It was 4:00 am. The alarm sounded. I opened my eyes but can’t barely move my arms. Nonetheless, I still exerted enough effort to snooze the alarm button.

We were scheduled to climb Mt. Tagbo where the Shrine of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary can be found. Liz was still not feeling well. Angge woke up but also complained of muscle pain from our death-defying rock climbing experience in Matukad Island.

I was torn between seeing the sunrise atop of the mountain and enjoying the comforts of sleep. Sleeping a little more and making my muscles recover won. I set another alarm: 6:30 am.

When the alarm rang, I stood up. Liz woke up as well. She asked where I was going. I replied, “I’ll walk around town.” Angge was still sleeping soundly so we didn’t bother asking her if she wanted to join.

From West Pen Villas, we walked out of Brgy. Solnopan and breathed fresh air. It was a foggy Friday morning. Kids were heading to school. Mothers were cleaning up their surroundings. Other locals were also passing by. I smiled. They smiled back. Everything was in order and yet, it was at a slow pace unlike in the Metro.

Aahh…this is the simple life. It was such a unique experience to see pork being sold in a bicycle. This tells something about the town. Maybe, pork is scarce in the area.

We followed two school boys passing by the bridge and there, I saw the river. It seemed drying up but it looked clean and healthy.

Our feet then led us to a centuries-old brick church, the St. Michael the Archangel Parish, where the kids and locals passed by. It was founded in 1619. 

I entered the church and saw that the interior was already renovated. The mass has just ended and only few locals were left praying. The silence of the morning was broken by the sound of the alarm.

It’s time to return to West Pen Villas for breakfast and finally leave Caramoan for Naga.

Exploring the town on foot gave me more context of the lives of the locals. I’m glad I did. It made a more enriching experience.