Summer Outing 2004

Ang usual hot debate ng summer outing, kung Baguio ba or beach, ay hindi nangyari this year. Kasi, Baguio na, beach pa, ang naging schedule. Isang tulog muna sa Lingayen bago aakyat ng Baguio. Ang tanging sentimiento, Friday afternoon lang pinapayagang umalis ang mga may outing. Di tulad noon, 6:00 a.m. Friday ay umaakyat na sa Baguio.

Entitled ako sa isang guest. I invited Didith, my friend from COA. Gift for her May 1 birthday yung trip.

Naku, na-Sasser virus ang network namin on May 6, day before the outing.

May 7, lumakad nung umaga yung advance party sa Lingayen at sa Baguio. Ang tourist bus, pinayagang lumakad at 2 pm. Sinundo ko si Didith sa COA at 2:30 pm. Si Director Espinosa, alas tres daw aalis. Sasabay na raw sa kanya si Joel at Jojo, technical people na pina-standby muna dahil sa virus attack.

Smooth ang trip namin ni Didith with driver Mang Alex and his daughter. Kumpleto ang tsismisan namin. 5:30 p.m, nag-ha-halo-halo na kami sa Chow King ng Hacienda Luisita.

Hinintay namin dun si Dir Espinosa. Iiwanan ang car niya sa Tarlac, lilipat silang tatlo sa FX na sinasakyan namin.

Alas siyete na yata dumating sina Sir. Nawalan ng aircon, na-traffic pa.

Dumaan muna kami sa bahay nila. Nilibot ang bahay at garden. Nag-picture-taking pa dun.

Tinanong kami kung gusto na naming mag-hapunan or kung tutuloy na sa Lingayen. Siempre, kain na muna.

Wow, sarap naman ng Chinese dinner dun sa Tea House sa Tarlac City! Busog na sa kainan, masarap pa ang kuwentuhan.

Na-traffic kami sa fiesta ng Camiling, Tarlac. It was so refreshing to be in the midst of an old fashioned town fiesta. Everyone was out to enjoy it. The streets were full of people, the plaza was so alive with activity.

Marami ring kuwento si Sir throughout the trip. About his experiences in the field. The quintessential tour guide.

Gabi na kaming dumating sa Lingayen. Di namin nakita ang dagat. Tulog na ang mga dinatnan namin sa Lingayen office.

Sa Communications Room kami na-assign ni Didith. Small, air-conditioned, and sound proof. Ayos! Naku, Didith, hindi ako magigising nang maaga sigurado. Tulog agad kami.

May 8, 2004

Alas siyete na kami nagising ni Didith! Naka-beach na ang mga tao, mahaba ang pila sa banyo. Alas-otso daw aakyat sa Baguio ang bus.

Ang aking water heater, di pala puwede sa hard water ng Lingayen. Sa Baguio na tayo maligo, Didith! Okay.

Ang sarap ng breakfast! Rice, fried egg, fried bangus, suahe, nilagang okra and talong with suka't bagoong, freah sweet mangoes, and steaming hot coffee. But we barely had 15 minutes to down it all.

The bus waited for us for 5 minutes, kasi nagpaalam pa kami kay Sir.

And off to Baguio we went. Parang ang dami naming nadaanang mounds of talaba shells near fishponds in Pangasinan. Uy, fiesta pala ng Agoo, La Union.

Medyo inihinto pa kami ng tourist bus sa paakyat. Finally, nung parang hirap pa rin, we suggested turning off the aircon. Ang sarap ng lamig. Niyakap ni Raul si Maribel at kami ay ininggit.

Baguio na! Saan tayo? Burnham daw muna for lunch. Staffhouse na muna tayo. Umulan konti. So, tumuloy sa Staffhouse.

Wow, ganda ng newly renovated staffhouse! Didith and I had a room with blue curtains and beddings. We freshened up, then ate our baon na adobo dun sa bright kitchen downstairs. Sarap!

Busog na kami when the tourist bus went to Burnham Park. Lakad kami to Session Road. Nag-dessert ng fruit pie sa Teahouse. We ate two slices and brought back the rest. Nag-ukay-ukay konti nang maabutan ng ulan.. Bumili ng Sagada grapes, saka Indian mango.

I slept at the back of the bus while waiting for the others to come back by 3:30 pm. Sarap magpahinga!

Next stop: Mines View Park. Goto naman ang kinain namin dito ni Didith. Then on to window shoppping for baskets, wood sculptures and Ibay's silvercraft. Pinapa-utang na nga kami ni Philip sa kanyang credit card! Nagkita kami dun na may pinapa-engrave nang bracelet si Imee.

We walked to the Good Shepherd Convent. Bought strawberry jam and peanut brittle. Took each other's pictures at the viewing deck.

Took the jeepney to Wright Park to rejoin the group. Posed with the colorful horses in the background. Watched the little equestriennes ride! Nel was so excited about her first ride with her children! The group bonding was very good at this stage of the trip.

Then back to the staffhouse where we had dinner of adobo pa rin. The fruit pie was a big hit!

Nakatulog na kami ni Didith. Namalayan na lang namin yung sosyalan nang medyo lumakas ang kantahan pero we were too sleepy to make an effort to join the group.

Sarap talagang matulog sa Baguio!

May 9, 2004

I woke up early. Went out and walked in the neighborhood. Uy, may mga contented cows grazing at the picnic grounds near Texas Instruments.

Bought coffee sachets and cooked rice at the nearest sari-sari store, and had breakfast of adobo pa rin with Didith as soon as I got back to the staffhouse.

Lina invited us to join them on the way back home. Dadaan sila sa Manaoag. Matagal na palang intention ni Didith ang mag-visit dun.

So we didn't go out anymore, just packed up and stretched some more in bed.

We went to Session Road, bought fruit pie at the Tea House, dropped by the local market, then had lunch at SM Food Court.

Drove down via Kennon. We got to Manaoag at past 1 pm. Nagdasal nang taimtim. Nagtulos ng mga kandila. Bumili ng komiks of Manaoag Church. Nag-tour ng museum. Napaka-ayos na pala ng church grounds. I was impressed with the Lady's statue carved in the trunk of a tree.

Didith so appreciated the Manaoag stopover. First visit pala niya iyon dun. Kaya pala ang tagal niyang nagdasal.

Masarap ang kuwentuhan namin sa biyahe. We actually talked shop, too.

O, wala ba tayong Jollibee stop? Malapit na kami sa Manila pero tumigil pa rin at nag-pancit palabok muna. Buti na lang, kasi na-trapik masyado dun sa isang stretch ng North Expressway. Hay . . . may naka-bump pa nga sa amin, buti at wala namang damage.

I got home at 7:30 pm. Nag-hapunan pa ako ng adobo pa rin and fruit pie bago natulog nang mahimbing.

Kinabukasan, maagang gumising at bumoto kay GMA.

P.S.

I am glad we stopped at Manaoag where I prayed for my Nanay's good health. The following week na siya naoperahan. Dala ko nga yung komiks sa hospital.