Everybody was busy packing here and there.Their never ending checklist of things to bring got longer by the minute.Although this is not the first time they'd be traveling with children in tow,it was the first real out of town adventure ever.
Most of the summer vacation trips we had was more or less the Manila-Tumauini(Isabela) route. Same thing during semestral breaks.We'd be walking around the house still sleepy with one eye shut to prepare for yet another 8 hour-almost-nonstop-butt numbing trip (father dear is not very fond of stopovers if you know what I mean).
I was awakened by the chilly breeze and the sunlight that was peeping through the windows while my cousins were still in slumber land. The winding roads that were endless seem to further lull them to sleep. I heard my aunt speak in Ilocano while talking to a lady that wears a skirt similar to the ones I see in postcards. To my delight she uttered, "Dito na daw tayo.Baba na tayo." Still half asleep, my cousins were dragging themselves while I was already descending the steep path towards the terraces.
The view was majestic.I was speechless. We were surrounded by the grand Banaue Rice Terraces. The landscapes were just beyond words.It was just me and one of my relatives gutsy enough to go further down the trail to see the Ifugao hut and walk on its muddy side paths. Unlike today, the path back then was undefined us having to sit and slide downwards.The green staircase like formations went as far as my eyes can see. There were several farmers tending to their fields. I was just awestruck.Took mental photographs and I said to myself that someday, I'll do this again. I promise, I'll be back.
I bought a wooden rice god and a miniature Ifugao hut since I cannot afford the real one on display in Banaue Youth Hostel LOL.It was the best summer vacation of my life!
This was 16 years ago. A lot of things have changed. We now seldom have family trips.The reason why I could still vividly remember the ecstatic feeling (and some of the details due to the mental photos I took) was because I have come to realize how good it felt.That its something that makes me happy.That traveling and seeing what the world has to offer is a way of learning bits and pieces of who you are.
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| My cousin was able to find this ol' picture of us during our Banaue Trip ( Circa 1996 ) |
Do you still remember the moment that you were bitten by the travel bug and how it felt?
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