the super trip of the superman wannabe :)

October 6 2008 at 6 Am, we started our journey to Batangas. AGENDA: to meet the family of my sister’s future husband.. And A GRAND VACATION. We really need that vacation. I am with my sister PX and my brother Rex. The trip lasted for like 9 hours. 5 hours to Manila, And 4 hours to their place in Agoncillo, Batangas. The reason why I liked to join my siblings in going t o the place is to Go farther. Haha. The farthest I went to before Batangas was in Subic Zambales way back 2005. We had different stop overs in Tarlac, Manila, Laguna, Lipa, and then Lemery where we stoop. We were fetched by My Bayaw’s Brother then drived us home to Agoncillo.


The Batangueno people are really nice. They talked to us as if we knew each other before. As we reached their place, my brother and I sat down with the guys outside, drinking. And guess what these people are drinking? KWATRO KANTOS. OMG I said. It was highschool when I last drinking that. And I QUIT that already when GSM Blue came to its popularity. I didn’t drink, my brother did. My brother said “Parang yung Alcohol na pang hugas ng kamay” haha. Then they asked “baka naman hindi kayo sanay sa kwatro kantos, ano ba ang iniinom niyo at nang kayo’y mabili ko, kasi kung hindi kayo sanay eh baka sira ang tiyan ninyo dito” We answered “Wala ho bang GSM BLUE?” they answered “ Ano Yun?”. I didn’t controlled myself and said “ hindi nyo alam yun?” haha. They all laughed, I thought I offended them. Pero HINDI. They’re cool. Promise.

What I can’t forget about staying in that place is the simplicity of their life. Their source of income is through their piggery and other farm animals. The place was cool and clammy. The smell of the pigs stinks at first but we were able to tolerate it. THE FOOD IS GREAT.
I don’t know if it’s their nature or maybe because we are just there, but they cooked so much. We’re like eating 6 times a day. Once at 7 am which I call the “pre breakfast” , then at 9 am “the real breakfast”. At 12 “ Lunch, at 2 pm meryenda, at 5 pm “Pre-dinner” and at 8 “dinner”. Whew! I think I gained like 2 kilo’s in our stay. Actually we don’t want to eat the “pre-meals” kaya lang ang kulit nila. Halos all of them went to our room one by one saying “toy kumain na kayo”. Sa kulit nila kahit ayaw mo na kumain, eh kumain na nga para matigil na sila. hehe

The original plan is, on Thursday October 8, 2009 we will go home to pangasinan for it will be my niece’s birthday on the 9th. But we cancelled our trip because they want us to stay. We went to Taal, to see some good spots. But on the night of the October 8th, we are all homesick. We planned to go home by 2 am in the dawn of October 9, but we didn’t pursue. CARMEN ROSALES was washed-out. Pero uwi parin kami sabi ko. Kaya mga 2 pm, we took the risk. We went home. I mean we tried.
As we arrived in Manila, there were No trips going up north. We went to different terminals. NOT a single TRIP to North was seen. Until one Bus said “DAGUPAN”. Sumakay kami even if we knew that DAGUPAN is also flooded. On our way, we’re all thinking, “Paano tayo bababa doon.” The Bus has a Television but instead of watching News, they played a DVD. So we really don’t have any idea. Buti nalang, My cousin Roswitha texted us and said bumaba na lang kami sa Tarlac, baha ang buong dagupan.
So we decided to sleep over in my cousin’s place. I saw SM ROSALES and sabi ko sa sarili ko “hindi pala exaggerated yung mga nagtext sakin na naabot na ng bagyo yung 2nd floor ng Sm”. It’s true. It’s almost like you will only see the roof of the Mall. Kaninang umaga we tried again to go home. We took the risk again. We were first drove by ate rose in Tarlac City and took the trip to Paniqui because other people said “ sumakay kayo paniqui and from paniqui, hanap kayo jeep papuntang Moncada, at pag ka asa Moncada na kayo, sumakay kayo TRUCk hanggang Rosales.” We still pursued. Walang kasiguruhan I know. Pagkababa sa Paniqui, nag antay kami uli ng Bus, suddenly may nakita kami “LAOAG”. Sumakay kami agad. And YES NAKAUWI KAMI. We passed those streets they said are impassable. We saw the wreck of the Bagyong Pepeng in Rosales and VIllasis..

WE SAW…WE CAME…. WE CONQUERED.

What a trip it was.. a trip of a lifetime. A trip I will never forget..

(written OCTOBER 10 2009)