My Weekend Trips to Claveria (Cagayan Valley)

Where & Why?

Every Friday, I go up north.

Where up north? At Claveria, Cagayan Valley.

I had to. Though born and raised in Manila, I consider Claveria my second home.

My folks were born and grew up there. My grandpa and grandma lived and raised my dad and his siblings there, in Claveria. and my mom's family lived in a nearby Barrio, a boundary of Apayao.

How do I start and end my trip?

Every Friday, after an 8-5 office work, I run to the bus station. I take the pink bus, Florida, in Sampaloc (near Lacson) or in Cubao (Kamias); it is the only way I can go straight to my destination, which will cost me P750.00. Or another option is, I board a pink bus bound to Laoag which will cost me P800.00 on a sleeper bus with clean comfort room or P550.00 for the 2X2 ordinary aircon bus; choose the ones with comfort rooms. The bus ride from Manila is my sleeping time. As it will take maximum 12 hours. If I happen to drop off at Laoag City, that would be 9-10 hour-ride then have the other two and a half hour if i choose a van ride for P100.00 going to Claveria. The van terminal is near PLDT Laoag, Near Jollibee Bacarra Road. Or a cheaper chance is: I just transfer in Laoag to another Florida bus bound to my destination, at no cost, since I choose the bus I transfer to. It would be an additional P150.00 if I had not negotiated well, that I already paid much in a sleeper bus. The driver and conductor, who by the way, have the same name, "Rey", usually recognize me, as the frequent traveler. So I just hop in, smile, choose the front seat, sit comfortably, and enjoy the free ride.

The Stop Overs.
The Florida Bus from Manila has stop overs. In Dau, Pampanga, sometimes. Or they go straight to SCTEX via Tarlac. And the drivers have dinner in Tarlac. There is another stop in La Union, but I am usually sound asleep.

But I only ask the bus conductor to wake me up in Vigan, at Marsha’s Delicacies. I buy bibingka, “balikucha” or muscuvado candies, and cassava for my breakfast to early morning snacks and hot chocolate, to warm my cooled soul in that supercool bus. I return to my bus, remembering which one, as there are a lot of pink buses parked.

I sit sipping my hot chocolate. And I tell myself  "the sight-seeing begins".

This is the beginning of the breathtaking-sightseeing bonus to my trip.

The Sunrise.

At around 5 o’clock in the morning, I awake by the brightening sky as I approach Laoag. That dark to becoming orange horizon thrills me as I wait for the sun to rise from those greeny mountains on my right.

photo taken by my digicam, while inside the bus. simply wow.

I witness what they call, “the breaking of dawn” – from darkness, a spark of light dawns in my eyes; cracks my sleepiness and tiredness into excitement and pleasure. It is the most intense feeling of renewing oneself, one’s soul.

As I watch the sun goes up on my right, the left side of the road has another view of no other than, the ocean.

The Ocean View.

Those rock formations near the shore connect with the waves in splashing sounds. Sometimes I wish the bus driver would step on the break, and have a moment to watch the spectacular sight. That is just the start of the ocean view. It was just a sneaky quick look.

The Mountain View.

Along the way, when I look up to my right, I see the light house, a.k.a Cape Bojeador, along the road of Burgos, Ilocos Norte.

My eyes would see left and right to capture every single landmark, may it be big, or small, like the yellow bell flowers in a garden. Or a simple house landscape.

Hills & Windmills.

As I get nearer to where I am going, after some curves and turns, to my left,  are the Windmills in Bangui, Ilocos Norte. I see it from afar. Sometimes I imagine that if I had a house near those white whirling enormously built windmills, I would have a veranda and a “butaka” or rattan rocking chair facing it. That would truly be peacefully invigorating. Imagine, there's a gigantic windmill in right in your backyard!

The airy combination of the waves and the greenfields.
I pass by Pagudpud area, but not the beach side. I go by the mountain road side which is breezy.

We take that turn through a quick curve, and there, a different kind of gust, an amazingly breathtaking air gently blows in my cheeks and air goes into my nostrils, and brushes my hair.

It is a cold fresh air. That is the reason I would cut my trips until Laoag City so that I can ride the non-aircon van and enjoy the windy ride. Up there, you can see white sandy beaches in the cove of Mira-Ira. And I try to peep through trees to see the cove of Pagudpud.

And not so far away, is a very long bridge, the Patapat Viaduct. I can see the aquabluish waters with some serene waves. The feeling is so restful and gentle.

I approach more peaks, hills and never ending fields along the road.

Finally. Claveria,
There is one more sight I look forward to. And that is after the Claveria Arch. There is a place called Roadside, already near Taggat ( a barangay of Claveria). The roadside had a view of the hill in Taggat where there is a Lagoon. I always stare and glue my eyes to that spot, before the bus or the van goes downslope. There, in my memory, is a glance of Claveria Beach.

Just a few minutes more, I touchdown in Claveria; a peaceful, simple town, with a silvery-sandy beach, a cove, a rocky beach, a lagoon, gigantic legendary rock formations, and a lot more.

After a green leafy camote tops lunch and an afternoon nap, I walk to the beach called "BayBay". And watch the awesome sunset, listen to the waves, watch some white birds, and I whisper to myself:
"Thanks God, I am home."

Welcome to more blogs about Claveria!

(Papunta palang, awesome na!)