:)

I got an unexpected message from Parmina, a nun I met 2 years ago and who is now based in Indonesia, that she is in town until June 3 and would very much love to see me. So I visited my holy friends from the Daughters of St. Anne and had a nice lunch, sharing stories and catching up. It's always nice to be surrounded by people of faith with their infectious positivity.

We got an unexpected treat after we heard mass when my mom's friend, Tita Erly, gave us free extra tickets to something I had been meaning to watch but hadn't found time to purchase tickets, Forbidden Broadway! I would've paid for the show if I wasn't too lazy to procure tickets. But man oh man I am so glad to be given a chance to watch it. I laughed so hard bordering on hysteria. One of my favorite songs they spoofed was Fiddler on the Roof's Tradition, and of course Wicked's Defying Gravity. Hahaha. It was brilliant! And we were so lucky to have Menchu Lauchengco Yulo as our surprise guest. The best things in life are really free!

Another surprise was seeing my friend Mela in RCBC, whom I originally made plans to go watch the play about a month ago. :)

This made me remember an entry I made about collisions. About seemingly random acts making sense if you're not an active participant, but as an observer watching your own life unfold. Wala lang. Nakakatuwa lang.

I gave another lecture for the field of neuroscience last Wednesday. Compared to the other lectures where my heart was pounding like crazy, and my palms all cold and sweaty, I was unusually calm for this lecture and even ate the buffet dinner prior to the lecture.

Maybe I'm getting used to public speaking? Sana. I wish I could be like my mentors in the future. The pathology greats who don't feel nervous anymore. Sana...

This was a picture of the poster that Kat took, two days after the lecture. I was surprised that I was the only lecturer for the night and I let out a big WHOA silently in my head.



And this is a picture that JB took after the lecture when they gave our certificates of appreciation.


There are a lot of things that give me so much pleasure/relief in life these days. Apart from the relief after wanting to pee or poop so bad, I find so much pleasure after a successful lecture, and reaching the summit of a mountain.

Hoping for more reasons to feel this way. :)

Because my Tres Marias climb was cancelled in the last minute, I took up on Gid's invite to his "twin dayhikes" gig for Trail Adventours. Together with Farah, Dan, and Martin, and 15+ participants, I again marveled the beauty of nature.





It's my third time to climb Mt. Batulao. Whereas my two previous climbs resulted in intermittent cramping, this climb was cramp-free! I don't know if it's because I now have stronger leg muscles or because I drank a lot of buko juice along the trail. :)




An extra in this climb is Gid got interviewed by GMA 7 and it was fun listening to him answer the questions. Being passionate about hiking his beloved mountains, it was like just hearing him in his normal spiels.



We made good time in doing new to new trail. But it was a draining climb because of the heat. We ate lunch at the jump-off point of Mt. Batulao and rested a bit before heading to our second mountain for the day, Mt. Talamitam.




It's my first time to climb this mountain. I started out strong at first but after 30 minutes under the afternoon sun, I was feeling light-headed and awfully weak. I had to take a lot of rest stops that went beyond my usual time and even had to lie down twice underneath the shade.




The trail of Talamitam, unlike Batulao, was bordered by an extensive grassland devoid of trees. It wasn't difficult, was gradually ascending, and non-treacherous, but I was so unbelievably weak and so slow. I felt like throwing up from the heat and the lack of even the slightest breeze.




I am so thankful to Farah for encouraging me to go on in my weak state and for trying to lessen the heat by using her umbrella as a makeshift fan to stir up the still air.




Compared to Batulao, its trail is unremarkable, but the view atop its summit is more remarkable. We could see the neighboring mountains from afar and it was just breathtakingly beautiful.



By this time the air was getting stirred up and I was feeling better at this point and started to enjoy the views. The elements, as FR put it, really have a vital role to play in every climb. I am realizing that my greatest enemy is the heat, and my strongest ally is the wind. I am strong in subzero conditions and almost dying in boiling temperatures.



As in every climb, I discovered another facet of myself I would have never known if I didn't experience it firsthand. As I climb greater heights and push myself to unknown limits, I discover little by little that I am not a wilting flower, and I am made up of epic stuff. :)

There were a lot of milestones in this climb and I am looking forward to more milestones in the future.

After Kilimanjaro, the plan was to train in other high altitude mountains just in time for the now foiled plan of climbing Elbrus in August. One of our training climbs is Mt. Syue/ Snow Mountain/ Hsuehshan, the second highest mountain in Taiwan, and was dubbed to be the most beautiful mountain there.


The climb was organized by Gid, but because of work-related conflicts, just accompanied us to Taipei and did his own dayhikes with Agot Isidro. Joining me were Dr. Carnate (a colleague in Pathology), Coby (owner of Trail Adventours), Tita (someone I met in Kalawitan), Sir Gles (someone I met in Arayat), Marcus, Eka (UPM) and Pam (AMCI).




I had been anxious for months with this climb because it would be my first time to climb with a full pack without a porter to help me. :) I just love the climbing part and the sights that come with it and not the gritty details carrying your own pack or sleeping in tents.

The first day from the jump-off point to Cika hut was supposed to be easy, but with my own pack and light rains, my spirit was slightly dampened. Carrying a full load is definitely hard and it took everything I am to encourage myself to just climb steadily.


We were rewarded by a sumptuous feast for dinner, and I had positive vibes from everyone in our group. I had a difficult time sleeping that night though with all the noise other hikers made. More than 30 climbers were cramped into that hut and I couldn't discern if I was able to sleep that night.



We had an early start the next day. And it was more miserable than yesterday's climb. From Cika to 369 hut, the rains wouldn't stop pouring. I was drenched so horribly and was cold from the fierce winds. My left arm became edematous from my pack and I don't know what force propelled me to reach our destination.

When we arrived at 369 hut at around 9am, the sun finally came out and the rains finally stopped. We were advised to go for the additional 4kms to the summit as we had to take advantage of the weather. So after putting on a dry shirt and heavier outer layers, replenishing calories and shaking my edematous arms, I proceeded to continue up to the summit.





The views were so amazing. The first part of the summit assault was about 2 kms of grassland and after that we entered the very mystical Black Forest which looked like something out of the Lord of the Rings.





The trail was not technical and scary compared to two of my recent climbs (Kalawitan and Tarak), but since it was pure ascent combined with the cold and the high altitude, it was just as hard.






It took every positive thought and words of encouragement in my internal dialogue to propel myself to proceed to the summit. With two others quitting from experiencing some symptoms of mountain sickness, it can be disheartening to move on, especially when you don't feel good yourself.




But I was there and the summit was beckoning me to reach it. I continued my slow but steady pace which Bart, a Taiwanese friend of Gid, commended on as good.




Finally, after 10 hours of hiking in the biting cold and hard rain, I reached the top of Mt. Syue. It was a hard climb for me but unlike reaching the crater of Kilimanjaro which drove me to cry, reaching the summit of Syue just gave me a pleasant feeling of knowing what I can do and what I am capable of.






The descent was just as tiring but after what I went through that day, it was just a silent denouement after an explosive climax.




The next day we were finally rewarded with good weather and the most amazing views I have ever seen. What I didn't see during the first and second days due to the rain, I finally saw with clear skies, and clearer eyes.




There are no limits to whatever we set our mind on doing. During the whole climb, as with my other climbs, the strength to move on is not driven by my physical capacity to do so. It's in my will. It's in my single, driving purpose in every climb. Not to conquer the summit of a mountain, but to surrender my spirit to reach greater heights.

Farah and I had been planning to climb this mountain since March, and finally, upon Carla's insistent pleas, we did it yesterday!




It's been a really hot summer in the Philippines the past couple of weeks that I was fearing a heatstroke in this climb. But most of the the trail was covered by thick trees so we were relatively spared from the sun, albeit still, unmoving, warm, air.



FR, Farah and I joined forces again after 2 months of hiatus (although FR and Farah climbed the Holy Ridge with Gid last week). Joining us were the Bonifacios (Joe and Carla), the power couple now turned hiking addicts, Dan, and Glenda.




The trail was initially deceiving. With gentle slopes and paved trails. It was very scenic, and there were a lot of things that are pleasing (and interesting!!) to the eye! I feasted on a lot of amazing things, like the strong roots of the trees and the drying leaves on the ground....




And then came the rocky portion, which was also deceiving because of their beauty. Then came the assault where I rock-climbed an almost 80 degree trail comprised of rocks and (thankfully!) thick tree roots.





Then came my most hated part of the climb, the 80 degree rock/loose scree portion with nothing to hold on to. After this portion we were near the ridge which really offered some amazing views of Corregidor and Manila.



After the tiring and draining (because of the heat and lack of breeze) ascent, we finally had our lunch under a clearing, which is also where Dan, Farah, Joe and Glenda slept for about an hour.




We had a scare when momentary drizzle came, so we decided to do the summit assault already to make good time. It was a repeat of what we've gone through the last stretch. Oh how I hated the loose scree and steep rocks! :)



Then finally, we reached the summit which showed even more spectacular sights of the neighboring cities, and showed us a magnificent view of the Mariveles range! After the requisite pictorial, we made our painful way down.








It was a difficult climb altogether. I realized how much I could still improve and train for. Glenda had a harder time going down the trail because of her knees. Good thing FR and Dan were there to guide her all the way down.



This climb made me realize a lot of things. And I am still contemplating if I will humor FR's invitation.. All in all, it was a marvelous day to climb, with friends. I will surely miss Farah when she leaves for Canada in June.

The long ride from Manila to Baguio to Mountain Province brought a lot of memories flashing back. It was the around the same time three years ago where I took the same route to meet someone dear to me and unexpectedly, the Sagada-bound buses just brought a slight pricking pain right through the left side of my chest.


But I wasn't going to let this stop me from enjoying this trip that I had been looking forward to since I first read about it - the recently opened Mt. Kalawitan that has been postulated to be the tenth highest mountain in the Philippines, and the 4th highest in Luzon.



This mountain used to be laden with traps thus the monicker "hunter's trail". With the recent training of then hunters turned guides in 2010 though, the mountain was made accessible to the public albeit controlled. No camping is allowed and the only place one can stay is in the hut at the Apa campsite, a refuge of locals since the time of war, that can house around 15 people.




Going to the campsite was a pleasant trek from the view point in the highway going down to rice fields, crossing streams, and hanging bridges.






It was a short hike (less than 2 hours), to reach the campsite and the rest of the afternoon was spent chatting up with the local guides while they prepared our dinner. It was customary for them to prepare the food and we were really pampered in this trip.





After dinner we were treated to a traditional dance with gongs and as with all the cultural trips I've been to, participated in the dancing. I slept soundly that night, excited to finally climb this elusive mountain the next day...




The trail was hard. There isn't any way I can describe it perfectly. It consisted of pure ascents which tortured my poorly trained heart :)




The trail was initially through a pine forest which later on became mossy. It was a splendid sight to see although I was scared of getting feasted on by limatiks or blood leeches that infest the damp parts of the trail.





As with every climb, I was again lulled by the hypnotizing trail. My feet treading on familiar territory. I again walked, climbed, and soared. It was a difficult climb for me, especially in the latter part of the trail which was steeper than the rest (around 80 degrees incline) but as I reached the summit, I was again reminded on why I do this.






Each step brings me one step closer to every goal, to every dream, to every wish I want to achieve.





Each step I take brings me one step closer...




To myself.

I didn't know that Cebu had any mountains so when I saw Farah's picture at the summit of Osmena peak, I fell in love with it and wished to climb it someday. Two days after, my cousin told me she was visiting her partner in Cebu for a week, and a light bulb suddenly lighted in my head. Talk about the universe paving the way right??




"Can I visit you just to climb a mountain?"

To which she readily agreed and even asked me if they could climb with me as they haven't done, and I quote, "this sort of thing" before.

"Sure!!"

So armed with nothing but the image of the summit in my head, I booked a flight and flew in and had a marvelous time, as always.






The bus ride to Dalaguete took around 2 1/2 hours. The winds more than made up for the sunny day. We finally arrive around 9am and I was itching to hike already!



It took us less than 30 minutes to reach the summit as the habal-habal took us to the foot of the mountain. The roads were paved and the sights weren't scenic at all so it was really not advisable to hike it from the bus stop which would take around 2 hours, and we were planning to traverse to Kawasan falls which a 5-6hour hike away from Dalaguete.




The traverse was difficult. The trail wasn't steep, but the recent rain made the stones especially slippy, and it was mostly a downward slope so it was really painful to the knees. I was breaking in my new trail shoes and I could feel the rocks pushing against the soles albeit being Vibram.




But Ate Jay and Kuya Willie were game and up for an adventure and I didn't hear even a single squeak of complaint. :)

It's nice being able to hike without the disturbing sounds of small talk and music. These are my trail pet peeves and though it's ok to occasionally hear those sounds, I'd rather not. I like being able to concentrate on my steps and relish the trail and the views up ahead without those distractions.




We were still hiking at 5pm and there were signs of rain coming. We decided to backtrack after we reached a dead end. By this time, even I was tired so we refreshed ourselves with the best Coke of our lives. We then learned that we were on the right track and the "dead end" actually led to a really small trail leading to the falls.




Since the hike wasn't tourist friendly, without signs or trail markings along the way, we opted to get another habal-habal to finally show us where Kawasan falls was.




We finally got to Kawasan around 6pm and it didn't disappoint. It really was majestic. But I didn't like how it got turned into this garish tourist site where plastic chairs and tables surround the basin. Life vests and katigs could also be rented. Kuya Willie took a nice dip in the clean and cool waters, while I just peed and rested my poor feet.



I was surveying where our trail could have led, and it was probably in the first tier of the falls. Sayang we weren't able to see that part. Maybe I could go back there in the near future after meeting Kuya Willie's aunt, who is a major exporter of sterling silver jewelry pieces abroad. :) I have major plans churning in my head and I would probably act on them at the third quarter of the year. :P




All in all. This trip was worth it. Seat sale, free board and lodging, and not to mention, food! Yum yum! I got pa a complete set of sterling silver jewelry studded with Australian turquoise! :) And most especially, a very rewarding hike.


P.S. I'm sharing this picture on which my caption in facebook was "This is why I love hiking"..



In which my funny photographer friend, Zer, spoofed as:


HAHAHAHA. Hilarious.

Now this is what I call entertainment! After seeing the ads in NYC last year, I had been lusting to watch this show ever since. So when I saw the ad along Roxas Boulevard I immediately asked Glends to watch it with me.




After a failed STOMP last year, I enjoyed this year's unconventional entertainment, FUERZA BRUTA and had a marvelous time! Not being a fan of bars and night-outs, this show/rave party still managed to wow me immensely.



It had a vague feel of my recent experience with Sipat Lawin's Battalia Royale where the audience had to move around to make way for the performers.




I was at a loss what the plot was though. It was either too deep for me to get, or it had no meaning at all. :)

But I have long since been cerebral about these things and just went on with the flow, and had a really great time.

This is my second time to organize a dental mission for Ulingan, but the first time to hold it in Ulingan. Thanks to my cousin who is an active member and past president of the Malabon City Dental Society, she was able to refer me to her active dentist friends as she is busy making up for lost work days after Nanay Nene's confinement in UST.

Many thanks to the Caloocan City Dental Society and the Armed Forces of the Philippines Dental Chapter for the free tooth extraction for kids and adults of the Ulingan. I'm looking forward to our next project in May!

A month ago, I was pleasantly surprised to receive an invitation from World Vision Philippines to attend a sponsor appreciation night for 5yr and 10yr sponsors. Wow. I had been sponsoring a child's education for 5 years already! That's more than my length of stay in one training institution, longer than any of my relationships, longer than any commitment to any cause, longer than any passion for a hobby! :P




I figured I should attend because it commemorated something significant in my life that I had been able to maintain something this long. As a rule I tend to veer away from these types of events, but I guess this type of stuff gets appealing as one gets older..




I had been silently keeping this sponsoring stuff to myself before, felt that one shouldn't advertise about being a sponsor and just donate anonymously. But with the FB age I guess this would be the perfect time to reach out to people that there are a lot of things you can do to help those in need.





That night a child sang a really touching song. One previously sponsored child now turned WV volunteer as an adult also sang a beautiful rendition of a Josh Groban song I don't know the title of. We heard a testimonial from a previously sponsored child now turned fishery tycoon. And also heard a touching testimonial from a 10-year sponsor.

It was a night filled with Hope and I am most grateful that I went.