Me: Ok lang, kaso safe ba dun?
Floro: May bata nga na nakasakay sa taas eh.
Me: Hmmm. (sabagay, if there’s a kid on top of the jeepney safe na siguro yun!)
The Good News: riding on top of the jeepney for the Bontoc-Tinglayan trip was a good decision. You’ve get to see the majestic terrain of the Cordillera right in front of you. The Bad news: I forgot to apply face sunblock! LoL! Imagine on top of the jeepney @ 1:00PM till 3:00PM in the middle of summer season with no face protection, unlike Floro who has his shirt wrapped around his face or Dong who has a scarf while I didn’t have any is totally the stupidest decision I made on that day LoL! (Mental note to self: Don’t forget to apply/cover anything on your face if you’re riding on top of a vehicle on a hot summer afternoon).
After the joyful Banawe-Bontoc trip, we had our lunch at one of the few open eatery in Bontoc. Funny how I ordered papaitan which I just eaten on the night before we traveled to Banawe (and I must admit my mother’s version of papaitan is still the best!). After the quick meal we hurriedly positioned ourselves to the top jeepney to Tinglayan (which actually only have 1 trip per day according to the townspeople). All the boys were on top while the girls are inside the jeep (and after a couple of minutes they fell into sleep).
Floro all covered-up!
Downtown Bontoc
Downtown Bontoc, view from the top of the jeep
Based on my conversation with Floro and seeing the kid sitting lazily on top of the jeep so I thought this trip would be a breeze.
Boy, I was Wrong!
I thought the road was paved or as wide as the Banawe-Bontoc road. I was wrong again! Almost 40% of the trip we passed through a dirt road courtesy of the landslide!
OMG! Dirt road + On top of the jeepney + deep ravine = Praying!
My sitting position is not also comfortable, thank god for squat exercise and tight grip control at the gym, I manage to endure the pain during the whole trip =D.
I remember one particular bumpy ride where were on the single lane, dirt road, on its side is a very deep ravine which really shook the hell out of me! It was so rugged the jeep literally moves sideways a little more on the side of the ravine. Scary noh?!
(When we’re in Tinglayan, the caretaker of the Inn told us that the driver knows the road so well they haven’t got a major accident like falling into cliff or river and people died. Only minor accident they encounter like overturned jeepneys and flat tire and stuff like that. People trust their drivers so well they don’t worry about accidents like that)
River deep, mountain High!
Besides the scary thought of me falling on the jeep or the bus roll over to the ravine, the trip was actually awesome! The view of the mountain, the mighty Chico River below, the blue skies, the rice terraces, the rickety bridges, and the green and brown mountain landscape was truly breath taking. Sadly I didn’t take more precise or dramatic picture of this views coz I was holding on for my dear life while the jeep we’re moving! LoL! Luckily Dong got a better seating position and took a couple of pictures while we are on the road.
Truly it was a wonderful experience. Will I do it again? Why not, given a chance!
Onto our next adventure..The Tinglayan Immersion experience.
7 comments:
galing! congrats on your topload experience. i never liked it (before) kasi ang init! pero naman, seeing the view on top, it's all worth it!
will wait for your tinglayan! =)
and btw, there's something wrong with your blog feed.. di ko ma-add sa blogroll ko. =(
hi chyng.yeah enjoy yung topload experience minus the heat and sunburn! waaa! shucks, ano kaya problema ng blog feed ko..matignan nga =(
ako din, wala ka sa blogroll ko. Why ganun?
Inggit ako sa Topload experience! hahaha!
Lapet na ng Calguas nten! Woohoo!
ayan naayos ko na yung settings, pakicheck nalang ult chyng and tina jejeje.
kitakis tina sa calaguas =)
hahaha... ang di malimutang deadly road trip. pero astig naman ang pupuntahan.
astig tlaga dom! for the win!!
Post a Comment