I've been scrolling my feed and realized that I've been sharing too much of my sea adventures lately that all I could see are blue-themed cover photos. 😅 Although I've planned out what I'll be sharing this month, I think it wouldn't hurt to deviate from plans from time to time. Oh wow, that didn't sound like Patsitivity at all (I always stick to plans! 😂) But in the name of making sure that you, my readers, wouldn't get bored, I'm sharing a trip to one of the mountains here in Cebu.
For those who are very excited for the next part of my Baler Travel Series, I'm afraid you guys have to wait for now! But no worries as we will be back in Baler real soon. And now that we're settled, we shall begin the expedition to Mt. Manunggal in Balamban, Cebu.
By the way, this post is part of my Lulinghayaw sa Cebu leg. Are you excited?
Slowly but surely
My college friends and I made it a tradition to always welcome the year with a climb or a trip in general. In 2020, we bravely trekked the Spartan Trail in Cebu City. In 2021, sadly it was only Jelo who could make it. My boyfriend also joined us on this trip. Jelo kept telling me he doesn't care to be third-wheeling as long as he gets to hike. I'm also happy he's with us on that trip as Jelo can be talkative and entertaining most of the time; he never runs out of things to say, or of stories to share. Also, I can't imagine only the two us of (my boyfriend and me) be climbing on our own. I think it'd be fun to climb with friends and friends of friends, talk while traversing trails. That's how it used to be back in the days.
It was the onset of 2021 and we weren't sure if the destination we picked was already open [due to Covid restrictions]. I had to ask around friends and random people on Facebook if the destination is already accepting visitors. Confirmed, it's open to the public once again. What a lovely news! 😁 From there I planned our meet-up point and time.
The plan was to spend a night in Mt. Manunggal's campsite. On a saturday, we met at Ayala Center Cebu PUV Terminal where we found vans that took us to the jump-off point somewhere in Balamban. No need to worry if you aren't familiar with the place at all as you only need to tell the driver you'll be climbing Mt. Manunggal; they'll surely know where to drop you off.
We reached the jump-off point faster than we thought. Immediately after, we were faced with a dilemma: to walk from the jump-off point to the campsite or to ride a motorcyle. After asking around and calculating that the trek ain't that far and it ain't going to be difficult since the road is paved, we started the walking.
Do note that if you just want to reach the campsite, by all means, you can hail a motorcycle and they'll take you right to the campsite grounds. No walking involved! In our case tho, we wanted to challenge ourselves; we wanted to burn some extra layer of fats! 🤣
We were happy with our decision; I was happy with the decision until I felt something. Not even halfway through the climb, I felt I'm starting to faint already. I felt extremely cold and I could feel my body losing strength and power. Despite feeling so, I pushed and continued walking not telling Jelo or my boyfriend what I'm feeling inside. At some point, the heat from the sun was just too extreme that my eyesight started to fade into all kinds of whites and blacks. That's my signal to ask for help.
I stopped walking and took a break by the roadside. It didn't help as I still felt that I'd completely lose my consciousness any minute. I told them we should keep moving and look for a shelter. We found a small native house surrounded by trees a few meters away. I took my time and recovered. I kept sweating and I could feel my body temperature dropping below normal levels. My boyfriend kept asking if I'm feeling any better while he tried to dry all my sweat. He even put his face towel on my back. He's the sweetest! 😍
Both Jelo and GB told me to take it easy, that we can rest longer, that we aren't in a hurry. I didn't want to spoil the adventure so I tried my best to recover fast. Before anyone could know it, I was back on track and we moved towards our destination that day. I wasn't feeling 100% well despite the stop we made but I felt I need something else other than rest - food!
I volunteered to cook something for our lunch and dinner. I packed steamed carrots and potatoes seasoned with pepper, soy sauce, and red chili pepper, and for the main dish, I also prepared fall-off the bone oven-baked ribs. I think there's chicken adobo, too if my memory serves me well! GB brought the rice. We reached a sari-sari store that has a huge bench. We decided to eat there; we just ordered drinks and snacks.
The two kept asking how I'm feeling after lunch and honestly, I felt great and energized ready to take the rest of the climb! We asked the locals how far we are from the campsite and they told us we were more than halfway.
We were too full to trek at full speed, so we eased the first few meters of the trek. Maybe the locals lied to us or we just didn't expect that the walk after lunch was still too long, not to mention the hills we need to surpass. 😅
Not too long, we had an amazing view of the mountains surrounding us. The long walk might be arduous but the view's definitely worth the struggles. Do you agree? haha
As we progressed, the weather became a bit unpredictable. It was all sunny when we started the trek but after lunch, we found ourselves taking shelter in an unfinished house because the rain poured down. Luckily, it didn't last long. What welcomed us as we went nearer and nearer the campsite were unnamed streets covered in fog! The forest on both sides of the street looked enchanting because of the volume of fog gathering around.
And there! Finally, the Manunggal signage told us which direction to take. If you go the other way, it will take you to Mt. Mauyog. Mauyog is also on my list but it was still closed. With the last strength in our bodies, we took the final leg as enthusiastically as we could.
Then we reached the campsite! I was extremely happy and grateful that I completed the climb despite what happened earlier that day.
We registered and paid all dues/fees and wasted no time. We immediately looked for a spot to erect our tents.
I recommended pitching our tents before we explore the place further. There were other better spots but other climbers who arrived earlier were able to set up their campsites already. We had to make do with what was available.
We pitched our tents just beside the viewing deck. After a few minutes, we all decided to go up and find out what was out there waiting to be discovered.
First and foremost, we spotted our tents and the other campers' tents.
I wasn't expecting anything spectacular about this place, but when I slowly climbed the viewing deck I thought what I'm seeing was what I was exactly craving for that day. All hues of green and blue joint forces to present a magnificent creation that only God knows how to come up with.
What a warm welcome! that's all I uttered as I stared at all the views you're about to see through the photos I took:
It was only when we reached the topmost deck that I realized how far we trekked. If you can see white lines, those are the streets we walked from morning 'til afternoon. We could've ridden a motorcycle, but it'll be too easy, and seeing this view wouldn't be as fulfilling as I did that afternoon.
Truly, all great things come to those who dare to explore and to those who dare to explore differently!
You might be asking why this trip's been published under my Lulinghaw sa Cebu brand as there's nothing chill with this trip. Haha! You'll find out in the next post! I supposed I shall see you in the next one. Have a blast this weekend y'all! 😍
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