Spicy Rabasera : The Collective Pursuit of Pleasure (Book 1)

Atab na Maogmang Kapaskuhan hale sa Legazpi City, Albay!

Meet your Spicy Rabasera, the brains behind another fast-paced but radically distinctive adventure in her own region. This time she expanded the number of her recruitees. Ha-ha!

The Backstory

Hitchcockian. In jeopardy of not realizing this "project" due to the magnitude of the post-typhoon Kristine damage in Bicol especially in Camarines Sur where our destination was, I thanked the Heavens when our flight wasn't cancelled on November 1. Why shouldn't I be very grateful for this when I rebooked (my first ever!) our return flight earlier since my youngest son could no longer absent himself from school on November 4? Cristy, my sister who did the original booking after inviting us to join her in this Undas (All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day) long weekend, chided me for the miscommunication as regards our sked. Mea culpa. I openly accepted this censure. Got to lest I became culpable for the total ruin of our briefest stay in our hometown.

Arriving past 1600 because of a little delay in our departure from Manila, we quickly checked in at The Marison Hotel, ate our late lunch and prepared to leave for Daraga Catholic Cemetery at 1800. Our niece Jai patiently waited for us.

Her waiting was necessary. She had to orient me about her car which we would be using the next day. A newly-minted driver, thus still learning the ropes, she didn't hesitate letting me operate her big toy despite knowing that it would be my "devirgination" to drive someone else's car and on Bicol road! I admired her trust on her Tita Mau. Hahahaha.

Image Source: Cristy M. Mediavillo

To cut this backstory short, we were all ready at 0805 after our breakfast together on November 2. We'd be in a convoy from the hotel. I specifically noted that it would take approximately five hours to reach our accommodation. So, driving 20km/hr would surely be taboo if we wanted to arrive at the place by daylight. LOL.

Image Source: Jocelyn M. Mediavillo

The Journey

Relaxed and confident. This is how I describe myself the moment I took the driver's seat and got acquainted with the army green Montero SUV. My niece/co-pilot, son and sister would surely be in good hands though Cristy openly criticized my driving. Bwahahahaha! Now, that made me extra-careful so that she'd enjoy the long trip for our excursion which she didn't initially approve of because of time bottleneck.

Within an hour, I got the hang of driving a different vehicle.

The well-paved road plus the absence of traffic along our route had me increasing my usual speed. Not to mention the para-military prompts via walkie-talkie which also helped me become very comfortable while driving. Good that there was no-contact apprehension for overspeeding in Bicol. *laughs* You see, I had to keep up with my nephew-in-law who drives like Michael Schumacher. *laughs more*

At around 0940, we reached Barangay Dap-Dap in Tiwi, Albay ahead of the other car which stopped for some ice. Seeing the picture-postcard view, I immediately pulled over to have some gorgeous photos.

With the sun getting hotter, we made it quick. It was well-timed because after a few minutes, we saw the other vehicle behind us. I instructed my niece to radio her Kuya Dan so he could overtake us and revert to our "follow the leader" order. Tailing them now, we were informed about this road construction in Mayong, Tiwi. Roger that!

After safely passing the last barangay in Albay, we reached Patitinan, Sagñay the first municipality of Camarines Sur from the border. Our group unanimously halted to admire and capture the bewitching beauty of The Partido Riviera. This was worth the pause and we forgot all about the burning heat of the sun.

Ending our short break, we resumed our trip. After an almost two-hour driving and unsuccessfully scouting for a place where we could eat our lunch in Barangay Tinambac, we calmed our growling tummies and all concurred that we'd just eat in ...

Yes, Sirumaaaaaaaaa! It was here in Barangay Nalayahan where I allowed Knight to duplicate my experience - driving a different car in Bicol. I let him be in command for more than three kilometers until we reached the start of the rough road. He loved it as much as I did!

Then, I retook my place behind the wheel. Another baptism of fire, off-road driving was satisfying to the highest level! Yahoooooo! Add the mesmerizing verdant scenery with all those rolling hills that met us, I would be willing to drive for longer hours in Siruma.

At 1400, we finally reached Camp Sirums. Yay!

I was surprised but sincerely thankful that Johanna/Waning, my ever-reliable niece whom I directly communicated with as regards this outing, was able to book this charming red cabin with verandah for 6pax. Checking Camp Sirums Facebook page prior to our arrival, this structure was convincingly one of the attractive sights at the resort. (By the way, the couple pitched a tent for the evening. Cool!)

We unpacked and got ready for our lunch. Menu? My favorites - almonddegas (fried beef wrapped in dough), baluko (fried meaty shellfish) and kandingga! Olen, my eldest sister, took pains in preparing these Bicol dishes which we haven't eaten for ages.

What a comforting lunch it was! Now, we had to brace ourselves for dinner by our very own chefs, the husband-and-wife tandem.

In the meantime, we prepared for swimming and exploring the beach further. Guess what? Seeing that the kubos (nipa huts) were unoccupied, we confirmed and celebrated that we were the only guests that Saturday. Camp Sirums became exclusive for our family!

Swimming and cleaning the waters with floating seaweeds was how we spent the remaining hours before the night crawled in. Minus the large bed of kelp, the beach with its clear and warm water, could have been perfect for taking a dip. Yet, we did not magnify this flaw. Negative reactions must not be entertained. That instance, Camp Sirums was the ideal sanctuary for us busy people. Besides, the place was a silent watcher how we reaffirmed each other that we are a family, the earlier heaven.

Roughly 1.5 hours of Vitamin Sea gratified us. At 1800, the table was set for dinner. You see, our family are also very good timekeepers when it comes to our gastronomic needs.

Whoa! It was amnesia attack for those who were keeping a strict diet. Char! Who would say NO to these dishes especially the maanghang na ginataang balat ng baka (cow skin with spicy coconut milk)? Dan convinced me that he truly is a jack of all trades: PNP personnel, professional private chauffeur, licensed mountaineer, tour guide, and chef! Gordon Ramsay should have a taste of this recipe! He’d definitely say f**k because of its exotic but heavenly kick. Hahahaha.

Echoing in sync burps in the middle of the night ... a manifestation of a blissful meal indeed! Our faces couldn't lie.