In my effort to catch up with Hap’s ridiculously fast writing, I forgot to mention a few things about our first night in Baguio…
First: It’s all about the music, man. Jane had a 160GB WD Passport which I shamelessly tinkered with as soon as I was able to setup our “music station” (my Asus EEE and X-Minimax speakers and Jane’s Passport). She had old favorites from the 90’s which rivaled even my collection (I was able to complete my Nirvana and Pearl Jam collection, thanks to her), a few classic rock tunes (Led Zep and Rolling Stones), and – much to everyone’s surprise and amusement – timeless Disney songs (“shining, shimmering, splendid” was the first track we played from that collection) and contemporary greats from Sarah Geronimo to Ne-Yo (she continuously denies that these tracks are hers, but it doesn’t really matter now, does it?). From time to time, I also got to play tunes from my 8GB Sansa Clip whenever I felt a craving for Urbandub or Taken By Cars, or whenever I felt the urge to show off my Across the Universe soundtrack to Jane.
Second: It’s also about the food, man. We did not have much, but we did have bagnet and Happy peanuts for pulutan (Mae had Gardenia to go with her Coke), so what else could you ask for?
Okay, so pretty much everyone woke up past 12 PM the next day (that’s why I was not able to meet Nicole in the morning). Hap had several canned goods and onions left from our trip and Mae still had some leftover rice, so I cooked breakfast for everyone (corned beef with onions, tuna with onions, and fried rice with onions – who would’ve thought that we would still have one bulb of onion left over!) while everyone else cleaned up the previous night’s mess (a tip of the hat to Hap, who initiated the day’s cleaning proceedings).
After breakfast, everyone was too lazy to move; keep in mind, this was the first time Hap and I stayed in one place for more than 24 hours in the past few days. The next item in the agenda was to buy supplies like food and booze, and a few pasalubong, from the market. Even as we were driving to Bagiuo, Hap and I talked about having tinola at Mae’s; so when we broached the idea to the two ladies, they both enthusiastically agreed that we have tinola for dinner.
Our market trip turned out to be a bit sentimental for me: back in 2002 and 2003, when I frequently visited Baguio with other friends, we would always cap our trips with visits to the market. This trip reintroduced me to familiar smells and sights, to the disarming smiles of the locals and the frenetic calls of children hawking plastic shopping bags. We bought everything we needed for dinner, plus some strawberries and local sweets; Mae bought a new flat-bottom pan and casserole pot, inspired by anonymous tips from the “suggestion box”. After a few sticks of fishballs, kwek-kwek, and cigarettes, we headed home.
Back in Mae’s pad, everyone quickly became busy doing his or her thing: Hap prepared a quick broccoli appetizer and I took care of the tinola soon after; Jane and Mae prepared chocolate fondue with the strawberries. Dinner was set. Thankfully, everyone seemed to like the tinola.
Before we knew it, Mae had to go to work again. With the help of Antonov Vodka and Sprite, Hap, Jane, and I soon found ourselves in the middle of an eclectic range of conversation topics: God and religion, Einstein’s special and general theory of relativity and its shaky (at least according to me) underpinnings; Gaiman, Pratchett, Ateneo and some other topics that evidently were already discussed the night before which I had conveniently forgotten then and have completely forgotten now. When Mae came back from work at around 6 AM, the rest of us were already fast asleep.
For a not-so-sober take on this part of the trip, visit Hap's blog.
(Okay, if I try to write an account of what happened on the fifth and last day of the trip, I know I won't finish it until after our Sagada trip. I think it would be best if you just read Hap's version of what happened that day. Besides, a lot of things had already happened just ten days after this memorable road trip, things that will hopefully grow and bloom and flourish in the coming days, weeks, months, and even years, things that will definitely be topics for future entries. So until then, I wish everyone a bountiful and joyous 2009. Long days and pleasant nights ahead.)
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
New Year 2009 Road Trip - Day 3
Hap and I woke up at around 7 AM on New Year’s Day. We ate our free breakfast (gourmet “tuyo” for me) and headed out for the highly-reputed Maira-Ira beach, ugly clouds and searing winds notwithstanding. After walking a few kilometers westward, up to the stretch of beach in front of Hannah’s, I gave the turbulent Blue Lagoon waters the old college try (Hap took care of the pictures). I didn’t need to go very far before I felt the ankle-deep water transform into a brutal shoulder-high wave that, at first, pushed me harshly towards the shore and then, almost instantaneously and without warning, sucked me back into the angry waters. I was not even able to use my snorkeling gear; I was literally being pushed around by the wind and waves like a rag doll. Only when a wooden flotsam, complete with protruding rusty nail, hit my arm did I realize that I was unwelcome and that it was time for me to quit.
Hap and I headed back to Kapuluan and unceremoniously packed our things and headed back to where the sun did shine.
We made a brief stop to see the Cape Bojeador lighthouse, the one thing we missed when we were on our way to Pagudpud. We arrived in Laoag around lunchtime; we decided to eat at Dap-ayan ti Ilocos Norte, where the food was unremarkable but pleasantly cheap. After taking some pictures of the belltower of St. William’s Cathedral, we headed back for Vigan.
When we first passed Vigan on our way to Pagudpud, we weren’t able to spend much time soaking in the sights and culture of the historic city. The second time around, we made sure to spend enough time to chat and haggle with locals, and to buy bagnet and a few souvenirs. Still, we were pressed for time; we did not want to reach Baguio in the wee hours of the next morning. So as soon as our business in Vigan was done, we quickly headed off.
The trip from Vigan to San Fernando, La Union took a good chunk of 4 hours. During the whole trip, I took significant pains fighting off sleep, and fortunately succeeded. It was already past 6 PM when we reached San Fernando, and we decided to take a much needed break.
We finished our Jollibee dinner at around 7:30 PM and immediately headed for Baguio.
After much dilly-dallying and despite Hap’s apprehensions, we eventually decided to take Naguilian road. The hour-and-a-half ride was relatively and surprisingly smooth despite a) long, unlit stretches of the highway, b) drunken locals leisurely and dangerously strolling along (and sometimes even across) the road, and c) that crazy motherfucker who lit a loud firecracker the very moment we passed him.
We finally reached Baguio ten and a half hours after we left Kapuluan Vista Resort in Pagudpud. It took a few more moments to reach Mae’s pad.
(I hope it isn’t too obvious that I am desperately scrambling to reach this portion of our tale.)
Mae’s welcome was pleasingly warm amid the biting Baguio cold. Jane was there, too; she had been in the city since a few days after Christmas. At that time, I didn’t really know Mae and Jane very well: I had only met Mae in a couple of drinking sessions before, and I only got to talk to Jane once and only briefly ages ago in Conspiracy. Still, with all due respect to Hap, seeing the two after two whole days of seemingly endless travel felt like falling in the arms of long lost family (I can only imagine how Hap felt since he had been the only one driving). So what else were we to do but drown our weariness in booze and conversation?
Mae, unfortunately, had to go to work at 10 PM, so Hap, Jane and I were left to keep each other company. Talk was casual and light, the alcohol was flowing freely (beer, Tanduay lapad, Johnny Walker Black, Tequila Rose, and the oft-maligned Piikit rice wine), and the three of were just having a grand time. At around 2 AM we picked Mae up for her lunch break. While she was unable to partake of the drinks (because she still had to go back to work), Mae still was able to join the fun, either by dunking slices of Gardenia bread in Coke, or by showing us her inane Ilonggo videos (of her dad and some other relatives, and of the Ilonggo version of “300”). That night was quickly turning out to be the highlight of the trip for me.
Mae went back to work, and the night (rather, early morning) wore on. We just continued to laugh, and drink, and be happy – even when Hap started dozing off in the chair, until he eventually decided to sleep in one of Mae’s beds, even when it was just Jane and I talking about anything and everything we could talk about, even as Mae came back home from work and we realized that the sun had already risen and it was time for us to sleep.
For a not-so-sober take on this part of the trip, visit Hap's blog.
Hap and I headed back to Kapuluan and unceremoniously packed our things and headed back to where the sun did shine.
We made a brief stop to see the Cape Bojeador lighthouse, the one thing we missed when we were on our way to Pagudpud. We arrived in Laoag around lunchtime; we decided to eat at Dap-ayan ti Ilocos Norte, where the food was unremarkable but pleasantly cheap. After taking some pictures of the belltower of St. William’s Cathedral, we headed back for Vigan.
When we first passed Vigan on our way to Pagudpud, we weren’t able to spend much time soaking in the sights and culture of the historic city. The second time around, we made sure to spend enough time to chat and haggle with locals, and to buy bagnet and a few souvenirs. Still, we were pressed for time; we did not want to reach Baguio in the wee hours of the next morning. So as soon as our business in Vigan was done, we quickly headed off.
The trip from Vigan to San Fernando, La Union took a good chunk of 4 hours. During the whole trip, I took significant pains fighting off sleep, and fortunately succeeded. It was already past 6 PM when we reached San Fernando, and we decided to take a much needed break.
We finished our Jollibee dinner at around 7:30 PM and immediately headed for Baguio.
After much dilly-dallying and despite Hap’s apprehensions, we eventually decided to take Naguilian road. The hour-and-a-half ride was relatively and surprisingly smooth despite a) long, unlit stretches of the highway, b) drunken locals leisurely and dangerously strolling along (and sometimes even across) the road, and c) that crazy motherfucker who lit a loud firecracker the very moment we passed him.
We finally reached Baguio ten and a half hours after we left Kapuluan Vista Resort in Pagudpud. It took a few more moments to reach Mae’s pad.
(I hope it isn’t too obvious that I am desperately scrambling to reach this portion of our tale.)
Mae’s welcome was pleasingly warm amid the biting Baguio cold. Jane was there, too; she had been in the city since a few days after Christmas. At that time, I didn’t really know Mae and Jane very well: I had only met Mae in a couple of drinking sessions before, and I only got to talk to Jane once and only briefly ages ago in Conspiracy. Still, with all due respect to Hap, seeing the two after two whole days of seemingly endless travel felt like falling in the arms of long lost family (I can only imagine how Hap felt since he had been the only one driving). So what else were we to do but drown our weariness in booze and conversation?
Mae, unfortunately, had to go to work at 10 PM, so Hap, Jane and I were left to keep each other company. Talk was casual and light, the alcohol was flowing freely (beer, Tanduay lapad, Johnny Walker Black, Tequila Rose, and the oft-maligned Piikit rice wine), and the three of were just having a grand time. At around 2 AM we picked Mae up for her lunch break. While she was unable to partake of the drinks (because she still had to go back to work), Mae still was able to join the fun, either by dunking slices of Gardenia bread in Coke, or by showing us her inane Ilonggo videos (of her dad and some other relatives, and of the Ilonggo version of “300”). That night was quickly turning out to be the highlight of the trip for me.
Mae went back to work, and the night (rather, early morning) wore on. We just continued to laugh, and drink, and be happy – even when Hap started dozing off in the chair, until he eventually decided to sleep in one of Mae’s beds, even when it was just Jane and I talking about anything and everything we could talk about, even as Mae came back home from work and we realized that the sun had already risen and it was time for us to sleep.
For a not-so-sober take on this part of the trip, visit Hap's blog.
Sunday, January 04, 2009
Today's Horoscope
From my iGoogle horoscope:
"Venus the Lover is styling in your sign now, adding sweetness and grace to your life. But today's supportive sextile from Pluto the Dark Lord can offer up sensual delights from the shadowy recesses of your subconscious mind. Not all beauty is simple and you have the opportunity to experience a more complicated form of pleasure now."
Does this mean what I think it means????
"Venus the Lover is styling in your sign now, adding sweetness and grace to your life. But today's supportive sextile from Pluto the Dark Lord can offer up sensual delights from the shadowy recesses of your subconscious mind. Not all beauty is simple and you have the opportunity to experience a more complicated form of pleasure now."
Does this mean what I think it means????
New Year 2009 Road Trip - Day 2
At 7:30 in the morning on December 31, Hap and I left San Juan and embarked on a seven-hour drive to Pagudpud. We had lunch in Vigan and sampled Cafe Leona's version of Ilocandia specialties. We also made a brief stop in Burgos to take snapshots of the windmills that the area is known for.
We arrived in Saud Beach in Pagudpud town at around 4:30 in the afternoon. We originally planned to stay in one of the resorts in Saud and just visit Maira-Ira or "Blue Lagoon" the next morning, but when we found out that there were resorts in Maira-Ira (contrary to RJ's advice), we decided to spend New Year's eve there.
The trip to Maira-Ira was not completely uneventful -- apart from totally useless directions from Lonely Planet (WTF does "a few points East" mean???), we only had a rough map from one Saud resort to rely on. Fortunately, a few friendly locals were able to steer us to the right direction. We finally reached the Blue Lagoon beach stretch at 5:00 PM; by then, dark clouds had already started to cover the landscape.
There are two note-worthy resorts in Maira-Ira. The first one we encountered coming from the area’s entry point is Hannah's, an enclosed strip of land right in front of the "swimmer-friendly” portion of the beach. When we asked for a room, an "ate" offered us one for 3,500 pesos, which turns out to be its cheapest. Since this clearly was beyond our budget, we said no-thanks and started to head for Kapuluan Vista Resort, which was around 700 meters to the east of Hannah's. Upon reaching the resort, the first thing I noticed was the stark difference between Kapuluan and Hannah's: whereas the latter exuded a very artificial and suburban feel, Kapuluan's crisp rural architecture and earthy tones blended perfectly with the majestic natural landscape of Maira-Ira. I asked for a room, and all that's available was a two-person dorm-type room which costs 500 pesos per head; the relatively affordable price and the rich ambience the resort offered made checking-in a no-brainer.
By this time a steady downpour of rain had already started to intermingle with the merciless winds that Pagudpud is famous for. This dangerous cocktail made it impossible to spend even a few moments at the beach, or in any open space for that matter; so Hap and I decided to just hang out at the restaurant and try to get a few things done before dinner. After a few rounds of beer, dinner was served.
The restaurant was apparently quite an attraction in the area; a reputation that is, IMHO, very much deserved. The buffet dinner consisted of three kinds of spaghetti dishes and grilled chicken breast. After dinner, Hap and I proceeded to down the Johnny Walker Black Label bottle we brought with us and wait for the clock to strike 12.
In the last few minutes leading to the New Year, we mingled with some of the locals, the owners of Kapuluan Vista, Mike and Alma, and a few other guests. Fireworks were lit, hands were shaken, smiles and greetings were exchanged. Before we knew it, it was 2009 and we were in the northernmost tip of mainland Luzon and some 500-odd kilometers away from home.
We arrived in Saud Beach in Pagudpud town at around 4:30 in the afternoon. We originally planned to stay in one of the resorts in Saud and just visit Maira-Ira or "Blue Lagoon" the next morning, but when we found out that there were resorts in Maira-Ira (contrary to RJ's advice), we decided to spend New Year's eve there.
The trip to Maira-Ira was not completely uneventful -- apart from totally useless directions from Lonely Planet (WTF does "a few points East" mean???), we only had a rough map from one Saud resort to rely on. Fortunately, a few friendly locals were able to steer us to the right direction. We finally reached the Blue Lagoon beach stretch at 5:00 PM; by then, dark clouds had already started to cover the landscape.
There are two note-worthy resorts in Maira-Ira. The first one we encountered coming from the area’s entry point is Hannah's, an enclosed strip of land right in front of the "swimmer-friendly” portion of the beach. When we asked for a room, an "ate" offered us one for 3,500 pesos, which turns out to be its cheapest. Since this clearly was beyond our budget, we said no-thanks and started to head for Kapuluan Vista Resort, which was around 700 meters to the east of Hannah's. Upon reaching the resort, the first thing I noticed was the stark difference between Kapuluan and Hannah's: whereas the latter exuded a very artificial and suburban feel, Kapuluan's crisp rural architecture and earthy tones blended perfectly with the majestic natural landscape of Maira-Ira. I asked for a room, and all that's available was a two-person dorm-type room which costs 500 pesos per head; the relatively affordable price and the rich ambience the resort offered made checking-in a no-brainer.
By this time a steady downpour of rain had already started to intermingle with the merciless winds that Pagudpud is famous for. This dangerous cocktail made it impossible to spend even a few moments at the beach, or in any open space for that matter; so Hap and I decided to just hang out at the restaurant and try to get a few things done before dinner. After a few rounds of beer, dinner was served.
The restaurant was apparently quite an attraction in the area; a reputation that is, IMHO, very much deserved. The buffet dinner consisted of three kinds of spaghetti dishes and grilled chicken breast. After dinner, Hap and I proceeded to down the Johnny Walker Black Label bottle we brought with us and wait for the clock to strike 12.
In the last few minutes leading to the New Year, we mingled with some of the locals, the owners of Kapuluan Vista, Mike and Alma, and a few other guests. Fireworks were lit, hands were shaken, smiles and greetings were exchanged. Before we knew it, it was 2009 and we were in the northernmost tip of mainland Luzon and some 500-odd kilometers away from home.
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