Not Just Passing By Baguio

Baguio City

Even with a little hangover, I forced myself to get up earlier than usual on Christmas day to turn off the fan. It was cold.

I had to get my first cup of Benguet’s finest. And in the middle of my musings over coffee, I must have decided I wanted more of the cool air for twelve hours later, I found myself adjusting my seat on a bus bound for Baguio.

How to Get to MOA from San Pedro on a Payday Friday

Be on the National Highway in San Pedro at exactly 5:23 in the afternoon.

That is a good time to be sentimental if you like sunsets. Watch out for those green buses that snake their way through the road. If you are the kind that likes adventure, get on one of them and take a window seat. You will know why when you get to the skyway, where you'll see flashbacks of your life before you. That will just be for a few minutes before an old movie of the Action King shows the exciting part of story on the bus TV. He fights back to avenge the death of his mother. Say the lines with him. You know the script and the plot very well. All movies are the same.

Remembering Her

The phone seems useless beside the vase today.

She won't be there to sulk if I did not call.

And I won't be making the call even if I want to tell her 

How my dog bit me last night while playing fetch

It was an accident, I'd say

She'd tell me to see a doctor, quit smoking, and, 

When are you coming home?

I pick up the phone,
useless beside the empty vase, 

and remember you today, 

as I do every day.

The Crater, the Sea and Taking Chances

(This is an account, a very long one, of my trip from Bulusan's crater to Southern Leyte's Limasawa, then to Kalanggaman Island in Palompon.)

We weren't late for the bus ride.

We had three minutes before departure, but somebody had already taken my spot. He asked if we could switch seats so he could be seated next to his wife. I didn't mind, for I was just happy I made it on time. Besides, he looked like he had drooled over the place. So, I took his seat, took off my shoes, pulled up the leg rest and reclined. The bus slowly started off seconds after. Eight hours was a real long time to travel on a bus, but I was glad for the lazyboy seat.

I ran through my itinerary again. I had to be sure I had enough time and budget for the 9-day trip. From Bulusan Volcano, we would head for Carigara through Samar and Tacloban, then to Limasawa, and finally back up north to Sambawan island before heading for Cebu for some barbecue. This was going to be difficult. I would have to be on the run, skip some meals and probably sleep at terminals to realize the plan. I palpitated, but not sure if it was because of anxiety or excitement.

Kalanggaman Island and Her Stories

I didn't mean to see Kalanggaman. At least, this was not what I had in mind when I planned my trip.

I was going for Sambawan island in Biliran, Leyte. But while in Limasawa, I figured I would not make it in time for the last ferry that would leave for Maripipi (the jump-off to the island).

But with only two nights left before vacation is over, I crammed searching for other places and considered going for Kalanggaman again. I excluded it from my itinerary, since there are no passenger boats going to the island. Hiring a boat would would cost me at least Php 3000 (see travel notes below). If I were with a group, this would be fine.

Limasawa: Beyond Beaches and History

History class must have been ages ago for I could only remember that Magellan had landed in Limasawa in the 16th century. I didn't know that he'd landed on a Holy Thursday and celebrated the first mass on an Easter Sunday. And I had no idea that this claim is being contested by two other provinces.

But I did not go there to dabble in history (see travel notes below). I went there to be away from the city into a place that’s not frequented by people on vacation. And, that is not to say this was a trip for the birds, either. Limasawa is a place that does not need to have white beaches or interesting tourist spots for anyone to love it. Being there is the reward.

Mt. Bulusan: Through a Lake, Mossy Forest, and Leeches

I had never been stressed hiking until I climbed Bulusan volcano (see travel notes below). Hiking is something that I do whenever I feel like taking some time off, so the stress I felt on the way to Bulusan's crater was something unusual. But it was also expected.

Years ago, I read up on Bulusan and found out it is the 4th most active volcano (after Mayon, Taal, and Kanlaon) in the country. It last erupted in 2011 and is closely monitored by volcanologists. Climbers are not allowed to stay longer than 15 mins at the crater for safety reasons. Even with the latest technology, it is impossible to predict when the volcano will erupt again. It has an elevation of 1565 masl, and, therefore, no easy climb. Based on the pictures I had seen of it, hiking it would be a treat. With Bulusan lake at its foot and the smaller Aguinay lake at the camp site, nature lovers would have a great time.

The Opening Scene

I strike the letters on the keyboard softly, so I don't wake you. I begin describing the scene but stop and hit backspace before finishing the second sentence. I look down to you and think, "I could be like that. On the floor, resting my head on somebody's sandals, impervious to complexity."


But there are more stories to tell and timepieces to collect. There will be time for making love with the floor later. The opening scene is more urgent.


My audience awaits.

A Salute to Krisel

A speech made by an honor student (of Sto. Niño Parochial School) has been making rounds on social media these past couple of days. People have been divided on the issue. Some think she should have just kept quiet. Others believe she did the right thing. At first, I thought she should've just moved on and spared her classmates the negativity on their graduation. They did not deserve that. I was quick to judge her for being rash and young, that she would look back on this day with shame and that she did not know better. See backstory here.

I should have been more prudent.

I think that depending on what perspective you are going to look at it from, this is either a beautiful or a sad story.

This is a great story of courage. The girl, young as she is, is brave to fight injustice through whatever means she can. She is not one to be silenced even if the system has already shown her how futile her other attempts have been. Believing that it was going to be her last chance, she delivered a different speech from what she submitted to the school administrators. It was going to be a speech not just about how she was robbed of the recognition due her but also more importantly about a corrupt system.

Running with the Setting Sun

What is interesting about going for a run around sunset is seeing beautiful sights that are otherwise ordinary at different times of the day. I found these beauties while doing my regular Sunday jog.

A tree illuminated by the setting sun

A store overlooking the city

Deworming, Flea Control, and a Parasitic Mayor

Today, just after watching the news on the Ombudsman filing corruption charges against a city
mayor, I learned about deworming and flea control. To deworm a pup, get up early, decide on what shirt to put on, wait for a ride, then walk to the animal clinic. Believe me, this has everything to do with deworming. Once there, ask for a dewormer for a three-month old puppy and ask how to administer it. Of course, it should go without saying that the person you are asking knows how to do it.

She told me the following:

1. If you check, the instruction is on the box, so just read on.

2. That's Php 140.

Ok...

Then, I asked for a flea medicine and left. 

Afternoons

Every afternoon, these kids wait for their treats- chips, balut and peanuts. Back in my hometown, it would be banana or hot pan de sal.

In Your Living Room

In your living room,
in one of those afternoons when
only the breeze,
the occasional barks of dogs
and mothers screaming names
of their children for their afternoon naps
one hears, you sit down.

You wonder
how you got there.
You retrace the turns
of events- you had breakfast, cooked
your favorite fried eggs
and got up from bed. You remembered
how you'd planned
nothing special for the day,
but you dared get up still.
You call this love
for life, sometimes bravery.
I call it mechanistic.

Right around sunset, the quiet
around you comes to halt. The neighborhood
comes to life- children running around,
mothers having their afternoon snack and
some coffee, even the tricycles
are more frequent now. You are
still stuck in your indecisiveness of
whether to get a car or be
a spectator of all the wonders you believe
the world has. I tell you practicality is
the key, sometimes
moderation.

Father's new priority

So, my father introduced his girlfriend to me saying, "This is Isme, by the way."

I said, hi, then went out the house's back door, and finished my coffee while I smoked. I went back in, avoided making eye contact and then pretended like I am busy unpacking and packing at the same time. Rationalizing.

I didn't know it was her. I thought she was just one of the folks from the country who were there for the annual reunion. My aunts, uncles and cousins had already been at home waiting for me to arrive from Manila, so we could all go to Gensan (the designated place for the annual reunion) together. So, when my father said those words from behind me, I thought she was a relative. But there was something about my sisters' silence and my father's awkwardness that told me she was not. I didn't want to deal with it just yet, so I acted like I was fine with it to my sisters', father's and Isme's shock.

How do you deal with that, anyway?

Summer

Holding a glass of some disgusting liquor and with her back to them, she said, 

you should know the sea's never as beautiful as in summer, 

then drank all the disgust of the world 

and left.

My Top Ten Summer Destinations

If the weather is not enough to whisper summer into your ears, I suggest going to any gym and see how packed it is. Around this time, people start trying to lose the pounds they have gained since Christmas. And in a few weeks, it will not just be the gym that's crowded but beaches and other summer destinations, as well.

There really is no better time that's best for traveling than during the summer months. From March to May, the likelihood of a typhoon ruining a much-awaited vacation is almost 0%. But it's not just storms we should avoid during vacations but the hassle of having to be in a very crowded place, as well. And, if you are allergic to a big crowd, never plan your vacation during the Holy Week.

Mt. Daraitan and the Stunning Tinipak River

View from the summit

If you are looking for a destination that is good for a weekend, Mt. Daraitan is a great choice. From Starmall in Crossing, it only takes around 3 hours to get to. This place in Tanay, Rizal has a lot to offer: caving, swimming and of course, hiking (for more information on how to get there, see travel notes below the story).

I did not expect much when I signed up for this hike with a group organized by a friend of a friend. Rizal is too near Metro Manila to still have interesting things to see. I had thought that this was another overrated place.

Low-Key Photographs

Photo opportunity in my kitchen

Some hotel lobby

Globe Tattoo Pocket Wifi: A Review

After moving in to my new place, one of the first things that I took care of was Internet connection. I looked for something that would not take long to install, and preferably, without a contract that will require me to keep the connection for a year.

Globe tattoo’s pocket wifi fits the requirements. I only had to pay Php 1495 for the unit and then Php 999 as an advance payment for the plan.  The only thing needed from me besides the payment was two government IDs, and two hours later, I could start using any of my phone, laptop or desktop PC to connect to the internet.

Moving

I had become very comfortable with my last apartment, so I looked for a reason to loathe the landlady
and my 50-year old, next-door neighbor to justify moving to a new place. It was not difficult. I only had to think about them and realized I should congratulate myself for having lived there for years without developing some sort of heart disease.

That old home is actually nice, strategically located (walking distance from the highway, where I could get buses, jeeps, and cabs), and peaceful. Neighbors would go about their own businesses, and in fact, I rarely saw any of them. The problem was I had no problems, so I left.  Staying in a place for some time and actually loving it makes me uneasy. It is worse than the unease I feel with my next-door neighbor's moans while having sex with whomever she picked up on the street. Or my landlady's gossips about how the couple in unit A have each of their own families making the place their secret love nest.