Tirad Pass, Ilocos Sur

At the Police Station in Quirino

Killing time in Cervantes

We thanked Manong profusely for we couldn't just imagine being stuck for the rest of the day in Quirino. Our jeep left town and traversed a stony and sandy but desert-like place, running on an imaginary road in the middle of nowhere. Actually, the Abra river runs its course on one side but I'm starting to imagine how the river gets big during the rainy season, effectively cutting off Qurino from the rest of the outside world. On our right is Mt. Monserrat. Hmm… we could climb this mountain next time, we thought.

Our jeep emerged from the desert and entered Namitpit town. Even in the heat of the early afternoon, some old women were sweeping their streets. It must be interesting to have a brief stay in this town and mingle with the locals. Our jeep went on and traveled on another open road that went uphill. We got off once to have a photo op with a spectacular view of mountains, rice terraces and rivers in the background. Then the road gradually descended to a valley where the town of Cervantes is situated.

When we got to Cervantes mid-afternoon, surprise! surprise! The minibus that we were supposed to take left early around 6 AM! Those who were planning to go to Sagada couldn't find a transportation that would take them there, so in the end, they decided to join the rest of us who were planning to go to La Union. There's another minibus leaving at 6:30 PM. We immediately loaded our backpacks inside. I could wait for the remaining 3 hours. Golly, I would even ride a broomstick just to get out of Cervantes. It's a quiet town that is best suited for those thinking of retirement.

It rained and we got a bit drenched under a shed in the middle of the plaza. In a neighboring shed, a drunk man was barfing his innards. He's also waiting for the minibus to leave. I warned our bus conductor to keep him away from us lest he pukes on our backpacks and us.

Around 5:45 PM, our bus conductor beckoned us. He had a new haircut! He could have told us we could have a complete makeover while waiting for the bus. He said we're leaving which made all of us excited that we immediately piled inside the minibus. Aside from the nine of us, there were few passengers with us. As it turned out, the minibus drove a bit around town then made a stopover in front of a house, probably the minibus owner's, where the bus conductors and driver had dinner. For the meantime, we entertained ourselves viewing a gigantic TV screen from a house across the street that looked like a lifesized birdhouse.

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