A summer day at Osmena Peak of Dalaguete, Cebu

When one is past her infancy in travelling, she learns to choose her steps carefully because time has more meaning now than before. It is not about ticking off the number of items in the list anymore. It is more about retracing the steps taken and carefully trailing the steps to be taken because space takes on a different dimension now than before.

April of last year, Osmena Peak of Dalaguete, Cebu colored my summer. The first thing you will learn while going up the Peak is that Dalaguete is not pronounced as Dumaguete. It is silent E as in palette. But of course, when you reach the peak, the first things you will experience are: Fresh air, summer breeze, ocean salt feel, grassy hills, rocky cliffs, pretty karsts, short and long climbs, provincial scenery all conspired to evoke country songs in my mind and the paintings of Amorsolo of fields and golden colors. While taking in everything, you will also think of a thousand enormous and tiny karsts of Halong Bay as well as Tam Coc of North Vietnam and a few rocky cliffs from El Nido, Palawan you have seen before but don't worry because you will still end up granting Osmena Peak its own merit, and love it.

The hills of Osmena Peak are ones that can be enjoyed by beginner hikers, and can be completed even by wearing the wrong shoes. Hahaha! (I was on my slippers, thanks to travel light). It pays to see everything from the top because one can appreciate the Karsts, the green hills, the skies against the oceans.

But one has to be patient in taking the queue in having that one successful pose with at "The Spot." While waiting, one should sit down and meditate while slowly taking in the view and the vibes of the place while simultaneously drinking up the cold water and wearing that big hat. Take that mandatory time by the cliff.

Of course, you can't resist a doting guide who knows where is the most picturesque side of the peak. Get one so you can help sustain the local tourism. Check out more of my photos below taken by our giddy guide.  

 

Of course, every hill is incomplete without the wildflowers. So I snap and snap some more of them. Aside from these wildflowers, I recalled the smiles of the Bisaya kids selling sayote and highland vegetables. Life and flowers are both so beautifully simple and so engaging to watch closely. Here are two of the blooms that I was able to snap on our way up.

Did I say already that Osmena Peak evokes a pastoral setting? One of my friends was chased down by a friendly goat. Yes, the goat acted like he's a dog, so amiable and playful. So don't get surprised if a friendly kid which must have grown into a happy goat licks your legs when you get there this year. Only in Osmena Peak.