My Hometown, Catanduanes, Philippines

Familiar with the scenery? Beautiful, isn't it? It is a picture of idyllic setting in my hometown. My daughter took this picture when the rice plants were all green, which made it interesting. Yes, we do have rice terraces that we can call our own.

When I was little, about 11 0r 12 years old, I took a job of planting young rice plant for people, and I got paid Ph6. 00 a day for it. Boy, for that money, it was a hard job! Not only that I had to be in muddy soil, slogging through the mud for more than 8 hours, the job was backbreaking! I started at 7 AM and ended at 5 PM. When I came home, I couldn't see straight from too much fatigue. Right after I finished dinner, I went straight to bed and slept through until morning. When I woke up, my whole body ached. I was lifeless! It took me several days to recuperate. Then, I began to realize that it was not worth it for me. I told my mother that I would/could not do this again, and she understood. I swore to never submerge my feet again in that muddy soil.

Trike or tricyle is a major form of transportation in the province as shown in the picture. It is not a comfortable ride, and it produces significant noise and air pollution. My husband had tried it once and wasn't thrilled about it. Since half of the road in the province is paved and the other half is unmaintained, it is hard to avoid the potholes, thus, making the ride hellishly unpleasant. My husband preferred renting a van instead to take him to and from. Fortunately, there are available cars and vans for rent in Catanduanes for reasonable cost, and usually, it comes with a driver for free. Of course, tip is optional. I ended up tipping my driver because he was very nice and helpful to us all throughout our trip.

Naturally, I don't mind hopping in the tricycle because I grew up with it. My brother owns one and just like car, it takes us anywhere and whereever we want to go and yet, it is not expensive to operate and maintain. For people who have limited money, owning a tricycle is the way to go.