ISLAS GIGANTES, CARLES ILOILO (DAY 2)

                Our second day in the island, I wake up early to catch the sunrise. Our activity for the day is caving. Our tourist guide told us that there is a cave near where we stay. so I took a sunrise picture and go back to the house where we stay. Everyone is awake then we decided to have some coffee first  while waiting for our guide. After having some coffee, we start trek going to the cave. After 10 minutes of trek, we reach the opening of the cave. after preparing our headlamp and flashlight we started to go inside the cave. 

           

After caving, we go back to the place where we are staying. We reach the house at around past 9:00 in the morning. Having our breakfast (Salted fish, tomatoe and eng with fried rice) we also decided to have a fresh buko. 

After breakfast, we prepared our things and started to packed up. Its time to go back to Jaro Iloilo.  before leaving the place we took one more picture with the house owner and with Joel Decano. 

The group leave the place at around past 11:00AM, this time we will be heading for estancia. After almost 2 hours of travel by boat we reach the town of estancia, we ride a trike going to Pa-on beach where we took our lunch then after lunch we took a Van going to Iloilo.

Islas Gigantes, Carles Iloilo (Day 1)

                  It's my first time being here in this place. April 22 was our flight to iloilo for the pilot rollout branch of ENBFS system.A branch automation project in the office. We will be in jaro iloilo for one and a half month. When i knew that iloilo will be our pilot branch area. I already looking for a place that where we can go for an outdoor. I saw in one of my friend page was islas gigantes, so I started looking on the website regarding islas gigantes and which is I saw it amazing in the pictures, so I let tim one of my colleague to do the talking or bargaining regarding on boats and island hopping in the island, tim was from bacolod and know how to speak ilongo. Our first week in Jaro was a busy week because of we need to prepare the records of the branches for the migration. We decided to do our corporate worship in Roxas iloilo so that we are near to the place and we don't need to travel 4 hours from Jaro, we onlyneed almost 2 hours from Roxas. Friday April 27, 2012 we leave Jaro going to Roxas. We ride a commuter Van and leave in Tagbak terminal at around 7:00 PM. After 2 hours of travel, we reached Roxas City at around 9:00 PM. We stayed in Roxas 1 branch for a night, thank you to Pastor Dewey. April 28 we wake up early morning to prepare for our corporate worship, we attend corporate worship in Roxas 2 branch while our vendor representative Francis and Babu an indian programmer left in the branch, during our corporate worship our former colleague Farah and Yel arrived which they will join us in our trip to Carles (Islas Gigantes) around past 7:30 AM corporate worship was finish and we go back to Roxas 1 to get our things. We left Roxas at around 8:30 AM riding Ceres bus going to estansya. After an hour of travel we reach balasan where we took a jeepney ride going to Carles. We reach Carles port at around past 11:30 AM from there we met Joel Decano who was waiting for us, he is the tourism officer in Islas Gigantes. Riding a pumpboat we immediately leave Carles port going to Islas Gigantes. Together with Mabel, Yel, Farah, Praise, Tim, Francis and Babu who was first time in the Philippines and first also to do island Hopping were very excited to see the beauty of the islas.

Gaket-Gaket Islet

After almost an hour we reach Gaket-gaket islet which part of Islas Gigantes. We can't wait to off the boat to see the place. Its an small island which it was like when you see in the cartoon or commercial.. The water is very clear which is inviting you to take a deep swim. 

 The Group in Gaket-Gaket Islet

After taking picture we leave the islet and heading to the island where we will stay. After an hour again we reach the island where we will stay.  We thought we will only stay in a small nipa hut but it was surprised for us when we see the house where we will stay, I think this is the house of the tourism officer. After leaving our things, we were headed to Antonias Island where our lunch is waiting for us.

Antonias Island

Antonias Island is one of the island in Islas Gigantes. It has a fine white sand and clear water. This is where we took our lunch which is a yummy crack and scallop with fish. After we ate our lunch, tim and I explore the island together with babu and yel. 

Exploring the Island

After exploring the island, we go to tangke which is a salt water lagoon, we took a swim in that place and having fun in the water. Mabel and praise did not join us in swimming because I think Praise has a girl thing, well I don't know what the real reason and Mabel did not allowed by her doctor to swim in any water because of her operation. There are so many people in the place like us which is also a tourist. I wait for them to leave the place so that I can took a picture of the lagoon without people. After I think 30 minutes or an hour we leave te place and we go to Cabugao Island

Tangke Lagoon

Cabugao Island is like antonias Island which also a white sand island beach. Again we took a swim in this island and have some picture taking especially the jumpshot.Tim and Francis join me to find a place where I can take a top view picture of the island which we found one. Our next destination after cabugao is the what they called sandbar, this sandbar is different from sandbar of Concepcion. So we leave the cabugao after taking top view picture of the island.

Jumpshot at Cabugao Island

Top View of Cabugao Island

After Cabugao we were headed to Sandbar which is nearly sunset that time, upon reaching the sand bar, again jumpshot picture.. its a really nice sandbar beach. Taking picture with the group. I nearly missed the sunset here.

Sandbar Island

After Sandbar, the group decided to go back to the island where we stay. It's almost 6:00 PM when we leave sandbar. We reach the island where we will stay around 7:00 PM. After taking a bath dinner is ready. Again fish and sea food, Crabs, scallop and fish.

Seafoods

After eating dinner. The team having a little chitchat and call it a night...  

Continue on second day.........

Buntot Palos-Hidden Falls

After almost 3 hours of driving from Manila to Laguna via Rizal we finally reach the jump off of Buntot Palos. It was known as a hidden falls located in the town of Pangil, province of laguna. You will experience a zigzag road starting antipolo just like you’re driving going to baguio.  We arrived at the jump off at around past 7 in the morning. After registration we proceed to one of the newly resort which the local called greenhouse, maybe they called it greenhouse because the paint of the roof is painted color green but it is far from a natural greenhouse which consist of glass or most of the wall is made up of glass. 

From there we parked the car and taking some picture after that we start trekking going to the falls. From the start of the trek is a cemented road that about 500 meters up then it become rocky. Going up you can see the town of Pangil and the nearby town. After an hour we reach a small campsite which is near the water falls. 

We decide to go to the top of the water falls first to see and explore. After a 10 minutes trek from campsite, we reach the place we were targeted. We ate our brunch from there and take a dip into cold and clear water and take some rest.

Past 12 Noon we decided to descent into the water falls. We trek going back to the campsite and from there you need to descent in a steep trail going to the water falls.  The flow of water was very nice and you can hear a loud sound of splash of water. After taking some picture, we decided to go back to the jump-off. 

Cristobal Traverse

My first cimb for the year 2012, Jan 28-29, 2012. A free guideship of PIKNIKERS Mountaineers, my sunshine birthday climb and training climb of PIKNIKERS. I been to this mountain two years ago and still this moutain hasn't change. The beauty of its nature for being a rainforest mountain where you can see an orchid plant grows in the trunk of the big tree.  We do a traverse hike in which our jump/off ascent is in quezon side, in the town of Kinabuhayan, Dolores Quezon the we descent at Laguna side in the town of Tala, Rizal Laguna.

View of the Mountain from quezon side

View from Laguna side

PIKNIKERS MOUNTAINEERS FREE GUIDE SERVICE @ Mt.Cristobal Traverse

Day 1

2am – Meet up JAM Liner Kamuning Cubao (less than P200)

3am – Bus move

5:30 to 6am - ETA San Pablo

6am – Jeep Ride to Jump Off (Less than P200 it will also pick us up in the Traverse side)

7am – ETA Jump Off ( wento, eat, stretch, last water source 6L to 8L is advisable)

8am – Start Hike

11 to 12nn - ETA Crater

12:30nn – Crater ( set up Camp before eat lunch )

1 to 2pm – Cook, eat, clean up & wash d dishes

2 to 4pm – siesta, wento, tambay, picture, wander, etc

4 to 5pm – cook Dinner

5 to 6pm – eat dinner & wash d dishes & prepare ur early breakfast ready.

7pm- Sosyals. ( for mamam boys & girls don’t drink too much)

10pm – lights out ( prepare for the cold night)

Day 2

3:30am wake up call

4 to 5am – Eat breakfast (lunch is at the traverse proper na not in the trail. Bring trail food)

5 to 6am- break camp

6am- start traverse

10am – ETA Grassland

11am – Tayak Hill ( decide early if u want to side trip tayak. Its 30min up 20 down)

12nn to 1pm – ETA church. Shower, Lunch, Picture, rak en rol.

1:30pm – Jeep Ride to san Pablo

2:30pm – ETA San Pablo Bus waiting (open Time) TIPS: take the bus can offer u a ride to manila bcoz most of them are FULL. Take it if it offers at least alabang aircon or not. You might get trapped their for hours waiting for ur ride. 

Year End Climb 2011 (Pico De Loro Day Hike)

Yea ear end climb in Pico de Loro. This will be my 4th time here in this mountain. We decided to bring the car because we can park it in DENR. We leave at 5 AM and after 3 hours drove from Caloocan to Cavite, we reached the DENR. at around 8 AM. After the registration, we started our hike.

During the trek we have met some hikers, we reach the basecamp at around 9 am. Petiks climb. Again another registration on base camp 1. We resumed trek after we register, we reach the sign going to the falls and to the forest side of pico, we proceed first to the fall to check if the water is clear.

After the water falls, we proceed to the forest trail of Pico de Loro where we got lost. We follow the trail which lead to the logging of the locals, this where we saw some fresh cut trees. The trail was not familiar to us so we decided to back track on the trail until we saw a trail sign going left ascent until we reach the camp site. we met some mountaineers who also got lost in the trail. At around past 12 nn. we ate our pack lunch. Summit assault at around 1 PM. The wind was strong in the summit. After reaching summit,We proceed to tower, we found out that there is not rope anymore but still we proceed. Nice view on the tower.

We start our descent at 3 PM then we reached the waterfalls at 4 PM. Nice and cold water we dip in for a while. Then going back to jumpoff (DENR). We reached the jump of at around 7 and then heading back to Manila

Pico De Loro

My first comeback climb happen in June 14-15, 2008 where we do a traverse climb. Mt. Palay-palay known as Pico de Loro because of the peak looks like a parrots beak. My first comeback climb which self contain. First time I join climb in BAROC mountaineer. We started our hike at 8 AM in Ternate, cavite side of the mountain then reach the campsite at 2 PM. We were more than 20 hikers. Our group run out of water so some of the senior from BAROC need to go down to basecamp 1 just to get water and climb up again. 2nd day will be traverse, we will ascent on the other side which is in Nasugbu side. We start our descent at around 8 AM also and reach the other side traverse of the mountain at around 12 NN.

Potipot Island

Another year has past, a new time and a new adventure. As I look into my old hard disk. I found these old photos way back when I came back to the journey of outdoor activities.  Summer of 2008 when I joined a beach camp of BAROC Mountaineer. Potipot Island is our destination, located in Candelaria, Zambales. A four hours travel from Manila. The island was a great place to relax. With a white sand , you can see or tour around the whole island for just 30 minutes. My journey to the outdoor again where this is all started. Back on the outdoor.