Saturday, May 03, 2014
Landing in Calaguas
The trip from Vinsons to Calaguas though is quite a challenge. We left port in Vinsons at around 8:00 am and went through the southern canal towards the Pacific.
This is a pleasant ride. The wave measurement website said the waves would be at 1.2 meters on the trip, I wondered what it meant.
The cellphone signal was intermittent so I managed to make a few phone calls with the expectation that the island is off line. An hour and half later, the islands became more visible and surprised us with great views. After two hours, we managed to get to the opposite side of the Pacific in Calaguas Island, which is what they call Mahabang Buhangin.
Can this compare with Boracay, Panglao, or Bantayan?
You be the judge. Come over here. I'm going for a swim.
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Friday, May 02, 2014
Thursday, May 01, 2014
We're here at Villa Eusebia Labo, Camarines Norte
Most part of the trip was comfortable and even entertaining, especially the coastal road leg from Atimonan to Gumaca. But it became a drag at the later part from Sta. Elena to Labo which seemed like two hours of relentless zig zag.
Our host for tonight is Mang Andin, through the generosity of AMT. We had crispy tadyang, binagoongan and hot sisig and rice for dinner. This is capped with fresh watermelons and buko juice.
We're finishing the night on the karaoke machine. It's a bit loud. We should really go back to the days of pianos and guitars. Anyways, I'll just sing my wife's song, "Each day with you", and call it a night. Calaguas beckons.
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Awa ng Diyos, wala pa rin kami dun
Sta. Elena to Labo is a wild ride.
The bus was swinging, bags were falling off, water containers were rolling on the bus floor, and Mr. Snore was wide awake. This is one rugged terrain that could rival Kennon road of Baguio. The good thing is we're almost there. A few more minutes of this and I think I need those anti-dizziness tablets. I've finished off all the food stuff in my bag, and is just left with two bottles of Gatorade that I'm saving for the boat trip to Calaguas. It's been a cool trip. The bus aircon worked fine and the weather here is somewhat damp. You wouldn't know that it's summer. It must have rained.
The Home stretch.
We're now in Calauag. The next town is Sta. Elena and then our destination for the bus, Labo. Based on the map, this last leg is all mountain terrain. On the ground, however, the route gives you occasionally a glimpse of the Calauag Bay bathing in the afternoon sun.
Gumaca, Quezon
We had a ten minute break at the pit stop of Philtranco in Gumaca, Quezon. Based on the map, we're halfway done. But we've spent a good seven hours on the road already. This means the pace is going to quicken as we head on to Bicol. We're expected to be at Labo at 5:00pm. Then, we proceed to the Luzarraga Ancestral home for dinner at 6:00pm.
At the pit stop, I was looking for local delicacies and John, our staff member, suggested I get the special tikoy, as it was Gumaca's specialty. What is unique with this tikoy is that it's neatly covered by layers of dried palms that make it look like corn with the cover. I peeled off about four layers of palm, before I got to the tikoy, which was covered in plastic. It seemed like a lot of work so I told Macoy, our maintenance guy in the office to get a knife to open the thing as I was getting impatient with it. Finally, he hands it to me partially without the plastic. I got a pinch, tasted it, and handed the rest of it to Macoy to share with the others. Well, it's tikoy alright, just a tad creamier than the average.
I settled for the chicharon balat ng baboy and got surprised as it could compete with Lapid's in the market. Excellent find here in Gumaca, Quezon.
Now, it gets interesting
Atimonan got a bit notorious after a drug related violence involving money and policemen brought it to the headlines. Of course, you don't see that from the bus. The locals look peaceful from this vantage point, but you know violence is lurking somewhere.
The guy behind me is snoring again so that means its getting more comfortable. Jeez, I should congratulate him after this trip for having a good and relaxing sleep. Who knows, he must be a call center guy who hasn't slept for weeks.
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It gets bumpy from here
Lunch at Fermil"s
I saw bottles of lambanog on the stand but our staff told me there is a lot more lambanog where we're heading so there's no need to get one from here.
This lambanog links to a memory of a family, which happens to be that of my wife's great grandparents, Magdalena and Pedro Lecaroz, who brewed lambanog during the war to make ends meet. Their son, Aristeo, former Governor of Marinduque, recalls his life as a kutsero, tending to the horses, as his parents load the lambanog to the kalesa for delivery. Those events were barely 70 years ago. And I'm quite lucky having heard of that story from the Governor in one of our meetings in our efforts to sell one of the old couple's prime lands which they bought from their earnings in lambanog and other products. I have a feeling somewhere around this place a similar scene is happening where a couple and their son are tending to their lambanog deliveries. Of course, the world knows how to reward they who can brew good lambanog wherever and whenever.
Ah, I think of alcohol and this trip gets exciting.
"Sent via BlackBerry from Smart"
Looking for Ungasis in Tiaong, Quezon
But prior to my meeting my wife, Tiaong lived in my imagination as the hometown of Victorio Ungasis of Wanbol University, the nerdy character of Vic Sotto in the 70's sitcom, Iskul Bukol. Ungasis's mother n the show played by Dely Atay-Atayan was funnier with that thick tagalog accent of Quezon. Although, I haven't really met anyone in real life with that sing-song Tagalog of hers.
That show has left such a mark in my life that until now there is no other way that I describe people with messed up work and messed up lives, including messed up governments, but Iskul Bukol. I wonder what is the story behind Ungasis and Tiaong, Quezon.
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Traffic in San Pablo, Laguna
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Preacher on the Bus
Before that he distributed little envelopes to everyone. I returned the one he gave me because I thought it was a disturbance of my privacy. He then took the center, apologizes for disturbing us, and rattles off the mantras of giving and other quotes from the Bible. He then goes around asking for cash donations.
I was tempted a bit to demand for his DSWD permit. There is a regulation for this practice, and it requires solicitors to secure a DSWD permit before the can solicit for money from the public.
Ah, let's not ruin my day. So, I chose to ignore him as he gets his donations from the others on the bus. I wonder how much he makes in a day.
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Marvin B. Aceron's Location
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FN:Marvin B. Aceron's Location
item1.URL;type=pref:http://maps.apple.com/?ll=14.185471\,121.135689
item1.X-ABLabel:map url
END:VCARD
Where does the sun rise?
Of course, the sun always rises on the east. But on a trip to the south which side of the bus is east? I missed it. I'm on the left side of the bus. In the confusion for the bus reservations earlier, I thought the sun would be on the right side. Yet, all is not lost because the left side is the morning sun. So, it won't last for too long. By 11:00 am, the sun will be off my face, and the guys on the right side will get the heat, as it were, for the rest of the trip.
Nice trip so far.
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Look No Seat Belts
We had reserved seats for ten and when it seemed that two ladies have taken over our reserved seats, the two lawyers in this trip (that includes me) demanded for their tickets. The frightened ladies said they gave theirs to the driver as we examined our tickets to find out the cause of the confusion. Ooops, a little misreading by our staff led us to believe they took our seats. Okay, we're squared. Everyone is now in his place. The bus is about to roll.
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The Way to Bicol
I've taken this trip before on my way to a court hearing in Naga. But, I found it uneventful as it was a night trip. Today, we're doing this the whole morning and afternoon. For provision, I have four bottles of Gatorade, four hard boiled eggs and half of the left over pizza from last night. Our lunch is most likely going to be burgers, but I wish there will be some local dish for lunch.
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Notes on a Trip to Calaguas
Calaguas is a group of islands in the far fringes of the Bicol region. What prompted me to take this trip after many years of seeking comfortable and predictable ttraveling is probably boredom. Boracay, Bohol, Batangas and Cebu sound like tired destinations. Calaguas offers a back to the basics trip, i.e. the islands have no electricity, I brought along a tent and left my laptop. But the kindle is with me with books from my kindred spirits, David Foster Wallace, Gary Shteyngart, and Danilo Kis. Have beer. Will travel.
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