Sometimes, the key to painting a wide smile on our faces is to get lost in the corners of the countryside.
I don’t know, but every time I go for a road trip, my heart is the happiest and everything around me feels so light. I wonder if it's because of the adrenaline rush, the lush and beautiful view of the countryside, or the sheer magic of the experience itself. Everything hits just differently when I hit the road especially if it’s a spontaneous road trip!
Since I love the feeling a spontaneous road trip in the countryside brings me, I always find the time or insert it in my busy days to unwind and have that sense of peacefulness and gratitude.
So, in this blog, I’m bringing you with me, on one of my delightful road trip adventures in the picturesque countryside of Catmon where I discovered how locals tend their domestic animals beside the road or in the open fields (not pastured), the beautiful mountain rolls of Catmon and their vibrant vegetation rich of their livelihood plants and trees such as corn and coconuts. And yeah, some road adventures and challenges.
Warning: You will be seeing candid photos of me with my widest smile. Haha!
The countryside of Catmon.
As I commonly heard from many, Catmon is a town rich in various beautiful beach resorts that one will inevitably see while passing the town, given the national road passes through its coastal line. However many might not be aware that at the back of Catmon is a vast expense of majestic mountain rolls extending to its boundary town.
A mountain range where numerous lush and wondrous views are concealed, patiently waiting to be seen by passersby and travelers. So I consider myself lucky to be able to see its beauty and gain a glimpse into the life of this secluded countryside.
I hired a Habal-habal driver going to the destination - I don’t know where exactly. Haha. Kidding. The route was the Sitio Kampanya of Catmon traversing its secluded and narrow road.
Before I could even get to my main destination, I was already mesmerized by the greenery and the stunning refreshing view I passed by. I was all smiles. My inner child was beaming with joy..
Lush mini forest!
Among the enchanting and soothing views along the way was the lush mini forest of Mahogany Trees. The tall mahogany trees seemed to form a natural canopy on top as their branches started to embrace each other. It's great to feel the comforting shelter of these trees during the ride.
The driver sensed that I was taken aback by this part of the ride because he slowed down allowing me to fully feel the moment and appreciate the beauty of the mini forest.
Domestic animals like pigs are tethered along the side streets!
Unlike in my place where we make sure pigs are caged, sheltered, and fed commercial feed, the pigs (how much more the other animals) -in this countryside have a different lifestyle. Hehe. They are just tended in the open backyard. Some pigs were tethered to trees and were given grasses as their food. I was imagining how the meat produced in this countryside could be so healthy!
We also encountered some locals walking alongside their pigs on the streets. I was making guesses as to the reason behind it. Maybe the pig was brought by a new owner that’s why it needed to walk going to its new home.
A landslide on the road!
In the middle of our road trip, we had to make an unexpected stop because there was a landslide. As I observed, the soil in this particular part of Catmon is mixed with sand making it susceptible to landslides. It rained the last night making the soil unstable, good thing nobody was harmed.
Thankfully the Local Government Unit L(GU) was able to send help right away. A bulldozer was swiftly deployed to clear the roads for locals to resume their travel. I thought we would wait for a long time, but I was impressed by how the locals helped each other for the work to be done quickly making the road accessible to everyone once again.
There were so many beautiful sights I encountered throughout the journey. At the outset of our rides, most of the plants were the source of income for the locals the coconuts, but as soon as we got near the mountains, I saw expansive cornfields.
The countryside of Catmon is filled with natural beauty, featuring the verdant vegetation, the winding rivers, domesticated animals tethered beside the streets, and the friendly locals along the way was what made the whole road trip worthwhile. My nature-loving heart is filled with awe and gratitude to the Creator above for his magnificent creation.
That's it for this delightful adventure I had on our road trip. I wasn't able to capture everything I encountered as I was amazed first before I could even think of getting my camera! It was such a wonderful and refreshing road trips I had.
Thank you so much for reading. Hope you enjoyed it. I wish you all safe and well always.
Don't forget to smile often!😍🤗😊