This has been one of my longest adventure ever. For the span of 56 hours, I had more adventures and misadventures than at least 3 weeks of my time combined.

Let's say my adventure started off March 16, Friday, 9 am…I was supposed to attend a meeting with my most dreaded client at 11 am somewhere in Alabang. This girl and I started off at the wrong foot and I've never recovered ever since. So anyhow, 9 am I left home to go the meeting in Alabang, but I planned to pass by Unilever first to get some papers. Big Mistake! Traffic is horrible! By 1045 I'm still in Aurora boulevard. No way I can make it 11 am in Alabang. I was screaming in the car. The phone rang, it was Rey, a colleague saying that the client cancelled the meeting. Thank God. I made a U-turn, pass ortigas, c-5 to Makati to go to the agency office. That's where I work till 330, finishing some operational stuff for the Landmark Activation on March 17. On the way home, I remembered I wanted to buy a rash guard, so I passed by the dive shop in metrowalk to have a quick buy of a rash guard. While there, I showed my interest in a cute BCD (its violet!) that the American sales guy kept on "sales-talking" about it. 30-40 minutes passed

Uh-oh I'm running late.

Went home, took a quick shower, threw everything I might need in my gigantic Dive bag—my fins, booties, mask, snorkel, laptop, everything. The bag weighs more than I do.

A little before 7 pm I arrived in Unilever to park my car and wait for a cab. I was the 6^th in line for the taxi! Bus will leave at 730. Bus is at Hyatt Manila. It was payday Friday. It was traffic

I arrived 730 just in time before bus leaves. It was an uneventful bus ride until the back left tire exploded. We were a couple of minutes away from Naga. The driver kept on driving on flat for 30-40 minutes. We stopped at a Philtranco terminal, an hour or so has passed before they fixed the flat tire.

Arrived in Legazpi terminal. Jeff and his friend took the part of Legazpi tourist guides. After eating lunch and buying assorted Pili delicacies, we went to a small hilltop—the viewing deck for Mayon. Apparently, the viewing deck was closed. Signs "Closed. Only official vehicles permitted" and barricades were along the road. However, with the Filipino mentality of disregarding signs and regulation we went on.

The road was steeped and winding. We were nervous. One, because of our unrelenting disregard for the law (Official vehicles only, remember!), and second, because the road was so steep that the Crosswind we were riding seemed having a difficulty carrying 8 passengers plus a full load of baggage.

Anyhow, we reached the top. Apparently there are other vehicles up there. A car, a pick-up, an owner type jeep with a salbabida on top. Official Vehicles pala ha!

The nervous feeling was worth it. The view up there was breathtaking. On one side, you see the entire city of Legazpi. From the ocean to the runway, to the city proper.

The other side, you see the majesty of Mayon, in all it's perfect shape, but with a glimpse of dried tears. One will be amazed on the patches of greenery that lay between Mayon and the hilltop we were standing on. Nevertheless, grayness, remnants of lahar is visible. These are the marks of the dried tears that Mayon has cried.

We also visited an old church.

Then off we went to ride a van going to Donsol. We were a little ripped off. We paid P90 bucks for a supposedly P60 trip. They say that it is P60 only until this particular place. The barker said the van will take us straight to the resort for P30 more. So, ok we agreed. It was a cramped, tiring ride. 15 people cramped inside a van.

When we reached a sort off transport stop, the driving said, "o Donsol na 'to". We argued, "sabi po nung barker, hanggang resort yung hatid kaya P90 binayad namin". “Solo na raw po kami hanggang Donsol". Driver: "e di nyo sinabi. Kung sinabi nyo hanggang resort, di ako papayag". A little heated argument going on. Then, a group of guys, around 3 of them, just barged in and enter the van. Scary. Are these NPA's? Are these hold-uppers? In Legazpi, the barker said we will be the only ones in the van from this particular point to Donsol? Then why the scary looking guys? Then the driver went down, went under the van. Is he putting a bomb? Are we going to be abducted? Heck!

Anyhow, apparently these other guys were also van drivers. One of them just showed the way to the resort.Check-in time. A little rest. Then we went to the Tourism Center to register for the next morning’s Butanding trip. Ate halo-halo. Commissioned the resort restaurant to prepare breakfast for tomorrow. Across the street, there was a little hill. For adventure purposes, we decided to climb it thinking there’s a view of something. We went up there, saw nothing but a mother and child cow who’s making eye to eye contact to us. Then, from down the hill, a bull (perhaps the husband and father of the two cows we were looking at), runs upward. We were deep shit scared. We tried to hide somewhere. Then I run down the hill as fast as I could. This was the scariest feeling I had. I was more scared when the tire exploded (ala gunshot sound) and the driver kept on running. I was more scared when the supposed NPA's jumped on our van. I was scared of a cow.

We had dinner. Then we went firefly watching. It’s about an hour boat ride to the mangrove area. Tried to take pictures but with no avail. All my shots were just black.

Then, night cap with beer, pulutan, and kwentuhan.

In the morning, went to back to the tourism center. Signed up for a boat. The group has to split into 2. We were 8, and the boat capacity is only 6. On our boat was me, Jade, Kuya Eric, and Mae, plus two American Peace Core volunteers: Mariah and Richard. We got the best BIO Man (or Butanding Spotter), Kuya Jun Principe.

After 10 minutes of boat ride, Kuya Jun said, ayun Butanding, ready!, talon!. We did. But unfortunately I didn’t saw it. It was only Mae and Kuya Eric who were able to saw. 2^nd Jump! Alas! I saw and swam with my first butanding ever! Then another, then another, then another. We had 12 sightings. I was able to saw and swim with 10. It was exhilarating! I was trying to skin dive to go deeper underwater, but I can’t. I had this second nature of inhaling through a mouthpiece because I’m used to having a regulator on my mouth. Scuba rule! Never hold your breathe! This doesn’t hold true when I have my snorkels on. I kept of swallowing salt water.

Anyhow! It was one great experience! Something I want to remember. Something I want to tell stories of again and again.

Then it was time to go. We passed by Gaisano to eat at Bigg’s, a local fastfood chain. They have excellent burgers, I must say.

Bus ride. After our 1^st stop over in Naga, I slept all the way. I woke up, we are in Magallanes already. It was 4 am. Went down in Padre Faura, took a cab to Unilever. Took a bath. Around 530 am, I was already on my work area, working. Firefighting. Reacting to situations that happened during weekend. Around 10 am, the zipper of my slacks got destroyed. Good thing I still have my travel clothes. Good thing I travelled in Linen Pants, and not in my usual board shorts. I was able to change my slacks.

It is again a normal day in the office.

It was again another work week.

2 Comments:

 Gaile said...

nice pix nel..and wow for the butanding experience. astig! tsaka super adventure with misadventures talaga!

10:21 PM

 

 metrogirl said...

This is a crazy entry!!!! I found the zipper thing funny. Can't believe you went to Bicol and back again on a 2-day adventure weekend trip. :D Sama naman kami sa mga adventures mo minsan! :D Hehehe.

10:20 AM

 

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