I had the taste of Puerto Princesa's awesome beauty 3 years ago. I then vowed to return.. It was all worth it.. Palawan is a paradise that coming back is not an option but a must... There were a lot of things that I did this time which I failed to do 3 years ago when I was with my cousin Ate Cathy and her friends. Just look at the list and I must say I really did miss a lot of things the first time around:
* Hold a small crocodile at Crocodile Farm after the wails and cries (I wouldn't dare touch a part of this reptile ever before but due to "peer pressure", I was left with no choice..) -- It was scary at first with me crying like a baby but when you get to hold it for half a minute, you would just be feeling the cold and rough surface of Little Croc.
* Eating the famed Tamilok (we planned to eat this on Kinabuchs but our amazing guide Kuya Marlo gave us this on our lunch prior to our Underground tour --- at least we did not spend a single dime)
* Do jump shots on almost all the beaches we've been ( Oh yeah I've been doing this to some of my trips but I never did this the first time around in PP)
* Dine to the famous restaurants and cafes like KaLui, Kinabuchs, and Itoy's Cafe
* Got a video of the whole Underground River experience
* Stroll along the boulevard and bike around (we never get to do this 3 years ago, I just can't remember why we didn't even if we're just a walk away.... )
With all the memories to remember, I can't help but sigh that Palawan is forever be a paradise to me...
Some photos and blogs can be viewed on my multiply site:
Puerto_Princesa_The_Second_Time_Around
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Sunday, May 31, 2009
The Coron Escapade
Date: May 31, 2009
Information: Photos are also available on this site - http://tinagalido.multiply.com/photos/album/51/The_Coron_Adventure_
Day 1, Wednesday, April 8, 2009 (Coron Town)
Our CEBU Pacific flight was scheduled on a 10:50AM Manila-Busuanga, departing from NAIA Terminal 3. All three of us decided to meet at MRT Taft area to head on to Andrews Avenue. Taking the MRT going to Taft from Shaw, I coincidentally met Carissa and both of us headed to meet Rochelle who was confused initially because of the "confusing" diagram I provided her a week before. Around 8:30, we alighted one of the Nichols bound jeepney near MRT Taft area. After arriving at Terminal 3, we then have our baggage checked in and the body weigh-in thing which I learned only applies to 2-seater planes such as the one we will be boarding. Whew.... This was my first time on a 2-seater and first time to have the weigh-in thing. After some standard picture-taking and a little waiting, we then boarded Cebu Pac 2-seater plane bound for Busuanga. I was holding 1C so I was seated on the very first row facing all the other passengers... Another first time … There were a lot of foreigners on board but majority of the passengers are still Filipinos or Filipino-looking, that is. After an approximately 1 hour of travel, we then arrived at Francisco Reyes Airport at Busuanga, an hour away from Coron town proper. As we were waiting for our baggage, we spotted a familiar singer (Yeng Constantino) and Rochelle got too excited that she asked for a photo. Yeng, in fairness, was nice and friendly. After we took our baggage, we then saw my name on one of the cardboard being flashed by a local, which I assumed was Jay2 who was our contact for the van. Passing through ranches and hills, we arrived at Coron around 12:30PM.
Ate Lani, who I was contacting for the past months greeted us and led us to our room which is just enough for 3 people. Coron Reef Pension House, which is a stone away from the Coron bay was a walking distance from the market, port and the main town area. After settling our baggage, we troop out and scouted for small restos to dine in. After lunch, we then walked around town and began looking into our itinerary which covered touring around Coron town. We asked the locals for the Everly Souvenir shop and after around a 15-minute walk, we then reached the shop. I figured it is the only souvenir shop that sells variety of goods from T-shirts, local handicrafts, key chains, and accessories to foods. Spending half an hour, we decided to hike Mt Tapyas on a later time as the scorching heat was way too hot to handle. We then took a tricycle to Coron Plaza and City Hall, took some photos and then headed to Lambingan Bridge which we thought at first was far we had to take another tricycle [It was just several meters away from the Plaza]. Erected atop Coron Bay, Lambingan Bridge seemed ordinary but if one walked through the end, a rewarding sea breeze, a great view of Mt. Tapyas and a serene feeling greets one who reaches the end. After talking to some local tourists who was on their way to Boracay after leaving town the next day, we then decided to go to Coron Harvest. The driver did not know the way so we decided to go horseback riding. He recommended Kokussnuss and Horse Valley which he also mentioned to be a little too far. We then went to Kokussnuss, another pension house and the girl told us the horses are already out. At this time, we don't know where to go next as it is still too early to trek Mt Tapyas. I suggested Mabentangin Watershed which we saw on our way to the pension house. The driver agreed and told us we can drop by Horse Valley as it can be on our way to Mabentangin Watershed. After passing tall and thin trees, the Horse Valley was indeed way far from the town proper. It was kind of secluded from the main town and transportation is scarce [It is recommended to have the driver wait and drive you to the city.]. Horse Valley was a small land with a few number of horses. For a reasonable price of P100 for a 15-minute horseback riding, Carissa and I decided to try it. It was my first time riding a horse in motion. It was a bit scary at first but once I settled in, I got Otto's [horse's name] “approval”. After circling for 2 rounds with the initial one a struggle for balance, I decided I had enough. So Carissa then settled in for her turn. After her ride, we then proceeded to Mabentangin Watershed, a quiet place and served as the source of water for the whole of Coron town. It was not really a popular attraction but there was a slide indicating one can take a bath on the shed. After spending sometime around the shed, we then headed to Mt Tapyas, which our driver told us to be a 726-step towards the big cross [By the way, the fare to & from Mabentangin was similar to Maquinit which is P300/whole ride]. The driver had us referred to another driver who will wait for us after our trek to Tapyas.
We sort of underestimated our time with the trek as we realized we're only halfway the climb when the sun had slowly settled down. We also met Rodel and his group who were our tour mates the next day for the Calauit-West Busuanga Bay tour. After a tiring trek towards Mt. Tapyas, we descended at around 7pm (Our driver was already waiting for us) and then headed to Maquinit Hot Spring, a 45-minute ride from Coron town [Entrance is P100/person]. After the travelling and walking and hiking all day, the soothing effect of the spring did some wonders to our tired bodies. After roughly more than an hour of dipping on hot waters, we then headed back to town to have our well-deserved rest. [Note: Transportation to Maquinit costs P300/ride back & forth]
Day 2, Thursday, April 9, 2009 (Calauit Tour)
On our Day 1, we already contacted our tour mates through Roel and agreed to meet at around 3:30AM for our long travel to Calauit. Prior to our Coron trip, the Calauit Tour one was one of my dilemma (I was tasked to make our 6D/5N Coron Trip Itinerary). A 4-hour boat travel (one way) means long travel and costly boat rental. Since it was only the 3 (Carissa, Rochelle and me) of us on this trip, we need other joiners (the term used for a group who joins another group for a certain tour or destination). I tried looking for other joiners online including DIYCoron, Pinoy eXchange and other travel reference sites but there was none -- only 2D/1N which costs more than 3k/person -- obviously not on our budget. Good thing Carissa happened to know Roel's trip to Coron (April 7-10) and learned that April 9 was open for any tour. Roel, who happened to be our officemate (Carissa, Rochelle and I are with the same company) have his group consulted for the tour. When they agreed to join us, I then changed our ITI and put Calauit on the agreed date (April 9). Then I made inquiries on the possible expenses and scouted for the possible islands to hop in after visiting Calauit Wildlife Sanctuary. There were 3 options for the group to choose from: Option 1 - Land travel through van and a half-hour boat ride which would only cost us around 1.2k each with no meal yet (Van - 8k; boat - 100/pax;entrance - 250/pax;truck - 1k); Option 2 - Boat Travel with island hopping which would cost us 1.5k each with no meal yet (Boat - 12k; entrance - 250/pax; truck - 1k; island fee - 100/pax); & Option 3 - DIYCoron Tour which would cost us 1.9k each including meal, entrance fees, truck and island fees. Majority chose Option 2 because of the Island hopping.
As agreed, around 3:30AM, Roel's group (8 pax) & ours met at the loading area and we then prepared to sail off. Leaving Coron town at around 4AM and passing through islands and rock cliffs, we reached Calauit at past 8AM. The Sanctuary seemed to be a hidden piece of land only you would know that there was something to see on it after the makeshift wooden path bridge and one or two anchored boats seen on the island. We walked for about 200 meters and reached the cottage which holds the visitors and guests. One may notice that there was no "receptionist" to welcome you or any information desk to inquire from regarding schedules. I was aware the week before that there was some change of management on the Safari so some inconveniences are expected, including waiting for more than an hour for the availability of the truck. Some of the staffs later revealed that they were not expecting the sudden influx of tourists so they are not quite ready for the big number of guests. We learned there were only 3 trucks available: the big one which can carry more than 20 people which at that time was used by character actress Cherrie Pie for their special tour; the jeepney-type which can cater to 10-12 people and the 4x4 type for small groups. We rented the jeepney-type and I decided to go top-load. It was scorching hot but whew, I did not mind. I was only thinking of one thing at that time ---- feeding the giraffe while on top of the truck. Indeed, the feeding time was an exciting activity for us. We were able to feed them on close contact. After some time feeding the giraffe, we then headed towards a small trail. On our way, we took some time to take photos of the Calamian deer which we saw along the path. Inside the small trail, there were cages that house squirrel, wild boar and some wild animals. After a quick view on these cages, we then headed to the crocodile cage. I did not go down to see this as I saw only a small wooden makeshift cage that probably houses one or two of these scary reptiles [I've been to Puerto Princesa who has a Crocodile Farm so I may not be that too impressed by these crocs in Calauit].
Wrapping up the "short" tour, we then headed towards group of zebras roaming around the trees and took some close photos. Roughly around 1230 PM, we left Calauit and made our way to the West Busuanga Islands. First on our list was Black Island. We were more than a hundred meters away from the island when the boatman suggested we abort the Black Island part and head to Dibutonay because of the waves. Melvin, who was one of the joiners, seconded the motion. I was willing to push through with the Black Island because for me, the waves are somewhat manageable [One of the boatmen seemed to be overacting]. But these people have spent all their lives on the sea so I figured out they knew better. Being a risk-taker, I knew when to go forward and when to back out. And that would mean backing out because there were other people involved in the trip. I would have pushed forward then if I was the only one involved.
Submitting to the decision of the majority, we then headed to Dibutonay Island, a half-kilometer stretch of semi-white sand beach. Due to its proximity from the main island, Dibutonay is somehow untouched by commercialism. When we got there, only a few docked boats anchored on the beach were seen. I guess this can be considered as one of the non-commercialized and untouched beaches in the Calamian group of Islands. After spending roughly half an hour of snorkeling and swimming, we then headed to the nearby North Cay Island fronting South Cay Island [Both North Cay and South Cay have entrance fee of 100/person/island]. We decided to stay in North Cay and excluded South Cay which was somehow the same as that of the former. We were advised by the boatmen to limit the stay as we still have a long travel to go. Leaving North Cay at past 2pm, we then headed to the main island. Passing islets, mangroves, rock cliffs, wreck sites, snorkeling and diving areas, we reached Coron Island at past 6pm. It was one of the most exhausting trip I ever had. Some of the boatman suggested having a 2D/1N package tour to enjoy Calauit with an overnight stay in one of the secluded island resorts around Calamian. When we reached the pension house, I hurriedly took a bath, forgot about dinner and retired on bed early.
Day 3, Friday, April 10, 2009 (Coron Island Tour)
After the exhausting Calauit Trip, we were now excited for the next trip which I considered to be the highlight of our Coron escapade --- the Coron Island Tour. This time we never took a package nor invite other joiners. We decided it would be just the three of us (with the boatmen, of course) so we can decide on where to go and not worry on how much time we spent on each destination. With only 1.5k boat rent (can accommodate 3-7 people), having the boat to ourselves wouldn’t hurt our pockets. After having our breakfast on a nearby carinderia & buying our packed lunch, we rented a single-seater kayak from the nearby resort (Seadive Resort rental costs P250 for single-seater & P450 for double-seater). At past 9am, we left town and head on to Coron Island. On top of our list is Siete Pecados (a.k.a. "Seven Rocks"), an aquatic & marine sanctuary. I enumerated the areas to go & the sequence of the trip to our boatman, excluding Twin Peaks which I assumed to be the same as Twin Lagoon, only to know the next day that they were different. Our boatmen suggested another way to navigate. So instead of Siete, we head on to Cayangan lake --- with a magnificient lagoon welcoming us as we docked on. The natives of the island, the Tagbanuas (they preferred not to be called as such but as "natives"), charged P200 entrance fee for every guest on the lake. We had to take several steps before reaching the "view deck", a stone away from the peak. From there, one can see an amazing view of the lagoon where we took off. The view was simply breathtaking! We then followed the path down towards a semi-hidden lake. After 5 minutes, we reached one of the cleanest lakes in the country -- Cayangan Lake. Walking past bamboo walk paths, this jaw-dropping sight made me proud being a Filipino. Foreign and local tourists alike were in awe of this lake. I was in a hurry to dive in and experience my first ever lake snorkeling. It was one amazing experience! The water, the sword fishes, the rocks, and the people --- it was all too much for a feast. I can live forever on this island!!!! We we're so much hooked on swimming and snorkeling that we forgot there are still more to visit. More than an hour have passed, we decided to proceed to the next destination. Wrapping up our trip to Cayangan, we took some pictures on the view deck and the cave where we can take a glimpse of the spectacular view of the lagoon. Leaving Cayangan at past 12 noon, we decided to take our lunch on the nearby Kalachuchi Beach (no entrance fee). After lunch, I decided to try on the kayak. There was a small islet in front of the beach so I decided to kayak around it and then back to the beach. Carissa and Rochelle also tried to kayak around the beach.
After enjoying the kayak, we then head on to Barracuda Lake (Entrance fee is P75 each). Only few boats were docked. Only then we knew why. The sharp-edged rocks on the way to Barracuda have somehow shied away some safety-conscious tourists especially those with children. After traversing some knife-edged rocks and stones, we passed a small pool below bamboo walk paths and big rocks that somehow prevented one of the full view of the lake. Donning on our snorkel, we then swam our way towards the lake. The water is crystal clear, akin to the waters of Cayangan. The rocks beneath are sharper and bigger. Compared to Cayangan, Barracuda is less crowded. There were only 2 groups of tourists when we arrived. Spending less than an hour, we then head on to Banul Beach, a small stretch of white sand beach with tranquil waters (Entrance fee is P100 each). I tried to kayak again and this time, put on the camera in the middle of my knees while snorkeling. I felt like I was on a travel show & I wanted to record my kayaking adventure on this side of the island. Carissa and Rochelle also took turns on kayaking their way on the beach. After spending half an hour, we head on to Twin Lagoon (No entrance fee). So off we go to what they call two-sided lagoon separated by a small rock opening. When we arrived, there were already more than 5 boats docked in. Children were feeding the small fishes around. And when the boatman finally pointed the small opening, I saw heads getting in and out. Wow, what an exciting way of traversing two lagoons!!! I can't wait to join these heads swimming in and out of the lagoon so I dove and swam my way towards the opening. I took a video while making my way towards the inner lagoon. It was an amazing experience! Carissa then followed swimming her way inside. Rochelle who was struggling with the size of the life vest, decided to kayak her way inside with one of our boatman guiding her (we called her Madame after that because she looked like a VIP with her bodyguard guiding her) , which is also one way of navigating the inner lake. After spending roughly an hour in Twin Lagoon we proceeded to one of the shallow ship wrecks in Coron Island -- Skeleton Ship Wreck (Entrance fee is P100). Fishes were abundant around the wreck. As soon as we dropped crumbs of bread, fishes soared from everywhere. I was ecstatic of this communion with the aquatic vertebrates. I remembered when I had the same feeling when I visited Puerto Princesa, an equally abundant marine sanctuary. That was one great experience! Although paling in comparison with the varieties of fishes at Puerto Princesa, I still enjoyed playing with the fishes at the Skeleton ShipWreck. At past 5pm, we left Skeleton Shipwreck and head on to our last destination --- Siete Pecados (Entrance Fee is P100).
A marine sanctuary nested on the eastern side of Coron town, Siete Pecados is teeming with abundant marine life. Surrounding 7 rocks, I excitedly jumped in the waters and snorkeled my way in the middle. Different and unique aquatic display of corals, fishes, anemones and marine animals lay before me. While taking pictures and videos underwater, I was cautious of the pricking sea urchin lying around large corals. I swam my way outwards and can still see unique corals and marine creatures. Wha.... what a thrilling adventure!!!! I wanted to stay more but the clouds are getting dark so we head back to Coron town. We arrived past 6pm and had our hearty dinner on a nearby carinderia afterwards.
Day 4, Saturday, April 11, 2009 (Culion-Malcapuya Tour)
On our Day 4, we decided to be joiners in a DIY Coron Tour for our Culion trip. It was supposed to be Culion-Lusong tour but Jing (the initial team for the tour) changed it to Culion-Malcapuya Tour.
Owen, who was the organizer of our tour, asked me if it was okay. I agreed and so together with Jing's group (12); all 15 of us were on a DIY Culion-Malcapuya Tour costing P1.2k per person including lunch, snacks, boat, & entrance fee. The tour included visiting Culion town (a famed leper colony in the early 80's) in the morning and Malcapuya Island in the afternoon. We were told that if we include Banana Island and Bulog Dos Island, we need to shoulder the entrance fee of P200 per person for both the islands. We decided to include both the islands for the tour (which makes our total expenses P1.4K). At 8am, our tour guide Jhoan texted me the meeting place. At roughly 8:30am, we headed to Culion town, an hour away from Coron town. Passing mangroves, turquoise waters and uninhabited islands, we saw the symbolic structure of Culion's famous priest and their ancient currency lying on top of the hill as we docked in. We then took a brief walk towards the church and museum. Culion is a sleepy small town. Besides the church is a college, a Loyola college, then the old hospital and museum, a high school and small businesses. One can probably tour around for less than a day. We entered the gates of the old hospital and found our way towards the museum. We were restricted to take photos and videos inside the museum except for an area outside the Audio Visual Room. As we entered the Museum, we were led to the AVR and attended a 20-minute video clip of the history of Culion. Soon after, we got glimpses of the photos of leper patients before and after they were treated, medicines, old hospital equipments & office machines, documents & letters, and all things related to the colorful & significant history of Culion town. We then proceeded to the church and the fort which stood tall atop the whole of Culion. While on top of the fort, one can really see how small and beautiful Culion is. From its struggling years to its autonomy as a town, Culion is magnificently peaceful & beautiful. As I stood there taking photos, I can't believe I was really in Culion. This is one of the stigma-laden places I wanted to visit here in the Philippines (others are Siquijor, Basilan, Tawi-tawi, Sulu, Capiz). I got a nostalgic and rustic feeling about this town. After taking last minute photos in the church and fort, we then headed to Malcapuya Island. Passing vast mangroves and tiny islands, we docked on at the back side of the island. We then took a little walk towards the main beachfront which was one big surprise. The beach was as bright as the beaming sun. The white sand was just an awesome view! 
It was one of the best white sand beaches I have ever seen. The sand was powdery white and the water-beach-sky patterns were truly a visual feast. We spent taking pictures and took a short swim on the waters. At past 12noon, we took our buffet lunch, which was part of the package and took last minute photos on the beach front. Around 2 in the afternoon, we left Malcapuya and headed to the next destination. Though it was not part of the package, we can have the options to add other islands but we have to shoulder the entrance fees and additional fuel charge. We reached Banana Island and were amazed by the presence of a small bar and few local and foreign tourists snorkeling their way on the water and resting on makeshift wooden beach chairs. The island was a good place for relaxation, with the bar attending the guest’s needs. There are also some small cottages which can be rented overnight. I thought of coming back to this place because it was really serene. We paid 200 pesos for the entrance of both Banana Island and Bulog Dos, which was our next destination. We were told the owner of Banana Island were also the owners of Bulog Dos.
After a short swim and stroll along the beach, we then headed to Bulog Dos Island, a 15 minute island across Banana Island. As we were nearing the island, I was awe-stricken by the island. I was reminded of the Lahus Island in Caramoan. The island was really beautiful. The rocks, the sand, the serenity ---- it was unbelievably beautiful… We’ve only had a very short stay as we need to reach Coron town before the sun sets. We wanted to stay for long but we were told to hurry so we then took our last photo shots of the island. We reached Coron town before sunset. Our last night was a celebration as we enjoyed eating one of my favorites – crab.
Day 5 – Sunday, April 12, 2009 (Bye Coron)
On our last day, we managed to take last minute photos of the area, the bay and the town. I already texted Jay2 and agreed to meet at around 8AM for our 10AM flight. After breakfast, we hurriedly went back to the pension house where Jay2 was already making his way to our place. Ate Chinette, the warm and friendly owner of Coron Pension House, hugged me as we bade goodbye to her. As we left Coron, I promised to come back to this tiny but beautiful island. The whole experience on this island captivated me. It was, in fact one of the most enjoyable island adventures I had for years. Palawan is indeed one great paradise!!!!
Information: Photos are also available on this site - http://tinagalido.multiply.com/photos/album/51/The_Coron_Adventure_
Day 1, Wednesday, April 8, 2009 (Coron Town)
Our CEBU Pacific flight was scheduled on a 10:50AM Manila-Busuanga, departing from NAIA Terminal 3. All three of us decided to meet at MRT Taft area to head on to Andrews Avenue. Taking the MRT going to Taft from Shaw, I coincidentally met Carissa and both of us headed to meet Rochelle who was confused initially because of the "confusing" diagram I provided her a week before. Around 8:30, we alighted one of the Nichols bound jeepney near MRT Taft area. After arriving at Terminal 3, we then have our baggage checked in and the body weigh-in thing which I learned only applies to 2-seater planes such as the one we will be boarding. Whew.... This was my first time on a 2-seater and first time to have the weigh-in thing. After some standard picture-taking and a little waiting, we then boarded Cebu Pac 2-seater plane bound for Busuanga. I was holding 1C so I was seated on the very first row facing all the other passengers... Another first time … There were a lot of foreigners on board but majority of the passengers are still Filipinos or Filipino-looking, that is. After an approximately 1 hour of travel, we then arrived at Francisco Reyes Airport at Busuanga, an hour away from Coron town proper. As we were waiting for our baggage, we spotted a familiar singer (Yeng Constantino) and Rochelle got too excited that she asked for a photo. Yeng, in fairness, was nice and friendly. After we took our baggage, we then saw my name on one of the cardboard being flashed by a local, which I assumed was Jay2 who was our contact for the van. Passing through ranches and hills, we arrived at Coron around 12:30PM.
Ate Lani, who I was contacting for the past months greeted us and led us to our room which is just enough for 3 people. Coron Reef Pension House, which is a stone away from the Coron bay was a walking distance from the market, port and the main town area. After settling our baggage, we troop out and scouted for small restos to dine in. After lunch, we then walked around town and began looking into our itinerary which covered touring around Coron town. We asked the locals for the Everly Souvenir shop and after around a 15-minute walk, we then reached the shop. I figured it is the only souvenir shop that sells variety of goods from T-shirts, local handicrafts, key chains, and accessories to foods. Spending half an hour, we decided to hike Mt Tapyas on a later time as the scorching heat was way too hot to handle. We then took a tricycle to Coron Plaza and City Hall, took some photos and then headed to Lambingan Bridge which we thought at first was far we had to take another tricycle [It was just several meters away from the Plaza]. Erected atop Coron Bay, Lambingan Bridge seemed ordinary but if one walked through the end, a rewarding sea breeze, a great view of Mt. Tapyas and a serene feeling greets one who reaches the end. After talking to some local tourists who was on their way to Boracay after leaving town the next day, we then decided to go to Coron Harvest. The driver did not know the way so we decided to go horseback riding. He recommended Kokussnuss and Horse Valley which he also mentioned to be a little too far. We then went to Kokussnuss, another pension house and the girl told us the horses are already out. At this time, we don't know where to go next as it is still too early to trek Mt Tapyas. I suggested Mabentangin Watershed which we saw on our way to the pension house. The driver agreed and told us we can drop by Horse Valley as it can be on our way to Mabentangin Watershed. After passing tall and thin trees, the Horse Valley was indeed way far from the town proper. It was kind of secluded from the main town and transportation is scarce [It is recommended to have the driver wait and drive you to the city.]. Horse Valley was a small land with a few number of horses. For a reasonable price of P100 for a 15-minute horseback riding, Carissa and I decided to try it. It was my first time riding a horse in motion. It was a bit scary at first but once I settled in, I got Otto's [horse's name] “approval”. After circling for 2 rounds with the initial one a struggle for balance, I decided I had enough. So Carissa then settled in for her turn. After her ride, we then proceeded to Mabentangin Watershed, a quiet place and served as the source of water for the whole of Coron town. It was not really a popular attraction but there was a slide indicating one can take a bath on the shed. After spending sometime around the shed, we then headed to Mt Tapyas, which our driver told us to be a 726-step towards the big cross [By the way, the fare to & from Mabentangin was similar to Maquinit which is P300/whole ride]. The driver had us referred to another driver who will wait for us after our trek to Tapyas. 
We sort of underestimated our time with the trek as we realized we're only halfway the climb when the sun had slowly settled down. We also met Rodel and his group who were our tour mates the next day for the Calauit-West Busuanga Bay tour. After a tiring trek towards Mt. Tapyas, we descended at around 7pm (Our driver was already waiting for us) and then headed to Maquinit Hot Spring, a 45-minute ride from Coron town [Entrance is P100/person]. After the travelling and walking and hiking all day, the soothing effect of the spring did some wonders to our tired bodies. After roughly more than an hour of dipping on hot waters, we then headed back to town to have our well-deserved rest. [Note: Transportation to Maquinit costs P300/ride back & forth]Day 2, Thursday, April 9, 2009 (Calauit Tour)
On our Day 1, we already contacted our tour mates through Roel and agreed to meet at around 3:30AM for our long travel to Calauit. Prior to our Coron trip, the Calauit Tour one was one of my dilemma (I was tasked to make our 6D/5N Coron Trip Itinerary). A 4-hour boat travel (one way) means long travel and costly boat rental. Since it was only the 3 (Carissa, Rochelle and me) of us on this trip, we need other joiners (the term used for a group who joins another group for a certain tour or destination). I tried looking for other joiners online including DIYCoron, Pinoy eXchange and other travel reference sites but there was none -- only 2D/1N which costs more than 3k/person -- obviously not on our budget. Good thing Carissa happened to know Roel's trip to Coron (April 7-10) and learned that April 9 was open for any tour. Roel, who happened to be our officemate (Carissa, Rochelle and I are with the same company) have his group consulted for the tour. When they agreed to join us, I then changed our ITI and put Calauit on the agreed date (April 9). Then I made inquiries on the possible expenses and scouted for the possible islands to hop in after visiting Calauit Wildlife Sanctuary. There were 3 options for the group to choose from: Option 1 - Land travel through van and a half-hour boat ride which would only cost us around 1.2k each with no meal yet (Van - 8k; boat - 100/pax;entrance - 250/pax;truck - 1k); Option 2 - Boat Travel with island hopping which would cost us 1.5k each with no meal yet (Boat - 12k; entrance - 250/pax; truck - 1k; island fee - 100/pax); & Option 3 - DIYCoron Tour which would cost us 1.9k each including meal, entrance fees, truck and island fees. Majority chose Option 2 because of the Island hopping.
As agreed, around 3:30AM, Roel's group (8 pax) & ours met at the loading area and we then prepared to sail off. Leaving Coron town at around 4AM and passing through islands and rock cliffs, we reached Calauit at past 8AM. The Sanctuary seemed to be a hidden piece of land only you would know that there was something to see on it after the makeshift wooden path bridge and one or two anchored boats seen on the island. We walked for about 200 meters and reached the cottage which holds the visitors and guests. One may notice that there was no "receptionist" to welcome you or any information desk to inquire from regarding schedules. I was aware the week before that there was some change of management on the Safari so some inconveniences are expected, including waiting for more than an hour for the availability of the truck. Some of the staffs later revealed that they were not expecting the sudden influx of tourists so they are not quite ready for the big number of guests. We learned there were only 3 trucks available: the big one which can carry more than 20 people which at that time was used by character actress Cherrie Pie for their special tour; the jeepney-type which can cater to 10-12 people and the 4x4 type for small groups. We rented the jeepney-type and I decided to go top-load. It was scorching hot but whew, I did not mind. I was only thinking of one thing at that time ---- feeding the giraffe while on top of the truck. Indeed, the feeding time was an exciting activity for us. We were able to feed them on close contact. After some time feeding the giraffe, we then headed towards a small trail. On our way, we took some time to take photos of the Calamian deer which we saw along the path. Inside the small trail, there were cages that house squirrel, wild boar and some wild animals. After a quick view on these cages, we then headed to the crocodile cage. I did not go down to see this as I saw only a small wooden makeshift cage that probably houses one or two of these scary reptiles [I've been to Puerto Princesa who has a Crocodile Farm so I may not be that too impressed by these crocs in Calauit].
Wrapping up the "short" tour, we then headed towards group of zebras roaming around the trees and took some close photos. Roughly around 1230 PM, we left Calauit and made our way to the West Busuanga Islands. First on our list was Black Island. We were more than a hundred meters away from the island when the boatman suggested we abort the Black Island part and head to Dibutonay because of the waves. Melvin, who was one of the joiners, seconded the motion. I was willing to push through with the Black Island because for me, the waves are somewhat manageable [One of the boatmen seemed to be overacting]. But these people have spent all their lives on the sea so I figured out they knew better. Being a risk-taker, I knew when to go forward and when to back out. And that would mean backing out because there were other people involved in the trip. I would have pushed forward then if I was the only one involved. Submitting to the decision of the majority, we then headed to Dibutonay Island, a half-kilometer stretch of semi-white sand beach. Due to its proximity from the main island, Dibutonay is somehow untouched by commercialism. When we got there, only a few docked boats anchored on the beach were seen. I guess this can be considered as one of the non-commercialized and untouched beaches in the Calamian group of Islands. After spending roughly half an hour of snorkeling and swimming, we then headed to the nearby North Cay Island fronting South Cay Island [Both North Cay and South Cay have entrance fee of 100/person/island]. We decided to stay in North Cay and excluded South Cay which was somehow the same as that of the former. We were advised by the boatmen to limit the stay as we still have a long travel to go. Leaving North Cay at past 2pm, we then headed to the main island. Passing islets, mangroves, rock cliffs, wreck sites, snorkeling and diving areas, we reached Coron Island at past 6pm. It was one of the most exhausting trip I ever had. Some of the boatman suggested having a 2D/1N package tour to enjoy Calauit with an overnight stay in one of the secluded island resorts around Calamian. When we reached the pension house, I hurriedly took a bath, forgot about dinner and retired on bed early.
Day 3, Friday, April 10, 2009 (Coron Island Tour)
After the exhausting Calauit Trip, we were now excited for the next trip which I considered to be the highlight of our Coron escapade --- the Coron Island Tour. This time we never took a package nor invite other joiners. We decided it would be just the three of us (with the boatmen, of course) so we can decide on where to go and not worry on how much time we spent on each destination. With only 1.5k boat rent (can accommodate 3-7 people), having the boat to ourselves wouldn’t hurt our pockets. After having our breakfast on a nearby carinderia & buying our packed lunch, we rented a single-seater kayak from the nearby resort (Seadive Resort rental costs P250 for single-seater & P450 for double-seater). At past 9am, we left town and head on to Coron Island. On top of our list is Siete Pecados (a.k.a. "Seven Rocks"), an aquatic & marine sanctuary. I enumerated the areas to go & the sequence of the trip to our boatman, excluding Twin Peaks which I assumed to be the same as Twin Lagoon, only to know the next day that they were different. Our boatmen suggested another way to navigate. So instead of Siete, we head on to Cayangan lake --- with a magnificient lagoon welcoming us as we docked on. The natives of the island, the Tagbanuas (they preferred not to be called as such but as "natives"), charged P200 entrance fee for every guest on the lake. We had to take several steps before reaching the "view deck", a stone away from the peak. From there, one can see an amazing view of the lagoon where we took off. The view was simply breathtaking! We then followed the path down towards a semi-hidden lake. After 5 minutes, we reached one of the cleanest lakes in the country -- Cayangan Lake. Walking past bamboo walk paths, this jaw-dropping sight made me proud being a Filipino. Foreign and local tourists alike were in awe of this lake. I was in a hurry to dive in and experience my first ever lake snorkeling. It was one amazing experience! The water, the sword fishes, the rocks, and the people --- it was all too much for a feast. I can live forever on this island!!!! We we're so much hooked on swimming and snorkeling that we forgot there are still more to visit. More than an hour have passed, we decided to proceed to the next destination. Wrapping up our trip to Cayangan, we took some pictures on the view deck and the cave where we can take a glimpse of the spectacular view of the lagoon. Leaving Cayangan at past 12 noon, we decided to take our lunch on the nearby Kalachuchi Beach (no entrance fee). After lunch, I decided to try on the kayak. There was a small islet in front of the beach so I decided to kayak around it and then back to the beach. Carissa and Rochelle also tried to kayak around the beach.
After enjoying the kayak, we then head on to Barracuda Lake (Entrance fee is P75 each). Only few boats were docked. Only then we knew why. The sharp-edged rocks on the way to Barracuda have somehow shied away some safety-conscious tourists especially those with children. After traversing some knife-edged rocks and stones, we passed a small pool below bamboo walk paths and big rocks that somehow prevented one of the full view of the lake. Donning on our snorkel, we then swam our way towards the lake. The water is crystal clear, akin to the waters of Cayangan. The rocks beneath are sharper and bigger. Compared to Cayangan, Barracuda is less crowded. There were only 2 groups of tourists when we arrived. Spending less than an hour, we then head on to Banul Beach, a small stretch of white sand beach with tranquil waters (Entrance fee is P100 each). I tried to kayak again and this time, put on the camera in the middle of my knees while snorkeling. I felt like I was on a travel show & I wanted to record my kayaking adventure on this side of the island. Carissa and Rochelle also took turns on kayaking their way on the beach. After spending half an hour, we head on to Twin Lagoon (No entrance fee). So off we go to what they call two-sided lagoon separated by a small rock opening. When we arrived, there were already more than 5 boats docked in. Children were feeding the small fishes around. And when the boatman finally pointed the small opening, I saw heads getting in and out. Wow, what an exciting way of traversing two lagoons!!! I can't wait to join these heads swimming in and out of the lagoon so I dove and swam my way towards the opening. I took a video while making my way towards the inner lagoon. It was an amazing experience! Carissa then followed swimming her way inside. Rochelle who was struggling with the size of the life vest, decided to kayak her way inside with one of our boatman guiding her (we called her Madame after that because she looked like a VIP with her bodyguard guiding her) , which is also one way of navigating the inner lake. After spending roughly an hour in Twin Lagoon we proceeded to one of the shallow ship wrecks in Coron Island -- Skeleton Ship Wreck (Entrance fee is P100). Fishes were abundant around the wreck. As soon as we dropped crumbs of bread, fishes soared from everywhere. I was ecstatic of this communion with the aquatic vertebrates. I remembered when I had the same feeling when I visited Puerto Princesa, an equally abundant marine sanctuary. That was one great experience! Although paling in comparison with the varieties of fishes at Puerto Princesa, I still enjoyed playing with the fishes at the Skeleton ShipWreck. At past 5pm, we left Skeleton Shipwreck and head on to our last destination --- Siete Pecados (Entrance Fee is P100).
A marine sanctuary nested on the eastern side of Coron town, Siete Pecados is teeming with abundant marine life. Surrounding 7 rocks, I excitedly jumped in the waters and snorkeled my way in the middle. Different and unique aquatic display of corals, fishes, anemones and marine animals lay before me. While taking pictures and videos underwater, I was cautious of the pricking sea urchin lying around large corals. I swam my way outwards and can still see unique corals and marine creatures. Wha.... what a thrilling adventure!!!! I wanted to stay more but the clouds are getting dark so we head back to Coron town. We arrived past 6pm and had our hearty dinner on a nearby carinderia afterwards. Day 4, Saturday, April 11, 2009 (Culion-Malcapuya Tour)
On our Day 4, we decided to be joiners in a DIY Coron Tour for our Culion trip. It was supposed to be Culion-Lusong tour but Jing (the initial team for the tour) changed it to Culion-Malcapuya Tour.
Owen, who was the organizer of our tour, asked me if it was okay. I agreed and so together with Jing's group (12); all 15 of us were on a DIY Culion-Malcapuya Tour costing P1.2k per person including lunch, snacks, boat, & entrance fee. The tour included visiting Culion town (a famed leper colony in the early 80's) in the morning and Malcapuya Island in the afternoon. We were told that if we include Banana Island and Bulog Dos Island, we need to shoulder the entrance fee of P200 per person for both the islands. We decided to include both the islands for the tour (which makes our total expenses P1.4K). At 8am, our tour guide Jhoan texted me the meeting place. At roughly 8:30am, we headed to Culion town, an hour away from Coron town. Passing mangroves, turquoise waters and uninhabited islands, we saw the symbolic structure of Culion's famous priest and their ancient currency lying on top of the hill as we docked in. We then took a brief walk towards the church and museum. Culion is a sleepy small town. Besides the church is a college, a Loyola college, then the old hospital and museum, a high school and small businesses. One can probably tour around for less than a day. We entered the gates of the old hospital and found our way towards the museum. We were restricted to take photos and videos inside the museum except for an area outside the Audio Visual Room. As we entered the Museum, we were led to the AVR and attended a 20-minute video clip of the history of Culion. Soon after, we got glimpses of the photos of leper patients before and after they were treated, medicines, old hospital equipments & office machines, documents & letters, and all things related to the colorful & significant history of Culion town. We then proceeded to the church and the fort which stood tall atop the whole of Culion. While on top of the fort, one can really see how small and beautiful Culion is. From its struggling years to its autonomy as a town, Culion is magnificently peaceful & beautiful. As I stood there taking photos, I can't believe I was really in Culion. This is one of the stigma-laden places I wanted to visit here in the Philippines (others are Siquijor, Basilan, Tawi-tawi, Sulu, Capiz). I got a nostalgic and rustic feeling about this town. After taking last minute photos in the church and fort, we then headed to Malcapuya Island. Passing vast mangroves and tiny islands, we docked on at the back side of the island. We then took a little walk towards the main beachfront which was one big surprise. The beach was as bright as the beaming sun. The white sand was just an awesome view! 
It was one of the best white sand beaches I have ever seen. The sand was powdery white and the water-beach-sky patterns were truly a visual feast. We spent taking pictures and took a short swim on the waters. At past 12noon, we took our buffet lunch, which was part of the package and took last minute photos on the beach front. Around 2 in the afternoon, we left Malcapuya and headed to the next destination. Though it was not part of the package, we can have the options to add other islands but we have to shoulder the entrance fees and additional fuel charge. We reached Banana Island and were amazed by the presence of a small bar and few local and foreign tourists snorkeling their way on the water and resting on makeshift wooden beach chairs. The island was a good place for relaxation, with the bar attending the guest’s needs. There are also some small cottages which can be rented overnight. I thought of coming back to this place because it was really serene. We paid 200 pesos for the entrance of both Banana Island and Bulog Dos, which was our next destination. We were told the owner of Banana Island were also the owners of Bulog Dos.
After a short swim and stroll along the beach, we then headed to Bulog Dos Island, a 15 minute island across Banana Island. As we were nearing the island, I was awe-stricken by the island. I was reminded of the Lahus Island in Caramoan. The island was really beautiful. The rocks, the sand, the serenity ---- it was unbelievably beautiful… We’ve only had a very short stay as we need to reach Coron town before the sun sets. We wanted to stay for long but we were told to hurry so we then took our last photo shots of the island. We reached Coron town before sunset. Our last night was a celebration as we enjoyed eating one of my favorites – crab.
Day 5 – Sunday, April 12, 2009 (Bye Coron)
On our last day, we managed to take last minute photos of the area, the bay and the town. I already texted Jay2 and agreed to meet at around 8AM for our 10AM flight. After breakfast, we hurriedly went back to the pension house where Jay2 was already making his way to our place. Ate Chinette, the warm and friendly owner of Coron Pension House, hugged me as we bade goodbye to her. As we left Coron, I promised to come back to this tiny but beautiful island. The whole experience on this island captivated me. It was, in fact one of the most enjoyable island adventures I had for years. Palawan is indeed one great paradise!!!!
Sunday, March 08, 2009
Francis Magalona (A Tribute to a True Filipino)
By: Cristina Galido; March 8, 2009
Francis Magalona (A tribute to a True Filipino)
When I went home Friday night and opened my TV, I was wondering why Pia Guanio was in tears. I thought maybe she broke up with Vic or maybe she found out something from him. Then I saw Vic teary-eyed. "Ano ba yan? Love talga cguro nila ang isa't isa.." Then the feisty and controversial Joey de leon cried like a baby. This must be something. I pushed on the "+" button on the volume side of the remote. Then the photo of Francis M being flashed on the screen. "Ha patay na si Francis M.?" I was shocked. I may not be a super mega fanatic of Francis M who followed all his gigs and concerts and collected all his songs and videos. On the contrary, I am but a simple fan. Yet there were a lot of things common to me and the Master Rapper. We have the same birthdate , October 4; the same blood type, blood Type O; and the all familiar "dugong makabayan" ideology. For me, Francis M was more than just an icon, a performer and a singer. He was a personification of a great Patriot and his embodiment of nationalism were all over his craft. Unlike other commercial musician and artists, he saw things beyond pure art and music. On a country dragged by colonial mentality, cynicism and indifference, his patriotism inspired lots of Filipinos, young and old alike. Through his songs particularly "Mga Kababayan Ko", he sent a very strong message of how we should feel as Filipinos - of how we should be proud of being one. I felt bad another TRUE Filipino left us. But I am happy because he gave us a legacy we cannot forget. I knew I am just one of the million Filipinos who wanted to do something for our country. And in my little way, I hope I was able to do something for our country as what FrancisM did. To Master Rapper Francis Magalona, a true Filipino artist -- may you rest in peace and we thank you for the legacy that you left.
Francis Magalona (A tribute to a True Filipino)
When I went home Friday night and opened my TV, I was wondering why Pia Guanio was in tears. I thought maybe she broke up with Vic or maybe she found out something from him. Then I saw Vic teary-eyed. "Ano ba yan? Love talga cguro nila ang isa't isa.." Then the feisty and controversial Joey de leon cried like a baby. This must be something. I pushed on the "+" button on the volume side of the remote. Then the photo of Francis M being flashed on the screen. "Ha patay na si Francis M.?" I was shocked. I may not be a super mega fanatic of Francis M who followed all his gigs and concerts and collected all his songs and videos. On the contrary, I am but a simple fan. Yet there were a lot of things common to me and the Master Rapper. We have the same birthdate , October 4; the same blood type, blood Type O; and the all familiar "dugong makabayan" ideology. For me, Francis M was more than just an icon, a performer and a singer. He was a personification of a great Patriot and his embodiment of nationalism were all over his craft. Unlike other commercial musician and artists, he saw things beyond pure art and music. On a country dragged by colonial mentality, cynicism and indifference, his patriotism inspired lots of Filipinos, young and old alike. Through his songs particularly "Mga Kababayan Ko", he sent a very strong message of how we should feel as Filipinos - of how we should be proud of being one. I felt bad another TRUE Filipino left us. But I am happy because he gave us a legacy we cannot forget. I knew I am just one of the million Filipinos who wanted to do something for our country. And in my little way, I hope I was able to do something for our country as what FrancisM did. To Master Rapper Francis Magalona, a true Filipino artist -- may you rest in peace and we thank you for the legacy that you left.
Thursday, February 05, 2009
The AXN Big Challenge selection
Date: February 5, 2009
By: Cristina Galido
Two more days to go and it's the Big Day we have been waiting for --- the AXN Big Challenge. It all started when I learned that AXN was coming up with another race, sort of mall race that is. Never been dampened by two failed attempts to be included in the AXN Mall race, I began to think of joining the race again. This time the group is composed of 3 players, unlike that of the previous one which only have 2 players each team. So I forwarded the email subscription ad from AXN to my two fellow consultants at AIU -- Chummy and Adah. Having the same adventure spirit as mine, I knew they will be as excited as me. Then came the registration online. Adah took charge of the essay part and chose the recent picture we've had together. There must have been some magical elements on the picture. Taken from our Mt. Maculot dayhike last year, it exudes spontaneity and naivety only seen on candid shots. With the actual race (February 7) fast approaching, we began to be anxious on the results of the registration as there was no indication of how the selection would go about. And then last Sunday evening as I was about to go home from SM Fairview where I met my cousin and her children, I received a call (mobile number) from an unfamiliar voice with that slight American accent (he is a Filipino, by the way). After confirming my identity, he then asked me if I joined any AXN contest with my friends. Notwithstanding the noise at the mall and my hearing problem, the question was as loud as a resounding gong. As I moved to the "less-noise" area, it all became clear that we we're one of the 24 teams selected to race on the AXN Big Challenge. All I could mutter was "Okay", "Yes Sir" and "Thank you Sir". After the call, I could not believe what I just heard. It was the most thrilling news I had for years. Excitedly, I tried to call my teammates. Though I can't contact Adah at that time, I was able to talk to Chummy and gave her the good news. We we're both at a different level of excitement and joy. Then came Monday. I told the good news to Adah. We can't help but share it with our friends in the office and convinced them to cheer us up on the date of the race. We began discussing our strategies and plans for the race. Came Tuesday. After our work, we went to Mall of Asia to scout for the place and familiarize with the nooks and stalls around the place. Came Wednesday. As instructed, I called Mr. Kerry of AXN for the details of the orientation. Telling Adah and Chummy of the details, we resumed planning of additional activities that would be included in the race. Came Thursday (today). Two days before the actual race, we engaged in a wall climbing activity at Sandugo (Market Market) indoor climb facility. And now as I am writing this blog, I still can't believe that we really made it to the competition. Win or lose, I knew this would be one experience that would spell change and distinct fulfillment to three women who dared to be different. To Chummy and Adah, I hope that we can make it through the end of the race. Go go go girls!!!!
Sunday, June 29, 2008
The Caramoan - CWC Adventure (June 6-9, 2008)
Day 1, Friday (June 6, 2008)
When my officemate Carissa invited me for a possible wakeboarding her classmate mentioned to her, I was ecstatic and instantly said "Yes, go ako dyan!" The thought of wakeboarding triggered the adventurer in me. Expectedly, I did some research on where to go in CamSur (short for Camarines Sur). It was my first time in Bicol and I was really thrilled. A day before we planned to leave Manila, I made reservations on one of the bus lines at Araneta Center Bus Terminal. But since we were not able to pay at 12:00 noon (which was the deadline), I left the office early to buy our tickets. As soon as I reached Cubao, all of the bus lines I went on were fully booked. I was beginning to be pessimistic about the trip when I heard there was an extra trip coming. So I hurriedly bought 3 tickets at Gold Lines on a 9:30PM trip. Carissa and Rochelle arrived at around 9pm and were glad to hear about the "nearly cancelled" trip. On board Gold Lines, we left Cubao at around 10PM.
Day 2, Saturday (June 7, 2008)
After bracing heavy traffic and an exhausting 11.5-hour trip, we reached Naga at around 9:30AM. We met Carissa's classmate Dennis and 2 of his friends -- Melvin & Chris. We then headed to CSSAC which was where the MFPI Luzon Summit participants camped out after climbing Mt. Isarog. We met Mam Joyce & some MFPI senior officers who were camping out inside CSSAC campus. Initially, we we were supposed to join the "Falls Tour" (part of MFPI Luzon Summit Itinerary) which already started earlier that morning. Joining halfway on the tour was impractical so we decided to just take on the other option which was to do wakeboarding instead. After having reached a decision to just make our own ITI, we asked Mam Joyce and some MFPI members on where to go around CamSur (I also showed the printed copy of places to go in CamSur). After leaving CSSAC at around 10AM , we headed to CamSur Watersports Complex which was a 30-minute trip via Bus and tricycle plying inside the Provincial Capitol Complex. After the initial glimpse of the famed CamSur Watersports Complex, I was literally drawn to the majestic Mt. Isarog towering over the amazing location. It was picture perfect ---- the wakeboarding structure over the man-made lake, the spa houses & the towering Mt. Isarog ---- all made a perfect vista for photographers. After munching on their Bicol Espesyal Pizza (which tastes more like Laing), ginataang pusit and local cuisine Bicol express, we registered and got a 3:30PM schedule. Carissa, Dennis, Melvin and I plunged in first for the 3:30PM schedule. All of us except for Dennis (who had his initial wakeboarding experience earlier this year) were first given instruction & mini-training on the proper way of wakeboarding. As first timers, we need to do the knee-boarding before the actual wakeboarding where you have to stand on the board. As I was kneeling and strapping the belt over my thighs, I felt a bit nervous on my first attempt. Holding the rope handle & waiting for the green light, I muttered a carefree "Bahala na..." The first pull was sudden and fast. I almost lost hold of the grip. Then as instructed earlier in the training, I leaned forward to maintain balance and as I saw the 2 orange buoys (floating round markers), I made a quick lean on the right side. After passing on the buoys, I didn't expect the sudden pull that eventually had me lost control of the rope handle. The guy manning the area where I fell shouted at me, "Ma'am, tingin po sa likod." Then a wakeboarder was coming towards me so I burried my head on the water to avoid him. As soon as he passed over me, the guy swam towards me and helped me get off the water. I then learned I had my helmet incorrectly positioned. Afterwards, I jumped on the shuttle (this would drive back the wakeboarders back to the starting point) and headed towards the starting point. On the succeeding turn, I completed one round but as I attempted for the second round, the rope was so loose I fell off the board on my own. I attempted 3 more rounds but could only finish one round then fall off again. Only after we have finished have I learned the right strategy. After our turn, it was Chris and Rochelle's turn to have a shot at wakeboarding. After all of us have our share of wakeboarding, the boys availed of the free pool rent. Just before dawn, we left CWC at 6:00PM. Dennis suggested we go to his friend Sir Jojo who owned the outdoor shop in the city to ask for suggestions on where to go the next day. At that time, we have no real and concrete itinerary yet. It was a classic case of "we go where our feet lead us." We all agreed and headed to Kaddlagan Outdoor Shop. We came at the right time as Sir Jojo was closing his shop & was surprised to see Dennis. As Sir Jojo narrated his own island adventures in the Caramoan Peninsula and gave suggestions to Dennis, we managed to buy some native & unique pieces on his store. We then headed to look for our accomodation for the night which according to 2 mountaineers whom I met while we registered at CWC and Sir Jojo himself, we went on to find Sampaguita Inn. After leaving our stuffs, we left the inn to have our dinner. We then discussed & finalized our activities for the next day.
Day 3 - Sunday (June 8, 2008)
At around 5:00AM, we left the inn and headed for Terminal 1 where vans going to Sabang were stationed. Terminal 1 was less than a hundred meter away from Terminal 2 where all buses are found. I suddenly remembered to take on the dizzy tablets I bought earlier on the trip. Quite funny that despite having travelled to a lot of places, I still have these annoying motion and sea sickness. Roughly 30 minutes of waiting, the van left the terminal at around 5:30AM. Passing through rice paddies and the majestic Mt. Isarog, we reached Sabang port at exactly 7:00AM. We then hopped on to the next available boat going to Guijalo port. As the boats engine started to roar, the group settled for the best positions trying to get better views of the islands. Owing to good weather & calm seas, we reached Guijalo port at 9:30AM, a brisk 2-hour scenic tour of the surrounding islands. Mang Islaw, who Dennis contacted the day before, was already waiting for us. On board the tricycle, we then headed to the market for some stuffs only to realize later that we left some of the goods we bought for the island hopping on the boat we took from Sabang to Guijalo. I rode on the backride (as usual -- my favorite place) and later transferred on the rear side. The place was rustic and simple which I really loved. At around 11:30AM, we reached the house of Mang Islaw at Barangay Paniman. His neighbor's house was our humble abode for the rest of our stay at the place. We were happy to know that the house was also rented by some crews of French Survivor when they were shooting around Caramoan Peninsula. The newly finished kubo was there to welcome us and quite interesting to know we were the first visitors to use it.
After taking lunch, we left Paniman Bay at 1:00PM. Heading towards the Caramoan Peninsula, we first reached Tayak Island which at first glance reminded me of the beach front on the Underground River at Puerto Princesa. The island had a hidden lagoon which was quite unique and unusual. One of our boatmen mentioned about their plans of setting up a mini-boat around the lagoon for a future tour of the area. After a quick stay, we then went on to Lahus (or Bitchara) Island. It was such a magnificent sight to behold!!!! Imagine a two-sided island where you can literally walk within minutes from one end to another end ("tagusan kumbaga"). The sands were powdery white -- this one is a fave of mine. Though fishes were not as abundant as compared to Palawan beaches, we were delighted to see a couple of colourful fishes swimming around small reefs. Utilizing my Olympus waterproof camera, we all took individual shots under water. Though wanting to stick around longer, we cut short our stay and headed towards the next one. Our ITI included passing by Gota Beach (which was the location of French Survivor) but we were dismayed when we were unable to because the boat cannot pass by the narrow passageway ---- it was low tide. [It is recommended to tour around the island in the morning where tides are high]. Next stop was Manukad Island where the sand was even finer as any beach I have been to. Dennis, who have been in the island before, convinced us to have a look at a small lagoon seen on top of rock cliffs. [I then realized what he meant when I saw one of the pictures in the internet where you have to climb the cliffs and see the island itself on top --- it was breathtakingly beautiful!!!] Donning on swimwear, it was sort of risky to climb on to those sharp and vertical rock cliffs. We just decided to swim around and stay for roughly 30 minutes. Leaving Manukad Island, we then headed to Sabitang Laya (or Bitang Laya). While going to the island, one of our boatmen spotted dolphins swimming around. We were surprised to see them and we tried to take a video but they were too quick to disapper. Reaching the island and spanning across the long stretch of the beach, unique sand formations & some human-like rock formations were some interesting sights to behold. It was as remote as that of Anawangin (a year ago, that is). We also found a group of campers on the rear end of the island. Having only few more hours before dawn, we then decided to go back but our boatmen Randy and Manuel suggested we go to Omang Cave. At 5:30PM, we reached a semi-hidden mangrove towards the cave. Since it was low tide, we have to walk around 50 meters on muddy trails before reaching the foot of the cave. After reaching the base, it would be a 10-15 minute trek to reach the cave. It was unique on its own way. The sight was akin to some scenic locations on a teleserye --- quite a good location for action-fantasy movies and tv shows. As we were told, the cave was a symbolic proof of our rich ancestors --- with some expensive porcelain and kitchen wares found before on the location. There were 2 openings on the left and right end where the latter was an entry point to a community near Gota Beach. Leaving the cave before sundown, we reached Paniman Bay at roughly 6:00PM. After the dinner and a little conversation with our boatmen, we ended Day 3 with a well - deserved rest.
Day 4 - Monday (June 9, 2008)
At 9:30AM, after saying goodbye to the hospitable families who adopted us (Mang Islaw and his wife & 2 caretakers of the house we rented), we left Barangay Paniman with a happy heart and vowed to come back again. It was truly a nice experience having stayed there for a day. After an hour of semi-rough road, we reached Guijalo port and waited for the boat going to Sabang. At 11:00AM, we started boarding the fully-loaded ferry boat going to Sabang port. After sailing through a bright, sunny day on a calmy sea, the boat docked on a new port --- different from where we took off the day before. There were swarms of big-muscled port men shouting to the passengers. At first, I thought they were there to act as "kargador" to our baggages. I then noticed there was no makeshift stair usually laid out after the boat has docked on the port. I never believed my eyes when I realized we have to be literally carried by these kargador on their shoulders. I thought it was really funny --- especially after I saw Dennis being carried by one of them. It was a really funny experience!!!!!! Such an amusing scene only seen in the Philippines! When it was my turn to be carried, it was a mixture of excitement, fun & slight fear of falling that have me giggle and shout all at the same time. One heck of an experience! Truly amazing! Truly Filipino!
After the enjoyable docking experience, we boarded the van going to Naga at 1:15PM & reached the city at 2:15PM. When we reached the Bus Terminal, we then hurriedly bought our pasalubong and took the 3:00pm trip of Raymond Lines. After an enjoyable 3-day first time trip to Bicol, I had an amazing & truly enjoyable trip I never had for months. The Bicol Experience was indeed memorable despite the 9-hour trip back to Manila. Thanks to my new found friends Chris, Melvin and Dennis --- and of course to the equally & surprisingly adventurous officemates Carissa and Rochelle.
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Sunday, May 11, 2008
The Mt. Apo Expedition (Tamayong-Kidapawan trail) Part III
Day 5 - Thursday (March 20, 2008) - Too Much Expectations
At around 7:30am, we started to summit Apo. Crossing past through the lake, we ascended through a wet & muddy path. The view on the way up were akin to typical views of mountains. As we were nearing the saddle, we met people coming from different peaks. There were around 4 peaks around the saddle. With little time, we asked the DENR person manning the area which one offered the good view of the crater lake. He recommended the one on the far right offering views of Kidapawan, Davao, the Kapatagan trail via Digos, the full view of the crater lake & the sea of clouds. Zigzaging through narrow paths, Ronnie, Nehl, Nera, Ricky and I reached the rocky part where the full view of the crater lake laid out on us.
It was so cold & the breeze was so strong I had to literally crawl towards the peak. We thought Cecille & the other trail leads were there but we didn't found them there. We figured out they took the other peaks. We reached the peak and saw the "bouldery" Kapatagan trail. I suddenly remembered Mt. Guiting Guiting, another "chilly" trail. Standing on top of the country's highest peak were mixed emotions to me. Mt. Apo, being the highest, was worthy of adulation & reverence of any mountaineer. But there was something lacking in her --- she was short of that unique distinction , that spectacularity that would behold anyone of a mountain. Yes, she was beautiful. But I was not too pleased. The clouds were there --- naturally -- but it was nothing spectacular, unlike the sea of clouds of Mt. Pulag and Mt. Ugo. 
The crater was big enough yet so simple. Not enough to even compare with the beauty & awe I got from the craters of Mt. Pinatubo & Mt. Kanlaon. I was on top of the country's peak, adored her beauty but quite disappointed of what she could just offer. Not enough to even compensate for the 4 day struggle just to get a glimpse of her. Though quite short of my expectation, she was still something to be revered.
After spending some quiet moments, few pictures & videos, the cold breeze hampered our stay. It was time to go. When we reached the saddle on our descent, we caught up with the rest of the group then quickly borrowed the group's banner & managed to snap some photos with it. At around 11am, we started our descent from the saddle. Female soldiers and young porters were common sights on our way down. Such toughness often seen on the mountains. We reached the campsite at nearly 1pm and took our lunch. After taking final photos, the group was dreading to go down. We first logged on the DENR's logbook and weighed our garbages before heading towards the Kidapawan trail. Leaving the foggy camp at around 3:30pm, we expected an easier and faster trail down as we would have on other mountains. 
I, for one, thought it would not be as difficult and dangerous as that of the Tamayong trail. I was wrong. The way down was steep, muddy (because it rained the day before) and narrow. There were continuous flow of trekkers going up & with the steep and narrow walkpaths, we had to give way, wait & precious time was wasted. From the initial assessment, the trail seemed manageable and less "punishing" than that of Day 1. Yet as we continued to descend, the trails were beginning to be a curse. With an estimated hundreds of mountaineers who have passed through the Kidapawan trail that day alone, the trail was obviously & badly destroyed. The once established walkpaths turned into deadly ravines. I thought we were done with those scary "nothing-to-hold-on-to" ordeal after that initial day we had on Sicao falls. But these were sort of mocking reminders that we're not done yet ----- that the "punishment" was not yet finished. "Good heaven, how long will this punishment last?" All I can do was close my eyes and mutter, "Ayoko nang umakyat." I was crying inside, no longer happy with the kind of adventure I took in. This was not the kind of adventure that spurs excitement & enthusiasm in me. This was the kind that breathes danger and great fear. Unforgiving & punishing the trail may have been, we were still occasionally "entertained" & slightly interrupted with unusual sights of young porters (average of 10-years old) carrying bags & loads heavier than themselves. As if it was not enough to caught our attention, the sight of a toddler carried by her father on his shoulder and less than a year old baby being carried by her mother on the way up to Lake Venado rendered us all dumbfounded and shocked. How could parents expose their children to such risk and danger. Whew!!!! Only in the Philippines... Rappeling via slippery roots and passing through a couple more "nothing-to-hold-on-to" ordeal, we kept on our descent with less or no rest at all (except on cases where we gave way to mountaineers going up). People we've asked on our way down would display some slight disbelief when we told them we'll proceed to Agco, where they thought we would camp out on one of the e-camps before the river. "Malayo pa ang Agco. Gagabihin kayo sa daan." One of the mothers going up told us. So there it was ---- we will surely have another Delta 5 ordeal..... Whewwww.... We passed through 2 camps where several campers were cooking and preparing for the rest of their trek up. With the muddy trail, I again have to literally use my butts on the trail. With the occasional root traps, slips and cuts, the trek went slower as some of us have dimmer headlamps which included me. (Damn, I should have bought a new one) It would have been a great help. Another lesson learned. As we heard the river flows, we sort of heaved a sigh of relief, only to realize we still did not see any flowing body of water an hour after we first heard that tricky sound of water. "Bwisit naman tong river na 'to, ang tagal magpakita." I was beginning to hate this river. At around 9pm, we saw some lights just meters away from us & first heard and felt the real rush of water. The trail leaders Ces, Gladys, Melai, Dan and Jomar (one of the porter) were there waiting for us. Wasted and tired, we took our first real break after leaving Lake Venado. Everyone thought we only have one assault and were out of the Apo's trail. When Ces announced that based on the guide & porter's assessment, we still have more than an hour of river trekking, I was literally crushed. "Oh my. Akala ko after ng river, isang ahon na lang", I quipped. "Sabi kase ng mga porter meron pang mahabang river trekking." After roughly 30 minutes of reconditioning ourselves, we headed for what we thought was a light river trekking. After initially passing through waterless rocks and boulders, we were then led to a series of mini-log crossing ordeal --- where you have to literally be walking across 2 or 3 miniature log bridges, trusting that these logs would hold on to our weight and dear life..... Some crossings were really terrifiying because the river current was strong and some logs were a bit slippery. One wrong move and we either break our heads or drown into the current. After the crossings, there were some gradual walks which seemed to be longer than what we thought of. I knew we were all wasted and hungry but all we could think of at that time were to finish this off early, and as soon as we could. Walking like zombies, we relieved one of the most exhausting treks we ever had ---- Mt. Pinatubo Delta 5 trail, where we trekked in the middle of the night under the bright moon passing along rivers and rocks. This was in fact Pinatubo Extreme. James, who was walking on barefoot now after his shoes and slippers were damaged, assured us it would just be less than 30 minutes before we reached the end of the river trekking (It was his second time on Apo; his first was via Kidapawan trail so he was familiar with the trail). It was not long until another technical trail challenged us all again. For the nth time, this ravine ordeal would still not leave us until the very end of this trail. Mang Jun made a small hole for us to step on as we make another terrifying and fear-stricken maneuver. I felt that even for the last remaining paths we've had, we still had to struggle --- a complete opposite of what others claimed of Kidapawan to be a "walk in the park" trail. Total and complete hearsay. Passing through the last stretch of the river trek, I was relieved the bridge logs were more stable, sturdy & safer than the ones we've had earlier. After the last crossing, we rested again and Kuya cooked some soups & hot beverages specifically for the guide and porters who were equally as exhausted as we were. Gaining some energy after that "dinner", we have one final assault before reaching Agco. After passing through sulfur vents, in an amazing 10 minutes, we reached Agco as quick as we never even realized.
When we had the glimpse of the highway, it was one of the most satisfying & greatest relief I had ever felt in my whole 4 years of mountain climbing. From the initial trek starting at 7:30am to 1pm for the summit trek (5.5 hours) and resuming at 3:30pm until we reached Agco at exactly 12 midnight (8.5 hours), we ended Day 5 with a punishing and unforgiving 14 hours of trekking. Personal Assessments
On board the rented jeepney, wasted and exhausted, we cannot hide the fulfillment and gratitude to the Almighty that despite the gruelling & unforgiving Tamayong-Kidapawan trail, none of us were badly injured and were all safe and sound. Eventhough Mt. Apo did not impress me much, I would say she is still the King (or Queen) of Philippine mountains. She is dangerous, powerful and fearful. And definitely, she is not to be underestimated --- not because she is the highest but because she is capable of giving the most punishing and unforgiving trail that would challenge the human spirit at its end. After "conquering" (I don't feel comfortable using this word) Mt Apo, I have been humbled by the experiences I've had with her. It was a turning point and sort of a reality check for me. I have been climbing for more than 4 years now --- and honestly, I missed out on the very reason I was fascinated with the outdoors and nature --- away from the bustling sight and sounds of the city ---- away from the RAT race. And yet without realizing it, I was still succumbing to the same RAT race principle I have been avoiding. And it's true, I'm one of those egoistic mountaineer who, after climbing the toughest mountain, would feel proud and brag about it ---- without even looking inside me for the things I learned after a tough climb. Yes, mountaineering is full of egoistic self-centered craps who glorified themselves after conquering mountains, competing with other mountaineers, trying to outdo others just to show they were tougher, stronger and faster. Without realizing it, I was swallowed by the same system I have been avoiding for years. And it took me a Tamayong-Kidapawan Mt Apo expedition to be totally knocked off. This expedition was significant because she made me realize so many mountaineers missed. I was grateful for the challenges that she gave me. On a last note, I may not be the fastest "RAT" racer, nor the strongest climber, but I am sure I am a lot tougher now, not because I have conquered the highly technical & toughest mountains but because I have learned the toughest lessons these mountains gave me.
For now, I will leave the RAT-racing to those who were not contented with the city version and extend it to the mountains. For now, I will leave the ego-tripping mountaineering principle to those who lacked attention and thought they'll succeed by competing with others. For now, I will leave my own baggages of egos and moved on & hopefully embrace a more meaningful mountaineering expeditions and treks. And this would mean breaking from the old and existing system. It would also mean choosing the right trek that would not require me to speed up like horses being paddled on competitions. So much for the RAT-race, it brings nothing but STRESS. This time, I will make sure I will not be missing out the tiniest details on every trek. From now on, I will start out on a new perspective on mountaineering --- no pressures, no RAT-race, no deadlines, no baggages --- just pure, light, and fun adventure and commune with nature.
Mt. Apo Expedition (Tamayong-Kidapawan trail) Part 2
Day 2 - Monday (March 17, 2008) - Trapped By The Raging River
On our second day, we woke up early, prepared the breakfast, took some photos and packed our things for the next adventure of the day. Water source was not a problem for our Day 2 as we were 3 meters away from the Mabo river. We continued the trek at around 8am with another exciting river trekking. This time the trail was a refreshing one -- flat, mossy and shady. Such perfect scenery!!! After 4 hours of gradual walk, we took our lunch at one of the mossy old trees along the trail. As we sped up, I accidentally tripped off an unnoticed root protruding on the right side. It was so excruciating I cried in so much pain. Kuya had to put some bandage on it. As we moved ahead, we were refreshed by a slight drizzle which for an hour turned into heavy rain. The walkpaths were slowly turned into miniponds. 
Everywhere water was coming from the upper end and finding its way to the trails. It was more than 2 hours of continuous pouring. Slowly, the water along the trails grew bigger and deeper. There was one part which was higher than us so Bong (our guide) who was on the lead now, had to find logs to step on. He himself was even carried away by the current. It was a bit scary crossing the logs as any wrong move we will be swimming on deep muddy waters. One by one we got through that floody trail. As we continued descending, we passed through small flood waters flowing and slowly finding its way towards the Mabo river. At that time, we can hear the raging current coming from the river. It was ferocious, and its powerful & raging current sent another chill to us. We knew we were trapped. All six of us --- Nehl, Ronnie, Melai, Jeff, Kuya and me (with Bong and 3 of his mountaineering buddies) were separated from the rest of the group. Mang Pao who was on the middle group came back and told us its impossible for us to cross as the current was so strong. No need to question him as we saw in our very own eyes how alarming the river was. There was a sudden recollection for York. We made an e-camp near the river which can only accomodate 2-3 tents. Though raining, Kuya, Jeff and I have to immediately pitch the tent as we were all freezing in cold. My tent can only accomodate 3 people but all 6 of us have somehow managed to fit in my tent. Jeff wore his poncho and slept on one of the 2 vestibules. The couple Nehl and Ronnie were on the upper portion of the tent, while Melai and I were on the bottom part (hirap pala, para kaming fetus). Kuya managed to squeezed himself inside. Thank God that the rain stopped in the middle of the night. As we prepared and finished off with our dinner, we heard other mountaineers descending towards the campsite. But when they learned that there was no space available they headed back and camped out on the upper bank. We had an early lights out. None of us slept much as we were all assessing the river & we knew that any sudden change in the weather or a sudden pour of the rain, we were all be in great danger. An hour of continuous rain would immediately overflow the river & engulfed us all --- not to mention the small river on the right side finding its way towards the river. So we were in the center of two "scary" flowing waters ---- a raging and fierce Mabo river on the left & a mini-river slowly building its trail towards our camps. We have to content ourselves with short and shallow naps, silently praying for rain not to pour again.
Day 3 - Tuesday (March 18, 2008) - The Refreshing Trail
We woke up early and prepared our breakfast & packed lunch. We kind of regained our spirits as we saw the rocks on the river, an indication that the water level went down tremendously. We then left the Mabo river at around 6am and headed for Camp Dalag. The Camp was huge with few houses which at that time have no inhabitants. As we reached the Camp at around 10am, we dried our wet stuffs as the first group were still there and were not ready to go. We had breakfast and decided to shift the sweepers and trail leads. We left the camp at around 11:30am and took our lunch along the open and cogonal trail. Surprisingly, there were sugarcanes along the flat and open area. After taking our lunch, it was "rat-rat" time again. I was beginning to hate this "rat-rat" principle & with people pushing you to go faster was one of the most unpleasant things I don't want to pursue after this expedition. Despite feeling pissed off, I tried my best to push and level with the group's pacing. After 2 more hours, we were greeted with an amazing array of red shrubs that we can't help but take pictures with. After the initial awe with the red shrubs, we were then greeted with a refreshing splash of mountain water. A few meters from the water source, we reached Camp Cabacan at around 3pm and stayed for the rest of the night. 
Day 4 - Wednesday (March 19, 2008) - The Long and Winding Trail
As early as 7:30am we left the camp and headed for the steep assault. There were some of us who were injured and the pacing kept at a slow pace. We reached the upper portion of the trail & took our lunch. We needed to reach Lake Venado before the sun sets so we tried to improve our pacing. Good thing, we were rewarded with a gradual and easy trail after that gruelling steep assault. Passing through diverse & densely forested paths made me utter "Thank you I finally got the trail that I liked" for the first time since the start of the expedition. The trails were good, very similar to Mt. Kanlaon, with towering, century-old trees, unique grasses, exquisite moss formation and mushroom hanging on trees. For the first time since Day 1, I appreciated this part of Tamayong trail. It was the kind of trail that brings about hope and a sense of serenity to any nature lover like me. I occasionally stop and look above me & let myself be amazed by tall powerful trees towering over me. Amidst these beautiful scenery, I can't help but be worried because I have run out of water. My other groupmate Glen had run out of water too. My survival instinct taught me to use the droplets on the leaves for temporary hydration. And it did work, though I have to be cautious because some leaves are poisonous. Moving on with the trek, there were many stray signs ahead of us and before we knew it, we were lost. Glen and I backtracked after we met Mam Nera and the rest of the sweepers. We then requested our guide Bong to lead us on the right way. After going through obstacle trails, we finally got a glimpse of the famed Lake Venado. I rushed to take my supply of water and it was the first time I savoured every ounce of the liquid passing through my throat. It was sweet and divine. Water is really life!!!! 
When we finally reached Lake Venado, we decided to camp out here instead of the summit. The sight of Lake Venado did not impress me much. It was more than I expected. It was a huge (can even accomodate a thousand tents) piece of land, with a long stretch of lake in the middle. Though campers, DENR people & soldiers compose the vast campsite, I cannot help but be glad though that there were many sari-sari stores around. We learned that they were only present during Holy Week where they expect many climbers camping on Venado. Though available, these stores sell their goods at sky-rocketing prices (kasing taas ng Apo :) ). Just imagine a 1.5L of Coke would cost around P150 (grabe...) Never mind the prices as there were also vendors selling sweetened banana and camote. Whoahhh.. Only in Mt Apo... Standing in the vast Lake Venado, Mt. Apo stood before our eyes like a small hill erected on top of the lake. "Ok, so that was Mt. Apo", I mumbled. After 4 gruelling days, we came to get a look of the King(or Queen) of Philippine mountains. Covered by a heap of thick clouds, her view did not impress me. Or maybe I just had too much expectations.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
The Mt. Apo Expedition (Tamayong-Kidapawan trail) Part I
Arrival Day - Friday (March 14, 2008) - Unfazed By Sheer Discouragement
I decided to take a half day leave in preparation for our 7pm CBU Pacific flight to Davao. I wrapped up the remaining task, left the office at past 2 and made a quick deposit at the bank. Turned out it was not quick. The bank teller was so slow I wanted to replace her (of course I can't, :)) Rushing to Glorietta to buy the remaining stuffs, I was like a flashing yoyo moving from one place to another. We were supposed to be at the airport at 5pm and I looked at my watch ---- it was 4pm. I should be leaving the house, but I haven't even reached it yet. It was around 5pm when I reached Kapitolyo and hurriedly pack the remaining stuffs I bought. In less than 15 minutes, I was out of the house waiting for a cab. I guess time's playing with me --- I could not find a single one. It took me a painstaking 30 minutes before finding one. Ronnie was then calling me and I could hear the big, "Ano? Nasa Pasig ka pa lang?" I was in panic and I know I have to reach the airport by 6pm. As soon as I got in the cab, all I could mutter was, "Kuya, Domestic po tayo. Dagdagan ko na lang po. Nagmamadali po ako. Alas 7 po yung flight ko." And my driver understood what I meant. Taking the C5, he drove fast and good thing traffic was manageable. As I looked at the watch, it was 6:05pm. Ronnie called again and ask for my location. Ronnie's voice was like a gavel pounded in front of me, "Tins, ikaw na lang ang kulang. Andito na sila Ricky at Erwin. Kelangan andito ka na ng 6:25 kase magcoclose na ang check in counter." All I could say was "Ha ako na lang ang kulang? Oh my....Cge andyan na ako in 15 minutes." There was no need to tell the driver to hurry as he heard me loud and clear. He reassured me that we can reach the airport at the exact time. I then called Ronnie and reassured him I will be there in 5 minutes. When I was on queue, I felt relieved to see many people still lining up before me. The whole gang waited for me near the boarding check in counter. At least we made it . After an hour & a half, we reached Davao City where we met out guide Bong and another groupmate Glen who had an earlier flight. We dropped our backpacks at the house of one of LUMAD (haven't seen her so close as we waited outside). After finding a P99 buffet dinner (which was by the way refilling food every 10 minutes as we were like hungry monsters), we decided to look for a cheap inn to stay for the night as we all knew we would not fit in the house. As we were fixing our things in the inn, there was a woman who suddenly opened our room and spraying us with questions that rendered us all shocked (Ces, Dan, Erwin, Arnold). "Hindi ba kayo komportable sa bahay ko?" I was a meter away from her as I was the one near the door. I suddenly felt scared as I smelled alcohol & thought of her as a mad woman. When she continued, we then understood she was the owner of the house where our backpacks were initially placed. "Sabi kase ni Bong ayaw nyo daw sa bahay ko. Kasya naman kayo dun ah. Yung mga babae kase puede sa kuwarto, tapos ang lalaki magtetent na lang sa labas." Then her succeeding statements were even more shocking, shifting from feigned concern to obvious disgust, doubt and discouragement. "Actually di ko nga alam nung una yung tungkol dito. Kase pag meron umaakyat na Tamayong yung trail, ako talaga ang kinocontact. Kaya nagulat ako nung una na nalaman kong si Bong ang guide nyo. Sigurado ba kayo na kaya nyo ang Tamayong trail? Kase yung mga ginuguide kong taga Luzon umiiyak eh. Kung gusto nyo Kapatagan trail na lang kayo. Ako na lang mag guide sa inyo. Dun marami talagang views. Sa Tamayong, falls lang marami. Unang araw pa lang iiyak na kayo. Sigurado ba kayo na kaya nyo ang Tamayong? Bakit nakakailang kilometro kayo pagtakbo? Ha?" I turned to Erwin and asked him, "Nakakailang kilometro ba tayo kuya? No answer from Kuya. I knew he was pissed off. "Kaya naman po namin ang Tamayong, Nakakailang major naman po kami at nagtraining naman kami." She seemed unconvinced. "Siguraduhin nyo lang na kaya nyo. Kase kahit yung boyfriend ko taga Luzon yun, at kahit tanungin nyo pa sya kung gaano kahirap ang Tamayong." She quipped. I retorted "Kakayanin po namin." Sensing that we were unfazed by her obvious discouragement, she ended with "Ok bahala kayo. Sila James at yung 2 pa doon sa bahay matutulog." Then she left. Just like that. We then heaved a long and heavy sigh. It was time for real rest which we badly needed after a long travel.
Preparation Day - Saturday (March 15, 2008) - Getting Ready for the Big Days
After the buzz about last night's events, we had a breakfast on a nearby eatery then proceeded to SM Davao.
After buying our foods for the climb, meeting the Habagat people, playing and taking pictures with the mascots, we left the inn and proceeded to Sir Ricky's aunt. It was there where we had our good day's rest and prepared our packed lunch for our Day 1 on Mt. Apo expedition.
Day 1 - Sunday (March 16, 2008) - the Unforgiving Trail
We left the house at roughly 4:00 am and headed to Barangay Calinan, the jumpoff for the Tamayong trail. We first went to the porter's house which was at first confusing because the lead group was nowhere in sight, no trail sign and even the 3 local mountaineers who were with us were not familiar with the trail. Frustrated as early as that, we diverted out attention to the eye-catching Mt. Talomo towering over the vast banana plantation. At around 7:30 am, we finally reached the porter's house. After rearranging our backpacks, we continued trekking. The initial trail was typical of the other mountains ---- open and passing through cogonal grasses. We passed through bracing miniforest and muddy trails. There were also confusing ones and trail signs were not obvious which put precious time to waste. We backtracked a couple of times and I can't hide my dismay. We were then led to a muddy but shorter and shady trails which was a breather after being exposed to the scorching sun for more than 3 hours. At that time, we were divided into 2 groups with the lead group taking the longer trail. At around 11:30 am, we we're welcomed by an exciting river trekking. Though the current was manageable and calmer, we still held hands as the water can even reached past our hips. I was so reminded of that "super-long" Mt Pinatubo river trek. At least this time, there was no gigantic rocks and the current was quite calmer. We were then enjoying the trail --- No one has the slightest idea what we will be facing in the next hour of the trek. After almost an hour of river trekking, we were told there is one assault before the Sicao falls, where we will be taking our lunch. It was past 12 noon so we were all hungry. I was following Sir Ricky and Mam Nehra and I was determined to double my pacing as I too felt and heard the growling of my stomach.
After the slight assault, I had to calm myself as I saw the seemingly "easy" trail except that there was nothing to hold on. And this was something I dread about. We had to carefully manage our way to an unstable & soft foot trail with steep ravines on the left side leading to huge rocks and raging waters coming from Sicao falls and NOTHING -- (yes nothing strong or stable) to hold on to on the right side. I had to crawl and literally hug the soil so as not to lean on the left side. After the initial ravine ordeal, we were not "emotionally prepared" for the succeeding trailpaths. It was unbelievably dangerous and risky. It was the same trail ---- NOTHING to hold on to the right & ravine on the left side. The soil we are stepping in was close to a quick sand which sends chill to all of us. Different maneuvered positions and careful strategies have to be taken. If Mt. Guiting Guiting had a "Kiss-The-Wall" version, this one had a "Kiss-The-Soil" version. After "surviving" one ravine ordeal after another, I had to stop and compose myself as I was shaking in fear. "Dear Lord, please help us on this ordeal" was my silent prayer. I felt my fear increasing as the same dreaded trail went on like forever. I was battling from my own dampen spirit when I heard a loud shout and saw someone falling from behind me. As I looked back, I saw one body being pulled out from a thin shrub. Adz managed to pull Ronnie out. Oh my goodness!!!!!! (Buti na lang... ) We were all shocked and terrified. I wanted to quit at that moment. But then I had to convince myself to continue. After more than 30 minutes of somewhat like an endless ordeal, I heard the sounds of the rest of our groupmates (the lead group) and my dampening spirit somehow light up. I then saw the huge boulders and finally had the glimpse of the others. Mang Pao came towards us and it was the first time in an hour-long frightening ravine ordeal that I felt trully relieved. I handed him my backpack before crossing the last ravine crossover and I felt weak walking past the huge boulders and the moment my butts felt the warmth of the rocks, I had the biggest SIGH of my life. It was at that moment that I thought of having Mt Apo as my last major expedition climb. The ordeal we've faced earlier was no joke --- it was a life-and-death travail. After taking our lunch, we continued to trek. The succeeding trail was sort of "pampalubag-loob" --- mossy and gradual. We were then led to various fallen trees (we called these "jeng-jeng obstacle) where our balancing skills were highly required. From various positions like walking on top of two 3-meter logs, sitting on top of those trees and carefully maneuvering the crossover, the trails were more exciting and kind of lifted our spirits. I must say though that despite of these exciting trails, the palpitations due to the earlier fear did not leave my system yet. I had to request a couple of take 5s to regain composure. It was traumatic for me. After more than 2 hours of semi-gradual trails, we reached Camp Kablawan at around 4:30pm.
I decided to take a half day leave in preparation for our 7pm CBU Pacific flight to Davao. I wrapped up the remaining task, left the office at past 2 and made a quick deposit at the bank. Turned out it was not quick. The bank teller was so slow I wanted to replace her (of course I can't, :)) Rushing to Glorietta to buy the remaining stuffs, I was like a flashing yoyo moving from one place to another. We were supposed to be at the airport at 5pm and I looked at my watch ---- it was 4pm. I should be leaving the house, but I haven't even reached it yet. It was around 5pm when I reached Kapitolyo and hurriedly pack the remaining stuffs I bought. In less than 15 minutes, I was out of the house waiting for a cab. I guess time's playing with me --- I could not find a single one. It took me a painstaking 30 minutes before finding one. Ronnie was then calling me and I could hear the big, "Ano? Nasa Pasig ka pa lang?" I was in panic and I know I have to reach the airport by 6pm. As soon as I got in the cab, all I could mutter was, "Kuya, Domestic po tayo. Dagdagan ko na lang po. Nagmamadali po ako. Alas 7 po yung flight ko." And my driver understood what I meant. Taking the C5, he drove fast and good thing traffic was manageable. As I looked at the watch, it was 6:05pm. Ronnie called again and ask for my location. Ronnie's voice was like a gavel pounded in front of me, "Tins, ikaw na lang ang kulang. Andito na sila Ricky at Erwin. Kelangan andito ka na ng 6:25 kase magcoclose na ang check in counter." All I could say was "Ha ako na lang ang kulang? Oh my....Cge andyan na ako in 15 minutes." There was no need to tell the driver to hurry as he heard me loud and clear. He reassured me that we can reach the airport at the exact time. I then called Ronnie and reassured him I will be there in 5 minutes. When I was on queue, I felt relieved to see many people still lining up before me. The whole gang waited for me near the boarding check in counter. At least we made it . After an hour & a half, we reached Davao City where we met out guide Bong and another groupmate Glen who had an earlier flight. We dropped our backpacks at the house of one of LUMAD (haven't seen her so close as we waited outside). After finding a P99 buffet dinner (which was by the way refilling food every 10 minutes as we were like hungry monsters), we decided to look for a cheap inn to stay for the night as we all knew we would not fit in the house. As we were fixing our things in the inn, there was a woman who suddenly opened our room and spraying us with questions that rendered us all shocked (Ces, Dan, Erwin, Arnold). "Hindi ba kayo komportable sa bahay ko?" I was a meter away from her as I was the one near the door. I suddenly felt scared as I smelled alcohol & thought of her as a mad woman. When she continued, we then understood she was the owner of the house where our backpacks were initially placed. "Sabi kase ni Bong ayaw nyo daw sa bahay ko. Kasya naman kayo dun ah. Yung mga babae kase puede sa kuwarto, tapos ang lalaki magtetent na lang sa labas." Then her succeeding statements were even more shocking, shifting from feigned concern to obvious disgust, doubt and discouragement. "Actually di ko nga alam nung una yung tungkol dito. Kase pag meron umaakyat na Tamayong yung trail, ako talaga ang kinocontact. Kaya nagulat ako nung una na nalaman kong si Bong ang guide nyo. Sigurado ba kayo na kaya nyo ang Tamayong trail? Kase yung mga ginuguide kong taga Luzon umiiyak eh. Kung gusto nyo Kapatagan trail na lang kayo. Ako na lang mag guide sa inyo. Dun marami talagang views. Sa Tamayong, falls lang marami. Unang araw pa lang iiyak na kayo. Sigurado ba kayo na kaya nyo ang Tamayong? Bakit nakakailang kilometro kayo pagtakbo? Ha?" I turned to Erwin and asked him, "Nakakailang kilometro ba tayo kuya? No answer from Kuya. I knew he was pissed off. "Kaya naman po namin ang Tamayong, Nakakailang major naman po kami at nagtraining naman kami." She seemed unconvinced. "Siguraduhin nyo lang na kaya nyo. Kase kahit yung boyfriend ko taga Luzon yun, at kahit tanungin nyo pa sya kung gaano kahirap ang Tamayong." She quipped. I retorted "Kakayanin po namin." Sensing that we were unfazed by her obvious discouragement, she ended with "Ok bahala kayo. Sila James at yung 2 pa doon sa bahay matutulog." Then she left. Just like that. We then heaved a long and heavy sigh. It was time for real rest which we badly needed after a long travel.
Preparation Day - Saturday (March 15, 2008) - Getting Ready for the Big Days
After the buzz about last night's events, we had a breakfast on a nearby eatery then proceeded to SM Davao.
After buying our foods for the climb, meeting the Habagat people, playing and taking pictures with the mascots, we left the inn and proceeded to Sir Ricky's aunt. It was there where we had our good day's rest and prepared our packed lunch for our Day 1 on Mt. Apo expedition.Day 1 - Sunday (March 16, 2008) - the Unforgiving Trail
We left the house at roughly 4:00 am and headed to Barangay Calinan, the jumpoff for the Tamayong trail. We first went to the porter's house which was at first confusing because the lead group was nowhere in sight, no trail sign and even the 3 local mountaineers who were with us were not familiar with the trail. Frustrated as early as that, we diverted out attention to the eye-catching Mt. Talomo towering over the vast banana plantation. At around 7:30 am, we finally reached the porter's house. After rearranging our backpacks, we continued trekking. The initial trail was typical of the other mountains ---- open and passing through cogonal grasses. We passed through bracing miniforest and muddy trails. There were also confusing ones and trail signs were not obvious which put precious time to waste. We backtracked a couple of times and I can't hide my dismay. We were then led to a muddy but shorter and shady trails which was a breather after being exposed to the scorching sun for more than 3 hours. At that time, we were divided into 2 groups with the lead group taking the longer trail. At around 11:30 am, we we're welcomed by an exciting river trekking. Though the current was manageable and calmer, we still held hands as the water can even reached past our hips. I was so reminded of that "super-long" Mt Pinatubo river trek. At least this time, there was no gigantic rocks and the current was quite calmer. We were then enjoying the trail --- No one has the slightest idea what we will be facing in the next hour of the trek. After almost an hour of river trekking, we were told there is one assault before the Sicao falls, where we will be taking our lunch. It was past 12 noon so we were all hungry. I was following Sir Ricky and Mam Nehra and I was determined to double my pacing as I too felt and heard the growling of my stomach.
After the slight assault, I had to calm myself as I saw the seemingly "easy" trail except that there was nothing to hold on. And this was something I dread about. We had to carefully manage our way to an unstable & soft foot trail with steep ravines on the left side leading to huge rocks and raging waters coming from Sicao falls and NOTHING -- (yes nothing strong or stable) to hold on to on the right side. I had to crawl and literally hug the soil so as not to lean on the left side. After the initial ravine ordeal, we were not "emotionally prepared" for the succeeding trailpaths. It was unbelievably dangerous and risky. It was the same trail ---- NOTHING to hold on to the right & ravine on the left side. The soil we are stepping in was close to a quick sand which sends chill to all of us. Different maneuvered positions and careful strategies have to be taken. If Mt. Guiting Guiting had a "Kiss-The-Wall" version, this one had a "Kiss-The-Soil" version. After "surviving" one ravine ordeal after another, I had to stop and compose myself as I was shaking in fear. "Dear Lord, please help us on this ordeal" was my silent prayer. I felt my fear increasing as the same dreaded trail went on like forever. I was battling from my own dampen spirit when I heard a loud shout and saw someone falling from behind me. As I looked back, I saw one body being pulled out from a thin shrub. Adz managed to pull Ronnie out. Oh my goodness!!!!!! (Buti na lang... ) We were all shocked and terrified. I wanted to quit at that moment. But then I had to convince myself to continue. After more than 30 minutes of somewhat like an endless ordeal, I heard the sounds of the rest of our groupmates (the lead group) and my dampening spirit somehow light up. I then saw the huge boulders and finally had the glimpse of the others. Mang Pao came towards us and it was the first time in an hour-long frightening ravine ordeal that I felt trully relieved. I handed him my backpack before crossing the last ravine crossover and I felt weak walking past the huge boulders and the moment my butts felt the warmth of the rocks, I had the biggest SIGH of my life. It was at that moment that I thought of having Mt Apo as my last major expedition climb. The ordeal we've faced earlier was no joke --- it was a life-and-death travail. After taking our lunch, we continued to trek. The succeeding trail was sort of "pampalubag-loob" --- mossy and gradual. We were then led to various fallen trees (we called these "jeng-jeng obstacle) where our balancing skills were highly required. From various positions like walking on top of two 3-meter logs, sitting on top of those trees and carefully maneuvering the crossover, the trails were more exciting and kind of lifted our spirits. I must say though that despite of these exciting trails, the palpitations due to the earlier fear did not leave my system yet. I had to request a couple of take 5s to regain composure. It was traumatic for me. After more than 2 hours of semi-gradual trails, we reached Camp Kablawan at around 4:30pm.
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