REPOST: REDISCOVERING PURARAN

This is a repost of a story I contributed to one of my previous online communities-- http://www.catanduanes.net/.

Because of my job, I have to reschedule my Valentine's date a week after the red day itself. My date and I agreed we'll spend it in a beach; but until the day came, we have not decided on where to go. We have spent almost all weekends of both our lifetime in beaches here in Virac and San Andres, I figured we have to go somewhere else.

The first thing that came into my mind was Puraran. I have been there only twice and the last one was like eons ago. I have forgotten what the place looked like; all I can remember is that it is a beautiful cove.

The trouble with Puraran is it's too far. Not quite remote, but too far. You'll be too spent with the trip to enjoy the place when you get there. Then a question popped up in my head, " Where did your sense of adventure go?". Oh yeah, I have spent too much time mixing dance music for Virac clubbers that I have forgotten my former life as an avid nature tripper. When I was in college, my batch (Batch 99) started the tradition of weekly trek by BS Biology students at Catanduanes State Colleges. I have since been hooked to nature treks and mountain climbing. That was until I took my place in Virac Clublife.

Late for almost half an hour already, I rushed to my motorcycle and pumped up Disturbed's "Stupify" into my headphones. My girlfriend has been complaining of my always being late and surely I am again this time. I could almost see her fuming mad and pacing furiously in front of their house.

My girlfriend did not talk to me on our way. I spent the whole time listening to Portishead and Massive Attack on my mp3 jukebox. Of course with occasional gasps at the sight of the beautiful seaside scenery of Baras town. This town is truly blessed with miles of stretches of fine white sand beaches. Perhaps much more extensive that either Virac or San Andres or both of them combined.

After about an hour and a half of rough roads and pot holes, I steered right into a paved downhill, I mean very downhill road that leads to the beach. My jaw dropped in pure awe with the paradise of a place that was before us. My girlfriend exclaimed, "Ung gayun palan dindi!" (I had no idea how breathtaking this would be). That was all it took to get her to talk to me again, and I teased her for it. The raw beauty of Puraran brings out raw emotions out of anybody who beholds it for the first time. We both could not take the smiles out of our faces, with us now is the opportunity to share a day we might never forget in our lives, be it we end up together or not. And at the center of it is the awesome wonder that is Puraran.

We approached the man on the resort and asked about the rates for the cottages. Suspecting we were there only to get laid, he said it was P150 for a short time-- three hours maximum. Yes, we were there to do that, but that was aside from enjoying the place. We were told the overnight rate is P250, and I gave the man that before I even realized how much affordable it was. It's official now, paradise is affordable. Paradise Beach Resort is on the other side of the island in San Andres; I have been there too and I say Puraran deserves the name much more than the other.

While our cottage was being prepared, we sat on the grass and filled our eyes with the scenes going about. It was nearly three o' clock in the afternoon. A few people were cleaning out the beach of washed up sea grass and algae. There is a group of Caucasians combing the beach, and a couple of Japanese-looking couple were swimming.

It's no wonder surfers from all over the world flock here. The waves are not quite perfect, but at leas it is consistently of good height. I am not an expert surfer to ever have an authority to say this; I have only learned to surf a beaten up old short board the summer of last year. However, I have enough experience to say the least.

The cottage is basically furnished. With a cushioned bed, an electric fan, running water and toilet, and electricity. It was made with wood, bamboo, and thatched roof. All three cottages owned by our host were nestled at the foot of the hill we descended from earlier. The only thing I didn't quite like was that there is no chair inside the cottage, there are only fixed benches on the porch; and the steps leading up to the porch are too thin, you could break your neck with one false step. All in all though, it's livable. There are another two resorts operating in the cove. One located after another.

We rested for about an hour or two, and then we combed the beach until the sunset. The fading lights did not at all lessen the beauty of the place. In fact it even enhanced it-- making the sight from the beach very romantic. What amazed us most is that it is very clean everywhere, even as the lights increasingly dimmed, the water is still quite clear-- from the beach you still can see the grassy bottom of the sea.

We had our dinner of freshly caught fish and newly milled rice. The smell of the broiled fish and the steamy rice made us very hungry that we probably ate like horses. We were so full afterwards we had a hard time burping. Upon learning we were first timers, our host did not make us pay for our meal. Before leaving for our cottage, we bought a bottle of punch, bags of potato chips, and a pack of something to make sure we do not develop a problem nine months from now.

After having our baths and slipping into something comfortable, we cuddled on the porch wrapped in blankets while consuming the punch and potato chips. The breeze gently blows, but with almost freezing chill. Along with the rhythmic breaking of the waves were the different sounds of nocturnal animals and crickets. It was very dark around, but I know the quarter moon will shine a few hours later from the mountain edges of the cove. The whole thing provided a feeling of utmost serenity, like the whole world is not coming into a verge of a war, like we were innocent children talking about whimsical things. The soft rhythmic thump of trance music from the small powered speakers I connected to my mp3 player is the only reminder of every single night I had for the past seven months as one of the resident DJs of Pacific Wave Disco in Virac.

Around eleven, the moon began to creep from the mountains; draping the whole cove, the rocky islet, and the ocean with its silvery rays. It was almost magical. We can feel each other's sighs coming after another. The only night lights I have known for the past few months were the neons, lasers, strobes, halogens, and scanners from the club I'm working for. This is a very radical but pleasant change in atmosphere. I turned off all the lights from the cottage and let in the moonlight. An idea hit me like a speeding bullet train from Tokyo. I closed my eyes and with the playing trance music, I imagined myself spinning for a beach party-- with hundreds of sweaty bodies gyrating, bonfires burning, and the moonlight is the only dancing light on. We should have that here in Catanduanes sometime.

I pulled the sheets and the pillows from the bed and laid them on the porch. Then I programmed my mp3 jukebox to repeat play all 89 songs in my acoustic selection folder. With half-dazed minds over the punch, tiredness and sleepiness, the endless sighs, the beautiful sights, the thought of having only a few hours left before our one day vacation is over, and our raging hormones, we laid and bathed our half-naked bodies with the magical rays of the moon.

Early before sunrise, we have to leave for Virac. We may not have another glimpse of Puraran's cove for a long time after this. So we took a last long look at the nature's masterpiece that is Puraran, making sure it sticks in our minds forever.

RAINY HOLIDAY

The vacation I had to Virac for Christmas turns out to be a big disappointment. Well, really also a mix of a bit of goodness to it. The whole time we were there it was raining almost every single day, and the couple of days it did not it still was gloomy and cloudy. My hopes of visiting at least one beach and soak some sun spiraled into pfft.

We ended up being at home most of the time, either watching TV or playing video games. At night, though, as if to taunt me the weather seemed fine and permitted us to go to the Christmas Cheers, a variety show pioneered by Virac held from the 16th-23rd of December and then again continues to 26th-30th of December. The show is held at the town plaza, and there are no seats provided so you have to stand the whole three to five hours show each night. The venue also is open-air save for the stage, so you also have to brave the elements.

I'm not really an internet person who spends most of the time online, although I have the ability to connect online almost anytime and anywhere with my phones. We also have purchased a Smart Bro prepaid kit, so we can go online with our notebook computer, but then the connection available is nothing but regular GPRS and the almost to a trickle of 3G during the night. It seemed many people from Virac who are now living in big cities, especially Metro Manila, have chosen to come home for the holiday and the massive demand for the 3G network setup by the two telecom networks-- Globe and Smart, couldn't cope up with the demands on peak hours. There still is no HSDPA signal available in the island. The biggest disappointment with connectivity was on Christmas eve when we were trying to have video chat or at least do video calls with some relatives who were not able to come home.

Among other things, we also have hoped to see some old friends we have missed the past couple of years. It's not that we have not been home the past two years, but all those times we have gone home we were too occupied with other things to pay them a visit. This vacation is actually no different than the previous. Well we didn't make an effort this time to contact them at least as our attempts before have been wasted. We then have to be contented only with Friendster.

Before we know it, we again have to be back to the city. I could have stayed for at least two more days, but then again I have given up on the weather ever clearing up.

As I am writing this, I currently am in the office trying to survive the next eleven hours of my shift, and it's only a few hours before the new year comes in. I couldn't possibly aford to be absent from work again as I don't have anymore paid leave allotment. I have used them all up even before the Christmas vacation I took last week.

Anyways, I have to look on the brighter side of things to pull it through today. So, Happy New Year to everyone and hope we all have a prosperous new year.

Kagharong

A long-time tradition comes with the celebration of Christmas here in Virac that is as old as the Spanish times. It is a re-enactment of how Joseph and Mary came house to house in Bethlehem for a quick rest as she was about to give birth. Dialogs are done in singing, but rather it being on a stage, it's done instead in front of houses where there is a balcony. When I was young my parents made it a point to have us see the play as most folks then value the tradition. I also can remember then that it is required that Mary be on a donkey or a horse, while now the whole troupe is transported on a truck with all the necessary equipments. The re-enactment is aptly called "Kagharong", or Housemasters. I heard that the same tradition is also done in Samar, but I don't have an idea how long they have had it. Ours, on the other hand, as evidenced by the songs used, is really old. Last night, Christmas eve, I was able to watch the tradition again and was amazed by the magic of the songs, as it brings back memories of my childhood and thoughts of that of my parents as well back in the 30's and 40's.

Coming Home

I was planning on taking pictures of our island's coast from the ferry on our way home, but the weather was not permitting and my wife an I slept through the whole ferry ride. That is for the fact that we didn't get enough sleep as we have to brave taking a regular non-airconditioned bus. There was no other choice for us as it was a very last minute decision for us to come home. Tickets get sold out weeks even months in advance. The bus stopped four times to fix the gears as it failed, but the main disappointment was the uncomfortable seats that we had to bear throughout the whole 12-hour journey, which should have taken only 8-10 hours. That and the fact that we have to go through the perpetually in repair South Superhighway. We almost did not make it to the last ferry out, as we were informed trips to the capital town Virac were on hold for the meantime. On the ferry, I had to go to the bathroom once and was able to chance upon the opportunity to take the picture above. We made it home safe later and hoped the weather will clear up in the few days we're home to be able to go a beach.

I'M COMING HOME

After much deliberation and weighing of the pros and cons, I finally have decided that we should come home to Virac for Christmas, my wife and I. Our workforce management team has decided to declare the 23rd and 24th of December as critical workdays, so it will be a big offense, earning a step in the progressive counselling, to be absent those days. I guess I don't care that much anymore about the job, what with all the politicking on the floor. Besides I have an alibi on standby, and it is that I will sprain my ankle on a trip to Virac and won't be able to come back to Manila until after the 28th of December. I will have a medical certificate from our family doctor to back it up.

Well, I'm looking forward to basking in the sun on a beach in our island home, if the weather will permit. It was long time coming as I was supposed to come home last May this year. We don't have much money to bring with us, but then we won't be needing that much as my brother whose a bit well off than most of us sibs will be home too.

I need to getaway from American callers who more often than not are spoiled brats, from one of our team managers who's a fashion roadkill, from my supervisor's really sweet sheepish smile, from my bullying team mates who are "pitikeros" and "pitikeras", and most of all from an Avaya callmaster. My head is spinning from the pressure and stress on the job, and that's what I need a quick break from. Well, alongside my daily doses of fastfood meals, road pollution, the more than an hour commute to and from work each working day, addiction to malls, and the sight of the crowded Metro Manila itself.

I have to do this. Not only for myself but for me to get myself together-- I have not been performing good at work lately. Largely because of too much stress and the insensitivity of the client on our plights, which is the refusal not only to upgrade our salaries and incentives to be at least a fourth of our counterparts in the US. I guess being in the third world country doesn't deserve you at least half the respect of what people from the first world get.

Come what may now, I'm going home for Christmas.

CATANDUANES

Catanduanes is an island off east Luzon in the Bicol region. It is more popularly known for its reputation as the "Land of the Howling Winds", as most storms entering the Philippines either hits this island province or affects it. It faces the Pacific Ocean, thus the susceptibility to storms brewing near its shores. Travellers going to the island are mostly either surfers or backpackers avoiding the usual tourist spots in the Philippines. The islanders doesn't have a traditional culture to boast of aside from that already known of the whole Bicol region, and the festival held annually is nothing but a copy of what other provinces generally do.

The remoteness of the island also makes it not a very popular destination among traveller who only wants a quick getaway. Although there are two airports in the island, commercial flights are only available to one of them and are not so much an option most of the times because of weather related issues. The best way to go there is by bus from Metro Manila to Tabaco city in Albay, and then by ferry boat (Ro-Ro) to either one of the two commercial ports-- Virac and San Andres ports. Travel by bus can be from eight to ten hours, and the the ferry ride to San Andres is for around two and a half to three hours while to Virac, the capital, is approximately four hours. Three ferry trips are available daily from Tabaco, with two going to Virac and one to San Andres. To have a preview of what to expect in the island, the recommended ferry will be the one leaving early morning in Tabaco to Virac.

Transportation options within the island are abound-- from tricycles for short distances; to jeepneys, vans and buses for travelling from town to town. Major roads are paved with a few stretches only needing some maintenance, so going around is not that hard. Most natural attractions though will have you go through rough roads for a few miles. Accommodations are mostly only available in the big towns like the capital Virac, and also the nearby town San Andres and possibly a few of the other nine towns with resorts. Otherwise, you will need a tent and camp out in beaches or near the barangays or villages. Food can be purchased almost anywhere there is a village, but don't expect anything grandiose than just rice and viand. In places near the coast or estuaries, you may be able to get your fill of seafood.

Because it is on the edge of Pacific Ocean, the island is popular among surfers during the monsoon season from around September to January. The Majestics in Puraran in Baras town is known the world over as one of the best surfing spots in Asia, topping even Siargao as the premier surfing destination of the Philippines. Well, Puraran itself is a beautiful place with white sand beach and sparkling clean waters. It has been a setting for some commercial print photo shoot for famous clothing namebrands. An annual international surfing competition is held there sponsored by the local government. It is said that surf in Puraran can rival that of North Shore in Maui during the surf season. There are a few resort operating in the cove of Puraran. It is best to go off-season if you are not into surfing, as the room rates are almost half of what it regularly is. The amenities are pretty basic but liveable. And then again this area is only from forty-five minutes to an hour away from the capital town-- where better lodging are widely available.

Well, otherwise, the island is surrounded by miles of stretches of fine white sand beaches available to you anytime. The nearest of which is no more than fifteen minutes away by car or tricycle. Most beaches are still undeveloped, but those that are either have fully-functional resorts with anything from the basic to at least three-star accommodation. Many of these resorts are in remote locations so it can be a pain to get to. Exploring the undeveloped beaches is also an option if you can get a guide. There is currently no existing tourism company or at least a government-run facility (except the Department of Tourism) to provide you guided tours. The best beaches are actually still not developed so it is a lot better to have a guide. One which I personally have been to was a village called Bitaogan in Bato town-- it can be reached in about an hour by land via rough terrain, or about half an hour with a boat from the shore of downtown Virac. The sand in the beach of Bitaogan is as fine as Boracay, although not as white; and the water is so clear that even on the edge of the reef you can see the fishes down to the bottom several meters below. The sea is so teeming with fishes that seafood is really abundant. At night you can camp at the beach and have the view of Virac shoreline with all the downtown lights.

The waters all around the island is still clean and can be swam to. Even the shore of downtown Virac, the capital, is pretty clean that during summer people flock to them to dip and cool down. Below is a picture of the breakwater adjacent to the port of Virac, which will be what you will first see as you unboard from the ferry.

Pollution is still not a problem in the island. If the sky is clear, expect to see beautiful sunsets and sunrises. At night, even in downtown Virac, the nightsky especially if the moon is full can be breathtaking.

If ever you get too tired of the beaches, the nearest waterfall can never be too far away. Within the capital town itself there are already several options like Danicop, Buyo, Dugui, San Vicente to name a few. The most popular of the waterfalls in the entire island is Maribina falls and Solong falls.

There are likewise a lot of rivers and streams throughout the whole island. It's topography is very rough and mountainous, so there is an abundance mountain for inland bodies of water to source from. There are a few rivers that are wide and deep enough for white water rafting, although this sport has not been heard of in the province. Even underground rivers are abound, but these too have been largely unexplored so it may be dangerous to go to. The waters are pretty clean still for most, but the most popular ones tend to be a bit cluttered comes summer when there are a lot of people going for a swim.

Still a water attraction, there are several estuaries and mangroves in the island where migratory birds can be found. Birdwatching is not a very popular activity in Catanduanes as of yet, because coming of birds from mainland Asia is not very regular. There are some years wherein there are thousands upon thousands of them to be found in estuaries, and then there are some years that only a few or even none comes. Two of the most notable mangrove/estuaries are the biggest in the island-- the one in Agojo Marine Park Sanctuary in San Andres town, and the other in between the boundaries between Viga and Payo towns, where the bulk of prawns and crabs supply sold in the island and imported to nearby provinces come from.

For pilgrims of faith, Catanduanes is haven to several old churches built by the Spanish colonizers. The most notable of which is the Bato Cathedral; nestled up a small elevation near the banks of the Bato River, it provides a vantage point for a great view of the sunset and the length of the river up to its delta by the bay.

The Cathedral in the capital town itself is also an old edifice, and another one is the Viga town cathedral. There is also a church named Batong Paluay in San Andres town where a miraculous stone is enshrined. It is said to be that this stone have been attempted to be taken by the Marcoses in the 70's. The stone was found several or so decades ago and it was just a speck then. It has since grown to be more than five times the original size when it was found. The strange thing with the stone is that it has the Our Lady Of Sorrow painted on it, which did grow with the stone and revealing details in time. Used to be you need to have a magnifying glass before you can appreciate the details, but now it is very much visible to the naked eye. The image was not damaged as the stone grew, for if it had been painted on it surely will have all cracked up.

To the east of the island in the town of Bagamanoc, there are several small islets of historical interest. One of which has been used by the Americans during the occupation as a Long Range Navigation Base. The beach surrounding this islet has fine white sand as well, and the water is crystal clear.

If everything else fails, there's always the forest covers and the rolling green fields to run to. The central part of the island is still in very much pristine condition and there's a big possibility of some places to have been untouched for centuries even. Several years ago, we volunteered for a sort of an expedition into the center of the island where the rain forest is. We were supposed to mark the old trees as properties of the government and can never be sawed for lumber. We saw trees that are so big all fifteen of us then could not wrap around its circumference with our arms stretched out.

There are also a lot of caves in the island. The most popular of which is the Luyang cave in San Andres town. It has on it a park built in and the view of the forest cover and the ravine below it will take you off your feet. Big trees are present despite the area being close to the urbanized portions of both San Andres and Virac towns. This cave joins a labyrinth of caverns leading to several openings and where some underground rivers may be accessed from.

When I was in the island I tend to overlook these things and was more interested in getting out to see other places. As you may have seen yourself from the pictures, I have been a fool all those times.

HOME SWEET HOME

With the daily rat race I am on, it is not very impossible to miss home. For all the two years I have lived here I still don't feel I'm cut out for the big city life. I miss the simple and laid back life at home. I don't know. Even back then I have never stopped working since after college, the same nine-hour jobs and sometimes even more, but still it seemed more tiring to work here in Metro Manila. I guess there really is no place like home.

True. My work here allowed me to earn more and acquire more material things; and my wife and I should be living comfortably now. There even was a thought before that in time we'd get over missing home, but I have seen otherwise with most people I know who have migrated and lived here from the countryside. There always will be a yearning to be home for at least a few days at a time.

It's not that we have never been home those past two years. I am allowed four weeks' worth of vacation each year by my employer and we have twice gone home for vacation since. The only reason I am a bit more missing home now is that because we have planned a vacation some three months ago, and the leave I filed at the office was not approved then. The next time I can file for a vacation will still be in December, which is still some months away, and still it is subject for approval. With each passing day I miss more and more the feeling of having white powdery sand in places I can't mention, the freshness of morning breeze, soaking away beneath a waterfall, trekking in forest and mountain trails, and eating my ever favorite home-made "suman sa ibos".

Those simple things that may not amount to any endearment or attachment to if you're back home are seemed the ones you tend to miss most. Even things as simple as your old house clothings and your favorite spot in the house-- when you're away it creates a huge gap that can't be filled in by anything else.

Well, you may argue that I should have stayed home instead if I didn't want to be away from them; take into account, however, the fact that there are more opportunities for financial and career growth in the big cities than in the countrysides. As for my case, the money I am earning now from my job is equal is a little less than the worth I am earning with my day and night jobs back home and also that of my wife's job altogether.

On my commute to work early this morning, the bus I am on was picking up passengers from the bus stop when I noticed this homeless man sitting in a corner with his belongings in two large bags. He seemed cold and hungry and was all grimy as you would expect from those living off the street. From his looks he seemed to be in his forties. As I do usually whenever I see homeless people, I felt very sorry for him. It came to my thought as the bus moved on that he could also from the countryside, like most people here in the metropolis, and also wanting to go home like me. He must have failed to make a success here and now is wanting to go home but have got no money.

Somehow, I though I should feel better having known that there are other people who are more unfortunate than I am. I simply don't have the time to go home, while others don't even have the money for it. Still I feel terrible and quite worried about the man. I should have boarded off the bus and at least bought him something to eat, or even a cup of hot coffee as he was cold. He sort of stirred something inside of me that makes me want to do something about people like him. I always have felt sorry for homeless people and have sworn that if only I am financially well-off I could have helped some. Our parents have taught us to always have respect for others and much more for others' dignity. Certainly, people who are living off the street must be feeling a bit less dignified than most other.

Stories of failure are very common in the big cities from those who came from the countryside for the proverbial greener pasture. There could be many of them who are stuck here and are without the financial capability to go home. Perhaps some have found a way to survive on their own, while some have already given up and went to live begging for alms on the streets. I can't picture myself in the same situation as I have a few relatives here who could readily assist me. During the whole commute to work, I kept my mind occupied on picturing myself in a similar situation. I came to a resolution that I should at least do something about it and make a campaign to help those people in need assistance to go home to their hometowns. For now I don't have the capabilities nor the time to devote myself in such a commitment, but I have since sworn to myself it will be one of my goals to learn and find ways to be able to help them in little ways. I'm starting it with this blog entry and I hope to write to foundations, television stations, politicians, and hopefully I also get to publish an article about this on a major newspaper.

FIRST LINE

I have started a blog about two months ago and promised on the posts that I will keep it running for sometime, unlike the countless blogs i have started before. But then, it met the same fate as the others; and worse, I even forgot the password I used with it.


Here I am, starting another, and hopefully this time I will keep it. Starting this blog has its significance to me because I am back to Blogger, who hosted my very first blog years ago; and I also have recently gone back to using Sony Ericsson phones after some years with either Nokia or Motorola. My new phone has direct acccess to Blogger, which I think now is standard with most SE phones, wherein I can upload pictures immediately as I shot them using the phone. With that convenience, I don't think I will have a lot more reason to keep this blog.



With this very first post, let me just give you the things you can expect from this blog. I am a recluse person and I mostly write random thoughts that cross my mind for the time being. Subjects could be anything from music to short stories. I will try to be candid or open with my emotions, as my wife is anything but techie, and I may write some things that she may be otherwise be indeffirent about, if she gets to read them. I care about here more than any other person, so her not knowing about this blog will give me so much freedom about my thoughts, for there are some things about me she'd better not know about-- some dark secrets that only a handful people and God Himself knows.



Here I am, blogosphere.