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Published: November 4th 2013
We All Need A Bit Of Calm Sometimes
A narrow piece of concrete flanked by a pool resort and the Donsol Bay. Donsol, Sorsogon.I’m having a staring contest with my breakfast. Quite literally. Two sausages for the eyes and half a fried egg for the mouth. That’s all I picked from the hotel buffet. And even then, I don’t feel like eating at all. Truth is, I only served myself this food to take a picture of it.
“You’re not going to eat it?” Sam finally asks me. He’s a colleague, a music teacher.
“I’m still full from last night,” I tell him. “After we had dinner, I went to check out this restaurant I’ve been dying to try since I read it in a magazine. And it turned out that I ate more than I can handle.”
He shrugs. “Too bad. You shouldn’t have stuffed yourself full last night. You’re missing on all these great, free food.”
For some reason, what Sam said hits me and it got me thinking. A few moments later, though, he senses the stalemate occurring between me and my breakfast. “Let’s get to the top floor and try to take pictures of the Mayon,” he says. “Maybe the sky’s clear now.”
Mount Mayon first caught my eye during the long road
Bulusan Lake
Kayaks come in all colors on the shore of Bulusan Lake in Sorsogon. trip from Davao City to Manila almost two decades ago, but the closest I’d come to it since then was on a trip to
Camarines Sur in 2010. So I grabbed the opportunity to travel to the Bicol region with some co-teachers participating in a faculty retreat to start the semestral break. For three full days I would give myself over to natural wonders of the place and my own thoughts. And our starting point is in Legazpi City, the provincial capital of Albay, one of the Bicol region’s provinces and Mayon’s home.
It was late morning when we arrived here yesterday and throughout the day, the volcano was shrouded by thick clouds from all vantage points – from the scenic Lignon Hill, which involves a 15-minute walk up a steep road; from the Daraga Church, a baroque-style church built using volcanic rock; and from Cagsawa, a touristy spot where the remains of a sunken church peek out of the ground 200 years after it was buried by lava flows from the volcano.
“Seems like Pangaronon doesn’t want his love to be seen,” said our local guide Liezl. She’s referring to a local legend, where some guy named Pangaronon rescued a
Bicolano Cuisine
Spicy fried rice and kinunot (tuna flakes and chili bathed in coconut cream) young maiden named Magayon (Bicolano for “beautiful”) from a jealous lover. When Pangaronon and Magayon were killed in an ensuing battle, they were buried. A few days later, the volcano was born. According to folklore, the clouds are Pangaronon, who’s locking his love in his embrace even after death.
Sam and I make our way to the hotel’s topmost veranda. Then there it is, in the horizon overlooking Legazpi City. Mayon towers majestically over the city’s low-rise structures with only a small patch of clouds covering the peak.
……….
We spend the next two days in Sorsogon, the southernmost province in the region and in mainland Luzon. Thick impenetrable forests line the narrow highways, punctuated occasionally by nondescript towns with warm locals and rustic vibe. The misty forests of Bulusan lend an eerie vibe to the lake in the middle of the government-designated, 30-hectare national park. Kayaking in the still waters is a rite of passage for many visitors, while more active travelers can do the 90-minute hike through the trail that loops around the lake.
But in Sorsogon it’s that one little town that calls. Donsol, a small coastal fishing village, has gained worldwide attention
Mount Mayon
Heavy clouds cover the iconic volcano. Legazpi City, Albay. for the whale sharks that regularly show up near its shores. Locally known as
butanding, whale sharks swim in the waters of Donsol to feed on the region’s abundant macro-algae, plankton and krill. These creatures can grow to up to 12.2 meters, while weighing up to 13.6 tons, which makes them the world’s largest fish. But sightings of these elusive gentle giants usually occur between late November and May, peaking at around February. So our chance of an encounter on this trip is virtually nil.
I end up spending our last day just lounging around the beach in Donsol, which should have been frustrating, but I’m not minding at all anymore. If there's one more thing that's become clear from the past couple of days, it's that I had let frustrations rule my life. It's through going when the whale sharks aren't there and when heavy clouds obscure Mayon that I have experienced an obvious metaphor for these frustrations.
……….
I remember what Sam said that morning and finally understand why I sat on that thought for a while. When your mind is just so preoccupied with something, it’s easy to take other things that matter for
Looking For A Catch
A man fishes in the waters off Donsol. granted. But life isn't about just one thing; it's about lots of things that go together to form a bigger picture.
Sometimes travel affects us differently than how we imagine it to. Places are not like stories with happy and predictable resolutions. We all wish that that the clouds would just roll away and give us an unimpeded view of Mayon. But there’s also something interesting in clouds casting miserable gloom on a wide landscape, on shadows of tall trees cutting through lonely roads, on the vast emptiness of the ocean. And as travelers, writers and artists, we’re not just looking for what’s beautiful; we’re also seeking the truth.
The last few weeks – months, even – have been an emotional roller coaster ride. I made some questionable choices and I certainly won’t be able to take them back, but this school break is just what I need to start over. The bitterness that has been dragging me down was the feeling created by my inability to put myself at par with the standards I have set for myself. It was in this experience of expecting nothing but complete freedom from anxiety that the frustrations began to lose their hold on me. I can choose to dwell on what's been done, or I can try finding new avenues in my life that will help me improve, not to bring me closer to standards imposed by anyone, but just to be a better version of what I am today.
I lie on a warm bench under a shade and take a deep breath. There is no sound but the waves. They crash into the shore, before breaking into foam and getting pulled back into the sea. I want to write about or take a picture of them. But I don't. A written account and a photograph are reminders of the past. For now, I'll just let time be, keep calm, and move on.
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anonymous
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Beautifully written....
Jay, whatever it was (is) that bothered you, I wish for it to go away. Yet, that same anxiety or gloom led to these expressions of your heart. You write beautifully. Even more so with your recent realization of your own personal truths. Cheers! ---- tita lili :-)