Boss & Me

Potipot Island - Candelaria, Zambales

noreply@blogger.com (Gian) — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 01:49:00 +0000

Travelling with pets is hard for both the pet and the human most specially when taking public transportation. We wanted to celebrate our 5th year anniversary with Charlie and after 10 frustrating phone calls to all provincial bus companies along EDSA, we learned that they do not accept pets not unless they will placed in the bus' compartment area along with the luggage and packages. That includes pets in kennels and diapers. Are you kidding me? No way Jose!

So even if we knew that our trip will be long and uncomfortable, we settled to take an ordinary bus to Olongapo City and to Sta. Cruz. We were in the Victory Liner terminal in Caloocan around 10pm. We chose to travel during the night because the temperature is cooler. Good thing the bus conductor was kind enough to animals and even if I wanted to pay for Charlie's seat, he declined, smiled and said that he will just add him to the headcount and just tell incoming passengers that the seat is already paid (I love you kuya!). Charlie only slept through the night and we had the bus all to ourselves after we dropped the majority of them in Calumpit exit. The driver was even surprised that there was a dog on board because he said that he's so behaved (yeeee!). We arrived at Alta Niña Beach Resort before dawn and Charlie sprang to life when he saw the beach. This is his first beach trip and below are a lot of pictures.(sorry, I was in mommy mode the whole day and wanted to capture everything).

We just dropped our things in our room, asked the resort's caretaker to buy us fresh fish for dinner, hopped on to our boat (P500/roundtrip) and headed off to the island where we ate, slept, swam and played all day. Watching Charlie get curious with the waves was such a joy to see. Entrance fee to the island is P100/pax for the day and P300/pax for those who want to stay overnight. There are cottages you can rent (sorry didn't bother to ask for the price) and restrooms you can use and a pump to get fresh water.

Here's a short video of Charlie running and playing around:

Hasta luego!

Alta Niña Beach Resort - Candelaria, Zambales

noreply@blogger.com (Gian) — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 00:17:00 +0000

Candaleria is a town in Zambales which serves as a jump-off point to Potipot Island. One of the most known resorts here is Dawal Beach Resort and we stayed there way back 2009 and would love to again but they do not allow pets. My research led me to Alta Niña Resort which shares the same shore with Dawal. I sent an SMS to the number I found online and much to my delight, I got a fast and detailed reply from the owner Ms. Niña Mabalay. She said that pets (small breeds) are allowed as long as they don't pee/poop in the bed which I'm glad to know because we trained Charlie just like that.

We got an air-conditioned room good for 3 persons. It has a veranda with a counter and a little sink, 2 chairs and a dining table, 1 single bed and 1 double bed. The restroom has a shower (no heater though) with strong-pressured water and your basic toiletries. I can say that the room is spacious enough to fit 5 persons and not just 3 and for P1,000 a night, what more can you ask for? I made a mental reminder to bring my mom and siblings here one day(and we are going back this May!) for some much needed R&R.

Bringing your own food in this resort is a must since they do not have an in-house restaurant. You can buy supplies at the nearest market which is a few minutes away. The resort has a kitchen complete with a sink, stove, utensils and condiments for your perusal and it is absolutely free. The caretakers Kuya Neil and his wife can also cook for you (if are lazy enough to do so) for a minimal fee.

Fast and efficient service. Basic, clean and cheap accommodations. Enough said.

How to get there: Take a Victory Liner bound to Olongapo City (P161/pax) . Then hop on to another one (same terminal) bound to Sta. Cruz (P176/pax). Tell the conductor to drop you off at Alta Nina in Candelaria. They already know the place.

Overall experience: 5 out of 5 skulls

Alta Niña Beach Resort

Brgy. Sinabakan Candelaria Zambales

Niña Mabalay

Tel. No.: 9868391

Mobile #: (0918) 926 - 5373

E-mail: niniamabalay@yahoo.com

Glamour Crabs Buffet

noreply@blogger.com (Gian) — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 10:06:00 +0000

On our last day in Davao City, we indulged ourselves by eating a lot. Thus the visit to Glamour Crabs Buffet located along Padre Gomez Street which is not far from the city center. (Trivia: This is our first buffet together! We are not really buffet patrons as we feel that we don't get our money's worth hehe!) But a CRAB BUFFET? Who says no to that?!?

I heart a lot of celebrities come here whenever they are in town

They were still closed when we arrived and we waited outside under the 31-degree heat for around 15 minutes (nope, we weren't ushered inside despite the fact that there were also 4 persons waiting comfortably in their air-conditioned dining area). Anyway, here are the restaurant's interiors:

Now, the food:

Rice, Fried Chicken and supposed-to-be Crispy Shrimps

Mango and seaweed salad / kinilaw na tuna

Chopsuey, Bistek and Grilled Tuna

(you know what it is)

assorted pastries and Pinoy delicacies

fruits and fruits with milk

We expected quite a lot in this so-called crab buffet. We thought that we're gonna be able to eat fresh, steamed crabs and not crabs swimming in turmeric sauce. I actually had just one serving of crabs as the seasonings were too strong that it sates you quickly (quite a sneaky technique eh?). Don't get me wrong, I know I am not an expert when it comes to buffets like this but after thorough research, (which I regret not doing prior) there are many buffets in the city which serves numerous crab dishes as well as just the regular steamed ones. Their Crispy Shrimp was supposed to be eaten whole but they were already beyond their serving time and they were too gummy! I mean, we were the first customers to be there and the food was not even warm.

I won't nag any further because I know you'll get tired of it so I'll just leave you thinking if you want to go or not.

Tip: their fried chicken is so good that they should rename their buffet "Fried Chicken Buffet" instead.

Hasta luego!

Overall experience: 2 out of 5 skulls

Glamour Crabs Buffet

Padre Gomez St.

Davao City 8000

Tel No. (082) 222 0045

My first quarter highlights!

noreply@blogger.com (Gian) — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 03:19:00 +0000

Work and business has been taking a toll on me lately and I haven't got the chance to update you guys with a lot of what's been goin' on lately (as if you care haha!) and I know I have a lot of back logs but here's a teaser of some sort.

1. The Boss and I celebrated our 5th year anniversary last January in Potipot Island, Zambales! And we were able to bring Charlie with us!

2. Our first climb of the year was in Mt. Kalisungan in Laguna and it was also Charlie's first summit!

3. We learned to admit that we are not getting any younger and we are trying to watch out for the food we eat hence the more home-cooked meals and this was our first time to make Fresh Vietnamese Spring Rolls with Peanut - Hoisin Sauce! It was so gooood.

4. I subscribed to BDJ Box and I cannot help but shriek whenever my box arrives at home! I' ve been very happy with the loot and I so believe that I getting my money's worth!

5. Charlie's all grown up and this is his happy smile after his first summer cut. He's almost 1 year old!

I took all the photos above with my mobile phone and I cannot believe how seldom I use my camera for things like these! Portables are so in I guess! I downloaded a few apps that I normally use on the computer and the mobility is just so convenient! Having a mobile version of your site is a plus since it will only load the necessary information that someone is looking for without the need to wait for an entire website to load! The Paypal app for example lets me see all my transactions in one go without the need to worry about security! It is so simple and easy to use too. I guess more and more companies are realizing the demand for mobile apps hence the innovation as a lot of people nowadays already have more tablets and hand-held devices than before. In this day and age, one just doesn't rely on yellow pages anymore when they need something ASAP and more information are found online about a place, a company, a specific shoe brand in just a few taps and swipes. I am lucky to be a part of this generation and I can't imagine how I survived high school life having spent a lot of hours looking for some unfamiliar word in a 5-inch dictionary!

So yeah, that's how my 2013 is so far! I promise more travel posts soon as I am also cringing with the workload that I need to finish!

Hasta luego!

The Royale House Travel Inn and Suites - Davao City

noreply@blogger.com (Gian) — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 00:23:00 +0000

My mom's smile lasted for more than a couple of minutes as soon as she knew that the Boss and I are going to Davao. It was her second home after having spent her latter part of college and internship there. Instantly, she told me about the city and made a list of places we need to see, where to buy Marang (a local fruit), look for her former landlady and her former professor at University of Mindanao. She used to live along C.M.Recto St which is also known as the oldest street in Davao.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to do anything. (I love you mama!)

During the itinerary planning, I chanced upon The Royale House which is along C.M Recto St. online and not to say the least but they have very cheap rates for air-conditioned rooms right in the heart of the city. We included it in the list of pension houses to check once we arrive back in the city from Kidapawan. We didn't make any reservations in advance as we weren't sure if we will need to stay long in the mountain so we just called the day itself and I thanked the gods of travel and cheap accommodations because a room was available just for the night we need!

reception/lobby

After having spent 3 nights in sleeping bags, we were longing for a soft, comfortable and private place to sleep. We booked the Economy room for just P800/night which includes:

double bed
air conditioning
cable tv
hot and cold shower with basic toiletries
mini closet
complimentary breakfast (which we didn't get to avail since our flight was super early, but that's okay!)

Who are we to complain!? After spending 3 nights in a tent and sleeping bags, this is what we call luxury girl! *snaps fingers*

Check-in was a breeze and they only required an I.D. and the receptionists also helped us with directions to the Crab House (post soon!) where we had a very sumptuous lunch. Sad to say that their WiFi only works on the lobby and their restaurant but it was fast enough for me to browse for some India travel tips while waiting for our room to be ready. If you are interested with the ones that I found, you can visit here. We had a quiet and restful sleep albeit short but still re-energized our bodies for a day's worth of walking. I won't blabber much and just let the pictures do the talking.

view from the door

Hasta luego!

The Royale House

C.M. Recto Street, Davao City 8000, Philippines
Tel: (082) 227 3630 Fax: (082) 221 8106
Smart: 0999 888 3630; Globe: 0917 700 3630; Sun: 0922 806 3630
E-mail: theroyalehouse@gmail.com

http://theroyalehouse.com/

Isla Reta, Samal Island - Davao City

noreply@blogger.com (Gian) — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 02:32:00 +0000

The day after our Mt. Apo climb, we went back to Davao City, bought supplies in Gaisano Mall and hopped cab to Sta. Ana Wharf where we took a ferry to Isla Reta (woah, that's a mouthful!). We decided to make it a part of our itinerary while in Davao after our climb since we'll be there after all and we've been itching to go to the beach for a while now since our last was in Bohol way back March 2012.

Isla Reta is a peaceful, lush and simple resort in Talikud Island which is a part of Samal Island. There are boats that charter passengers from Sta Ana Wharf to Samal Island then to Talikud Island (P60/pax) but you can also opt to ride a ferry straight to Isla Reta but you got to make sure to catch it. Will post the schedules below.

We rode a big ferry that can transport 100 persons. While waiting to depart, vendors flocked the boat selling different snacks and chips. We tried their pineapple with vinegar which surprisingly turned out to be an instant favorite! I forgot to ask what kind of vinegar they use since it is not your usual local one. 1 hour and a few chapters of John Green's Paper Towns after, we finally arrived at the port of Talikud. We opted to walk to the resort since it was just a few minutes away.

main office/reception/canteen/sarisari store/charging station

cottages range from small to really huge ones

camping grounds

cooking water source

common rest/shower rooms

We proceeded to the reception area to pay our entrance (P150/pax/overnight) and camping fee (P100/tent), pitched our tents and cooked dinner. Service was fast, no fuss and honest. I left my phone charging in their canteen and one of the staff personally delivered it to our camping spot (sharp memory!).

our tent (please excuse our filthy clothes and shoes hehe)

dinner

Since we were too tired from traveling from Kidapawan City to Davao to Isla Reta, we just snoozed right after dinner. We woke up the next day to prepare to depart at 8am because we decided to just spend our last day walking around the city and to try some crabs (post coming soon!). Our body was still recovering from the climb and travel and the beach didn't entice us that much that we didn't even take a dip in the very inviting waters. Here are more pictures:

if you are not the tent/cottage type of person, you can rent this room for P800/night

rates, fees and boat schedules

Generally, Isla Reta is a nice place to have some R&R. It is considerably quiet since most tourists flock famous resorts in Samal Island. I can compare the sand to be like the one in Bolinao, Pangasinan. The resort also has sinks where you can prepare your food and separate sinks you can use to clean the dishes. The common rest/shower room is just fine albeit a little dirty because of the case of the missing cleaning staff. Service is really nice (nice enough to mention it twice in this post!). Every morning, the security goes for a round to check their guests and compare it to their list and everyone is courteous and polite. If you want to go to Isla Reta, allot a at least 2 days to fully enjoy it.

Will I go back? Oh yeah! *raises a hand and does the rock on sign*

Isla Reta

TALICUD, 8000 Samal, Davao, Philippines

FB: http://www.facebook.com/pages/ISLA-RETA/250184905021314

Lake Agko Mountain Resort - Kidapawan City

noreply@blogger.com (Gian) — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 02:40:00 +0000

Lake Agko is the nearest jump-off point in climbing Mt. Apo via the Kidapawan Trail. Here, you can rest, prepare your food and take a dip in their hot spring pool with a beer in hand. Since we wanted to start our trek as early as possible, we decided to spend the night here since it is just a 10-minute walk down the Kidapawan Trail.

Looking around online for this resort proved to be the most stressful part while I was making our Davao itinerary. There are not so much information about it or contact persons that you can call or talk to to inquire. I tried all the numbers I saw in the photos from only God-knows-when-it existed to no avail. Upon calling the Tourism Office in Kidapawan, they told me that we can just go there anytime since it was open daily. No need to book in advance but expect that the rooms are always full. We brought tents so no need for that.

resort entrance

How to get there:

Take a tricycle from Kidapawan Municipal Hall and ask the driver to bring you to the habal habal terminal. No need to worry about it since your guides/porters know how to get there. Then take a habal habal to Lake Agko for P250/one way/ 2persons + bags.

natural hot spring pool

We paid P35/person for the entrance fee, logged our names and talked to one of the personnel. We chose the open cottage for P250/night which can comfortably house 5-10 people. It includes a big table, 2 electric outlets and a light. It also has quite a number of pools where you can dip in but they are famous for their natural hot spring pool and their mud pool (which I didn't see, too tired to walk around). The resort is also famous for seminars and field trips. On the night of our descend, there were a lot of high school kids wallowing in the pool at 7 in the evening. It was 17 degrees. Tough eh?

Employees from the nearby geothermal plant also have their meals here. There is a canteen with ala carte meals and you can also choose frozen meats from this store and have it cooked your way.

Overall, service is nice, fast and simple. But their restrooms needs a serious overhaul and maintenance. Since they use spring water, everything overflows and faucets are not functioning anymore. I had to ask the Boss to bring me my clothes after 15 minutes because there were no hooks or even nails where you can hang them inside the shower rooms. In spite of all of that, it is still the very best place to stay and rest before an arduous climb. :)

Itinerary for 2: Mt. Apo via Kidapawan - Kidapawan

noreply@blogger.com (Gian) — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 02:47:00 +0000

This is not a suggested itinerary but merely a guide for you to have an idea of what to expect and how much money you need to prepare if you want to climb Mt. Apo and DIY it (do-it-yourself) instead of joining group/packaged tours.

Before the climb:

Secure a medical certificate.
Fill out the application form. You can download it here. It is best if you already have it upon reaching the Kidapawan Tourism Center.
Contact Ms. Gillian Rey at 0999-995-7891 (Tourism Center officer) and let her know your climb dates and other details.
Train. Jog. Hydrate. Prepare your gear accordingly.

Arrival at Davao City:

Take a taxi from the airport to Gaisano Mall (roughly 20-30 minutes away).
The vans bound to Kidapawan are just across the mall. Fare is P150/person. Travel time is around 2-3 hours. You can also take a bus from Ecoland Bus Station near SM City.
Tell the driver to drop you off at the Kidapawan Tourism Center. Submit your requirements, pay the climb permit P500/person.
The Tourism Center will assign a guide for you for P800/day and if you want to hire a porter, it is P300/day. 1 guide is to 6 persons exclusive of food.
Our guide made a list of the supplies that we needed to buy. They lent us their butane tanks and we just paid for a refill instead of buying new ones. The market is just across the Tourism Center and our guide went ahead to buy everything while we were undergoing the orientation.
We wanted to start early for our climb the next day so we went to Lake Agko and spent the night there. It is just a 10 - minute walk to the jump off. To go there, take a habal habal (45 minutes), good for 2 persons + bags for P250/one way. Of course, your guide and porter will come along with you at the same time so you need to pay for their transportation as well.

Entrance fee for overnighters is P35/person. Your guides are free of charge. We rented a cottage for P250/night and just pitched our tents instead of renting a room for P600/night. No need to worry about your guides as they are flexible enough to sleep anywhere.
Our guides prepared, pre-cooked and packed our food for the next morning.
If you have things that you won't need during the climb, you can leave them at the guard house and just tip the guard and tell him that you will check in again when you descend. Make sure your bags have padlocks.

Post climb:

We only spent a night in Lake Venado and descended on the same day of our summit assault. We arrived before dusk at Lake Agko where we spent the night again. The next morning, we took a habal habal and asked the driver to drop us off at Overland Bus Terminal where we took a van back to Davao City. We weren't able to get our climb certificates and just gave money to our guide to have them shipped to Manila.

Personal notes:

If you plan to do a 2d/1night climb, arriving early at Davao City is a must since you need to allot some travel time to Kidapawan and to Lake Agko. In our case, we arrived in Davao City at 6 in the morning and were already in Kidapawan by 10AM and arrived in Lake Agko at 4:30PM. It can be taxing but it is better if you can rest well before the day of the climb.
Food in Davao is dirt cheap. 3 viands, 2 cups of rice and 2 bananas for just P89. What say you?
Bring your own cook set and stove. I'm not sure if all of the guides have their own stoves but 2 is better than 1 to prepare the food faster and you at least have a back up in case one fails.
Lake Agko has sari-sari stores outside and a store inside where you can buy supplies as well but expect that it is double the price. They also have frozen meats you can buy and have them cook the way you want it. We had Tinolang Manok on our last night and paid P255 with 3 cups of rice enough to fill the 4 of us.
Restrooms in Lake Agko are not well maintained and water comes from a natural source so prepare to shiver when taking a shower. (it deserves a separate post)
Make sure to try the grilled banana-q in Lake Agko. Souvenirs like mugs, key chains, t-shirts etc are also available.
Since you are already in Davao, allot a few more days to go around the city or take a side trip to Samal Island.

Here is our summarized itinerary and expenses:

I hope this helps you plan your climb and if you have any other questions, feel free to comment below. :)

Hasta luego!

Mt. Apo via Kidapawan - Kidapawan | Kidapawan City, Cotabato

noreply@blogger.com (Gian) — Sat, 12 Jan 2013 04:03:00 +0000

Disclaimer: This is a personal (and emotional) post.

Mt. Apo for 2? Oh yessurr!

Last November 29, we finally made it to the summit of the highest mountain in the Philippines! (slow clap) read my notes below which I wrote real time from November 27 to 29 which includes our arrival in Davao, the day of the climb and the day of the summit assault.

November 27,2012
6:45PM

Lake Agco Resort

Our day started very early that the check-in counters at the NAIA 3 were still closed when we arrived. I am never late and my friends know that. When you say be there 2 hrs before the departure time, I am there 2 hours and 30 minutes before the departure time and now, I regret it. I have such huge respect for time but NAIA 3 doesn't deserve it.

Anyway, we finally arrived at the Kidapawan Tourism Center at around 10 in the morning. The very accommodating staff welcomed us and I was surprised to see Romy Garduce's guide when he went to Mt. Apo for a day hike and asked for a photo. He also introduced us to our guide Amboy Torres (a member ofthe city's rescue team, jackpot diba?!) Like a routine, they asked us what we're gonna pack to eat on our climb. We said we'll settle for canned good which he politely disagreed and said: "Wag ganun, aakyat kayo eh, kailangan masarap!" (Don't settle for that, you'll be climbing and you deserve good food!) I wanted to cry. <3

Neil Sumalinog, Romy Garduce's guide when he did a day hike at Mt. Apo

In an instant, he was already scribbling down the list of all the essentials that we need and surprisingly, by rule, our guide and porter are gonna be in charge of cooking and preparing all that we need! (jackpot nanaman!) So don't bargain when they ask you to pay P800/day for the guide and P300/day for the porter because man, I am telling you - our guide and porter's service is like tee el ciii from your momma! Good food, hot coffee whenever/wherever you need it and a good laugh when you need motivation!

So after lunch, we went on our way to Lake Agco Resort which is a hot spring resort at the foot of Mt. Apo. We took a habal habal (P250/2pax) and travelled for around 45 minutes. Of course, you will need to pay for your guide and porter's habal habal as well. We opted to just rent a cottage with long benches for P250 per night. It includes a big table, light and an outlet where you can charge your gadgets. I will make a separate post about Lake Agco for reference.

our very strong porter, Kuya Don

habal habal boys

cottages at Lake Agco

The minute we settled in, our guide and porter prepared our food, made coffee and pre-cooked our meals for tomorrow's climb. I was just sitting there, offering them some bread and chips while bombarding them with questions ala Kris Aquino.

I tried to sleep early since we had a long day tomorrow but the benches were too narrow for me. Our guide insisted to pitch the tent since he can see me getting very uncomfortable and here I am right now, curled up in my sleeping bag while the boys chug a bottle of Tanduay. It is just 7PM and the temperature dropped to 20 degrees. My hands and feet are still numb from the icy cold shower earlier and with this, I bid goodnight.

November 27,2012
11:52PM

Lake Agco

Ouch!!! Someone accidentally bumped my ass. Our tent is pitched outside the cottage since a big table is occupying the space. Our new fly sheet really made a big difference. Props to Tita Gina for the help. Temp check 19.6 degrees. I shall sleep again.

November 28,2012
7:30PM

Lake Venado

I woke up this morning at 3:48AM to find our guide preparing breakfast. I am shaking inside and sneezing a little and I actually feel tired. I am not used to this weather. Its a good thing that we arrived early to acclimatize our body. The temperature change is erratic that it changed from 18.4 to 17.9 in 15 minutes.

Marble River

Matiao Camp

After breakfast, we walked for 10 minutes and reached the jump off point. It was 5 in the morning when we started our ascend and we passed by small hot springs where you can literally cook an egg. We then reached the bridge to cross Marble River. We crossed the river 6 times and our guide and porter acted as human posts for support. The trail up to Matiao Camp are adorned with a lot of flowers they call Everyday Blossoms and vegetable patches. It took us an hour and a half to reach the 1st camp where we rested for a bit.

We continued our trek after 20 minutes and this is where it got tough. The trail was steep with tree roots resembling Tarak Ridge. Everything was mossy and wet hence the slippery trail. After 2 hours of scrambling and hoisting, my knees felt weak and I was already out of energy. I asked the boys if we can eat again since I can't walk anymore. My knee hurts as I tripped once and boy, it did hurt more as the temperature continued to drop. I recorded 17.9 degrees at 8:16AM. Since it was a weekday, we had the trail to ourselves and just ate in the middle of the trail. It was the best cold rice and oily adobo I had.

The trail became steeper as we approached Koong Camp. The rocks made it harder for my shoes to manage and I tripped a lot. Our guide was very strong despite his small physique and he hoisted me up quite a number of times. Haha! I was very spoiled! The Kidapawan trail is indeed very steep and I'm glad that we stop quite frequently to catch our breath. The lower part of my body is already sore and I knew I am close to giving up.

It was fourty-four minutes after nine in the morning when we reached Koong Camp. Area is vast and blemished by a lot of litter. There were heaps of water bottles which is disappointing to see. Our guide said that they regularly do clean up drives but it was not enough as a lot of climbers from other trails who don't go through the proper orientation leave their trash here. We continued our ascend after refilling our water bottles. Water sources are available all through out the trail and it tastes really great.

We encountered small ladders which I am thankful for. It made it easier than to carry my overweight body up on the slippery trail. Our porter took the hard route though, even with 60 liters of baggage, a smile was still glued on his face whenever I look at him. There was a part where I went on all fours. I was really crawling my way up as my knees felt like stone and my legs were already numb. I can't understand how I weaken so easily just after 2 hours of climbing and eating my chocolate and nuts. My energy was at its lowest and I wished I trained more. We had lunch in the middle of the trail again. It was 11:45AM, 2080 MASL and it was 16.3 degrees.

The 87 - 90 trail followed. They are called that way because of their inclines and it is known that a lot of climbers swear by how hard it is.But thank heavens that were was a landslide not long ago and the trail now has 2 ladders beside each other mwahahaha! Our guide's motivation really provoked me more as he said that we are nearing Lake Venado. And surely it is, after an hour a muddy trail and a few more bruises, we reached Lake Venado at exactly 1 in the afternoon. It was a joy to see the unobstructed sky again. I sat for quite a while and changed into sandals again since we'll be walking by a swampy lake. The summit was still 3 hours away and we opted to camp here since it was very foggy up there and our guide said that we might not be able to endure the temperature.

our camp

Kuya Don and Kuya Amboy

from my phone

Right now, it is 7:35 in the evening. We are here inside the tent with only the sounds of constant snoring breaking the deafening silence of the night. I am exhausted and words cannot describe how much but I need to write down everything because for sure, I will get too lazy to do this tomorrow. It is quite warm here as our very thoughtful guides made a manger out of dried cogon grass which served as the base of our tent. It is very comfortable despite the 11 degree temperature. We need to wake up at 3AM tomorrow for our summit assault and I hope we make it in time for sunrise. Besos.

November 29,2012
9:36PM

Lake Agco

Our trek started at 4:25AM. The trail changed from a rocky and muddy combo to thorny grasses to knee high rocks and the forest - like area with small trees where we had breakfast. Our guide packed our food and brought our cookstove for coffee. I cannot elaborate enough how thankful I am to our guide (sorry, I'm too emotional) but I'm sure I won't be able to do it without him. He's too patient enough when I call for breaks. During the assault, we were stopping constantly every 3 minutes. The altitude combined with the temperature and the furious wind took a toll on me. I can't feel my legs. I was gasping for air. My sore legs from yesterday's climb made everything hard. The cold pierced through my bones. My spirit was weak and I wanted to just give up. I never felt so tired in my life. I wanted to cry and I kept asking myself : "Why am I here?" At the back of my mind, I wait for the answer while humming to Avril Lavigne's Keep Holding On. And until now, I still don't know the answer to that question. Haha!

Constantly, the Boss took my hand and tugged me upwards. I know he was tired like me but he kept on holding my hand and led me upwards (thank you my love!). We had zero visibility. Everything was foggy and that dampened my spirit more because we won't see anything up there. Don't get me wrong, we don't want to go to the summit just because we wanted to see the view okay? Haha! I won't explain further, you know what I mean. :)

almost there

When our guide said that we are just 20 minutes away, I felt a surge of energy. Imagine Popeye. Yes, like that.I found myself going up even if our guide wanted us to have a coffee break when we passed the high grasses. Then finally at 7:45AM, we were finally on top of the highest mountain of the Philippines. We ducked for shelter in the bushes as the wind became stronger and decided to wait there for a clearing. We just rested and didn't even think of taking pictures because we were concerned for safety. After what felt like eternity, the clearing we waited for still didn't come. We were soaking wet at 10,311 feet and it was not a good sign. The Boss was quietly shaking beside me and we all decided to go down. We just took short clips and some snapshots and descended to the nearby flat area with high grasses.

last push to the summit

only summit shot

our guide making coffee

shelter

our guide, Amboy Torres

only clearing we got while descending back to Lake Venado

The feeling was surreal as I sipped my tepid coffee. A dream climb planned year ago finally came true. And still up to this moment, I don't know why I am doing this, all I know is I am happy.

Goodnight, I know you're all tired from my blabbering.

PS: I will post a separate entry for the travel guide for your perusal!

Here's a short video:

Hasta luego!

Mt. Cristobal with AKAC - Dolores, Quezon

noreply@blogger.com (Gian) — Sat, 24 Nov 2012 02:12:00 +0000

Mt. Cristobal hiding behind the clouds

It's been a month since our Mt. Daguldol climb with AKAC and everyone in the group is already impetuous come November. Initially, we planned for an overnight climb but due to schedule conflicts, we just settled for a dayhike in Mt. Cristobal in Quezon via the Dolores trail. If you've been reading our previous posts about climbing with AKAC, you should know by now how fun and crazy is to be with them. Even with different age gaps, everyone gets along because the more "adults" are way more crazier than us the "young" ones. Haha!

Moving on, we took a bus bound to Lucena which dropped us off at San Pablo. Since other members are coming from the South, we just agreed to meet in Jollibee San Pablo (accross the church) where we had breakfast. We were complete at around 7AM and walked a few blocks down to San Pablo City Mall where the jeepney terminal is. We decided to charter a jeep to be sure that transportation will no longer be a problem on our way back. Tita Gina haggled with the driver and settled at P1,100 for 7 persons for a round trip ride.

Montelibano's House

We continued our ascend at 9:20AM and was faced with a vast forest-like trail. Trees hovered above making a panoramic view impossible. Tree roots are also spread all throughout to help you pull yourself up as well. The trail is pretty much straight forward but with non - stop assaults. The dense forest made the temperature very refreshing too which enticed more breaks to catch our breath and savor the cool breeze. Mt. Cristobal is by far, the cleanest mountain I've ever been. It was not as littered as Mt. Maculot and Mt. Batulao. The serenity of the area didn't scare us. Others say there are some unknown elements here hence calling it the Devil's Mountain.

At around 989MASL, we saw moss-covered trees and the temperature dropped to 24 °Celsius. It was so relaxing that you would just want to lie down and sleep in one of the many rocks along the way. We came across a fallen tree which actually covered the supposed trail. A make shift trail confused us and we ended going up and down just to see that we just went around instead of going straight. Then we held on to tree roots and stepped on rocks to make our way to the other end not looking at the little ravine beyond our feet. My adrenaline was pumping at that time and I went ahead to assist Tita Weng. Careful and slow movements are a must in this part. Our moods changed to serious (except Tita Gina of course, love you tita haha!) when we realized we are over our target time and we had no clear sight of the summit. We had our lunch at the trail and decided that if we do not reach the summit within the next hour or so, we will abort and go back to avoid descending in the dark.

Highest point of our climb - 1360MASL

It was a welcoming sight to see a trail going down to the crater. The land is flat, moist and the land is so soft. When it rains, water accumulates here making it like a small lake. Tents can be pitched here and I'm sure it gets cold at night as the temperature plunged into 23.7 °Celsius and that was just at 2:15PM. The summit is another 30 - minute assault from there. We saw the trail going up and we were heart-broken to realize that it was near yet so far as we considered the time we needed to go down. So we just took some pictures, refueled our bodies and started our descend. We divided our group into two so the first ones to reach the jump off can look for a place to wash up. The chances of reaching the jump off with the sun out are too slim. The way down was strenuous as we felt like chimpanzees hanging on to tree roots to support ourselves. We bumped into a lot of overnight campers on their way up. One said that their group was composed of 30 members. We met a lot of more people on our way down making me silently thank my group that we didn't stay for the night as I'm sure it will be a very crowded camp.

True enough, it was already dark (6:15PM) when we reached Brgy Sta Lucia. Our jeepney driver was already waiting for us in his friend’s house along the road offered also their house for wash up. They were so accommodating that they even granted heating up water for all of us for an extra fee. Like any of our previous climbs, we ended our trip with a sumptuous dinner in San Pablo city where our driver gladly obliged to take us. Food was not great but everyone was just hungry and tired to complain.

I'll just end this post with this famous quote by Edward Whymper:

"It's a round trip. Getting to the summit is optional, getting down is mandatory."

Video summary:

Mt. Arayat - Arayat, Pampanga

noreply@blogger.com (The Boss) — Sat, 17 Nov 2012 03:24:00 +0000

I’ve been itching to climb this mountain situated at the heart of Central Luzon for a long time. It was Gian's first mountain which she climbed when she was in her senior year and based from her experience, it was a tough one. We chose the Magalang trail because of the positive reviews from blogs regarding security, to avoid overpriced transportation and easier trail.

We took a Five Star bus bound for Mariveles, Bataan and alighted at SM San Fernando at 5AM. According to some blogs, transportation is already available at that time hence our early arrival. Much to our dismay of avoiding hefty transportation fees, trike drivers offered to bring us to Magalang for P400 which is really expensive for just 2 persons. They added that there are no jeepneys bound to Magalang until 8AM and at least 4 different drivers attempted to fool us. We just walked accross the road to avoid them because Gian's patience is just beyond the brink. Fortunately enough, a local we asked was helpful enough to say that there was an alternative option to get to Magalang. Take a jeepney to Arayat, get off the intersection and then take another to Angeles and just get off at Magalang town. Problem solved. We just spent P104 (2 persons) for transportation. We felt victorious.

We were blessed with a good weather that day. The sun was shining in the horizon giving Mt. Arayat a nice silhouette against the vast rice farms and green lands. We reached the town of Magalang at 6:24AM and took a tricycle to Ayala. Sad to say that overpricing schemes from trike drivers in this town seems common too. We ended up bargaining for a 60-peso ride to Brgy. Ayala where we need to register. The trike driver even offered to bring us to the jump off point for an extra hundred pesos which we completely rejected since we were fairly early anyway. Registration is free and the baranggay councilor also gave us tips on how to not get lost and to just stay on the trail because a group of students went missing and was found the next day a week prior to our climb.

Our trek started at 7AM and I noticed a lot runners and cyclists and tourists alike. Turns out that there was an ongoing construction of the Station of the Cross for pilgrims. 30 minutes into our walk, we passed by one of the sari sari stores and had cup noodles for breakfast. The owner also shared stories about Mt. Arayat, how their town is divided into different sources of income like cattle, crops and farming. He was disappointed to learn about our experience with the trike drivers and said that we just need to say where we're going, act like locals and pay the amount. No haggling needed. It was really handy on our way back later that day.

We reached the end of the cemented road at 7:44AM and continued our trek. The 14 stations are almost done and trail markers with some quotes are visible throughout. We did not hire a guide at all thinking and believing that the trail is "defined". We reached a nipa hut after 2 hours. After a long break, we continued following the electrical posts and little did we know that we are already on the wrong trail. There are two trails: one going down to the right of the green marker and one going straight. We took the latter because it was more defined and the view was clearer. Only to find out that the reason it was clear was because they chopped trees to mount electrical posts that will supply electricity to the cellular tower at the summit. We realized that we were in the wrong trail after 2 hours of non stop assaults and we were not seeing the marks that we were expecting to see. We pinned our hopes to the altimeter in Gian's watch which informed us how much more altitude we need to cover. We ended up taking our lunch along the trail because it was almost noon. While taking our lunch, barefooted local passed by. We initially thought that he was something else (like a engkanto or what not - Gian). He was just wearing a white t-shirt and jeans. No bags, drinking water or anything to shield himself from the heat which was very odd.

After lunch, we continued our ascent and decided that if we don't reach the summit by 1PM, we'll have to cancel and head back down. But within then next hour, we saw the cell tower which marks the summit and finally crossed paths with the right trail marked by a rope. The trail we took looked like a battlefield. It was rocky with chopped trees, sprouting tree roots and lots of electrical wires littered everywhere. It was a very disappointing scene knowing that they just relentessly do that for civilization purposes.

can imagine how big and old this tree is?

took a seat here

25 minutes after twelve, we finally arrived at the summit. 10 military officials live there in a solar-powered bunk. They guard the tower from unwanted visitors. Gian gave up in asking them some questions because they were not that much friendly. They seem too serious and one was even toying his armalite in front of us. We just enjoyed the view of the other side of Mt. Arayat (south peak) overlooking the Pampanga River and picture taking soon followed. The 32 degree heat did not allow us to stay long so we just rested on a bench under a tree, drank some water and stared our descend. We took the right trail this time and it was very relieving to see that the trail is forested and it gave us proper shade from the sun. The steeper parts of the trail have ropes which was a big help for us specially Gian who started to feel some pain on her knees. She tripped thrice but thankfully she didn't sustain any injuries. We reached the White Rock at around 2:30. Vandalism and trash decorated the area. We decided not to stay for long and finally arrived at the jump off at 4 in the afternoon.


Hammerhead Worm (land planarian)

There are no houses in the area which offers showers for a fee. But there are neighboring resorts where you can take a relaxing dip. We chose Santiago Resort which si just beside the baranggay hall for 50/person. Their pools are not operational though because they are closed for the moment but they still welcome climbers in need of a shower. Overall, it was a nice but arduorous climb. This mountain tested our composure under pressure, determination and trust with each other. It was definitely a good training for our upcoming dream climb that is soon to become a reality. So stay tuned.

Video summary:

A Dog named Charlie

noreply@blogger.com (Gian) — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 05:28:00 +0000

Hey guys! Been awhile eh? Things have been busy with the business, work and school. YES SCHOOL! I am finally back after 3 months of waiting for enough students to fill a class! And sadly, I am so intimidated by my classmates because they can all converse fluently! (sulks). So Erick and me are on Level 9 now at Instituto Cervantes de Manila. Time flies by so fast! Can you imagine!? Been a year since I blogged about my very first level and how fun it is to learn Spanish while making a fool out of yourselves haha! I have some classmates who are also learning French and German at the same time (bows) and I wish I had more time to do it too! So in the future I can put up my very own translation company and make more moolah. One of my professors is a translator in the Spanish Embassy and would you believe how much he gets paid? Well, do your research.

Anyway, last October 16, I received the biggest surprise the Boss has ever given me. And to put a cherry on top, there was no special occasion. It was just a regular sunny-I'm-gonna-eat-chicharon-while-watching-Tv-kind of day. He gave me a dog. And a Jack Russel Terrier it was. The only breed that I wanted!

Charlie | DOB: Aug 5 ,2012

Imagine my surprise. I was unproductive for a whole week! I didn't wanna go to work and school and I felt really home sick when I'm not home. Being the impulsive buyer that I am, I splurged the next day in 2 different pet shops and got him a collar with a bell (which he hates wearing, duh), a nail clipper, a toothbrush (a toothbrush!!!) lots of treats and his bath soap. I even emptied our toiletries container and transferred them to a smaller one so just he can have his own kikay kit.

morning kisses

He changed our daily lives, literally. We never wanted to be away from him and admit to be spoiling him a lot. During weekends, I wake up in the wee hours of the night to find myself alone in bed only to hear the Boss and him playing downstairs. At 2 freaking AM! Hahahaha! Here are more pictures:

first bone

looking at the door and waiting for daddy

went out of the shower to find him nibbling my jammies

doing what he does best after playing


"I missed you mom!" (been away for 2 days)

He just turned 3 months last Nov 6 and he just had his anti - rabies vaccine. He is just goofy and hyper at all times (like me!) and he loves to chew on everything. We already replaced our telephone cable because he gnawed on it like candy! Going home everyday is always looked forward to and nothing really beats the joy of seeing him wag his tail as you open your door. Thinking of him a few years from now, I want him in our entourage as well haha! Been looking at black tie bridesmaid dresses from WeddingtonWay and I'm sure I'll be able to find him the perfect tux online too! Yay!

I shall update you soon with our Mt. Arayat climb, Charlie took all my time as you can see!

Hasta luego!

Your Dream Wedding for Free at The Bellevue Manila!

noreply@blogger.com (Gian) — Sat, 27 Oct 2012 03:22:00 +0000

Remember that magical moment when he got down on one knee and popped that life-changing question? Go ahead and look for the photo of that turning point in your life as The Bellevue Manila, Southern Metro’s five-star destination for plush events and top-notch accommodations, invites engaged couples set to get married until June 2013 to join The Bellevue Wedding of the Year photo contest.

To join, just send a photo taken during your recent wedding proposal to digitalmarketing@thebellevue.com and get a chance to win a wedding reception package worth P200,000 good for 100 guests from The Bellevue Manila. Package includes a chauffeured bridal car, intricately-designed four-layer fondant cake, a bottle of champagne for the couple’s toast, mobile lights or string quartet, one round of iced tea, guest book and pen, two-night stay in a well-appointed bridal suite with buffet breakfast for two, table cards for set/lauriat menu or buffet tags for buffet menu, floral arrangements for each table, centerpieces for the buffet menu, cake table décor and decorated cage with dove, backdrop arrangement, flowers for bridal car, bottles for wine toasting, place cards for the presidential table, special gift for the couple, GC for one hour shiatsu or Swedish massage for the couple and GC for buffet lunch or dinner for two at Café d’ Asie that serves a plethora of scrumptious dishes.

For the complete mechanics, you can click here.

Mt. Daguldol - IT & Expenses

noreply@blogger.com (Gian) — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 02:18:00 +0000

Mt. Daguldol - Laiya, Batangas

noreply@blogger.com (Gian) — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 21:51:00 +0000

For the past 4 years, I celebrated my birthdays by going to the beach. I remember our first time in Puerto Princesa, Palawan last 2008, having a special bibingka in lieue of a cake in Bacolod last 2009, my first ever birthday surprise in Bohol last 2010 and our most awaited Calaguas Island last year.

This year, I celebrated my birthday in Baguio (posts to follow) and in one of the most beautiful mountains I've ever been - Mt. Daguldol. Technically, we were still on a beach because we camped there but I didn't get to enjoy its clear waters. The timing was perfect because I finally got to meet the rest of the members of Abot Kamay Adventure Club (AKAC) and was quite surprised that we hit it right then and there.

restrooms with unlimited water

For groups with private vehicles, head to San Juan town proper then to Brgy. Hugom and go to HEGA station where you need to register and hire mandatory guides. We took a San Juan - bound bus (Alps Liner) from EDSA-Cubao (fronting Nepa Q-Mart) and then a jeepney to Hugom which is the last stop from San Juan town proper. We registered (P35/person) where the jeep parked (almost all jeepney drivers are familiar with the registration place). After buying last minute supplies, we walked along the beach coast to our camp which is one of the nearest resorts near the jump off (can't remember the name but it just beside Naambon resort).

The camp had electricity, restrooms and unlimited water supply (not suitable for drinking even the locals say so) for just P100/overnight/person. We pitched our tents and had Binagoongan for dinner courtesy of AJ and Tito Art. A couple of bottles of hard liquor followed suit as the evening sky was filled with our roaring laughter.

my improvised cake - Fudgee bars and a lighter to blow on :p

We woke up early the next morning, had a quick breakfast and began our day. Tita Gina booked our guide, Mang Domeng for P350 who was a few minutes late (sorry, time Nazi here.)

We passed by a little community called Sitio Catmon where the actual ascend begins. Official time was 6:15am. Everyone was surprised to see steep trails after steep trails at the first 30 minutes of the climb. The trail was well defined and there is no way you can get lost. The first pit stop was marked by the a hut beside a huge rock where we rested and re-fueled our bodies with water.

We were the only group to ascend that day. We just crossed paths with a some locals and their horses transporting goods which they will bring down to the community. The trail is entirely teeming with trees and the wind was constantly blowing making you feel like you are in Mt. Batulao. Since it was a dayhike, everyone was just carrying light loads. But the arduous trail was making everyone's pace sluggish not to mention that 9 of us had upset tummies (and we do not know if we need to blame the liquor, the water or the fresh fish the fishermen gave us the night before). Phone reception was totally dead. There were also a number of little waterfalls where you can freshen up and we were surprised to find that the water was salty. After another hour, we reached the 2nd pit stop.

We reached Mang Lizardo's place after almost 3 hours. Everyone took their turns in using the restrooms. One can buy fresh coconut juice for P20 each. Tita Gina and Tita Ody talked to one of the locals if they can prepare lunch for us after our descent and the lady charged our group (10pax) P700 for 2 whole chickens cooked Sinampalukan style and 2 kilos of rice. Locals also reminded us that we were just halfway.

The second half of the climb was a lot more demanding. The continuing rise in altitude put our muscles to a test as well as boosting our heart rates a notch higher. Big boulders and a lot of coconut husks are scattered as the trail widened revealing tall coconut trees.

Our group got divided into two because of calls of nature. 5 of us went ahead and reached the summit at 12 noon. There are actually 2 kinda-like summits. The first one where we stopped was located on the right side from the trail. Our guide insisted that the views from there are similar to the other one. We disagreed and told him that from what we read, this was not the one we are looking for. I won't tell you more about it because all of us got disappointed that he is being somewhat a little lazy to bring us there. So along with Sir Noel and Peewee, the Boss and me descended and walked to the left part of the trail where it led us to the summit we were looking for (it was just a 15-minute hike).

Green slopes, blue ocean and a 360 degree view of everything! It was so beautiful! I recommend taking pictures here rather than the first summit.

The summit is perfect for a camp. The guide said that there is a water source but we didn't get to see it. I can imagine spending the night there under the stars and waking up to a majestic and unobstructed sunrise. I told myself that I will come back!

We descended a few minutes after and re-joined our group only to find out that our guide also told them that the first summit that we stayed on was it. (the nerve!) So we gave them the directions and they went their way while we rested. As much as we wanted to tip our guide because of the hard trail, we all agreed to dismiss the idea.

The group rejoined at the community where we had our lunch prepared. We were able to reach the jump off after an hour and 45 minutes, broke camp and prepared to go home. The chartered jeep that took us all to Lipa City charged us P1,600. Which is not bad considering he brought us to our respective bus and van terminals.

Overall, it was a very hilarious climb because of my new friends who do not know how to rest from laughing. Haha! This is one of my best birthday celebrations to date despite no gifts received but that's okay because I am still tuned in to Meritline updates to see what I can reward myself with. If you are generous enough to buy me this hdmi switch I will love you for the rest of my life! Yes, simple joys!

But seriously, thank you AKAC for making this climb a very memorable one! (Yes, including all your painful tummies!)

Video summary:

The Bellevue Manila: Discover Korea 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Gian) — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 20:35:00 +0000

My September Top 5 Highs

noreply@blogger.com (Gian) — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 20:23:00 +0000

Updates and what not.

1. Remember my post about how much I loved the HTC Desire HD? And how after a few months, it finally became mine? Well I just sold it a few weeks ago. Hahaha! I jumped into the bandwagon and became one of Steve Job's minions.

photo credit: digitaltrends.com

Yes, I got myself a new phone again (and hopefully my last). I love how it can easily fit into my jeans pocket and not appear bulky. I enjoy using the camera the most and I'm on Instagram almost every minute! Captioning my photos has never been this fun because I can select a smiley from my emoticons too! It was so cute because there are just many characters to choose from (sorry an iPhone noob here!).

2. I got my first BB cream and blush! Yes, because the boy in me is now a lady! Haha!

3. Finally met my niece who I blogged about way before. Saw her grow up through social media!

4. The business is doing great! Heard a lot of positive feedback from customers on an FB page. Did a little cleaning the other day at home and ended up with a pile. Visit our page: www.facebook.com/iloveomocha.

5. My braces are finally gone! After 6 long years! Yeahooo! The Boss and I celebrated with some Vietnamese food and I cannot wait to sink my teeth into a crunchy, hot and chewy Crispy Pata!

September was so good to me! :) How about you? What are your top 5 highs? Sharing is caring!

Hasta luego!

Mt. Batulao with AKAC

noreply@blogger.com (The Boss) — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 22:55:00 +0000

This is my very first post. Bear with me guys. :)

It has been a while since we climbed as a group. Bad weather has prevented us from taking part in any outdoor activity. After a week-long planning, we finally managed to get back out. Unfortunately, Gian was not able to join this time because she had to visit her family back home.

How can you say no to a climb when you are offered a chance to meet new friends and eat gourmet dishes several meters above sea level? So off to Mt. Batulao we went.

A clear weather was a welcoming sight since it rained the night before. I took a Balayan-bound bus from Araneta Center bus Terminal in Cubao. As soon as the bus reached the Tagaytay – Nasugbu boundary, dark clouds loomed and with that the game completely changed. Two members of our pack welcomed me as I got off the bus. Allan, who came all the way from Cagayan was already there with Steven at around 7:30AM. After a few minutes, the group of Tita Gina together with Tito Art, Tita Ody, and Sir Allan T followed as the adventure began. We took a trike for 20 Php per person to bring us to the jump off. I realized that there are actually two possible jump-off points to reach Mt. Batulao. First, the old jump off which is a dirt road located right off the cemented road. The second is a trail located at the end of the cemented road. We took the latter as recommended by the trike driver since it is shorter and will spare us from a longer muddy walk. Everybody was happy and you can see the excitement in everyone’s faces. Just after 5 minutes of walking, a sudden downpour ensued which appeared to be a predicament of how challenging our climb would be. Non-stop jokes from Sir Allan lightened up the burden as we walked through the muddy and messy trail. A wrong step might make you “roll in the deep”. (I'm sure Tita Ody and Tito Art knew how it felt).

We reached the camp site at the old trail at around 1:45PM and decided to spend the night at Camp 6. Lunch was courtesy of Allan G which was Kare Kare w/ Bagoong on the side. Who would’ve thought that he’ll be able to squeeze such a lavish dish for everyone in his 42L backpack aside from his camping equipments? And, as if by command, everybody got quiet while devouring the food.

After a brief rest, we then pitched our tents. We had to make sure that everything is tight and secured as heavy gusts of wind were coming from different directions. Good thing our tents managed to stay erect all throughout our stay. To fight the cold weather, we started to include hard liquor into our weary bodies.

The second group composed of Sir Noel, Daniel, Em and Darwin arrived several minutes after 6PM. They started their climb late afternoon. Dinner preps soon started and this time, it was courtesy of Tita Gina. The heavy downpour did not stop us from enjoying our Chicken Teriyaki even though we had to fit ourselves in a small hut. After dinner, another bottle of Jose Cuervo warmed our night.

The situation did not improve the following morning. The summit was still not visible from our location. Considering the safety of the pack, we then decided to cancel our planned traverse to the new trail and just descend using the same trail we came from. After eating breakfast, we decamped a little before 9:00AM and managed to get back to the jump-off after about three hour- walk at leisurely pace.

Like any of the previous climbs of the group, despite not being listed in the itinerary, a chow down is in order. A nice warm serving of Bulalo and different fish dishes at Mahogany Market replenished our tired bodies. Not to mention the free unli-bananas for dessert.

Despite not being able to reach the summit due to unfavorable weather conditions and safety concerns, it was a very rewarding climb with all the laughs and precious bonding moments. (Don’t worry Tito Art, we will break your current streak of climbs not being able to scale the summit next time.)

Till our next climb AKAC team. :)

Video summary:

The Bellevue Manila - Rainy Day Promo

noreply@blogger.com (Gian) — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 23:09:00 +0000

The Bellevue Manila and B Hotel invite everyone to take advantage of its irresistible promotions during the rainy season - from July 1 to September 30!

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Pipino Vegetarian Food by Pino

noreply@blogger.com (Gian) — Sat, 18 Aug 2012 03:20:00 +0000

I've been longing to visit this restaurant not just because of rave reviews but in the hopes of seeing one of the most creative bloggers I follow, Alessandra Lanot of Life After Breakfast who is the owner of the restaurant. Sadly, it was a rainy Sunday and she wasn't there. So that and having not tasted the Red Velvet cupcakes are enough reasons for me to come back.

Initially, we were seated downstairs at Pino and thought to myself that all the pastel colors and calligraphy's (?) were missing. So I asked the waiter if it was indeed Pipino and he said that it was upstairs. He added that they also serve food from Pipino's food but I insisted that we go upstairs haha!

The aroma of freshly baked cupcakes filled my nostrils as we made our way to our table. The place was almost full even if it was off peak hours. It was appropriately lit, blackboards served as menus for their Soup of the Day, beverages and ice cream flavors. We immediately placed our orders and actually took a bit of time before deciding since this is the first time the Boss and I are gonna try gourmet vegan food (and I wanted to try them all!).

Average price of the food ranges from P125-P275 which is surprisingly cheap. We ordered two types of salads, a starter and 4 entrées. Our food started to arrive one after the other and it almost didn't fit our table.

Mango Tango w/ Mango Vinaigrette - P165

Wicked Walnut w/ Dalandan Balsamic dressing - P165

Veggie Tempura with Soy Mirin - P80

Portobello Inasal - P260

Vegetable Curry - P195

Vegetable Kare Kare - P165

Lemongrass Ginger Cucumber Cooler - P80

Everything was perfect. The salads were fresh, cold and their dressings were just right. I never expected a mushroom to taste that good. Don't get me wrong, I love and eat vegetables but I never get to buy and cook them this way. The Lemon Ginger Cucumber Cooler (woah, that's a mouthful) has the right kick of ginger and reminded me of Salabat juice my mom used to make me drink before joining singing contests. The couscous of my curry was so filling that I needed to bring it home and eat the next day. So happy that their take out packaging is earth-friendly as well. I felt good and healthy even after devouring their muffins (sorry, it disappeared in a bite right away so no pictures).

Overall experience: 5 out of 5 skulls

I would've rated them 4 out of 5 because of the leaking air conditioner behind me but who cares about that?

Pipino Vegetarian food by Pino

#39 Malingap St. Teachers Village

Quezon City, Philippines

www.pipinovegetarian.com

Open daily from 11am to 10pm

Breakfast on weekends from 7am

The P880 Lunch Buffet at Cafe de Asie

noreply@blogger.com (Gian) — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 01:23:00 +0000

Remember my experience at Cafe de Asie? You can now try it too for a cheaper price! :)

Lunch meetings at The Bellevue Manila's Cafe d'Asie gets even friendlier to the pocket. Enjoy our vast and sumptuous spread of freshly made appetizers, Japanese station, filling main courses, the dimsum station, tempura station, meat and seafood grill corner, pasta station, Mongolian station, our yummy homemade desserts and a lot more for only P880++. New price for buffet lunch but still the same goodness and variety you love!

Cafe d' Asie is located at 2nd Floor, Main Wing of The Bellevue Manila.

For inquiries and reservations, please call 771-8181, 09178718181 or 09188718181or email Cafe d'Asie at dine@thebellevue.com.

Mt. Manabu - Lipa, Batangas

noreply@blogger.com (Gian) — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 22:32:00 +0000

It has been a while since we went on a day hike. It was a relief to not carry a bag filled w/ 4 liters of water on your back and ascend for more than 4 hours. We started our trek at 6:30 in the morning after taking the first bus bound to Lipa/Tanauan from Buendia. It was a muddy trek as the rain was graciously pouring all over the metro all week, except for that specific Sunday.

Considered as the easiest and most accessible mountain from Manila, Mt. Manabu is often climbed by pilgrims. There are 8 stations that starts from the jump off to the summit and back. Our plan was to ascend via the Grotto trail and go through the Lubid trail on our way down.

We registered here because the trike driver didn't drop us at the Brgy Hall

The Grotto Trail

This trail has a longer route. It was short, gradual walk in the beginning and most parts are covered with trees making the climb enjoyable. There are clearings in between which offers a nice view of the surrounding slopes and municipalities. Halfway through the ascent is a spot where most tree planting activities are held. Here you need to make sure you wear the correct protective clothes from tall grasses. You also need to watch out for those plants armed with thorns as some of them occupy the trail. From here the trail becomes more challenging as you near the summit. The reward at the end is a mountain top view of some of the key cities of Batangas.

We reached the summit at 8:30 and were surprised to see people climbing the cross to take pictures and make funny poses. I just kept the disappointment to myself and didn't utter a word. After around 15 minutes or so, they finally left and we had the summit all to ourselves. I just told myself that there are just people who make fun of everything thinking it will make them better persons. Lunch was rewarding and quiet as a group of 30 people already started their descend.

campsite

The Lubid Trail

We started our descend at 9:45AM through the Lubid Trail. Ropes are placed alongside the trail which aids climbers. This trail is muddier than the first so the descend could have been so hard if not for these ropes. One thing a climber must do when climbing Mt. Manabu is stopping by Mang Pirying's hut for his famous Alamid coffee. The coffee is harvested from feces of the Alamid. Read below:

The animal called alamid in the Philippines is actually a civet with the scientific name Paradoxurus hermaphroditus. It is known in English as the Asian Palm Civet or the Philippine Civet Cat (though it's not a cat). It is a nocturnal animal that is called musang in southern Luzon and balos in Davao del Sur and South Cotabato. The alamid uses its nose to find ripe, sweet coffee beans. Coffee beans harvested from the feces of the civet called motit in the northern part of the Philippines are considered top grade. After cleaning, the coffee beans are sold for as much as a thousand American dollars per pound. -TagalogLang.com

Mang Pirying is known as the keeper of the mountain and his hut has been a pit stop for all climbers. While we were there, his brother - Tata Tino and his wife Ate Gina welcomed us since Mang Pirying just came out of the hospital and was still recuperating. The couple shared stories of how and when they started living there, why there was a cross at the summit (I won't share the story, it is for you to find out) and pretty much how they get by everyday. It was humbling to know that they can live there with no neighbors, no electricity and relying on natural spring water for their daily consumption. They also sell avocados (P20/kilo), lanzones and Alamid Coffee for P100/pack.

Tata Tino and the Boss

After a nice coffee chat, we decided to continue on our way down. We arrived at the jump off after an hour and rested. There are a couple of shower cubicles where you can rinse off for just P15. We hired another trike to bring us to the highway. We were joined by a new friend - Jubi who was rushing her way back to Manila. The trike charged P120 for the three of us.

Video summary:

If you want a break from all your weekend running but still want to tire those muscles, a day climb to Mt. Manabu is recommendable. Not to mention the free coffee. :)

Hasta luego!

Kid of the Trip : Raymond

noreply@blogger.com (Gian) — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 19:50:00 +0000

Yeoleobun, annyeonghaseyo! (Hello everyone!) That's one of the phrases I learned last week because of watching City Hunter. I was so hooked into it that I finished the whole series in 4 days (yes, all 20 episodes!) And now, I am currently in a post drama depression state because I miss the characters so much! So to divert my attention a little, I started watching Boys Before Flowers. Haha! Anyway, here is a quick post about our Kid of the Trip from our Pico de Loro climb.

Marivi, Raymond and Rachelle spend their weekends at the base camp of Pico de Loro to help their parents sell merchandise while their older brothers help the family by guiding climbers. They have coconuts and sodas and souvenirs like key chains, bag tags and shirts.

The three of them were very shy when I sat down for a chat when we arrived. I just asked them where they play to lighten up the mood. Marivi said that they have a lot of playmates back in town but they like spending their weekends at the base camp more.

Other climbers arrived while we were resting and I was a bit hesitant as to how to approach the kids and give them my gift. Reuel suggested to just hand it to their mom instead so a very awkward me handed the envelope to the mom and apologized that it was not enough for the 3 of them. She was thankful.

Hasta luego!

Pico de Loro - Itinerary and Expenses

noreply@blogger.com (Gian) — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 21:09:00 +0000

This itinerary is for 1 person only.

Pico de Loro - Ternate, Cavite

noreply@blogger.com (Gian) — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 00:55:00 +0000

"Miss, mas maganda ka pala kapag namumutla." (Miss, you look good when you're pale.)

That was the retort of one of the guys at the eatery where we stopped to have breakfast after our tricycle tipped over because of our heavy bags. I left out a shriek as it was too sudden and got out of the trike sweating cold. I just shrugged at the thought of how some people descry "beauty" from skin color.

Anyway, I'm used to it so no biggie. We originally planned the climb to be on the 1st weekend of June but the typhoon didn't leave early enough so we had to cancel. This time, it was just Leo and me and Reuel.

We arrived at the DENR office after a scenic 30-minute trike ride. The town of Ternate was quiet and peaceful, surrounded with lots of flower-bearing trees. The dogs at the DENR office welcomed us with wagging tails. It was a Sunday and there were just a couple besides us. We saw a bus parked right outside and the officers confirmed that there were a lot of climbers who assaulted the summit for their Freedom Climb the day before. It was a relief for me as the camp site won't be too crowded as all of them were scheduled to descend that day. Climbers normally clean up in this place after the climb. A bath costs P5. Water pressure is just okay but the water is very cold. It also has a store where you can buy last minute stuff like souvenirs, soda, eggs, chips etc. Parking is available too for non-commuters.

Our trek to the jump off started at 6:50AM. At first, the trail was gradual, making it a good warm up for the last assault. It was mostly shaded and since we were early, the temperature was just enough to not wear us out. After an hour, we arrived at Camp 1 where you will have to register again (and I don't know why). But using the tables and restrooms are free. You can refill your water containers here with natural spring water routed by small pipes. Coconut juice, sodas and souvenirs are also for sale.

As we continued our ascend, we were faced with a more challenging trail and reached the fork that separates the summit and the waterfalls. I thought we could refresh or even rest for a while but it was a little crowded with climbers who were on their way down having some grub. So we only took pictures and left.

The last leg of our ascend was the most tiring. After Alibangbang Park, the trail was generally steep and became steeper with each step. Our pace started to slow down as we listened to Manny Pacquiao's fight over the radio. We met a lot of other climbers on their way down every 10 to 15 minutes. There was even a very cute dog on a leash! I was giddy with joy upon seeing it haha! Shredded paper, ribbons, stones and arrows carved in tree barks are abundant so as not to get lost. Make sure to keep an eye for plants with little spikes as well.

We rested and loaded up on chocolates and cookies every so often. I thought that all the water we brought was enough but as we neared the summit, I dawned on me that it won't suffice till the next morning but still, I cannot help to drink loads. It was already 12:30nn and we were at 570MASL.

We reached the campsite after a total of 6 hours and 25 minutes. The campsite was divided into two parts: one area shaded and surrounded with bamboos and the other one near the ridge where you can feel the wind and be amazed with the view. We rested, ate hard-boiled eggs courtesy of Reuel and prepared for our final assault to the summit.

One of the wrong things we did was bringing our packs all the way up to the summit because we read from a blog that there is a campsite there. But the summit only has a flat surface with a lot of rocks! (Yeah, blimey!). The summit was a joy to see!!!

Thanks to Reuel for our amazing photos

The Boss and I attempted to climb the monolith. There were no ropes as we expected it according to blogs. First three steps were easy but I wanted to back out when there was nowhere to step to. You will use your hands to cling to holes/stones, shins, knees and feet. The right side of the wall was flat and you cannot step on anything to edge yourself up so you have to inch yourself little by little. I had a lot of bruises after this because of bumps. Until now, I still cannot believe we climbed this pillar.

photo courtesy of Reuel Delez

After dinner at the camp, we made friends with another group. I am so happy (and kilig!) to meet Angela Decena Juarez personally (I just stalk her in Facebook haha!). She already climbed Mt. Guiting Guiting twice and that mountain is part of my list in the near future as it takes technical, physical and mental training.

NFF - new found friends : Ethel and Angela

I called it a night as soon as night fell while the boys stayed out for a drink. I woke up hours later to see them still outside and having a good time. It was too windy and foggy that night and in the next morning after.

We decamped at 7 because we ran out of enough water to cook breakfast. So we decided to descend and just have breakfast at Camp 1.

Here are the videos edited by the Boss and the one below is from Reuel.

For a more detailed post, hop on to Reuel's blog for trail specifics.

There are no parting words. Just lessons learned (pack light, water training, etc) and good memories. Click here for our itinerary. Thanks to Reuel for some of the pictures.

Hasta luego!