Mt. Isarog: Where are We?

We took a road leading out of Naga all the way to Mt. Isarog. Along the way we passed through Carolina, and Penafrancia resort, and I experience flashbacks of childhood. I can't remember anymore if I actually swam in those places, or just heard stories from the Diaz girls. Soon, the road got bumpy, and a stubborn jeepney refuses to budge to let us pass. Between listening to the lolas up front telling our driver to tell off the other driver, and listening to the color commentaries of Tito Boy Abella (he has a senior citizen card, yet he is not yet 60?), there was ear confusion. We come by a long long wall, with barbed wire, and what looks like electric wire. Where are we? Soon we arrived at a gate, and a big burly bodyguard asked who we are, pretending not to know Tita Lilibeth. Really, where are we? Next thing I expected was that they would scan our irises before they let us in!

Once inside, you see Mt. Isarog looming before you, and lots and lots of land, plus a house, small compared to the land around it. It is the home of Nenette and John Woods, she an old friend of Tita Lilibeth. She warmly welcomed us into her home, with genuine Bicolano food among other things: laing, pinangat fish in gata, guinataan and suman for dessert, plus leche flan, and fresh fruits. They also had two puppies that delighted the kids to no end. Then it was picture taking time. All these new babies, babies of cousins who were babies themselves when I left the Philippines ages ago.

After filling up our tummies, and (clogging the Woods' banyo!) it was back to the buses and trucks, hoping to make it to Donsol before nightfall.

Butandings, here we come. (But first a stop at Nabua along the way, to buy baduya, and camote cue from a streetstall, yum!)