THE Ride from Tuguegarao to Sta. Ana

Alrightee folks! I traveled from Tuguegarao to the northern-most town of Cagayan Valley, that is, Sta. Ana. And, Oh My Gee! I never expected this "mode" of transportation! It was a van, yes. The type and style that we call "UV Express" all over the country. But not the usual that I have seen, even in the more remote areas of the Visayas and Mindanao. This ride was on a piece of "flying junk" hahaha!

It started like this... the night before I check-out at Hotel Roma, I asked the friendly front desk staff if there was a better way to go to Sta. Ana. than riding the bus. The very helpful suggestion was, I ride the vans instead of the bus, because, they are purportedly faster and more comfortable. Okay, I thought I would do just that. Staff even told me to remind them during check-out that I'm taking a UV Express commute to Sta. Ana.

I did just that. The eager staff went out with me to front of the hotel. He hailed a trike for me and gave instructions to the driver that I was to be delivered to the van terminal as I was commuting to Sta. Ana. Done! On arrival at the van terminal, trike driver even pointed to me which was the "pila" for those that go all the way to Sta. Ana. Yey!

Yehey ka dyan (I told myself) heheeeee! Adventure iniiii!

There were 3 vans scheduled to leave for Sta. Ana, one after the other. On the first that would go, I got to "reserve" seats 1 and 2 for me, myself and I! How? Ah eh, you just talk to the driver and/or some kind of "miron" or dispatcher or barker whatever! When I asked what time the thing would leave, the answer was "paalis na, hinihintay lang mapuno". Duh?! I appeased my royal highness by thinking "nasa probinsya ka, don't expect much".

The 'hitsura' alone of this "terminal" even heightened my self-reprimand to behave and don't complain. This "terminal" is actually just a vacant lot where they built little shacks on the sides to serve as sari-sari stores and, if you are lucky, also somewhere you can stand as you wait for your van. Well, if it is convenient for them, I cannot complain hehe!

Eto na si comfort in the van... my seat was not comfortable. The right side of the seat was tilting downwards, such that my seated position seemed a bit inclining to the right. And the material of this van (van pa nga ba ito?) seemed to be already 'decayed' hehe. I mean the material on the sides (like that of the dashboard) has cracks with smudges of kalawang and grasa that you would feel like you need to get anti-tetanus vaccination 'ora mismo'! The door on my side had no paneling anymore, revealing the tin material of the vehicle's door with the window roller that won't roll!

The seats behind me, panakaw kong pinictyuran. Oh look! Sosyal ang sahig! Linoleum hehe :)

Reflecting on the above, I naturally felt the urge of transferring to the next van. Thus, since we were not leaving yet, (kunwari magyoyosi) I got off and walked back to the two other vans still empty and waiting. Nanay ko! Ganun din hahaha! OMG, isn't there a law as to what degree of dilapidation or decay a van is, so that it cannot anymore be allowed to ferry passengers? And mind you, ALL 3 vans do not have air-conditioning. "Organic" sila dito! You make langhap the free unadulterated natural air of Cagayan Valley. Ganun!

Did you know that Cagayan is the "hottest" place in this country during summer? And when is that? TODAY lang naman as in April 2 Holy Week! Hah!

Frankly, I got to reflecting that I have over-under-estimated the place I come from. I really thought that all of Luzon have modern, updated and hi-tech conveyances since they all are accessible to Metro Manila by land. I thought, and still think so, it should be easy for them to acquire the latest in vehicles and gadgets, right? Ginoo ko, I have not seen anything as crap or scrap as this van anywhere in the Visayas and Mindanao. Anywhere! And I will stand on that!

Anyway, I was at this 'terminal' exactly 0958H and my clanky van was full at 1012H so we started moving! Yehey!

Maayos naman. I mean, as we 'waded' thru the Tuguegarao traffic in a dizzying mix of tricycles and motorcycles, it felt like my clanky dilapidating van was (I thought) running well enough to last on an approximately 150 kilometre ride to Sta. Ana. I WAS VERY VERY WRONG hahaha!

Five minutes of running along Tuguegarao City streets, my dear old clanky rusty tin of a van stopped somewhere along the hi-way and made a u-turn to a vulcanizing shop. Argh! Nagpa-bolkit pa ang gi-ahak! All that while, some passengers remained on board, as if nothing was happening. I felt like I was the only one who worried about all these things happening - although syempre, I tried my best not to show anyone the real feel inside my gut, my heart, and my irritated brain with blood starting to boil under the heat of the Tuguegarao mid-morning sun.

Anong aircon? Wala nga eh! Di ba sinabi ko na sa taas? Don't me, okay?!

Anyway, at 1054H, all was done and we were off northwards and out of Tuguegarao. Hah, that was nearly an hour of doing nothing under a very hot morning sun. Plus, I was thinking... 'tangina aabutan pa yata ako ng lunchtime at malilipasan ng gutom riding this van'. Eh 150kms away ang destination ko and here we were just going out of the city 6 minutes before 11AM. OhMyHypoglicemia... not now... chill ka lang please...!

Hmm, the ride actually started to get interesting as we forded the fine concrete national road. Well yes, what do you expect... my clanky van was running fast, but old as it is, am not sure if there still is that thing called "suspension" or "shock absorber" or "muelle" man lang hahaha! Honestly, this is where I thought: "okay naman ang speed nya, I just don't know when this furiously vibrating thing will disintegrate to pieces, 'wag naman sana ngayong nakasakay ako, jusko lord, gabayan mo kami" hehehe!

Pramis, nanawagan talaga ako sa taas! Kulba my heart!

Why do I say the ride "actually started to get interesting"? Well, it was the views left and right. This trip passes by so many of the proof that Cagayan is the "Rice Bowl of the Philippines". Stretches of rice fields as far as the eyes can see are the common vistas. And it was noontime, on a sunny harvest season! Ah, kilometres of the pavement were laden with grains being dried. Fine with them if these grains get run over by vehicles (it probably helps in the drying process or even already starts "milling") hehe!

Well yes, the van ride (without suspension?) was like riding the speedboats from Kota Kinabalu to Manukan Island! Fast but every internal organ in your body is shaking like chugudugudug chugudugudug! But not on choppy seas. but on well paved roads! I did shoot some videos of this ride on my phone. I'll try to post them here later.

Eto na...

1327H, I finally arrived at Sta. Ana, Cagayan. Hah! Amen!

==========================================  Click these numbers for a chronology of my notes: 01   02   03   04   05   06   07   08   09   10
11   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19   20
21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30
31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40
41   42   43   44  Forty four stories just 4U!
========================================== Or just click "Newer Post" or "Older Post" below.