Visiting Jones, Isabela

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3 years ago

Two years ago, we traveled to the hometown of my partner's mom to visit his ailing grandmother. This article was published in my other blog site (click here) and reposted here. All contents are mine.

A boat submerged in the river

Taking a break from work and the city life, our itchy feet took us to one of the rural municipalities of Isabela, which is Jones.

Isabela is an 8-hour travel by bus fromย Baguio City. It could take you longer than that depending on the traffic along some parts of the route going to Isabela. However, you can cut your travel time in half if you take the Ambuklao Road. This province is the second largest in the Philippines. I spent four years of my high school in one of its municipalities and frequently visits one of its cities but my visits have become rarer as the years went by. The last time I was here was probably 8 years ago.

This time, my visit took us to a place I have only heard of but have never been to.

We took a night travel by bus from Baguio City and arrived atย Santiago Cityย around 5:00 a.m. Stepping out of the bus and smelling and feeling the familiar warm scent of the place brings back memories. We ate breakfast in one of the 24-hour fastfoods there and then took the first trip of utility vans going to Jones.

We passed by rolling fields of rice and corn kissed by the morning sun patiently rising up to give a beautiful warm morning and life is rising up with it. It is a big difference when you are used to the life in the city where there is always something going on day and night. In the provinces, there is peace and quiet that you can see and feel.

Almost all the stores are still closed when we arrived
It's in the corner of these streets that we waited for our ride

It is another one-and-a-half hours travel from Santiago City to Jones market where we waited yet again for the van going to our final destination. That will be the last ride we will take to reach our destination. We then decided to buy food and groceries while waiting for our ride.

We bought fish and meat that we will eat during our stay

We arrived early and we had to wait an hour or so for the first trip and then another 45 minutes for the van to be filled with passengers. What other way to while the time than to take photos.

These earthenware are displayed behind one of the eateries. A lady asked me why I was taking photos and I smiled and told her I like how they look and she laughed, probably weirded out what is there to like about them.

Beautifully colored earthenware
Japanese bikes sold at a store

I find that dogs and kids have similarities. Just give them a treat and you are the best of friends later on just like what I did to this stray dog and the kid of the other store. I shared Oreos with them and they loved it and kept coming back for more. This dog was not that friendly at first.

I decided to just divide the remaining cookies between them. I'm not sure if this is a stray dog but it seems to be friendly enough once I gave the cookies.

Maybe some of you are wondering and probably concerned about safety and such when you see this photo. This is a common thing here in the Philippines especially the provinces and far flung areas where transportation is limited.

Picture this car full of passengers/goods inside and on top traveling unpaved narrow roads and if it is in the mountains where paths are dangerously narrow and at the edge of a cliff, would you go for it? But that is just the way things are. People adapt and do what they can with what is available to them.

This jeepney is not even "full" because there is only one passenger sitting at the hood and I can still see some spaces on top.

Utilizing this kind of transportation, one would have to let go of fear and all thoughts of what if. It is "safer" here in the lowlands because the roads although unpaved and rough are wider and no cliffs to worry about.

Even vans were customized with carrier to carry people if there are no luggage to be placed on top. We rode on top of a van when we went home.

Here we passed by fields and fields of corn, cassava plants, and other crops. It is planting season so most of the fields are bare.

The further we are from the market, the roads became rougher and rougher. Some portions of the road are cemented but it is mainly for the purpose of drying crops.

We arrived at my friend's aunt's house. The main reason of our visit is to check on my friend's grandmother who is in her 90s. He has not seen her in a long time and it was a tearful and happy reunion. Her memory is already failing to almost gone but she is still delightful to talk to. She can no longer walk because her hips are weak. She is well taken care of to the best of her family's ability.

It was almost lunch by the time we arrived. Meals were prepared and we ate then rested for a bit.

Hand water pump such as this is where the source of water come from for cooking to bathing to laundry and a setup such as this is where you can do all those things.

Cooking using wood is still practiced even though there is stove and gas available. There are still sources of firewood around that the locals can get from. I remember when we were kids when we go home to our grandparents that we were asked to gather wood near their homes. Sometimes we picked wood along the way and carry them home if we go to their gardens. Mostly these are used to cook food for their pets such as pigs and dogs. Sometimes it is for cooking food when gas ran out.

When the temperature drops, we like to gather around the fire and warm ourselves while drinking hot beverages.

The only problem with this is that the washing of the pots later on.

I was browsing through my photos and only now noticed that a cat was enjoying the heat from the fire. This cat found a happy place.

After our lunch, we rested for a bit and me and friend went to the river a few meters from the house. Once again, the kid in us reveled in this paradise.

My friend's uncle showed us where to swim and cautioned us not to go to the deep waters because just recently a kid drowned there. It is the belief that the river "takes" people. Belief such as this is common I guess because of the fact that even the experienced ones can drown.

We swam to our hearts content. We enjoyed it a lot such that we did not mind the heat which caused us to have sunburns later on. Thankfully, it was an overcast day that once in a while the sun will take a peek which makes the heat bearable. We did not even mind the time because my friend's uncle would have to come calling for us. He had been to town and back only to find us still swimming in the river. We went home only to realize that they were concerned because we were gone for a long time.

We then rested and spent one night then headed back home the next morning. We wanted to be early to catch the earliest ride to take us to town, travel to the city and then wait for a bus going back to Baguio.

I woke up to a beautiful warm sunny morning, promising a lovely day.

Life is simple in the province (or wherever you are) because there is nothing else you can ask for if you know what you are doing. We picked fresh vegetables planted around the house. We even drank coconut water from coconuts picked from the trees near the house. There are other fruit bearing trees but it is not their season yet. All those are for free.

The majority of houses are still built with wood as the second floor and concrete as the base. This is the way of building houses, an upgrade from the traditional nipa hut.

We passed by the town's cemetery which is just beside the road. I bet tales of ghosts from the locals are aplenty. Imagine yourself passing by this area in the dead of the night.

It was a quiet and peaceful break away from work, from stress, from unending man-made noise. The sounds of animals and insects is a pleasant welcome. It is during these times that I feel alive and enjoy and appreciate and be grateful of simple and small things.

Take a break. Everyone deserves to have one. One day, two days. It does no matter. Go places. Enjoy the things in life that are free.

Thanks for dropping by. See you on the next article!

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3 years ago

Comments

Wow I've never been there and the place looks good too. If they still have wooden upper part of the house paano na pag bumagyo?

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3 years ago

Okay lang naman parang un haus lang din namin bago nasunog :)

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3 years ago

Awwwts. ๐Ÿ˜…

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3 years ago

I lost my steemit password when my phone got broken. ๐Ÿ˜” I have not yet tried if I can retrieve it but I do not know how steemit works.

Natawa ako sa kids and dogs. Hahahaha. Pero totoo naman din kasi.

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3 years ago

Nakasave kasi sa email ko un mga password ko dun hehe. Pero parang wala na appeal steemit kasi sa akin :D

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3 years ago

A travel would be incomplete without pictures . And deym you're so good in taking those. Thank you for sharing your lovely adventures, ARTicLEE. It's amazing ๐Ÿ’—

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3 years ago

Thanks so much! I appreciate you.

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3 years ago

You're welcome.๐Ÿค—

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3 years ago

Nice journey! I'm virtually traveling with your stories and pics. Your right, we should enjoy all things that life offers for free! Those aren't a few, by the way.

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3 years ago

Ture that! There are lots of things we can get for free. We just have to open our eyes more :) Thanks so much for visiting!

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3 years ago

malayo layo din.. pero ang ganda ..gusto ko lumangoy sa ilog.. meron din palang ganyang mga story noh about kumukuha ung ilog ng mga bata.. or like alay ... saan mo to unang na publish sir?

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3 years ago

Pati dito sa amin may ganyan din na paniniwala. Sa isang falls dito pina close kasi may nalunod nanaman. Sa steemit to napost. Nire-repost ko mga post ko dun hehe.

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3 years ago

steemit to napost. Nire-repost ko mga post ko dun

ahh sa steemit pala.. hmmm.. mavisit nga ung mga old blogs..try mo ba bit blogs mo?

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3 years ago

Iniisip ko nga din kuha dun e hehe.

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3 years ago

Well they do say the best things in life are free. Loved this little journey with you. And so glad your partner was able to see his grandmother. I can also imagine the kid coming out in you whilst swimming, and that wee cat by the fire, awesome pictures kuya.

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3 years ago

I was surprised when I saw the cat lol! This is a bitter sweet memory. This was the second to last time we would see grandmother alive. We visited her again soon after that but a few days after, she passed away in her sleep.

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3 years ago

Aww I did wonder, but didn't want to ask.

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3 years ago

What an adventure that was. What was the best memory of the trip? And the best food?

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3 years ago

All of it but the swim in the river will always stay in mind. I have a scar from using the wrong stone to scrub my body lol! Every meal have been delicious. Fresh food from the garden were prepared and cooked with love :D

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3 years ago

Nice! Okay, mental note for myself - never scratch body with stone when out swimming in the river.

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3 years ago

Lol! You can though as long as you find the right kind of stone :D

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3 years ago

Mas nakakarelax talaga pag malayo sa siyudad eh. Iba yung rest na naibibigay ng probinsya.

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3 years ago

Tama ka dyan. Sarap sana bumalik ulit e. Kahit ang layo, sulit pa rin ang byahe.

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3 years ago

Na miss ko tuloy sa bahay..pero yung lawa lang ang wala samin...Hayyy iba talaga kasi sa bukid..yung naririnig mo yung mga hayop na parang nag uusap tapos ang presko pa nang hangin kasi di polluted...sarap ..i miss home na agad

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3 years ago

Kaya nga e. Un din gusto ko kung ba't ako sumama. Namiss ko talaga ung probinsya.

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3 years ago

pag palagi ka kasi sa City mas lalo mong na mi miss ang ginhawa sa bukid...good thing nakapasyal kayo..

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3 years ago

I live in the province din kahit maraming chismosa I will always chose to live her. I always love the life here in the province. Nung nasa Cebu ako mamimis ko Ang probinsya at umuwi agad ๐Ÿ˜

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3 years ago

Kahit saan madami chismosa :D Oo nga e ibang iba talaga pag sa province. Kung ako magre-retire, somewhere sa province or kung hindi man dun sa maiwasan ang city.

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3 years ago

Haha nga Naman. Pero di masyadong marami sa city Kasi lahat chismosa busy ๐Ÿ˜…

Oo nga peaceful saka fresh Ang air Hindi masyadong polluted

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3 years ago

Hindi rin haha! Madami pa din sila mas hi tech pa haha!

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3 years ago

Hahaha ganun ba? Hindi ko Alam Yun ahh? Baka nga Kasi hindi ko sila na halata ehh ๐Ÿ˜

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3 years ago

Wag mo na sila pansinin at hanapin hehe

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3 years ago

Hehe gusto ko Sana tanungin Anu sekreto nila ๐Ÿ˜…๐Ÿ˜…๐Ÿ˜…

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3 years ago

Hahaha! Sige nga try mo ask :D

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3 years ago

Sarap sa province talaga. Simpleng buhay. Yung poso and kalan-de-kahoy. Hihi. Sa part nung sa river, naaalala ko tuloy yung muntik ako malunod kasi tinangay ako ng hagos huhu.

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3 years ago

Yan talaga nakakatakot din sa river e.

Mababaw lang un part ng river kung san kami nagstay. Mejo may kalayuan un malalim na part kaya di na kami pumunta dun. D pa naman kami marunong lumangoy hehe.

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3 years ago

Bata pa kasi ako non. 7 years old palang yata kaya madali talaga maagos din at malakas alon sa river na niliguan namin. Hinabol ko kasi tsinela ko non. Bago pa e tapos si Dora ang design ๐Ÿคฃ pero ngayon marunong naman na ako lumangoy hahaha. Napakwento na ako. ๐Ÿ˜‚

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3 years ago

Ah kaya naman pala hehe. Walang laban sa agos ng tubig pag ganun pa lang kaliit :D

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3 years ago

Mukha lang akong 4 years old non. Maliit talaga hahaha

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3 years ago

Ah haha! Ang liit nga :D

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3 years ago

Ngayon mukha na akong 12 years old. ๐Ÿคฃ

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3 years ago

Province life is just simple and yet so peaceful . Dumaan kayo dito sa probinsiya namin I guest ..Nueva vizcaya.๐Ÿ˜Š

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3 years ago

May mga kabatch ako ng high school jan :D May mga napuntahan na din ako jan na mga lugar pero tagal na nun :D

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3 years ago

I enjoyed this tour again! haha. Sight seeing. Virtual traveling.

Take a break. Everyone deserves to have one. One day, two days. It does no matter. Go places. Enjoy the things in life that are free.

i so would love to......!!!!

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3 years ago

Kating kati na nga din ako magtravel e haha! Kahit malapit lang na labas ng city okay na hehe.

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3 years ago

Ako rin sir bestie haha. Pero kelangan maingat para di makadala sa pupuntahan.. at di rin makapag uwi sa bahay.

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3 years ago

Makapaawis man :) Halla jy jeep oh, napunpunno!

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3 years ago

Nagmayat ag top load sika hehe. Tas kasta nga open space pay feel na feel :D

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3 years ago

Kasla delikado, adda py nkatugaw jy hood ti jeep :D

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3 years ago

Wen garud masapul ag kapet ka nga talaga.

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3 years ago

Wen ah hehe

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3 years ago

I so appreciate this 'tour' and I love, love all your photos!

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3 years ago

I appreciate you too :) Thanks much!

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3 years ago

Been there once pero day trip lang kami kasi nasa bayombong kami... Gusto ko sa kanila yung mga pots nila

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3 years ago

Magkakilala ba kayo ni @Leymar012201? :D Vizcaya din ata siya e :D Di ko maalala kung Bayombong din un family ng sister-in-law ko. Pero may mga classmates ako ng high school na tiga jan.

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3 years ago

I'm not from bayombong yung best friend ko ng college taga dun kaya ako nakakapunta pero nope di ko pa na meet si leymar012201 dito

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3 years ago

Ah hehe...Kakabasa ko lang kasi comment nya tas namention mo din Bayombong kaya ko natanong :D Sarap ng buko pie jan :D

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3 years ago

Wow! It's beautiful. Isabela is an amazing place. I hope someday I can visit there to explore and experience.

God bless..๐Ÿ™๐Ÿ˜‡

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3 years ago

Let's go! I still have to explore all the places there is in Isabela :)

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3 years ago

Yes,.I wish someday..๐Ÿ˜Š๐Ÿ™

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3 years ago

Mayat jay karayan da ah

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3 years ago

Wen garud. Nagtalna pay dita. Adu pay nuang da hehe.

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3 years ago

Seems like Isabela is such a great place. Hope I can visit that beautiful place someday.

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3 years ago

It is :) There's so much to explore there. I hope soon I can visit more of Isabela.

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3 years ago