t was 3:45 am when I got to Bagabag. The street was dark; the only light source was from 2 Carinderias situated on opposite sides of the road, a 24 hour burger chain with a lamp post, and another lone lamp post in between the fork in the road. "You from Manila", a lady who looks late in her 30s asked me, while I ordered a drink at a 24hour burger chain. It seemed she had just arrived or headed to somewhere as she had a couple of large bags with her. I told her that I was headed for Banaue and she was kind enough to give some information; that I should either wait for an autobus to stop or wait for some jeepnys coming from Santiago that's headed to Banaue. Sooner, a large 18-wheeler truck pulled-over at the other side of the road, the burger chain was soon filled with workers heading towards Tuguegarao, to have some breakfast. I moved on to the nearest Carinderia, the Bagabag delicacies and asked the store-keeper if I could stay at their tables for a while. I met a couple back there who I saw also got down from a Cagayan Bound bus, and turns out that they were also headed to Banaue. After their use of the CR they went back on the other side of the street to wait for a bus.
It was almost 5am when I started for the junction. I was planning on walking to Lamut since there was no jeep available. The storekeeper told me that I would have better chances of getting a ride there. Fortunately, a jeep from Santiago to Lamut came and I was able to get a ride. Soon I realized that it would have been a long walk if I had continued. I dropped off at the Lamut Public Market. Most of the stores there are still closed. The wait there was terrible. I was in the middle of nowhere sitting on a side walk for about an hour. I soon learned that all the Autobus had passed by so the only chance I have is a jeep. Luckily a jeep headed to Lagawe arrived.
