Vacation with Sendong

I have planned my Christmas and New Year vacation almost to the last detail.  I have coordinated with my European friends regarding their arrival in the Philippines so that I can all meet them up on the same day.  I also have borrowed a house from a friend in Batangas and reserved some rooms in my cousins place in Mindoro where we planned to celebrate Christmas.  Then I have got all my flights booked.

It was supposed to be an exciting trip.  I will fly to Davao City from Iloilo to be at my friends' -  Bobong and May - wedding.  Then from Davao, I will fly to Manila to meet my European friends at the airport.  Two are coming from Germany and the other one from Belgium.  From Manila, we planned to head to Mindoro for Christmas and there we will be meeting the other Germans who are doing volunteer work in the Philippines.

What a plan, eh?

Oh well, none from the above plans were realized.

I started my trip by not being able to cross the strait from Bacolod to Iloilo... making me miss my flight to Davao.  All the boat and ferry trips had been cancelled by the Coast Guard for the reason that there is a storm coming.  It was quite weird while in the weather report, it was only a storm signal no. 1.  Living in the Philippines, signal no. 1 is quite usual.

Next thing I know, I am on the bus to Dumaguete.  There are daily trips to Mindanao from Dumaguete so I thought of taking my chances there for me to be able to attend the wedding.  HOWEVER, all the boat and ferry trips from Dumaguete were also cancelled.  And the cancellation will be effective for at least 3 days.  Very much after the wedding.

The good thing in Dumaguete is that I have my friends there.  So Pancho picked me up from the bus station and I stayed at Cyd's place for the night... and I stayed there until January 2012.

I started my trip on December 16.  The storm hit Philippines the next day.

That day, Cyd and I were woken up by her Mom asking us to help in saving the hens and roosters in their backyard.  There were around 100 chickens or more.  It was still raining and the water level was rising so fast.  From my ankle, it rose up to my waist in maybe less than 30 minutes.

Some of the chickens almost drowned especially when the water rose to a height half of their pens.  BUT we managed to save all of them.  Zero casualty.

Cyd and I then decided to check what happened in their neighborhood and maybe take some photos. We found out that some of the houses were flushed with the flood.  It was the first time for me to see four lifeless bodies.

That night, we could not sleep.  We even asked Cyd's parents to pack a bag in case there will be a flash flood again.  It was still raining and every time I close my eyes all I can see is the flood.

Most of us have underestimated the typhoon.

It is the worst typhoon I know.  I almost erased Iligan and Cagayan de Oro City from the map.  It has displaced so many people... and fishes.  And it has claimed the lives of around 1,500 people.

Even though my plans were never realized, I am glad that I was there when my friends needed me.

The driver of the taxi I rode to the bus terminal to Dumaguete said, "maybe there is really a reason why you were not able to cross to Iloilo."  And he is right.