Last Tuesday, I called Terrazas to make sure that they’ll let me in for the ocular. I was about to leave the house then. I was asked how I was going to go there. I had the map, I just needed to get to Nasugbu and then I can hail a taxi to the place, I thought. Wrong. There’s no taxi there, I was told.
T: “Paano na ‘yan, Ma’am?”
M: “Naku… paano na nga ba…? E kung jeep o tricycle?”
T: “Naku, pataas po ito, baka ‘di kayanin? Hmmm…”
M: “Hmmm…”
Both: “Mwahahahahahahahaaa!!!”
M: “Teka, sabi sa internet malapit lang yan sa Munting Buhangin. E kung magpupunta muna ako sa Munting Buhangin tapos tatawid na lang ako to Terrazas?
T: “Naku, ma’am, baka sitahin kayo ng guard! Dapat po sa gate kayo dumaan.”
M: “Saka ang jologs no?”
Both: “Mwahahahahahahahaha!!!”
I was ready to go and did not welcome the idea of postponing the ocular. I started to search for contacts. I was given a number of someone in Batangas but when I called, I was told that “Batangas” is different from “Nasugbu” but was given another number, this time of someone from Nasugbu. Explanations and pleas were made, followed by bewildered laughter and an instruction for me to wait while they looked for a car and a willing driver. After a while, I got the text message with the car’s plate number and the driver’s name. I sent a confirmation text with the same info to Terrazas. It was a go.
At the Nasugbu terminal, I met Mang Rene, who was to drive me to Terrazas which was just around 15 - 20 minutes away. He’s a jolly 61-year old man who has a daughter who works at Canyon Cove. I told him that we initially planned to go there but a big group paid for the place before we could. We’ll drop by, I’ll show you around, he said. After a few minutes, we were pulling up Canyon Cove’s driveway.
M: “Ah, Manong, baka ho masyado na tayong ma-late sa Terrazas? Mamaya na lang kaya tayo tumingin diyan?”
R: “Ay, nandito na rin naman tayo, sandali lang ito. Ipapakilala kita sa anak ko. Kita mo, kilala ako ng guard dito.”
M: “Okay.”
For someone hitching a ride, touring Canyon Cove was not such a big payment, but was more like an additional treat, really. The place looked nice and the swimming pool, laaarge!
.
After that, off we went to Terrazas. It was different from Pandan, of course, but its facilities are a lot nicer than any resort within 3 hours away from Manila ( a requirement in this outing) that I’d been to.
.
After Terrazas, on the way to the terminal, we passed by a church and I remarked that it looked beautiful. Mang Rene made a U- turn and said I could take a look. It was beautiful inside, and he was clearly proud of it.
.
We next went to the City Solicitor’s office where his wife works. His wife is the officemate of the person whose number was given to me by the Batangas friend of a friend. Great networking, I should say. Unfortunately, they went home already as it was past office hours, so I was not able to meet the person who made this adventure possible. She sent me text messages inquiring whether I was okay all throughout my trip though, which stopped from 4pm- 5pm because they were in a meeting. Mang Rene and I then had a snack in a fastfood where I got to know a lot about him and his family, and then it was time to go home.
I was quoted the price of P3500 for a van from Manila to Terrazas and back, but knowing that our budget will be too tight for that, I decided to just commute. My friends backed out, but I understand why. I just happen to have this weird enjoyment of the adventure and the challenge of going to unfamiliar territory, so I did go. I ended up shelling just a bit over P300. One thing I like about my trips is when I am able to arrange things so that I get to enjoy the fine things that other people pay a fortune for, for just a meager sum. With my integrity intact. Wow.
I guess another reason why I like going out of town in adventure trips like this is I get to experience the Filipino brand of hospitality that never fails to fill my heart with warm gratitude and pride. People see you traveling alone and you get a lot of travel tips, reminders and offers of help and even freebies sometimes. I was offered a free ride to Apo Reef, which costs foreigners A LOT, only I really had to go home that time. My payment for the surf tutorial and board use was refused (but I ordered them a round of beer in return, although i didn’t join in the drinking anymore, for safety measures). When I was in Occidental Mindoro I was given the front seat in the “free-for-all, find yourself a space” crowded bus so that I can “see the view clearly”. When I ate in a cafeteria to avoid the surge of the crowd and then found out that the buses were gone together with the crowd, the cafeteria owner cleared a sofa and offered it for me to lie down on while I wait the next four hours out. I did not lie down and sleep, of course, but you get the idea. People go out of their way just to make you feel more comfortable and make the trip more enjoyable. And they even share bits and pieces of themselves, as they entertain you with their stories and anecdotes. Of course there are people/ places to be avoided, but provided that you do not toss caution aside and that you do your “homework”/ research before going to your destination, one can always look forward to an enriching experience traveling to the beautiful places that we have here.
Recent Comments