An Adventure Kuliglig Ride

Photo Source: Becoming Filipino

This is quite an old story that almost got wiped out when Friendster (yeah... try to remember that one) died out. I'm reposting the 2006 story to entertain some of my readers. The photo, by the way, is not mine (I didn't have a camera during that trip). I got it from another website called, Becoming Filipino.

Here it is!!

KULIGLIG RIDE IN BAGGAO, CAGAYAN

Just came from another trip into the wilderness. As in, literaly parang wilderness talaga.
First there was this place in Baggao, Cagayan na kung saan we rode on a dump truck (my, the last time a rode a monster was in 1992!) to reach a site. Grabe, nandun ako sa likod dahil nauna na ang girls sa unahan (girls talaga!). Ayun, parang malalaglag ang baga ko. Siyempre, hindi uso ang shock absorber sa dump truck. Lahat ng positions sinubukan ko, sitting down, squat, kneeling. Muntik na rin akong humiga! Grabe, ang dami palang pwedeng maging positions sa pagsakay sa dump truck! Buti na lang, nadiskubre ko yung standing position.

Then may isang malawak na ilog. Akala ko lalanguyin namin. Bigla ba namang bumirit yung higante at tinawid yung riber! grabe! The entire huge wheels were engulfed by the water! Pagdating sa kabila muntik pang mabalaho, buti na lang ang galing ni manong!

Pagdating naman sa bahay ni barangay kaptain, may nakita kaming bangkô, ang the ride went smoother, siyempre, may balcony section na kami sa likod ng dump truck, hindi na SRO. Ayun na naman!.....  rough, muddy road, ang galing mag drive ni manong kahit gumi-gewang na yung truck at parang mahuhulog na sa tabing ilog.

But his luck run out. On a steep slope, the wheels cried out, "No more!" and we had to get down on the mud and got readied to walk the remaining....... 4 kilometers! Yup, 4 kms of mud. Buti na lang, everybody was in high spirit. Yung asawa ni kapitan may dala dala pang ulam namin. Ayun, napasubo na naman kami. In a trip like this, you must learn to love mud, oh that lovely mud! Or else, you'll lose your head cursing the moment.

About one kilometer before our objective, napansin ni Kapitan na hapo na yung oldies sa amin (at hindi ako kasama dun!). Buti na lang at may nakita siyang local na may ari ng kuliglig. Di nyo alam yun, no? Sa Cagayan, ang kuliglig ay hindi insekto, at hindi rin kabit. Ito ay isang sasakyan na ang makina ay yung ginagamit sa traktora na pangsaka (pang farming ba).

Para ngayon kaming tourists on adventure. Grabeng reckless ng driver! I was beside him and I was at the front seat of the action! Pag patag at tuyo ang lupa, ang sarap ng travel. Pag malalim ang putik, biglang bibirit at liliko-liko ang timon para umabante. The bits of mud would be flying all over - into my shirt, (nice) legs, face, eyeglasses, and wherever. At times, the kuliglig would pitch so aggressively that it seemed we would all be part of the next day's newspapers (mga mokong, nadisgrasya sa rumaragasang kuliglig).

Then the destination - I would say that it was all worth it. A river that cuts through a limestone mountain. Sa gilid may hot spring. Parang ang sarap mag camping! I was there on a field inspection, pero hindi ko pa rin napigil ang sarili ko. Siyempre, sa harap ng mga inosenteng locals, naghubad ako at sabay naligo sa napakalamig na tubig! Pag sobrang lamig na, gigilid naman sa isang side at magtitimpla ng mainit na tubig. Sarap!