iSurvivedPalauiIsland: My Very First Solo Trip

“Seryoso ka? Mag-isa ka lang?”

“Hala, ang tapang mo!”

“Naku, ‘pag ikaw napano.”

These were the reactions I got from my family (except Nanay) and friends when I told them about my solo trip. More or less, these were also my worries. “Paano kung nag-hike ako mag-isa tapos yung guide ko dalhin na lang ako kung saan? O kaya baka ma-rape ako.” Such worries did not stop me anyway from pushing through with my plan. It was not really intentional, but since none of my friends were available (either no remaining VLs or had plans already). Sayang naman yung 10-day scheduled mandatory leave(SMVL)/forced leave. The original plan was Albay but somehow, I realized I have to fulfill the list of places that I want to visit for 2016. I didn’t prepare anything, though, only my tickets going to Tuguegarao and an accommodation in Punta Verde, Palaui Island.

Day 0

Time of my departure from Manila was 6:15 PM on December 26. It was my first time to ride a Deluxe Bus by Victory Liner and one thing that made me happy was seeing an outlet for charging electronic devices. It also has a bigger leg room. It’s as if I’m just travelling from Bulacan to Manila. Being alone is not a problem. It was not a comfortable sleep, though, because my seatmate was an old man – likot matulog. Our bus made a stopover in Aritao, Nueva Vizcaya. That was almost 11PM, 5 hours of travelling. Kahit paunti-unti, hataw lang ako sa tulog to gain strength for my next day activity/ies. We arrived in Tuguegarao at around 4AM. I secured a seat going back to Manila the next day, which at that time was a first class ride with 2×1 seats. Para wala akong katabi. Pricey lang ng kaunti. Then, I immediately looked for the nearby fast-food chain (5-minute walk) as I will take another 3-hour ride going to Sta. Ana, Cagayan.

Day 1

Hindi mawala-wala ang ngiti ko during the trip. Feel na feel ko na “ito na yun!” Yun pala yung pakiramdam ng alone….but happy. Achievement din kumbaga dahil first time ko ‘tong ginawa sa buong buhay ko. May time na napapatawa ako sa sarili ko kasi feeling ko nasa movie ako na “That Thing Called Tadhana” at “Sakaling Di Makarating”. Kaso yung mga bida dun ay may hinahanap. Ako naman ay para ma-relax lang. To have a peace of mind and heart. To enjoy life to the fullest. To conduct goal setting for 2017. To celebrate single blessedness. To reflect, and most importantly, to really maximize my SMVL. Hindi pa ako nakakarating sa pupuntahan ko, sinabi ko na sa sarili ko, “Uulitin ko ‘to.”

I let go of all my worries by praying the rosary. Nagulat lang ako kasi mukhang masama ang panahon. Kebs lang ulit! Nakakatuwa yung mga taong nakakasakay ko. Mga simpleng tao. Ang gaganda ng mga ngiti. Malayung-malayo sa kumplikadong mundo sa Maynila. Minsan may kakausap na lang sa’kin ng Ilokano tapos ako mangingiti na lang at sasabihing “Tagalog lang po.” Yung 3 hours na byahe, mukhang apat na oras mahigit. 6AM ako nagsimulang bumiyahe pero around 10 na ko nakarating. Binaba kami sa Sta. Ana Commercial Center and rode a tricycle to San Vicente Port. I didn’t arranged a boat but Ate Elsa, the owner of the accommodation recommended Kuya Benmar. Pagdating ko sa San Vicente Port, PASAMOBA office going to Palaui, sinalubong na ko ni Kuya but the dispatcher Kuya Eliseo assigned me to other “bangkero”. I told him I will be trekking to Cape Engaño Light House that day and requested to assign me to a girl tour guide. Next day plan was Island Hopping, Crocodile Island (no crocodile. The island just shaped like a crocodile) and Anguib Beach. I paid P3,000.00 for my stay (San Vicente Port going to Punta Verde. Then next day from Punta Verde to Crocodile Island then Anguib Beach then back to San Vicente Port). I entrusted myself to Kuya Polonio (0906 755 0626) and Kuya Nestor. Of course, I heard the famous question again, “Mam bakit po kayo mag-isa?” tapos ngingiti lang ako. Ride to Punta Verde was 10-15minutes. When Kuya Polonio was taking me to the house of Ate Elsa, he told me, “buti Mam pinayagan kayo ng asawa nyo.” Grabe si Kuya! Asawa agad? Pwede bang boyfriend muna?

Before trekking, I took lunch at Ate Elsa’s house with adobong tagalog na manok and adobong pusit. Panalo yung adobong manok. Instead of staying at a tent, homestay na lang daw at mukhang may nag-backout na guest. 11AM, nag-start na ko mag-trekk with Maricel. Kaya naman pala kala ni Kuya Polonio may asawa na ko kasi sa kanila, medyo maaga nag-a-asawa. 20 pa lang si Maricel with two kids na. Apat na bundok lang naman ang tinawid namin. Walang warm up, walang training, lakad sa putikan. Walang arte. Bawal pabebe. Kuya Polonio even asked me, “Kaya nyo ba yun, Mam?” Ako pa ba, di ba? Laban!

Hindi tumigil yung ulan. Sobrang lakas, basang-basa yung damit at gamit ko pati cellphone ko pero todo pose para sa picture nung nasa lighthouse na kami. The good news was, walang photobomber. Hindi nakakailang magpa-picture. Of course, we passed by the twin island called Dos Hermanas. Sayang kasi, if not with the bad weather, I would have witnessed the beautiful blue and green color of the whole island. Tama sila, “Little Batanes” nga ang Palaui. I really love the simplicity of life. Once in a while, I experienced the “province life”. Malayo sa ingay. Malayo sa kung anu-anong balita sa news feed ng Facebook. Higit sa lahat, malayo sa sumasabog na email sa corporate world. Haaay! I want to be back. We ended at 5PM. Ligo agad at sampay ng damit sa kwarto na may kalakihan pero ako lang mag-isa. Iidlip lang sana ako after nun, kaya lang napasarap. To add, walang ilaw. Dumerecho ang tulog ko at 9PM na ko nagising at tinuluy-tuloy ko na. Pagod lang?

Day 2

I told Kuya Polonio to take me to Island Hopping at 6AM. Pero sobrang dilim, ang lakas ng hangin at ulan. Lumayo ako sa bagyo, pero hindi ako na-inform at hindi ko rin naman na-check, na ang amihan pala sa Norte ay tag-ulan. Instead of going to Anguib Beach, we went to Siwangag Cove, shooting location of Survivor, because of the HUGE WAVES. Sabi nila Kuya payapa raw yung alon. Payapa pala yung mala-Rio Grande/Jungle River ride sa mga alon? Extreme, Bes! Kaloka! Nanglalamon! I prayed the rosary again. Pati Divine Mercy Chaplet sana kaya lang di ko pa kabisado. Puro praise and worship ang namumutawi sa bibig ko.

“Lord I praise and glorify you for this wonderful creation. I thank you for this boat that gives job to Kuya Nestor and Kuya Polonio. Thank you for this weather that I get to experience the ups and downs of waves. Thank you na kahit may bagyo nag-reserve pa rin ng time sila kuya sa’kin. Na kahit mabasa sila, kahit masarap matulog sa gantong panahon, kayod pa rin.”

At least kung mamatay man ako that time, na-glorify ko si Lord, di ba?

Dumerecho kami sa San Vicente Port at don na ko naligo. Yung ulan? Parang may kasamang yelo. Ang sakit sa balat. Mabilis na ligo lang at nag-tricycle na papuntang bayan. Kabilin-bilinan ni Kuya Eliseo, dispatcher, “Mam sa susunod may kasama na po dapat kayo ha?” Ngumiti ulit ako. Sa loob-loob ko, “Sana nga po.” Natuwa ako kila Kuya Nestor, Kuya Polonio, at sa iba pang mga bangkero na nandun. Hinatid talaga nila ko sa tricycle samahan mo pa ng magagandang ngiti nila. Ang dami pang mababait na tao sa mundo. Marami pang matitino. Marami pang masisipag. Simpleng buhay, maraming pag-asa. Saludo ako sa kanila.

At dahil nasa Cagayan ako, papalagpasin ko ba na hindi makakain ng pamosong Batil Patong? No, no! Kaya nag-last hirit pa ako before sumakay ng van and it’s worth a try! Naimas!

Four hours na biyahe ulit. This time, natulog na ko. Pagdating ng Tuguegarao, hinahanap ko yung simbahan nila para makapagpasalamat lang ba sa ligtas na byahe. Medyo nawalan na ko ng pag-asa to find a church during my trip dahil wala naman akong itinerary. Buti na lang (or pwedeng hindi rin ok) naubusan ako ng cash so kinailangang kong mag-withdraw. Kaso wala ring cash sa ATM kaya tinanong ko yung kasunod ko kung yun lang ba yung ATM sa area. Hindi raw, gusto ko raw sumabay na lang ako sa kanya. Sumama nga ako kay Ate Marinel and have a short talk. Actually mini-tour din kasi turo sya ng turo ng mga main spots sa city. Natanong ko tuloy kung may malapit na simbahan and yes! Nsa city pala tong church na to.

Sayang kasi communion na nung nakarating ako. After ng final blessing, kinanta yung “Immaculate Mary”. Naiyak na lang ako. Si Mama Mary ulit na nakagawa ng miraculous things sa’kin since I started my devotion last November. Hindi pa dun natapos kasi may Novena pala to Mother of Perpetual Help, and I was reminded na Wednesday kahapon, last Wednesday ng 2016. Nagdasal muna ako kaunti tapos umiba ako ng exit. Di ko naman alam na sa pag-iba ko na yun, nandoon ang Blessed Sacrament. It was not by accident na nandun ako. Umiyak ako, never minding kung may nakakakita. I was blessed! Really blessed!

Departure was 7:15PM. Nag-take out na lang ako ng dinner. Bet na bet ang first class bus na sinakyan ko. Sarap ng tulog at pahinga ko. Arrived in Manila at 5:15AM.

Syempre pa, I feel the love and concern of my friends who knew about this trip. Ang daming message na ingat daw ako at kung nasan ako. Merong iba na unexpected na nag-message. Pati yung hindi natulog and ensure na nakarating na ko sa pupuntahan ko. One of the best trips ever! Lahat unplanned. Lahat unexpected. Hintayin mo talaga yung mga nakalaang surpresa of every moment kasi grabehan yung saya. Ang sarap sa puso. Ang dami kong na-realize na ibabahagi ko na lang sa next post ko.

One word to describe my Cagayan experience? PANALO. Hindi malungkot na mag-isa. Masaya pa nga at puno ng adventure. Pero sana, sa susunod nga, yun na yon.