🇵🇭 SAN QUINTIN • (Abra) Raw Natural Wonder with Real Sense of Freedom

"I set my eyes wide open to see and savor the great space, it was freedom! I enjoyed the moment seeing the frontierless space, it was freedom! It was indeed an endless space beyond my reach."

It was a great sweet escape from reality - the reality that I work 8 hours a day (sometimes I have to work 12 hours) and 6 days a week. It is the reality that I am longing for space, freedom and delight badly. It is the reality that I am thirsty of seeing a wide space under a time that runs so slow as if it will never end.

Being stuck within the 4 corners of the hospital with my role of giving unconditional care, patience, love and service to humanity, I almost forgot that there is a wonderful place outside waiting to be discovered by me. It was the day I found love once again -- a love for God that has gone deeper who is the Creator of marvelous wonders on Earth, the love for nature that I tend to miss at times and a love for peace and right freedom. I don't have a problem with my job at least, I loved it. Sometimes the job becomes so rewarding even I have to work under a not so generous compensation but I am not complaining about it because it is already a reality for our profession that we need to work more than what we earn. So there should not be an issue for that, as I said, I love my role, my vocation.

But what made me landed to those realizations is the fact that I am seeing a raw natural wonder that is impossible to see in my daily routines. Upon seeing a gratifying wonder, NO ONE, as in NO ONE should blame me why I have to come up to the point that I have to say I am thirsty for freedom and to feel the other side of adrenaline rush I always wanted to experience.

In my work, everyday is an adrenaline rush and I am deeply loving the daily challenge that makes me a better nurse but it is a very different thing. It is an adrenaline rush that signals my role that I need to act because there is something wrong or someone is in danger and I have to save lives. Well that task is oh-so-nice. Not everyone can do it aside from trained health care providers like me.

The adrenaline rush that brings out excitement and passion is the one that I long for. But then again, I don't want to hurt anyone so please don't jump into conclusion that I am "mareklamo." It is NORMAL for a sound person to crave for something he always wanted to do. Unless if you have an unsound thinking, you will never, as in never understand the things I am saying and you will tend to jump into conclusion that I am complaining. I am proud being a nurse. But outside our work (generally speaking), there is that other side of us that is activated [aside from the things we love doing inside our workplace] be it cooking, jogging, farming, singing, sleeping, surfing the net, etc. On my part, I can't deny the fact that I love going outdoors and I shouldn't be stopped for that like the way most of us prefer.

I don't have a problem with my job and I love it. I am merely expressing the great feeling and insights that consumed my soul upon seeing a natural wonder that I can never see in my daily routine. So I SHOULD NOT BE BLAMED if I am expressing these things. Well I am just human that is susceptible of becoming amazed and I should be respected for that. In the long run I am not against anyone. I am not blaming anyone and I am in the position to complain.

The truth will set you FREE!

In my previous post, if you ever read that, I reached the dead end [of the road]. But it doesn't mean it was the end of everything. It was actually the start of great adventure.

In life, sometimes we have to end something, but ending something can mean it is the start of more thrilling and exciting adventure as what happened here in San Quintin, Abra.

As I get off the motorbike, I already knew that I have to get off the ride to experience the real essence of the adventure. The adventure is not always along the road. You need to get out of your comfort zone and find another comfort zone. Yeah! There are a lot of comfort zones out there to grab but we fail to recognize them.

I was expecting a great scenery here and it didn't fail me. It was more than my expectation. Before I came in this town, I am already aware that the Abra River flows down in this quiet beautiful town. Thanks to Google Map for showing me that. Now my role is to find the road that will lead me there, if there will be no road, I have to walk and if I have to cross a river, I will. I triumphed! I actually did the three: I passed on the road, I walked and I actually crossed the river (story will come next).

I was indeed rejoicing to see the new place I discovered. Ahhhh! This is freedom! This is the adrenaline rush I am looking for! I set my eyes wide open to see and savor the great space, it was freedom! I enjoyed the moment seeing the frontierless space, it was freedom! It was indeed an endless space beyond my reach.

There was no restrictions as to how should I act or move, it was like me and just the nature with God above! It was peace, no pressure, no heavy responsibility or almost none at all.

As I look at the man riding on a rake, I have realized how we make our lives complicated when we can make it simple. But that would be another story. I have to say, this man should consider himself lucky. It seems he has no great demands for luxury and wants. He is not pressured, the way I interpret the image.

While enjoying the view, I saw a lady dressed in white coming near us. I was wondering what is her purpose of going here. I let her come close and ask why because I am curious. I thought she is related to the man fishing in the river atop a rake.

The moment I had the chance to talk with her, I asked her what is she doing here. She told me she is going to cross the river. Huh? I wondered how until she told me that a motorized boat is coming to fetch her.

"Really!" I squealed. I tried to focus my eyes at the other side of the river and there I saw it was real. I saw tiny boatmen riding on a tiny boat. I know they are real. They are just too far from where we are standing that I didn't notice they were just there.

After taking several photos of me near the river as souvenir, my spirit can't just wait to be awakened and push me to cross the river.

I thought I have to pay but the lady told me it was a free ride. I stand amazed. I let her talk and learned that the free boat ride is funded by the provincial government of Abra to help the people.

I later learned why there is a need for the government of Abra to do this. The fact that it is already the end of the road is making sense. The other side of the river are other communities and they are literally isolated because of the great river. There is no bridge to connect these communities to other places where important human activities take place. So the road has to end up here.

Zooming my camera, I was able to at least magnify the tiny boat with tiny people therein. It was coming close already. They know when to come and go. The free ride starts from 8am until 5am but they may extend as the need arise.

Two boatmen are fast approaching. Finally, I will have to cross Abra River for the first time at one of its widest parts. Will this give me the chance to see the footprint of mythical giant Angalo? That would be the second footprint I should see if ever. They say I can see it at the other side of the river. And right now, I am ready to cross the river and I know it would be fun. It was very spontaneous, unplanned and instant. To be continued...

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You are reading the Part 4 of our Abra Motorcycle Adventure Series

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7