Showing posts with label hometown delight. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hometown delight. Show all posts

Going Back Home in folding style

Category: , By DuNi
It was half an hour past four in the morning.  The alarm on my mobile phone continued to make noise, waking me up for my usual Sunday morning bike ride.  But today is a very unusual day for me.  I had earlier planned of a surprise itinerary of sorts.

Fast forward and four and a half hours later, I alighted from the bus stop in Tanauan City in Batangas for a different kind of adventure.  While curious passengers from inside the bus and on-lookers from the waiting area were watching in wonder while I unfold the (folding)bike, I mentally prepared myself for this 21 kilometers of riding back home to Talisay.

With my schedule running late I decided to bypass two significant museums since I do not have enough time to stroll around.  I went straight pedaling to the National Highway going towards Talisay.  My first and probably only stop would be a place I have always wanted to visit ever since I was a child.  The Mabini Shrine, the birthplace of Apolinario Mabini, one of our heroes and the one who drafted our first Philippine Constitution, is located in Brgy. Talaga, Tanauan, Batangas.  It is found along the highway going towards Tanauan if you are coming from Talisay or Tagaytay.   It is just a few kilometers from the town proper and STAR tollway.  We always pass by the shrine when riding a jeep going to our house in Talisay but this is the first time I’d be exploring this historical landmark. 



Unlike the Rizal Shrine and its unending arrival of visitors and students participating on their educational tours, I arrived by my lonesome and without any other visitors in site. Except for an ambulance on standby which I suspected was parked inside the premises because of some mechanical trouble, I only saw a single car, probably the service vehicles of the staffs that are maintaining the whole shrine  and a few local kids who mostly uses the vast shrine as their playground.

I was approached by the caretaker slash guide and guided me with utmost patience as I explore the shrine and museum.  I applaud in secret the National Historical Institution’s efforts in maintaining the shrine but the place becomes less significant unless visitors come and see at least some of Mabini’s contribution to our colorful history.  I was entertained though digging deep in my Filipino vocabulary as I gamely answered their evaluation questionnaire, written in Filipino language and expected to be answered in, of course, Filipino.  I wanted to dig deeper Tagalog ala Chiz Escudero but the spaces for answers are severely limited.  I took some photo opportunities, most significant are the ones beside Mabini’s small coffin inside the museum and tomb outside.




I left the shrine fulfilled and journeyed on towards home.  The pictures makes the ride looks easy but the rolling highway towards Talisay is filled with its share of ascend and descend made it difficult to arrive in a short time.  I had to stop and rest at the public market beside Taal lake for another photo opportunity and a visit to my aunt who sells there.  I arrived at home an hour and a half past noon and just in time to catch in glimpse of the Pacquiao-Rios boxing match in local television.  I went to my cousins on the lakeside to catch up for some lost time together, drank a few beers and enjoyed the sunset I missed a lot.





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Tagaytay Misadventures while waiting for a spectacular sunrise

Category: By DuNi


It was 12 midnight.  I just got off from the bus at Mendez crossing and hurried at the other side of the road.  Every establishment is closed except for the convenience store and a fruit stand where a few passengers were trying to catch the last bus to Nasugbu.  I was hoping to spend a little time eating congee in a lugawan or sipping hot soup in a bulalohan but the place seems deserted.  The only option was the convenience store to find something to warm me up.   I decided to pass by Tagaytay route going to Talisay.   Although I have been to the city a lot of times, it was an unfamiliar route since the usual route going to Talisay is via Tanauan City.  It was my first time to pass by Tagaytay via public travel.  Sungay road, a very steep downhill road going down to the lakeside town of Talisay is usually the route used by those with private vehicles.

Misadventure #1 – the ladies sweatshirt

I actually forgot to bring a jacket.  It was colder outside the road than inside the bus.  The cool breeze of the northeast monsoon is penetrating through my skin, and with my skinny figure it was at that moment that I was wishing I had extra fats to stay warm.  My only option was a ladies sweatshirt which was given to me to be given of course to my lady.  With no other choice, I had to wear it to avoid the chill.  I even had to change my outfit outside the road.  The sweatshirt fits exactly that I still had enough space to put back my polo and make my outfit look like a warmer.

Misadventure #2 – the hot coffee

I bought a hot coffee at the convenience store to aid my battle against Tagaytay’s cool breeze.  It was the best alternative for missing the bulalohan or lugawan.  My problem though was I forgot how hot the hot coffee is.  I burned my tongue and insides trying to drink it like cold water. 

Misadventure #3 – the wrong bus stop and the deserted road

Except for a few private vehicles from those who are spending their weekends in Tagaytay, the road was also deserted.  I was trying to catch a bus back to Tagaytay Junction.  I bypassed the Rotonda where some stores were open.  I got down at Mendez crossing and when I saw the place deserted, I realized I made a mistake.  The mistake turned into discontent as I asked some locals about busses coming and going to Manila and at 12 midnight, the hopes of catching a bus were dim.  There were two men who were also stranded and we individually decided to wait and hope for a bus to pass by.  We were lucky that after an hour and a half, there was one opportunistic bus with few passengers.  I thought I would have to stay there until four in the morning.

Misadventure #4 – fast food, fast nap

At Tagaytay junction, I found myself staying at Mcdonald’s while waiting for the sunrise.  I was trying to look for a place to stay for only three hours maximum, but decided not to incur more expenses and just stay awake wherever allowed until sunrise. Bought another cup of coffee, though.  The tongue was numb, and the whole body was a little cold so drinking another hot coffee after a burned tongue was never an issue.  Unfortunately, both coffees never helped in helping me stay awake the whole night.  It was a good thing the place didn’t have a lot of customer so I was able to take short naps at every opportunity I got during my stay.  I thank the guard for not taking notice!

Misadventure #5 – the hundred pesos short ride

At 4AM, I left Mcdo to watch out for the coming sunrise.  I was too early though so I spent warming myself inside 7/11.  The wifi at both Mcdo and 7-11 kept me busy at times.  At 6AM, I was being convinced by tricycle drivers at Tagaytay junction to bring me down to Talisay for 250 pesos, which I repeatedly declined.  I only asked to be brought to Ligaya Drive, as I was trying to catch a jeepney ride at Sungay .  The jeepney fare costs around 40 and up to 80 pesos depending on how many passengers are on board.  Since only a few commuters passes by this route, they are sometimes forced to give additional fares to compensate the lack of passengers so that the jeepney can leave even with less people.  I was approached by business-minded folks and offered a motorcycle ride for a hundred pesos.  At first I was hesitant but the notion of having the best picture-taking opportunity while riding-in-tandem got me interested.  I haggled for a lower price as a formality and we agreed on the ride that will take me down with the best back row seat.  I wasn’t really expecting to spend as much as that; I think I spent much more than the usual fares doing the regular route going to Talisay.  It was chagrin every time I reach for my pocket to pay for the additional and unexpected expenses.

The end result

I was awake at most the whole time, I was a little cold, I was a little bit hungry due to the cold breeze, I was agonizing a little from a burned tongue, the expenses from the trip costs me more, but nothing is more rewarding even with all those misadventures than getting to see what I wanted to see for a very long time.










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The dusty foot to the crater (Calauit trail, Taal Volcano)

Category: By DuNi


I have been to Taal Volcano a lot of times, and every trek up the ridge of the crater is a different experience.  There was a time that we went to the volcano ridge with my cousin wearing leather boots and he was experiencing sores midway.  So we exchanged footwear, I wore the boots and I let him use my slippers.  Another was when we were asked to translate with foreign tourists but since the guide was not really that well versed in English so it was up to us to make the guests understand what the guide was trying to tell about the place.  It was really adventurous although it was a major nosebleed.

Today we are back in Talisay again for another trek.  What made it different this time?  The trek will take us to the crater itself.  We were bypassing the regular trail in front of Talisay for an alternate trail and that would lead us to a closer volcano experience.  The other trail is found on the East side of Taal Volcano Island.  Fronting the Calauit trail is probably the town of Mataas na Kahoy or Cuenca, but the most distinguishing landmark is Mt. Maculot, which looks like the shape of a dog’s head from afar.  Traveling by boat to Calauit trail will take much longer than the regular trail, and also, more expensive than the regular boat price.

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Taal and back again! Sarap balik-balikan!

Category: By DuNi
May mga lugar tayong laging bina balik-balikan.
(There are places that we would always return to.)





Mga karanasang hindi mapapantayan kailanman.
(Experiences we could never forget.)




Kahit na mainit.
(Whether it's hot.)



Maalikabok.
(Dusty.)



Nakakapagod.
(Tiring.)



Pero masaya.
(It's fun, though...)



Hindi alintana ang sakit ng paa.
(You don't even mind the pain in your feet.)



Nakakapagpangiti sayo.
(It makes you wanna smile.)

At syempre, hindi mawawala ang mga larawang puno ng alaala.
(And, you'll always cherish the memories from the pictures.)





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Talisay and the Volcano Ridge

Category: By DuNi
I am packed. I am bringing my biggest bag and I have put lots of stuffs even though I would only stay overnight in Talisay, Batangas. I have planned to visit - again - this former sleepy town with a closer view of the famous Taal Volcano, where my grandparents and majority of relatives reside. Although I grew up in the city, I still reminisce my childhood summers spent near the lake with my cousins.

Travel time to Talisay took almost 4 hours coming from Pampanga. The bus ride from Dau Terminal to Cubao, where most bus terminals going to Batangas are located, was a little bit quick since the North Luzon Expressway was renovated and widened at the Bulacan part where most traffic congestions occur because of its proximity to Manila. It only took an hour bus ride, getting off almost exactly in front of the bus terminal going to Batangas. Luckily I caught the bus going to Batangas Pier that passes to Tanauan City just as it leaves the terminal for another long journey south of Manila.

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