Danao x Sea of Clouds x Kaukay Falls

                I thought that it was going to be a typical experience, a normal sight-seeing to this internet famous Sea of Clouds in Danao ,but I was wrong. We were taken to the depths of Danao and somehow found our heaven in there.

     

          5 educators who are undeniably thirsty for new things and new stories ventured to the heights of Danao, Bohol. This is the first time that the five of us decided to take a breather out of the suffocating environment we have ( students’ reckless behaviors and colleagues as well). Since we need a breather, we chose to vent out our angst and unheard arguments to Danao which happens to be the place for extreme adventures and death defying activities. With the wrong reason and the right place, we planned our itinerary.

Sea of Clouds

            

            For us to anticipate problems and prepare ourselves, we read some articles and blogs about the place. If you want to go to a foreign place, just like us , you need to read reviews and recommendations to contact the right people because sometimes a perfect getaway comes from the right tour guide. After reading, we contacted Ma’am Donnie Suter and Sir Ponciano Suter since they welcome travellers in their humble home. For Php 500.00, you can already have a room good for two to three people and its air-conditioned. Reminding everyone that their home is not a hotel so please be responsible! When we we’re there, we talked about the nature of our tour! After we explained to them what we want to see, they offered us to contact a habal-habal driver for Php 100.00 who can take us to the places we mentioned. Luckily we have Kuya Benoy and the gang to accompany us.

         The night before, we prayed so hard for the rain to abstain itself from pouring because you will not see any fogs if it will rain and aside from that, the footpath leading there would be muddy and will be prone to accidents. Fortunately, the universe conspired to our plan and the rain never came. At 4:30 am, we departed from the house and by 4:45 am we arrived at the site. I lost count of the time when we trekked but one thing for sure, the struggle was real. Since there were also other tourists who were checking out the place, Kuya Benoy made us walk to another “Moto”(hill) to separate us from them. It was still dark so, we just waited and did some crazy stuffs.Patience is a virtue and the wait was worth it. When we saw the fogs accumulating up as the sun overcame the darkness, we were in deep silence as we savored the moment and feasted our eyes to God’s majestic creation. I mumbled my first name and thought, Mary Cielo this is your place.

Kaukay Falls

            I will always recount our experience in trekking this falls as perilous since compared to Aguinid Falls, where we are surrounded with people who are very acquainted with the falls already, the Kaukay falls is an untouched paradise with very few people knew about its existence. Kuya Benoy, who guided us there, was very sure that he could take us there but not sure if we could make it unscathed.

            The Kaukay Falls is near to the site of the Sea of Clouds. It will only take about 5 minutes to get to the starting point but it will take you at least an hour to get there depending on the weather. When we were there, it was chilly and it was also drizzling a bit. So, the weather slowed us.

           

         From the starting point, we trailed a very forested footpath surrounded with Cogon grasses and other shrubs. Aside from the footpath was forested, the trail was very muddy as well so slipping and tumbling butt-first was inevitable that time. This kind of trekking was not new to us since we already conquered all 5 level challenges in Aguinid and it was easy for us since the tour guides who accompanied us knew already what to step, how to step and when to step. Now, compared to our Kaukay adventure, Kuya Benoy and the others will instruct you where were you heading but not what stones to step, how to climb up and down and where to hold. So, it was a trial and error for us. the last challenge that really shook us was the almost 13 feet high trail. We need to climb down holding only a root which was sturdy enough. At first Kuya Antonio scratched his head especially when it was Irene and I’s turn to climb down. Eventually with all courage,we were able to climb down. We rewarded ourselves with a good splash of the cold water from the falls. Though we survived the climb but we were not free from leaf cuts, bruises and stone cuts. For the first time in such a long time, I was proud of the scars I got from that trek.

EAT Danao

            “You don’t pay for the rides, you pay for the experience” this is the quote I remembered back to the very first time I went to EAT Danao. I’ve been there for four times already and tried the rides already so I wasn’t pretty excited about it. My coldness towards the activity was pretty much in contrast to my companions’ excitement because it was their first time to be there.  

         

  Circulating rumors like that the place is already not safe or is abandoned already are not true in fact, when we were there we have tried activities like the Zipline, Cable Car and somehow watched some tourists braved the Plunge. In my humble assessment, the rides, the place and the activities are all packed for a rough and tough experience.

Gypsy’s Tips

• ·         Always contact the right people. For example, make bookings ahead of time and contact tour guides to help you wander in there.

We stayed in Hon. Ponciano Suter's humble home. You can also make your reservation one day before the stay. You can contact him or his wife through this number #09995170510

For the ride, you can also contact Kuya Benoy, who can be your driver, photographer and tour guide, through this number #09487799629

• ·         Check the weather since the sea of clouds rely heavily on the temperature

• ·         Travel with people you like.

• ·         Know the itinerary like in our case we thought that we are just going to hike but turned out we had a river trekking in our list.

• ·          From Tagbilaran, you can ride a van to Danao or buses.

• If you also have your own car, you can visit there conveniently. There are signages that are going to guide you.

• There are so many things you can do in Danao and it is a wise decision to visit the place.

  Note:

  To Irene V. De Claro, Jasmine Torrejas, Juvelyn Teves and Anabilla Siason, thank you for the friendship, love, care, jokes and comfort. I will always cherish those. Now that we are going in different directions, I hope that we will always remember that there will be always an "US". Kudos!

That Summer Fling: Negros Adventure

                  Away from the trending posts of pristine beaches and brazened tan lines, my insatiable soul now thirst for some place that can cool my internal and external layers. Hosting a wedding in Negros, I, together with my colleagues, went sight-seeing to some remarkable places in Negros specifically in Canlaon City. For three days, I was able to observe the humdrum lives of the people living in there as well as visit two of their famous tourist destinations.

                We arrived there around noon so we decided to stay first in the inn because of the scorching sun. To be honest, we didn’t have a plan as to what to do for the entire afternoon. Around three in afternoon, Ma’am Dhen and Sir Ronald visited us and brought us some Maruya. After discussing the wedding program, Ma’am Dhen suggested to us to visit OISCA’s Century Tree. We fixed ourselves and hailed a Habal-habal afterwards. There are no buses or tricycles around to take us there. The only means of transportation to get there is the motorcycle. I was a bit scared because they warned us that it will be a rough ride. And it really was! After several minutes of a bumpy ride, we reached the mysterious and majestic Century Tree.

"I didn't look up because I didn't care, I looked up because I know up there Someone cares for me a lot than you"

I'd rather wait for another century than be with someone who will be my greatest regret for the next century.

"Truly, blogs are made by fools like me but only God can make a tree"

                A witness to the changes that had happened for almost a century, the Century Tree or “Balete” and some say “Banyan” tree in Canlaon City stood there with its massive built and queer empire. You can’t help but feel that eerie feeling because flashes of childhood stories will feed your senses and will make you vulnerable. It may be famed for its scary stories but truth be told, it is also a famous location for pre-wedding shoots and debut shoots. OISCA’S Century Tree is a witness to the world’s prejudices and love stories that will probably still stand there for another century.

                A perfect trip to Malaiba, Negros would not be complete without taking a dip to their ice cold Inland Resort. For a shocker, the resort is for free. Totally no entrance fee! When I let the icy water engulfed my body, I was starting to shake. I feel like Sansa Stark freezing in Winterfell in one of the episodes where she was escaping from the claws of that damn Ramsay Bolton. Going back to reality. A swim from the resort really appeased the wrath from my scorched skin and tired feet. And I said to myself, What a Wonderful World!

                Whether you are booked to become a host or just a plain guest from that wedding, that unquenchable thirst for adventure that is rippling in your blood will always lead you to different adventures and funny misfortunes. To Ma’am Dhen and Sir Ronald, may you be showered with all the best things in life and to my always troubled in positive way self, brazen yourself for your next adventure!

 "Two couple. The first one wedded that day and the other one flamed that day but was burnt out the next month. It really was a summer fling!" 

FAT GYPSY TRAVELS: A Playlist for Summer 2016

723, 600 seconds of non-stop thinking of our students’ well-being, 12, 060 minutes of molding our learners’ mind, and 201 days of inspiring our students and to pay for those seemingly stressful days, we are given 3 days, 180 minutes and 10, 600 seconds to loosen up ourselves and just have some real fun in a nirvana far away from the prying society. In this year’s teachers’ educational tour, the administration chose to explore the Queen City of the South, Cebu. Cebu might have some famous and noteworthy summer destinations but the team BTC figuratively dragged their feet to the south part of the city. In this part, we can feast our eyes to the lovely white beaches, old churches and beautiful people. I have to include people because we have met a lot of people who have perfected our #summer2k16.

“One team, One Summer”

                I always equate good music to good times, so in my narration of this venture of ours, I would like to give you the beat that help us slightly nullify the savage summer heat. A good playlist is always part of a good adventure. Top of my playlist is ABS-CBN’S 2004 station ID, the One beat, One Summer. The beat is perfect for the seemingly incessant land travels we have and besides, it speaks for our travel as one family.

Day 1- March 28, 2016

The BTC Family together with the A.R Sisters who were running the dormitory

That single person who can do the Tango with you.
Glendaleine and I outside the dormitory. (c)Joseph Munalem

The first day of our tour centered in the city first. Our first stop was the St. Rita Dormitory. Our reverend sisters, Sr. Josephine Ativo, A.R. and Sr. Josephine Facinabao, introduced us to the different A.R. sisters who were there. We were there for a short time. We said our hellos, took some photos and said our heartfelt goodbyes afterwards. And let’s not forget the Easter egg chocolates our reverend sisters gave us because it really stuffed my rumbling tummy. After munching those chocolates, we proceeded to the shuttle feeling super hyper as ever. Honestly, I didn’t know the itinerary of our destination. It might sound utterly stupid to be oblivious about such important thing but it spiced things a bit because with every stop, it felt like fascinating things will follow.

Amidst the depressing snippets of the city life, the coaster rolled its way to our next destination which was the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral.  The most extraordinary thing happened here. The BTC family were approaching to the cathedral’s jubilee door. I was ahead of them because I want to take some photos of them candidly walk

(c)Joseph Munalem

ing to the door and suddenly to my left side, a group of children were screaming and running towards us while saying “magpapicture mi!” As a fellow who gulps 3-4 cups of coffee a day, I was frantically startled by the children’s behavior. But when I looked closely to these children they looked so genuinely happy. They were not begging for alms. They just wanted to pose a picture with us. They were in chaos. They grabbed Bea as if she is their long lost sister, they hugged our reverend sisters and they smiled as if we are some old acquaintance. Subsequently, we went inside the cathedral said our prayers and then proceeded to the adjacent establishment, the Cathedral Museum.

The playful kids trying to grab Bea around. (c)Joseph Munalem

Our dear teachers and sisters with the kids.

The Cathedral Museum is just across the street, if you are facing the cathedral. We were welcomed by Dr. Hazel Maratas . She explained descriptively the nature of our trip for the day like what will happen, where are we going and when are we eating. Before the tour started, we were oriented first about the team who are going to be with us, the protocols to be followed and the ideals of the museum. When we were inside the museum, I can’t really fathom the feeling. It felt like so surreal and at the same time so sad while seeing those artifacts. I bet that back to the time during the Spanish era those bells, those flower made shells meant nothing to the people. Now, those are our only glimpse of how grand that part of our history was.

Inside the museum, there was a wooden door and the moment you enter that door, all cameras should be turned off. The first thing you will see is the chapel. There laid the Carmen Collection which consists of the tabernacle, gradas, and altar panels. You can also see a rolleta which has many bells on it and when it was rolled, the bells sounded like chimes that echoed from a cave. In the second floor of the museum, all the memorabilia from letters, souvenirs and stamps are orderly showcased. In every artifact, there is a written explanation posted outside the glass. What really hooked my interest is the letter from St. Teresa. You can really see the waning ink. . After roaming around the second floor, we went straight to the garden which is located at the back of the old building. The landscape is promising but the location of the Mercedes- Benz is quite alarming. The car is not in its best appearance and is shaded in a green tent which I think is a complete disaster.

“We keep this love in a photograph

We made these memories for ourselves

Where our eyes are never closing

Hearts are never broken

Times forever frozen still”

-Photograph, Ed Sheeran

                Anything that is captured by the camera’s lens will remain forever that way. The smiles, the pain the stares or any emotion will be kept intact in a photograph. That’s why second in my playlist is Ed Sheeran’s Photograph because how I wish preserving a house would be as easy as capturing a moment.  When we arrived to the site of the 1730 Jesuit House, I was utterly disappointed. Why is this a construction warehouse? Then, out of nowhere, the curate of the museum appeared and led us to the room where you can see a diorama that occupied the entire room. Vivid as the diorama the vandalisms in the wall are.

Foul words and names of Filipino movies were painted in the wall by the former occupants of the room, the construction workers.

The curate of the Museum. Unfortunately, I forgot his name.

The museum is not only showcasing how it was back to Jesuit reign but it also opened our eyes to the tides of times it had surpassed. Like the vandalism, the renovations and the presence of the warehouse.


Inside the house, a whole new timeline was sashayed to us. Wooden chairs, chandeliers, a very comfortable sala and a one grandiose dining room. There were also pieces of how modern technology was back then. There was a telephone, an electric fan and a typewriter.I was in the office part of the house where accordingly the master would look over his workers through the window. I then let the aura bit my nerves and let the melancholic toxin flow in my nerves I let out a deep sigh and thought what could have been the master’s point of view while staring at those dug coins, tea cups and some remnants of the Jesuit House?

One of the bedroom in the house.

The very detailed kitchen in the house. The arrangement
 and the utensils are observed based from ho it was before.

The dug artifacts along the grounds of the warehouse.

           The next destination we explored was the Chapel of the Holy Relics of Tabor Hill. The chapel intrigued me at first because of the name Mt. Tabor. For all I know is that it’s a significant place for our Christian faith since it is believed to be the site where the Transfiguration happened.

When we disembarked from our coaster, we proceeded right away to the receiving area which was the chapel. Heavily adorned with gold leaves, the chapel is very striking. The most mesmerizing part is the painting above the chapel which depicts the Holy Trinity where Jesus Christ is the central figure.

The curate of the chapel explained how it started way back 2002 when Fr. Dennis Duene Gutierrez Ruiz, OAD received from a nun some first class relics of St. Augustine and his mother St. Monica. Her gifts were intended for a convent in the Philippines. In his nearly eight- year stay in Vatican working at the Office of the Relics, Fr. Ruiz was able to collect more with of course the consent of the right authorities. It may sound as a no-sweat job but the curate said he has undergone a whole finding a needle in a haystack process.

Now, the chapel sheltered over 600 relics of different saints from different timelines and kept in individual containers called reliquaries. In case you are baffled about what holy objects are placed in the reliquaries, here is the system devised by the Catholic Church. First- class relics are body part of a saint- perhaps strands of hair, fragments of bone, bits of skin and dried blood. Second- class relics are items used by the saints while the Third-class relics are objects that have touched a first-class relic. Fourth-class relics are objects that have contact with a second-class relic. Amidst the bustling life in Cebu, there are still few sanctuaries we can go to find serenity and the Chapel of the Holy Relics is one of them.

               

I was trying to do the "pinaRK pose". (c) Joseph Munalem

Day 2, March 29, 2016

I got this feeling on the summer day when you were gone.
I crashed my car into the bridge. I watched, I let it burn.
I threw your shit into a bag and pushed it down the stairs.
I crashed my car into the bridge.

I don't care, I love it.

              

       
 Famed to be the haven of the gentle giants, our next stop was in Oslob, Cebu. In this south part of Cebu, tourists swarmed because of their pristine beaches and majestic falls. We are no exception to that claim. When we arrive in Oslob, we stayed in this humble hotel, the Brumini Resort which is near to the Whale Shark station.

       As early as 7 a.m, we hopped in to the shuttle and went to the location. As expected, there were a lot foreigners in there as well as local tourists like us. Like the others, we listened to a short orientation about the protocols in Whale Shark watching such as how many meters should we be away from the mammal, what to do when the mammal comes near to you and what the effects of wearing sunblock creams are. As we wait for our turn, I fervently prayed for our safety. I’m not afraid of the sea yet I am more afraid of the creatures in the sea that might attack me and devour me. So I was surprisingly silent for a moment and went blank. I just don’t know what to expect. When the boatmen called our number, number 28, we put on our life vest and brought a snorkel with us. When we lurched into the blue waters, we were told that the Whale Sharks will be going around and we should just patiently wait.

After so many epic fails, I finally got it right. FYI, it is so hard to stay underwater with the current trying to push you.

The waiting game paid off when the Whale Shark passed in front of me flaunting its huge mouth and gigantic body. It was the first time I have seen a whale and I was left completely enchanted. Enthralled by the events, I completely forgot about everything. But the Whale Shark unexpectedly swam closer to me and I panicked. I swam pathetically and somehow unintentionally kicked the Whale Shark. The millisecond moment where my foot landed on its side registered to my senses and its skin is slimy. After the 30- minute playtime with the gentle giants. We were sent ashore and proceeded to our next destination. Knowing that there are animals that will hover at our size and as gentle as a lamb, that are hunted, killed and sold, I can’t help but feel shame on my specie.

             
       Ocean apart from the mainland Oslob, the Sumilon Island laid its grandeur surrounded by the majestic blue waters.

Its physical structure proves how God can be surprisingly good in architecture. A mountain on the other side and a white as a dove sandbar on the other side. When we arrived there, we climbed up to the mountain-like rock formed shaded part and placed our stuffs there.

At first, I was hesitant to take another dip because I had enough already during our whale watching activity but the water in Sumilon was very enticing. It seemed it was luring me to take another dip or perhaps stay for another 3 hours. Surprisingly, the water was so cold and the violent rays did nothing to make me hunt for a shade. Yet, I have to get out of the water because the sea irritated my sinusitis. My face reddened, my sinus area began to swell and the seemingly interminable painful and irritating sneezing started. What a plot twist! While our reverend sisters and a group of water babies were busy playing in Poseidon’s lair, I was left in our dining area wishing for Hermes to swiftly fly to me and make me swallow an herb to ease the irritation.

Day 3- Aguinid Falls

“Hope when you take that jump, you don't fear the fall

Hope when the water rises, you built a wall

Hope when the crowd screams out, they're screaming your name

Hope if everybody runs, you choose to stay”

-          I Lived, One Republic

               

Still feeling sick, I chose to be entirely positive for the day. My living coverings were already reddish because of the too much exposure of the sun. My legs felt heavy because of the flutter kicks we had in Sumilon. But those predicaments did nothing to dampen my spirit for our next adventure which was the Aguinid Falls. To be honest, I don’t have much good experience in terms of falls. I almost died in Can-umantad Falls while climbing up their 418 steps. Still, I’d say yes to any adventure. We fixed ourselves before we marched our way to the location. We were told that there are five levels for the semi-trekking in the Aguinid Falls and we were advised to just stay if we feel that we can’t continue.

(c) Joseph Munalem

For a 73 kilo beauty, of course, I will definitely surpass all levels. Even if my knees were already shaking because of the heights, I would still go because of my pride. Even if I know that I am bad at balancing, keeping my feet on ground and keeping myself free from risks, I would still go. Those were my first thoughts especially when we were crossing levels 0 and 1. But when we finally arrived in level 2, I thought I’m going to puke. Things changed. My heartbeat went beast mode. My knees were trembling. My Eyes were a little bit teary. I feel like I’m going to pee. How could a woman like me can climb in that approximately 15 feet high rock formation with water flowing in it? Bea and the others already stayed. I was going to but when I saw the majority went up, I said there’s no way I’m gonna miss the fun.

That victorious smile after completing all the levels. 
(c) Glendaleine Obena

I was at that time climbing down the Level two challenge. (c) Glendaleine Obena

 So, I flaunt my best awkward smile and did my best to stay alive. Behind the compacent grin were my unsaid prayers and last thoughts. As we strive our way to another level, there was this part wherein people can jump in it and just splash in the cold water. Sir Mario and Ma’am Tan tried and they said that it was fine. It is deep enough to be safe for plunging. The rest were too afraid and that being said, I was also scared. Surprisingly, Ma’am Irene, who doesn’t know how to swim, bravely jumped into the water. After that, we were deeply motivated and so almost everyone tried. When it was my turn, I unfortunately plunged into the bottom butt first and felt the hard rocks on my back. After that I walked like Quasimodo. When we finally reached level 5, it felt that you just win your life back. It was the only time I had recognized the beauty of the falls because all the time I was busy keeping myself unscratched. The water was cooling down my system, the worm view was heavenly and the air was just so fresh. We also tried their mini-fish spa there which was great. In the end, I was just singing this song in my mind.

“I, I did it all

I, I did it all

I owned every second that this world could give

I saw so many places, the things that I did

With every broken bone, I swear I lived”

                I have this dramatic mood swing that occurs only when something remarkable is about to end. Knowing that the night in Boljoon would be our last night for this tour, I was a bit upset. I kept my distance and I mummed myself the whole afternoon.

This is a candid photo of mine trying to get away from the flock.
(c) Joseph Munalem

I wasn’t expecting much for the night. I thought we were just going to eat and then zapped to our bedrooms. Contrary to what I’ve been expecting, we were told that we will be attending a program. I was astounded with the people who were there, the decorations and the preparations. I was like “Am I in the right place?” But when I saw our reverend sisters sitting in one of the prepared tables, reality punched me in the face and yeah! I was really in the right place.

The night was young when the affair started. Headed by Dr. Rouel Longinos Ed. D, Ph.D, the program was delightful. We were entertained by the students from Patronage of Mary Development School(PMDS) from chorale singing, folk dancing and Sinulog Dancing.

I like the Sinulog Dance the most because we were able to dance with the performers. Sinulog dancing has been part of my childhood since our patron saint back in our hometown is the Child Jesus. So, when Sir Jelord, brother of Dr. Rouel, said that we were allowed to dance, I was on my feet already swaying and dancing. Surprisingly, the other teachers including our reverend sisters joined in. The night was filled with laughter and dancing. What a healthy way to end the tour!

                When we were travelling back to the city, all I did was scrolling some of the times when we were still there. It felt like it was just yesterday when we started this tour.

(c) Joseph Munalem

To be honest, I wasn’t thinking anymore of the places we have visited and of the beaches we have frolicked. I was thinking of the people who were there laughing all the way. Will we be able to have another vacation like this? When the future is blurry and when my mind is losing its sanity, I play a song that speaks my mind. So, for my last playlist it would be Summer Paradise by Simple Plan.

The BTC family together with the PMDS family.

My heart is sinking as I’m lifting up

Above the clouds away from you.

And I can’t believe I’m leaving,

Oh I don’t kno-kno-know what I’m gonna do.

But someday,

I will find my way back

To where your name,

Is written in the sand!

Chorus

Cause I remember every sunset

I remember every word you said.

We are never gonna say goodbye.

Singing la-da-da-da

Tell me how to get back to,

Back to summer paradise with you.

And I’ll be there in a heartbeat.


I would like to credit some of the pictures in this blog. Thank you for your consent!

Sir Joseph Munalem

Ms. Glendaleine Obena