Sierra Madre

I’d been eager to put together a video showcasing the Philippines beyond Manila. I kept asking my coworkers, “what’s a scenic spot close to the city?” One of them suggested driving through Sierra Madre. Not only did he say it was beautiful, but he’d drive me there himself.

We met up at the crack of dawn one Saturday morning, before the sun had even completely risen. As we drove out of Manila and into the hills of Antipolo, the sun began to rise. Long rays of sunlight peaked through the trees.

“You might want to grab your camera now,” my friend advised me.

We were entering into provincial territory. Jeepneys shuttled around the curvy roads with people hanging on to whatever they could. Cars turned into motorbikes and trikes. You could start to hear the roosters again, too.

And then suddenly we were at our first stop. Overlooking this serene, nearly untouched valley. The morning fog still yet to be lifted, making for a stunning shot.

“Man, why didn’t I bring my still camera for this!?” I remarked to my friend.

“That huge thing doesn’t take photos?”

“Nah, it’s just for video…oh well, I can grab stills from the video.”

I couldn’t believe what I was looking at. Another one of those “is this a painting or real life?” moments. But this time I had video proof. Not only was this real, but I was capturing it to finally share with everyone back home.

I could have stayed there, overlooking the valley for hours. But my friend insisted it got better.

We weren’t the only ones enjoying the scenery. As it turns out, this stretch of road is popular with motorcyclists and bicyclists for the enjoyable twists and turns.

Goats, chickens, and even turkeys adorned the side of the road as well. Farmers had taken over the land and just let their livestock roam free.

“Turkeys?? You have turkeys here?”

“Yeah, I guess so. Must be so you Americans have something to eat for Thanksgiving.”

We arrived at a spot that was simply perfect to me. The way the two trees framed the shot. The mountains playing with the wispy clouds. The true, abundant green just flowing across the whole scene.

At the end of the road sat a small little resort, catering to the cyclists journeying across the mountains. There we got some sandwiches and coffee, chatting about life in Manila, life in America, and the various goings-on of the day.

“So what do you think of our mountains?” my friend asked, as we walked back to his car.

I was speechless. And I couldn’t wait to share it with everyone back home.