The Winds Of Sierra Madre
Morning had broken. That early, a Badia trike driver, unmindful of the strong, swishing sound of the wind, was picking up a passenger. It was business as usual for him.
With a green jacket on, I was standing near the front door, pressing my cap for it not to be blown away by the strong wind. I could hear, from time to time, acacia twigs, big and small, falling on the roof.
Strong winds do come every December, lasting till the end of February. They make the tree branches swing and sway. It is cold day and night. Some call this periodic occurence as amihan or northeast monsoon. The winds come from Siberia.
But there is always a lull or respite. Just like last December when, after four days of ferocious winds accompanied by heavy rainfall, it stopped on the 24th. That made two seniors, spending Christmas eve for the first time at the Sierra Madre, happy and thankful.
For dinner, we had ham, fried chicken, sopas and potato salad. And making it more meaningful was the song of a young caroler from a nearby sitio. Her voice was angelic, sending shivers that made me emotional:
"Oh holy night, the stars are brightly shining, it's the night of our dear savior's birth..Long lay the world in sin and error pining, till He appeared and the soul felt its worth."
- Konted
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| Badia Trike is used to transport commuters at the Sierra Madre |
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| For transients only. Contact Totoy Brown. |
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| A restaurant at the Sierra Madre with a good view of Ipo Dam |
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| Tapsilog Php150, Chicken Inasal Php150 |
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| Sierra Madre is home to Ipo Dam |
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| Sierra Madre is also home to another dam, Angat Dam |
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| Closer shot of Ipo Dam |
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| Konted at Angat Dam |
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| Spending their vacation at the Sierra Madre |
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| This young lady is surely enjoying her stay |
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| A store near the Brgy. Hall selling palos, baboy ramo and tapang usa |
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| Our friend from Manitoba, Canada has been staying at the Sierra Madre for more than 25 years. He speaks fluent Tagalog. |
**All places shown above are located in Norzagaray
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