After staying for nearly an hour, we had to leave the place. At this particular time, 15 minutes before five in the afternoon, the sun should still be shinning brightly but it appeared that sunset would not be good because of clouds in the late afternoon. Since it looked like a cloudy late afternoon, in a short while the whole place will be covered by darkness and it would be hard to move around afterwards.
During the course of our travel, it was really fun and a relaxing one. Fun in the sense that I really had a good time. This was my first time to travel in a motorcycle covering a long distance. It was good likewise that my driver and tour guide was driving smoothly. And it was indeed relaxing. As I felt the cold afternoon breeze in my face, I was transformed into a dreamy state. At that particular moment, no amount of worries entered my mind. I can freely savor the freshness of the air and everything I saw here were all shades of green. Guimaras is famous for its world-class sweet tasting mangoes and I really wanted to experience the taste but unluckily it was not the season that time. Well, maybe I will be back some time soon.
Likewise, one remarkable thing I noticed here was the vastness of the road. The two-way road seemed so big and wide for the motorists. Private cars can rarely be seen and jeepneys are available on a particular time of the day only. Motorcycles are a common means as public transports in rural areas especially in parts of the country where they seem impossible to access. And here I was, enjoying my ride in a motorcycle.
It took us almost 40 minutes from the Guisi lighthouse to the Trappist monastery. We could had arrived earlier with a faster speed but I preferred a safe and enjoyable trip. Again, there was no reason to hurry at all.
Taking our sweet time cost us an opportunity to shop at the Trappist shop. The Trappist monks are known to all over the province and the nearby provinces to produce their own food. They are the ones who plow and plant the fields and turn their harvest into a mouth watering delight. Sad to say, I will not be able to take home some goodies directly from their shop.
Upon approaching the shop, I immediately saw a priest taking photographs of the place. I thought all along that he is a resident of the monastery and so I approached him. After a few exchange of words, he said that he was also a visitor and he came from Europe and will be staying for about a week.
Anyway, my guide directed me towards the chapel. Unluckily again, there was no priest available for even a quick spiritual talk. So, I simply slipped inside the chapel and silently uttered some prayer lines I used to deliver all the time. They said that whenever it is your first time in a church, you have to make a wish. But then again, it is not my practice. A few lines of being appreciative of every blessing I received would be more than enough to unload what's in my heart.
The experience of being in this chapel was such an experience to reckon with. The chilling effect of the place that is so perfectly still and silent makes you reflect on your existence like you've never done before. A peaceful and quiet moment makes you see yourself in front of the mirror. And I guess, if I will be able to find a place like this one and be there in a constant manner, I will be seeing of myself more clearly and I'll be able to enrich my spiritual devotion.
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