A Day in the Life on Sierra Madre
By Mila Glodava
Trying to stay awake at four o’clock in the morning on the way to Infanta for my first stewardship seminar last July 8, my mind wandered a bit and memories of my childhood days in Infanta started flooding into my consciousness.
I remember the days when we had to get up early in the morning to catch the first bus – a rickety one at that -- to Manila and then trying to catch a wink while holding on tightly to the back of the seat in front to keep from falling off the seat as the bus maneuvered through the winding, bumpy and treacherous roads. Oh, and those cliffs! The buses seemed right on the edge, and could easily fall in the ravines below. I used to just hold my breath in fear!
I even remember the day I first went to Infanta in 1948, when bridges were still in short supply. One such bridge missing at the time was the Tignoan Bridge. Instead, passengers had to cross the Tignoan River via a barge. My father had to go back and forth to take care of his boxes of store supplies. Of course, he had to carry me too to the barge to get to the other side.
Those were the days, indeed!
Today, we’ve been blessed with beautiful roads from Manila to Infanta. The tree-lined paved roads in Rizal and Laguna provinces are a beauty. And the Sierra Madre, although showing some stress from illegal logging, is still breath-taking in its grandeur with hints of red and yellow from the ever present “gumamela,” “bongabilya” and “hintay-hintay.” And waterfalls and springs add a sparkle to the green vegetation.
The day in the life of people along Sierra Madre has not changed much. At the crack of dawn, people are already around and about in front of their homes. “Pasalubong” vendors open very early in the morning. A mother gives her children a bath with a hose attached to a water spring at the foot of the mountain.
Women enjoy a chat or more likely “tsismisan” while washing clothes along the road. And in the early hours well-groomed students in uniform walk vigorously to school, their books and school supplies in backpacks, while some pack themselves tight in a tiny tricycle.
While still half asleep I knew I was home when the smell of coconut shells burning into charcoal started to hit my nose. Meanwhile swept leaves under the trees are burning too, some to initiate blooms of fruit trees. Ah, the smell of home!
As we were about to enter Real and Infanta the bright sun above the blue Pacific Ocean was a sight to behold. I was home, indeed!