Hello again, dear hivers!
Yesterday we went back to my previous assigned school to get my things, because I’m now transferred to another school. My former station was Tambo Elementary School in Purok 4, Binicalan, San Luis, Agusan del Sur. It is 44 kilometers from the town proper and around 42 km from our house. It takes almost two hours to get there.
Whenever we travel here, we wear boots because the road is muddy and we never know what wild animals we might meet. We’ve encountered snakes before, including a king cobra! This time it was a stray dog that looked ready to attack but it backed away as we passed.
About 10 km from home, my husband got thirsty, so we stopped at a store on the side of the road and bought a liter of water for Php 35.00. It felt pricey, but business is business. He drank quickly because a ten-wheeler truck was ahead of us, and he wanted us ahead to avoid the dust.
Fortunately, a man signaled he wants to hitch for a ride, giving us a chance to overtake safely.
The road to Tambo is steep and surrounded by thick forest filled with towering trees. These trees offer shade but can also be dangerous during strong winds. I remember a typhoon that once passed by, damaging homes and snapping electric wires in Barangay Mahayahay, one of the communities we pass by.
The road isn’t fully cemented, some parts are rocky, others muddy. There are also uphill and downhill roads. During the rainy season, the route gets so slippery with thick mud that we sometimes have to walk up or down while the motorcycle is often pushed or pulled and sometimes hauled with help from co-teachers or locals. So, we make sure we have companies when we come here. So help is readily available if circumstances need it.
We paused briefly when my husband needed to pee, and I used the moment to capture some wildflowers growing on the roadside.
We also came across motor cycles with wooden wings we call “de katig”. In some places they call this “skyline”. These are used for hauling, either goods, agricultural products or simply a ride for humans. These are usually used on the ride to mountainous areas here in our province. Have you had a ride with this? It’s a must try to experience.
When we reached the school, I packed all my things into these bags and plastic.
Time passed quickly, and before we didn’t notice it was already 1 p.m. and we hadn’t eaten. My husband bought two eggs and a can of corned beef from a nearby store. We couldn’t find rice, but we did saw cassava and sweet potatoes in the cottage kitchen. So we cooked the sweet potatoes as a substitute for the rice, we Filipinos love. We cooked it using the kettle we have in the cottage.
After eating, we started heading home to avoid traveling in the dark. On the way, we stopped at a tubod or a natural spring to have water. This spring provides the community with free, clean drinking water flowing non-stop from nature.
I wished I could take a good photo of Adgawan River, the community’s clear and refreshing river where we used to bathe and do laundry. Sadly, we were already packed on the motorcycle and I couldn’t get off easily. I regretted not taking photos when we were still on our way to the school.
I will surely miss my colleagues and my students and the memories we shared together.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t see them since it was a weekend. This is the start of another journey for me. I feel happy and a little uncertain about what lies ahead but I’m hoping for the best.
‘Til next time! I hope you enjoyed reading today’s blog.
Note: Photos and words are mine. Photos are edited in Canva.