Northern holidays

As the holidays progress, the cities seem to be more and more crowded and nauseating to those who are not used to this much mass of humanity. It can be enervating—the stress and distress brought about by traffic, urban centers brimming with people, and there is urgency everywhere to buy this and that for loved ones and friends. But, if you were given an option to escape from the madding crowd, would you go for it? What if there is a place, or there are places, that you could go to, where you can find the all-elusive peace during the holidays? Then it is a journey deep in the north of the country as you take a long ride to a land of inner calm.

It will not be your typical joy-ride-out-of-town-be-back-in-a-while type of journey. Getting there will take a huge chunk of your time. Sleeping your way throughout the trip’s duration is a good way to conserve energy for the calorie-burning activities ahead. Stopovers, usually taken in 1.5-2 hour intervals, are also ideal breaks for revolutions taking place in bladders and stomachs. Hour after hour you’ll feel that you are getting nearer. The cold rushes into your nostrils. You begin to differentiate the kind of cold you have in Manila with the drop in temperature in here. Better get your layers right.

There will be trips that will take you out of the bus and into the proverbial rugged jeep. Prepare for rough spots and the occasional out-of-body-experience. But as the wind streaks through the windows and glides on your face, there is a reassurance that you’ll get there and that safety is no foreigner in these lands.

Upon arrival, it doesn’t hurt to go freestyle walking first instead of heading straight to the luxury of an inn. But if your luggage is becoming a burden, then leave it behind first. With what is left of the sunlight being provided to you, the markets and streets bask in animation of what remains of the day. You’ll see locals stopping by their trusted haunts for food and beverage. Markers of industry like roving trucks with goods and people carrying stuff are still around. Tourists are also arriving and you can tell by the look in their eyes that there is awe with what they are seeing.

And as you head to your room, the fatigue factor is there. The journey that has logged in its miles and it is still keeping count. You look out the window, into the fog that is a canvas of lights, mountains, and foliage. You remember the season, and the reason why you are here.

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