I miss the frequent trips we took from Cdo to Oroquieta and back. The scenery was something else, it was quiet and picturesque but a little eerie. There were lots of food vendors along the road, and on the way we would buy bibingka, fruits and crabs! The 5-hour long trip was worth it. I knew we were getting near once we rode the barge. And afterwards, we would go to the different towns on the other side. With their pristine beaches, little public libraries, lanes of old houses and vast rice fields, it was not hard to fall in love with this sleepy region. Hidden beneath its quiet exterior though is a bloody mess of politics and drug crimes. Maybe that’s why there’s an aura of foreboding in some areas.