Mt. Napulak (Cogon Trail)

This was my most favorite part of the hike.

It took us almost 3 hours to reach the peak using this trail because we had to be extra careful---one miscalculation in our steps would definitely result to the worst possible scenario.

The almost 75° slope of this part of Napulak, with nothing but the cruel blades of the cogon grasses to grasp so as to prevent ourselves from loosing our footing, was definitely picturesque but was also dangerous for we had to walk on a trail with a width of only about 2 handspans.On one side, or at times, both sides, were actually cliffs, disguised as rolling plains, due to the lushness of the grasses.

There were moments when we had to shout just to release the tension and the nerves whenever we look down and realize the height that we've reached and the picture of what might happen if we do not focus on putting our weight on the right place and firmly grasping the cogon blades.

It was actually amusing because at a distance, the grasses looked like mosses creeping on the sides of the mountain, when actually, they were actually taller than us. If  it wasn't a buwis-buhay hike, I would have giddily sang the Sound of Music  soundtrack because the scene was just screaming for it. Paki-play na lang ng, "The hills are alive with the sound of music...." on the background while scrolling through the photos. ;)

Mt. Napulak (Open Trail and Forest Hike)

It was probably the longest 6 hours of my life.

While we were traipsing the open trail under the scorching heat of the sun, I kept on silently reprimanding myself for asking everyone to do the Napulak hike and camp.

The heat was unbearable. My knees weren't conditioned for long walks, much more, in the mountains. The towering height of the mountain from a distance wasn't hope-inducing, add to that the fact that it wasn't even yet the mountain that we had to scale---Napulak is located at the back of that mountain which was in front of us. It was a daunting task, it silently dawned on us.

A big number of people who conquered Napulak were either enthusiasts or pros. We were neither. Heck, I even catch my breath just from climbing a few flights of stairs.

The hike from 8:00 am-2:00 pm to the last water source before arriving at another trail was really a test of endurance and willpower. We had to keep pushing ourselves. Every step became heavier as time ticked. There were even moments when we asked each other, "Remind me, why are we doing this again?" Our guide, probably almost to the point of being fed up, answered at one point, "The most difficult roads lead to beautiful destinations."

I smirked when I heard that cliche. I have always been partial with cliches.

Little did I know, little did we know, in a few while, we'd agree with his statement.

MacAu in Bucari

During our courtship (this requires a different post), I remember Mac mentioning about his vision of us going places together. And now, we're actually doing it! How cool is that, huh?

Here’s to more adventures together---to more road trips and bus rides that we wish would never stop, to thinking about what to eat for the next meal and then end up with a lukewarm batchoy for dinner because there are no other places where we can buy food (Yet, we ate it so heartily without any complaints. We were happy.), here’s to packing and unpacking things needed for a trip, to the spur-of-the-moment plans of riding a pumpboat to Guimaras just to eat cashew nuts and then return to the city right after, to more walks under the rain while holding hands.

Sometimes, it still amazes me how we both can manage to have a relationship which is definitely far from perfect but is just simply beautiful in its lack of complications and drama. What we have is just simply a hard-core relationship based on trust and respect and love. And because of this, I am looking forward to explore this beautiful life with this man. I am looking forward to a lifetime of adventures with you, Mac. :)

Here are the photos of our first ever trip as a couple in the chilly Bucari last December. The whole year of 2014 was such a great blessing for both of us and it was only apt to spend the remaining days of that year creating more beautiful memories.

Solo in Bagiuo

This blog is literally screaming for new posts! As in, literally.

I have months of backlogs and as a new year goal (fingers’ crossed), I vowed to post more regularly. I have high hopes for my “revamped” self discipline this year. Yay! ;)

***

I would start my post for this year with my solo trip to Bagiuo, summer of last year. During the holy week of 2014, I decided to go up north. Although it wasn’t my first time to go on a trip alone, it was actually quite daunting because at that time, I was still on the process of regaining my pinas’ rhythm since my three years of living in Thailand had programmed me to meld with the Thai’s laidback way of life. Plus, I didn’t book any accommodations ahead, I had no specific plans and I had no itinerary. Several well-meaning friends were actually astounded when they learned that I didn’t pre-book any accommodations, reminding me that there is a big possibility that I might not be able to get a good place or an affordable one for that matter, because a lot of tourists were actually smarming to Bagiuo for the holy week. So, when I boarded the bus going to the city of pines, I was actually boarding it in good faith that my luck would follow me all way up north.

DAY 1
My original plan (See? Kahit papaano may plano ako . Ahahaha.) was to stay in the teachers’ camp. I know. I know. It was actually one of the biggest decisions in my life (This is not an exaggeration.) because I’ve definitely heard a lot of teachers’ camp’s infamous horror stories that while I was still on the bus, my heart was actually thumping with the thought of staying there for three nights. In my head, I was already picturing out my would-be horror encounters. Imagine kung gaano ako katapang at that time? I, who would probably top the “Most Matatakutin People in History “ list, if there’s any, actually decided to stay in the teachers’ camp?????!!! Like, seriously? Points for me, then!!!!

When the person in the information counter of the camp told me that there were no any available rooms for the day, I feigned a disappointed look but secretly, my super matatakutin self regained her normal breathing. That’s how ironic I am. Ahahaha.

Without any idea were to go, I hailed a cab, asked the driver to drive me around the city so that I could find a place where I could stay. That was very impractical, I know, but I had no other choice. I probably went down the taxi and asked for vacancies in 5 different hostels and transient houses before I was able to finally find a place that seemed comfortable and safe, plus the accommodation fee was quite reasonable.

Everything seemed perfectly okay until I found out that they assigned me a basement room where my phone couldn’t get any signal. That was only a minor discomfort. What really bothered me was the idea of being in the basement. I am slightly claustrophobic, that’s why. I thought of another plan. I decided to stay for the night so that I can have a place to leave my things while I spent a good portion of the morning looking for other places around the area where I could be more comfortable. Luckily, I found a hostel which offered a better accommodation and it was just about a 5-minute walk from SM City Bagiuo.

In the afternoon, I just did some touristy stuff---went around the city by foot, rode the jeepney to get to several famous landmarks and tourist spots, ate a cob of sweet corn and strawberry taho while strolling around, and sat in several places and did one of my most favorite activities when I have nothing else to do: people watching. ;)

DAY 2

..and my bookworm heart momentarily forgot how to do its lub-dubs when I saw this local bookstore---I could’ve died right there and then, and the books(!)---the books are such rare finds!

When I went up in the second level, a kid was lying cozily on a corner bean bag and I instinctively smiled at her. She then shyly went to me while I was scanning a poetry book and asked me, “What are you doing?”. I have been teaching for several years and yet I am still surprised, every time, at how kids are so good in identifying gullible adults (Like me, hahaha!) who will accommodate their never-ending questions.

So, when I replied, “I’m scanning some poetry books. What about you, do you like to read?”, that was the start of her spontaneous chatter and of going back to me to ask, “What’s this?”, everytime she could not recognize an illustration in the book that she was holding. Lorraine, my new-found, smart 6-year old friend, validated my long-formulated hunch that some of the best people are encountered in a bookstore. *wink*

---fb post, 19 April ‘14

Travel.
As much as you can.
As far as you can.
As long as you can.
Life is not meant to be lived in one place.

DAY 3

I spent a good portion of the day in church---had my Visita Iglesia and listened to the mass.

Right after, I walked to Burnham Park and enjoyed basking in the afternoon sun which was in good contrast with the comfortable chill of Bagiuo.

The reason why I love the sidewalks and the streets is that they never get boring. One can always find interesting things and stories and people in the midst of their hustle and bustle---you just need to pay more attention.

I am not a fan of vandalism but this one, which is actually a love proclamation, made this ugly, dilapidated wreck of a building less of an eye sore in one the busy streets that I passed by today. It actually made me smile in amusement.

It made me think: What’s the back story to this?

-fb post, 20 April ‘14

This is what you Get From Moving Around, A Lot----A Load of Stories and Photographs, And Little Heartaches Once in a While

During my last night in Lampang, while I was a roller coaster of emotions----packing my bags, having a last minute check of my passport and ticket, overthinking if I should really go home or just cancel my flight, sending last minute messages to people, crying and laughing my heart out like crazy----Ahne was actually busy writing this letter and making collages out of our beautiful adventures and memories for three years. When I got to read this while I was busy folding and refolding clothes, I bawled like a child, about to be sent away from home. And that’s ironic because I was actually going home. Ahahahaha.

At that moment, I blurted to Ahne that I will definitely find where to grow my roots soon because I realized that my heart is not as elastic as before. I realized that it’s not actually true that people eventually will get used to leaving and being left, that as you grow older, it actually becomes even harder.

It’s a wonder that Ahne and I became such good friends when we’re so completely different. We’re like two people on different poles. But I guess that’s the beauty of having a free spirit and an open heart----you get to embrace and to love people who, on normal circumstances, would have been strangers on the streets that you just passed by and overlooked. I would always be amazed by the amazing gift of people and of friendship for I get to share, even for just a fraction of time, the beautiful souls and minds of people like Ahne.

Dear Aura Carmela P. Ferrariz,

Asking you if I am the reason why you are leaving Thailand only proves one thing, how crazy, paranoid and preposterous person I am (and yes I hold on to that 10% chance that you will say "Yes", and gladly you said "No". Ahahahaha!). But whatever your f$@?!'n reason is, I hate it, I totally despise it. If I could just know a way of how to keep all my friends to stay so that they will always be with me, I will really do it. Lucky you! I don't know and I will never know. More than anything, your happiness matters, your dreams are important and the need to grow and learn is a part of you.

But whatever the reasons God has in mind for crossing our paths, this is one thing I will always thank him for. Thanking him for a person who I can...

..share my weirdest thoughts, rollercoaster of emotions and wildest dreams.

..goof around, laugh till we die, and not afraid to try new things.

..get lost in a big city, enormous country or even in the craziest world.

..eat, eat and eat until the wee hours of night.

..hop on the bus, ride tuktuk, board the plane or even jump in the deepest sea without even knowing how to swim.

..cry and get "kilig"over koreanovelas.

..admire how good-looking we are in the pictures, repeatedly.

..share stories, heartaches, experiences and learn from it.

..realize that drinking soju and speaking Thai has the same effect.

..think in the same wavelength, kingdom, phylum, class, family.. What's next?

..climb a tree, roll in the grass, take jump shots, underwater shots, and plan a theme oriented pictorial.

Three years of a long crazy adventure. Honestly, I look forward to my next journey because I learned that somewhere along the way, I will stop and meet someone with whom I can share a simple story, laugh awkwardly, enjoy the time, get to know more, accept the flaws and love the person, and attach a friendship string to them because that's exactly what happened to us. Three years is so worth it to gain a longtime friend like you. Thank you for the opportunity.

We may part ways now, we may not see and talk as often as we do now, but I know that our friendship is not and will never be bounded by distance nor time. That soon, we will be sharing a cup of coffee in Paris, diving in Maldives, or locking our hearts in the Namsan Tower.

Till next time Aura! God be with you always! Your next journey will be as awesome as our trip in Korea. You are a beautiful blessing that God has perfectly made.

Slidin’ and Rollin’----MEAMOH Trip :)

Fine. This is an extremely late post. But instead of having this lost in the eternal abyss of my extreme forgetfulness, I’ve decided to post about our MAEMOH trip, about two years ago. See when I say I’m leading towards dementia at such an early age? Oh, snap!

As a science teacher and enthusiast, I was really so giddy with excitement over this particular trip. You see, MAEMOH is a lignite-fired powerplant which supplies electricity to the whole northern regions of Thailand, including a big portion of provinces in nearby regions.

My respect for the Thai people’s responsible use of resources increased several notches higher upon our visit to MAEMOH. Being a lignite-fired powerplant, one would expect to see an extremely dry and barren area with facilities and equipments spewing unforgivable dark smoke into northern Thailand’s blue skies. But I was utterly proved wrong. Whatever parts of the mountains that were excavated for lignite were actually restored and developed---transforming the vast space into verdant green mountainsides, perfect for those lazy Sunday outings with family and friends. But, if one is looking for excitement, the grassboarding activity along the rolling hillsides is actually super fun. Forgive me for my lack of a better adjective but it was derinitely Super Fun!

A modern museum was also built inside the powerplant, showcasing fossils excavated in Lampang. There’s even a simulation room which provides information and experience of how lignite and fossils were created. Being a science geek, this was definitely way too cool for me!

Going back to grassboarding---ahahaha, scatterbrain issues in here---I was hesitant at first to try it but when I saw the lush green hillsides, nobody had to push me to get a board and before I realized it, we were sliding and running back to the top and rolling and giggling like unhinibited 8-year old kids. I think it was one of those moments when I totally let my guard down and just enjoyed, nothing else.

After the trip, I had rashes and sunburns and scratches from rolling on the grasses but I was too damn happy to care!

Staycation: Tourists in Our Own City

I’ve always been a probinsiyana at heart. Let me live in the city and I’ll surely wither like a flower taken from its water source.

Living in Lampang for three years had given me fond memories of this quaint city, of this province. Although there were times when my homesickness became almost like a physical pain, but the slow-paced, unhurried life in this city had always, at some point, kept me sane.

When you live in a place for quite a period of time, you fail to see it in fresh eyes, in the perspective of a tourist who set foot on it for the first time. Heck, we haven’t even tried, ‘til this particular day, the horse carriage in which Lampang is known for.

So, one day, we just decided to become tourists in our own city. Clad in our Sunday dresses, we first stopped at a park, 20-minutes away from our house. P’ Prasit, the silo driver, looked at us with suspecting eyes as we went down and giddily started looking for perfect spots to have our photos taken at. He was probably thinking, “Ano na naman ang nangyayari sa mga pinay na ‘to at mukhang ngayon lang nakita ang park na ito?”, in Thai of course. Kohtot kah. Put pasa-Thai, nitnoi na kah. Ahahahaha! *wink

We enjoyed the park like it was our first time to be there---we even found a tree, too beautiful to be passed up for a photo op. Come to think of it, it was Ahne’s first time to climb a tree, and the ways she looks in the photos, you wouldn’t guess that she was actually scared and at the same time, too giddy with excitement that she had several attempts and shrieking episodes before finally reaching the top of the tree.

We also went to the train station and a local Thai restaurant, Aroy 1 baht, like we were first-time tourists, when actually, these two places were actually part of our (almost) regular routine. There was even a time when we craved for Thai food for an entire week that we were at Aroy 1 baht of 4 consecutive days that when we left the place on the 4th day, the attendant said, “See you tomorrow!”. Ahahahaha, shame!

Transacting business with the local people in pure English proved to be fun, they were actually giving us quizzical looks, probably thinking, “Teka lang, ‘eto yung mga pinoy na padaan-daan dito kapag namamalengke ah!”

But, one of the highest points of our activity was when we were already on the horse carriage. Looking at the slowed down scenes of Lampang’s streets, my home for three years, I was filled with a deep sense of nostalgia for all the memories that it gave me, including the lessons. I saw, on a fresh perspective, why tourists actually flock to this tiny and charming city. I understood why a lot of them fell in love with this place and never wanted to leave.

In Lampang, everything is slowed down---you have time to walk and to think and to just, feel. However, this girl had to go home. I just had to, just because. But, in that brief instant, I smiled with the answer why ‘pinas momentarily ceased as home for 3 years.

These beautiful ladies (inside and out), Ahne and Frezy, are two of my emergency sanity buttons.