Month: November 2014

South Korea Pt. 22: Midday at Taejongdae in Busan

A warm hello from cold Osaka!! *waves* We’ll be leaving today for Kyoto, wish we could’ve stayed longer in this bustling city, but the pull of Edo aka “old” Japan is much stronger, so off to Kyoto we go~! For now, though, I am making my second to the last post about my SoKor adventure, which you can check out here. This time, straight from Yoggungsa, we took more than an hour bus-and-train ride to Taejongdae. Continue reading “South Korea Pt. 22: Midday at Taejongdae in Busan” →

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Being Conquered By Mt. Pulag

On my first climb at Mt. Pulag, I overheard one of the journalists gripe about how many who reach the summit go “I conquered Mt. Pulag!”. He said that YOU don’t conquer Mt. Pulag; Mt. Pulag conquers YOU. I agree. How, on God’s green earth, can you expect to ever conquer a mountain? And how can you boast to have been able to conquer something that doesn’t even care that you did?

After writing that post about Kabayan’s Four Lakes, I suddenly felt the urge to dig through my hard drive for old photos and, what do you know, I still have them! So that spurred me to write this post about my three jaunts up Mt. Pulag.

Continue reading “Being Conquered By Mt. Pulag” →

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Ambuklao Adventure III: A Photodiary

One sure sign that you truly enjoyed an experience: you have a hard time letting go of it. I was randomly going through the photos uploaded by others who were with us during the Ambuklao Adventure III last October 24 to 26, and I just knew this deserved a third post, if only to wrap it up. This photodiary will never do justice with the amount of fun we had during this enriching experience, but I hope it shows, even just a little, how much it did.
Continue reading “Ambuklao Adventure III: A Photodiary” →

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The Four Lakes of Mystical Kabayan

We might not realize it, but we all have our “no-fail-places-to-go-to”. It’s the kind of place that you can go to repeatedly and never fail to be satisfied, awed, or amazed. You just want to keep coming back, no matter what the circumstances because it just never fails to make a positive impact on you. It’s probably a coffee shop, a restaurant, a certain beach, or a specific town you always go to for a quick getaway. I, too, have a shortlist, and on it is mystical Kabayan. Continue reading “The Four Lakes of Mystical Kabayan” →

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Mt. Purgatory-Mangisi Traverse 2013 (Part 3)

At this moment, a group of adventurous spirits have started their 2-day Mt. Purgatory-Mangisi Traverse in Bokod. A~ah. If not for certain circumstances, we’d have likely been part of that group. Maybe next year? Anyhoo, this post is all about Day 3, the final day, of our very own traverse last October 20, 2013.

(This is the last installment of my series of posts about the Mt. Purgatory-Mangisi Traverse.)

Continue reading “Mt. Purgatory-Mangisi Traverse 2013 (Part 3)” →

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Mt. Purgatory-Mangisi Traverse 2013 (Part 2)

“I’ve been to Purgatory, and I had a lot of fun”. Not a lot of people could say that; and I’m willing to bet that not a lot of people would even WANT to say that. But I’m referring to Mt. Purgatory, which we’re about to pass through later on.

Day 2 of our Mt. Purgatory-Mangisi Traverse, and we set off with full stomachs, heavy packs, and light hearts.

Continue reading “Mt. Purgatory-Mangisi Traverse 2013 (Part 2)” →

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Mt. Purgatory-Mangisi Traverse 2013 (Part 1)

Some may say that every mountain is like all the others; climb one and you’ve climbed them all. Not so. From the few that I’ve gone to, each mountain has a story to tell, each experience stands out, and all the memories are a joy to go back to.

This weekend, November 8-9, 2014, is the Mt. Purgatory-Mangisi Traverse. This climb, so close on the heels of the Ambuklao Adventure 3 (which you can read about here and here), is part of the 114th celebration of the anniversary of the province of Benguet, thru Adivay (in the local dialect, it means “gathering” or “coming together”). Hence, the tagline “Pan-aadivay Tayo’d Kashontogan” which is Ibaloi for “our gathering/coming together in the (lit.) hills”. Continue reading “Mt. Purgatory-Mangisi Traverse 2013 (Part 1)” →

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La Trinidad Eats: Dinawis Cafe & Restaurant

I first caught wind of this place when I saw it featured on local (then national) television for their coffee, which is a mix of arabica coffee (Benguet’s version of the barako) and chili or capsicum (sili). To say that I was intrigued would be an understatement, but the place is not the most accessible (or practical) for someone like me since it is alllll the way in Shilan. See, I work at Km. 0, I live at Km. 6, and the Dinawis Cafe and Restaurant is located at Km. 11. See my predicament?

Continue reading “La Trinidad Eats: Dinawis Cafe & Restaurant” →

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Ambuklao Adventure III: The River Trek to Pinagjan Waterfalls

We travel so far, and spend so much, just to be witnesses to nature’s bounty and beauty when some of the best ones are right in our own backyard. This is one of the many times that I am grateful for being in, and from, Benguet. Its situated perfectly, giving us, i-Benguets, the best of both worlds: the conveniences of urban living, and the sheer grace and magnificence of nature. Is it any wonder, then, why it never occurred to me to live anywhere else?
Continue reading “Ambuklao Adventure III: The River Trek to Pinagjan Waterfalls” →

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