Mission Briefing:
Who:
A-Team of Bad-ass Travel Bloggers: Dylan and Lakbay Diva
What:
A thorough exploration of the Matuginao area.
When:
Immediate action required.
Where:
Coordinates Classified.
Border of Gandara District and near Red-Hot area, Biri Island.
Mission Transcript by *codename: potato*
****************************************************************
A long and winding road serves as the major transport artery of the third largest island of the Philippines. A few hours would suffice to take you from Tacloban to Northern Samar, provided that the van schedules would cooperate. For us it didn’t, so we spent a night in Catarman and rode a van to Gandara the next day, we expected to alight in a town but instead we got dropped off in a Wild West montage of half open stores, a few people staring and wondering “what business you have in these parts” and a desolate street.
Not pictured: The rolling haystacks by the wind.
According to a recent census data, Matuginao is a 5th class municipality and is in fact one of the poorest places in the country. Most of the information found are nil at best so it wouldn’t come off as a surprise why this place has a priority ticket #595 for an urgent exploration mission.
I don’t know what you would mean by “off the beaten path” and if this type of road condition would qualify. We rented a couple of Habal-habals for 800P 2-way along the way rains would shower us periodically thus softening the chocolate-y roads we passed. It’s a parade of green fields, a few far-off mountains and an absence of civilization.
Military presence in these parts are normal. Oh don’t mistake the kid working. That’s NOT child labor….
I would say hello to fellow Military comrades but i forgot that we were on an undercover mission. Upon the assistance of our Habal-habal drivers we spoke briefly with their kind SK chairman who was more than willing to guide us to an eerie river and cave
