A summer tale

WHEN I learned from my early college years that Singapore as a port was like a spot in the map built by man (the government even has to import water), then I imagine how nature could be copied these days in mechanical forests.

In Singapore’s man-made Gardens by the Bay, a unique landscaping project, there are 18 huge man-made “super trees” and three 55-storey hotel towers, among other attractions for tourists. Add to this the world’s first sky park.

But if what attracts tourists to a country is natural splendor, Filipinos should be proud to own a land more attractive than Singapore.

Besides tourist spots drawing visitors to natural caves and more caves, rapids and falls, nature’s bathtubs, sea escapes, mountains and hills and terraces, even the spots for zip line swings, there is the interesting way the villagers accept visitors. The people are part of the allure of a country in the eyes of tourists. It’s hoped that this part of the charm will not be lost in a country’s development of nature as a tourist spot in the world.

Years ago before tourism made a mark in the economy of the Philippines, my friends and I took a flight from Manila to Tacloban in Leyte, then rode a boat from Tacloban towards the waters in the western coast of Samar along Maqueda Bay, going west to a group of islands across Catbalogan which didn’t have an airport then.

Many of us were in Samar for the first time all college grads from UST, UP Diliman and Maryknoll College. On Daram island, we were hosted quietly by a relative of one of our friends who owned the only wooden house in the 4th class isle municipality.

There were no other trippers, we came across no one of the visiting kind. The Samar trip was unforgettable, not really for the sight of hills and caves, but for our experience with the locals.

First, I noticed the faces of children looking up at us, like in sheer surprise but with deep expectations, as we came ashore from the long boat ride.

The young ones were pleased but shy. There were no tourist guides, except relatives and friends of our host.

The children trailed us all the way to evening as we swam and took a walk and entered small caves as though we were spelunkers, throughout our schedule on that day after we landed at the shore of Daram. When we went swimming, the children would sit on the shore as though waiting for us to talk to them. But each time we talked to them, they’d laugh and run off, to come back only when they thought they were no longer in our mind.

The first story the rural hosts shared with us was about the faith healers’ rites on Good Friday, one of the healers imploring the spirits to help him keep the gift to heal the sick, this by walking on fire during the Good Friday rites!

On the evening of Good Friday, we started walking up to the nearest hill over a dozen of us visitors and about five rural residents led by our host as guides to the healer for rites on top of one of the hills.

Laterally on top of one hill was a nipa hut seated at the center where outside in a small yard was a table and bamboo seats. The display of offerings to the spirits was set on the table which consisted of meat from a chicken and a piglet which were both slain there as part of the rites.

Near the table was the fire set to cook both foods. Meanwhile, four other faith healers kept walking around the table in prayerful steps, whispering a prayer to ask for guidance from the spirits.

It was early dawn when we realized that the viewers left behind were just us and our guides. That was when one faith healer started to move as though to walk on fire, but only jumped over the small blaze safely on to the other side. Then it was announced that the walk on fire would be held on the next night in another hill.

As if to end it well, fate had us taking the small boat on Easter Sunday back to the water channel down to Tacloban airport in Leyte. We saw a shooting star slipping above us, glittering in the early dawn over the waters just off Maqueda Bay.

(ecuizon@gmail.com)

A summer tale