Back on the Road to Carmen
July 1st. Today marked my departure from Batoan after a full five-day rest—the longest break I've had since this journey began. Before hitting the road, I have to give a huge shoutout to Roy and Jane, who supported me so much at the hotel in Batoan.
My first target was a town called Carmen. I thought it'd be mountainous since it's near the Chocolate Hills, but it was actually quite calm. The walk, however, was mentally exhausting. There was road construction causing one-way traffic, and walking on that super narrow shoulder really drained me.
After grabbing some water and a mysterious apple juice in Batoan, I set my sights on Dagohoy, which was about 12 kilometers away.
An Unexpected Ride and a Torrential Downpour
Just before reaching Dagohoy, a truck full of what looked like agricultural workers drove by and waved at me. To my absolute surprise, they actually turned the truck around and offered me a ride to Dagohoy!
My travel rule is to always say yes to events like this, so I gladly hopped into the back of the truck. But the moment I got in, a torrential downpour started! We hurried to the town.
Once we arrived in Dagohoy, the rain only got worse. I ended up taking shelter at a nearby fire station. The firefighters there were incredibly kind—they offered me advice on where to stay and even treated me to some mangoes.
From Under a Bridge to a Local's Living Room
I waited at the fire station for about an hour and a half, but the rain just wouldn't quit. At around 5:30 PM, I realized I had no choice but to brave the weather and keep moving. I was running out of daylight and desperately needed to find a place to sleep.
I spotted a bridge and set up my tent underneath it. Suddenly, a local guy approached me. I panicked, thinking I was going to get yelled at for camping there. Instead, he told me it was dangerous to sleep under the bridge and invited me to stay at his house!
I'll be honest, my guard was entirely up. I asked to see his Facebook account to get a bit of peace of mind, but things still felt incredibly sketchy. He mentioned they had Wi-Fi, but they didn't, and then his phone started ringing with calls from friends... my alarms were going off.
But this is what travel is all about. You never really know the person standing next to you. I decided to take the leap, mentally prepared to fight back if anything went south.
Diving into the Unknown
Thankfully, it turned out to be a wonderful home with his wife and kids. They shared their food with me and even set up a fan so I'd be comfortable. My anxiety slowly faded away, and now I'm safely getting ready for bed.
As a traveler, I believe in doubting people but taking the leap anyway. If my life were to end here, I could honestly say I lived this day to the fullest with zero regrets. It's all about managing risks while still diving headfirst into the unknown.
Today was packed with crazy, unexpected events, and it just made me fall in love with traveling all over again.