Driving through the highway of Batangas in January reminds me of a car racing computer game that we used to play when we were kids. Dilapidated trucks loaded with sugar cane are the obstacles you have to overtake in order to get to the finish line. These trucks are old, cumbersome and slow moving. The triumph you feel when you have overtaken one is quickly doused when you realize that there are still dozens of them you have to pass by down the road. Because of their bulk, it's hard to see if there are vehicles in front of them or how far the vehicles on the opposite lane are so that you can maneuver your car to overtake these beasts of burden. There is also the fear that the rusty cage-like steel holding the gigantic pile of sugar cane will give way and tumble into the highway or if you have a really morbid imagination, will fall into your car and piercing the windshield or burying you under all that canes. Can you say that it is a sweet way to go? :)
Passing through towns, you sometimes manage to catch a glimpse of special moments in the lives of its residents. We passed by a house where a wedding celebration was going on. Tables and chairs were arranged in front of the house and there were guests seated. Since dusk was descending, lights strung along the make shift bamboo walls were twinkling, adding a festive air to the occasion. It is also startling to see colorful grand houses plunked in the middle of greens and grays. These houses contrast sharply in a scenery that speaks of poverty in rural areas where small, old and dilapidated structures dominate. There is a strong possibility that these houses are the fruits of the labors of overseas Filipino workers.
