Checking In

So now I’m back. Can’t believe it took me a year and a half to finally update my blog. Well, I’ve been busy you know! I don’t wanna mention the reasons why it took me a while to post ‘coz they’re all excuses. You know the pinoy saying ‘pag gusto may paraan...’ so I’ll just admit that yes, I was lazy.

Anyhow, I got tons of stories to tell and I can’t wait. Unfortunately, my old laptop crashed. No, that wasn’t accurate. A water container slipped from the table and literally crashed on to my laptop. So photos from few of my escapades were gone. Thankfully, some were posted in Facebook.

This blog’s layout needs a major renovation so for now I’ll just play with the templates ‘til I could come up with something pleasing to the eyes. See you soon!

Surviving Sagada Part 2

Woah! It's been almost 3 months since I last updated. Sorry for that. I've been busy with new work, and settling in to the new city... But enough of that! So now... back to Sagada!

- - -

We took the first day off to recuperate after our misfortune. Keith joined Rodel and me for our own "city" tour to take some photos... We tried looking for those old Igorot huts and got to see some rice terraces upclose instead! 

For dinner, we decided to try out Salt & Pepper Diner. They different "flavors" of grilled chicken cooked their way. I had this:

It was also my first time to try out mountain tea. I'm not a tea lover but I loved it! I tweeted this picture and @SurvivingSagada suggested that next time I should try it with milk!

Surviving Sagada Part 1

Our leave policy changed last year and that resulted to limiting the carry over annual (vacation) leaves (AL) to only 10 days for Asia-based staff. It's supposed to force us to have work-life balance. But I simply don't get it as it would just require us to use 30days of AL this year then be back to use 20 ALs (assuming we still want to have 10 ALs carry over) as what we have been doing in the past. *roll eyes*

So with 10 additional ALs to spend last fiscal year, it was hard to think of how to spend those wisely (by wisely I mean relaxing, budget friendly and memorable). So Keith, Rodel and I thought of extending our trip to the Cordilleras after our Pulag adventure. Initially, our plan was to spend a night in Baguio to rest then Sagada the next day or two, then Banaue before going back to Manila.

I didn't really know much about Sagada. It was just that it is a must see town in the Cordilleras, aside from Banaue which is known of its rice terraces. All that I could remember was my geology professor speaking about limestones in Sagada which proved that the Cordilleras was under the sea.

Damn Summer!

Summer heat spoils it all!

I got plenty of things to do... clearance from my previous job, requirements for my new company, unfinished business... etc!

The high temperature these days really takes my mood off. News says 8 more weeks in this weather. Aaargggh!

Pook ni Maria Makiling

I was born in Mt.Makiling, Los Baños, Laguna. Well, my lolo used to work for FPRDI (formerly FORPRIDECOM) and stayed in one of the agency's staff housing in Forestry (UPLB's upper campus). Even if we're no longer living there, I still consider it my home.

How ironic is it that I call Mt. Makiling home but I haven't actually explored the place. I haven't climb its peaks or even reach the mud spring. I tried climbing the mountain with some friends but we've only got to see the flatrocks (the actual creek, not the bar!). So note to self: ask friends to climb the mountain and revisit tourist sites such as the Makiling Botanical Gardens, Boy Scouts of the Philippines, National Arts Center / Philippine High School for the Arts.

***

Temperature is really insane this summer! In a few hours that I'm home, I'm literally dripping in sweat. So, I told my mom that we should go swimming. My brothers didn't want to leave so it was just me, my nephew and mom who went.

Laguna is known for its hotsprings. Dipping in warm water is totally out of my mind. I want something cool that could freshen me up, but near and not expensive.

There are 4 pools in Mt. Makiling if I'm not mistaken: 1 in Makiling Botanical Gardens, 1 in UPCO (UPLB staff housing), 1 in Boy Scouts Jamboree and 1 in Pook ni Maria Makiling. The pool in BSP Jamboree has a reputation. I haven't been in botanical gardens for years and I'm not sure if the pool there is still open but even if it still is, it's not an option since it has a side which is more than 10 ft deep. The pool in UPCO is small and we're no UPLB faculty/student so X mark there.

I've been in Pook ni Maria Makiling several times but haven't tried the pool there until last year when friends from college visited and we decided to go campus touring in UPLB. It is actually not maintained by UPLB but by the National Parks Development Authority under the country's Department of Tourism. The park is known for its olympic size pool (not sure if it still is under the new standards). Entrance fee to the park is 25 pesos while swimming fee is 40 pesos. For 65 pesos to cool the body off, it is actually cheap!

Mt. Pulag - First Attempt

Up to now, I don't know what went to the minds of my friends at work why they decided to become outdoors people. After camping in Nagsasa, next thing I know we were already planning for our trip to Mt. Pulag. We initially intended to have a preclimb activity but our work schedules were so tight. With our fingers crossed, we booked our Mt. Pulag adventure.

We decided to take a trip package, as we did in Nagsasa, so we wouldn't worry about food and camping stuff. Well, most of us are first time mountain climbers so we need some help in Mt. Pulag. Note, it is the highest peak in Luzon so this is something major. So we got in touch with Nino's friend Alain to arrange our trip.

Preparation meant shopping for some gears. We needed some trekking pants, trekking shoes, big bag, sleeping bag, fleece jackets and other stuff to survive the cold weather in Pulag. I thought 3K budget each was all that we needed. It covers the package only: transportation, fees, food. Nobody mentioned it would cost more since we didn't have trekking stuff! Tina and Annie went with Keith and me to Divisoria to shop for some stuff and they said, "mas ok pang magbeach, 'di kelangan ng damit at madaming gamit!" Well, they were totally right!

So it was me, Keith, Lee, Bobby, Nino, Logan, Rodel, and Chris to Pulag. Tina wasn't able to come as she can't take a leave on her new job and Glenn hasn't been cleared yet but his doctor to go trekking. Bobby invited his cousins and their friends and that's another 10 people... Sorry didn't get all their names, too shy but we all got along.

The plan was to take the Ambangeg-Ambangeg trail. It is called the executive trail since it's the easiest. Another trail, called Akiki trail, would take climbers 3 days to reach the mountain's summit.

Coron 2013 with my ACN Team

Cloudy, a friend and former team mate in Accenture invited me to Coron. It was supposed to be her homecoming last January but then she got another assignment in the US so it was just us Manila peeps on the trip. Amabel, whom I was the closest and treated as my best friend in the team forgot to book me a plane ticket! Ryan had to pass since he got an offshore assignment as well so luckily for me I took his seat. Got fake IDs so I could board the plane using his ticket!

This was my 3rd time in Coron and I want to keep coming back! 

We checked in at Islands View Inn. It's kinda new. Set meals with 2 viands included in our tour package. 

Missing Sea Dive Resort in my first time in Coron... They used to serve sit in buffet and we could ask any food we wanted like unlimited lobsters!

Our first stop was the park. 

Then our van took us to a pasalubong center. We didn't but anything yet since it was our first day and we've only been to 1 site!