Curbside Stories

The first mountain that I climbed was Mount Batulao. It holds a special place in my heart because I got to conquer it with my son. I find happiness and fulfillment the entire trek despite its extreme physical demand. Every ascent to steeper terrain was so hard that I thought about quitting a couple of times. Each time I think of how far away I am from the start and how close I am to the summit, it fuels me again to just move forward. I guess the lesson is, to achieve happiness and fulfillment, you have to work hard for it.

Maragondon is a municipality in the Province of Cavite that is located 54 kilometers South-West from Manila--roughly two hours drive. Aside from the famous Trial House, wherein Andres Bonifacio was tried for treason and sedition in 1897 and later was executed in Mount Nagpatong, the municipality is also famous for the Pinagsanhan Hanging Bridge.  It is a suspension bridge at the Maragondon River that connects the town proper to Brgy. Pinagsanhan that is a common route for mountaineers going to Mount Nagpatong. The Maragondon River. There used to be rafts that take tourists to the other side of the river. There are also sari-sari stores where you can buy food and drinks.

The spectacular view from the balcony. This is my favorite photo of the trip. I have a friend who is a professional diver and he invited me to go to one of his diving trips to snorkel (because I don't dive). I immediately said yes because I badly needed a vacation. Casa Escondida Anilao Resort and Dive Center  in Mabini Circumferential Road, Mabini, Batangas. It i s 3 hours away from Manila. The resort offers 24-hour accommodations with meals included in fully air conditioned rooms, day tours and diving facilities. It is actually one of the favorite diving resorts of local celebrities. I cannot say that it is a family friendly resort since there isn't much to do for kids except for snorkeling and island hopping (the pool is 10-feet deep so swimming without a vest is not recommended), but if the kids are in to learn how to dive, this is the place. To learn more about the resort, just click on the link. The pool area. On the left is where divers prep their gears. J...

Snorkeling at Sumilon Island. Before I proceed, disregard the date and time stamp on the photos because I was too excited to use my action camera that I forgot to check the setting. Silly me! My first time in Cebu was more of a city tour and although it was fun for a first-timer in the Queen City of the South, it felt incomplete. After 3 years, I am back and it was a more adventurous and daring trip with my friends. Our tour package included 2 nights and 3 days hotel stay, swimming with the whale shark, trek to Osmena Peak, Mainit hot spring, canyoning to the Kawasan Falls, snorkeling at Pescador Island, sardine run in Moalboal and Sumilon Island sandbar stay. All of that for only 6,500 pesos. You will get a better deal if you are a group of 5 or more. We arrived at the Mactan Cebu International Airport around 7 in the morning last March 12 and we immediately headed south to Badian where we were met by our travel agent. We rode a taxi from the airport to ...

Another task erased from my bucket list but I will definitely continue doing it--mountain climbing. This climb was special because I was with my 8-year old son and my sister and two aunts. He's so brave and strong! Mount Batulao, Batangas towers more than 800 meters above sea level, with 11 peaks to brave before you reach the summit on the 12th, and although the guide said it was just a 5-kilometer trek from the foot to the summit, I think it was more than that. There are two trails but we chose the new one because it is the easier route. By the way, it's a 4/9 trail level so don't let its spectacular view fool you. For a beginner, it took us 2.5 hours to go up and 2 hours to go down. Not bad.  There are stores in every 3 or 4 peaks so you could recharge, have a toilet break, eat and drink. Camp sites are also available if you want to stay longer. You wouldn't be lost along the way because it is the only way up on trail number 2. There ar...