The last night of our stay on the island has been so long. I remembered that I fell asleep at 3 AM because my cousins have to leave and go back in our barangay (Alobo, 45 minutes away from Maniwaya by motorboat). Just like us, ending up a chill moment (when we don't have to think of our daily routine, A Escape!!) made them bit sad.
I woke up as early as 6 AM. I have a shallow sleep that night because I was thinking of our logistics going back in Manila. We heard and I read blogs that there is back door trip from the Island wherein the Poso (a big version of banca) has a daily trip on Gen Luna, Quezon. The Poso will depart from the island at 6:00 AM and 10 AM. Whenever I have a situation like this that I must wake up early, my body alarm clock works automatically.
I was the one who woke up first, then my brother and Jann. We ate first our breakfast on the nearby Sari -sari Store. We ate a light meal of bread and liver spread and a cup of coffee!!! Afterwards, we break our camp area and put things on our backpack. We took shower at Manang's House and cleaned everything in the camp site. We have remaining time before the Poso arrived so we got few minutes of nap.
Leaving this piece of paradise did really upset me. But this is the reality, we have to go back to our norms. Living again in the city of hustle and bustle, thank God though for allowing us this opportunity of letting everything go.
While snatching a nap, I stared up to the blue sky, an indication that we'll gonna have a fair weather for that day.
The sea was almost flat that you won't see waves. It was like a huge mirror reflecting the sky above. At 10 AM the second trip has arrived. We immediately hopped on the Poso. It has 30-50 seating capacity. We sailed flawlessly that seems the ocean is giving us a laid back travel. We arrived in port of Gen. Luna, Quezon at 12 PM.
A fried pig's head at the carinderia where dine in.
An ancestral house in front Town covered court.
At that day, Easter Sunday on town has their own version of Moriones, they call it Centurion.
Features also masked men, strolling around the street. Their costumes were made of colorful plastic straws combined together to create a fluffy look. Obviously, this festival of them was far young and as not as festive from Marinduque's Moriones. We took a peek of the said festival held inside the covered court for their judging portion.
After a walk around the town, we proceeded to the waiting place where we boarded ib a bus heading to Lucena City.
Statue of Gen. Antonio Luna, one Philippine revolutionary leaders. It is where we have waited for buses that would bring us to Manila.
For almost 2 hours of waiting, we got the chance to board on ordinary bus. Given that it was summer and holy week has just passed, numbers of passengers were heading back in cosmos, including us. We reached Lucena City after almost 3 hours and stopped there for 30 minutes. We were already exhausted because from town of Gen. Luna, Quezon we did standing up to Atimonan, Quezon. (that was so tired!!).
We are passing the town of Sariaya, still in Quezon province when my younger brother Paul felt uneasy because of LBM. I was pissed of him that time because I really wanted to go home early. But he can't help to stop it at all. He has to go in toilet. At first, I allowed him to go by himself and think of he can do it alone. Then few kilometers after he boarded off on the bus and after I made a call to our father, we decided to go back in Sariaya and assisted my brother to his agony.(somehow I felt guilt about that, thinking of what might happen to him. like be dehydrated and other worse scenarios) He made a poof in a fast food restaurant just along the national road.
It is almost sunset when he was done and his agony is over. We are in Sariaya and we took opportunites to explore the place. This town is known for its well preserved old houses, some of it are hundred years of age and were designed by notable local architect. My history buffness rushed once more. Though everyone was tired, we seem still energetic to walk around.
Our first stop, the Church of Sariaya.
The present structure was built in 1748 after numbers of reconstruction after natural calamities has strike on it.
From the church we walked further, and was fascinated by these old houses.
These was the usual scene in streets of Sariaya town proper. Old century houses all over the main town proper.
The style of houses adopted the concept Bahay na Bato.(Stone House: a traditional Filipino house) It has ventanillas and Voladas plus detailed designs of colorful windows and wall openings.
Margarita Rodriguez House, My grandmothers house!!! No just kidding!! just happened that we have same name!!!! (How I really hope she was my great great grandmother and inherited to me that house!!)
Among the ancestral houses of Sariaya, the pictures of old mansion above was the biggest and the grandest. It is owned by Natalio Enriquez, said to be one the most influential and richest person on early days of Sariaya.
What was also significant to this mansion, it was designed by Andres Luna de San Pedro, the son of great Filipino painter Juan Luna Y Novicio.
Art Deco has evidently reached the town. It is seen on their town hall. It was design by notable Filipino architect, Juan Arellano.
Influence of Rizal (Philippine National Hero) can also be seen in the town. The Plaza and pocket park was with a statue of the great son of Malay Race.
The sky started to dim and Mr. Sun was about to hide when we decided to head back to Manila.
That holy week vacation was really full packed. From festivals, trekking and beach hopping, we enjoyed most of it. I would never hesitate to do it all over again but with other itineraries like spelunking and dipping on a hot spring or to chase waterfalls. My hometown is indeed a heaven for me. It has more to offer. So if you are looking of package of back to nature and diverse cultural experience, why don't you try Marinduque and let me be your personal tour guide for free!
Thanks God for giving us a safe and adventurous experience!
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