Fear Conquered

02.21.2004 – Canopy Walk, Cagayan de Oro

First you have to know that I have this great fear of heights. Scared to rappel, scared of ridges (especially if it drops more than 10 feet), scared to look down the balcony of a tall building and definitely scared s**t to zip down to the first platform and walk on slippery (angled) bars and wobbly hanging walkways. No way Jose! But peer pressure and the thought of being left behind got the better of me and I lived to tell the tale. 😀

momentsforever_web

Credits: Amy Teets whitie tighties paper; Jessica Sprague Echoes of Asia dark blue solid paper, lt. blue solid paper; Jessica Sprague Echoes Ribbon – striped; Jessica Sprague Echoes frame 7×5; Katie Pertiet stamped moments-forever

So will I do it again? Are you kidding?! 😛

Update: Click on here for more information. Thanks B! 😀

Posted on December 9, 2008July 15, 2010 by Jenn 3

Mt Pinatubo

pinatubo_web

Credits: Jessica Sprague’s U&R week 2 layout and alpha kit.

A stunning landscape and a beautiful lake has made this sleeping giant into a favorite hiking destination, 17 years after its eruption. Been there twice and I am awed both times at how a horrible event managed to turn a mountain nobody seemed to care about into something so spectacular.

Posted on December 8, 2008January 24, 2010 by Jenn 0

Mt. Batulao

Sounds familiar? Yep I also never thought I’d revisit this mountain after high school. This was where we had our Bivouac eons ago so technically it is not my first time at Mt. Batulao. That bivouac trip, I remember was so much fun (at least for me) and it might have ignited my love for the outdoors. BUT because it was such a long time ago and my memory of it’s pretty hazy, I will consider this my first time. Besides, we took the new trail, which only opened early this year so technically it is my first, but who cares!

: Batulao from Caraluega

It was a nice day for a trek and in most part; the weather cooperated except for a brief rain shower over lunch prompting us to start our descent. The trail had beautiful views of the Batangas landscape passing grasslands and rolling hills. It was well maintained and best of all, the slopes were not very steep, although I did had to catch a breath or two ascending to either peak 3 or 4 (I blocked that out!). And to think that our 9 year old guide, Melvin and his sister were just hopping away. Haha! Need to increase my cardio to more than 15 minutes… um that is whenever I get myself to the gym.

Although ideal for day hikes, we encountered different groups of mountaineers carrying full packs with the intention of staying the night. There were even those who had already set up camp. For occasional trekkers like me (if given a choice) there is nothing like a delicious dinner to cap a day hike and a comfy bed to rest our aching bodies. I believe that good dinner, great hideaways (and a massage if I’m lucky) are the exclamation point to a great outdoor activity, be it hiking, rafting or diving. More on that on my next post.

Half way down, we passed Melvin’s house, which he shares with his parents and 6 siblings. They sell cold soft drinks, the freshest and the sweetest buko juice (coconut juice) I’ve ever tasted, banana-cues and at that time, they had suha (pomelo). Melvin started to guide at age 5 following in the footsteps of his older brothers. This is their playground; they go up and down effortlessly, sometimes even more than once a day.

: Melvin

: Melvin with sister Mabel

Sshhhh… I’ll let you in on a secret: we didn’t reach the summit because we were… err I was dead tired and it started to rain and it was already so beautiful where we were (about 30mins from the summit) and everyone agreed hahaha! We were happy running and playing with the kids (our guides). It was a good cardio workout but maybe we SHOULD strive for the summit next time eh?

: group with Melvin

Getting there:

: Caleruega

From Evercrest Golf Course, Nasugbu, you either walk or take a tricycle (which charged us P100 one-way) to the jump off point (we walked back to our car which was parked outside the gate of Evercrest). If you decide to not to take the tric, walk pass the road that leads to Caleruega. A few minutes later, you will come to a fork, take the dirt road on the right; you will pass a village where you can hire guides although it is a pretty straightforward trail. At the first camp or peak 1, you will have to pay a P20 registration fee.

Posted on December 6, 2008October 2, 2010 by Jenn 1

Of Birthdays and Friendships

“Sing a song of Birthdays full of fun and cheer and may you keep having fun for many a happy year.” Anonymous

“Good fellowship and friendship are lasting, rational and manly pleasures.” William Wycherley

Every year, we celebrate without fail, growing closer through the years. We used to just meet up for dinner but lately our celebrations have become more special, more memorable, enjoyable. We have the fortune of having our birthdays close to each other (well, ok a 3 month span might be pushing it?) affording us to celebrate together and more recently a bit more grandiose as we can split the bill 5 ways. Now why didn’t we think of that earlier?

Previous years’ celebrations would bring us out of town, an overnight even. Each and every one of them special in its own way. Our love for each other triumphs over any arguments or disagreements (and yes, we have a lot of those). And these out of towns are our Mighty Bond.

Bale Dutung

This year’s birthday bash brought us to Angeles, Pampanga. To Bale Dutung, Claude and Maryann Tayag’s residence. Here, we celebrated our birthday in a grand way. A 4-hour lunch specially prepared by Claude himself while Maryann served and entertained us. It was such an experience, a first for everyone. The menu was mainly Kapampangan with a twist, Claude’s twist. There were more appetizers/starters than main entrees but the variety provided us a chance to sample more dishes. Truth is, the food was a little too much and by the end of the course, our bellies would only allow a few spoonfuls

of the Seafood Kare-kare, which unfortunately was so yummy. Oh and the dessert (christened Paradiso by the late Doreen Fernandez) was HEAVEN. We actually had to take a break before dessert. The hosts graciously toured us around their lovely home. Bale Dutung, meaning “House of Wood” (or “Wooden House”?) had Claude’s sculpted masterpieces tastefully scattered all over the house giving it so much more character. And the papers, magazines, books etc added to its lived-in charm.

Special Mention

Can I mention again that the dessert was lip-smacking delish? It’s a little bit of crème brulee, yema (creamy candy made of egg yolks, sugar and milk) and halo-halo (it had a bit of ube, macapuno and camote) put together. That combination + the bittersweet crunchiness of the caramalized sugar… perfection! I heard that the secret to its creaminess (not so secret anymore) is Carabao’s milk! To. Die. For! Can you tell I have a sweet tooth? 😉 Heard that they normally serve this only to larger groups as it is not easy to prepare and that milk is not always available. So Mr. Tayag, you just made one girl verry, verry happy!

Note: will have to mooch pics from Irene– mine’s too blurred to post 😦 Gotta get a DSLR! Promise to be back with more pics.

Update: As promised, here are more pics… many thanks to Irene!

Deeply Honored

Thank you, my dear, dear friends for celebrating yet another year with me and may the friendship and the celebration continue till we’re old and gray. Love you guys!

Thank you too Claude and Mary Ann Tayag for opening your wonderful home to us. The food was exceptional, but the hospitality… matchless! Thanks again… sniff!

Posted on November 15, 2008March 20, 2010 by Jenn 5

my adventure odyssey

travel tales, gustatory delights and beyond