Module 4

RIZAL’S RELEVANT TRAVEL

At the end of the module, students should be able to:

1. To frame the travel history of Rizal;

2. To familiarize the students in the experiences of Rizal in various eye clinics in Europe;
3. To enlighten the student about conversation during the reunion of the Filipinos in Europe.

Learning Content

"HE WHO DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO LOOK BACK AT WHERE HE CAME FROM WILL NEVER
GET TO HISDESTINATION". Jose Rizal

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.

In this module we shall 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.

Rizal's Travels for a Cause

For Rizal, it was necessary to travel, to be educated, to experience life away from home, and to trace the
causes of the evils of the country and procure their remedies (Palma, 1949). The relevant travels of Rizal
were intended for him to gain further knowledge in the medical, cultural, and historical fields. After
completing his medical studies in Spain, he decided to pursue ophthalmology in the clinics and hospitals of
Europe. Rizal left Spain in 1886.

In the beginning, Rizal's travels were motivated by his desire to specialize in ophthalmology. Later on,
however, most of his travels were prompted by his drive to learn about the culture and political history of
European countries. He traveled a lot because he believed that he could gain and learn more liberal ideas
abroad than in the Philippines. These interesting travel experiences in the different parts of the world are
featured in national Historical Institute's Reminiscences and Travels (NHI, 1977), Chapter 5 of Austin
Coates' book (1963) entitled "Departure on a Mission," notes how Rizal admitted to Paciano his desire to
travel abroad, to wit: Jose had confided to him (Paciano) his secret desire, on completing his medical

Life and Works of Dr. Jose Rizal – First Semester A.Y. 2021 – 2022 NIPSC– Estancia Campus
Irene A. Bargo, LPT, MAT School of Arts and Sciences
studies, to go to Europe and Paciano, evidently in the bond, had undertaken to finance the writ, which was
to be made in the interest of Philippine reform. If Jose was to travel abroad, it would surely be more
sensible, one would say for him, to do so as a bachelor.

Travels for the Filipino Cause

In most of his travels, Rizal always visited historical landmarks and places to gain more knowledge that
would benefit Filipinos. His intentions in traveling were purely educational; he wished to instill in Filipinos
the value of independence. He wanted his travels to serve as an inspiration to the Filipinos in their struggle
against Spanish colonialism.

In Paris, he organized associations which aimed to unite Filipinos in Europe focused on Philippine studies.
When he was in London, he annotated Morga's text on Philippine history and did some research in the
British Museum. While in Leipzig, he translated Schiller's Wilhelm Tell. In Hong Kong, before coming
home to the Philippines, he drafted the by-laws of the La Liga Filipina.

Cultural Travels in Asia

Rizal's experiences abroad were recorded in his travel diaries and letters. These documents are all compiled
in Reminiscences and Travels (1961) and Epistolario Rizalino. Another source of his experiences were his
correspondences with Ferdinand Blumentritt. Recorded in the said correspondences are Rizal's impressions
on Asian countries like Singapore, Hong Kong, Macao, and Japan.

Singapore was Rizal's first stopover. After his steamer Salvadora docked on May 9, he checked in at the
Hotel de la Paz. While in Singapore, he visited botanical gardens, Buddhist temples, shopping centers and
the statue of Sir Thomas Standford Raffles, the founder of Singapore. Rizal boarded the French steamer
Djemnah bound for Europe on May 11, 1882. The ship passed through Colombo via the Suez Canal. In the
ship, Rizal spoke with passengers of different nationalities, including several Filipino travelers. Rizal saw
this trip as an opportunity to improve his spoken French by conversing daily with some of the French
passengers. Prior to his trip, his knowledge of French came from an old book he read in Ateneo. On the
ship, he also played chess with other passengers. Rizal beat most of them because he was a talented chess
player.

Rizal left for HongKong on February 3, 1888. His first stopover before arriving there was Amoy. He
arrived in Hong Kong on February 8, 1888 and stayed at the Victoria Hotel. There were Filipino residents
in Hong Kong who invited Rizal to their homes. These Filipinos were exiled to the Marianas Islands
because of their involvement in the Cavity Mutiny of 1872. Some of the exiles who became friends with
Rizal included Jose Maria Basa, Balbino Mauricio, and Manuel Yriarte (the son of the alcalde mayor of
Laguna. Francisco Yriarte). Rizal's letters to Blumentritt mentioned that the Filipinos were former
industrialists and financiers based in the Philippines.

Rizal was impressed with the Chinese lifestyle, drama, language, and customs. He also noted his
experiences during Chinese New Year's celebrations, the noisy theater music, and the lauriat parties in
which the guests were served plenty of dishes. After Rizal’s three week sojourn in Hong kong, he travelled
to Japan on February 20, 1888.

Life and Works of Dr. Jose Rizal – First Semester A.Y. 2021 – 2022 NIPSC– Estancia Campus
Irene A. Bargo, LPT, MAT School of Arts and Sciences
Rizal was able to visit Macao while he was in Hong Kong. Jose Maria Basa, a Filipino exile in Hong Kong,
accompanied Rizal to Macao's theaters, casinos, pagodas, botanical gardens, bazaars, and Catholic
processions. Rizal did not enjoy the place because of its dull and gloomy atmosphere. Since Rizal knew that
Macao was a Portuguese colony, he also visited the famous Grotto of Camoes, a structure dedicated to
Portugal's national poet. Aboard the steamer Kiu Kiang, Rizal and Basa returned to Hong Kong on
February 28, 1888.

Rizal traveled to Japan aboard an American steamer called Oceanic which, according to him, was clean and
well-maintained. However, Rizal found the food served to him and the passengers inedible. Other
passengers included Portuguese, British, Chinese, and American nationals. Rizal arrived in Yokohama on
February 28, 1888 and checked in at the Grand Hotel. The next day, he left for Tokyo. Rizal felt very
inspired in the land of cherry blossoms because of its natural appeal, well-mannered people, and clean
cities. In Tokyo, he spent most of his time at the parks where some Filipino musicians congregated. When
he moved in to the Spanish legation in Tokyo upon the invitation of the Spanish consul, he became
acquainted with a Japanese girl named O-sei-san. It was believed that Rizal got romantically involved with
her. She was also the person who taught Rizal the Japanese language. On board, he also met Tetcho
Suchiro, a Japanese exile. Unfortunately for Rizal, he knew only a little of the Japanese language so he had
a hard time conversing with the other passengers.

Academic Travels of Rizal

After completing his medical studies at the Central University of Madrid in 1885, Rizal traveled to Paris,
Heidelberg, Leipzig, Dresden, and Berlin, respectively, to specialize in ophthalmology. He wanted to meet
Europe's leading eye specialists and eye surgeons in the famous hospitals and eye clinics in Europe. The
Reminiscences and Travels (1961) and Epistolario Rizalino published by NHI also documents these
interesting travels.

Rizal arrived in Paris in November 1885. He stayed in the city for about four months. He worked as an
assistant for Dr. Louis de Weckert, a well-known French ophthalmologist during that time. His training
period in the clinic of Dr. Weckert lasted from November 1885 to February 1886. Under Weckert's
mentorship, Rizal learned to perform various eye operations. As stated in one of his letters, Rizal admitted
to his family that even though he already knew how to perform eye operations, he still needed more practice
and experience. Though he was busy with his medical training, he still had time to meet his Filipino friends
like Pardo de Tavera (Trainidad, Felix, and Paz), Juan Luna, and Felix Resurrecction Hidalgo. Rizal also
made a series of sketches he called "The Monkey and the Turtle." Moreover, Rizal showcased his talent in
music by playing the flute during the Paris reunions of the Filipinos. He left Paris on February 1, 886 to
resume his clinical training in Germany.

Rizal traveled to the historic city of Heidelberg on February 3, 1886. Upon his arrival, Rizal was
immediately awed by the romantic surroundings he witnessed near the University of Hedelberg. To gain
actual experience in ophthalmology, he worked in a university eye hospital under Dr. Otto Becker, a
distinguished German ophthalmologist.

Aside from the hospital training, he also attended the university lectures of Dr. Becker and Prof. Wilhelm
Kuehne. Rizal became a member of the university's Chess Players Club and scientific circle; visited the
Hedelberg Castle, Neckar River, theaters, and old churches; and immersed himself in German culture. He

Life and Works of Dr. Jose Rizal – First Semester A.Y. 2021 – 2022 NIPSC– Estancia Campus
Irene A. Bargo, LPT, MAT School of Arts and Sciences
also enjoyed beer drinking sessions with this compatriot. After completing his training in Heidelberg, he
proceeded to Berlin on November 1, 1886.

Full of new experiences and knowledge, Rizal left the historic city of Heidelberg on August 9, 1886 for
Leipzig and Dresden. He attended the fifth centenary celebration of the University of Heidelbeg on August
6, 1886. After three days, he proceeded to Leipzig. He also attended lectures on history and psychology at
the University of Leipzig. There, Rizal met Professor Freidrich Ratzel, a historian, and Dr. Hans Meyer, an
anthropologist. He also read and translated into Tagalog Friedrich Schiller's Wilhem Tell. Because the cost
of living in Liepzig was cheap, he was able to stay there for more than two months. He continued correcting
some chapters of his El Filibusterismo and, at the same time, worked as a proofreader in a publishing house.
Rizal stayed in Dresden for two days where he met Dr. Adolf B. Meyer, the Director of Anthropological
and Ethnological Museum. He also attended a mass, the music of which he described as the greatest thing
he has ever heard. He left the city on November 1, 1886.

Rizal arrived in Berlin the same day he left Dresden. Rizal, it was said, was truly impressed with the city's
intellectual atmosphere. In Berlin, he met well-known scholars like Dr. Feodor Jagor; the author of Travels
in the Philippines. (Dr. Jagor predicted in his book the end of Spanish regime and the arrival of the
Americans in the Philippines.) Jagor visited the Philippines in 1859 to conduct archeological studies. Rizal
also got acquainted with the other city's scholars like Dr. RudolfVirchow, an anthropologist; his son Dr.
Hans Virchow, professor of anatomy; Dr. W. Joest, a geographer; and Dr. Karl Ernest Scheweiger, an
ophthalmologist.

Rizal was invited by Dr. Virchow to deliver a lecture before the Ethnolographic Society of Berlin in April
1887. Rizal delivered a paper entitle "Tagalog Metrical Arts" (Tagalische Verkunst). Virchow's society
published Rizal's paper in the same year. The paper received rave reviews from various German scholars.
During his stay in Berlin, Rizal had the peculiar habit of observing the habits of German women. He was
also able to accomplish some of his goals in Berlin, namely to gain further experience in ophthalmology,
enhance his knowledge in the sciences and the languages, observe the economic and political condition of
Germany, and publish his first novel - Noli Me Tangere.

Rizal's Early Education

After completing his training on ophthalmology, Rizal visited other European countries and cities like
Austria, Prague, Switzerland, Italy, London, and Brussels.

In Austria, Rizal was excited to visit the city of Leitmeritz because he wanted to meet his long-distance
penpal, Dr. Ferdinand Blumentritt. On May 13, 1887, Rizal, together with Dr. Maximo Viola, finally met
Dr. Blumentritt. The latter served as his host and guide to the city's tourist spots. During Rizal's stay in
Leitmeritz, he was touched by the hospitality shown to him by the Blumentritt family. Rizal became friends
with Bluementritt's wife Rosa and their three children: Dolores (Dorita to Rizal), Conrad, and Frtiz. Aside
from the Blumentritt's family, Rizal had a chance to meet the Burgomaster (town mayor) who found Rizal's
fluency in German fascinating.Rizal also got the chance to meet intellectuals like Dr. Carlos Czepalak, a
Polish scientist; and Professor Robert Klutschak, a renowned naturalist in Europe.

Rizal then returned to Paris after his stay in Berlin to attend the International Exposition. While in Paris, he
was active in associations which advocated the study of Philippine culture. He also wrote a pamphlet, la

Life and Works of Dr. Jose Rizal – First Semester A.Y. 2021 – 2022 NIPSC– Estancia Campus
Irene A. Bargo, LPT, MAT School of Arts and Sciences
Vision del Fray Rodriguez, as a defense of his novel Noli Me Tangere from the attacks of Fr. Rodriguez.
On January 28, 1890, Rizal traveled to Brussels. During his sojourn in Belgium's capital city, he stayed at
No. 38 Rue Philippe de Champagne, a boarding house managed by the Jacoby sisters. He left Paris because
he was distracted by the city's social life which hampered his plans to continue writing his second novel, El
Filibusterismo. In Italy, he enioyed visiting churches and viewing the paintings of famous Italian painters
like Da Vinci and Michelangelo.

On June 2, 1887. Rizal went to Geneva, Switzerland to visit the famous cities of Basel, Bern, and Lausanne.
After two weeks in Switzerland, Rizal and Maximo Viola parted ways. Viola went back to Barcelona while
Rizal went to Italy. Rizal arrived in Italy in June 1887. In Italy, Rizal enjoyed visiting the cities like Turin,
Milan, Venice, Florence, Rome, and the Vatican. After touring Europe with Viola, he decided to come
home for the first time. Rizal arrived in Manila on August 5. 1887. He then proceeded to Calamba after
staying in the city for three days. His happy stay in Calamba was cut short due to the controversy sparked
by the Noli's publication. Because of the mounting pressure from the friars, Governor General Emilio
Terrero advised Rizal to leave the country for his own safety. On February 3, 1888, Rizal left for Hong
Kong.

From Hong Kong, Rizal traveled to London on May 24, 1888. While in London, he met Dr. Antonio Ma.
Regiro, a Filipino exile involved in the Cavite Mutiny of 1872. He stayed at Dr. Regidor's house for a few
days, then moved to the Beckett family's boarding house at No. 37 Chalcot Crescent, Primrose Hill. He also
become friends with Dr. Reinhold Rost, the librarian of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Rizal spent much
of his time in London reading and annotating the pages of Morga's Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas (Historical
Events in the Philippine Islands), published in Mexico in 1609. Rizal also wrote articles for the la
Solidaridad. His essay, "Specimens of Tagalog Folklore" and his famous "Letter to the Women of Malolos"
were among the publication's most celebrated propaganda articles.

After Rizal accomplished his goals in Paris, he traveled to Brussels on January 28, 1890. He opted to live
there for these reasons: (1) the cost of living was cheap; (2) the city did not have the distracting social life
that Paris had; and (3) his El Filibusterismo could be published there. After several months in Brussels,
Rizal moved to Biarritz where he finished the final chapters of Fili on March 29, 1891. Though the
manuscript was finished in Biarritz, Rizal published Fili in Ghent because the printing cost there was much
cheaper than in Brussels.With the money lent to him by Valentin Ventura, Rizal proceeded with publication
on September 18, 1891

Short Visit in the United States

In less than a year, Rizal was able to visit various countries. One of the last countries he had a chance to
visit was the United States. According to Rizal's travel diary (NHI, 1977), he arrived in San Francisco on
April 28, 1888. During that time, passengers were not allowed entry in the U.S. without first being
quarantined by the American health authorities due to the widespread cholera epidemic in the Far East. But
Rizal knew that the American health officials were victims of their own prejudices. Though it was true that
there was cholera outbreak in the Philippines during that time. Rizal felt that Asians were being
discriminated upon by these health officials based on their race.

Life and Works of Dr. Jose Rizal – First Semester A.Y. 2021 – 2022 NIPSC– Estancia Campus
Irene A. Bargo, LPT, MAT School of Arts and Sciences
In his letters to Paciano, he noted the widespread discrimination of the Chinese and the African-Americans
by the while Americans. In San Francisco, he checked in at the Palace Hotel, a first class hotel in the city.
From there, he traveled to Oakland and then to Nevada on May 6, 1888.

Thereafter, he preceded to New York on May 13, 1888, he last city he visited in the U.S. Aside from the
opportunity of improving his English, he went there to see the country's thriving industries, energetic
people, beautiful surroundings, and boundless job opportunities for immigrants. He met two important
Americans during his stay in the country: Senator Leland Standford, who represented California in the U.S.
Senate, and President Gover Cleveland. Rizal left New York for Liverpool on May 16, 1888 on the ship
City of Rome, which at that time was the second largest ship in the world.

Assessment

1. Make a travel chart of Rizal.

2. Narrate Rizal's experiences as an assistant in various eye clinics in Europe.

3. Summarize the conversation during the reunion of the Filipinos in Europe.

References

https://travels-of-rizal.weebly.com/blog/life-and-travels-of-jose-rizal
Maranan, Ruben (2015). Jose Rizal First Global Filipino Hero. Quezon City. C & E Publishing, Inc.

Life and Works of Dr. Jose Rizal – First Semester A.Y. 2021 – 2022 NIPSC– Estancia Campus
Irene A. Bargo, LPT, MAT School of Arts and Sciences