Cebu.
Like a pious lady of yore, Vigan was serene in the morning
mist. For that we couldn't be more thankful. Her composure
brought calm to our weary bodies.
This journey north started with nine souls about ten hours
earlier from Quezon City. Six were of bronze, forged by
the sacred fire of Vulcan and tempered by the divine light
of Phoebus. That is to say they were born of these volcanic
islands and raised under the tropical sun.
Three were of white jade, chiseled by the four gods of
the sky. In Oriental mythology they're the White Tiger,
the Giant Turtle, the Phoenix and the Dragon and they
represent among other things the elements and the four
seasons.
Three more of the bronze joined the nine midway. Midway
was the Seven-Eleven shop at Urdaneta City in Pangasinan.
So there were twelve in all.
Time and space were our enemies. The Toyota Adventure
that held nine passengers was too confining while the
concrete beneath us seemed to go on forever. Nonetheless,
spirits were high for each one, whether of bronze or
of white jade had the assurance that he or she was in
the company of friends. That mattered most. In a journey
with friends, joy is a sure companion. Grace was with
us too. Only this time she's Korean.
Paoay was mystifying with its architectural elements
drawn from three building traditions- Baroque, Gothic
and Oriental. The best way we demystified it was by
contemplating its grandeur with butong- pakwan, butong-kalabasa,
minatamis na beans and halu-halo with ice cream from
a shop not far from the plaza fronting the church.
The city called “light” in Ilocano, Laoag,
had a Manila feel with its sprawl and omnipresent tricycles.
We arrived at Laoag before noontime, the sun reminding
us that it’s the center of the solar system. Ironically
while the heavenly nuclear fireball was relentless in
radiating light and heat; the city was suffering from
lack of energy. The absence of electricity raised not
only the temperature but tempers as well. Only La Preciosa’s
bagnet, pinakbet and sinigang na hipon served hot became
the refreshing breeze that cooled us down.
“I have no enemies in front of food,” came
one of Marian's many smart observations. The additional
gust of soothing wind came from Alvin and Roma’s
Migoy. The toddler provided the Pinoy must for any occasion-
singing and dancing. So with renewed strength, satisfied
stomachs and calmed interiors we pressed on farther
northward.
Whoever told us that Pagudpod was merely 45 minutes
away from Laoag must have been referring to other modes
of transportation- a maglev train, a plane or perhaps
a racing car. You can imagine our consternation when
after 2 hours of driving past the light house of Burgos
, past the windmills of Bangui; the road beneath us
seemed to have no end in sight. But it was no one else’s
fault but ours because we had plainly ignored the word
“remote” when a magazine article said, “Pagupod’s
remoteness makes it idyllic for people who want seclusion.”
The promise of Pagudpod’s golden sands and sapphire
waters sustained our hopes during those times of uncertainty.
We comforted each other with the thought that once we've
held the plow there's no turning back. Our persistence
was rewarded soon enough. The vision of Pagudpod’s
welcome arch galvanized our faiths. Our spirits yearning
for rest, we soon found sanctuary in Paradise.
Our Pagudpod haven was a newly-built cottage with four
rooms. With air-conditioning and rooms good enough to
accomodate four in each, it was a steal. Though not
a beach-front, our temporary Tatay and Nanay, the owners
of the cottage, more than made up with Filipino warmth
and hospitality.
