du-ol ra.

There is one word in Cebuano that I really don't trust and that is the word, du-ol (translation: near). In my experience, when they say du-ol ra, it means that you have to prepare all your reserved strength because you are in for a really really long walk.

The first time I heard the word was when I was in the elementary and I was with my student publication adviser. We were looking for a newly opened resort and it was located in the Cebuano-speaking part of Negros Occidental and since we are not sure where it is, we asked the locals. For a number of times we were told that the place we are looking for is "du-ol na". But we had to travel for more than an hour (and mind you, my teacher drives really fast) to get to the area.

Second experience was when I was in third year college. Our organization conducted a tree planting activity in one of the barangays of Valencia town and the said barrio is located in the mountains already. (Actually the whole town is in the mountain but the barrio is located in the higher areas). When we arrived at the said barrio, we were told that the seedlings were placed by the side of the road in front of the barrio captain's house. Not knowing where the house is exactly, we asked the residents. They told us, "ay, du-ol ra kaayo...didto ra sa ta-as gamay". So we went, we left the residents at past 8am and at a quarter to 10, we still haven't seen the barrrio captain's house.

We found the house at a little past ten, we were already sweaty and exhausted but we still had to walk to the planting site. We again asked the residents were the area is and again we were told that its "du-ol ra". Well, we reached the planting area at past 12noon and we had to climb cliffs, cross dried rivers, and climb slopes that makes you pant like a dog. By the time we reached the area, we were already smelling like the carabaos in the field and as hungry as the pigs in the sty.

After planting the seedlings and enjoying the hospitality of the mountain folks, we again asked the residents if there is a shortcut that we could use to reach Tejeros, one of the resorts in town. They told us that we could use the road that they often use and of course the first thing we asked was, "is it nearer kuya?". Again, we were told that its "du-ol ra" if we choose that road and we want to get home early.

We should have known better right? But weary and anxious to find our way back to civilization (not that were that far), we followed three residents who volunteered to guide us. Well, as expected, it was far. More than far actually. Imagine we started walking before 1pm and we reached the poblacion area at past 6 in the evening already (and good thing we were able to hitch a ride halfway). The travel time from that area to the other side of the mountain (yes, they never told us that we have to cross the mountain and our destination is literally on the other side of it) took almost five hours then we had to climb the more than 200 steps-stairs of the Casaroro falls and walk from Casaroro to poblacion. So near.

Forget for a minute that in those five hours we had to traverse steep ravines and climb down a 90degree cliff without ropes. Grrr. It feels like a mixed episode of Lost and Survivor.

And to mention every misfortune I have experienced every time the word "du-ol" is used would take me more than a day to encode.

And with these, I hope this would serve as a warning to you my friends. If you are in a cebuano-speaking area and they say, "du-ol ra" better ask for the approximate distance or you'll finally get an idea what a death march means.

(note: only the first photo is mine. The second and the last was ripped from the net)