THE WALK TO BACOLOD - DAY THREE - HINIGARAN TO PONTEVEDRA

I should probably start this chapter off with the fact that although the first two walks were performed during July and August of 2012, the journey would resume in July of 2013.  Donarae will tell you that I have a strong will and although I may procrastinate at getting some things completed, she will also add that when I finally begin on a project I won’t quit until it is finished.   Actually, I confess that things needing done will gnaw at me until I decide to “get ‘em done.”    Hence, the Walk to Bacolod had to get done. 

It was on July 14, 2013, a Sunday, while eating at the dinner table that I informed the family I needed to finish walking to Bacolod.  Even though the memories were almost a year old now, they were still fresh in the kid’s heads and I could see the trepidation on their youthful faces awaiting the offer.  Well, it never came up.   Although I knew they did not want to walk again, I also knew that they still would’ve come along with me, only because their papa asked.

 I had decided the adventure would occur on Thursday, July 18.   The kids mother, Diana, immediately made it known that I was not going to take the walk alone.  She said that should there be any problems, I would need someone along who spoke the language.  Although I was against the notion, I also realized she was right.  After the meal was over, Toy came to me and quietly asked if he could come along.  I replied that he had classes that day and school was far more important than this hike in the country.  Giving me a critical look of disappointment, I added that I would walk again that weekend and he could come along then.  The frown was immediately transformed into a broad smile. 

I had not been walking as much as I should have during the past year and in actuality, I was not prepared for this.  Another concern was enough water and avoiding the scorching rays of the sun. When I had climbed Mt. Mabanban in Zambales in 1975, I had not taken enough water and ended up with heat exhaustion.   I made it back to base after sunset, but my tolerance of excessive heat was pretty dismal after that.   I explained to Diana that if she was coming along with me, we had to be at the bus stop by 4:00 a.m.  Of course, I had no idea if any buses even came through town at that time of morning, however the main focus of departing so early was to beat the tropical heat that would blast its way across the island shortly after the sun rose above yonder mountain peaks.   I also made sure there was plenty of water this time……lesson learned from my previous walk.

The fateful day began early…..very early indeed.  I crawled out of bed at around 3:15 a.m. and sat on the side, with head in hands.  One part of me was bemoaning the fact that it was the middle of the night and any sane man would be sleeping soundly absorbed in his dreams, while the other part screamed that it was time to get up, get going, or suffer the solar consequences.  Pushing myself off the bed and into an upright position, I staggered out of my bedchamber and into distant bathroom.   Splashing cool water upon a scraggly bearded face did little to wash away the cobwebs in my head, however, I knew that the longer I hesitated, the hotter the day would become. 

I called for Diana to get up if she was going.  She seemed to handle early morning wake ups better than I.   Even Toy rustled to life long enough to wish me luck.  Still half-asleep, after a good-bye hug, he stumbled back into his bed and was fast asleep once more.  I placed two large bottles of water/ice in my black back pack.   Tied up my athletic shoes and with a soft closing of the front door, we exited through the metal gate and headed for the bus stop.

The   streets were deathly quiet.  Except for a barking dog or errant rooster, there were no other noticeable sounds as the soles of our shoes crunched on the loose stone scattered upon the pavement leading to Carabalan.  Reaching the National Highway, it was also devoid of any traffic.  The mercury lights hanging above the highway illuminated empty business buildings while an Angel’s food stand stood unpatronized, its attendant busied herself with the daily cleaning.    The bus stop in Himamaylan City consisted of twenty rickety open air seats and plastic overhang.   There were no other passengers at the bus stop….in fact, there was no one anywhere.  A single dog crossed the road in the distance, but nary could a headlight be seen upon the seemingly deserted highway as I stood in the center of the roadway eyeing each direction. 

After a wait of at least ten minute, in the far distance, a set of headlines came into view and I backed onto the curb.  To my extreme pleasure, it was a Ceres Liner.  Diana and I clambered aboard to the near empty transport and purchased two tickets to Hinigaran from the conductor.   It was a strange feeling traveling so early in the morning.  A few kilometers north of Himamaylan, the first southbound trucks passed by while a chilly breeze blew in through the open windows of the bus making Diana feel glad she had worn a cotton jacket that morning.   The stop at Binalbagan was brief with only a couple of passengers climbing aboard. 

As we traveled up the highway in darkness, the aroma of wood fires would waft their way through those windows, intermingled with the smell of frying fish as families housed beside the roadway prepared for a new day of labor and life.   Although the drive between Binalbagan and Hinigaran would take less than twenty minutes, I was surprised when suddenly the town lights of Hinigaran shown in the distance while the hint of morning light silhouetted the mountains to the east.  With the mercury lights guiding the rest of our way, the Ceres Liner pulled into the awakening depot. 

Diana and I disembarked and crossed the highway.  Slinging the

Fishing boat - time to wash laundry & rest

pack upon my back, I glanced at the beginning of a new day fast approaching.   By the time we had reached the bridge on the north edge of town, the sky had begun to transform from a black backdrop filled with millions of sparkling lights to a dullish blue.   We did spy a fishing boat sitting in the harbor with one of its crew enjoying a morning cigarette in his briefs. I also noticed a Filipino size rowboat,

Filipino sized row boat

as well as sleeping dogs along the causeway bordering the waterway.  The trike and truck traffic had picked up considerably as we reached the countryside, the darkness was all but gone now as a fast rising sun showed its bright golden rays from behind the mountain tops.  The cool air that had chilled less than an hour before was already being replaced by the mugginess of the day’s heat.

As I mentioned in an earlier entry, it seemed strange that I never saw

dogs on the causeway at Hinigaran

anyone walking along the side of the highway that day.  Then again, it was also quite unusual to see a foreigner walking aside the National Highway.  I will admit that I had seen foreigners jogging along the highway in Kabankalan City, but nowhere else did I ever see a hint of foreigners, much less the locals traversing those grass covered shoulders. 

Along this section, you saw more wealth with several large

A hexagon shaped house

block/cement residences as well as large metal gates to restrict

visitors built along the highway.  We especially marveled at a

hexagon constructed house, overlooking the distant Sulu Sea.  Yes, there were a few homes that had a cement base and block walls, but the Nipa variety were pretty well hidden from view.  At our first rest stop, I noticed people appearing from nowhere while walking upon a well concealed path, traverse a few feet along the

A local disappearing down a path

highway to a Sari Sari store and when the business transaction was completed would step back into that camouflage of tropical growth.  We also observed, a pair of bicyclists passing by on their mountain bikes.  That design of bike seemed to be better suited for the type of pavement pedaled upon here in the Philippines. 

A few kilometers later, at a waiting shade which sat atop a rise (one of only two between the two towns) we took another break. 

Bicyclists pedaling down the highway

Usually, if anyone talked to us, it was basically good morning, but on this day, a senior citizen traversed the highway and seated himself across from us.  Meanwhile his friends sat in the waiting shade on the other side of the roadway, as well as several trike drivers who straddled their seats with open ears.  

Since the man spoke no English, he conversed with Diana who, as it turns out, was a pretty good teller of tall tales.

He said good morning, and then was quiet for a few moments to set the tone before asking, “Where are you from?”  

“Kabankalan,” was Diana’s reply.

The old man rubbed his chin which was covered in white stubble.  “You walked from Kabankalan?”

Diana just shook her head in confirmation.

“And, where are you going?”

“Oh, we are walking to Bacolod.”

Tilting his head he gave Diana a serious look.  “And where are you sleeping at night?”

“Well, when it starts to get dark, we just put up our tent and spend the night there.”

The old man stared first at Diana and then at me with a look one would give to a couple of crazed people.  I gave the old gent a

Volcanic rock with black goat to match

doddering smile and, swinging the black pack upon my back once more, we headed northward up the road.   Diana told me later that after our departure, the snoopy inquisitor had quickly scooted back across the roadway to his colleagues as a couple of the tricycles also gathered over there for “the story”. 

Further on, we passed a rice field peppered with volcanic rock along with a scarecrow or something of the sort guarding the precious

Scarecrow in rice field

crop.  At one point, we saw a paved road leading to a National High School in between Hinigaran and Pontevedra.  Although the entryway was only a few hundred meters in length, what impressed me was the concrete benches which lined both sides of the avenue.  

You know when one travels in a car, on a motorbike, in a bus, or

A Filipino and his trike

even on a trike everything quickly passes in a blur, whereas when on foot, you have plenty of time to see a part of the Philippines missed by so many.    During our jaunt that morning, I took a picture of a driver aside his trike, per his request.  Caught a snapshot of a preschooler sitting in a trike, waiting to depart for preschool and more interestingly I caught the glimpse of an operation where they were chopping down and

A plant making kindling for sale

drying kindling for future sale to the public.  I would like to venture a guess that as much as 75% of the cooking done in this country is with either charcoal or wood.

As we rested in the semi-coolness of the last waiting shade before

Daryl Cleveland a.k.a. bounder

Pontevedra, a Sea-Oil pickup passed by along with a procession of

trikes announcing the grand opening of a gas station in town.  A couple of scantily clad girls stood in the back box and threw handfuls of candy at Diana and me.   Since I don’t believe in wasting anything, we scrambled (we were the only ones there) and picked up the free offerings to reward my adopted kids back home. 

With pockets full of hard candy, we walked the last kilometer into the town of Pontevedra.  Normally, you would see a Petron, or

Sea-Oil pickup throwing candy

Sea-Oil gas stations, but the first service station we walked by was called Scarecrow Filling Station.  Of course, business was dead there as everyone was at the new Sea Oil station down the road buying discounted gas (one peso off).

As we stepped further into town, I saw a couple travelers get on a bus by the community auditorium, so we stood there and waited. 

Scarecrow Service Station - Pontevedra

The first bus ignored our waves as it passed by while the second bus pointed down the road to a location, I guess, was where we were supposed to be standing.   It is hard to understand the minds of bus drivers when there are no bus stop signs.  Oh yes, he did not wait for us either.  Eventually, one stopped and we climbed aboard, found a seat, and settled in for the forty-five minute ride back to Himamaylan City. 

On the ride home, I was able to reflect upon the trek just

A preschooler awaiting the ride to school

completed.   I was pleased my body had held up under the

circumstances.   The terrain was a little hillier than the previous walks, but not uncomfortably so.  There were more businesses and Sari Sari stores along the highway during the latest segment with more industry here as well.   Diana was a blessing due to her linguistic skills as well as one who could spin a good story when the situation presented itself. 

Canlaon Volcano in the early light of day - 2013

Before that morning, I had doubts whether I could accomplish the walk to Bacolod, but as the public transport bounced along the pock peppered highway, I knew at that point it was just a matter of time and a few kilometers more before I finally reached milepost zero outside the provincial capitol complex. 

Bounder

December 8, 2015