Japan, Day 6: Mount Gozaisho

NOVEMBER 26, 2018

At the SUMMIT PARK STATION of Mount Gozaisho, a big map of the hiking trail and places to visit helped in guiding me where to locate the sightseeing lift.

When I got there, I got really scared of riding the lift. I already knew that there was no belt because I saw the picture in their official website but I was not prepared that it was a steep downhill ride, at least from my POV.

Then again, I was already there so why not ride it then see what will happen. I bought a roundtrip ticket for ¥600 then saw a group of obaasan and ojiisan (grandma & grandpa) in front of me, waiting for their turn to ride the lift. While waiting for my turn, one of the ojiisan turned around and told me “Kowai!!! Kowai!” while laughing. Thank you to all the anime I have watched because I understood what he said – it was scary. I laughed then replied to him in Japanese that I was also scared. When it was his turn to ride, I told him “Ganbatte!” (good luck) and he smiled at me.

Now, it was my turn and when the lift was about to follow the downhill trail, I held on tightly to the single bar at my left side and braced myself… only to feel nothing. There was no sinking feeling from my stomach! It was just slow and steady which made me understand why even kids are allowed to ride this.

It was a chill ride and I eventually found myself taking pictures without holding the bar.

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  Me during the first 10 seconds of the ride 😐

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  Me after the first 10 seconds, finally enjoying 😀

At the first sightseeing lift stop, you can choose to go down there or just pass by. I was already set that I would just pass by here so I waved to the ojiisans staff and greeted them with “Ohayouuu!”

Upon reaching the last stop, I walked briskly to the summit marker (1,282 MASL) that I saw online. I asked a local hiker, who just finished smoking his cigarette, to take a picture of me.

Conquered another mountain but without much effort, lol

I was reviewing the pictures he took when he told me (in English) that there was another marker. He pointed to the trail near us and told me that that was where I should go to reach it. I said my thanks then he offered to accompany me. I accepted because I wanted to talk to locals, anyway.

While walking, he asked where I was from so I said PH then asked if it was my first time in Japan. I told him it was my 3^rd visit but I have visited a lot of places already. I enumerated all the cities and towns I have been to, including the ones in this autumn trip. He said that he was amazed and called me a “Japan master”. LOL.

When we reached the place (Boukodai Lookout), he pointed to spots where it was best to take pictures of me. It was a bit of a challenge because there were parts where I had to use my hands to climb. I had to make sure that I wouldn’t slip since the cliff was just around the corner. Anyway – he took good pictures of me!!! T_T

He then pointed to a direction where he said that we could have seen Lake Biwa if it wasn’t for the cloudy weather. He pointed to a mountain range but I forgot the name he mentioned – all I could remember was he said that it was a well-known area.

When we were about to go back to the main area, he asked if it was okay to take a picture. I said okay and I asked if we could do the same using my phone. It felt weird though because we did not know each other’s names so I asked him.

His name is Sato and he told me that it was a common name in Japan. I told him that he has the same name as this Japanese actor that I liked: Sato Takeru. He was impressed that I know someone from the entertainment industry. I told him about the first J-drama where I saw Sato Takeru up to him being the main lead in Rurouni Kenshin live action films.

While we were walking, he showed me pictures from his phone – trees and other areas in Mount Gozaisho fully covered in snow. He told me that it was taken just a week ago when he hiked with his friends. I showed him the snow pictures I took earlier, and I told him that I thought it was just starting to form. It turned out to be remnants of the winter moment that happened recently.

Remnants of snow + Sightseeing lift without any belt

When we returned to the main area, we bowed to each other and said our goodbyes. He told me that going up the summit takes 2-3 hours, depending on your pace, and that was also the same amount of time needed to go down. I wished him luck for his hike going back to the base.

I continued my exploration but I kinda felt lost. All signs and arrows were in kanji so I already knew that I had to rely on my instinct when it comes to directions.

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I picked a trail based on my gut feel and I eventually arrived at Suzuka National Park Monument. Near the marker, there was a small wooden bench for resting.

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From afar, I could already see the Ontake Daigongen Shrine – the one which looks like a house – so I knew that my adventure was far from over. An ojiisan passed by and I was amazed how he could jog around the area, especially with the uneven trail and steps.

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On the other hand, I was cautious with every step because if I stumble and roll down the steps, no one would save me and take care of my wounds. Haha! After following the next trail, I reached a rest area with a stone monument. It was inscribed with haiku but I only found out about it after the trip.

I walked some more and spotted a silver torii with a trail leading downhill. I followed it then saw a small pool of water so I knew that I was in Chouja Pond. There was no one else in the area so it was very quiet a bit eerie with all the trees.

The story related to Chouja Pond dates back to the Meiji Era when a man named Jintarou Yada became famous and rich for his touch which could completely cure any sick person.

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I continued my adventure and there were a lot of uphill trails. Some of them looked straight from a fairy tale story, with a creepy forest in the plot.

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  From Chouja Pond

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  Going back to main area

Then after about 10 minutes of walking, I finally reached Ontake Daigongen Shrine (dedicated to the same deity as the one in Kiso-Ontake Shrine). I paid respect to the shrine then as I was about to leave, a family reached the place so finally, I was not alone. But only for a few seconds.

I was on a bit of tight schedule so when I saw that it was 10:40, I started to make my way back to the main area. The problem though was that I did not know how and I could already see fork roads ahead of me…

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No choice but to trust my instincts which path to take for every fork road. I chose trails that seem to be nearer to the main area.

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Cannot understand anything but this was the sign near the uphill trail going back to the main area

Gotta pat myself on the back because I was able to successfully reach my destination! Had I followed the paths I ignored, I would have taken the long trail going back to the Summit Park Station… which would take 30-45 minutes of walking. I took a last round of taking in the sights at the summit before heading back to the sightseeing lift station.

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At the Summit Park Station, I went for a quick lunch before heading back to the base. I ordered curry udon as recommended in Restaurant Nature. The free ocha was the perfect pair for the curry udon’s rich flavor.

When I reached the cable car station, it was a surprise because the staff put 3 different groups in one cable car. I wish I could speak in somehow fluent Japanese so that I can converse with the obaasans and ojiisans in the cable car. ☹

Here are some more views from the cable car to wrap up this post:

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PH, Bataan (Day 2): Five Fingers Tour

NOVEMBER 16, 2017

We started our 2^nd day in Bataan early because we joined a group tour for Five Fingers. Our Airbnb host offers breakfast for a certain fee and we availed that since we were not sure if there was any food establishment near the meet-up point for the tour.

From our Airbnb, we took a jeep bound for Mariveles since no bus was passing by. Upon arriving at the port, we met with the tour guides from Bataan Weather Page (BWP). They were responsive to our messages, especially when we got lost trying to find the meet-up location.

T and I availed the Economy Tour, which costs Php 999 and already includes the following: boat ride, tour proper, packed lunch, and snacks. Aside from this good deal, what convinced us to book this tour is their assurance that their group is authorized by LGU Mariveles and Bataan Tourism as well as being featured in travel pages and TV shows. Click here to find their page dedicated for the FIVE FINGERS TOUR.

I wasn’t paying attention to the names of each spot we visited but I’ll mention the various activities we did during the tour.

Our first stop was where we would do trekking. The guides told us that it would only be a “pabebe trek” but most of us concluded that it was not. We were lucky that it was a sunny day so we didn’t have to worry about muddy paths or accidentally slipping up while climbing or going down.

Still, despite having a bit of difficulty, the scenery at the top was worth every sweat!

 

After this, we hopped to different areas around Five Fingers where one of the highlights was cliff diving. The first cliff diving spot had a height of 25 feet while the second one was about 40 feet.

Snorkeling was an activity mentioned in their page but we didn’t visit any place to do this. Quite a bummer because T and I brought our own snorkelling gear. 😦 We went to a spot though with lots of sea urchin and rocky places for pictures so that compensated it na?

Our last stop during this tour was a beach with fine sand. We were the only people there so we had the place to ourselves. BWP provided us free lunch so none in the group had to cook anymore, yay! After lunch, we spent another hour swimming in this area… we even found a starfish!

We went home around 3PM and spent the remaining hours in our Airbnb, relaxing and chatting with our hosts. I’ll be sharing more details on our Airbnb hosts and their place in the next post!

PH, Rizal: Masungi Georeserve (Take 2)

AUGUST 21, 2017

Didn’t expect I would be back in Masungi Georeserve after a year. 😊 This time, I went with friends from work and while it was a holiday, the fees we paid were priced with their weekday rate (Php 1,500.00).

The sceneries I saw during this trip though was the opposite of what I experienced during the previous year. We had good weather in 2016 so pictures were also better: https://itskeanne.com/2017/04/09/masungi-georeserve/. But for this trip, it was raining and foggy. The only positive thing perhaps is that it wasn’t scorching hot and humid.

After our briefing and a short walk, we encountered the first rope course, which is LAMBAT (“fisherman’s net”). The side chosen by my friends in the photo above is the easier one as the other side has wide square holes which your foot can easily slip into.

Next rope course is still SAPOT, which mimics a spider’s web. Quite a bummer because all we could see around us was just fog.

Quite a long walk after to reach the next rope course. We crossed a short hanging bridge right after Sapot…

…We also had to go down here in SUUTAN, where we had to be careful of slippery rocks because of the heavy rain.

And finally, we reached this area. The new additions here were the swing-like seats made of ropes. There were plenty enough of these so we got to sit anywhere we wanted to. The rain poured heavier during this time so we took a long break here and ate our trail food a.k.a. chocolate and energy bars. Hehe.

 

 

We resumed our trek when the rain subsided and we arrived in PATAK (“drop”), which is an air house suspended above the trees.

After a quick break, we encountered another rope course which will lead us to the next major spot. Note that you will not wear any harness but good news now is that there are two course options to choose from: 1) what we did in 2016 which is just open space around; 2) cage-like barrier that will probably make you feel safer from falling (psychosomatic, I think).

We arrived in DUYAN (“hammock”) shortly after, which is one of the most popular spots in Masungi Georeserve. The guide will assure you of its safety as they used ropes and steel with strong quality that can withstand weight and pressure.

YUNGIB NI RUBEN was our next stop – quite dark and cold but still a lovely place to take a quick rest. The lamps inside made us feel like cave explorers out for an adventure.

TATAY (father) and NANAY (mother) were our last stops in 2016 but this time around, these were not because of the new attractions added. Both Tatay and Nanay are rock-formed peaks which give you a breathtaking 360 view of the surrounding nature and landscape.

We were fortunate enough that the rain and fog were gone by the time we arrived here so we finally got to see a good view.

Before we reach the official rest stop for the trek, we had to go down this looong rope course called BAYAWAK (“iguana”). The rope course is called as such because it mimics the general shape of the animal. For the faint-hearted, fret not as the guide will show the long flight of stairs where you can go down instead of doing this.

 

 

From Bayawak, LIWASAN (“park” or “plaza”) is just a short walk, which has pools of water that serve as birdbath. They have a resting area here where you get to eat the free sandwiches and drinks provided by MG team. We chose the tuna sandwich option when we booked but we also got free bananas as part of our snacks.

 

 

Another new addition in Masungi Georserve are the rope swings in different shapes and sizes just right outside Liwasan.

The exit I knew back in 2016 was a long walk uphill to get back to the entrance. This time around, they now have an easier access to the exit. We went through SAWA (a type of snake), which consists of a long bridge that directly connects to the garden with the briefing area.

Took us about 5 hours to complete the tour in Masungi, mostly because of long stops due to the rain. Still had fun even if we didn’t get to see the best views offered here because of the fog and rain.

Kansai, Day 10 (AM): Ise-Shima

January weekends were quite busy so I only had the time today to finally post the first half of our Ise-Shima day trip! Here you go…

MARCH 15, 2017

Last day trip outside Osaka before we head back to MNL. Our destination is Ise-Shima, mainly because I want to go to Ise Jingu which is dedicated to the sun goddess, Amaterasu. Hence, it is considered as the holiest Shinto shrine in Japan. I read before that locals wish to visit this place at least once before they die.

I bought our train tickets back in Manila by going to the English website of Kintetsu Japan. Got our Limited Express train ticket for ¥2,640 (2 pax) so we had an early train to catch for this day. The trip was about an hour.

Upon arriving at Ujiyamada Station, we looked for a bus that would take us to GEKU (OUTER SHRINE) of Ise Jingu. It is relatively smaller than Naiku (inner shrine) but nonetheless, a tranquil and breathtaking place. Geku is dedicated to Toyouke Omikami, deity of three essentials of human life: cloth, food and shelter”.

Further exploring Geku, I saw a couple going up these stairs and eventually found myself in front of a small shrine. Paid respect before leaving for Naiku…

From Geku, we rode a bus that would take us to Naiku. They said that another option is to walk but that would be too long and it us usually done for pilgrims.

Upon reaching NAIKU (INNER SHRINE), we were greeted by this first torii framing Ujibashi bridge.

Fun fact: Ujibashi bridge is rebuilt every 20 years as part of the Shikinen Sengu. The most recent Shikinen Sengu happened in 2013. All shrine buildings and main bridges in Ise Jingu are rebuilt every 20 years, and they source their wood from the trees grown within the shrine grounds. Through rebuilding, it is said that the power of the deity is renewed.

From the bridge, it was quite a long walk before we reach the area to do temizu. Notice how people only walk along the side and not stepping on the center area. If I remember correctly what our Tokyo tour guide said, this is because the center aisle can only be walked by their deities. It was easy to spot tourists because some kept on walking on the center part.

We reached the area where you could do the usual way of doing temizu but I could not pass up the opportunity to try the traditional way…

Here by the riverbed of the Isuzugawa, you can directly soak your hands in the water and rinse your mouth. Temizu is a must whenever entering shrines and temples as it is said that the gods loathe impurity; hence, the need to cleanse the mind and body through this method.

A little bit of walk from here and I saw the prayer hall, where I bought two types of omamori (Japanese amulet that provides luck or protection) for myself and one for our home.

Naiku is definitely bigger than Geku and the place does not feel like the usual shrine. Think of Meiji Jingu but a lot bigger and with longer walks from one spot to another. I definitely enjoyed walking slowly and taking in the sights here.

We finally reached the Shogu, the main palace. This is the area dedicated to Amaterasu-Omikami, Shinto’s most venerated deity, and her sacred mirror is believed to be enshrined inside. Most people are not allowed to enter here but donors and bigtime people are given special exemptions. Locals still pay their respect by bowing and praying.

After retracing our steps back to the entrance, we walked a bit more and reached OKAGE YOKOCHO. I read that this is part of Oharaimachi, the traditional approach to Naiku. The place is a recreation of how towns looked like from Edo to Meiji period.

An interesting thing here is “tabearuki” (食べ歩き), which means that food/local delicacies can be eaten while walking around the area. This is a big deal because in Japan, eating while walking is considered taboo and disrespectful.

Lobster croquette

With real lobster bits!

Did not like this 😦

Butasute (meat croquette)

We also passed by this shop which had a long line so we decided to join and see what the fuss is about. Apparently, they were lining up for this mochi-like product made of red beans. There was no English product callout or explanation so I am not sure what it is… But when I took a bite of it when I got home, I understood why. Not a fan of adzuki but this one did not have the overpowering bean taste plus it was not too sticky.

Some more exploration in the area and we found a shop that was selling fried chicken as street food. We bought one serving and we were blown away by the taste. I could not remember though the name of the place. 😦

We made sure that we were able to go around the whole area before we decided to get lunch… I realized that the only activity we did in Okage Yokocho was to eat. Oops! We went inside this restaurant called EBIYA (ebi means shrimp) because we were attracted by their menu outside the restaurant.

We both got the tekonezushi set meal, which included a huge piece of raw abalone. I have always been curious on how it tastes especially after seeing abalone in different Korean variety shows. Proof of its freshness was when I squeezed the lemon over it, the meat-like stuff wriggled for a long time!

Meal set J and I got

Raw abalone (gumagalaw pa!!)

Tekonezushi is also known as “fisherman’s sushi/meal” as it is believed that this originated from a meal that fishermen made while out in the sea. It is a local delicacy in Ise which consists of marinated red-meat fish (usually tuna or skipjack), vinegared rice, and garnish. In our case, we were served tuna with Japanese pickles.

Tekonezushi

Next half of our adventure in Ise-Shima is in the next post. 😊

 

LINKS TO OTHER KANSAI REGION / JAPAN 2017 POSTS:

Japan, Day 0-1: Kyoto (Higashiyama Area)

Japan, Day 2: Kyoto (Arashiyama)

Japan, Day 3: Kyoto (Fushimi, Northern Higashiyama)

Japan, Day 4: Kyoto (Central & Downtown)

Japan, Day 5: Kyoto >> Osaka

Japan, Day 6: Kobe >> Osaka

Japan, Day 7: Himeji >> Osaka

Japan, Day 8: Nara >> Osaka

Japan, Day 9: Universal Studios

Japan, Day 10 (PM): Ise-shima

Japan, Day 11: Osaka

Mount Pulag

JANUARY 21-22, 2017

DIFFICULTY LEVEL (according to TA site): 4/10

Last December, Tin and I spontaneously booked a hike in Mt. Pulag (via Ambangeg) with Trail Adventours. It was scheduled in late January, which meant that we would be there in one of its coldest days (a lot of people say Jan-Feb are the coldest months).

Our main guide was Jeric, who happened to be one of our main guides in the Gulugod-Baboy hike so it was nice to see a familiar face. We had a pre-climb briefing a few days before the hike but those who were unable to attend did not have to worry since the deck was forwarded to them.

We left Manila on January 20 (around 10PM), and we arrived in Baguio the next day (before 4AM). From Baguio, we rode a monster jeepney where our end destination is the homestay. But before heading to the homestay, we had a few stops first.

Our first side trip was the AMBUKLAO DAM. Near the dam, there was a body of water where a few locals were fishing in the early hours of the morning. It was really cold even if we were wearing thick jackets. I checked my phone and the temperature was estimated to be 15C.

We headed to JANG JANG HANGING BRIDGE afterwards and while the bridge seemed sturdy, it was still quite scary to see how high we were from the ground. According to Jeric, the walk from one side of the bridge to the other would take 10 minutes so he advised us to just walk until the middle portion. True enough, it felt like we had walked far enough from one side of the bridge but the other side still looked far. A word of caution though that according to the locals, only max of 10 people should ideally be walking along the bridge.

Our last side trip was the DACLAN SULFUR SPRING — nothing much to see except for, well, sulfur. Do NOT go too near the bubbling pools of water as it can corrode your footwear or worse, damage your skin. Also a warning that the place smells like rotten eggs.

 

Before having lunch, we went to the DENR OFFICE to attend the mandatory orientation where do’s and don’ts were discussed. They also mentioned that they are only accommodating max of 200 hikers per day, which is good because this move helps take care of mountains and prevent theme from being bugbog. Another important thing discussed there was how DENR assigns which point in Pulag will be your last stop. We were lucky enough to be assigned to the summit. Other points are labeled as Point 2, Point 3, etc.

We had our lunch in a local eatery, as part of the TA package we availed, then headed to BABAN’S HOMESTAY. I was surprised with how nice and clean the homestay looked like, plus it was just a few minutes away from the Ranger Station so the location is very convenient. We had the afternoon as free time and by dinner time, TA team distributed the TA Mount Pulag shirts and discussed the reminders for our early hike the next day.

 

We slept early and woke up around 11:30PM to prepare for our 1AM hike. We rode the monster jeepney going to RANGER STATION, where we met with our local guides. From there, we started the long and chilly hike to the summit of Mount Pulag. Our first stop was CAMP 1 and part of the trail going there was quite steep so I had to stop and catch my breath every now and then. From Camp 1 to Camp 2, the trail was easier since most of it was just flat. CAMP 2 to the summit was quite challenging again since there were portions of the trail that were steep — and it was a bit at the beginning of this trail when my head lamp fell off from my forehead and died. Good thing my phone was fully charged so I used its flashlight instead (but less powerful light and smaller area covered!).

It was still quite dark when we reached the SUMMIT, as the hike from the Ranger’s Station was about 4 hours; hence, we were there at around 5AM. We looked for a good spot to watch the sun rise slowly from the horizon, and all I can say is that the scenery was just purely amazing. What I thought back then was how lucky we were to witness such spectacle, and how blessed this country is with the wonders of nature.

 

Here comes the sun(rise)

 

TA team provided sandwiches, apples, and coffee for our breakfast in the summit. Of course, as responsible hikers, we cleaned up our mess — although this should be already ingrained in every hiker or aspiring hiker, sadly, a lot of people still leave their trash in the mountains.

The hike going back to Ranger’s Station still took about 4 hours but it was easier especially the trail from Camp 1 since we were heading the opposite direction already.

Upon reaching the homestay, we freshened up ourselves and packed our things since we will be heading back to Baguio after lunch. We arrived back in Baguio around 4PM and we were given free time to do whatever we wanted as our bus is scheduled to leave at 9PM. Tin and I bought pasalubong in Good Shepherd then we ate early dinner in CANTO, which is one of the restaurants in KETCHUP FOOD COMMUNITY. There was a loooong line when we got there (which was the reason why I wasn’t able to eat here despite visiting K.F.C. back in 2014 and 2015). We were lucky because two of our fellow hikers were next in line to enter and they invited us to join their table.

Tin and I were supposed to head to Chocolate de Batirol but since we were both too tired from the very early hike, we went back to the bus station instead. Our bus left on time and we were back in Manila before 3AM.

So far, this is the best hike I did and this just further reinforces my passion to hike mountains.

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THINGS I BROUGHT (30+5L Brown Trekker backpack):

• 3 Uniqlo Heattech tops (2 normal, 1 extra warm)
• 3 Uniqlo Heattech leggings (2 notmal, 1 ultra warm)
• Lakambini cargo pants
• Baubax travel jacket and thick Dr. Martens socks — borrowed from my sister
• Pair of gloves
• Bonnet
• Hiking rubber shoes
• Hiking sandals
• Trail food (nuts, energy bar, dark chocolate, energy gel)
• 3L of water (but only brought 1.5L in Mt. Pulag)
• Trekking pole
• Head lamp
• Disposable rain coat (in case it rains)
• Emergency blanket
• Waterproof cell phone case
• Small bag (This is what I brought during the hike – for trail food, blanket, rain coat. Our TA guide was kind enough to bring my 1.5L bottle of water)

Masungi Georeserve

JUNE 25, 2016

On a writing spree again — now documenting this difficult-to-book but very memorable trip about 8 months ago. Brace yourself for the long hike. From our experience, it took us more than 4 hours but that was because we spent some time taking pictures in every highlight of Masungi Georeserve.

Masungi Georeserve started to become popular around late 2015/early 2016 to the point that all weekends until mid-2016 were already booked. I had my hopes down that I would not be able to visit this anytime soon but eventually, one day back in May, my sister chanced upon a free slot on June 25 (which was a Saturday). She immediately booked this even if she was not sure if she could complete the requirement of having minimum of 7 in a group — it was a problem that she postponed to thinking of later.

After successfully booking the schedule, my sister invited a few of her friends plus extended the invite to me and a few more friends. We became a group of 8 so we were good to go! We paid Php 1,400 per person for the conservation fee.

On the day itself, our schedule was at 6:30AM but we got there 2 hours later because we got lost in Baras. We blamed Waze because the road it suggested was a muddy, un-cemented path that led to a dead end. Good thing the MG team was very understanding of what happened. (Highly recommend to have your own private car going to Masungi Georeserve. While there are jeeps passing by, they are quite rare and are usually full already.)

Our park ranger / guide that day was Kuya Elmer, who has a good sense of humor and is an eager photographer. He would volunteer getting my friends’ cameras to take pictures of us. And of course, we were too happy to comply. 🙂

We had a briefing first done in SILUNGAN and it was here where we were given our kits — bag, helmet, whistle, and a bottle of water.

After a few minutes of walking, the first rope course we encountered was the LAMBAT, which was easy to accomplish since it was just very short.

Some minutes of walking again and we reached SAPOT, which boasted majestic views of the surrounding areas / provinces. This web-like rope course is made up of cables that are strong enough to withstand the weight of people, but we were told to avoid jumping around. We spent some time in this course since we had too much fun taking pictures, and Kuya Elmer also showed us that we can have our pictures taken under the Sapot.

We returned back to hiking afterwards, and we had to cross this hanging bridge. No need to fret because it was not swinging too much despite having a number of people walking on it.

We passed by a few caves, and eventually passed by this swing-like structure, where we had fun taking turns sitting there.

Eventually, we reached PATAK, which is a beautiful air house. It is shaped like a raindrop hence its name. It is suspended high above the trees and there are two bridges connected to it. We spent a few minutes here to rest and enjoyed the swings inside.

A long rope course was in store for us after heading out Patak, which would eventually lead to DUYAN. By far, this seemed to be the most photographed part of Masungi Georeserve, and one could see why. This huge hammock is made of ropes, and it is definitely not for the faint-hearted or people who have fear of heights.

After climbing down the last rope course in the area, Kuya Elmer led us to YUNGIB NI RUBEN. This particular cave was named after the person who takes care of this cave i.e., Ruben. He also mentioned that this cave is part of a karst landscape, and a good place to get away from the heat of the sun.

Next stop was TATAY, which is the taller rock-formed peak. Another place to soak in the majestic view around the area.

Not far from Tatay is NANAY, another rock-formed peak interconnected by small bridges. This area has a better view of the landscape around.

Our last stop that day was at LIWASAN. The pools of water are not for swimming, and serve as birdbath instead. This was our final pit stop before heading back to Silungan. We ate the free sandwiches from MG Team, and enjoyed the cold tea-like drink they provided. After getting re-energized, we finally made our way back to the starting point.

Kuya Elmer mentioned that MG Team is planning to add a few more “attraction” points, which is something to look forward to in the near future. This gives us another reason to go back to Masungi Georeserve. Highly recommend this to everyone — while being physically fit is an advantage, the whole trail is fairly easy even if you do not workout. 😉

Mount Gulugod-Baboy + Sombrero Island

MAY 21, 2016

DIFFICULTY LEVEL (according to TA site): 2/10

I became lazy again to update my site — it’s always an on-and-off relationship with blogging, or more of documenting travels as I always tell (or correct) my friends since I rarely write here.

So, after exactly 9 months, I have decided to finally write about my 2nd hike last 2016, which happened in Mount Gulugod-Baboy.

Just like the previous hike, I booked this trip via Trail Adventours and was accompanied by Tin. Our main guides this time were Jeric and JP, who were both funny and easy to talk to.

We were blessed that we had a good weather that day so we did not worry about muddy trails and getting wet in the middle of the hike. We had 2 main rest points, wherein we spent about 15 minutes in each point to catch up our breath and eat our trail food. It was also the place where we got to know fellow hikers in the group — plus shared our food (and be on the receiving end too – yay for free snacks!).

We reached the summit in about 2 hours and the view was absolutely stunning! We spent almost an hour there before starting our hike back to the parking lot for lunch time.

 

 

After lunch time, we changed into our swimming attire since TA package included a trip to Sombrero Island (called as such because the island is hat-shaped). We hopped on the rented boat and according to the guides, the island was once a free-for-all place. However, it has been declared as a “private property” hence there are fees to be paid, including renting a cottage. The island was just small but it looked quite difficult to go around the whole island since there were areas which were too rocky.

Swimming in the sea was more than welcome because we were there at past 1PM and the sun was shining bright (so much that it was awfully hot). We had to wear our slippers though while swimming since the bottom was full of small rocks instead of purely sand. Nevertheless, the sea was crystal clear and had different shades of blue.

Hello Sombrero Island!

 

We left Batangas mid-afternoon and while the traffic going back to Manila was quite heavy, the exhilarating hike and swim were more than enough to maintain a really happy mood. Another great hike from TA and we will surely be booking another hike with them soon!

Mount Palay-Palay (Pico de Loro)

APRIL 24, 2016

DIFFICULTY LEVEL (according to TA site): 4/10

Tin and I spontaneously decided last March to hike a mountain. I was curious of the popular monolith in Mount Palay-Palay (more popularly known as Pico de Loro) so I decided to book a trip with Trail Adventours.

Had a bad experience with TA’s Mount Pinatubo team last May 2015 but I decided to give them another shot since the Pico de Loro team would be led by a different set of guides. Well, turned out I made a good decision to give TA a second shot. Our guides (Sir Eugene, Agnes, Brent, and Desiree) were all awesome! They kept on encouraging the team throughout the hike and they interacted with everyone — qualities which I did not see from our Mount Pinatubo guides.

We saw that the level of trail difficulty so we thought that such score would be okay for beginners… we missed out the part that the overall difficulty was intermediate. We eventually got left behind (but not the very last) but we were able to make new friends because of that. Sandy and (another) Tin!

The hike to the campsite took us about an hour and a half. There were a lot of steep slopes and rocky trails so we took a rest every chance we get. Nakakapagod paakyat! LOL.

 

 

 

 

When we reached the campsite, we were reunited with the team who went ahead of the pack. Yay! We replenished our energy by resting, eating, and drinking lots of water as we need to prepare for our short hike to the summit.

When everyone was ready to start the hike to the summit, we left the campsite and the locals told us that it was the best time to do so since there was no big crowd yet. Apparently, the summit can get so crowded to the point that there will be a long line of people waiting for their chance to be at the summit.

The hike to the summit was no joke. It was quite steep and the path was just dry soil and a few big rocks. One of our guides told me not to be afraid since I had good shoes. He said that what I needed to avoid were the small rocks because those do not have a strong hold on the soil. His words gave me the courage to move faster and the next thing I know, I was already at the top of the summit. Yay!

The famous monolith (restricted access to anyone during our visit but a lot were pasaway)

We spent about half an hour or so at the summit to marvel at the view around us. Sir Eugene even told stories from years ago when there was no developed trail yet and how their hike in the area would take more than a day.

After taking in the sights + taking pictures at the summit, we started our descent back to the campsite.

Near the campsite, there were a few more areas we could explore so Tin and I used the opportunity to roam around those areas.

The hike back to the parking lot was much shorter. While we took almost 2 hours to hike up to the campsite, it took us less than an hour from the campsite back to the parking lot.

It was tiring but every sweat was worth it! While Tin and I questioned our decision to take on a hike with intermediate difficulty, we did not regret doing this hike with TA. Cheers to more hikes this year! 🙂