Batad Rice Terraces of Banaue / Tappia Falls
June 29, 2009
Me and some friends were supposed to go to Sagada only, but since we took the Auto Bus route from Manila to Banaue one Friday night last month (May) we decided to make the trip more worthwhile by taking a side trip to Batad Rice Terraces and Tappia Falls. Prior to this, I’ve never been to the world famous rice terraces and I was glad that this time, I’d be finally going to do so.
After a gruelling 12 hour bus ride from Manila in an aging Auto Bus which rendered its air conditioned useless an hour after leaving the terminal, we arrived at Banaue about 9:00 the next morning.
We rented a van that would take us to the jump off of a short trek (which according to our guide will only take an hour), the van was good for 1,500 and it would be much cheaper if you’re a party of 8 to 10 people, we were 5 in our group, so do the math we split everything five ways.
We never reached the jump off or the saddle because a certain part of the road became impassable due to landslides, so we started our hike much earlier than we planned.
Van Driver: “May landslide, okay lang sa inyo simula na ang trek pero matatagalan tayo ng 2 oras?”
Kathrina: “wala na naman tayong choice eh”
It took us 30 minutes to reach the saddle and from there on, we would start another hour of hiking.
Another hour of continuous pace of walking downward we reached this place.
now, that's one hell of a view
Then our guide, chewing on a “*nga-nga” told us “another hour” of hiking is needed to reach our destination, Tappia Falls.
*( It’s a tradition in Banaue for locals to chew “Nga-Nga”, our guide explained that it’s a form of communication, doing so means you’re welcome to make conversations with other people. The process of chewing it involves splitting the nga nga in the middle, sprinkling it with lime, wrapping in a leaf of pepper and placing it in your mouth, upon chewing it produces red juice as it mixes with your own saliva that can be spit out)
Nga-Nga (it comes in green and red)
The short hike gets very tiring (in my current physical condition hehe) but the view along the way makes up for it. You can’t help it but take time out to marvel and gaze at the sight of the rice terraces, like amphitheater that stretches up to the sky filled with lush green rice fields along with small villages in between.
Lolo, Mark M, Me and Don
Kim and Kat
In all, we hiked a total of two hours before we finally arrived at Tappia Falls, there were half a dozen rest stop along the way where locals sells gatorade and softdrinks, 50 pesos at the viewing deck then it becomes 70 pesos near Tappia Falls (understandably, it gets harder to bring things there) we took a swim for about 30 minutes, enjoying the cold water, lying down on sauna like pool formation therefore applying cold water therapy on our aching feet and leg muscles.
Thus the imperative self portrait:
After almost an hour’s stay at Tappia falls, we hiked back to the viewing deck where we had our late lunch (almost 4:00 pm in the afternoon), we were so tired I could swear its the best “sinigang na baboy” I’ve ever had. Can’t tell the same thing though about the Chicken curry.
We started our hike back again at about 5:00 PM, reached the saddle at about 6:00 PM, and hiked back again to where our van got stranded by the landslide and as Don says we reached our van just as total darkness was about to take a bite. (with matching palm motion of biting)
We had dinner back at Banaue then drove off for Sagada for three hours before we could finally call it a day.
Camsur Watersports Complex (CWC)
June 25, 2009
As part of our sidetrip to Caramoan last summer, we dropped by Camsur Watersports Complex (CWC) to give wakeboarding a try. The place was filled with both experienced and newbie wakeboarders, I put myself in the newbie category as I haven’t experienced wakeboarding before.
I was too eager to try it that I ditched listening to the instructions of one of the staff there, I thought by watching closely at the form and style of those experienced wakeboarders I will give myself a better chance at pulling it off at first try.
Alas, I crashed during my first 3 or 4 tries to the embarassment of picking myself and swimming out of the water into safety and back again to fall in line. After that i stopped by to listen to the instructions for the kneeboard, a much easier position, instead of standing on a wakeboard, you have to kneel on the board and strap your lower body.
I pulled it off during my first try, crashing on the turn, swimming back, falling in line and giving it a try again. After I was able to complete one lap of kneeboard I went back to give wakeboarding a try.
To sum it up, I crashed half a dozen times, lasted for half a lap once, completed one lap one time and after that i decided to rest as it also takes a beating on your body.
Will definitely come back someday and hoping, I’d get it all right next time.
Accommodation at CWC consist of cottages and trailers which looks cool from the outside and from what i’ve heard cozy in the inside. It has amenities like a swimming pool, wakeboard shop, souvenir store and a place to eat. (try out the popular “Laing Pizza”).
Plus you get to see the wonderful view of Mount Isarog on a clear day.
travel buddies
Tagaytay
June 25, 2009
Tagaytay is about three hours drive from Manila and It’s a favorite place to go unwind to during weekends because of its proximity to Manila and it’s cool climate as it is situated at “many feet” above sea level (bit lower than Baguio) and the highways around Tagaytay offers breathtaking view of nearby Taal Volcano and it’s surrounding lake.
I went there two times in the past year, the first was when we took some photographs around and the later was after the beach outing with some office mates.
Places we went were Sonya’ Garden, a place surrounded by a lush garden with flowers you don’t normally see in the big city and for about 500 per plate you get to dine their menu for the day, what we had that day was pasta accompanied by different sauce (don’t ask me what kinds),vegetable and fruit salad.
Along the way you get a wonderful view of the countryside, It was raining that time, that plus the normally cool climate of Tagaytay really makes having coffee sounds like a nice idea.
Taken from inside the car, large aperture, focused on the raindrops
What’s great about Tagaytay is you never ran out of places to stop for coffee and a decent meal, rows of establishments can be found along the roadside, “Bulalo” being one of my favorites.
We stopped for Starbucks here
Next stop, we dropped by Caleruega Church, which is actually already within Nasugbu, Batangas if i’m not mistaken. A popular choice for couples getting married because of its simple yet fascinating location which offers a tranquil view of the nearby mountains and atop a small hill and a stair leading up to it all creates a dreamlike setting.
If i win the lottery, I’d have my wedding here lol.
reminds me of "Platoon" Willem Dafoe's character
Taal Volcano and the lake is also visible during clear un-foggy days.
Other photos from another “passing through” Tagaytay.
opismeyts
iProfile Apac and Euro team
Around Davao City
June 11, 2009
Day 4 of our Davao Trip
A brief recap:
Day 1: Camp Sabros at Digos City (about 50 kilometers from Davao City)
Day 2 and 3: Samal Island: ( Chemas by the Sea and Hagimit Falls )
Coming from Samal Island we took a bus (that will be ferried by a barge ) to Davao City. We tried checking in at the Ponce Suites as it was recommended by a friend and popular for its art exhibits displayed all over the lobby of the place, but upon arriving there we found out that its already fullybooked so we settled to a nearby cheap hotel.
After having a fine cabin at Camp Sabros with a wonderful view of Mt. Apo and an equally nice accomodation at Samal Island, our room here offers a view of *drum roll* hollow blocks. Yes, the window was blocked by a cement wall, well we can’t complain as we can only afford budget rooms this part of our trip.
Cheap hotel we stayed in at the background
Upon arriving we had a hearty late lunch at Ahfat (a Chinese Seafood Restaurant), after that we just walked around the vicinity and prepared for our last day in Davao the next day (which we eventually spent River Rafting at the Davao River).
The next day we went to crocodile Park where the orientation of those who will join the River Rafting takes place.
Erap and Mike Arroyo
During the night we dropped by Aldevinco shopping center, famous for its rows of souvernir, handicraft and antique stores, to buy some “Pasalubongs” and souvernir items.
Afterward, we went to Jack’s Ridge, a place set up high that offers a view of Davao City. It has many restaurants and kind of reminds you of Antipolo and Tagaytay. We had dinner with Kat (who, i first met online in Multiply) and her friends.
It was a great 5 days spent at Davao province, seems like there’s more to do but very little time. Hope I can get back soon and try to visit the places i missed next time.
Samal Island: Chemas by The Sea
June 10, 2009
After an overnight stay at Camp Sabros in Digos City, we proceeded to Samal Island. I’ve taken note of a few beach resorts from the island during our Davao trip preparation, we originally planned to stay at Pearl Farm, but upon calling the resort we found out that the cheapest rooms (4k/night) are already fully booked and the ones remaining are priced at 9k a night. What the, we aint rich travellers so we settled for other nice resorts and we ended up at this lovely little place called “Chemas by the Sea”
We availed of a lovely room surrounded by trees, with a dining table outside and a cool veranda all that plus a wonderful interior.
view from the veranda at night
We just stayed there and enjoyed the beach. Few people are around, the staff were nice, food are a bit expensive ouch but tastes good.
Marianne & me
castaway
The next day, regretably we missed out the Pacquiao – Hatton fight as we continued our way to Hagimit Falls, also in Samal Island before heading back to Davao City Sunday afternoon.
Hagimit Falls, Samal Island in Davao
May 31, 2009
Before we left Samal Island from the resort that we stayed in “Chemas by the Sea” we took time out to drop by Hagimit Falls, a place i come across online when i was still researching for places to go at Samal Island.
It was the day of the Manny Pacquiao fight with Ricky Hatton, it was hard for me to miss the fight on TV, but i can always watch the replay of that punch that eventually flattens the hitman. But since we’re at Samal I cannot miss ditching the chance to visit Hagimit Falls, not even for a Pac-man fight.
So after a 30 minute “Habal-Habal” ride from Chemas we arrived at the place (where you’ll start a 5 minute trek), eager for news at who won the fight I checked my phone for SMS updates, no signal available for Globe, It didn’t matter because I can already hear the water flowing in the nearby river.
There are many people by the falls, which consists of numerous medium sized falls, some about 6 feet high to 3 feet high forming different variations of fresh water pool.
We chose a place with few people, many are there for a day’s swim, having a picnic, playing guitars while some are taking pictures like what i intend to do, plus swim and hope it’s not that deep alright.
The water was a bit colder than usual, but once you’ve dipped your whole body the temperature becomes bearable.
I’ve been to a number of waterfalls in the past, especially during my UST Mountaineering days, this one at Hagimit belongs to the best that i’ve been to. The water aint deep, the current not that strong, it’s easy to go around as the rocks are not that slippery. I saw some families with little kids in tow, some are even brave enough to dive into the water. Something I will probably never do, since I had this fear of hitting my head on some rock underwater. Anyway that’s another fear to conquer someday.
Anyway we stayed there for an hour, enough to enjoy the place before we make a run back to Davao City.
I look naked here hehe
After a brief rest, we headed back to the bus terminal at Penaplata for a bus that will take us back to Davao City (bus-barge-bus). And of course it was at this time that my friend texted me about Pacquiao’s victory. Thus the semi-smile on my face.
Marianne & Me
Zipline @ Camp Sabros – Digos City, Davao Del Sur
May 25, 2009
We arrived at the Davao International Airport from Manila at about 6am Friday Morning. With no time for a brief rest we hailed a cab to Ecoland bus terminal where buses going to other cities like General Santos, Cagayan De Oro, Koronadal and Bukidnon can be found.
We took a bus bound for General Santos City that will pass by Digos City, where Camp Sabros is located. (specifically Kapatagan, Digos City).
We got off at the Digos Bus Terminal after an hour and a half then took a trike for 15 minutes to the “Habal Habal” terminal.
“Habal-Habal is a form of transportation (a customized motorcycle that can sit 2-3 passengers) that usually found in mountainous and secluded places in Visayas and Mindanao..It is also known to some as “Skylab”.
Me and my girlfriend Marianne found ourselves sitting at the back of the motorcycle driver careening madly through rough and dirt road on the way up to Camp Sabros. After almost an hour of feeling like we were inside a salt shaker, we arrived at our destination, not exactly as we hiked a few distance more (700 meters) to the place itself.
Then, finally we can rest now.
We took a cabin that offers a wonderful view of Mt. Apo and people riding the zipline.
At Camp Sabros you can take a total of 6 ziplines:
The 380 meters where you can pair up with someone, me and Marianne paired up together in this one. This one offers a scenic route along the way.
This aint us of course hehe
The other one is the 400 meters from another vantage point.
Fly like Superman
We wanted to get done with all the zipline, but we realized we were starving so after a hearty lunch, brief rest and emo moment;
We tried the treetop zip. It’s a vertical zipride to a tall tree about 40-50 feet high, wherein you could rappel in both descending and ascending then another vertical zip to the other end, where a pick up truck awaits to take you to the ultimate zipline, the 800 meters. We saved the best for last.
Marianne approaching the treetop
Some dude before me, notice the treetop ahead.
Waiting for our turn to rappel down
My turn
Marianne's turn now
Down and then up again!
Then off we go to the longest one, the 800 meter zipline.
Starting point of the 800 meter zipline
Marianne approaching the end of the 800 m zip
It was a great experience though, and SAFE. It’s a bit scary at first but with all the harness supported by steel cables and all, i don’t see anybody becoming unsafe doing this activity.
The cabin we got was good for 1,500 a night, not that expensive, considering it comes with a clean bathroom with a bathtub, a veranda with a wonderful view. The fee for the zipline is 700 pesos each for all (380m, 400m, treetop and the 800 m plus the cable ride).
Habal – Habal ride was like 500 roundtrip for two. (Kapatagan – Camp Sabros and back – “pwede pa sundo next day”)
Bus from Ecoland to Digos City = 40 pesos one way.
There, I hope i’ve proven a help to those planning or budgeting a trip to Camp Sabros.
White Water Rafting at Davao River
May 7, 2009
I always want to try river rafting, especially the one at Cagayan De Oro, the premier river rafting location in the Philippines (which Lot had already tried before). But since Davao has a 13 kilometer River that also boasts some decent rapids, I was glad to be able to experience it there.
The river rafting wasn’t really part of our itinerary, on our last day in Davao (Monday) we thought we could just do simple touring and try to stay away from tiring activities we did the previous days. But as we arrived at the Crocodile Park we saw a group of people huddled together being lectured by one of the rafting guides, for us it was an opportunity to add on to our Davao experience.
We paid the fee, 2k for each person, sounds expensive but after you go through the whole ordeal im pretty sure it’ll be very much worth it. I mean i told myself, these are the reasons why i save money, why i work so i can able to afford these kind of undertakings, it was sort of a reward for living life not grandiosely but in a simple yet exciting way.
It was really safe, you get to wear a life jacket, learn the proper position so you can easily float along the water current, we get to experience doing that by just letting the river current carry our body and of course riding the raft as it approach numerous rapids, which seems pretty good since it rained in Davao the previous week.
Anyway the whole river rafting took us more or less 4-5 hours with lunch break in between and photo ops courtesy of one of the guides who was in a single raft, rafting over us and waiting for us to pass some trickery rapids for him to start shooting pictures. Our guide Patrick was game enough to crack jokes in between.
My arms were weary afterwards, since i was the only male in the raft i had to – you know show them how strong my arms were hehe, but body pains, river water inside my lungs, learning and then panicking a bit while floating along the current, fear of deep water and all, it was a worthwhile experience.
And this, is one of the reason why I’ll definitely come back to Davao next year, hopefully with more friends in tow to share the experience with.
Sleepy Morion in a Familiar Town in Marinduque
April 22, 2009
Or a bottle of Gran Matador.
This time, its different though Jakob himself is a newly proud parent of a 6 month old Fiona and is married to a lovely wife, Gigi. Don is almost engage to his girlfriend and I am committed to someone as well, so there wont be no skirt chasing happening. Those days are behind us already.
I always envy friends and classmates who have a far-away home province of their own, every summer they can escape the harshness of city life and just chill down and enjoy the simple life in their own respective hometowns.
We spend our time there with a bit of roadtrip to nearby Boac enjoying the calm countryside and the majestic harbor that greets ships with a delightful view worthy of a background to some movie that tells a story about a bunch of travelers on the search for new beginnings in an anonymous place unmindful of the past that betrays their old self in the bustling city etc etc.
It is also a wonderful excuse to travel, as we all know that life shifts quickly in paradigms that if spent in a forlorn and idle time rummaging trash of yester-years in one place, we might lose our focus and fall asleep b ehind a wheel only to meet a 16 wheeler truck head on.
It also washes all the frustrations away, just like J.C., it’ll be enough to keep you alive again and unmindful of all the sorrows, challenges and battering rams along the way. For it gives you something to always look forward too without resorting to ask the help of a rope.
The sun sets in for those always on the lookout, those searching and not just merely spending days and nights under a roof and trivializing the importance of setting forth on different journeys. We MUST not be contented in just digging earth below our feet and calling it as our territory as the world God gave us is almost an infinity for one man to thread and toil and walk and walk and gulp a cold 7/11 slurpee (extra large size).
Till next time Marinduque.
Mt. Pinatubo: Then and Now
September 9, 2008
Brought upon by my recent trip to the crater of Mount Pinatubo. I figured i’d write something about it.
From Wikipedia:
“Before the catastrophic eruption of 1991, Pinatubo was an inconspicuous volcano, unknown to most people in the surrounding areas. Its summit was 1,745 m (5,725 ft) above sea level, but only about 600 m above nearby plains, and about 200 m higher than surrounding peaks, which largely obscured it from view. Philippine President Ramon Magsaysay, a native of Zambales, named his C-47 presidential plane “Mt. Pinatubo”. The plane crashed in 1957, killing the President and 24 others onboard.”
There it was, a sleeping giant until it woke up again in 1991. I remember it clearly waking up one fine day and seeing all these dust particles falling from the sky, i remember going out of our house and along with our neighbors, we all looked up at the sky like an impending apocalypse was about to happen. The sky was darkened and covered by these seemingly ashes which according to news reports was ashes injected by Mount Pinatubo.
The damage it wrought upon us was astounding, 10 times the magnitude of Mount Saint Helens and its effect on our environment and the ozone layer reaches unbelievable magnitude.
“The effects of the eruption were felt worldwide. It ejected roughly 10 billion metric tons of magma, and 20 million tons of SO2, bringing vast quantities of minerals and metals to the surface environment. It injected large amounts of aerosols into the stratosphere—more than any eruption since that of Krakatoa in 1883.”
It was the image of Pinatubo that was forever etched in my memory, vicious, violent and unfriendly. Thousands of people were displaced including many Aetas who have lived in the mountainous region of Zambales for many hundred of years after they fled from the lowlands to escape the Spanish persecution.
I remember seeing many Aetas in Metro Manila, wandering without a place to stay, that’s how far they were displaced from their peaceful communities in the mountainside. The fleeing people living in towns that surrounds the Pinatubo area reaches as far as Amoranto Stadium which became this big evacuation camp.
It was bittersweet just thinking about that period of time, when you compare and see with your own eyes the Mount Pinatubo as it looks like today.
(from: http://kcajcauorek.multiply.com/photos/album/119/Mt._Pinatubo_crater)
Yes, this is the Mount Pinatubo of today, the beautiful crater lake is definitely a feast for the eyes.
I’d been planning on making a trip to Pinatubo for the longest time, I’m glad that i was able to do it last weekend with some of my closest friends. I’ve never seen a lake that beautiful, I thought i’d only see those kinds in movies and in travel magazines.
The 2 hour hike was all worth it (we started on the longer trail because the so called “skyway” was impassable to 4×4’s). Crossing miniature river beds, rocky trails and sand filled lands was all worth the wait.
(from: http://kcajcauorek.multiply.com/photos/album/119/Mt._Pinatubo_crater)
The scenery leading to the crater does not disappoint anybody, everywhere you looked, the once ravaged lahar areas, the surrounding towns once abandoned are now thriving and has survived one of the most violent eruption in history.
(from: http://kcajcauorek.multiply.com/photos/album/119/Mt._Pinatubo_crater)
We arrived at the crater at about 10:00 AM, a group of German Geology students was also there touring and probably studying the geography of the volcano. I can see in their eyes the awe of what they are seeing as well.
(from: http://kcajcauorek.multiply.com/photos/album/119/Mt._Pinatubo_crater)
Who would have thought that from this:
(photo courtesy of Wikipedia)
Pinatubo would transform to this:
(from: http://kcajcauorek.multiply.com/photos/album/119/Mt._Pinatubo_crater)
and yes! one can actually swim in the lake:
( Mark M, Don and Me )
I wish Pinatubo would remain asleep again for the next hundred years. So we could enjoy a nice afternoon and a short trek to that beautiful place, and give us experiences that will always reminds us that our country is one big place waiting for us to explore.
(from: http://kcajcauorek.multiply.com/photos/album/119/Mt._Pinatubo_crater)
