| Sumvac2012 | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Mon 30 Jul 2012 16:15:37 (123 Views) | |
alpz
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Mon 30 Jul 2012 16:15:37 Post #1 |
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azul
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The Traveler’s Journal… It was black Saturday when I left Baguio, without any destination in mind; I boarded a bus bound for nowhere trying to figure out if I made a right choice. I arrive in the City the next day, staying there for almost a week makes me want to go back home. I resist… The sun smiles brightly as I travel up north, met with someone who accompanies me to my destination. Upon arriving in the area, he left as I started to hike with my two guides. The terrain is very steep and slippery my legs hurts, as we go up though I’m enjoying the hiking, the view, and the fresh air… the stories shared as we go deep in the forest… It was five years since the last time; I visit a community located at the top of the mountain… the challenge, the adrenaline rush and the excitement… the feeling is overwhelming…we reach our destination.. New faces, new friends I get acquainted with…I came to experience their life, the scarcity of food, the coldness of the night, getting wet when a heavy downpour of rain comes, the poverty they want to prevent.. It’s all there… we left the area, travelling south for one week, the headache and back pains I tried to ignore, the "dera-as" route is the hardest, how i wish i have long legs, that i don't need to sit just to reach the step down.. it requires a lot of skills and diligence in order not to fall into ravine nor even cut your arms and fingers with the bladed leaves of the grass...we cannot cross the river due to its strong current, thus we have to ride the "tramline".. i can't just imagine how was i able to pull my self up to reach the other side of the river, its my first time to ride on a tramline it was difficult but it was fun after all. Not physically ready for such terrain, my legs cramps i have to force my self to continue walking and keeping pace in order to keep up with my companions, with that hot-cold weather, my "trangkaso" won't leave me...my companions are worried.. but I don’t want to be treated especial... Not at this situation and not in these areas were medicines, foods and all those comforts in the city are not available.. I have to convince them that "i'm okay"... On the third day we were able to reach "Balatoc"? im not sure about the name of the place... its where an active volcano is located.. i've heard that it is a subject for geothermal energy exploration/application by CHEVRON, the community people from three municipality of kalinga is opposing such proposal.. i agree with them, let these village folks manage their own resources, besides with the great beauty of forest found in this province i may as well join the barricades if only to stop CHEVRON from destroying it. My companions are thoughtful enough to build a makeshift where I sleep when the night falls; they teach me how to set my hammock, they helped me stands when I slip during the walk, they helped me carry my things whenever I get tired carrying them…they teach me to understand what “collective life” is, what the so called “INDEPENDENCE” is, and especially they teach me what “SACRIFICE” is… I learned to cope with every situation we are in, eating exotic food, playing with leech (iwww!), sleeping in a damp soil, and so on…but the most important is that I learned how to survive in the mountains. After a long walk, getting wet and sweat dried up on our clothes, we arrive at our destination, I was happy to be with the village folks, I enjoyed every minutes of interaction with them, discussing issues that affects them, exchanging knowledge and wisdom,sadly, I did not stay long in this village after a week or two I prepared to go home, I don’t want to.. I still want to set foot to other villages but to no avail, my companions are worried that If I stay longer I will not be able to go back home on time for my enrolment. Its Sunday, at around one in the afternoon they send me to Tulgao, crossing that beautiful rice terraces and that mighty Palan-ah falls and hot springs I arrive at the Mini-hydro site where I was welcomed by the "kabataan" who are having a picnic, then i was led to the residential area where I stayed for one night, the next day I started to walk towards Butbut and Ngibat, then to Maswa where I boarded a bus back home. With all the experiences I have in these far flung villages of Kalinga, I know one of these days I’ll be one of them…a CATALYST for CHANGE! |
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10:26 PM Jul 11