profound bliss

As a side trip to our Pahiyas Festival 2012 trip, I took K to Kamay ni Hesus. I had been there two years ago but it’s always a good thing to come back and be a tour guide to a friend. It was the middle of the day, the sun was shining oh-so-brightly and I was feeling like fainting. We’re so used to climbing mountains at that level of heat, but it’s really different when you’re up several MASL than when you’re enduring heat in the lowlands. The Noah’s Ark was still under construction when I first visited the place but it was all done now and being used as a retreat house. We didn’t have any tripod and it was a good thing someone asked me for a favor of having their group photo taken. I also asked her to do the same for K and I at the doorstep of Noah’s Ark. Despite the heat, we proceeded in climbing the steps towards the Ascending Christ, which is the third biggest in the world. We passed by stations of the cross along the way but we didn’t pause to pray due to the sco...

Mt. Maculot is a favorite destination for new mountaineers. The Rockies, being the most popular point of Mt. Maculot attracts newbie climbers because of its friendly trail and friendlier height (706+ MASL). The summit, though, is a little bit higher (830 MASL) and the difficulty depends on which trail you use. As for adventure-seeking newbies, my friend Danilo and I opted for the more difficult traverse by way of the grotto trail. We set off last September 20, a Monday, leaving the house at 1 am for our much anticipated first climb together. This was his first mountain, and my second - the first being Mt. Romelo in Siniloan, Laguna . We arrived at Cuenca a little past 5 am, starving. Good thing there was one open carinderia offering stuff to warm our tummies. So we had a big serving of Lomi for only 35 pesos each. Asking the store-owner for directions to the local church, we reached St. Isidore Parish just when that morning's mass was about to end. Quite admirably, they ...

Posting on Facebook where you’re going proves helpful if you’re looking for a travel buddy. You don’t really have to say you need a company, they’ll ask to come with you. In my case, I actually planned on going to Lucban alone. I just wanted to see Kamay ni Hesus Healing Center in Brgy. Tinamnan, and from what I have read, it’s a worry-free destination even if you’re alone. But a friend named Rachel – who used to be a neighbor - saw the post and wanted to go. Why not? I love going to places alone but it’s always fun to have a friend for company. So we met at the bus terminal in Alabang at 5:30 AM last September 12th. She had this Deuter daypack on her back and a Canon G10 slung on her neck. So posh. A far-cry from the Sandugo backpack and Kodak C813. LoL! Anyway, our bus left Alabang at exactly 6 AM and arrived at Lucena Grand Terminal exactly 9 AM. The trip could have been shorter if not for the stops Manong Konduktor demanded to look at merchan...