Philippines Adventure, Pt. 19

I have a lot of pictures to share with all of you. It is amazing how many pictures you can take when you are with two other girls who also love taking pictures. (I mean, I have never seen girls who love pictures as much as these two I was traveling with. It was hilarious. I felt like I was their personal photographer.) This was my last week in Baguio, and I spent most of it cooking and typing outlines that I was entering into the computer for the school. I cannot say that I completed the job, but I did my best. It is tougher than you think and more tedious to type into the computer already composed material. I can blab on my blog for hours, but trying to type out a copy of an already typed outline is like poking myself with needles. Another reason why I was not as productive as I would have liked was because I cooked a lot. Yes, cooking was much more attractive. That is why I would choose chef over administrative assistant any day. Give me a whisk and wooden spoon and keep your keyboard and Microsoft office products!

Anyway, at the beginning of the week, I took a short trip to the neighboring province of La Union (pronounced in a continuous manner, not as it appears) to visit one of my students. I went with one of the other Bible students from Vietnam who is still in the Philippines until April 2nd and has been staying with us in Baguio, helping out around the house, etc. I am going to visit her and her sister in Ho Chi Minh City in May for two weeks. She and I get along really well, so it was so much fun to have a traveling companion. Even though I am obviously unconcerned about traveling by myself, I have decided that it is so much nicer to be with someone along the way. Amiable company cannot be beat in terms of making a trip fulfilling. We set off at 6 am and arrived in La Union at 8:30 am.

We were able to take a bus from downtown Baguio, thankfully arriving right before the bus set off. We had great seats, well, you know as great as they could be for one dollar! As Filipino buses go, this was pretty comfortable, and I fell asleep right away. Buses make me so tired, and as long as they are halfway decent I will be a gonner. I think the only times I have stayed awake on a long distance bus trip was on those chicken buses where you can feel every bump and if you fall asleep you end up sidling up to Mr. So and so who smells like fertilizer and looks just about as good. When we arrived in Naguilian, we descended and waited at the small bus stop for the other Bible school student who we were visiting and with whom we were planning to stay the night. She showed up about 30 minutes later on a small motorcycle. I would later learn the significance of that motorbike.

We took another bus and headed to the ocean, stopping for a short while in San Fernando to buy bread and see the girl’s sister. Then, we took a jeepney to San Juan, which is a nearby town known for its good beaches. From San Juan center, which is quite clean and lovely, we took a tricycle to the public beach. I love tricycles. They are so small and just zip past all the scenery. You feel a part of the passing countryside. When we arrived at the beach it was already 11:30 am, it was already so hot. I knew immediately that no amount of sunscreen was going to keep me from getting burned. Sure enough, at the end of the day, I looked like a lobster queen! Good thing it was only mild and only stung for a day. I am pretty much back to my pink alabaster complexion now.

Even though I had slippers—or flip-flops—on my feet, the sand almost burned a hole right through them. Thank God that the only shade tree was next to the home of a wonderful man who is a Christian and really treated us royally. He brought out a plether-covered mattress and allowed us to use his shower once we were done swimming in the ocean. He even kept our bags for us in his house to keep them away from wayward strangers. That was such a blessing. I am continually amazed at how kind Filipinos are. They might not have much to offer, but what they have, they are willing to give to you, and oftentimes without asking. This man really made the afternoon. There is nothing as awful as salt water stuck to a sun burned body!

We left the beach and backtracked the way we had come in the morning except that in Naguilian, we took a jeepney to the town where we were staying. Getting to the house was another story. From town, we were stuck waiting for transportation up the mountain. I did not realize how remote was the place in which this girl lived. We waited for a jeepney carrying cement was going up the mountain and passing her house. I sat on the top of the jeepney, which was so fun, like a rollercoaster, except no safety harnesses. It was awesome. We saw the quickly fading sun receding over the hills and the darkness rapidly fall. We were free! Even when it started to drizzle, I just embraced every moment.

In the morning, we got up early to start walking in the wee hours of the dawn. So quiet and peaceful, we had the whole place to ourselves for about 30 minutes. It was glorious. Our walk took us to a small church at the top of the mountain, well, large hill really. We spent a little time with the pastor, and then made our descent. Now is where the trip gets a little hairy. So Filipinos are some of the most hospitable people you will ever meet; but like I have mentioned in previous entries, sometimes they are too nice and will not allow you to make your own choices. Well, our host, my student was fearful that we could not handle ourselves with people who didn’t speak English, and she didn’t want us to get lost. Okay, thank you for your concern, but we ended up waiting more than two hours at a little side-of-the-road shack so she could try to assuage her fears. Finally, when I understood what was happening and why we were not obtaining the necessary motorbike, I gave her a little lecture on not worrying and she called her uncle—everyone seemed to be her uncle in the area—who took us down. The ride was a little harrowing because the descent was maybe at a 60-degree angle. I had to repeat over and over that God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love and self-control because I was a little freaked out. We made it down safely. Our driver took us right to the tricycle station, and we were off to Naguilian to grab our bus, which came immediately! Amazing how much time one can waste when fear is the motivating factor. I learned a good lesson and I hope she did too. What a great trip to the South China Sea and the edge of the earth or Philippines :) Have a happy week. Make each moment memorable!