Foot and Fire

 After the Tinagong Dagat trek, 2009 This is how I looked after traversing the Bacolod to Talisay route using the trail via Tinagong Dagat.  No hiking experience, fresh from 8-5 desk job, no gears (not even a raincoat), I ended up like a Vietnamese finding refuge anywhere in the Mekong River paddies. If you can picture that, you know what I meant. Meanwhile, the expert hikers have raincoats, as pictured below. In short, my first travel tip is: Be prepared to look ridiculous!

I Searched for the Hidden Ocean IT FEELS GREAT TO BE INVOLVED IN OUTDOOR ADVENTURE ONCE IN A WHILE. It tests your capacity to survive in almost all aspects of life – spiritually, physically, and intellectually. Nature trekking reminds you to remember God and His pristine creation, to commune with nature, to be one with nature as you take in the chilly air of the fog, embrace the coolness of the breeze and feel the tiny drops of rain as they slowly and steadily touch your skin. I have had the honour to be part of the recent nature trekking of BAMC personnel. It was my first time to join a pack of trekkers and I even have no idea of what to expect. Since I was already there, I decided to conquer my fear of the unknown. I have always been a planner but this time, I just went on without any idea. But that did not make me any braver, in fact, that made me doubt myself especially looking at how the other trekkers look so prepared – see the outfit and the backpacks of SHEILA and compan...