"While the old cathedral exudes peace and calmness, this area is the contrary. Almost everyone has a mission to accomplish. This street is action-filled."

What makes actual travel beautiful is the opportunity to see the small details not shown in travel magazines and shows. You are given the chance to scrutinize the place and discover what's beyond the most popular.

Zamora Street, Dagupan

[DAGUPAN] all walks of life gather here


This journey to Dagupan is not the usual way of looking for the best place to eat, the best spot to chill, the best place to take a selfie or the best place to flaunt the traveler/tourist's aura that I am guilty of at times. This is the journey I've been where I had no real purpose but to search for meanings. I reached Dagupan with no actual plans in mind (sounds clichรฉ for the 'no actual plans' but I can't find another words to best describe it).

 Finding Inner Peace 

This is the first trip I made after I am about to overcome some failures in life this year related to charting my future. I learned that everything you want will not be given to you while the things most people want to have is actually in your possession but you just fail to recognize and appreciate it, like in my case.

God must have been teaching me a lesson that I don't own the world and certain things are reserved for the right person. When I talk with my friends, they say I am so lucky. According to them, I have this, I can do that, or I can go there. But there are just things that I wanted to achieve more. You know, I failed to appreciate the great things I have in my possession. I went out of way on this real life journey because of extrinsic pressure that I wasn't able to handle.

Zamora Street, Dagupan City

[DAGUPAN] walking down the streets of Dagupan


This trip to Dagupan was more of a personal reflection. I was not after the enjoyment of traveling this time but it turned out that I enjoyed everything. I acted like an insane as I walk along the different streets in Dagupan without clear reason or benefit I might obtain thereafter. I was here to understand the place. 

I turned ultra-happy just eating street food because I was able to understand the place. I got lost in my direction on board a jeep and yet it felt good because I was able to understand the place. So I was here to keenly observe, appreciate the simple things and learn a lesson from all of those encounters.

In the long run, Dagupan gave me the opportunity to reflect. I've found inner peace. I'm moving on.

The Real Life, Hopes, Dreams

I reached a cathedral in Dagupan I considered as a missing link. I am not a Roman Catholic, let's be clear with that. I don't even believe in religion established by man because for me religion is your personal relationship with the Creator. I happened to be very interested with cathedrals because of the history they posses, the art they show and the role they play in shaping a culture (and a society). In front of the cathedral is an instance of a living picture that contains a thousand philosophies and golden rules.

Street Vendors in Dagupan City

[DAGUPAN] hopes and dreams along Dagupan's streets


I noticed these street vendors in front of the Old Dagupan Cathedral ▬ a lot of them! While the old cathedral exudes peace and calmness, this area is the contrary. Almost everyone has a mission to accomplish. This street is action-filled. While some people might be joining the frenzy just for fun, most people take their tasks seriously (on my own observation). These tasks I am referring are the foundation for every family; and these tasks are motivated by the challenge to survive the daily tests of life masked by friendly voices and invitations to try their products ▬ mussels, oysters and some seafoods.

These people aren't usually seen in the glossy pages of travel magazines although they play a part in the travel industry. They serve as front-liners for the so-called tourism-driven industries marketed to tourists. I am not just talking about Dagupan here ▬ this is in general, most especially to tourism-driven economies. These people benefit though. At least their products are marketable but beyond what they sell are hopes for a better life and dreams that they want to achieve; out from these little industries.

Mussels in Dagupan

[DAGUPAN] a pail of mussels for hope

Oyster in Dagupan

[DAGUPAN] a pail of oysters for dreams

Oysters

[DAGUPAN] or buying a cup of this for the vendor's food for the day


At the end of the day, this is reality. You'll see hardworking people under the guise of promoted local industries in many places. The reality is they do this for a living to realize their dreams and strengthen their hopes.

Things like the foregoing have opened my mind wider. Some people don't just go in this area to pray in that MAJESTIC OLD DAGUPAN CATHEDRAL

[DAGUPAN] Cathedral of St John the Evangelist - Overgrown Time Trail

TEASER: "Now I've found the gap. That tube leading me to sanity on travel is now patent."
. It is more than the meditation and prayer. They also act and do something to make their prayers do come true. /to be continued...
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/THIS POST IS PART OF A SUB-SERIES/

Dagupan #TownExploration Series

Map showing the Location of #Dagupan

Click map to view latest articles covering PANGASINAN


MORE POSTS FROM THIS CATEGORY: *LOCAL PRODUCTS*

[VILLASIS] I Didn't Know there's Tupig in Villasis, Pangasinan

TEASER: "Villasis is booming, many industries are flourishing, trade and commerce are doing well, but tupig, one little cheap food remains to soar high with pride from the community."

[PIDIGAN] Virginia Tobacco Farming: The Harsh Wealth of Abra

TEASER: "For sure there is a harsh effect to health and at the opposite side, there is a harsh effect for the livelihood of the people. Indeed a big debate."

[VIGAN] Palaspas-Weaving, Waving: a Philippine Holy Week Culture

TEASER: "This is just another Filipino culture that goes in 4 ways - arts, economy, religion and tradition..."

[CAOAYAN] A Corny Post: Weekend at the Corn Fields isn't Corny

TEASER: "This post might be corny, uh... trite, dated, melodramatic, or mawkishly sentimental, dull and tiresome but with pretensions of significance or originality, yet I think it is safe to say that spending quality moments at the corn fields isn't a corny stuff."

[BICOL] The Cultural Shopping: Things to Buy in Bicol

TEASER: "These products have been a part of the daily living of the Bicolanos and have become their identity - hence a part of their culture. Shop the culture of Bicol now!"

[SAN FABIAN] Pangasinan: Tuba and Talaba, Kings of the Road

TEASER: "It is noteworthy that these roads hail their own king. They ignore the jeepneys and tricycles but it has given way for industries to thrive in this town."

[BAGUIO] What to Eat in Baguio: The Fruits of Fragaria

TEASER: "Contrary to the belief of many, strawberries are not true berries, it is fragaria, as to eggplant, eggplant is not a vegetable but a berry."
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Axact

EDMAR GUQUIB y DEL CASTILLO

Born and Raised in Vigan, Philippines. Hardcore Ilocano-Cordilleran. Professional Nurse on Weekdays. Coffee Addict. Travel Blogger in Between. For collaboration or partnership, email your business proposal at admin@edmaration.com.

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2 comments:

  1. Nuks gumaganun si Edmar. Kaya pala hindi mo na ako binalikan sa school haha just kidding :D

    Next time you're in Dagupan, mangan ta ti adobong talaba :D

    ReplyDelete
  2. Micamyx|Senyorita | Kelangan ko ding mag-drama kung minsan, hihi :p

    ReplyDelete

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