Tirad Pass, Ilocos Sur

Trekking in Tirad Pass

I climb the road to Cold Mountain,
The road to Cold Mountain that never ends.
The valleys are long and strewn with stones;
The streams broad and banked with thick grass.
Moss is slippery, though no rain has fallen;
Pines sigh, but it isn't the wind.
Who can break from the snares of the world
And sit with me among the white clouds?

- Han-shan
Dailyzen

Pre-departure and first leg of the trip

I was too tired to pack my bags the night before our departure. The following day, Friday, I promptly called in sick at work, trying to put a hint of hoarseness on my voice, hoping that my voice does not give away the excitement I felt for the long weekend ahead.

Time to pack your bags, honey, I told myself. Instead, I still procrastinated by singing back-to-back the VCD karaokes I just bought. In the middle of Rita Coolidge's “Were All Alone,” the phone rang. I was immediately drawn on a three-way conference call with Edwin and PL which is nothing much but what time are we meeting in Cubao, so we could all have dinner and proceed to Partas together. PL was anxious what food to bring as he would be traversing to Sagada.

We settled to meet at Jollibee at the corner of EDSA and Aurora. By the time I got there, the three (PL, Edwin & Elsa) were already halfway through their meals. I tried to ignore the stares from the other customers, who are for sure curious about our big backpacks and of course, our hiking attire. Jinkee came in as I fell in line to buy a 2-piece Chicken Joy meal.

At Partas, we bought our tickets as soon as the party of Joan, Rene & Lemmy arrived. Alvin was late and our bus rolled off as soon as he took his seat. I wonder why the Partas ticket to Candon was pricey at P339. For a longer trip to Banaue, one can buy an Autobus ticket for only P250. We were soon fast asleep despite the strong airconditioning of the bus. Our night trip to Candon was mostly uneventful. The bus made a midnight stop somewhere in Tarlac where we all got off to stretch our legs and eat. We entertained ourselves looking at a government poster with mug shots of the most wanted men by the government. I bought myself a Mountain Dew and a lousy hot dog, which I'm pretty sure my dogs at home would not give a second glance. I saw one passenger try to buy a small pie; the seller discouraged her to buy and said that the pie is stale. Gosh, why was it still on display?

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