It was almost noon when I came to my senses and realize that I've been washing the dishes and throwing the leftovers all morning. I could not help but get anal the moment I saw flies hovering over the table and dirty pans and utensils stacked on top of one another on the sink. Almost everyone had left, snatching from us who remained the prized butter and chocolate cakes baked by Squarepants the day before.The PExers who stayed behind were Lostwan, Swimbod, Aeneas, Techsupport and me. We were doing some last-minute house cleaning before checking out of the resort when it suddenly rained. It wasn't our plan to extend our stay. However, when we found out that our funds were insufficient to pay for the cottage rent, Lostwan decided to drive all the way to the poblacion and look for a bank with an ATM machine along the main road. Meanwhile, Aeneas thought of cooking our lunch using leftover ingredients that were intended for an extra dish the night before. It turned out that many PExers who gave their word to join the outing backed out at the last minute. As a result, the food committee brought more supplies than we actually needed.
I fell asleep on the sofa while waiting for Lostwan and Techsupport to return.
In my dream, I saw myself sending a text message to my supervisor telling him that my non-stop journey from Nasugbu and back had taken its toll on my body. I will be absent. He never answered my text, but I knew that he got my message. Meanwhile, with more time at hand, I decided to spend my only summer vacation in a leisurely pace. The dream was cut short when Aeneas woke me up to tell that our lunch is ready.
---
On our final day in Tagaytay, I ate the most hearty meal with several of my closest companions in the group. Raindrops as big as small pebbles was still falling on the roof and its tapping sounds stirred my appetite. Our chief was an expert in using spices to enhance the flavors of the Menudo he cooked. Not only did its sweet aroma filled my lungs, its succulent taste with the generous offerings of pepper, onion and garlic tingled my taste buds. The raw juicy tomatoes and the salty eggs that were supposed to be eaten for breakfast dampened the strong flavors that would have otherwise burned my tongue.
Tummies were full after the meal. The rains have stopped and in its wake came fresh cool breeze that made us more at home among the hills. Since no one was interested to leave yet, we all decided to return to the pool area for a final swim. Finally, I will have my dip after cursing the icy waters the morning before.
Four of us stayed behind to help Lostwan carry the kitchen utensils, pans and other provisions he brought from Manila. Being the leader, he made sure that no one would starve or get thirsty during our overnight stay in Tagaytay. Had I left earlier with the others, I would have missed the best moments of the summer outing. Who would have thought that even though only five of us remained, the last hours of our stay would prove to be the best of them all.
---
So we took a dip in the pool which was already warmed by the earth below.
We took Friendster-perfect pictures of everyone. While some raced from one end of the pool to the other.
We took Friendster-perfect pictures of everyone. While some raced from one end of the pool to the other.
Lostwan demonstrated his uncanny ability to do synchronized swimming, which we tried to imitate in vain.
Techsupport, who rarely goes to the pool was persuaded to have a dip.
Aeneas proudly strut around the poolside to show us what the Eclipse Gym experience had done to his body
Finally, Swimbod took the plunge while standing on Lostwan's unbelievably strong shoulders. He was coughing later for the water had entered his nose.
And true to our unspoken word to stay with Lostwan, we remained until the last of his picnic baskets were carried back to the pickup truck he used to drive going to Tagaytay. His two-seater truck could only accommodate the driver and a passenger inside the cabin. That's why Aeneas, Techsupport and I, decided to stay at the open compartment of the pickup in our desire to savor nature before we return to the toxic paradise that is Manila.
We were about to begin our long, sad journey home, when misfortune suddenly smiled on Lostwan's not-so-all-terrain pickup truck.
---
"Sige tulak pa..."
"Hindi talaga kaya, bumuwelo ka ulit sa baba."
"Sumakay kayong lahat sa likod para bumigat yung sasakyan at madaling makaahon sa pagkakalubog."
Frantic words of distress flew between the spectators and the driver after Lostwan's truck got stuck under several inches of mud. The noontime rain showers must have made the trail - the same dark slippery trail that I treaded blindly the night before too soft for vehicles to pass. Unfortunately, the trail was our only way out of the resort.
For more than 30 minutes, the four of us were pushing and shoving the rear end of the pickup hoping that it would get unstuck in the mud. Lostwan did his best to maneuver the truck up and down the slope just to find the right timing on when to hit the gas and get pass the kumunoy along the trail.
Things were becoming hopeless and it's getting dark and cloudy once again. Swimbud thought of spreading dried Talahib grasses and stone pebbles over the muddy tracks, expecting that it would carry the weight of the truck. It did work for some time, but the trail was simply too muddy for the pickup to escape its deadly snare.
"Tulak pa... sige pa... malapit na malapit na!!!" Aeneas and I were at the rear end of the truck. My feet were sinking on the ground, but my determination to lift the truck had kept me pushing.
It was as if heaven saw our determination that with just one long, aggressive shove, the pickup soared above the muddy trail and reached the dead-end of the road in almost a blink of an eye fashion. Finally we were free and we're ready to return to the city. After washing the dirt from our hands, legs and feet we zigzagged our way up the hills and into the main road waiting along the ridge.
We discovered that one of the tires got busted when it got stuck in the mud. Dark clouds were fast approching, but to avoid the hassles of being stuck with a flat tire along the highway, we decided to look for a vulcanizing shop before leaving Tagaytay.
The tire patching took some time to get finished. We took some more photos of ourselves along the highway, amidst the full view of tourists caught in traffic. Meanwhile, nature, with it's motherly benevolence gave us a parting spectacle that I may never witness, perhaps for quite some time.
---
"Grabe, zero visibility talaga ano?" Aeneas had observed while Lostwan's pickup descends rapidly along the shortcut road leading to the valley.
Imagine an enchanting scene where thick fog veils everything around us. Houses were draped in smoky-blue curtain of mist, while ghostly pine trees were indistinguishable from another. Crossing pedestrians in thick jackets were marveling at the lucid spectacle as well. They were one of the driving hazards that we tried to avoid while enjoying the spectral beauty around us.
It was getting cold. Techsupport took out an extra towel from his bag and draped himself in its warmth. Aeneas' gaze were blank and empty, he must have been swallowed by the fog hovering in front of us. Meanwhile, I took out my iPod in hopes of blending in my surroundings. It played melancholic ambient music and Bliss's eerily haunting vocals had put me in deep trance that I began to feel the low clouds as it flowed through my music.
Never in my memory had I seen a fog as thick as the one that embraced us. I was profoundly moved by its coldness - its distant tranquility, that for a moment, I thought that I had an otherworldly existence. When the pickup had found its way back to the main road, the breathtaking view of Taal Lake and volcano - the same view that made Tagaytay famous was nowhere to be seen. In its place were low-lying pale blue clouds that stretched for eternity.
It felt like we were driving in the clouds.
---
Out of town trips are done so we can take a break from our ordinary way of life. We are suppose to feel relaxed and refreshed after making a pilgrimage to some far-flung place we have never set foot before. We learn from the experiences of our trip, and we gain humbling insights after seeing things we don't normally see in our lives. This is the essence of a journey. Too bad, rarely do in life I get out of the city.
The Tagaytay outing was an eye-opener, not only because I had proven in a few occasions how my passion for adventure had driven me to leave Manila at almost midnight, unsure of my final destination.
The solitude and uncertainty of the journey had strengthened my spirit.
Days after I resumed my normal way of life, I could still taste Squarepants' butter and choco cake in my mouth. The word Bolivia will be forever etched in my growing list of lingo words thanks to Lifeline. I will always remember my first serious attempt to be one with the Universe by sitting cross-legged like Buddha on a cold poolside pavement, while waiting for the sun to rise. I will also remember the shoving I did behind Lostwan's pickup truck. It was messy, but at least, I felt most koboy than I've ever been before. Finally, I will always see tomatoes as a perfect comfort food, when eaten together with spicy hot Menudo over steaming hot cup of rice because of Aeneas.
Tagaytay had taught me to love and honor trees, the way I saw them proudly shrouded behind the mist. How I wish that I would live to see the day when Manila becomes a teeming, urban forest in its most literal sense.
The fog must have put a cold spell on me because I could still feel its icy embrace to this day. Unfortunately, only fumes irritate my skin where I live. So the memory of mist-obscured streets and cloud-shrouded hills will linger on, hopefully in my dreams.
---
There are no words or pictures to perfectly describe how I spent my vacation.
But I am so glad, that in my humble attempts to preserve the trip for eternity,
Those who wish to remember can always look back, and read these entries.
We were about to begin our long, sad journey home, when misfortune suddenly smiled on Lostwan's not-so-all-terrain pickup truck.
---
"Sige tulak pa..."
"Hindi talaga kaya, bumuwelo ka ulit sa baba."
"Sumakay kayong lahat sa likod para bumigat yung sasakyan at madaling makaahon sa pagkakalubog."
Frantic words of distress flew between the spectators and the driver after Lostwan's truck got stuck under several inches of mud. The noontime rain showers must have made the trail - the same dark slippery trail that I treaded blindly the night before too soft for vehicles to pass. Unfortunately, the trail was our only way out of the resort.
For more than 30 minutes, the four of us were pushing and shoving the rear end of the pickup hoping that it would get unstuck in the mud. Lostwan did his best to maneuver the truck up and down the slope just to find the right timing on when to hit the gas and get pass the kumunoy along the trail.
Things were becoming hopeless and it's getting dark and cloudy once again. Swimbud thought of spreading dried Talahib grasses and stone pebbles over the muddy tracks, expecting that it would carry the weight of the truck. It did work for some time, but the trail was simply too muddy for the pickup to escape its deadly snare.
"Tulak pa... sige pa... malapit na malapit na!!!" Aeneas and I were at the rear end of the truck. My feet were sinking on the ground, but my determination to lift the truck had kept me pushing.
It was as if heaven saw our determination that with just one long, aggressive shove, the pickup soared above the muddy trail and reached the dead-end of the road in almost a blink of an eye fashion. Finally we were free and we're ready to return to the city. After washing the dirt from our hands, legs and feet we zigzagged our way up the hills and into the main road waiting along the ridge.
We discovered that one of the tires got busted when it got stuck in the mud. Dark clouds were fast approching, but to avoid the hassles of being stuck with a flat tire along the highway, we decided to look for a vulcanizing shop before leaving Tagaytay.The tire patching took some time to get finished. We took some more photos of ourselves along the highway, amidst the full view of tourists caught in traffic. Meanwhile, nature, with it's motherly benevolence gave us a parting spectacle that I may never witness, perhaps for quite some time.
---
"Grabe, zero visibility talaga ano?" Aeneas had observed while Lostwan's pickup descends rapidly along the shortcut road leading to the valley.
Imagine an enchanting scene where thick fog veils everything around us. Houses were draped in smoky-blue curtain of mist, while ghostly pine trees were indistinguishable from another. Crossing pedestrians in thick jackets were marveling at the lucid spectacle as well. They were one of the driving hazards that we tried to avoid while enjoying the spectral beauty around us.
It was getting cold. Techsupport took out an extra towel from his bag and draped himself in its warmth. Aeneas' gaze were blank and empty, he must have been swallowed by the fog hovering in front of us. Meanwhile, I took out my iPod in hopes of blending in my surroundings. It played melancholic ambient music and Bliss's eerily haunting vocals had put me in deep trance that I began to feel the low clouds as it flowed through my music.
Never in my memory had I seen a fog as thick as the one that embraced us. I was profoundly moved by its coldness - its distant tranquility, that for a moment, I thought that I had an otherworldly existence. When the pickup had found its way back to the main road, the breathtaking view of Taal Lake and volcano - the same view that made Tagaytay famous was nowhere to be seen. In its place were low-lying pale blue clouds that stretched for eternity.
It felt like we were driving in the clouds.
---
Out of town trips are done so we can take a break from our ordinary way of life. We are suppose to feel relaxed and refreshed after making a pilgrimage to some far-flung place we have never set foot before. We learn from the experiences of our trip, and we gain humbling insights after seeing things we don't normally see in our lives. This is the essence of a journey. Too bad, rarely do in life I get out of the city.
The Tagaytay outing was an eye-opener, not only because I had proven in a few occasions how my passion for adventure had driven me to leave Manila at almost midnight, unsure of my final destination.
The solitude and uncertainty of the journey had strengthened my spirit.
Days after I resumed my normal way of life, I could still taste Squarepants' butter and choco cake in my mouth. The word Bolivia will be forever etched in my growing list of lingo words thanks to Lifeline. I will always remember my first serious attempt to be one with the Universe by sitting cross-legged like Buddha on a cold poolside pavement, while waiting for the sun to rise. I will also remember the shoving I did behind Lostwan's pickup truck. It was messy, but at least, I felt most koboy than I've ever been before. Finally, I will always see tomatoes as a perfect comfort food, when eaten together with spicy hot Menudo over steaming hot cup of rice because of Aeneas.Tagaytay had taught me to love and honor trees, the way I saw them proudly shrouded behind the mist. How I wish that I would live to see the day when Manila becomes a teeming, urban forest in its most literal sense.
The fog must have put a cold spell on me because I could still feel its icy embrace to this day. Unfortunately, only fumes irritate my skin where I live. So the memory of mist-obscured streets and cloud-shrouded hills will linger on, hopefully in my dreams.
---
There are no words or pictures to perfectly describe how I spent my vacation.
But I am so glad, that in my humble attempts to preserve the trip for eternity,
Those who wish to remember can always look back, and read these entries.
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