Monday, September 10, 2012

FOUNDATION DAY AT UPPER BALAMBANGAN
By Fred L. Webb

 The sky was ominous as Alberto Canete climbed onto the motorcycle behind me for a ride to Upper Balambangan.  As we began our journey of some five kilometers, Alberto began telling me about the road.
 
On the Sabbath, the day before, the current SULADS had gone out to Upper Balambangan in the SULADS Jeep.  Alberto had gone with them and reported that the road was very muddy and treacherous.  Therefore, it was with some misgivings that I began the journey from Mountain View College that morning of November 7, 1999.  After stopping in Lower Lilangayon to purchase some prizes for the village children, we continued on our way.  Reaching the edge of town, our road veered off to the left of the main road and immediately, the road was not so good.  There were ruts and it was still slippery from the rain the day before.  I am not the world’s best motorcycle rider.  In fact, I have only learned to ride after coming to the Philippines in 1993.  Before that, I was deathly afraid of motorcycles.  We rode along very carefully and cautiously until reaching Central Lilangayon.  There we met a big mud hole that completed filled the roadway.  I could see no way around the mud hole and quickly decided that I did not want to try to ride through it.  We parked the motorcycle in the house of a friend nearby and began the hike.

 

 

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