Mt. Pinatubo: Astonishingly Raw

This trip marked my travel itch to go further. I was the usual traveler like everybody else: vacation to the usual spots only when needed. Backpacking was unknown to me. I was not a fan of trekking or anything related/similar to it that may shed sweat or bring that extra exhaustion. I used to fond only the beach, that was it. Never realized that the actual travel could be relatively significant or sometimes be the climax of everything. It taught me that sometimes, reaching point B from point A would be insignificant without actually appreciating the downhill, uphill, dusty, bumpy, and sometimes treacherous road. Mt. Pinatubo was the building block of the Travel Junkie.

 As the usual kababayan of my cousins who paid a visit from Canada, my role was to make sure that Filipino hospitality is well-defined, bestowed upon but not over-rated. We have gladly accommodated them of course in every way we could. Everyone knows how is it like to have your relatives abroad come visit you. We make them feel that despite the cockroaches under their beds, the endless traffic jam, the bugs and mosquitoes/fear of dengue, and of course the killer humidity, Philippines could be the best place ever! Though they couldn't understand any Filipino word as they were born and raised as French-Canadians, their innate Filipino nature of humility, and fun-loving remain. I say language barrier was there, sometimes when they talk fast and my Pinoy passive voice comprehension was slow to catch-up. haha. "I'm sorry, what was that?" was all I could say when I met dead end. Bwahahaha.

Me, Mark, Kuya Mark, Leilani

This event was "graced" by my eldest brother Kuya Mark, cousin Leilani Levesque and husband Mark Hall. From my parents' place in Nueva Ecija, we stayed at Kuya Mark's house in Capas, Tarlac. They have previously arranged a 4X4 ride which is a must for this trip. I didn't know what was going on then. Like I said, my role was just to be the Department of Tourism (DOT) representative. haha. I made sure Kuya Mark did the hard labor.

We left early morning as it would take an hour or so to reach the foot of the mountain where we're expected to trek going to the volcano's crater. The rugged, open/roofless 4X4 could hold 4-5 people plus the driver and tour guide. It was bumpy, dusty, treacherous maybe, but the view is out-of-this-world. It's like we were doing a Moon expedition or navigating a different dimension or something. The ash fall from its latest eruption plus the lahar made astonishing landscapes.

And then we took off for the 2-hour trekking. I thought 2 hours was a joke. I never walked that far then so you could imagine me almost backing out. But it was either I wait for them for more than 5 hours and do nothing or succumb to the trekking experience and see the the famous Mt. Pinatubo crater lake. I was thrilled of course but enduring the exhaustion was holding me back. I guess the adventure trait was kicking in already as I said yes. It was not bad, well, not bad at all. The downhill and uphill was pretty easy until you have to literally pull yourself up to reach the top of the crater which was the first and last hard part. The entire time, I almost didn't feel that we were already transcending so I could rate Mt. Pinatubo as a great start for those newbies who want try trekking. We also met a local family Aeta/Ita who is very nice. They were all smiles seeing us. I took some pictures of them as I wanted to capture how happy they are despite the difficulties of life. Or perhaps I wanted to take a photo of a family who clearly defines happiness in every sense of the word.

Happy. (Hooded guy is my brother, not part of the Aeta family. lol)

The crater lake was one of the best views I have seen to date. Water was turquoise blue, with that sulfuric feel good for skin allergies. Since it's a volcano crater, lake floor was really deep. Buoyancy is of course same with freshwater because it's supposed to be a lake (duh!). It was hard to float but with my fish-like swimming skills, I managed somehow.

At that time, Mt. Pinatubo was just starting to be opened to public. There were no stores or anything commercial. But I heard from a friend that nowadays they have water sports equipment, cottages and other amenities as a lot of tourists are already flocking the spot. They even have mud Spa in town. I am into industrialization and all that but I seriously believe that there are things better left raw. I didn't order sashimi pressure cooked, or dip-fried from a state-of-the-art cookingware, did I? I want it fresh as it is. Same us with this. People go there to feel that natural paradise, not a lake resort. I hope it would not be as bad as I thought it might have been due to the recent development. I could be wrong.

Mt. Pinatubo crater lake.

Mt. Pinatubo gave birth to great landscapes and magnificent crater lake but on a personal note, it is one of the determining factors how and why Travel Junkie was born. I was with nature and nature was teaching lessons I didn't learn in school. The journey I took is a realization that there is a definite end-point which could be really amazing and worth checking but the process made it all MORE worth it. Hardwork and determination helped me reach the peak. I may have doubted my capabilities but in the end I became versed  with what I could do.

And now I am ready to conquer more adventure!

By the way, I got really good feedback as this trip's DOT representative. haha

BEIJING, CHINA: Great things happened

This was originally planned as a solo act but my friends invited themselves to join. The aim was to experience snow skiing and have that White Christmas I have always dreamed about. Our country could not provide a single snowflake and to be honest almost all Filipino have wanted this at least once in their hot, tropical lives. 

Geographically speaking, Beijing was the best option as Japan and South Korea have visa terms stricter than China. The former is a giveaway. But the most compelling reason why I chose Beijing was the financial impact on my wallet. A backpacker's oath is to maximize every penny, every cent, getting the best value for everything. I try to live with my morals. I will never turn my back on my beliefs. Haha. You have to be street smart, independent and physically fit to be a backpacker. Damn right that's true!

Tokyo and Seoul boast their high profile lifestyle; one of the most expensive in the world actually. So why pay ten times the price when you can get a better value on a slashed amount. And besides, that White Christmas was just a lame excuse. I was really rooting for the Great Wall of China, and the centuries-old Hutong!

Everything seemed going according to plan until I realized something... my friends aren't the backpacker type. This statement does not, in any way, insinuate that my friends are considered otherwise based on what I mentioned earlier (second paragraph, second to the last sentence for your reference). =)

So we ended up getting a travel agency to book our airfare, hotel, tours, etc. Travel agency tour means higher cost for me. Personally, I didn't want to but with their continued persuasion and the idea that we all get to travel together was a thrilling thought. And since I am an unselfish (naks!) friend, adding P35,000 (with eyes closed) to my original budget SHOULD be worth it.

Skylab (Katipunan) facilitated our trip. For the longest time I was doing my own itinerary to all my trips in and out-of-the-country, I felt the convenience that this time someone was doing it for me. I guess my uneasiness in getting a paid tour could be attributed to an almost traumatic experience.

Travel Junkie side story...

Hongkong vacation was my parents' college graduation gift. They booked a tour from a travel agency in Tomas Morato, Quezon City. The package was okay but the itinerary "forced" us to go to some jade/jewelry stores, silk company, and pearl factory for most of the trip. This was not really the ideal package for me. But mom's point-of-view was of course otherwise. Shopping was the peak of our vacation. She went crazy buying this huge jade dragon boat home, jewelries you don't even know if they were genuine and a lot more. While dad was envious when I went out drinking alone in Guangzhou, China. Haha. Yes, I got to party with the locals and was treated royalty as I was a foreigner trying to speak those memorized Chinese greetings/words/phrases. Someone even bought me a drink. Was I a dish for them? I bet I were/am. I was really drunk that night. Nobody understood English but the bar's manager Huen. Language barrier was evident but a little sign language was handy. The bar was a few blocks away from South Window Hotel so I didn't hesitate to get wasted.

During the guided tours, we were packed inside this coaster with other Filipino tourists. That was okay but what really annoyed me was when we had to wait for others who apparently, was very strict in following the infamous Filipino time. Like, they owned the coaster and we were their faithful slaves. Since mainlaind China and Hongkong have distinct guidelines in terms of border crossing, it was really a pain in the "pants" to wait on very long queues that felt forever. Plus, we had to walk for over a kilometer with all our baggage with us (coach transfer from Guanzhou to Hongkong). Hongkong also had the same forced itinerary. It was the time I was really concerned about. I believe we could have done so much more. So I told myself, never again will I let a travel agency ruin my life.

Three years later, I found myself booking a tour for four in, uhmmm, a travel agency.

But the Beijing tour was way different. After a 5-hour flight, we arrived at Beijing International airport at exactly 9:00AM. We had to change to our winter clothes as the weather was -17. The Travel agency tour guide, Sungmi, fetched us and led us to our private van. She was really nice and has good English but with a thick Chinese accent. Comprehensive but confusing sometimes. She took us to a fancy restaurant and had an early buffet lunch which offered, (whatelse?), Chinese food.

Meet the tour guide, Sungmi

Meet the waiter

Meet the Chinese restaurant (background)

I got easily excited when she told us that we would first visit the Forbidden City. I never thought that I would ever see this. Forbidden City was the CRIB of China's Kings and Queens. It's like touring the White House but hundred times more dramatic and culture-ish.

Background lake iced up

In front of the Forbidden City

Everywhere you look was a picture perfect shot. However, taking pictures of Mai Zedong portrait was a big no-no unless you wanted to be scolded by the palace guards from the Tiananmen gate. Sungmi said it is against their laws.

Tiananmen Square is the first gate of the Forbidden City. It's a huge park where we have parked the van. :) Seriously. That's where we met our driver. And since we're ahead of schedule and dinner would be too early we asked Sungmin what would she suggest on us doing to kill time. We were all clueless until we passed by Beijing Worker's Club theater (tel. # 63528910) that showcased live Chinese Acrobat performance. We paid around P1,500 each and it's worth every penny. I highly recommend this to anyone who would visit Beijing.

Buffet dinner came after and checked in at Jiao Tong Hotel (tel. # 1362126041). This is also accessible by a subway en route the city's key places.

But one should really take a paid tour as commuting in China is a huge problem due to language barrier.

Highlights of my trip:

Temple of Heaven

Inside temple of Heaven 

Olympic Waterloo and Bird's Nest

Ming tombs

Authentic Chinese massage for free

Shopping at Wangfuji Street

The Great Wall of China

I conquered the Great Wall.

We thought of adding an extra day would be a good idea so we made adjustments on our hotel accommodation and flight schedules through our Travel Agency. Five days in total still felt too short especially when we were having a blast.

Skiing did not happen as it would majorly affect our planned activities and my friends were not really into it. For the most part, I got what I wanted. But did I?

This vacation happened a few years ago. Celly is currently residing in Ireland. Dodj, Yeye and I still work for the same company but practically living our separate lives already due to career involvement. The Beijing trip was our first and last out-of-the-country vacation together. Should I chose to travel alone, the classic Yeye-JP-Celly-trio-bullying-Dodj in China would have been a priceless non-existent scene; the wonderful gifts I received during our "White Christmas" would have been a celebration alone in a bar getting, typically, drunk; I could have happily skii-ed for half a day instead of the limitless and countless times we laughed, joked, bonded; I could have met new people and learned new things instead I was stuck with one of the best few people I have known.

All these because I gave in to my friends' persuasion, I ignored that selfish calling to travel alone, I booked my trip in a TRAVEL AGENCY.

The photo sums up my Great travel experience, the Great Wall of China and the Great Friends of the Travel Junkie.

Greatness.

BICOL: CWC and Caramoan Peninsula adventure

It was Bicol I chose this time. A very well thought itinerary. All good until I... missed my 10:00AM flight.

The eagerness to pursue this trip ended up riding the bus from Ali Mall to Naga City. Most of the better buses leave at night but since it killed me to wait even just for 1 minute I decided to leave Manila ASAP.  So I settled for the dreaded Raymond Bus Liner. Not the best option in terms of passenger accommodation and security (have heard a couple of road accidents from this company) but I was left with no choice. Supposedly just an 8-hour trip to Naga City but as expected it was way more than that.

Reached Naga Central Terminal around 11:00PM and walked to the nearest hotel. Pretty safe to walk around the city. Wasting time was my last option so at 12 midnight, I hit the sack.

Early city tour was my jump-start. It has been a trait that I scout the area for the nearest hospital, tourist center, police station or barangay office. Better to get familiarized with these as you would not know when you need one. While walking, a familiar face captured my attention, posted on almost every pharmacy and mini-marts. I heard the lady from the pharmacy store saying to her colleague "Siya 'yung model sa poster." I secretly smiled and didn't mind the comment. At that time, I was not really into fan autographs. Lol. "He looks better in person." This statement is of course just a figment of my imagination.

Gwapo nga.

Anyway, the city looked fairly progressive but one should not expect to see something like what we have here in Manila, not even Cebu. Strolled around, shopped stuff I found useful for my adventure.

Best way to start my wakeboarding stint was to have a hearty breakfast. I opted Bicolanos famous dish, the Bicol Express. Back home it was like overflowing pork and a few chili. But there, it was a chunk of pork with hundreds of slender chili peppers. A glass of water was not enough for every spoonful of it. It was almost unbearable.

Bicol "flaming" express.

Wakeboarding at Camsur

CWC was of course a blast. Wakeboarding isn't really new to me. My first was at Calatagan Resort in Batangas during college. Amenity-wise, you can't go wrong with CWC. Anyone can wakeboard with or without experience. For updated rates and other information, you can visit http://www.cwcwake.com. There was no queue when I went there but I was told it gets crazy during peak season. Someone even told me you may wait for a few hours to have your turn. It maybe an exagerration but that's the hint, NEVER go during summer season.

Join me.

Caramoan Peninsula

Now, Caramoan Peninsula was waiting for me to be explored. First jeepney trip (2 hours) going to Sabang port was at 4:00AM. From there, I needed to ride a boat going to Guijalo port, entry point of Caramoan paradise. It was low tide then and the boat could not dock near the shoreline. Big problem was I would be wet from above waist down, and was really worried about my stuff. But the locals have an unusual way in solving such travelers' dilemma. I was literally carried by the ship's porter on his shoulder. He was 5'4 medium built and I was like 4 inches taller, and way bigger than him. We were like the Russian acrobats balancing against the waves. A P50-tip was not enough to pay that priceless experience which I find hilarious.

A 2-hour sea ride to the port with roofless boat, I freely embraced the morning sunshine. You could also see Mt. Mayon from afar. I made my way in to the town through a tricycle, a rough ride indeed. 

Rex Tourist Inn was highly recommended by Lonely Planet. They have basic rooms: bed, pillow, blanket and fan/AC. I think that's the only commercialized accommodation they have there. Caramoan town is literally a small, not uber developed town blessed with nature's greatest treasure.

Resting was a luxury so I didn't waste time and started touring the small town and talking to locals. I learned that they have cave explorations that are oftentimes skipped by tourists due to proximity issue. Often, they get stuck just doing island hopping. I thought it maybe worth checking since I am into spelunking. So I hired a habal-habal, Kuya Noel, and off we went to the cave which unfortunately I forgot what its called. It was a 30-minute ride dust, mud and me. Met some local kids who turned out to be our cave guides, namely; Jenman, Romnick, Dinggoy and Apollo. They talked a lot which could be very entertaining especially when you're tired climbing uphill. I gave them P300 not for their services but to the kindness they bestowed. I felt like I was treated royalty as their balik-bayan family member. They were super thankful with what I have given them.

A 45-minute trek under the scorching heat of the sun, then rain, could not send away the thrill I was feeling. The cave has variations. It has small openings to cathedral ones. The best part was when I had literally squeezed myself to enter those small holes. 

 

The place was very remote and children were like everywhere. I took some photos, showed it to them and they were amazed that they can instantly view their pictures on my camera. They were innocent in technology but abundant with joys of simplicity which I find to be very appealing. We have such scarcity back home.

The next day was the much-anticipated island hopping. The beach was comparable to Coron, Palawan and the powdery sand was like of Panglao, Bohol. The islands didn't have amenities so I had to get comfort from the cliff's shade, the natural way.

Matukad island was our last stop and also where I spent overnight using my tent. It was in this island were Survivor France was shot. At that time, Survivor Siberia was shooting and Bulgaria was next on the list. You could just imagine how beautiful Caramoan is as Westerners kept on flocking the area for a taste of secluded paradise.

A Caramoan classic, tragic love story

On the said island lies an isolated lake. You need to climb that steep, sharp rock cliff to see it. It is  believed to be inhabited by a mystical being that takes the form of a giant milkfish (bangus). Locals believed it is the guardian deity of Caramoan Peninsula, protecting and preserving the beauty of the area. Should one try to catch or kill it, an equal misfortune is at stake. There used to be two, a couple actually. As manong caretaker relayed to me, one night a man shot and killed one just to prove that such myth never existed. But when he came home to his family, (alas!) his wife and children were found dead with wounds appeared to have been gun-inflicted. The myth maybe true but what really saddens me is the fact that the guardian is now left all alone swimming in that deserted lake. Manong told me he sometimes see the other milkfish swimming but this happens very rarely. I thought how it missed its better-half so much. Sad.

The story made me really want to see the lake.

The secluded lake in Matukad island.

Once you see it, you'd feel the eerie, sad atmosphere. Or probably, I was just affected by the story. The view from above was amazing. 

It was my first time to camp in an island, not really alone but with two island caretakers doing the rounds. I felt safe. That morning, I saw a huge iguana near my tent.

As much as I wanted to stay longer, I didn't want to miss my flight again so I went back to Naga City. But since the airport is close to CWC, I obliged myself to wakeboard again, and again, and again until I was all done and ready to fly back to Manila.