From Sea to Summit

La Libertad, Negros | Lalimar Beach Resort

2012-05-06T21:08:00.000+08:00

Lalimar Beach Resort is located in La Libertad Negros Oriental. Presently Lalimar is now catering seminars, wedding, family reunion and other services which is being handled by the Local Government.

Last March, my cousin, my brother and I went on a hitchhiking adventure. We hitchhike from Cebu to Negros. One of our stopovers was in Lalimar Beach Resort.

Lalimar's Reception area is located at the center of the resort. Here you can just ask anything about the resort, from room rates to reservations.

Lalimar also has this Diver Shop where you can purchase some souvenir and booked your next diving session.

The resort don't require you to pay for an entrance fee, however, if you want to use their pool, you need to pay PhP55 per person.

Photo from lalimar beach resort
This is Lalimar's Cottage 1 to 4. It cost PhP 1,540 / 2 person. A PhP 200 for each additional guest.

Cottages 1 to 4 are fully air conditioned with large and spacious bath room including hot and cold showers. These cottages can accommodate up to six people.

Cottage No. 5 is a private cottage perfect for a romantic get-away or newly wed couple. It is fully air-conditioned and has its own dinning area and veranda. PhP 2,420 good for 2 person. An additional PhP 200 for each extra guest.

Cottage No. 7 is a story cottage appropriate for group accommodation. It has one air-conditioned bed room that can accommodate up to six people and a second story loft (none air conditioned) that can accommodate 14 people. This cottage cost PhP 3,080.

Cottage Rates and Facilities:

Cottage no. 1-4 --------------------------------- PhP 1,540

Cottage no. 5 ----------------------------------- PhP 2,420

Cottage no. 6 [whole cottage] ---------------- PhP 3,740

Cottage no. 6A --------------------------------- PhP 2,640

Cottage no. 6B --------------------------------- PhP 1,760

Cottage no. 7 ----------------------------------- PhP 3,080

Budget Room [non-aircon] ------------------- PhP 220/head

Function Hall Main ---------------------------- PhP 3,000

Function Hall Annex -------------------------- PhP 2,000

Umbrella [10 seaters] ------------------------- PhP 330

Umbrella Poolside [8 seaters] --------------- PhP 275

Swimming Pool:

Adult --------------------------------------- PhP 55

Children [below 12years old] ---------- PhP 33

Extra chairs ------------------------------------ PhP 11

Extra table ------------------------------------- PhP 44

Contact Number:

Lalimar Beach Resort

San Jose, La Libertad, Negros Oriental

Cell no. : 09082127683 / 09177071409

Check out my other post on our hitchhiking adventure:
* Cebu-Negros | 3D2N Hitchhiking Challenge
* Cebu-Negros | Hitchhiking Adventure Video

Cebu-Negros | Hitchhiking Adventure

2012-04-29T14:50:00.000+08:00

Here's my long overdue video from our hitchhiking adventure. Hope you enjoy this one. :)

Check out my other post on our hitchhiking adventure:
* Cebu-Negros | 3D2N Hitchhiking Challenge
* La Libertad, Negros | Lalimar Beach Resort

Summer is definitely more fun with NIVEA SUN! My top summer wonder is Malalison Island

2012-04-20T00:32:00.000+08:00

5 Reasons

Malalison Island should be part of the 7 Summer Wonders in the Philippines

Situated in Culasi Channel off the western coast of Culasi, Antique. It is easy to see why Malalison Island is also known as the 'Gem of Culasi Channel'. While Boracay has been the main attraction in the part of western visayas, the Malalison island retained its mysterious appeal, and left unexplored by tourists. With an area of 50 hectares, Malalison have a lot to offer to tourists and adventure travel seekers alike.

1. Adventure | For someone who seeks adventure, you can hike up to the highest hill or peak of Malalison Island for less than an hour. You can even cross your way to Nablag Islet, which is just adjacent to Malalison Cove. Not an extreme adventure but nevertheless, it still an adventure. :)

2. Culture | Try a native dish. They said, that the way to know the culture of a place is through their food. One of Malalison's native dish is grilled fresh pugita/octopus. I can guarantee you, all sea food in this area are fresh.

3. Nature | Malalison has the best diving spot for divers who admire the nature underwater. Exploring the world under you is also one of the best way to appreciate nature. With Malalison's crystal clear water, I'm pretty sure you'll clearly see the different species living down there.

4. Sand | Malalison Island has fine white sand that can be compared to that of Boracay's. This island have a magnificent sandbar that can be enjoyed by everyone, and also the best location for a romantic date.

5. Sun | Summer wouldn't be perfect without the heat of the sun. And here in Malalison Island, sun is everywhere.

So what are you waiting for? Grab your Nivea Sun block, head down to Malalison Island and enjoy your summer with the world's no.1 sun care brand. :)

Join the on-going Nivea Philippines 7 Summer Wonders contest on FB and get a chance to win NIVEA Sun gift packs, Charina Sarte swimwear, SONY products or a trip for 2 to the Ultimate Summer Wonder! Just clickhttp://www.facebook.com/NIVEAPhilippines/app_180716052039522 to join and vote now!

Climb Itinerary | Mt. Madja-as

2012-04-16T05:00:00.000+08:00

Mt. Madjaas, Culasi, Antique
Major jumpoff: Brgy. Alojipan, Culasi
Elevation: 2177m
Days required to summit: 3-4 days
Specs: Major climb, Difficulty 8/9, Trail class 1-4
Features: Open slopes, Mossy forest, Waterfalls, Highest Point

DAY 0 (April 4, Wednesday)

1700H - Assembly at Pier 4 (Trans Asia Terminal)
1800H - ETD Cebu City

DAY 1 (April 5, MaundayThursday)
0700H - ETA Iloilo City
0730H - ETD Iloilo City Van/Bus Terminal
1030H - ETA Culasi, Antique (Last Minute Shopping and Buy Food for Lunch)
1100H - Drop by Culasi Municipal Hall and Secure Permit from Mayor's Office (Login at PNP Station)
1130H - ETD Culasi Town Proper (Via Habal-habal)
1200H - ETA Brgy. Alojipan Jumpoff (Lunch and Meet Up with Guides and Barangay Officials and Gear Check)
1300H - Start Trek to Hangud Tubi Campsite
1900H - ETA Hangud Tubi Campsite (Dinner)
2100H - Socials
2130H - Lights Off!

DAY 2 (April 6, Good Friday)
0400H - Wake Up Call! (Prepare Breakfast and Packed Lunch)
0500H - Breakfast
0600H - Break Camp and Water Refill
0630H - Start Trek to Boundary Campsite
1230H - ETA Boundary Campsite (Lunch and Rest)
1400H - Start Ascend to Summit
1500H - ETA Mt. Madjaas Summit (Explore and Take Pictures)
1600H - Start Descend Back to Boundary Campsite
1700H - ETA Boundary Campsite (Prepare Dinner)
1800H - Dinner, Socials and Mountain Juice
2000H - Lights Off!

DAY 3 (April 7, Black Saturday)
0400H - Wake Up Call! (Prepare Breakfast and Packed Lunch)
0500H - Breakfast
0600H - Break Camp and Water Refill
0630H - Start Descend Back to Hangud Tubi Campsite
1200H - Lunch, Rest and Water Refill
1300H - Start Descend Back to Brgy. Alojipan Jumpoff
1900H - ETA Brgy. Alojipan Jumpoff
1930H - ETD Brgy. Alojipan (Via Habal-habal)
2000H - ETA Culasi Town Proper and Logout (PNP Station)

Options

Spend the night at the town plaza and travel back to Iloilo City the following morning
Spend the night at Malalison Island which is 15-minute boatride away from the plaza (Depends on pumpboat availability) and travel back back to Iloilo City afternoon the following day
Ride a bus going to Caticlan and spend the rest of the trip in Boracay (Estimated travel time is 1 hour)

Expenses
Boat Fare (Trans Asia Economy Accomodation) - PhP 810.00 (One Way)
Bus/Van Fare - PhP 200.00 (One Way)
Habal-habal Fare - PhP 150.00/head (One Way)
Guide Fee - PhP 350.00/guide/day (2 Guides)
Entry/Permit Fee - PhP 150.00/head/day
Barangay Fee - PhP 20.00/head

Contact Person

Mr. John John Sumanting (Tourism Officer) - (036) 277-8077/09163245068

Adonis (Guide) - 09286878128

Check out my other adventures in Antique:
* Mt. Madja-as | Holy Week Climb

* Culasi, Antique | Exploring Malalison Island

Culasi, Antique | Exploring Malalison Island

2012-04-15T05:00:00.000+08:00

After a hardcore and strenuous climb in Mt. Madja-as, everyone deserves a relaxing side trip. I personally wanted to relax in a place with a few people. And Boracay is out of the story. Since Malalison Island is the nearest island in Culasi, we decided to spend the rest of our trip there.

Malalison Island is also known as Mararison Island. It is one of the three island barangays of Culasi, Antique. A 55-hectare undeveloped island which can be reached by a 15-minute ride off coast of Poblacion, by motorized pump-boat. This magnificent island is famous with its clean pebbled beach sand, coral reefs and crystal clear blue waters which are good for sailing, snorkeling, fishing and scuba diving.

After having our dinner in Culasi, a couple of my friends went to the shore to hire a motorized pump-boat. Unfortunately, they were priced higher than expected. Mr. Sumanting of Culasi Tourism Office told us that a round trip from Culasi to Malalison Island will only cost P1,000. So we call Mr. Sumanting and asked for help.

(L to R) me, Jahbert, Mr. Sumanting, Jai-jai, Bojek, Bart, Bossing

He was generous enough to meet us again and introduce to Mr. Mario Fuentiblanca (Kap Mario), which is the Barangay Chairman of Malalison Island. Like Mr. Sumanting, Kap Mario is also a very hospitable man. He brought over to Culasi one of their pump boat for us. And like what Mr. Sumanting had promised us, the round trip of pump boat only cost us P1,000.

The long stretched sandbar welcome us when we arrived in Malalison Island. It was already 6PM when we reached the island. The magnificent sandbar was very apparent under the bright moon, which create a romantic ambiance to the people sitting in the sand. We planned to spend the night in the sandbar. Unfortunately, it suddenly rain forcing us to sleep inside the Barangay's Multi-Purpose Building.

The next day, we all agreed to trek through the miniature mountains of Malalison Island. It was around 8AM when we started to hike towards the other side of the island, which the Nablag islet dwell. This islet can be crossed on foot during low tides, and we were just so lucky to have crossed it that day. We didn't spend a lot of time in Nablag Islet because the water is getting higher. We even feel the current of the water when we crossed back to Malalison.

Kap Mario also mention a cave on the island. Since the cave was just adjacent to the cove, we didn't have a hard time looking for it. There were a lot of groups in that part of the island. Most of the people who want to spend time with their families on Easter Sunday were there. It was also in that part of the island were fishermen dive for octopus or kugita. This kid is holding one, ready to grill.

We saw Kap Mario near the cave, and ask him if we could hitch a ride back to the Multi-Purpose building. Since the pump boat that he brought can only carry 5-6 people, we were transported by batch. The girls were escorted first toward the pump boat. We can observe how crystal clear the water was from where we were sitting. We could see clearly the black sea urchin below us. So far, the water in this island is the clearest sea water I have ever seen in my entire life. I just hope this island will be taken care of and handled properly by the locals.

Malalison Island is such a paradise. If you happen to travel around Antique, spend a night in the island and explore its beauty. This island has a lot to offer. You can hike around the island for an hour or two. Walk your way to the island's cove, and march towards Nablag islet. Just make sure to cross back to Malalison before the water rises. Check out their cave which is just adjacent to the cove. Snorkel through their crystal clear water and enjoy the heat of summer. Rock n' Roll! \m/

How to Get There:

From Cebu, board on a boat bound to Iloilo City. From Iloilo Port, take a cab to V-hire terminal. From there, ride a V-hire to Culasi, Antique and ask the driver to drop you off at Culasi Municipal Hall. Walk a couple of blocks to the shore and hire a pump boat bound for Malalison Island.

Expenses:

Boat Fare (Cebu-Iloilo) - 810 Php (one way)

Taxi Fare - 100 Php/head (one way)

V-hire Fare - 200 Php/head (one way)

Pump boat to Malalison - 1,000 Php(8 person-round trip)

Barangay Fee (Malalison) - 10 Php/head

Contact Person:

Mr. John John U. Sumanting

Municipal Information Officer

Tourism Officer

Tel. No. : (036) 277-8077

Cell. No. : 09163245068

Email : johnjohnsumanting_mio@yahoo.com

Tips:

* Contact the tourism office before you go there. Mr. Sumanting can help you find a cheaper pump boat to Malalison Island.

*Bring tents if you want to camp in the shoreline.

* Print a map to guide you throughout your adventure.

Check out my other adventures in Antique:

* Mt. Madja-as | Holy Week Climb
* Mt. Madja-as | Climb Itinerary

Mt. Madja-as | Holy Week Climb

2012-04-13T04:18:00.000+08:00

Deciding to join a Holy Week Climb in Mt. Madja-as was easy. Climbing the mountain is another story.

With an elevation of 2,177 meters above sea level, Mt. Madja-as makes the tallest mountain in Panay, and the second tallest mountain in Visayas following Mt. Canlaon. Located in Culasi, Antique, this mountain is quoted by some as the most challenging climbs in the Visayan islands.

I was so excited the moment I purchased my ticket bound for Iloilo. I never been to this place, but I heard a lot of great things about it. I text Kuya Jahbert regarding what to expect on Mt. Madja-as. Since he had been there last December 2011, he's the best guy to ask questions about this majestic mountain. A second later, (Hardcore, and a lot of leech) a reply from him got me thinking, and doubt if I can make it to the summit. On the second thought, I already bought my ticket. There's no turning back. Next thing I knew, I was packing my bag for the the climb.

We leave Cebu around 6PM, and arrived in Iloilo port around 8AM the next day. It was a long trip, but the good thing about it, is I got to meet a couple of climber on the boat. The bad thing about it, I forgot their names. I'm really bad at names. :( Well anyway, upon arrival, we decided to buy a ticket going back to Cebu, just to avoid getting stranded.

Since we haven't had our breakfast that morning, we decided to eat in a carenderia just outside Iloilo port. Afterwards, we hired a taxi going to Iloilo V-hire Terminal. As far as I know, Iloilo has a separate terminal for their buses.

We were warmly welcomed by Mr. Sumanting from Tourism Office when we arrived in Culasi. A good-natured and hospitable that he is, he invited us into his office to sign some papers, and let us relax for a little. A 4-hour ride can be exhausting sometimes.

Since we arrived in Culasi at lunch time, we decided to have our lunch. This dish is the specialty of Culasi, which you can see in every eatery in the area. Can you guess what's on this dish? :) Fine then, the main ingredient of this dish is SHARK! Yeah, that's right. The taste? Taste like tuna. This cost P25 per serving.

Have I told you that we forgot to buy a butane in Iloilo? The moment we jump inside the v-hire, we told our driver to pass by a Mall in San Jose so we could buy a butane. The problem is, our driver take a different route. When we checked my print-out map, we're way too far from the mall. When we communicate with Mr. Sumanting, he mention someone selling a butane in Culasi. But when we get there, we realize that the butane he's talking about is different from the butane we're commonly using. We take the risk and sacrifice a little of our time to ask someone to buy a butane in San Jose, which is a 2-hour drive from Culasi. We pretty much don't have a choice. We couldn't push through with the climb without the butane. How the hell are we going to cook our food without the butane? We waited until 8PM, which means we're already 1 day delay of our itinerary.

We arrived at our jump-off point in Brgy. Alojipan around 9PM. By then, we all decided to push through and night trekked our way to the forest line. We were thinking of chasing our itinerary. We break camp early the next day, around 5am, and start trekking towards Camp 1. There were few open trails, but since we started trekking early, we were able to avoid the heat of the sun.

leech on my backpack

Leech is very abundant in Mt. Madja-as. So if your planning to conquer this majestic mountain, I suggest you wear a leggings, an arm guard/warmer and a pair of gloves. Thinking back, even wearing all these things didn't spare me with the leeches. A couple of leech find their way to my nape. So disgusting. I really hate it, even though they look cool with their rasta colors.

flowers in Camp 2

After pitching up our tents in camp 1, we tried to summit Mt. Madja-as. We left all our belongings in the camp, and just bring with us our lunch and a handful of trail food. We believe we can do it. We'll be able to go back at the camp before midnight. But the trail going to Camp 2 was telling us that pushing to the summit is impossible. We pass through a knife edge ridge, that with just wrong move, you'll gonna be saying goodbye to the world. There's no trees which you can hold on to for balance. I was about to back-out by then, but most of my friends are so persistent in getting to the summit. So I tried to catch up with them, asking one of my friend to hold my hand as I cross the ridge. We arrived at camp 2 around 3PM. Our guide told us that it'll take another 2-3hours to summit Mt. Madja-as. If we push through, we could arrived at the peak around 5PM or 6PM the most. Thinking back of the trail we went through, it'll impossible to be back in camp 1 before midnight. It will also be very dangerous on our part to cross the knife-edge ridge at night. Right there and then, we decided to backtrack our way to camp 1 and call it a day.

Going back to camp 1 was difficult. We were blown by strong winds when we pass through the knife-edge ridge. Thank God we are all safe and was back in camp 1 around 6PM. We hit the sack early, so we could rest our worn out body.

We started to backtrack our way to Brgy. Alojipan the next day. Since we arrived early in Alojipan, we all went to the river to enjoy the clear cold water. A few minutes later, we find our way back to Culasi to catch a boat to Malalison Island.

Here's a video from our climb. Enjoy!

Check out my other adventures in Antique:
* Culasi, Antique | Exploring Malalison Island
* Mt. Madja-as | Climb Itinerary

Cebu-Negros | 3D2N Hitchhiking Challenge

2012-04-03T17:43:00.001+08:00

My cousin and I have been planning a backpacking trip a couple of months ago, but we never had a fixed date for it. Last week, due to boredom, we decided to go hitchhiking. We challenge ourselves and pack our bags, with P400 in our pocket. Do you think we can survive?

Hitchhiking is also known as thumbing, tramping, hitching, autostop or thumbing up a ride. It is a means of transportation in which you ask people, usually strangers, for a ride in their automobile or other road vehicle to travel a distance that may either be short or long. The cheapest way to travel indeed. I got the idea of hitchhiking from Benjamin Jenks the author of the site Adventure Sauce. Since hitchhiking is not so common here in the Philippines, why not try it? :)

I told my brother about our hitchhiking plan, just so there's someone who knows where we are heading. But since he is also an adventurer who doesn't want to miss something fun, he went along with us. He post status on Facebook about it, and one of his friend, who is going home to San Carlos City, offered us a ride. Aren't we lucky? :)

We waited for King (my brother's friend) in SM to hitch a ride to Toledo, and hopefully to San Carlos City. Then we realize we weren't able to eat our lunch. With the budget we have, we search around SM for carenderia or eatery. Luckily, with P20, we were able to eat our lunch in a small eatery across SM terminal.

We have a friend who mentioned about a special trip from Toledo to San Carlos City for P120, but it only applies to 4PM departure time. We never got our chance on that trip though, because we arrive in Toledo around 4:30PM. We have no other choice but to wait for the next trip, which is at 6PM. We bought our ticket, which cost us P190, and wait for the next trip to San Carlos Ctiy.

The good thing about having friends from other places is you can ask them to let you stay at their house for a night or two. A friend of ours who is currently living in San Carlos City was kind enough to let us stay in his house. It was just for a night, but for some reasons we stayed there for 2 nights. In that 2 nights, he cooked us meals and even buy us drinks. In return for the kindness, we volunteer to do the dishes after eating meals. That's just fair right?

The next day, we explored Sipaway Island, also known as Refugio Island, just across San Carlos City. A very friendly trike driver named Mang Danny, showed us around. He brought us to Basilia White Beach Resort, which is the cheapest resort in the island. Although the beach front of the resort was small, it was still magnificent. The water was clear, and surprisingly cold under the scorching heat of the sun.

Mang Danny also brought us to the biggest Balete Tree in Sipaway Island. I was so amaze when I saw this tree. There's something mysterious behind its beauty.

After roaming around Sipaway Island, we head back to San Carlos City. It was around 3PM when we are all set and ready for hitchhiking towards Dumaguete City. Our friend suggested that we should postpone our trip and just stay in his house for another night. Instead of pushing through with our plan, we decided to just leave for Dumaguete the next day.

Since we decided to stay in San Carlos for another night, the three of us agree to go to the Center Mall. It's the biggest plaza I've seen so far. As we roam around, I notice a couple of basketball court, 10 or more football fields, a play ground and some great restaurants.

These 3 kids were playing football when we pass by. Since they are friendly and generous, they played and spent time with us for a few minutes.

By the way, did I mention they have a playground? Yeah, we spend a few more minutes riding the swing before heading back to our friend's house.

We continue our hitchhiking towards Dumaguete the next day. There was a couple who is kind enough to let us ride at the back of their multi-cab, just util Katingal-an Elementary School. A few walks from Katingal-an, we were able to hitch a ride in a government-owned vehicle that take us to Buluangan. In Buluangan, we meet a man with a big heart. He seems to know everyone leaving around the area, even the drivers of the vehicle passing by. We sit down with him and talk for a few minutes. After hearing our plans, he help us look for a vehicle. Since he know a lot of people, it was then easy for us to hitch our 3rd ride. Of course we thank the man for doing us the favor.

Our 3rd ride brought us to Bagawines, a junction that leads to Canlaon City. This place is not new to me. I've climb Mt. Canlaon for three times and I pass by this corner every time we go there.

A few minutes later, we hitch a ride to Guihulngan City. This is the epicenter of the earthquake that happened last February 6, 2012. With 6.9-magnitude, a lot of houses were damage, roads crack, bridges collapse, and landslide happened, taking away lives. It was sad to see all those things, but in the back of my mind, I was silently praying and hoping that those people living in that devastated house have survived the catastrophe.

From Guihulngan City, we hitch a couple of ride to La Libertad. A driver with a kind heart brought us to Lalimar Beach Resort upon knowing where we came from and our plan of hitchhiking to Dumaguete. He was so concern about us, and told us to stay at the resort to relax for a bit. We were so glad about the concern he showed us and thank him for bringing us there. I will be talking more about Lalimar on my next post. :)

From La Libertad, we were able to hitch a ride to Jimalalud. We meet this very generous man who even offer to give us a money for a bus fare. Although the offer was tempting, we decline it. We told him about our hitchhiking challenge and how far have we gone to make this a success. Though he is still not convince about our plan, he prayed for us to have a safe travel.

After another ride from Jimalalud, we arrived in Dumaguete before dark. Since we have some relatives in the area, we decided to pay them a visit. JP offered to walk us around the famous Rizal Boulevard in Dumaguete. While we are already in Boulevard, JP brought us to this street food vendors along the road, and bought us some food. We had great couple of hours talking with JP about our fun experience. He even quoted us as 'crazy'' for doing the hitchhiking challenge without enough money. I couldn't even disagree with him. :) After the long talk, we head down to the Pier to catch our boat bound for Cebu.

Here's the animated map about the route we take. Hitchhiking was a fun experience, and I'm planning on doing it again. There's a lot of things I've learned from this kind of travel. I meet a lot of different people and learned how to deal with them.

Check out my other post on our hitchhiking adventure:
* Cebu-Negros | Hitchhiking Adventure Video
* La Libertad, Negros | Lalimar Beach Resort

Coastal Cleanup with WWF-Philippines

2012-03-27T00:10:00.000+08:00

Photo by Erwin

Just this weekend, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)-Philippines together with Ayala Foundation, host the Coastal cleanup held in Mactan. The cleanup is part of Ayala's Inspire Campaign which fosters the concept that everyone has the capability to achieve things that are beyond what is expected of us.

A quick glance on WWF: The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is the world’s largest and most experienced conservation organization, operating in over 100 countries through the support of nearly five million people worldwide. WWF-Philippines has been working as a national organization of the WWF network since 1997 and spearheads practical solutions to help the Philippines adapt to climate change, secure food and water sources, switch to clean sources of renewable energy and infuse sustainability into the lives and businesses of Filipinos. WWF’s mission is to build a future in which people live in harmony with nature. For more information, log on to: wwf.org.ph.

A friend of mine told me about this event. Since its my first time to do a coastal cleanup, I agree to volunteer. We spend an hour under the scorching heat of the sun grabbing garbage, while doing the segregation at the same time. It's disheartening to see all these trash scattered in the shoreline. Not to mention the smell.

We are divided into three groups. Group 1 is responsible for keeping all the plastics, group 2 for papers, etc., and group 3 is for metals, rubbers, glass, etc.

After an hour of collecting garbage, we were able to gather a total of 466kg or 23,000+ pieces of trash. Just imagine that!

Photo by Erwin

It was a nice experience. I was able to gain new friends, while doing a great job in saving mother earth. I hope everyone will learn how to dispose their trash properly. So that a coastal cleanup like this wouldn't be necessary.

Here's a video made by my cousin Carla.

WWF Coastal Clean-up from Carla Alferez on Vimeo.

Olango Island | Biking Trip

2012-03-10T01:01:00.000+08:00

Olango Island is located east of Mactan island, and lies between Bohol Strait (South) and Camotes Sea (North). The island houses the Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary, which has become a major tourist attraction as it is one of the seven best-known flyways in the world for migratory birds. Recently, Olango island has also been a great destination for weekend biking trip.

It's always been my dream to go on a biking trip with my friends. But I have this issue with traffic and cars. Yah! I'm scared of biking on the road with cars. It even took me a few months to overcome my fear. When my friends invited me on a biking trip last weekend, I was hesitant. Everyone was in our meeting place just waiting for me. It was a last minute decision. I could have change my mind and just stay at home, but I chose to face my fears. Next thing I knew, I'm riding my bike.

Departure time was supposed to be 6AM. But since I was late, we leave for Olango island around 10AM. It was nerve wracking at first, but I kind of pick up my phase and manage to ride comfortably on my bike. We arrived in Lapu-lapu around 12PM, with a couple of stop over along the way to buy food for lunch.

It was one of the best decisions I made. I enjoy the ride so much that I almost didn't feel tired. The best thing about this trip is that, I get over my fear of biking on a highway. I even manage to cross a busy intersection. Wew!

We ride a motor boat from a pump-boat pier, just beside Portofino Beach Resort, to Olango Island. It was almost 1PM when we arrived in Santa Rosa Wharf. We decided to eat our lunch in the Wildlife Sanctuary, which is a 15-minute bike ride from Santa Rosa. As we ride our way to the Bird Sanctuary, we come across this awesome place. We all agree that this place (picture above) is a great spot for a pre-nuptial photo shoot.

We had an hour and a half exploring the Bird Sanctuary. While doing our own exploration of the place, we come across this bird. I don't know what they call this or what breed of this bird belong to, but I'm pretty sure this is my first time to see its kind.

After a couple of hours riding around Olango Island, we decided to head home and call it a day. It was a great experience and an activity that must be done again.

Olango Island Biking Trip (suggested) Itinerary:

0700 Assembly time at Jollibee Panagdait (near Sykes bldg.)

0800 ETD for Lapu-lapu

1100 ETA Pier (beside Portofino Beach Resort)

1130 ETD for Sta Rosa (Olango Island)

1230 ETA in Sta Rosa, proceed to Bird Sanctuary

1300 ETA in Bird Sanctuary/Lunch

1400 Free Time

1600 ETD for Lapu-lapu

1630 ETA Lapu-lapu, proceed to Cebu City

1830 ETA Cebu City

Estimated Expenses:

Pumpboat Fare (Lapu-lapu-Olango) -P20 bnf

Lunch ------------------------------------ P50

Wildlife Sanctuary Entrance Fee ----- P20

TOTAL: P90

I'm not a Tourist

2012-02-14T22:57:00.000+08:00

from G Adventures on Vimeo.
Travel is what most people do to see the world. Traveler is what you call a person who is travelling. Tourist is another term use for a person who travels. Now how does this two person differ from each other? Watch the video above to understand the difference between the two.

from G Adventures on Vimeo.
I love to travel. I've always thought that going to places I've never been to before is enough. But these videos just gave me another reason to travel more. Now I understand what's the meaning behind experiencing other country's culture. Everyone travels to learn, to experience and to grow. I don't think that setting foot in another place/country, and taking pictures of old buildings is enough to experience all that. If you want to learn, experience and grow, then I suggest you explore the place you visit. Be a real traveler. That's what I'm also planning to do. :)

Travel Inspiration

2012-02-11T12:22:00.000+08:00

When I made my blog From Sea to Summit, I intended it to be an outdoor blog. Somewhere were I can post anything about my outdoor activities. Later on, I come across a lot of Filipino travel blogs. Right then and there I realize that I can also write about my travel experiences in this blog. So I decided to make this a travel/outdoor blog.

Since I was a kid, I always love to go to place I never been to.Basically, that's the reason why I chose mountaineering as a hobby. I love the feeling of being in a place where no one knows you. I got fascinated how the locals in a certain area, live their life. Traveling to different places is one of my dream. But I always thought traveling is too expensive. Not until I came across Journeying James' blog. His blog is such an inspiration. All of his backpacking challenges and more make me realize that I can travel in a cheap way.

I've been climbing mountains for four years, and I guess travelling with a backpack is not an issue to me. With my backpacking skills, I think I can plan my own backpacking challenge like Journeying James plan his. I've made itineraries and host a friendship climb a few times, so the whole backpacking thing is not new to me. But I still need to prepare and plan my trip.

I'm starting to plan my backpacking challenge, as we speak. Since I'm not yet comfortable travelling alone, my cousin Carla who also has the same passion I have, is going with me on this trip. As I was planning our very own Backpacking Challenge, I found myself in the Sole Sisters blog. This is a blog of two remarkable lady, blogging their adventures and trips in Southeast Asia. They've become one of my inspiration in planning a backpacking trip. Because I want to be updated with their blog's content, I registered my self in their email newsletter. In return, I got to have a copy of their magnificent e-book.

The Sole Sister Guide to Planning an Epic Adventure eBook has been a great help to me on planning our trip. This eBook is equipped with all the trip planning information and tips you need. If you want a copy of this fantastic eBook, head now to Sole Sister blog and subscribe to their newsletter. I guarantee you, you'll never regret it. :)

GL Highland Resort

2012-02-07T23:36:00.000+08:00

GL Highland Resort is located in Brgy. Gaas, Balamban, Cebu. Just last year, we went to Brgy. Gaas for a feeding program for Doc Adolf's 4th Death Anniversary. It has been his family's promise to do a yearly feeding in Brgy. Gaas as a tribute to his death.

We spend the night at the resort before the feeding day. We were thankful for the owner for offering us a room to stay. But most of us brought our tents, so some just stayed the night in their tent.

We went to the Barangay Hall first thing in the morning for the feeding. We go back here after lunch.

If your a nature lover person, you're gonna love it here. The air is fresh and the view is magnificent. I've been here a few times before, and I will never get tired of going back here.

Compared to their pool before, it's more attractive now specially from a distance. They have renovated and improved the place.

How to get there:

* Private Cars : Drive your way to Balamban and look for this establishment. You wouldn't miss this. It is at your left when your going to Balamban.

* V-Hire : You can board a v-hire bound for Balamban in Ayala Center Cebu terminal.

Estimated expenses:

V-hire - P100 (one way)

Entrance Fee (as of 2010)

Adult - P20

Kid (<5yo) - P10

Pool

Adult - P50

Kid (<5yo) - P30

P.S.

*** I don't know the current entrance fee of the resort because our overnight stay there was for free. I just did a little research regarding the entrance fee. Most of the articles I read are dated way back 2010.

Oslob, Cebu | Whale Shark Watching

2012-01-25T17:08:00.000+08:00

Whale Sharks have been recently reported to be roaming around in the coastline of Oslob, Cebu. Words spread quickly. It awakens the interest of the tourist, and the people of Cebu. How many of you wanted to take shark pictures?

According to Wikipedia: The whale shark inhabits all tropical and warm-temperate seas. They are known to migrate every spring to the continental shelf of the central west coast of Australia. Despite its size, the whale shark does not pose significant danger to humans. Although massive, whale sharks are docile fish and sometimes allow swimmers to catch a ride. Whale sharks are actually quite gentle and can play with divers. Divers and snorkellers can swim with this giant fish without risk.

How many of you have been writing 'Swim with Whale Sharks' on your bucket list? I for one have also written it on my bucket list. So when I learned about these gentle giants roaming the cost of Cebu, I researched information on how to get there (Mustacio was a big help. ^_^). I was excited. Finally, I don't need to go to Donsol just to have a closer look of these friendly creatures.

As we jump on our boats and our boatman starts to puddle, my excitement grew. Not to mention I was in my hangover state at that moment.

At the sight of the Whale Shark, our oarsman get us nearer. Knowing the distance you should be with the Whale Shark, we keep telling our boatman to stay a little away from it. Just as to keep the outrigger from harming them. We don't want to put more stress on this gentle creature.

When the Whale Shark stay in place, we eagerly jumped in the water to swim with them. We did our part, and keep our distance from them. It was really great. But, I didn't stay long in the water. The waves was too strong and my hangover is not helping me at all. So I went back to the boat and just observe from there. That's when I notice a few plastic bags floating around the area. A little later, I catch a whale shark about to suck one of the plastic bag. I told the boatman near it to grab the plastic, but it was too late. The whale shark already suck it. I started to worry by then. But then a second later, he managed to spit it out. Lucky for him! What will have happened if that whale shark really suck that plastic in? Can you imagine?

This is what most people missed to see underwater. Do you think this will be a great environment for our gentle friend? I don't think so.

We talked about our experiences with our friends when we get to the shore. A friend of mine happens to catch one of the boatman (the one feeding the whale shark) throwing plastic in the sea. Now I realize where all that plastic bags came from. I'm not saying this to discourage everyone from going. This is just to let you know what we observe out there. If you go there, please just do your part. Okay? ^_^

Anyway it was a great experience. And we all had a lot of fun.

I know a lot of you will be going there, if not tomorrow, I'm pretty sure soon. Just a few reminder for future watchers.
*Please! please! please keep your distance.
* DON'T TOUCH the whale sharks
* NO Flash Photography.
* Please take your time to read THIS.

How to get there:

* Buses : There are Ceres or Sunrays Bus via Oslob in South Bus Terminal located near Elizabeth Mall. It takes 2.5 - 3 hours trip going to Brgy. Tan-awan Oslob. If you don't know where to stop, just ask the bus conductor to drop you off the Tan-awan Barangay Hall.

Fares:

*Regular Buses - P149

*Airconditioned Buses - P154

* Private Cars: Just go directly bound to south of Cebu. When you know you're already in Oslob, look for a big signage with a whale shark picture in it. That will be at your left side when your facing south.

Where to stay:

Marilyn’s Resort
Contact no.: 09065869895
Room Rates: (non-air conditioned)
Standard - Php 900.00 (good for 2 persons)
Double – Php 1, 100.00 (good for 5 persons)
Family – Php 1, 600.00 (good for 8 persons)
Entrance Fee – Php 50.00
Cottage – Php 400.00 (exclusive)
Table – Php 350.00
Life Vest – Php 20.00
Snorkel – Php 100.00 (Complete Set)

Mila’s Inn
Located at Looc Oslob Cebu, 15 minutes away from Tan-awan.Room Rates: (air conditioned)
Php 1, 300 – without CR inside (additional Php 150/head for extra person)
Php 1, 600 – with CR inside (additional Php 150/head for extra person)

Masters Resort Cebu
Contact no.: 09491318973
Features:
General - Restaurant, Pet Friendly, Bar / Lounge, Air Conditioned, Refrigerator, Kitchenette, Microwave, Hair Dryer, Complimentary Toiletries, Shower, Bathtub/Shower Combination, Poolside Bar
Activities - Swimming pool, Private beach, Scuba Diving, Water Activities, Child Pool, Pool Outdoor
Services - Multilingual Staff, Laundry service, Cell phone/mobile rental
Parking – Free Parking

Room Rates:
Double - Php 1000.00 (good for 2 person – additional is Php 500.00/head)

Estimated expenses:

* P300 – Entrance Fee (inclusive boat riding)
* P100 – additional for tourists bringing video camera
* P20 – Life Vest

* P100 - Snorkel (complete set)

* Bus fares:

-Regular Buses - P149

-Airconditioned Buses - P154

Minglanilla, Cebu | Ruvi Cave Resort

2012-01-21T18:34:00.000+08:00

Ruvi Cave Resort is located in Tunkop, Minglanilla Cebu. A nice place to relax and a great place to hangout with family and friends.

Our family decided to have a get together outing last January 1. Initially we wanted to go to the beach somewhere in Lapu-lapu, but it was just too far. Some of our cousins come from Car-car, so it'll be too far for them. In the end, we just decided to have our get together in Ruvi Cave Resort.

Ruvi Cave Resort has different sizes of cottages. They also have rooms for overnight stays. If your a fella that loves to sing, they have available karaoke for you.

Although they doesn't have a beach, they have a 4ft-7ft deep pool that you can enjoy.

They have also this small slide for children, which can also be enjoyed by adults.

They have Wi-Fi available in the area. Beside this, is their canteen. But it'll be best if you buy food outside. Food outside are cheaper compared to the food they sell.

They have few shower room available for everyone. They also have their grilling area which is located beside their shower rooms.

How to get there:

Ride a KMK bus from SM City or Emall to Tungkop, Minglanilla (P30 each). When you reach the minglanilla proper, ride a tricycle (P10 each), and ask about the resort. If you own a private car, find the Mary Help Christian School in Minglanilla located on the left side of the road if your facing south. Right after the school, you will find a corner on the left. Take that route and go straight till you reach the T section, turn right. So straight till the cemented portion then you turn left. About 50 meters from a corner, you will find the entrance of Ruvi Cave Resort.

Estimated Expenses:

Fare:

Bus [Cebu-Minglanilla] = P30 (one way)

Tricycle [Minglanilla-Ruvi Cave] =P10 (one way)

Rates:

Daytime (8AM-6PM)

Adult - P100

Kids (<10y.o.) - P50

Night (6PM-12MN)

Adult - P120

Kids (<10y.o.) - P60

Cottages:

10 persons = P200

15 persons = P300

25 persons = P500
20 persons (tent) = P500
center cave - P1,000
20-30 persons (lounge w/ aircon) = P1,500

Contact:
Ruvi Cave Resort
Tungkop, Minglanilla Cebu
Tel. No. : 516-4596
Fax No. : 490-3321

Travel Tips

2012-01-19T05:00:00.000+08:00

I was blog hopping when I saw these cute travel tips from The Googly Gooeys. I thought it will be nice to share this to you.

I know a lot of you loves to travel. I hope this tips will help you in planning that trip.

Enjoy!

Sinulog 2012

2012-01-17T14:40:00.000+08:00

Sinulog has always been the most awaited Festival here in Cebu. This is held on the 3rd Sunday of January. The festival features a street parade with participants in bright coloured costumes dancing to the rhythm of drums, trumpets and native gongs.The Sinulog celebration lasts for nine days, culminating on the final day with the Sinulog Grand Parade.

Sinulog is the grandest celebration happening in Cebu. You can see street parties every corner. People all over Cebu and neighboring islands came to the City to celebrate. Some are devotees of our Sto. Niño, and some just came to party. ^_^

Next time you go here, make sure you wont miss the parade of dancers with colorful props. I was busy drinking booze that day that I almost forgot to watch these dancers.

Photos from Erwin Castillon

See what I mean? ^_^

By the way, don't forget to get your henna tattoo done. I got lucky, a friend of mine knows henna. I got this for FREE! ^_^

Anyway, anybody here knows Jay-R Siaboc? Yeah, the first runner-up winner of Pinoy Dream Academy. Never expect to see him in our friend's house eating dinner.

As for the rest of the day, PARTY!!!

Alegre Beach Resort

2011-12-26T21:43:00.001+08:00

Last month, I had the chance to spend a day in this beautiful resort. Although I wasn't a guest at that time, I was able to roam around this small paradise.

Alegre Beach Resort is located in Sogod Cebu. By road, it takes approximately 1 1/2 hours from the airport and slightly more from Cebu City. As a policy all guests are met by a resort representative at the airport and brought to the resort by car (mostly vans), a fleet partly owned by the resort. Further pick up points are major shopping malls in Cebu as well as ferry terminals. Upon check out guests are taken back. The road from Cebu to the resort leads thru various picturesque villages, past markets and old Spanish churches, all on good roads.

I was in Alegre as an Adventure Facilitator for a team building of a certain company. My control point was one of the funniest area during the mini adventure race.

Everything was already set-up when we get there. The wall and zipline was done, and ready to be used.

The resort has a beautiful white sand beach which we had the chance to enjoy after the activities. Their beach is one of the beaches in Cebu with a fine white sands.

They have a long stretched beach that has comfortable chairs which you can use for your sunbathing or just relaxing beside the shore.

While your there, you can also try scuba diving. The resort have a great spot for diving and offers gears for guest to use.

Kayaking is also available in the resort. They have few kayaks for the guest. With their long stretched beach, I'm pretty sure you have a bigger area to enjoy kayaking.

Aside from the comfortable sunbathing chairs, they also have this outdoor spa. You can have your full body massage here while enjoying the view of the ocean.

If beach is not your thing, They have this magnificent pool for you to enjoy.

As we wander around this exquisite place, I notice this cute flower arrangement. These are flowers and petals arranged beautifully over a concrete basin of water. It gives out floral scent to the whole place.

Alegre is a 4 star resort. It's been open to tourist for over 20 years (if I'm not mistaken). Most of their guest are foreigners. I'm glad I had this kind of opportunity. Sogod is one of the place in the North I wanted to experience. I never thought this trip would give me this great experience.

ALEGRE BEACH RESORT & SPA
Calumboyan, Sogod, Island of Cebu, Philippines
Postal Address: P.O. Box 1094, Cebu City Philippines
Tel. Nos. +63 (0) 32 2549800; 2549811; 2549822;
Fax: +63 (0) 32 2549833
Direct Line: +63 (0) 32 2556388
Email address: reserve@alegrebeachresort.com or guest@alegrebeachresort.com

How to Use Your Trekking Poles Properly

2011-12-20T18:20:00.000+08:00

“Trekking poles can save your knees, and optimal use can help improve your endurance, confidence, and power on the trail.”

• Adjust your poles to the optimal length for the trail’s slope—which is sometimes different for poles in each hand. If you find yourself straining to stay balanced, take the time to stop and adjust.

• Wrist straps aren’t just for keeping your pole from flying downhill if you lose your grip. They can help you avoid a whiteknuckle grip—which causes hand fatigue. If the straps are adjusted properly, they may also help support your weight and add power to your push-off.

• Going downhill, keep your poles in front of you to ease the burden of impact on your knees. Placing poles ahead of you can also provide balance and help you with foot placement when descents are rocky or loose.

• Going uphill, don’t keep your poles way in front you; you’re not trying to pull yourself uphill. Instead, place the poles only slightly ahead (and slightly to your sides), and use them to push off of the ground as you move past them.

Adventure Weekend | Rappelling at Campo 4

2011-12-15T01:54:00.000+08:00

This post is way long overdue. It’s been 3months since my last post. I know you’re wondering where I had been, during these times. Well, for those of you who are new here, I maintain quite a few blogs. I didn’t made those blogs because I feel like I’m a good writer, I don’t even consider myself as one, but because I love blogs and I just love to write. In short, I was busy updating my other blogs, and totally forgot about this one. After attending Visayas Blogging Summit last November, I realized a few things. One most important thing is the need to focus on a niche. This makes me decide to review all my blogs, and make necessary changes for great improvements. Anyway, enough of that alibis. Let’s get back to our topic, shall we? ^_^

Rappelling, as defined by Wikipedia, is the controlled descend down a rock face using a rope. However, in our case, we are rappelling down under a bridge. I’m actually sure it’s still considered as rappelling

This activity was organized by Outdoorsman’s Hub, a group of outdoor enthusiast in Facebook. Since this activity was open to all, we tag along for some weekend adventure. It was actually not my first time to go on rappelling, and definitely not my first time in Campo 4. Nevertheless, I was excited, like first time excitement. ^_^ I met new friends, and even an old schoolmate. What a small world!

I was having fun the whole time, but then, I have to leave. I promised my little sissy to bring her to Rainforest Park that day. If you’re interested enough to read about our experience there, click here. I have to warn you though. It was not that great. We're off the topic again, so let’s get back on track. ^_^

carla

Here’s a useful itinerary for those who want to plan rappelling in Campo 4.

Campo 4 Rappelling Itinerary

0700 Andoks [near Tabunok Flyover] and last minute buys [food/drinks/etc]
0730 ETD for Campo 4 [via Multicab]
0750 ETA Campo 4 Bridge
0800 Rigging and Safety Reminders
0830 Rappelling
1200 Lunch
1300 Open Activity/ Rappelling /SRT
1500 De-rig Quick Check and Equipment Count
1530 ETD for Tabunok
1550 ETA Tabunok proper; ETD for Cebu City
1630 ETA Cebu City

Estimated Expenses per Person: P150

Cebu to Tabunok, Talisay – P20 [bnf]
TAbunok to Campo 4 – P40 [bnf]
Miscellaneous [lunch, drinks, etc.]- P90

Bongon Tabuelan Cebu | Cave Exploration

2011-09-02T23:08:00.000+08:00

Barangay Bongon is one of the 12 Barangays situated in Tabuelan Cebu. It has a lot of unexplored caves in its territory. We were lucky enough to be invited to visit and survey these caves last Monday.

Kana-an Cave was the second cave we visited upon arriving in the barangay. I wasn't able to check out the 1st one coz I decided to just stay in the car and wait. Anyway, most parts of Kana-an cave were damaged by mining.

Luckily we found a specie and some stalactite housing inside the cave. By the way, that picture at the upper left corner is not a spider. Its some kind of a cave scorpion .

We were welcome by this beautiful sunset on our way to Timba-on Cave. I just can't ignore this beauty and let it pass. So I grab my cam and take a photo of it.

The Timba-on Cave was the last cave we visited on our first day of caving. It has two entrance, the 1st entrance[the 1st picture above] is seen at the side of the well-like structure [2nd picture above]. This well-like structure are also another entrance to the cave but because local people there are getting water from this opening, they decided to pass through the 1st entrance in the left. I don't know what was in there because I wasn't able to go down.

Only two people go down the cave, Charles--an American Caver and Dondon--a caver here in Cebu.

Everyone was up early the next day. I guess you could see in there faces how excited they were for that day. We're about to explore 3 caves; Mahayahay Cave, Kambangkas Cave and Santik Cave. We are divided into two teams. As for our Team, we are assigned in Kambangkas Cave. The other team were sent to Mahayahay Cave. For Santik Cave, we all decided to go there together.

Kambangkas Cave has a big entrance. Unlike other caves we visited, evidence of mining and destruction are very visible in the cave entrance. I can't seem to understand how people was able to destroy this kind of beauty.

Kambangkas Cave was another small cave, but we're fortunate enough to see some stalactite forming on the roof of the cave and stalagmites as well.

We survey the cave before going out for lunch. Getting the distance from one point to the next, as well as acquiring the degrees and inclination was just some of our duty in cave survey. They said it was a boring task but I never thought I'd enjoyed doing it. :)

We head next to Santik Cave, the last cave that we need to explore. It was the biggest among the caves we visited. Going down was a bit difficult but we manage to get inside without using ropes.

The cave didn't fail us. Although some part were destroyed, there were also lots of stalactite and stalagmites that can be found inside. There was a part of the cave that we were not able to climb, so our team leader just advice us to stay in the safe area of the cave while they continue to survey it. I can't quite describe how amazing it is to be down there.

After exploring all those caves, we were going home with a smile on our face. It was indeed a great experience, and I learned a lot. I'm hoping I can join this team next time.

Hey! You thought we'd be going home, right? nah-ah! We headed directly to Gumbang Spring after the last cave we explored. This spring is easy to find because its just located beside the road.

Everyone enjoyed the cold water from the spring. They were even playing like kids.

If your not into springs and love the river, you can just walk across the road and find the clean river. Some of my friends swim in this river before dipping themselves in the cold spring. Sinusulit talaga ang trip. :D

Like what I said. I really had a great time in this trip and I learned a lot. I'm looking forward for the next cave exploration. Hopefully they'll still invite me to join next time. Till then. Ciao!

Osmeña Peak | An Overnight Camp

2011-08-09T17:53:00.000+08:00

Osmeña Peak is known to be the highest peak in Cebu, located in Mantalungon, Dalaguete. This mountain is the most favorite peak for most climbers in Cebu. It has a great campsite and a magnificent view. Unlike any other mountains in Cebu, Osmeña Peak has a jagged edge hills which makes it unique. Weather in the area can be unpredictable at times, that is why it is best to hike or camp during summer. You can still access it anytime you want, just remember to prepare before heading out there especially during rainy season.

Well, just last month a friend of mine came back home from Australia. We went to Osmeña Peak for an overnight camp. It was July and just the beginning of rainy season. We got ourselves prepared for the heavy rain and strong winds. Fortunately, lucky for us the weather that night was great. There wasn't even one drop of rain and a warm sunrise woke us up in our comfortable sleep the next day.

HOW TO GET THERE:

You can reach Mantalungon by mini-bus. There is a Terminal for Mantalungon mini-bus in Caltex gasoline station just near carbon market and USJR. It's a 2-3 hours travel from Cebu City proper to Mantalungon, a municipality in Dalaguete which will be your jump-off point for the hike. You'll know when your already in Mantalungon when your welcome with a large banner "Welcome to Mantalungon" on the road.

Just ahead, you'll find Mantalungon's public market. From there you can start your hike up to Osmeña Peak.

Osmeña Peak [backtrack] Itinerary

DAY 2
0500 Wake-up call
0600 Sight seeing, picture2x
0700 Prepare breakfast & pack lunch; Breakfast;
0800 Start trekking back to Mantalungon

1000 ETA Mantalungon; ETD Dalaguete Proper/Cebu City

1300 ETA Cebu City

***Possible sidetrip in Obong Spring

Osmeña Peak Traverse Kawasan Itinerary

DAY 1
0700 Assembly time @ Caltex near USJR/carbon market
0800 ETD Mantalungon
1200 ETA Mantalungon, Lunch, Last minute shopping
1400 Start trekking to Osmeña Peak, Load water
1600 ETA Osmeña Peak
1700 Picture taking, pitch tent, prepare dinner
1800 Dinner, SOCIALS
1900 MAOY mode
2100 Lights off

DAY 2 TRAVERSE
0500 Wake-up call
0600 Sight seeing, picture2x
0700 Prepare breakfast & pack lunch; Breakfast; Load water
0800 Start trekking to Kawasan
1200 Lunch on trail
1400 ETA Kawasan
1700 ETD City/ SIDETRIP to MOALBOAL

DAY 3 MOALBOAL (optional)
1300 ETD cebu city
1600 Home Sweet Home ^_^

Estimated Expenses per Person: P350
Cebu to Mantalungon – P100 [one way]
Badian to Cebu City – P150 [one way]
Miscellaneous [food, drinks, etc.]- P100

It's been awhile..

2011-07-14T17:08:00.000+08:00

It's been a year since I joined the Trail Run in Bohol. It was around September when The North Face held their Thrill of the Trail in Bohol. Out of curiosity, I google it and discovered a video covering the event. I got excited and watched it. Unfortunately, I did not see myself in there. But it's okey, at least I saw few of my friends who also joined the event. Anyways, here's the video I'm talking about. Just want to share! :)

200 Squats to Stronger Leg!

2011-06-30T09:50:00.000+08:00

I'll be starting my 200 squats challenge today. I decided to stop procrastinating and just start the challenge that I've been planning since last month. I really feel the need to start something like this. Later on I'll be doing 200 sit ups after doing squats. Lets just focus on squats for now. Feel free to join the challenge with me. The more the merrier! :)

Oh! and don't forget to take the initial squat test before doing the program. This will help you decide on the correct program for you. Here's a link for the program.. http://twohundredsquats.com/week1.html

Enjoy!

Johnny Strange

2011-05-26T19:51:00.000+08:00

Have you ever heard about Johnny Strange? Well, I never heard about him before, not until last week. I read an interview article of him in OLOGY website, and from then on, I became one of his fans. I start following him on Twitter, bookmarked his website, subscribe on his YouTube channel and even like his page on Facebook. That's how much I like him and so curious about his life.

What amaze me about this guy is how young he is to have completely climbed the seven summits. How young you may ask? Oh well, he's just 17 years old by that time. So Amazing! At a young age of 19 now, he will be the youngest person to complete the Explorer Grand Slam (that is seven summits plus making it to the South and North Poles), when he wears his wing suit to fly to the North Pole.

Both of his parents were adventurers, so its not a puzzle anymore where he got his enthusiasm for mountain climbing and extreme sports came from.

Antarctica's Vinson Massif was Johnny's first climbed mountain at the age 12 and from then on his crave for Mt. Everest starts.

He's an active extreme sports person. If you don't see him climb, you can catch him doing base jumping, skydiving, downhill skating and more activities that is extreme in nature. As active as he is in his sports, Johnny is also actively supporting the Parkinson's disease research and Genocide Awareness. In fact his picture above this post, which is taken at the top of Mt. Everest, were a proof of how serous he is about spreading this awareness to the people.

Now if you want to know more about him, just visit this sites below:

Johnny Strange WEBSITE

Johnny's Twitter

Youtube Channel

Facebook Fan Page

Credits goes to OLOGY.COM for the informations.

Mt. Canlaon for the 3rd Time

2011-05-25T16:24:00.000+08:00

End of April, we went to Negros to climb the highest peak in the Visayas, Mt. Canlaon.

Mt. Canlaon is famous among climbers in the Philippines because of its amazing view. It was my 3rd time to visit this magnificent mountain. Usually I don't go back to mountains I've already visit. But this mountain has its exception. I've been to different mountains here in the Philippines. So far, the view from Mt. Canlaon is far way more different from the others. I know there are mountains giving out nice sea of clouds view, but I never been to that. So much for the introductions. Lets proceed to tale telling. :)

It was Friday morning when we all met up in Toledo to grab the first trip to San Carlos City. Luckily we get the chance to ride the first fast craft, which only travels for 45mins. Compared to Lite Shipping that travels 2 hours, I guess were lucky enough to ride the fast craft.

Upon arriving in San Carlos City, we went directly to Gaisano (Grocery Store) to have our last buy. Then proceed to San Carlos Bus terminal to catch a ride to Canlaon City, the place where the famous Mt. Canlaon is located. We had our lunch upon arriving in Canlaon City, then meet with our guide.

After talking to our guide and agree on the itinerary, we happily jump to our rented multicab that will bring us to the foot of Mt. Canlaon. Believe me, it was one hell of a ride! I can feel my spirit jumping out of my body. :)

We arrivcd in Brgy. Maput safely. Lucky for us, no accident happen during the trip. We hike towards Sudlon Falls located at the foot of the mountain.

We spend half an hour in Sudlon Fall diving in its cold water. It was like swimming in a tub full of ice. My fingers got numb because of the chilly water.

After half an hour taking a dip in that freezing water, we started to hike to our 1st Camp, the forest line. It was an easy hike, made more easier with the nice view we saw upon our back. Less than 2 hours later, we arrived in our 1st camp. We excitedly pitch our tents and prepare our dinner. Then spend the rest of the night drinking spirits. I mean not the whole night. Of course we also need to sleep. We need energy for the next day's hike.

After having our breakfast, we happily jump to our feet, grab our bags and start our hike to the next camp, Mt. Canlaon's shoulder. But of course we need to stop by in Mt. Makawiwili, the mountain peak that stands opposite to Mt. Canlaon. There you could see the entire view of Mt. Canlaon and Margaja Valley. If your not prepared for the climb, the long strenuous hike plus the cold wind that touches your skin will kill you. You'll be lucky though if you happen to climb there with good weather. But if you climb with the weather like we had, well, you'll still survive but expect it to be so cold.

As much to our dismay, we did not have the chance to see the full view of Mt. Canlaon from the Makawiwili peak. Because we had a bad weather, Mt. Canlaon was wrap with fogs and hide its beautiful view from us. We had no other choice but to continue our hike to the shoulder of Mt. Canlaon, where our 2nd camp would be.

While pitching our tents in our 2nd campsite, the view of the crater/ Mt. Canlaon cleared. I guess our prayers were answered huh! :) It was so beautiful. Unfortunately that view didn't last long. It was covered again by big fogs. It was like that until sundown.

The next day, a hot noodles with rice warms our hungry tummy. It was the best breakfast I had with the cold wind surrounding us.

It was really a cold morning. Still not much of a luck for us, a lot of fogs are scattered around us blocking our view of the crater.

With all the fogs that are covering our view, I decided to just stay at the campsite and let them climb up to the crater without me. At the back of my mind, I was thinking that it will only just be a waste of time if I go with them with no guaranteed that I can see a clear view. But unlike me, my friends were very optimistic about all of this. They still went up to the crater hoping to see its beauty. I can't blame them, it was there first time to visit the place. I guess their prayers were answered though, they really did saw a beautiful view up there.

I started packing my things while they were in the crater. When the time they got back, I'm already done packing. They happy told me how the fogs cleared when they arrived in the crater. I was happy hearing them told me all of that. I've seen better view compared to the one they saw, but you can see in their faces how happy they are seeing what they saw. I'm happy for them! :)

With the cold wind surrounding us and a limited water, it will be impossible for us to cook a real meal. So we just all decided to pack up and head down. We'll just cook our lunch on the first water source we'll reach.

A group picture before heading down.

We reached the first water source from our campsite and cooked all our remaining foods. We had our lunch after all the foods were cooked and resume our trek afterwards.

We celebrated our successful climb the second we arrived in Canlaon City Bus Terminal. We look for a store and buy a couple of beers. Really, I never been that thirsty for beer my whole life. :) We had our 'tagay' session while waiting for the bus.

We took the last bus trip to San Carlos City and stayed the whole night in our friends house and get drunk. What could possible be better way to celebrate a successful climb than drinking the whole night until we all got drunk?:)

The next day, we went ukay-ukay shopping. With a heavy hangover and a bad headache, a reward from last nights drunkenness, we manage to find some good stuffs in a very reasonable price. :)

We headed back to the house afterwards and pack our bags to go home. We stop by at Gaisano to eat sundae in Jollibee. You can't blame us, we're craving for something cold. :) After the stop in Gaisano we went to another ukay-ukay store and buy more good stuffs. Then went to San Carlos Bus Terminal to buy some pasalubong for our family. The next thing we knew, we were almost late for our boat trip to Toledo.

I was happy we had that climb. We had the chance to know each other. :) I really had so much fun, not to mention all the boopers. ^_^ Well, thanks for reading! Till next adventure!