Norzagaray, a historic town known for its heritage sites, is located in the province of Bulacan. This is the home of one of the country’s largest hydroelectric power plant, the Angat Dam, which supplies water to Metro Manila. One of the country’s biggest manufacturer of cement is also found there. But some of its areas are still not accessible by vehicles.
In one of its remote areas, there is a river called Bitbit. And that was my destination.
The dawn was breaking when my 13-kilometer journey on foot started.
A childhood past was remembered. Fifteen years ago, I climbed the hills with boys. Now that I have grown up, I had four men with me - newfound friends as I could describe them.
Our goal was to reach the river at midmorning. But the steep pathways and zigzag roads made it hard for me to run and catch up with those men, thanks to the burden I carried with me - a bag of unnecessary stuff. The load kept slowing me down. And I became the slowest of them. On of the men paced with me. I felt sorry that he had to wait for me. But we kept on running. Bikers were seen here and there, and I wished I had a bike too.
It was a Sunday morning. I could hear the singing of the choir inside churches we passed by. Children were playing in the streets. I saw some natives cutting wood. Offices and some establishments were closed and there was no way I could leave my stuff. I had to carry it with me for the rest of our journey. There were a lot of dogs madly barking at us, recognizing that we were real foreigners in the area.
We rested at nearby stores. There were convenient areas where we could sit and replenish our lost fluids. The men’s faces were all covered with sweat while their clothes were soaked as if they had plunged into a pool.
As much as we wanted to rest, we had to get going.
Great canopies covered the sides of the road as we moved up. Slowly, the presence of civilization disappeared. The long, long road felt empty. The climb was forever just like the endless blue skies.
I asked myself, “Is it still a thousand miles way from the river?”
My feet sore in the lonely highways. My shoulders ache. One of the men took my "burden" away so I could run faster.
For a few minutes, I have attained a feeling of relief. But this taken pathway was not as easy as I thought. The thought of letting someone carry your cross was heavy on the heart.
Hours later, we reached the dirt road. The dam could be seen from afar. Fogs converge with the forests. And something was calling us.
“Could you hear the gentle whisper of the river?”, one of the men asked.
The story of our destination was gradually unfolding. High emotions continue to fill me. The beating of my heart echoes. The sound is softly inviting us closer to its abode.
Through my eyes I saw the glistening emerald river. I have fallen in love with it. Grand forests served as its ancient guardians. As we crossed the river, dog tracks were seen stamped on them.
Our skins felt the coolness of the river. We bathed in the sun’s light.
I asked the river, “River, did you bring me here?”
It was an auspicious time. I will never forget the day I experienced that ecstasy. In India, pilgrims went to the river Ganges to cleanse their sins. That day, it was like a pilgrimage to release our stress. It was a time of rest after a gruelling long climb. What a lovely Sunday in that emerald sanctuary!
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Revised version.
First published at worldmomads.com.
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