Foot and Fire

  I have a tip to myself: I'll go camping next time. It would be a wonderful treat to one's stressed out brain to sleep under the tall pine trees of Bucari, located in the mountainous terrain of Leon, Iloilo. Pine trees abound in the camping site and you would wonder how old they were and whether they were planted intentionally to make a pine tree playground. Well, when I go back, I know what to do. I'll go camping or if I'm in a company of scared bunch, there are cabins for rent in the camping ground. For food, we can buy fresh vegetables displayed nearby from lettuce, cucumber, sweetpeas, cabbage, rootcrops and cook them in the camping ground, or simply buy from the turo turo available around.   From the camping grounds where taking in fresh air was a wonderful exercise, our bunch decided to go up the Mansiga viewdeck which has 772 steps and made into a way of the cross. We made our inhale exhale every three stations. It was tiresome but a rewarding ve...

This the most popular of all sculpture, the Sota sang Canlaon.  This is taken from a local folklore. *** Just something not local, cherubs... *** *** One set of sculptures that tell a story. *** More of the group! *** Closer look on the ladies. *** along the way, we passed by this. *** Our aeta brother must be. *** by the pool. *** *** *** This is not a sculpture, of course. LOL. The chair is has an epic paint! ***

Aside from waters (featured in previous post), Kaitulari offers nature trek. It is only a beginner's trek, so don't fret. After enjoying our packed lunch, taking photos, singing in the videoke machine, and enjoying the pool, we decided to do the trekking heading to the sculpture gardens featuring characters from the local folklores. We went up some steps and slopy cemented road then followed the trail under the shades of the lining mango trees. We stopped to catch our breaths along the way and took some memorable photos. When we arrived in the placid lake of Cita, our tiredness dissipated and joined with the air of serenity of the place.

I was able to celebrate my birthday in 2006 or 2007 at Kaitulari Resort. We stayed there overnight at the time so that we enjoyed a long afternoon of swimming in its irregularly shaped pool and an early morning hiking. Digital cameras were not yet around so I had film photos only at the time. At about six years after, I was able to retrace our trail, enjoyed videoke and the lush greeneries sans the pool this time. All with digital camera at hand.   Water is in the refreshing pool, in the placid Lake Cita, in the tiny fish spa, in the zen-inducing rushing waters of the creek. It is all over Kaitulari. The centerpiece of the resort! *** The decorative photobooth by the pool! *** Pool! *** Fish spa where fishes can feast on one's foot's dead skin *** The creek semi-circling the Kaitulari resort property. *** The rushing waters of the creek is passing by here *** and here. *** The placid Lake Cita. ...

As part of our tour with Harold's Mansion, we went to Casaroro Falls located at Valencia town of Dumaguete, Negros Oriental. The hand-sketched map of our driver-guide says we have to descend 335 steps down the falls and have to hike for 35 minutes before we can see the falls. It is kind of manageable except, he did not say, we have to trail a moderately sloping way towards the entrance of the falls. We paid P10/pax for entrance. The boy did not warn us of the difficulty ahead; I just told him that three ladies, small-medium-and-large will be following us and I will already pay for their entrance fee. Then starts the 335 steps made of steel and some man-made steps which are quite manageable as there are handrails for safety. Upon our descent, the falls is nowhere to be seen yet. We changed into our bathing suits and continued to march on, clinging, jumping, skipping rocks of all imaginable sizes. We finished one stretch and made a turn to the left but we see no fal...

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...