Padre Burgos Remembrance - Angry Mood

I saw Padre Burgos take on a howling, angry mood...

It was on our 2nd visit to the place in October or November 1999, I think, when I saw this mood change. (Charis, my daughter, was in Japan taking her 1-year scholarship in Osaka University.) Sam (hubby) and Muey (son) also went along this trip with my twin sister's family (the Princesas), who owns this brand-new home in Padre Burgos.

It was overcast and raining when we travelled 4 hours to this hidden community tucked in a peninsula called Bondoc Peninsula. No one cared at all if the rains came for we came with one goal, and one goal alone: to swim and kayak. Okay, let's make that two goals then!

Oh yes, as soon as our ride hit the beach home, our feet went racing toward the shore edge. And for the rest of the day we were in saline bliss. Little did we know that Burgos weather was going to rear it ugly little head the very next day.

Yes, we knew even before the trip that there was this storm coming. But the weather bureau's batting average on storm forecasts has been rather off of late. So we simply dismissed the warning (just this once) and decided to go ahead and enjoy the weekend in Burgos.

BIG MISTAKE! (But then again, maybe NOT!)

The following day after our arrival in Burgos, the winds started to pick up. First, the birds, leaves and small twigs were flying about along with the rains. Later in the day, mango fruits were flying as well.

Next, from the balcony of the Princesa home, we saw the tops of sea waves were frothing like mad - as if searching for something to smash its weight into.

Then, the winds started to HOWL at varied intensities and decibels - the worst of which we've never heard before. It was like a whole symphony of high-pitched sounds punctuated by cymbal-like crashes from the crakling and breaking of tree branches. But towards the end, as if to signal its climax, there was this eerie screech and then a sudden loud thud and swoosh. Not far off the house, a huge acasia tree just gave up the fight and fell!

Aerial acrobatic scene: Later in the afternoon, a piece of the neighbor's storage shed roof (a GI sheet) ripped off. It flew straight into the neighbor's 2nd floor window, shattering it. As if not yet satisfied, it flew off one more time but landed safely, this time, in another neighbor's yard.

As the rains and winds pounded the house in full fury - the whole house seemed to shake. We were so fearful that the glass windows or doors would pop off or shatter. The winds just wouldn't give up, and it simply pushed the rainwater into every exposed crevice of the house, so much so the house flooded, in both the first and second floors.

Everyone went into action. Everyone was either armed with a mop and pail, or old rags to soak up pools of water and squeeze them in all sorts of containers, or a broom to sweep off puddles of water in the lower floor. This went on for a whole afternoon and evening.

Great! We went swimming and rowing alright - right inside a storm-swept, flooded house! TWO GOALS ACHIEVED!

(Plus exciting EXTRA side features to boot!)

Vacation satisfaction? AWESOME!