Rough Groove

Travelling back

Back to posting from a few days vacation at Sagada. If not for the satellite problems there, I would have accessed the internet. Anyway, gota continue posting once I got to Makati.

Lucena and Atimonan Photos

Just added black and white people photos I took from Lucena and Atimonan at my account

Colors at Lucena bus terminal

Sunny day, colorful buses and a polarizing filter.

Back to Quezon

I was having second thoughts of rising early Saturday morning and go back to Quezon just after a week that I’ve been there. But what the heck. I need to settle some itsy bitsy things and I’m just feeling lazy. The mobile phone alarm rang at 0345H, woke up, set it to 0430H and slept back again. After it went off again, just lain a few minutes more trying to fight out my sleepiness. Just had around 4 hours of shut eye but I resisted.

WATERRRRR!!! A few drops from the faucet and there was none. Just the whizzing and coughing of an empty drip. If not for a half empty pail, I would have used my mineral water to wet my face and hair And so I went…

Southsuper highway early morn and the rays of a waking sun haven’t yet warmed up the earth that mist still hovered a little above ground. Just beautiful. Seems so peaceful, so calm, so serene… but its already 0600H and passengers have come and gone. Vendors at Turbina have also come, barked: espasol, chicken empanada, mineral water, buko pie, itlog, and then gone. The bus conductor issuing tickets, collecting fares, calling out passengers and talking and laughing with the driver in between stops. Early morning his uniform still clean. While newly pressed a few hours earlier, creases were already forming.

Sto. Tomas, San Pablo City, Tiaong, Candelaria, Sariaya and then to Lucena. Familiar towns and cities that I’ve been passing a few years back during my “pilgrimages” to Quezon National Park during my college years. Familiar in a way that I’ve seen the same streets, markets, churches, houses, bakeries and other shops. Well, some establishments are new like the spanking new outlet of Jollibee in Sariaya. But on second thought, not really familiar like knowing the place, its people, its history. Just the incessant whizzing and whirring of people, transportation, views and scenery as the bus passed these places.

The sky was clear and blue and the day warm when I arrived at Lucena’s city terminal. Nothing unusual here. Just like any other main terminals in the rest of the country. After taking pictures of buses, the blue sky and people, hopped on a mini bus bound for Atimonan to attend to some things.

1200H and I was already at the waiting shed thinking of where to go. Atimonan town proper? Gumaca? Calauag? Or go back to Lucena, have lunch and ride back to Makati? Hmmm. Its still noon and still have plenty of time for some town visits and maybe, some photo ops.

I was told by the conductor that Calauag is still two hours away. Too far. I guess, Gumaca will suffice. I used to ride BLTB’s (Batangas, Laguna, Tayabas — the old name of Quezon — Bus Company) buses on my way to Atimonan and usually ride their Gumaca or Calauag bound bus. Too many times but I haven’t really visited these two places except when me and a classmate passed these towns on our way to Ormoc, Leyte via Bicol about a decade ago.

I’m not really expecting much to see in these provincial towns except hoping that their old Spanish era churches are still standing and have not undergone reconstruction or “beautification.” Now, I’m a real sucker for these old structures. These are legacies of my cultural heritage and has become one of the unique symbols of Filipinos but, unfortunately, most Pinoys don’t appreciate much these old structures. Instead, these are “beautified” and/or remodelled in such a way that most of the time, its uniqueness is replaced by bland, design and in line with “modern” church styles. While the facade of the church in Gumaca still retains its original design, other parts have been replaced. That in Atimonan is worse. The entire face of the church was replaced with new bricks that I was quite horrified. Really sad.

After the church visit, went to Angeles to take photos of fish being dried, passed by the Spanish era Catholic cemetery and then boarded a bus back to Lucena, ate, and bound back to Makati.

Quezon National Park, 2

Forest snails locally called bayuko for sail at P2 per piece. Escargot anyone?

Along the road at the park.

Fungi growing on wood along the trail.

A solitary ant.

Chrysalis of a butterfly species of family Nymphalidae.