Tirad Pass, Ilocos Sur

Rice terraces at Gregorio del Pilar town, our jump off, about 2 hours from Candon

Early in Candon

We arrived in Candon quite early. It was 3:30 AM. At this early, the market was closed and according to some drunk men (I had no choice because they were the only ones around when we arrived, okay?), it won't be open until 8 AM! Had we known earlier, we could have bought all our food provisions in Manila. Also, at dawn, there was no jeep we could hire to take us to Del Pilar.

But we could already see some people, young and old, exercising in the park. I met two old men who were briskwalking. One inquired where we're headed and I told him we're trekking to Tirad Pass. I was surprised when he told me that he's never been to Tirad Pass in his 66 years at Candon. He's now retired and has served the town previously as its chief of police since 1968 and municipal councilor 20 years later. He introduced me to his brother and challenged me to guess the latter's age. He's 84 years old. They must live long and healthy lives in this town. Hmmm…not a bad price eh? Candon folks are early risers. I just can't connect it to that business with the market that opens late.

We passed our time until daylight at a gazebo in the plaza. I remembered Candon as a boring place of shops which the bus passed on previous trips to my mother's hometown in Abra,. At dawn, it seemed okay. It's even now a city. You can't call a place a city unless there's that familiar M sign which is a visible landmark from afar. At exactly 7 AM, we paraded to Candon City's McDonald's. A crew opened the store as soon as he saw us lingering on their parking lot, vying for the coveted spot on a bench beside Ronald McDonald.

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