, 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.

After the passport inspection at Port Bou, Rizal

continued his trip by rail, finally reaching
Barcelona on June 16, 1882. His first
impression of Barcelona was unfavorable. He
thought of it as an ugly, dirty and its residents
are inhospitable. Later, he changed his
impression and liked the city. He found it as a
great city, with an atmosphere of freedom and
liberalism. He also found its people were open-
hearted, hospitable, and courageous. He
enjoyed promenading along Las Ramblas
which was the famous street in Barcelona.

Filipinos in Barcelona were some of his

classmates in Ateneo, welcomed him. They
gave him a party at café Plaza de Cataluña.
After toasts, Rizal in turn gave them the latest
news and gossips in the Philippines.

In Barcelona, Rizal wrote a nationalistic essay

entitled “Amor Patrio” which was his first written
article on Spain’s soil. He then sent his article to
Basilio Teodoro Moran, publisher of Diariong
Tagalog. Basilio was deeply impressed by the
article congratulated Rizal and asked Rizal to
publish more articles.

While living in Barcelona, Rizal received bad

news about the cholera outbreak ravaging
Manila and the provinces. Many people died
and more were dying daily. Sad news was that
his beloved Leonor Rivera was getting thinner
because of the absence of her loved one. Also,
Paciano advised Rizal to continue his medical
course in Madrid. Heeding his advice, Rizal left
Barcelona in the fall of 1882 and proceeded to
Madrid.

Madrid

On November 3, 1882, Rizal enrolled in the

Universidad Central de Madrid. He took up took
courses—Medicine and Philosophy and Letters.
Aside from the two major courses, he also
studied painting and sculpture in the Academy
of Fine Arts of San Fernando; he took lessons
in French, German, and English under private
instructors; and assiduously practiced fencing
and shooting in the Hall of Arms of Sanz y
Carbonell.

Rizal lived a simple life in Madrid and knew that

he came to Spain to study and prepare himself
for the service of his fatherland. He budgets his
money and time and never wasted a peseta for
gambling, wine and women. On Saturday
evening, he visits the home of Don Pablo Ortiga
y Rey who lived with his son and daughter. Don
Pablo has been city mayor of Manila.

Rizal then had a love affair with Consuelo

Ortiga y Perez, the daughter of Don Pablo.
Rizal, being a lonely man in a foreign country
and far from his natal land, was attracted by
Consuelo’s beauty and vivacity. Their love did
not flourish because he was still engaged to
Leonor Rivera and a friend of Rizal is also in-
love with Consuelo.

First Visit to Paris

On June 1883, Rizal left Madrid to visit Paris.

He stayed at the Hotel de Paris but then moved
to a cheaper hotel. Like all tourists, Rizal was
charmingly titillated by the attractive scenery of
Paris such as the beautiful boulevards, the
Opera House, the Place de la Concorde, the
Arch of Triumph, the Bois de Boulogne, the
Madelaine Church, the Cathedral of Notre
Dame, the Column of Vendome, the Invalides,
and the Versailes. Rizal closely observed the
French way of life and spending many hours at
the museums.

In Spain, he became close with prominent

Spanish liberal and republican Spaniards, who
were mostly Masons. Rizal was impressed by
the way the Spanish Masons openly and freely
criticized the government policies and
lambasted the friars. In March 1883, he joined
the Masonic lodge called Acacia in Madrid. His
reason for joining was to secure Freemasonry’s
aid in his fight against the friars in the
Philippines. Later he was transferred to Lodge
Solidaridad where he became a Master Mason
on November 15, 1890. Still later, he was
awarded the diploma as Master Mason by Le
Grand Orient de France in Paris.

After departure for Spain, things turned from

bad to worse in Calamba. Harvests failed on
account of drought and locusts. Also the
Dominican-owned hacienda increased the
rentals of the lands cultivated by the Rizal
family. Due to these crises, allowances of Rizal
were many times late or sometimes never
arrived, causing too much suffering to him.

And on November 20, 21 and 22, 1884, Rizal

was involved in student demonstrations. They
were fighting for Dr. Miguel Morayta who
proclaimed that “the freedom of science and the
teacher”. Such liberal view was condemned by
the Catholic bishops of Spain.

On June 21, 1884 Rizal completed his medical

course in Spain. He was conferred the degree
of Licentiate in Medicine by the Universidad
Central de Madrid. In the next academic year,
he studied and passed al subjects leading to
the degree of Doctor of Medicine. Rizal also
finished his studies in Philosophy and Letters
with excellent ratings.

Paris to Berlin
After completing his studies in Spain, Rizal
went to Paris and Germany for his
specialization in ophthalmology. He chose this
course of medicine because he wanted to cure
his mother’s growing eye ailment. He still hasn’t
forgotten his ‘secret mission’—to observe the
customs and lifestyle of the Europeans so that
someday he will render service to his
fatherland.

In 1885, after completing his studies at Central

University of Madrid, he went to Paris in order
to acquire more knowledge in ophthalmology.
He was 24 then. He stopped over at Barcelona,
on his way to Paris, to visit his friend Maximo
Viola who is also a medical student and a
member of a rich family in Bulacan. And on the
November of that year, Rizal was living in Paris
where he sojourned for about four months. He
worked as an apprentice of Dr. Louis de
Weckert, who is a then, a leading French
ophthalmologist. And with his master, his
knowledge in ophthalmology improved.
While not working at Dr. Weckert’s clinic, Rizal
visited his friends, such as the family of Pardo
de Taveras, Juan Luna and Felix Resurreccion,
Hidalgo.

Rizal spent many happy hours in the studio of

Luna. Luna discussed with Rizal various
problems on art and improved his own painting
technique. Rizal posed to some painting of
Luna. He was one of the Egyptian priests in
Luna’s painting “The Death of Cleopatra”.

At Heidelberg

Rizal left Paris on February 1, 1886, after

acquiring enough experience in the clinic of Dr.
Weckert. He was set to go to Germany. He
visited Strasbourg and other German towns.

On February 3, 1886, he arrived in Heidelberg,

a historic city in Germany famous for its old
university and romantic surroundings. He lived
in a boarding house with some German law
students. The German students found out that
Rizal was a good chess player and made him a
member of the Chess Player’s Club. After a few
days, he was transferred to a boarding house
which was near University of Heidelberg. He
worked at the University Eye Hospital under the
direction of Dr. Otto Becker and attended the
lectures of Doctor Becker and Prof. Wilhelm
Kuehne at the university.

At weekends he visited the scenic spots around

Heidelberg which includes the Heidelberg
Castle, the romantic Neckar Rivera, the theater,
and the old churches. Rizal noticed that the
German Catholics and the Protestants
practiced ecumenism wherein they live together
in harmony and cordiality.

On April 22, 1886, spring on Heidelberg, he

wrote a poem to the beautiful blooming flowers
at the Neckar River. Among those was his
favorite flower—the forget-me-not.
Rizal then spent three-month summer vacation
at Wilhelmsfeld, a mountainous village close to
Heidelberg. He stayed at the vicarage of a kind
Protestant pastor, Dr. Karl Ullmer. He was very
delighted in his stay at the Ullmers.

On July 31, 1886, Rizal wrote his first letter in

German to Professor Ferdinand Blumentritt.
Rizal heard that Blumentritt was interested in
the Philippine languages. Along with the letter
was a book entitled Aritmetica. Delighted with
Rizal, Blumentritt send gift books to Rizal. This
marked the beginning of their long and frequent
correspondence.

Rizal was fortunate to be sojourning in

Heidelberg when the famous University of
Heidelberg held its fifth centenary celebration
on August 6 of 1886. It was three days before
his departure and he was sad because he had
come to love the land and the beautiful city.
Leipzig and Dresden

On August 9, 1886, three days after the fifth

centenary of the University of the Heidelberg,
Rizal left the city. He boarded a train and visited
various cities of Germany until arriving in
Leipzig on August 14, 1886. He attended some
lectures in the University of Leipzig and
befriended Professor Friedrich Ratzel, a famous
German historian, and Dr. Hans Meyer, German
anthropologist.

Rizal translated William Tell from German to

Filipino so that Filipinos might know the story of
that champion of Swiss independence. He also
translated into Filipino Hans Christian
Andersen’s Fairy Tales.

Cost of living in Leipzig is the cheapest in

Europe so he stayed there for two months and
a half. During his stay, he corrected some
chapters in his second novel and also had time
for exercise. He also worked as a proof-reader
in a publishing firm and earning some money.

DresdenRizal left Leipzig to set course on

Dresden on October 29, 1886. At Dresden,
Rizal met Dr. Adolph Meyer, the director of the
Anthropological and Ethnological Museum. He
stayed only two days in the city. He heard the
Holy Mass in a Catholic church which greatly
impressed him, for he wrote “Truly I have never
in my life heard a Mass whose music had
greater sublimity and intonation”.

Morning of November 1, Rizal left Dresden by

train reaching Berlin in the evening.

Berlin

Rizal liked Berlin because of its atmosphere

which was very scientific and the absence of
race prejudice. Also, here he met Dr. Feodor
Jagor author of Travels in the Philippines, a
book that Rizal admired because of its keen
observances in the Philippine setting. Dr. Jagor
in turn, introduced Rizal to Dr. Rudolf Virchow, a
famous anthropologist and to his son, Dr. Hans
Virchow, professor of Descriptive Anatomy.
Rizal worked in the clinic of Dr. Karl Ernest
Schweigger, a famous German
ophthalmologist.

Rizal was the first Asian to be accorded with

honors for being a member of the
Anthropological Society, the Ethnological
Society, and the Geographical Society of Berlin.
Dr. Virchow recognized Rizal’s genius, invited
him to give a lecture before the Ethnographic
Society of Berlin. Rizal wrote a scholarly paper
entitled Taglische Verkunst (Tagalog Metrical
Art) which elicited favorable comments from all
scientific quarters.

Rizal led a methodological life in Berlin. He

worked as an assistant by day, and attended
lectures at night. He kept himself physically fit
by daily exercises and speaking German,
French and Italian. Rizal took private lessons in
the French language under Madame Lucie
Cerdole in order to master the French
language.

He spends his leisure moments touring the

country sides of Berlin and observing the
culture and life of the people. He also made
sketches of the things he saw. About observing
culture, Rizal greatly admired the German
Yuletide custom, wherein Germans would take
bushes from a pine tree and dress it up with
lanterns, papers and candies. Another
interesting custom in Germany is that, when a
man has nobody to introduce him to the other
guests, he bows his head to the guests and
introduces himself to the other guests and
shakes hands of everyone in the room.

Not all the experiences of Rizal in Germany

were good, there is this one winter time wherein
he lived in poverty because no money arrived
from Calamba and he was flat broke. During
that time, he only eats one meal a day and had
to wash his clothes himself because he could
not afford to pay the laundry. On Calamba,
Paciano tried to raise money but crops have
failed due to locusts and the sugar market
collapsed.

Noli Me Tangere published in Berlin

Noli Me Tangere during Rizal’s stay in Berlin

was unable to be published. But with the help of
Maximo Viola, who gave him the necessary
funds to publish the novel, Noli Me Tangere was
published. Viola loaned Rizal money for
publishing and for Rizal’s living expenses. With
that, Rizal and Viola happily celebrated the
Christmas of 1886 in Berlin.

During the printing of the Noli, the chief of

police Berlin paid a sudden visit to Rizal’s
boarding house. The chief asked for Rizal’s
passport, but Rizal couldn’t show any. The chief
told him to secure a passport within four days,
otherwise he would be deported.
Rizal failed in obtaining his passport and
presented himself at the German police office,
politely apologizing for his failure. The police
then told him that Rizal was suspected as a
French spy because he came fro Paris and
knew the language of the French people so
well. Rizal explained in German to the police
that he was not a French spy, but a Filipino
physician and scientist. With that, he was
allowed to stay freely in Germany.

On March 21, 1887, the Noli Me Tangere came

off the printing press. Rizal immediately sent
copies to his intimate friends, including
Blumentritt, Dr. Antonio Jaena, Mariano Ponce,
and Felix R. Hidalgo. As a token of his
appreciation and gratitude, Rizal gave Viola the
galley proofs of Noli carefully rolled around the
pen that he used in writing. It also has a
dedication “To my dear friend, Maximo Viola,
the first to read and appreciate my work—Jose
Rizal.”
Noli Me Tangere was solely dedicated to the
Philippines. He described the Philippines as a
patient with cancer that even with the most
careful touch; it awakens in it the sharpest
pains.

The friends of Rizal hailed the novel,

appreciated its content and deeply touched and
awakened by its fine truth. Of all the
congratulatory letters received by Rizal about
Noli, that from Blumentritt was significant. “First
of all” wrote Blumentritt, “accept my cordial
congratulations for your beautiful novel about
customs which interests me extraordinarily.
Your work, as we Germans say, has been
written with the blood of the heart, and so the
heart also speaks. I continue reading it with
much interest…”

Grand Tour of Europe

After the publication of Noli, Rizal planned to

visit the important places in Europe. Rizal
received his money from Paciano worth 1,000
pesos. He immediately paid viola the sum of
300 pesos from his kind loan.

At dawn of May 11, 1887, Rizal and Viola left

Berlin by train. Spring was in the air and Europe
is blooming with flowers. Their destination was
Dresden, “One of the best cities in Germany”.

Dresden

Rizal and Viola spent some time in Dresden.

Their visit coincided with the regional floral
exposition. Rizal studied different plants
because he was interested in botany. They
visited Dr. Adolph B. Meyer, who was overjoyed
to see them. They also visited the Museum of
Art and Rizal was deeply impressed by the
painting of “Prometheus Bound”, a Greek
mythological tragedy.

While strolling at the scene of the Floral

Exposition, they met Dr. Jagor. Dr. Jagor
advised them to wire Blumentritt of their coming
because the old professor was of a nervous
disposition and he might suffer a shock at their
sudden visit.

Their next stopover was Teschen. Rizal and

Viola sent a wire to Blumentritt, as suggested
by Dr. Jagor.

Blumentritt and Leitmeritz

At 1:30 p.m. of May 13, 1887, the train with

Rizal and Viola on board arrived at the railroad
station of Leitmeritz, Bohemia. Professor
Blumentritt waited for them in the station after
he received the wire. He was carrying a pencil
sketch of Rizal which the letter had previously
sent him, so that he could identify his Filipino
friend. He warmly welcomed Rizal and Viola.

For the first time, Rizal and Blumentritt met

each other. They greeted each other in fluent
German. Upon seeing the talented Rizal, the
old professor immediately took him into heart,
loving him as a son.

Rizal had beautiful memories of his visit to

Leitmeritz. He enjoyed the warm hospitality and
enjoyed the cooking of the professor’s wife
Rosa. Blumentritt’s children were Dolores,
Conrad, and Fritz. Blumentritt showed the
scenic sights and historical spots of Leitmeritz.

One afternoon he invited them to a beer garden

where the best beer of Bohemia was served. At
the beer garden, they met the burgomaster or
the town mayor. Blumentritt introduced the two
to the burgomaster. Rizal talked in fluent
German, for which the burgomaster and his
friends were amazed.

On another afternoon, Rizal and Viola were

invited to a meeting o the Tourists’ Club of
Leitmeritz, of Blumentritt was secretary. The
members of the society were amazed by the
fluency of Rizal in German.

Rizal painted a portrait of the kind professor

and gave it to him as a commemoration of his
happy hours at the professor’s home.

Rizal also met another renowned scientist of

Europe namely, Dr. Carlos Czepelak. Rizal had
a nice conversation with the Polish scholar.
Blumentritt also introduced Rizal to Professor
Robert Klutschak, an eminent naturalist.

On their last night in Leitmeritz, Rizal and Viola,

reciprocated Blumentritt’s hospitality with a
banquet. On May 16, at 9:45 A.M., Rizal and
Viola left Leitmeritz by train. Blumentritt and his
family were at the railroad station to see them
off, and they all shed tears in parting as the
train departed. Rizal carried with him all the
beautiful memories of his visit to Leitmeritz.

History City of Prague

After their stay at Leitmeritz, Rizal together with
Viola visited the city of Prague. They carried
recommendation letters from Blumentritt to Dr.
Willkomm, a professor of natural history in the
University of Prague. The kind-hearted
professor together with his wife and daughters
welcomed them and showed them the city’s
historic spots.

Rizal and Viola visited the tomb of Copernicus,

the museum of natural history, the
bacteriological laboratories, the famous cave
where San Juan Nepomuceno was imprisoned,
and the bridge from which the saint was hurled
into the river.

After their stay at the home of the Willkomms,

Rizal and Viola left Prague and went to Brunn.

Queen of the Danube

On May 20, Rizal and Viola arrived in the

beautiful Vienna. Famous in songs and story,
this city very much fascinated Rizal because of
its beautiful buildings, religions images and
charm. Rizal and Viola presented a letter of
recommendation, from Blumentritt, to
Norfenfals, one of the greatest novelists in
Europe during that time. The great novelist was
impressed by Rizal’s genius. Later he spoke
highly of Rizal.

Also in Vienna, Rizal received his lost diamond

stickpin. It was found by a main in Hotel Krebs
and was given to Blumentritt who, in turn,
forwarded it to Rizal.

The two stayed at Hotel Metropole. They visited

the city’s interesting places, such as churches,
museums, art galleries, theaters and parks.

Lintz

On May 24, Rizal and Viola left Vienna on a

river boat to see the beautiful sights of the
Danube Rivera. As they both travel with boat,
Rizal observed the different sights like the
barges loaded with products, the flowers and
plants growing along the river banks, the boats
with families living on them, and the quaint
villages on the riversides. They also noticed that
the passengers were using paper napkins
during meals.

To Rheinfall, To Salzburg, To Munich &

Nuremberg

The river voyage ended in Lintz. They traveled

overland to Salzburg and from there to Munich
where they sojourned for a short time to savor
the famous Munich beer, reputed to be the best
in Germany.

From Munich they went to Nuremberg, an old

city of Germany. Among the sights were the
horrible torture machines used by the
Inquisition, in which Rizal examined carefully.
Viola and Rizal were greatly impressed by the
manufacture of dolls in Nuremberg.
After Munich, they visited Ulm. The cathedral of
this city was the largest and the tallest in all
Germany. Viola related that he and Rizal
climbed its many hundred steps. Viola getting
dizzy, but Rizal was not.

From Ulm, they went to Stuttgart, Baden and

then Rheinfall. At Rheinfall, they saw the
waterfall which was the most beautiful waterfall
of Europe.

Switzerland

From Rheinfall, they crossed the frontier to

Schaffhausen, Switzerland. They stayed in this
city from June 2 to 3, 1887. They then
continued their tour to Basel, Bern, and
Lausanne.

After sightseeing in Lausanne, Rizal and Viola

left on a little boat, crossing the foggy Leman
Lake to Geneva.
GenevaRizal and Viola visited Geneva. This
Swiss city is one of the most beautiful cities in
Europe which was visited by world tourist every
year. The people of Geneva were linguists,
speaking French, German, and Italian. Rizal
conversed with them in these three languages.

Rizal and Viola also went boating on the lake.

Rizal showed his rowing prowess which he
acquired during his boyhood days in Calamba.

On June 19, 1887, it was Rizal’s 26th birthday

and treated Viola to a blow-out. Rizal and Viola
spent fifteen days in Geneva. On June 23, they
parted ways. Viola decided to return to
Barcelona while Rizal continued his tour to Italy.

Madrid Exposition

During his tour in Europe, Rizal received sad

news from his friends in Madrid of the
deplorable conditions of primitive Igorots who
were exhibited in this expositions, some of
whom died and whose clothing are
inappropriate for the climate of Madrid, and
crude weapons were objects of mockery and
laughter by the Spanish people and press. Rizal
being a champion of human dignity was
outrageous.

Italy

Rizal went to Italy. He visited Turin, Milan,

Venice and Florence. On June 27, 1887, he
reached Rome. He was thrilled by the sights
and memories of the Eternal City—Rome.

On June 29th, Rizal visited for the first time the

Vatican, the “City of the Popes” and the capital
Christendom. He was impressed by the
magnificent edifices, particularly of St. Peter’s
Church which was also his feast day during that
time.

Every night, after sightseeing the whole day,

Rizal returned to his hotel, very tired. “I am tired
as a dog,” he wrote to Blumentritt, “but I will
sleep as a god”.

After a week of staying in Rome, he prepared to

return to the Philippines. He had already written
to his father that he was coming home.

First Homecoming

From 1882 to 1887, Rizal was in Europe

studying. There he was allured, fascinated and
have all the beautiful memories throughout his
sojourn. But this will not make Rizal forget his
fatherland and his nationality. After 5 years of
memorable adventure in Europe, he returned to
the Philippines in August 1887 and practiced
medicine in Calamba.

Although his life is threatened because his Noli

Me Tangere caused uproar especially among
the friars, he insists on returning home. He has
his reasons of coming home, one is that he
wants to operate his mother’s eyes; another is
that he wants to know how his novel affected
the life of the Filipino.

Rizal left Rome by train for Marseilles and on

July 3, 1887 he boarded the steamer Djemnah
which was the same steamer he boarded five
years ago. The steamer was enroute to the
Orient via the Suez Canal. Rizal saw this canal
for the second time.

On July 30, he transferred to another steamer

in Saigon to steamer Haiphong which was
bound to Manila. On August 2, the steamer left
Saigon for Manila.

Arrival at Manila

On August 5, the Haiphong arrived in Manila

and he went ashore with a happy heart for he
was once again in Filipino soil. He stayed in the
city for a short time to visit some friends and
observed that Manila was the same five years
ago.

Home in Calamba

On August 8, he returned to Calamba. His

family welcomed him affectionately. The
rejoicing returns over when his family became
worried of his safety. Paciano did not leave him
during the first days because he wants to
protect him from any enemy assault. Even his
own father would not let him go out alone.

In Calamba he established a medical clinic and

his first patient was his mother, who was that
time almost blind. The news of a great doctor
from Germany spread far and wide. Patients
from Manila and the provinces flocked to
Calamba to have a consultation to Rizal. His
fees were reasonable, within a month he was
able to earn about 900 pesos.

He also opened a gymnasium for young folks

where he introduced European sports. He tried
to interest his townies in gymnastics, fencing,
and shooting and discourage cockfights and
gambling.

Rizal failed to see Leonor Rivera, his loved one.

A few weeks after his arrival, he received a

letter from Governor General Emilio Terrero
requesting him to come to Malacañan Palace.
Rizal went to Manila and appeared before
Gov.Gen. Terrero and denied the acquisitions of
the Governor General. He explained that it was
merely an exposition of truth, but he did not
advocate rebellious ideas. The governor was
pleased by his explanation and asked for a
copy of Noli so that he could read it. Rizal had
no copy that time but promised it to the
governor general once he secured a copy of it.

Rizal found a copy in the hands of a friend. He

was able to give it to governor general Terrero.
The governor general knew that Rizal’s life was
in jeopardy because the friars were powerful.
He then assigned a young Spanish lieutenant
as a bodyguard of Rizal.

Farewell Again

Rizal’s novel caused uproar among the friars.

Anonymous threats against Rizal’s life were
received by his parents. Feeling uneasy with
the situation, they advised him to go away for
his life was in danger.

Governor General Terrero summoned Rizal and

advised him to leave the Philippines for his own
good. He was giving Rizal a change to escape
the fury of the friar’s wrath.

Rizal really needs to go because he could not

disobey the governor general’s orders. Rizal left
Calamba in 1888.

Hong Kong

Haunted by enemies and threatened by friars,

Rizal was forced to leave Philippines for the
second time. It was February 1888 then. Rizal
at 27 was an embittered victim of human
iniquities, a disillusioned dreamer, and a
frustrated reformer. This was the start of Rizal’s
second travel.

On February 3, 1888, after six months of stay in

Calamba, Rizal left Manila for Hong Kong on
board the Zafiro. He was sad and sick during
the crossing of the choppy China Sea. He did
not get off the ship when it made a stopover at
Amoy, because he was sick, it was raining and
the city was dirty. He arrived in Hong Kong on
February 8.

In Hong Kong, Rizal stayed at Victoria Hotel. He

was welcomed by the Filipino community in
Hong Kong. During this time, a Spaniard, Jose
Varanda, was shadowing Rizal’s movements in
Hong Kong. It is believed that he was ordered
to spy on Rizal.
Macao

On February 18, Rizal accompanied by Basa,

boarded the ferry steamer Kiu-Kiang for Macao.
He was surprised to see a familiar figure among
the passengers—Sainz de Varanda.

Rizal described Macao as a small, low and

gloomy. There are many junks, sampans, but
few steamers, it looks sad and is almost dead-
like.

The two stayed in at the home of Don Juan

Francisco Lecaros who was married to a
Portuguese lady.

During his two day stay in Macao, he visited the

theater, casino, cathedral and churches,
pagodas and botanical gardens and the
bazaars. He also saw the famous Grotto of
Camoens.

In the evening of February 19, he witnessed a

Catholic procession wherein the devotees were
dressed in blue and purple dresses and were
carrying unlighted candles.

On February 20, Rizal and Basa returned to

Hong Kong on board the ferry steamer Kiu-
Kiang.

Hong Kong

A Landmark in Honor of Rizal’s Visit in Hong

KongRizal stayed in Hong Kong for two weeks.
There he studied the Chinese way of life,
language, drama and customs.

Rizal noticed some experiences and wrote

them in his diary. Some of them include the
noisy celebration of the Chinese New Year
which lasted from February 11th to 13th. There
were continuous explosion of firecrackers and
he himself fired many at the window of his
hotel. He also observed the boisterous Chinese
theater, the marathon Lauriat party, which was
the longest meal in the world; the Dominican
Order was the richest religious order in Hong
Kong, and the cemeteries.

On February 22, 1888, Rizal left Hong Kong on

board the Oceanic, an American steamer and
his destination was Japan. Rizal did not like the
meals on board but liked the ship because it
was clean and efficiently managed.

Japan

Among the happiest moments of Rizal in his life

was his sojourn in the Land of the Cherry
Blossoms. He stayed in Japan for one month
and a half from February 28 to April 13, 1888.
He was charmed by the natural beauty of
Japan, the manners of the Japanese people
and the picturesque of shrines. He also fell in
love with a Japanese girl, who loveliness
infused joy and romance in his sorrowing heart.

Morning of Tuesday, February 28, 1888, Rizal

arrived at Yokohama and stayed in the Grand
Hotel. The following day, he moved to Tokyo
and took a room at the Tokyo Hotel where he
stayed from March 2 to 7. He was impressed by
the city of Tokyo.

After his arrival in Tokyo, Rizal was visited by

Juan Perez caballero, secretary of Spanish
Legation. The latter invited him to live at the
Spanish Legation. Rizal knew that this was the
Spanish government’s way of monitoring Rizal
but he accepted anyways.

On March 7, he moved out of Tokyo Hotel and

lived at the Spanish Legation. He and Perez
Caballero became good friends and described
him as a young, fine and an excellent writer.

During his first day in Tokyo, Rizal could talk the

Japanese language. He had a hard time for
shopping for he could not be understood and
children laughed at him. With his situation, Rizal
decided to study the Japanese language. He
was able to speak within a few days.

At Japan he studied the Japanese drama, arts,

music, and judo. He also visited museums,
libraries, art galleries, and shrines. He visited
Meguro, Nikko, Hakone, Miyanoshita, and the
charming villages of Japan.

During one time, Rizal went to the park and

heard the Tokyo band playing a classical work
of Strauss. He was impressed by the great
performances of the Western music. He thought
to himself how admirable their renditions are
and wondered how they have assimilated the
modern European music to the extent of playing
the beautiful masterpieces of the European
composers so well. The band stopped playing
and to his surprised they were speaking
Tagalog. He approached them and conversed
with them. The musicians were delighted and
also surprised to meet him.

Rizal was greatly impressed by Japan. Among

of which are the natural beauty of the country,
the cleanliness and politeness of the people,
the picturesque dress and simple charm of the
Japanese women, there were few thieves in
Japan, and beggars were rarely seen in the city
streets. However, he disliked the rickshaws
drawn by men.

Sayonara Japan and Seiko Usui

Rizal met a pretty Japanese girl. Her name was

Seiko Usui. Rizal fell in love with Seiko. He
affectionately called her O-Sei-San. Both found
happiness in each other’s company. Affinity of
interest in the arts paved the way for their
romance. Rizal saw in lovely O-Sei-San the
qualities of his ideal womanhood—beauty,
charm, modesty, and intelligence.

O-Sei-San’s beauty and affection almost

tempted Rizal to settle down in Japan. At the
same time, he was offered a good job by the
Spanish Legation. But then, his love for the
fatherland and his mission to free his oppressed
people made him think again.

Rizal’s great love for Seiko Usui and Japan will

be memories that he will always cherish, but it
was his time to go.

On April 13, 1888, Rizal boarded the Belgic, an

English steamer, at Yokohama, bound for the
United States. He left Japan with a heavy heart
for he knew that he will never see this beautiful
land again, so as his beloved O-Sei-San. His
sojourn in Japan for 45 days was one of the
happiest interludes of his life.

Across the Pacific

Despite his sorrowing heart, Rizal enjoyed the

pleasant trans-Pacific voyage to the United
States. One day one of the children on board
the ship asked Rizal if he knew a man in Manila
named “Richal”. Rizal replied that he was
“Richal”. In his amazement, the boy rushed to
his mother and informing her that the famous
man is their fellow passenger, the mother felt
proud that they were travelling with a celebrity.

Another passenger Rizal befriended on board

was Tetcho Suehiro, a Japanese journalist,
novelist and a champion of human rights, who
was forced by the Japanese government to
leave the country. He was alone at the
beginning of the voyage for he knew that he
was only person in the ship who speaks
Japanese. Rizal knew about this and
befriended him and acted as his interpreter
during their long trip from Yokohama to San
Francisco, across the U.S. to New York until
they reached London, where they parted.

Rizal told Tetcho the story of his life and his

mission to emancipate his oppressed fellowmen
from Spanish tyranny. Tetcho was fascinated by
Rizal’s admirable character and influenced him
to fortify his own crusade for human rights in his
own country.
On December 1, 1888 after a last handshake of
their eight months of friendship and bidding
each other goodbye, Rizal and Tetcho parted
ways—never to meet again.

Visit to the United States

Rizal first saw America on April 28, 1888. His

arrival was marred by racial prejudice for he
saw the discriminatory treatment of the Chinese
and the Negroes by the white Americans.

Rizal had good and bad impressions of the

United States. The good were the material
progress of the country, the drive and energy of
the American people, the natural beauty of the
land, the high standard of living and the
opportunities for better life offered to poor
immigrants. On bad impression was the lack of
racial equality. There existed racial prejudice
which was inconsistent with the principles of
democracy and freedom of which Americans
talk so much but do not practice.

Rizal’s trip to America started on April 28, 1888

to May 16, 1888.

San Francisco

The steamer Belgic docked at the San

Francisco on Saturday morning, April 28, 1888.
All passengers were not allowed to land. The
American health authorities placed the ship
under quarantine on the ground it came from
the Far east where a cholera epidemic was
alleged to be raging. Rizal was surprised
because he knew there was no Cholera
epidemic at that time. He joined other
passengers protesting the unjustifiable action of
the health authorities. Later, the American
consul in Japan had given the ship a clean bill
of health.

He soon discovered that the quarantine was

motivated by politics because the ship was
carrying 653 Chinese coolies.

On Friday afternoon, May 4, 1888, he was

permitted to go ashore and then he registered
for a room at the Palace Hotel. Rizal stayed in
San Francisco for two days from May 4 to 6.

On May 6, Rizal left San Francisco for Oakland,

nine miles across San Francisco Bay by ferry
boat. On May 7, he awoke and had a good
breakfast at Reno, Nevada.

On May 8, Rizal was in the state of Utah. From

Ogden, they went to Denver.

On May 9, they were passing through the

mountains and rocks along the river. They woke
up at Colorado, which he described as a state
with a lot of trees.

On May 10, they arrived at Nebraska then to

Omaha, which was a big city. They passed the
Missouri River and arrived at Illinois.
On May 11, they arrived at Chicago. He
observed that every store in Chicago are selling
cigars and has Indian figures.

May 12 they arrived at Wagner Car which he

described as beautiful and well populated. They
arrived at the English territory in the afternoon,
and saw the Niagara Falls. They had a stopover
to see some sights and went to the side below
the Niagara Falls.

On May 13, they arrived at Albany which was a

big city. The Hudson River runs along and
carries many boats. The sights here were
beautiful although more solitary than those of
Pasig.

The grand transcontinental trip ended on

Sunday, May 13, at 11:00 A.M.

On Sunday morning, May 13, Rizal arrived at

New York, which marks the end of his trip to
America. He stayed three days in this city and
visited some scenic and historic places. He was
awed and inspired by the memorial of George
Washington.

On May 16, 1888 he left New York for Liverpool

on board the City of Rome. He was onboard in
a steamer which was “the second largest ship
in the world”—the Great Eastern. He saw the
colossal Statue of Liberty on Bedloe Island as
the ship steamed out of New York.

Once Again in London

Rizal lived in London from May, 1888 to March

1889. He chose this English city because of
three reasons:

1. To improve his knowledge of the English

language,

2. To Study and annotate Morga’s Sucesos de

las Islas Filipinas, which he heard to be
available in the British Museum and

3. London was a safe place from the attacks

of Spanish tyranny.

Across the Atlantic

The trans-Atlantic voyage was a pleasant one.

He won many friends of different nationalities
on board the palatial City of Rome because of
his ability as linguist. Rizal entertained the
passengers with his marvelous skill with the yo-
yo. He used it as an offensive weapon instead
of a toy.

Rizal arrived at Liverpool, England on May,

1888. He stayed one day in Liverpool spending
the night at Adelphi Hotel. He described it as a
big and beautiful city.

Life in London

On May 25, 1888, Rizal went to London. For a

short time, he stayed at the home of Dr. Antonio
Ma. Regidor– a lawyer in London. By the end of
May he was a boarder of the Beckett family. His
home was located near public parks and within
easy walking distance to the British Museum.
He spent most of his time in the British Museum
studying the book of Morga’s Sucesos and
other rare historical books about the
Philippines.

Gertrude Beckette, Rizal's Love Interulde in

LondonHe spent his Sundays at the house of
Dr. Rost, the librarian of the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs and an authority on Malayan languages
and customs. Dr. Rost was greatly impressed
by Rizal’s knowledge and character and gladly
recommended him to the authorities of the
British Museum. He called Rizal “a pearl of a
man”.

For ten months, Rizal was deeply immersed in

his historical studies in London. During that
time, his compatriots in Spain were waging the
crusade for Philippine reforms.

Visiting Paris & SpainIn September of 1888, he

visited Paris for a week for him to search for
more historical materials in the Bibliotheque
Nationale. He was entertained by Juan Luna
and his wife. After reading over the old books,
he returned to London.

On December 11, 1888, he went to Spain

visiting Madrid and Barcelona. He contacted his
compatriots and surveyed the political situation.
For the first time, he met Marcelo H. Del Pilar
and Mariano Ponce, the two titans of
Propaganda Movement. He exchanged ideas
with these new friends and promised to
cooperate in the fight for reforms.

Christmas in London

Rizal returned to London on December 24 and

spent Christmas and New Year’s Day with the
Becketts. Rizal liked Christmas Eves because it
reminded him of many good days of his infancy
and also Christ was born. Rizal received from
Mrs. Beckett a book entitled The Life and
Adventures of Valentine Vox, the Ventriloquist.

During his stay at London, he became the

honorary president of a patriotic society
cooperating for reforms called Asociacion La
Dolidaridad. It was inaugurated on December
31, 1888. Rizal also wrote his first article in La
Solidaridad, a patriotic newspaper founded by
Graciano Lopez Jaena, entitled Los Agricultores
Filipinos which was published on March 25,
1889.

Rizal wrote several works while in London.

These writings includes: La Vision del Fray
Rodriguez, Letter to the Young Women of
Malolos, and he also contributed some articles
to Dr. Rost’s journal entitled Specimens of Tagal
Folklore and Two Eastern Fables. Rizal also fell
in-love with one of the three Beckett sisters—
Gertrude.
On March 19, 1889, Rizal bade goodbye to the
Beckett family and left London for Paris. He
was sad as he crossed the English Channel for
he cherished many beautiful memories in
London.

Universal Exposition of 1889

Rizal went to Paris on the spring of 1889. The

city was full of excitement because of the
Universal Exposition and it was hard to look for
an inn to stay. The landlords are taking
advantage of the great demand for living
quarters, raised the rents of their rooms. For a
short time, Rizal lived in the house of his friend,
Valentin Ventura. There he also published his
annotated edition of Morga’s book. He
transferred from one hotel to another. Finally, he
lived in a little room together with two other
Filipinos—Capitan Justo Trinidad and Jose
Albert.
On June 24, 1889, Juan Luna and Paz Pardo
de Tavera had a baby girl. They made Rizal as
her baptismal godfather and named her Maria
de la Paz.

Rizal was fascinated by the Universal

Exposition of Paris. It opened on May 5, 1889.
The greatest attraction of the exposition was
the Eiffel Tower, which was built by Alexander
Eiffel. Rizal also participated in an art
competition but got no prize.

During one time, Rizal together with the Kidlat

Club was amazed by the proud American
Indians. He told his friends “they are not
ashamed of their name. Let us be like them…”

Another society founded by Rizal in Paris was

the R.D.L.M. Society. The aim of the secret
society is the propagation of all useful
knowledge in the Philippines. Another aim is the
redemption of the Malay race.
During his stay in Europe, he was deeply
immense by his historical studies about the
Philippines. Rizal wants to learn more about the
history of his Fatherland.

Another work of Rizal was The Indolence of the

Filipinos. He also became a member of
“International Association of Filipinologists” with
Dr. Ferdinand Blumentritt as the President. In
the fall of 1889, he wrote another satirical work
entitled Por Telefono; it is a reply to Fr. Salvador
Font, who masterminded the banning of his
Noli.

December 25, 1889, Rizal celebrated his

Christmas in Paris. Rizal and Jose Albert
planned to have a sumptuous Christmas dinner.
They scraped enough money to celebrate
Yuletide. They prepared a Christmas dinner
with friend chicken, rice and vegetables.

Shortly after the New Year, Rizal made a short

visit to London. His purpose may be because
he wants to see Gertrude Beckette for the last
time, and check up his annotated edition of
Morga’s Sucesos.

By the mid of January 1890, he was back in

Paris, during that time influenza was epidemic
throughout Paris. He complained of a terrible
headache but he was not stricken with flu.

Belgian Brussels

On January 28, 1890, Rizal left Paris for

Brussels, the capital of Belgium. Rizal was
accompanied by Jose Albert when he moved to
Brussels. They lived in a boarding house on 38
Rue Philippe Champagne which was run by two
Jaceby sisters.

In Brussels Rizal was busy writing his second

novel “El Filibusterismo”. Aside from writing its
chapters, he wrote articles for La Solidaridad.
He also spent some of his time in a medical
clinic, and had gymnastics at the gymnasium.
Rizal stayed with Jose Alejandro at the
boarding house when Jose Albert left the city.

Rizal loved his own native language. He was

the first to advocate the Filipinization of its
orthography. As an example the Tagalog letters
k and w should be used instead of the Spanish
c and o.

Rizal received news that the Filipinos in Spain

were destroying the good image of their nation
y gambling too much. He wrote a letter to the
Filipinos in Spain and the gambling Filipino and
the gambling Filipinos in Madrid were angry
when they learned of Rizal’s moralizing.

Rizal also received letters from home that

worries him. The Calamba agrarian trouble was
getting worse. The management of the
Dominican hacienda continually raised the land
rents.

In the face of the sufferings which afflicted his

family, Rizal planned to go home. He could not
stay in Brussels writing a book while his family
was being persecuted.

Rizal ignored the warning of his friends and did

not change his plans.

But there are some things that cheered Rizal’s

life. One was the summertime festival of
Belgium. Second was his romance with Petite
Jacoby, the pretty niece of his landladies.

Madrid

Rizal’s life in Madrid could be described as full

of misfortunes. In August 1890, Rizal arrived in
Madrid. He tried all legal means to seek justice
for his family and the Calamba tenants, but to
no avail. Also, Leonor Rivera married a British
engineer.

Rizal sought the help of the Filipino colony to

protest the injustices of the Dominicans against
the Calamba folks. More terrible news reached
Rizal in Madrid, his brother-in-law; Silvestre
received a copy of eviction order by the
Dominicans. He also learned of the deportation
of Paciano, Antonio, Silvestre, Teong and
Dandoy to Mindoro. He further learned from
Saturnina’s letter that their parents had been
forcibly ejected from their home.

Adding to his misfortunes was the death of Jose

Panganiban—his co-worker in the Propaganda
Movement.

Rizal almost had a duel with Antonio Luna when

Luna was saying unsavory remarks about
Nellie. Rizal heard him and challenged him into
a duel. But later on, they realized that their duel
would damage their cause in Spain.

Biarritz

Rizal took a vacation in the resort city of Biarritz

on the fabulous French Riviera. He was the
guest of the Boustead family. It was in Biarritz
where he had finished the last chapter of his
second novel, El Filibusterismo.

Rizal was in-love with Nellie Boustead, a

daughter of the Boustead family. With the
encouragement of his close friends, Rizal
courted Nelly, who in turn, reciprocated his
affection. Rizal had plans of marrying Nellie, but
failed. Nelly wanted Rizal to espouse
Protestantism before their marriage. Rizal,
being a man of firm conviction, refused. Another
problem was Nelly’s mothers, who do not wish
to entrust Nelly to a man who was poor in
material things.

On March 30, 1891, Rizal proceeded to Paris

by train. Rizal retired from the Propaganda
Movement and retired also from La Solidaridad.

In Brussels Rizal worked day after day revising

the finished manuscript of El Filibusterismo and
readied it for printing.
Ghent

On July 5, 1891, Rizal left Brussels for Ghent a

famous university city in Belgium. He stayed at
Ghent because the cost of printing is cheaper.
Rizal had limited funds and lived in a cheap
boarding house.

After his arrival, Rizal searched for the printing

shop that could give him the lowest quotation
for the publication of his novel. He found out
that F. Meyer-Van Loo Press was willing to print
his book on installment basis. He pawned all his
jewels to pay the down payment and early
partial payments. He had received money from
Basa and 200 pesos from Arias for the copies
of Morga’s Sucesos which were sold in Manila.

Ventura learned of Rizal’s predicament and

immediately sent him the necessary funds. With
his financial aid, the printing of Fili was
resumed. The El Filibusterismo was dedicated
to the martyrdom of the Gom-Bur-Za.

Hong Kong

After the publication of El Filibusterismo, Rizal

left Europe for Hong Kong. He lived there from
November, 1891 to June 1892.

On October 18, 1891, Rizal boarded the

steamer Melbourne in Marseilles bound for
Hong Kong. During the voyage he began
writing his third novel in Tagalog. Makamisa,
Dapitan, and another untitled novel were some
of the unfinished novels of Rizal.

Rizal described his trip as “heavenly”. In the

ship were over 80 passengers—mostly
Europeans, and two Spaniards who were going
to Amoy. Rizal was the only Asian among them,
and amazed his fellow passengers with his
knowledge of many languages.
Rizal arrived in Hong Kong on November 20,
1891. He was welcomed by Jose Basa and
lived at Number 5 D’ Aguilar Street where he
also opened his medical clinic.

Before the Christmas of 1891, he was

gladdened by the arrival of his father, brother
and Silvestre Ubaldo in Hong Kong. Not long
afterwards, his mother and sisters Lucia, Josefa
and Trinidad also arrived. This Christmas was
one of the happiest moments in Rizal’s life for
he had a happy family reunion.

Rizal also practiced his ophthalmology in Hong

Kong. There he became a well-known medical
practitioner.

Second Homecoming

In May, 1892, Rizal made up his mind to return

to Manila. He gave two letters, which were
sealed and inscribed on it “to be opened after
my death”, to his friend Dr. Marques for
safekeeping.

At noon of June 26, 1892, Rizal and his sister

Lucia arrived in Manila. He stayed in Hotel de
Oriente which was facing the church of
Binondo.

On June 27, Rizal boarded a train in Tutuban

Station and visited his friends. And on
Wednesday July 6, Rizal went to Malacañan
Palace to resume his series of interviews. The
governor general then presented to him some
printed leaflets (Pobres Frailes) which were
allegedly found in Lucia’s pillow cases. Rizal
denied having those leaflets because they were
thoroughly searched upon their arrival from
Hong Kong and was found clean. Despite his
denial and insistent demand for investigation he
was placed under arrest and escorted to Fort
Santiago.

July 15, 1892, Rizal was brought to the steamer

Cebu which was sailing for Dapitan. On the
17th of July, Rizal was handed over to Captain
Ricardo Carnicero, the commandant of Dapitan.
His exile in Dapitan lasted until July 31, 1896, a
period of four years.

Dapitan

Rizal stayed in Dapitan for a period of four

years. He was suppose to live in the Jesuit
Church but insisted on living in the house of
Captain Carnicero. The two became close and
befriended each other. Carnicero was
impressed with the fine qualities and
personalities of Rizal.

On September 21, 1892, Rizal won the Manila

Lottery with a sum of 6,200 pesos. He shared
his winnings to his father and to his friend Basa,
and the rest he invested by purchasing
agricultural lands.

During his stay in Dapitan, he had debates with

Father Pastells about religion. They exchanged
views and commented on each other. In spite of
their religious differences, Rizal l and Pastells
remained good friends.

He was also able to meet again his teacher

from Ateneo—Father Sanchez. Father Sanchez
was assigned by Father Pastells to persuade
Rizal to discard his “errors of religion”. Rizal
and Father Sanchez had theological arguments
but all efforts of Sanchez were in vain.

Rizal practiced medicine in Dapitan and had

many patients. He gave free medicine to the
poor. He was also able to operate his mother’s
right eye. Rizal was also interested in the use of
medicinal plants which he used to some of his
poor patients.

Rizal also made a Water System for Dapitan

which modern engineers today found it very
marvelous. He also became a teacher and
taught to the young boys of Dapitan. He even
made a project to beautify the town plaza.
Rizal was also a farmer. On his farms, he
introduced modern methods of agriculture
which he observed in Europe and America. He
encourages the Dapitan farmers to discard their
primitive system of tillage and adopt the modern
methods. He imported some agricultural
machinery from the United States.

Rizal had a relationship with Josephine

Bracken. They first met when Josephine
accompanied his father to the clinic of Rizal.
Their relationship lasted for one month until
they decided to marry. The two lived happily in
Dapitan. They had a son, but only lived for three
hours.

On July 31, 1896, Rizal’s exile in Dapitan came

to an end. Rizal, together, with Josephine,
Narcisa, Angelica and his three nephews and
six pupils boarded the steamer España. Almost
all the Dapitan townies were at the shore and
bid him goodbye.
Last Trip Abroad

August 1, Rizal anchored at Dumaguete. He

visited some friends and former classmates.
The España left Dumaguete at about 1:00 p.m.
and reached Cebu the following morning. Rizal
was fascinated by the entrance of Cebu.

On August 3, Rizal left Cebu and continued to

Iloilo. Then sailed to Capiz and towards to
Romblon until proceeding to Manila.

He missed the ship going to Spain but on the

midnight of the same day he was able to right
the Spanish cruiser Castilla.

On September 2, Rizal was transferred to the

steamer Isla de Panay which was sailing for
Barcelona, Spain. The next morning the
steamer left Manila Bay.

The steamer arrived at Singapore in the

evening of September 7. The passengers
including Rizal went shopping and to see some
scenery. Rizal observed that there were more
Chinese merchants and less Indians. He
bought a Chinese gown. Don Pedro and his son
stayed at Singapore. He advised Rizal to stay
behind too and take advantage of the protection
of the British law. But Rizal pursued to Spain.
The steamer left Singapore on September 8.

On September 25, he saw the steamer Isla de

Luzon, leaving the Suez Canal; it was full of
Spanish troops. On September 28, a day after
the steamer Isla de Panay left Port Said, a
passenger told Rizal that he would be arrested
by order of Governor General Blanco and would
be sent to prison in Cueta. Shocked by the
news, Rizal realized that he was being duped.

Nothing was official yet about his impending

arrest. But on September 30, he was officially
notified by Captain Alemany that he should stay
in his cabin until further orders from Manila. He
obeyed orders.

At the same day, the steamer anchored at Malta

but he was not able to land. He saw through a
small window.

October 3, the Isla de Panay arrived in

Barcelona, with Rizal as prisoner on board.
Rizal was kept under heavy guard in his cabin
for 3 days. On October 4, Rizal noticed the
city’s celebration of the feast day of St. Francis
of Assisi. At 3:00 a.m. of October 6, Rizal was
escorted to the prison-fortress named Monjuich.
After his stay at Monjuich, he was transferred to
a ship named Colon. Rizal was aboard the
Colon which was full of soldiers and officers. On
October 6, 8:00 p.m., the ship left Barcelona.

Last Homecoming

On November 3, the Colon reached Manila,

where it was greeted by the Spaniards and the
friars because it bought more soldiers and
supplies. Rizal then was transferred from the
ship to Fort Santiago. On November 20, the
preliminary investigation began. He was
presented with 15 documentary evidences. On
November 26, Colonel Olive transmitted the
records to institute the corresponding action
against Rizal. Rizal was given only the right to
choose his defense counsel. He was given a list
of lieutenants in the Spanish Army and one
name struck his fancy. It was Don Luis Taviel de
Andrade, which was the brother of Lt. Jose
Taviel de Andrade who became Rizal’s
bodyguard in Calamba. December 13, General
Camilo G. de Polavieja became the Governor
General of the Philippines.