A Most Pleasant Surprise

Are we there yet? Yeah, I've changed lines since Mt. Mandalagan.

At 3:00 A.M., somebody's persistent phone alarm roused me from my shallow sleep. Just outside Lloyd's room, I could hear 'Nay Lourdes bidding 'Tay Bebot to get the chicken for slaughter while getting the fire started to boil water. It has been ages since I did it myself I forgot my manners I just watched them prepare lunch.

It was already light when we left but 'twas  early enough not to get cooked in the morning sun as we passed the cane fields that separate the Esparagozas' home with that of the Aldeas'. My lack of exercise had me struggling already by the 15th minute. I had yet to know I still have 5 hours of walking ahead of me to get to our destination.

I had no idea where we were going actually. They just told me that Delfin will get us "there". Delfin is Tay Ely's son. As the latter has already retired from guarding the forest as a member of Mt. Kanlaon Green Brigade, his son took his place. We had another round of coffee.

Soon, the inevitable came: the walk that took all morning. I never thought I wouldn't make it sans breakfast. I'd walk really fast for 10 seconds and rest for 2 minutes. It was all uphill from our last pit stop. We passed by gorges which were formed by the locals and made permanent by the water that ran through them when it rains. Some were inches deep in loose earth, some were slippery with the dried leaves that cover it. The walking stick that Ivan made me helped.

On our first hour, we were in the middle of a vast coffee plantation. They were a mix of robusta and arabica, which varieties can be differentiated by the shape of their leaves. They are flowering at this time and their fragrance filled the air.

On the third hour, I was already tired and hungry and the inevitable happened. I got cramps, big ones, on both legs. The pain was blinding I saw stars. I had to catch my breath for a few minutes while Tay Bebot and Tay Moroy took one each of my legs.

When I finally caught up with the young ones, the olds shared my story so Ivan took my pack for the rest of the way.

On the fifth and sixth hour, the terrain changed. Tall laua-an trees loomed over us. As part of the government's effort to deter "kaingeros" from cutting down more trees for coal, the "bantay lasang" planted spiny palm variety of palm around them.

The boys were too impatient to wait, they went on ahead racing to the ranger station guided by a seemingly built-in GPS.

A few wrong turns later (as there was no distinct trail to follow anymore), we heard a jolly banter a few paces ahead. Finally, we have reached the ranger station. That meant, I made it almost to Mt. Kanlaon crater. I was elated alright, but the adrenaline wasn't just enough to get me to the top. I just enjoyed the shared lunched, the freshly brewed home-grown coffee and a quick shut-eye before heading downhill.

(BMS -Biodiversity Monitoring System)

Sitio Pacita

Of the five who received the invite, three passed. That left only Jale and myself, as usual, to make the trip.

***

La Carlota - It was already noon and my mind strayed to my unprepared climb pack. I already took out some shirts and shorts from my closet but I haven't decided yet which ones to bring. Before going home for the day, I stopped at the grocery for a liter of mineralized water and 3 packs of chocolate-coated peanuts and that was it.

Jale was already at the terminal when I arrived. We were an hour later than the time I set with Lloyd so I was a bit worried our hosts will not be able to meet us at our stop.

***

La Castellana - While waiting for the tricycle to fill, we engaged our driver, Ali, in some small talk. He was an easy one. After hearing on the purpose of our visit, no sooner did he regale us with his own adventures at Kanlaon's summit when he was in high school. The highlight of his story was that he personally know the Esparagozas. That set my heart to rest especially that Lloyd is not part of our welcome party.

The short trip was uneventful except for one. When we were about to cross a metal bridge, the trike chains came off so we had to alight for a spell so Ali could put it back on.

Our destination was where the concrete road stopped. In front of the store waited our hostess who was hard to miss. She was the splitting image of Lloyd. I introduced myself and I think she was expecting somebody younger perhaps. She delegated us to Jessie to take us to their house as she still had to stay for their dance practice.

The walk to the house was a kind of a warm-up, with us not having any preparation at all for the climb. The dirt road is so dry, each step sends up dust in the air. It is flanked on both sides with month-old sugarcane which gave us a clear view of our goal. What a beautiful sight to behold.

***

Atop a hill stood a hut, our home for the night. It was fenced off to keep the chicken in. Inside, the man of the house welcomed us with  a pitcher of cold water. Phone signal was excellent, electricity was available, water flows freely off the black pipes and the fresh mountain air cleared my lungs. I haven't coughed since I got there.

Dinner was a bit late. We actually had it started after foraging their mini store of sardines and eggs. Jale and I ate first, then the kids and the parents ate last. When the table was cleared, the talking began over steaming mugs of coffee. It was surreal how they treated us like family who had gone overseas and just visiting for a spell.

The told us how their family witnessed the armed struggle in the 80's that claimed thousands of lives.  Of the many government programs that the government implemented,  they have benefited the most  from the agrarian reform.  It has dramatically changed their lives from being laborers to landowners which enabled them to send their children to school. They have seven (7): the eldest is a seaman, the second (Mac2) just took his criminology exam, the third (Ivan, a.k.a. Mane) works at Ayala as a welder who plans to teach in senior high in the future, the fourth (the only girl) works at Astoria in Boracay, Lloyd is the fifth, Jessis is sixth and [] is the youngest (the last two are 7 and 5-years old, respectively). Jale quizzed them about the tales of the maranhig and other mythical creatures, a topic which they took on in earnest.

I was a long night and the coffee's strength and my excitement for the next day kept me awake until it was already time to wake up.

El Tzino Resort, Cauayan

As planned we checked in at El Tzino on our second day, this time at Brgy. Elijan. The resort has the same coastline as its more famous neighbor, Punta Bulata. To get there, we passed through almost three kilometers of  interesting landscape. The road snaked through hills and valleys with exciting climbs and dips that rendered the road invisible from the passenger's vantage point. As expected, there is minimal radio signal in the area making it a perfect place to disappear for a spell.

I've been to more beautiful beaches but the resort served its purpose for Summer and Rain to have their fill of swimming. We rented the suite for the night. It was spacious but the air-conditioner was not built for it that the room was a bit warm for comfort all night. It was disappointing also  that come check-out time, we were charged extra for the kids' accommodation.

I enjoyed breakfast though. We had fish stew which tasted divine. The couple who manages the resort brought a box of fresh catch the night before.

During my brief alone time, I sat on one of the rubber tire seats and attempted at progressing beyond Chapter One of the Rule of Four.

Rhys & Eira Beach House, Cauayan

This is the second long drive that the family did together in thirteen months.

It is a vast improvement from last years like no:
1. incessant blowing of horns
2. daredevil overtaking or swerving
3. travel discomfort (sis next to bro-in-law, mom and kami in the middle seat and the kids and myself in the backseat)

I have more responsibilities beside booking for the accommodation like:
1. sit with the kids while in transit
2. feed the kids
3. keep the kids entertained off shore
4. mind the kids at the beach

Except for our last night's dinner (the cook left for Sipalay  before we realized it was dinnertime so we had reheated pork adobo from the resort's kitchen) food was excellent, consists mainly of fresh catch from the nearby mercado.

We spent out first night at the Rhys and Eira Beach House in Brgy. Bulata. The house is conveniently located just a few meters from the highway. We missed our turn because their signage was too small and obcsured by the politicians' tarpaulins. The fenced property sits just across two islands owned by the Locsins and the Ledesmas, one of which boasts of a Marine Reserve which I would like to explore someday.

The beach is not part of the property which explains why it is poorly maintained. During low tide, it is visibly littered with plastics, old clothes, cigarette butts and even broken glass. The grassy and slimy seabed is home to a host of marine animals that provide sustenance to locals. Still, that did not deter us from taking a dip under the midday sun. The morning after, it provided us with a vast playground to enjoy kite flying.

From the house, a long stretch of  white sandbar lies tempting the bum in me but my aunty responsibilities come first, without question.

We had the property for ourselves as it was back to work for the rest of the world. There were two rooms upstairs that can accommodate a rowdy bunch of 10 and a wide verandah to play cards or board games with or simply catch up.

Bong2 (brother of the property owner) entertained  us with his karaoke singing and even humored nanay's offbeat attempts (as in more than one song) at it. Except for the poor water pressure in the tap, our stay with Rhys and Eira was great.

***

On our way to the resort we stopped to stretch and enjoy a cuppa at Wouda Cafe. It is a modest structure perched on a cliff overlooking the breathtaking view of Cauayan coast.

***

Imbibing a steaming cup of brewed coffee is a non-negotiable day starter. When the sun was too hot to enjoy a dip, we explored the area asking the locals where we can find the magic potion. They were a friendly lot and after four inquiries, we found the coffee shop. It was a small sari-sari store with one table inside and another one outside. We chose to enjoy our cup in a shed facing the highway where the action was.