First I'd like to start my blogging spree by introducing myself. I am Ma - oops, ehem A Carnival Mantra. I'm in my 20's. I am an office labrat. I am a music lover, loves to sing and play [and learn some more] instruments like the guitar, keyboard, drums, flute, the harp that angels play, the lyre Orpheus used to save his wife from the depths of Tartarus (or the underworld) [cool, huh?]. I also love to... play video games, read books about the sciences, literature, poetry, arts, culture, religion, myths, nature and other interesting stuff in our damn ugly/beautiful world, sing in the bathroom and be with my girlfriend. Right now, I'm mostly interested in climbing mountains and exploring nature, thus, the title of my blog. I'd like to share to you guys [to those who will waste their time reading this article, I will give my sincerest gratitude] whatever I could from my experiences, adventures and interests. I'd also like to meet other great people out there and share some thoughts with them. Hope my posts would guide some of those who are seeking help on certain things. Well, I think that introduction is more than enough. I'm proceeding with my first post.
I'm going to share to you my first attempt to become a mountaineer [I don't consider myself as such, yet]. It was in Mt. Batulao in Nasugbu, Batangas last August, 2008. For years, I've always been planning to go places and explore nature. Then it came true on that day. I was with the dearest people in my life, three of my very good friends and my most beloved girlfriend. It was my first time so my gears and equipment were not enough to pass the standards of a true mountaineer: a pair of not-Sandugo slippers, a pair of tight jeans, a 30 L hand-me-down backpack given by a friend, a jacket made of cotton, and of course, my guitar. It was exciting for a first-timer like me [but since then it always excites me whenever I'm gonna' climb a mountain]. We hiked for about 4 hours from the jump-off point to the campsite. Usually, it would only take 2 hours of hiking but since the trail was wet and muddy due to heavy rains and horses climbing up and down which contributed in making the soil loose and deep, it was a helluva hike towards the campsite. Once we've passed that part, we took the trail leading to the new campsite with the help of a local kid named Juday. It was about two hours of walking through slopes occassionaly ascending and descending. Finally, after the grueling hike through mud and rain, we made it to the campsite just in time for lunch. A view of greenish brown-colored Mt. Batulao [contrary to its hot-looking mostly brownish color during summer] covered in rain clouds was spectacular, one way to relieve of our punishment from the hike.
Social time was the moment when you and your hiking buddies sit around together in front of a butane-fueled lamp [mountaineers don't prefer firing up bonfires on mountains, it's a big no no - unless you are in survival mode] and talk about almost everything under the sun or should I say everything under the peaceful star-lit night sky. It is also the time when you get to meet other group of climbers and people. You will feel the warmth not from the lamp but from the people that is with you, the warmth of social belongingness and camaraderie. From their personal stories in life to their funny jokes and asaran, you will enjoy every minute of conversation and sharing of stories with them. For us, we usually give color to the soon-to-be memories in life by strumming the guitar and sing songs that everbody loves to sing just to accompany this unforgettable part of the night [sorry to disturb the others, they kinda liked it though].
Day two. Time to trek for the summit of Mt. Batulao. From the new campsite, which is named Camp 8, we were less than an hour away from Mt. Batulao's peak. After having our breakfast, we started the walk to our first top-of-the-world experience [Mt. Batulao is just 811 MASL, but as of that time, it's the highest place I have ever been]. We passed over another hill and then entered a mini forest. Through the forest, we trekked on steep and slippery trails, with ravines on both sides. Until finally we reached the highest point of the mountain. The feeling was overwhelming, it's like as if I could spread my wings and just fly my way down and over the slopes and rugged terrains of this vast mountainous area - unfortunatley I was born with horns on my head. hehe. The views were splendidly awesome. There's the South China Sea, the landscapes of Batangas and Cavite, its mountains like Mt. Talamitam and Mt. Maragondon, Taal Lake and Mt. Maculot. But with the occassional rain clouds gathering and surrounding us, we had a hard time having a full 360-degree view without obstructions. Fairly enough, it added another unique experience to us. We spent another hour up there talking about how excited we were standing on the summit of Mt. Batulao. I closed my eyes and felt the moisty breeze blowing on my face. It was wet and cold, I was high and dry.
Going down was not easy because of the not-so-bad weather. But we came back to our camp site safely. We broke camp and headed back to Manila. We missed home a lot. But as I laid down that night for a civilized evening rest, my dreams was still with the mountains.. flying above green and brown and gold... nature's finest and surprising hidden beauties. And then I realized, there is more to explore.
We failed to keep pictures from our first Mt. Batulao trip because our camera broke down so here are some of our Mt. Batulao pics from our second visit with my org, Juxtapoz, last March, 2009.
There you go. Hope you enjoyed reading this. And I guess after posting those pics, my boss will finally recognize who that damn A Carnival Mantra is. Geesh. What a dumbass. Peace!
