“You must be joking. You must have taken the jeepney!”
They chuckled when I told them that I ran all the way from Ivana to Basco.
You see, I’m not really your typical runner. I only run when I’m in the mood. I’m flat-footed and I don’t have that perfect mix of discipline and endurance. And I have never gone farther than twelve kilometers.
But today I ran all fifteen kilometers from Ivana to Basco, Batanes alone.
It has always been my dream to run the whole island of Batan, long before I started lacing up my running shoes. It must be the boundless breathtaking views. Views you simply can’t take in all at the same time in just one riding. Views you wanna slowly absorb in your own time, your own stride, and your own pace.
I have been to Batanes four times already and I came into a conclusion that I could only experience the most of this place through running. I have seen my route a couple of times. Driving from Basco to Ivana is actually a long 30-minute ride. I have doubted myself every time I plied this route. Yet each time, I carefully studied the zigzagging corners, all fifteen kilometers. “One day I will!,” I told myself. And yes, one day became today.
I started at exactly nine in the morning (not exactly the time of day for joggers.) But here in Batanes, you’ve got a fine weather all day long. The first six kilometers was fast. Along the way, about twenty Ivatans greeted me their Good Mornings and about another twenty more of them looked at me with surprise, as if it’s their first time to see someone zooming past their roads. (And later an Ivatan told me that Ivatans don’t jog at all! With vast farms to work on, who would really need a jog?)
I also inched past two road constructions, to warm me up for zigzagging roads ahead.
It was sunny and windy at first but after the sixth kilometer, the blue skies started turning into gloomy overcast, as if a storm’s about to come. The winds also became fiercer, sending my heart rate up! From afar, I could see Mt. Iraya covered with thick dark clouds and the far municipality of Basco also dulled with more clouds! Que horror! This is not really the sight a lone runner would want to see. In between towering cliffs and rolling hills, I don’t really have anywhere to go to in case the skies suddenly decided to weep. I ran faster because of this. And in each stride, I prayed that the clouds would grant a lone runner’s wish. It wasn’t also comforting to hear the roaring ocean croon with the whistling wind. I have never imagined that the wind could actually topple my iPod’s blasting volume! This is the kind of sound I normally hear during stormy nights in Manila. Blame it to my strong imagination and paranoia; I feared that the strong winds would push me out of the road and into the merciless water!
After roaming long stretches of desolate hills, finally I saw bikes. Yes, just bikes, without their riders, parked on the road! It was actually a reassuring sight, knowing that finally there were human beings somewhere out there. Saturday is actually farm day for most of Ivatans. You’ll see most of them—from kids to elderly– harvesting their fruits, crops and plants the entire morning.
From time to time, I would stop to take videos of the different sights. I arrived the municipality of Mahatao about past ten in the morning, about six kilometers away from my finish line. There were plenty of houses lining the national road, but the streets were pretty much deserted.
Again, what was I thinking? It’s Saturday Farm Day. Alas, I found an uninvited company, barely a few minutes from the border of Mahatao. A big white stray dog kept on following me. I didn’t want my heart rate to go further up so I tried to walk slowly and send good vibes to this dog. I imagined my cuddly poodle Noodle and the smart Hachiko from Harrison Ford’s touching movie. But no, this dog was far from being cute and friendly (and its teeth ahh, I was sure this animal can bite!). Thirty meters, he stopped but he was still staring at me, as if negotiating if I’m worthy to be his prey or not. Hah! Fortunately, he decided that I’m not going to be his target for the day. But boy I was wrong! After ten minutes, I saw another stray dog, meaning another minutes killed trying to fool the enemy.
The route, I say, is every runner’s paradise. Sure, its cemented roads, sometimes with potholes and loose rocks, are far from rubberized ovals or well-lit sidewalks of The Fort.
Batanes offers much what’s lacking in the metro. Save from a handful of motorbikes, the zone is smoke-free. You can actually run, extend your arms, inhale and exhale, as if you own the world!
Downhill or uphill, you will never really notice. You don’t have to have a pacer or a support group to keep you running.
All you have to do is look out everywhere– that side of sky-high boulders, that lovely sight of cows platooning the top of the ridge, down below the ocean, that far bending corner, or those sweet rolling hills.
All you have to do is hear the pounding of waves, the music of white birds, the strange melody of crickets, and from time to time, that deafening silence.
All you have to do is smell the grass, the commanding sea breeze and that distinct scent of strange land.
All you have to do is feel the touch of the fierce winds and the unpredictable peeking arms of the sun.
Ahh, there is this unmistakable power that keeps you company and pushes your limits all throughout. It’s an experience that is so surreal. An ironic journey that makes you think that you own the world, and at the same time, makes you feel so small amidst the boundless seascapes and landscapes.
On the last kilometer of the Basco town proper, I decided to walk. One hour and forty five minutes. Not really a bad time at all. Come to think of it, with just two hundred thirty milliliters of my water consumed and another feat achieved, I marked another milestone today. Fifteen kilometers and I felt that I’ve reached the moon.
-February 26, 2011
*Photos taken with a GoPro Hero Cam