The Filippino Butterfly. Dec 21

I grabbed the 7AM rattle trap (say ordinary) bus this morning and was successful in getting a seat. Soon a young man with a four year old girl squeezed in beside me. We were traveling happily along when a cockroach came walking up my back-pak at eye level because my pak was on my knees. I tried to knock it off but it was hanging on tight. Then I started yelping and doing the bug dance even while holding my pak on my lap. I asked the fellow beside me, whom I almost knocked onto the floor, if he could get it. He did and everything (me) settled down. His girl was looking at me like I'd just come unglued humm, I guess she might be right. Then the fellow said, "It was only a butterfly"! Very nice re-frame! They are only butterflies walking around under the bed at night.



So I got off the first bus at the junction where I am supposed to pick up another bus and several go by but are too full to jam anyone else on. People say wait until eleven o'clock for the air-con bus. It didn't show. Wait until 12:30 for the air-con bus. It went by, too full to even stop. Right behind it was one of the ordinary buses with open seats. My little thermometer was reading 40 degrees by then. A young man waiting with me said "Should we get on?" I figured that 40 degrees would be better on the bus with wind in my face than sitting by the road hoping for an air-con bus. At least we were moving. The bus was like a school bus with bench seats and not much padding and we got moved to an even more uncomfortable one half way there. This second portion of the trip took 5 and a half hours.

What an unfortunate way to run busing. You just stand by the road and take whatever rattles up.



Well that journey is behind me and I am installed into a pretty nice hotel in Tuguegarao. It was dark when I arrived but I seem to be in a downtown type of area. Tomorrow, I will check it out.


I didn't even get the camera out today.