Sometimes you think too much that you miss out on the important details

I was awakened by a deafening silence. I searched for the clock and it said 3:30 AM. I remembered closing my eyes at around 2 AM and my mind went on “monkey-hunting” again—wondering from places to places, only to end up to this lingering image…yours.

In the photo: Salagdoong Beach, Siquijor

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[random thoughts...]

I was a bit rude to MB (or so I think). I felt he was reaching out to me but I was busy with feeling "toxic" that I did not care enough. "Kamusta ka na?" he asked. "Ahm, okay lang." I replied. Then he asked again, "are you really okay? parang hinde eh." He was right, I felt ill that day. I hate saying it but he reads me so well.

If every thing works out well, I will be in Beijing in November. I've been dreaming of Badaling. Hopefully I get to "walk in to these great walls".

I have been stonewalling again. =(

I have been thinking on the idea of buying a prime lens but there's just too many expenses to consider first. I want a new TNF backpack.

October 25--> a date I should remember.

And the heart says: "Don't condemn your feelings"

The mind retorts: "Not even for the condemnatory ones?"

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[postscript:]

The day he went for that 3-day vacation, I felt a pang of jealousy. He will be having a grand time in a paradise-like white sandy beach while I was stuck in the office doing loads of OT. But then again, at the back of my mind, I knew that of all people, he deserved that break. "Kaw nga dami mo nang napuntahan eh!" he told me. The "jealousy" came out of nowhere really. It's just that the place is full of "cheesecakes" and I wasn't there and I would only be wondering what will happen in that very "conducive" paradise like beach.

I sent him an SMS the other day asking if he enjoyed his vacation. He affirmed. I asked him: "Naglakad ka ba sa buhangin ng nakatapak para ma-feel mo ang powdery sands?" He texted back: "Yes, first thing we did was walk barefoot on the sand" (and concluded it with a smiley). I dunno, but my heart sank that day.

Batanes 03: Happy Ivatan

More than the beauty of Batanes, I think what struck me most about this place are the people, the Ivatan. They are the most heartwarming, friendly, and honest people I have ever met.

Before this trip, I've only met and knew one Ivatan, that's Crim. After this trip, I am happy to announce that the number increased. I had the chance to walk and converse with everyone of them. I adore children so most of my subjects are kids whom I've met while strolling around every corner of Batan and Sabtang Islands. I always found an excuse to stop by and chit chat. I have nothing but happy memories in this place all because of these happy Ivatan. :-)

I was telling one of my friends. "It's not bad to find someone here and get married!" The place is stunning, the food is great ...what else to ask for?

FIREWOOD GIRL. I met her in Sabtang while going inside one of the houses in Chavayan. I was actually aiming for the firewood against the stone houses (nice contrast I thought) but then I found a more interesting subject.

PEEPING BOY. I also met him in Sabtang. He was following me, I reckoned. But everytime I aim the camera at him, he would walk away. Finally after chasing him a few times, he granted me a shot. What a nice looking boy.

BESTFRIENDS. One of them was eating an ice cream, the other, green Indian mango. What could be better? And yes, I think they are best friends. I met them in Basco.

SABTANG KIDS. No, they are not the new kids on the block but you can call them that. They like to pose and pose behind the walls. The other kid (in blue short) was the one who was following me around.

STORE KEEPER. In front of the DDD Habitat, our residence in Batanes, there's this store which we kept on visiting for coffee, candies, or just about anything that we needed. And in this store is a kid who acted as a store keeper for his mom. He looked bored when I passed by for some packs of 3-in-1.

BONNET BOY. I met him at the back of the Basco lighthouse. I had no idea what he was doing there but I guess he likes observing the tourists. He seems like a nice kid.

WINDOW BOYS. They were watching a bunch of tourists who were passing by their house. I love how the window framed them. Yes, there were two of them.

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[Postscript]

This could be the very minute
I'm aware I'm alive
All these places feel like home
With a name I'd never chosen
I can make my first steps....

~ chocolate/snowpatrol

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i felt his skin and got burnt. i touched his temples and for a few minutes i revived every lost verve. spiteful words make meaning, slowly weaving into something that makes sense. somehow, it's making sense. but the story was never revealed to me so i never knew what to expect. i lull at the moment that one day, our story will have an ending. hopefully, even though it's bitter, it will be better. and yes, i still long for the rain.

Batanes 02: Vayang Rolling Hills

There is this particular scene in the 1965 musical film, The Sound of Music, which I remember so well because of the song, “The Hills are Alive” which Julie Andrews sang so well over a beautiful lush green hill. I knew this was taken somewhere in Europe but going to the Vayang Rolling Hills, the first place we’ve visited in Batanes, reminded me so well of this particular scene so much so that I wanted to sing while traversing the road on top of the rolling hills.

This is the first view you'll see standing at east side (on your right), trees and green grass. This serves a a good grazing area for cattle.

I was standing on top of the hill and saw a wide world of green, lush grass and felt the rushing of the wind against my face. My hair went crazy but the gush of wind felt good. Suddenly, all my worries were washed away. I wish I could have this rolling hills at my backyard that I could run to anytime I need space and some time to be alone (sarap mag-moment sa lugar na ‘to!).

On top of one of the hills, you'll get a glimpse of the Valugan Beach (boulder) also known for its boulders, huge rocks at the shore.

During our first day in Basco, the weather wasn’t as good as we’ve expected it. And for photo enthusiasts like Jay and I who hiked all the way to the top of the hills against the strong winds with our big cameras and tripods, the weather was a kill joy. We brought filters but it didn’t bring much vibrant to the very sad sky. The sky was as dull as a lazy cat meowing on a Sunday morning.

This is one of Jay's photos. He dramatizes the scene a little bit by using a filter (ND8). Making the sky and the view darker than the usual.

So what we did was just to enjoy the view. “God, the place was terrific,” I silently told myself. Everywhere I look, I only see beauty. The strong wind is a good ally if you don’t go against it. It carries your voice and your deepest thoughts somewhere. Somewhere at the top, the view of Mount Iraya was once again visible even with the dark clouds covering its tip. A heavy rain was about to pour.

Mount Iraya once again! :-)

A farmer prodding his cows for greener pasture. The cows are fat in Batanes, there are so much grass to graze.

Tall grasses, lush vegetation, wind...what else can you ask for? Even the rusty barbed wire looks great from here.

Deb is having her moment too, looking graciously at the sea. Who is she thinking, I thought.

One last pic before we hit the road. Here are my companions enjoying the wind on top of one of the hills.

Then we go back were we came from. A new batch of hikers are about to come up.

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Batanes 01: The Flight and Arrival

There's this Portugese proverb that says, “Visits always give pleasure - if not the arrival, the departure”. In my case, the pleasure starts at the aiport and heightens upon my arrival to a new place just as my foot was touching that unfamiliar ground.

It was from Crim that I first learned about Batanes, it was way back in college. I've heard of the place prior to that, but because she's an Ivatan and a close friend, the urge to know her roots and to actually experience the place was further intensified. She would always tell me stories about her hometown and how beautiful it is. She would tell me about her house and its proximity to her school and the park and I would only imagine them. A few years forward...I could not believe I was making this imagination into a reality.

Appreciating how beautiful Batanes is...I owe it to Ferdz and his blog. My fondness for the place grew deeper because of the tons of photos he took after his several visits and how he described them. His blog has became my "guide book" in exploring Batanes. It's like saying, "Everything I knew about Batanes I learned from Ferdz!" hehe.

So after five days...I was able to experience beautiful Batanes, finally.

I will be posting a series of entries starting with our flight and our arrival.

There were six of us. Deb, Etch and I were the first batch to check in. We were too early since the lady at the counter was still attending to the passengers going to Caticlan (excited masyado, hehe!). Nonetheless, she accommodated us. I was hoping not to check in my tripod but the guy who was taking our backpacks said it 's not an option. (Baka daw kase gawing armas para makapanakit, nu ba yan.)

Our flight is at 8:20 AM but way before our boarding, I already spotted the 30-seater SeaAir aircraft that would take us to Basco, Batanes. "Hmmm, looks promising!" I told myself. I have my own reservations about small aircrafts. I am not scared to die, but I am scared dying while in a plane.

Since we made an early check-in, we had the time to eat breakfast. Etch was thinking what SeaAir would be serving us. We were thinking of coffee and bread or way better since we paid so much for the tickets (much expensive than going to any SE Asian country). But instead, the flight attendant served us 4 pieces of Hi-Ho Nuts and a bottled water. Good thing we ate breakfast prior to our flight. I liked the Hi-Ho (garlic) though. Much better than Nagaraya (I think).

The whole trip was okay (except for a few air pockets that made my stomach churned). We had an amazing pilot, he's Korean or Chinese or Taiwanese. I took a stolen shot, Etch was teasing me.

Arriving at the airport, we were greeted by the beautiful view of Mount Iraya, a heavily forrested stratovolcano which is an important landmark for the Ivatans. And like any important marker, this too is loaded with stories and legends. Considered as a minor climb, Mount Iraya can be hiked 3-4 hours to the summit.

We were all excited to start our adventure in Batanes. Immediately, we proceeded at the arrival area to meet the people from DDD Habitat, our official residence in Basco, Batanes.

All tourists are required to register at IDJANG which means Ivatan Desk for Joint Action Network of Guides. They'll get basic information from each tourist visiting Batanes including contact numbers and emails.

While my companions were signing in, my eyes feasted over the photo exhibit of Mannie Barradas showcasing his captivating and amazing shots of the Islands. I got a bit carried away by the images that I didn't notice my friends already leaving the area. They were at the pickup point.

It was here that the staff from DDD Habitat picked us up. There were more photos exhibited at the waiting area.

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[Postscript]

My supervisor and I were interviewing applicants for the writer position and one of them, looking very corporate and preppy said, "Can I ask about the salary?". I had a hint that she's going to ask about it. Most "experienced" applicants reserve such question in the end. We told her about the starting salaries for writer and noticed by her facial expression that she wasn't quite happy about it. "I was hoping for 18K to 20K po sana since my current salary is 18K yun nga lang po graveyard shift kaya gusto ko mag-resign." This conversation reminded me of a previous applicant who just recently resigned. The same issue, same reason. I don't think we will be seeing her soon.