A Day Longer

Filipino hospitality is already a legend, not only for some lucky foreigners, but to many local travelers, as well. I sometimes get to bring home some pasalubong, courtesy of my hosts. Sometimes, they prepare the best meals they can offer. The one that takes the cake for me was our host in Dinapigue. This is a very remote coastal town in Isabela with very few people. It took us 18 hours to travel from Manila to this place. Of those 18 hours, about four were on good roads and the remaining 14 ranged from rough to very rough, and with some combination of river crossings.

While we were doing our research in Dinapigue, a local official kept insisting that we stay a day longer because he will prepare a lechon for us. We actually did not take him seriously. Besides, we kept thinking of the 18 rough hours going back home.

When our departure date came, we casually boarded our land cruiser and got ready for the trip. That particular town official was nowhere in sight so we decided to pass by his residence to say goodbye. And surprise! He was roasting a pig! And that, my friend, is one very good reason to extend a trip for another day.