Holy Road Trip 2007 - Day 4

Day 4 (Easter Sunday, April 8, 2007)

Spending 5:00AMs threading the beach, playing with the slowly receding salt water, while waiting for the sun to rise from the horizon is a treat any beach-bum would envy. Aside from the usual audiovisual and toothsome feast, our last few hours in the island were capped with the ultimate indulgence… a relaxing full-body aromatherapy massage courtesy of their in-house and specially trained band-of-brothers. These siblings were locally trained and had been servicing guests for almost 3 years. At a measly PHP 200.00, you get physically pampered from head to toe for the next hour or so in a relaxed pace uncommon to the kind of commercially-coined attention you get from Boracay or Puerto Galera masseurs. They use soothing and unique aromatic oil under the soap brand name DAILA, which has evolved from Pansacola’s familiar roots and has become an internationally acclaimed brand in herbal products. An hour of calming maneuvers and comforting touch and we were off for a short trip to dreamland.

The trip back to the mainland was amazingly quicker and peaceful. As we bid farewell and inch farther from the captivating island, we can’t seem to stop planning when our next visit will be and the people we know who would appreciate the island and have the same unforgettable experience we had in Lamon Bay’s little paradise and best kept secret, Cagbalete Island.

Back at the town proper of Mauban, we got a glimpse of a lively upbeat town coming to life after solemn week of religious obligations. Bakasyonista’s roaming the streets, looking for pasalubongs, enjoying the views and packing to leave and return to their urban quarters. We took time for another round of local halo-halo, dinuguan and puto at a local joint, went home, took a quick shower, packed, had short beso-beso with my folks and we’re off to the shorter but dusty route leading directly to Tayabas, Quezon.

As we approach Tayabas, we made a quick stop, hopped out of the SUV to take pictures and marvel at Malagunlong Bridge in Tayabas. It is considered to be the oldest one in the town which was built by the Spanish colonizers, at the same time the Basilica Minore of St. Michael the Archangel was constructed, around late 1500s. The bridge embodies the majestic reigns of our Spanish colonizers, standing sturdily parallel beside a newly constructed bridge where we passed and stopped. The view from the new bridge gave a perfect vison of the imposing and distinctive mammoth arches of Malagunlong Bridge. Used a couple of times as scene locations for some local period movies, this magnificent piece of architecture is undoubtedly worth preserving. At its view, one can’t help but wonder how a bridge, made in a technology-less period of our history, survived almost 500 expanded years and still look splendidly grandiose.

Early that night, after a slowly moving convoy of weary Kababayan’s, we reached San Pablo City to reunite with our well-missed chum, Argus. We picked up his stuff, loaded Argus at the SUV, thanked Red’s folks for being gracious hosts and we’re back on the stuffed road. We made a quick stop at South Super Highway’s northbound Total Station and Food Stop and spent an hour to eat dinner and a round of cold coffee at Starbucks. We reached Mandaluyong late Easter night, parked, unloaded the SUV and like exhausted cadet’s coming from a tough drill, we dropped like logs on our beds and started snoring like hell. What a trip! And all for less than P 8,000.00 for all the four of us! Quite a feat isn’t it?

Our stress-filled city life needs break once in a while. I figured road trips like these serves a fitting purpose. It maybe to rekindle long lost friends and relatives. It maybe to feast your eyes with sceneries new to your pupils. Or maybe to relax and feed our souls with fresh air, cool breeze and a worry-free life. But for whatever reason or purpose a vacation may serve, one can surely discover that a life with friends, family, peaceful scenery and a soul fed with nature’s offerings will surely be anybody’s life-long quest.

Until the next trip!

~end~