Summer Vacation Is Officially Over

Summer may not be over yet: mainit pa rin ang panahon! But since MBA class resumes on Monday, summer vacation is officially over (for me at least.) After this weekend, balik na naman ako sa pagiging estudyante at empleyado at the same time!

Balik-tanaw nga ng konti sa summer vacation ng 2006 . . .

Unang hirit ay ang Holy Week: as usual, sa simbahan lagi ang tuloy. Tugtog dito, tugtog doon. Kanta dito, kanta doon. Dasal dito, dasal doon. Kain dito, kain doon. Ilang taon na ring ganito ang ginagawa ko?

This was followed by the 70-kilometer cycling around Metro Manila last April 23, during the Tour of the Fireflies.

At siyempre pa, ang aking six-days vacation stretch from work - April 26 to May 1. First stop was Banaue (Ifugao), with an overnight stay at Batad and a visit to Tappia Falls. Second stop was Sagada (Mountain Province). Last stop was Baguio City.

After that vacation, I was called in by my boss and directions were given: I have to join our events team in Cagayan De Oro City, conduct a training workshop after the event, then proceed to Davao City and conduct that same training. That's a total of 13 days in Mindanao. Yahoo!

After the Saturday event, I scheduled to white-water raft on a Sunday break in Cagayan De Oro, kaso, naiwan kami. So, we instead visited Macahambus Park and tried their canopy-walking, zip line and rappelling. Someone from the nearby store offered to contact the guides for the pinoy white-water rafting (the one featured in the Extra Challenge). And so at 1:30 pm of that same day, we jumped from a bridge to start-off the water adventure tour using rubber tubes. Surely I wil not forget it, as the experience left a permanent mark on my knee: a big scar. But hey, adventures are supposed to be rough, so that scar is actually an adventure medal!

The Davao trip was a sentimental one: I was posted in that city for a year (July 2002 to June 2003). I visited the places I used to go: the Church, the mall and the beach. I even visited the house I rented in.

At ngayon, balik na naman ako sa magulo at mausok na Metro Manila. Balik na naman sa trabahong opisina, balik na naman sa eskuwela. Balik na naman sa realidad! O baka naman panaginip lang ang lahat ng ito?

Summer 2006

Naaalala ko nung elementary, kapag start ng classes sa June, laging merong essay na "What I Did Last Summer". Sayang at walang ganito sa MBA . . . andami ko pa naman sanang isusulat. Eto ang checklist:

1. Tour of the Fireflies (naisulat na)
2. Banaue 2006 (naisulat na)
3. Sagada 2006
4. Baguio Market
5. Cagayan De Oro City Macahambus Park
6. Cagayan De Oro City Pinoy Water Rafting
7. Davao City "Mall Tour" hahaha
8. Davao City Beach-Walking
9. Davao City Sight-Seeing
10. Davao City Joey Ayala's Concert

Matatapos na ang summer . . .

Banaue 2006

As early as February, I filed for a vacation leave for April 26 to 29. My target is a Manila - Banaue - Bontoc - Sagada - Baguio - Manila route, same thing I have taken eleven years ago. This time however, I already know (due to other previous visits) that I can compress the trip to four days, unlike the seven-day itinerary back in 1995.

Who will go with me? I posted the invitation to the UPMBA class. Many responded yet backed out later. In the end, only four of us pushed through with the plan. (My alternative plan then was, if I'm leaving for the Cordilleras alone, I will bring my bike and explore MTB trails.)

We left for Banaue on the evening of April 26 and was in Batad before lunchtime the next day. Back in 2001, the road from junction to saddle was still under construction. Today, it is now used by jeepneys to ferry tourists back and forth. After lunch, we rested for an hour, then started our trek to Tappia: one of the most beautiful falls in the Philippines. Though this is the second time I visited the place, I was still amazed by its beauty and cool water. We stayed for about an hour, then started the trek back to Batad. As expected, the trip back to was more difficult considering we have to climb back using the steep concrete and stone stairs. (Good thing it didn't rain, or my trek-mates would have killed me.) We arrived at Hillside Inn at around 5:00 in the afternoon, and helped ourselves to a generous serving of chicken 'pinikpikan', vegetables and rice.

We all sleep soundly (as in with sound effects!!!). Friday morning, we trek to saddle point after breakfast, and ride the jeepney back to the Banaue town proper, where we waited for the bus to Sagada.

Eleven years ago . . .

Balik-tanaw sa Abril 1995.

We left Manila on Monday morning after Easter, and returned a week later. Our route then was Manila - Banaue - Bontoc - Sagada - Baguio - Manila.

The Banaue leg of the tour was a killer. We hiked from Bangaan to Junction, then up to Saddle (there was no road then, only a half-meter wide trail and stairs), down to Batad, further down to Tappia, then trek up to Batad, and down to junction via the steep shortcut route. We started at 7:00 am and was back to Bangaan at 7:00 pm by hitching a jeepney ride from junction. The hike up and down the stairs was so difficult that all of us are limping from cramps by the time we finish the trek.

The Sagada leg included the equally tiring trek to Bomod-ok (Big) Falls and the difficult trip inside Sumaguing Cave. It was so cold then that we all have to wear our jackets whether we're inside or outside of the inn.

I remembered saying then that doing that trip once in my life is enough.

I was wrong!

Mahalaga Sa Akin

Mahalaga sa akin ang bawat mong pagtingin
Pati na rin ang bawat sandaling ika’y kapiling
Mahalaga sa akin ang bawat mong ang awitin
Ang himig at tinig mong nagpapasigla sa akin.

Mahalaga sa akin ang bawat mong paglalambing
Na tila humahaplos sa puso kong nahihimbing
Tunay ngang mahalaga nang ako’y ‘yong mahalin
Sing halaga rin ng pangakong ikaw lang ang iibigin.

(Originally written on April 20, 2001, as I sit on a wooden chair facing the vast terraces of Bangaan in Banaue, Ifugao. It was the Retrek 01 of the youth community, and as I stared at the different colors of rural life, I came to realization that memories I cherish most, are those that affect me positively. Kunsabagay, bakit mo nga ba naman pahahalagahan ang mga bagay na sasaktan lamang ang iyong damdamin.)

Naalala ko ang tulang ito dahil kagagaling ko lang ulit sa Banaue. Sayang nga lamang at hindi ako nagkaroon ng pagkakataon na muling magsulat.

Biking Galore

Last April 23, I again joined the Tour of the Fireflies, a rally-gathering of cyclists for the environment. Last year, there were more than 3,000 cyclists in a 50-kilometer bicycle tour around Metro Manila. I am not sure of the numbers of cyclists this year, as a failed to see press releases and news items regarding such figure.

During that day, I biked the 10 kilometers going to the starting point of the tour, then biked the 50-kilometer route, and went home by biking another 10 kilometers. That's a total of 70 kilometer run under the summer heat of the Philippine sun. Result ---> a toasted cyclist. Hehehe.

My passion for biking is rooted in my passion for traveling and seeing places. I bought my bike early last year as a birthday gift to . . . myself. So far, it has taken me to the busy streets of Ortigas and Makati, to picture-perfect places in Intramuros and Binondo, to as far as the 'killer' roads of Maarat in San Mateo and the Laguna Lake port of Angono.

Next year, I'm targetting a bike-and-hike trip to Mount Pulag. In preparation for this, I'm planning practice trips to Mounts Arayat, Sembrano and Famy; power and endurance training on Maarat, Samat, Tagaytay and Antipolo roads; and do further test runs on Batad (Banaue), Banaue-Bontoc road, and Halsema Highway.

And I also need to organize the group that will participate in this, and upgrade my bike to ensure that it can endure these trips.

Hehehe. Masaya ito.