Transience Day 4: Dora the Explorer.

(The text is written in Mindoro. The photos are recently added for this blog.)

Day 4. I am dead tired! Today, we traveled to different neighboring towns of Agkawayan -- Looc and Lubang. In the morning, we went to a small chapel dedicated to the Black Nazarene for morning prayers. I find it amazing that the townfolks, particularly the elders, regularly pray together in the morning. People in the city would be all too busy to keep up with that kind of morning schedule. Also, they usually say a looooong series of prayers -- Rosary, Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and prayers that are probably Lauds, but I'm not sure because they are said in deep Filipino. Prayer life is very much alive in this town. In my heart, I envy them for that.

We had quick breakfast and headed to Looc via sidecar. I thought the trip would be for only a few minutes. I never thought Looc is so far from here! We were in the sidecar for, in my estimate, around thirty minutes (think about it, there is no traffic in the province. So thirty minutes is really pretty far.) That distance is, by golly, unbearable if one were to journey it by foot. And yet, Mama told me that they used to walk from Agkawayan to Looc whenever it was town fiesta. Wow.

The road to Looc is pretty bumpy and dusty, but the view is breathtaking.

Looc looks pretty much like Agkawayan. Tonight, I found out that Agkawayan is actually part of Looc; the Looc that we visited this morning is just the town proper. Kaya naman pala. Hehe. After my tita bought a really huuuuuuge fish (shame I forgot to ask what kind of fish that is), we went to the nearby church, Raphael the Archangel Parish. It is a very simple church, with a simple altar and a few benches. There are banderitas outside, so I guess the feast day is near or has already passed. Even if it is such a simple church, I can sense that the churchgoers really do frequent it.

Then we went to the municipal hall of Looc. My titas wonder if the building has been developed over the years. They were not wrong; the hall's structure is beautiful and attractive to tourists. The arrangement of the community never changed, though. It is still the traditional Plaza Complex.

This is the view from the hall's 2nd floor.

This, too.

In our stroll in the roads of Looc, we ran into Fr. Anthony, the priest who presided Lolo's burial rites. It was truly eventful -- he invited us to Lubang, and even offered us a ride! My mom and titas couldn't say no, because it has been a long time since they've been to Lubang. So upon going home, we had a quick lunch, bath, and preparations. In the afternoon, Fr. Anthony finally arrived to get us. I felt like I was Dora the Explorer but minus the backpack.

If Looc was far, then Lubang is double the distance. The ride was harrowing and wonderful at the same time. My nose gathered all the road dust it could possibly get (several roads are not concrete, so you could literally eat some dust). Haha! But no matter how dusty it was, I still couldn't help but stare at the surrounding. It was virgin, beautiful, and magnificent. There were trees, mountains, cliffs that are freakishly sloped, seashores, fields of all sorts of crops, cows, carabaos, birds, and people. Even if it was a challenge to keep my eyes on the road, I managed to do it, all in the name of sightseeing. Lol.

(No pictures available during the ride. I was so busy covering my nose. lol.)

Our first stop in Lubang was Stella Maris Parish. The church was built in 2003, so you cold see that the structure is still new. The altar is so majestic and glorious. It is also pretty huge, like a regular church here in Manila (all other churches we visited were small). Then we stopped by another church not far from Stella Maris, the San Isidro Labrador Parish in Tagbac. It is much simpler than the former, and with fewer benches than Stella Maris.

That choirloft made me miss singing in the Mass.

I love the stained glass windows.

Happy fiesta! 

Lastly, we stopped by Protacio Beach Resort in Lubang. Fr. Anthony knows the owners/keepers of the resort, so we were granted free pass! Although the ocean was stunningly beautiful, we couldn't stay for too long. But I did take a few magnificent photos.

I just wanna be on the beaaaaach

Thank you, Fr. Anthony! :D

I come home with a sweet smile on my lips. Mindoro is a stunner, very rich in resources! I wish it would be a major tourist spot. It deserves to be one. :)

Thank you, Lord, for the chance to see and appreciate your works!

Taste and see the goodness of the Lord. (Psalm 34:8)