Iguig Calvary Hills

This was in my list of places to visit. And I clearly agreed with the driver that we will make a detour from the Sta. Ana to Tuguegarao trip for this. So after Alcala, here we were. But I did wonder why he seemed 'oblivious', even 'reluctant' of those many sights we passed by that I wanted or was happy to see... and all of a sudden he acted 'extra' excited to come to this place, even showed me around and "annotated" my tour hehe!

So I went with the flow. Saan ka pa, driver na, free tour guide pa, di ba?! I didn't ask, but maybe he is from this place. O baka naman pari pala or seminarian or lay minister hehe!

On entry , this is what catches your attention, than the church which seems smaller...

Driver readily described this for me: the 14th station of the cross, the resurrection of Jesus. So I nodded and said "ah ganun?" And I asked "san yung iba, saan ang simula"? He said "doon pa sa likod, malawak ito. OMG "exciting"! We walked to the back...

But Mr. Driver did not explain to me what that blue plastic drum was doing there, and what those pieces of lumber were for. Those are like scaffoldings. I did not ask, because I already knew. They were preparing the place for tomorrow's event - Easter! Salubong!

This photo is part of that wall (see above) where the lady in blue jacket is posing and that 'gentleman' in red sando is standing with his back to the camera (nagyoyosi yan)

And my driver readily annotated... that behind the wall (there are concrete stairs) is the Cagayan River - actually malayo pa. And he told me that in the past, ships from Spain could still come to this place via the Cagayan River, and down there was the dock! Woa!

Few steps from The Resurrection is this church, so I said I might as well go in first...

And Mr. Driver was ever ready to accompany and tell me... that this is the San Antonio De Galicia Parish Church; that is was built sometime in the 1700s but many times renovated due to war and weather; that this is the first church featuring "buttresses" (napa-google ako dyan); and that the original structure was made of red bricks.

I found the inside rather small than it looks from the outside...

And yes, it is under renovation again, I wonder for what "nth" time. Oh, because I looked up, he also told me that this was the first church to use tin sheets (yero) for a roof!

Eto ka na, dear friends... after I said hi to Lordie inside that historic church...

Driver excitedly led me out into the open... and this was our view of the 13th and 12th stations. Of course we walked up to each of them. That's the mighty Cagayan River in the background by the way. And he explained to me what was meant by "Station 13 - Jesus is taken down from the cross". Oh yes, I listened.

And this is the 12th station - with another station (11th?) far in the background...

Of course I also listened to his descriptions.., that Jesus died on the cross; that to the right (of Jesus) is the good thief, and to the left is the unrepentant thief, and so on and on. But...

I was already wilting! When I looked at the exif stamp of that last picture, it said 1105AM. No wonder I felt like I was being roasted in a hot oven, and that I could really gulp a pail of ice-cold water hehe. So I jokingly said, "tara, let's go na, Guingona"!

So we started walking towards exit to find our vehicle. My driver laughed at my last remark, but I could see a hint of disappointment on his face, why I said "let's go" when we have only seen 3 stations. The last 3 in fact. Yes, pabaliktad!

I did not say anything about that. But why would I go on visiting all the 11 more stations? Under a boiling hot summer sun? in 11 hectares of summer-dried land? In Cagayan Valley? Hello! Never butig! Eh kung hinimatay ako dahil sa init? Aba di nagka-re-enactment ang 12th station! Ayaw ko!

I/We walked briskly towards the van. I just wanted to get in and breath and feel cooler air, out of the scorching heat of the day. And OMG, since driver was with me, van was grilling hot under the sun. When we opened the door, it was like we opened an oven! Ahh, we had to wait under a tree (at least meron) for a few more minutes before we could proceed with the ride. Argh!

And off to Tuguegarao we went, finally!

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