Before heading back to Manila after our Mt Pulag trip, we’ve had a quick stop over at the public market of Baguio City for some fruity finds.
Find out what we found!
Of course Baguio won’t be Baguio without the Strawberries!
Baguio strawberry
Baguio Public Market
Damn!
Do you just love dams?
I sure hope you do! For our next stop will be no other than the the Biggest rock filled dam in Asia, yes – it’s the Ambuklao Dam in Benguet!
Ambuklao Dam is a dam that supports a hydroelectric plant in the mountains of Bokod, Benguet province of Philippines.
It is the is the first among the largest hydroelectric power plants constructed in the Philippines, made of earth and rockfull which measures 129 meters in height and 452 meters in length – and is one of the oldest.
Ambuklao Dam
The facility was constructed for power generation and flood control and runs along the upper portion of Luzon’s third largest river, the Agno River.
Aside from generation of electric energy, the water held by the dam is used to irrigate the agricultural fields of Pangasinan. The dam helps minimize floods by absorbing the high peak flows by releasing water over longer periods.
Ambuklao Dam Spillway
The Ambuklao Hydroelectric power facility stands as a symbol of one of the biggest accomplishments in power development by the Philippine government, an engineering feat which Filipinos are proud of.
From Baguio City, take the jeepney or mini bus at Dangwa Terminal (infront of Baguio City Market at the back of Centermall) or at Slaughter Compound in Magsaysay. Take the Kabayan trip. This will take you to Ambuklao Dam using the Ambuklao Road in Baguio near Pacdal Circle. This will usually take you 3-4 hours. Another way is to take the short cut way using a private vehicle: From Baguio, take magsaysay road passing by Trinidad. From the Benguet Capitol Building, take the road going to Halsema Highway. The travel time will be around less than 45-minutes, and there will be a junction point and on the right a rocky road going down. This will take you more than an hour to reach Ambuklao. The Ride will be a bumpy and a “death-defying-cliff edge” experience.
Apart from the scenic mountains of Mt. Pulag and bubbling sulfur springs of Badekbek, Benguet also boasts of loooonng hanging bridges.
Take a look of our quick stop and photo shoots!
And from the bridge, one could also see the beauty of the Ambuklao dam.. more pictures in my next post!
As part of our Mt Pulag Adventure, after the hike we found ourselves in a bonus tour around Benguet.
First stop is the Badekbek Sulfur Spring.
Trek to Badekbek
The sulfuric bubbling muddy hot spring
It is a potential natural attraction found in Daclan, also known as Daclan Hot Spring.
It is a sulfuric bubbling muddy hot spring, hence the name “Badekbek”.
Badekbek Hot Spring
The smoke and sulfuric scent emitted could be seen and smelled from a distance. The hot water from the spring is believed to have some therapeutic effects.
It is situated two kilometers away from the Bokod-Kabayan national road and is accessible to vehicle transport.
By public or private transport, it is two hours ride from Baguio City.
A journey to the clouds – that’s what I aimed for my birthday trip this year.
Picturing myself standing in Philippines’ third and Luzon’s highest peak with a sea of clouds behind me is how I wanna start this 2013 – aiming for the highest as high as the clouds in my remaining travels and adventure.
The trek to Mt Pulag is a long and arduous one.
No, there were no heavy snowfall, gusty winds or mighty boulders along the way, but heavy forest mist and a tough trail instead when we went there on Friday, February 1. These can be quite challenging for first-time hikers.
In addition to that is the freezing weather that looms as you reach higher and higher.
There’s even a recent news that the climate in Mt. Pulag had reached below zero-degree. Wow! Imagine that!
But for sure Adventuroj wouldn’t let that stop a dream of climbing the third highest peak in the Philippines!
To reach the top you have to pass through several pit stops –
While waiting for the group .. a quick coffee at 7/11
While waiting at Victory Liner I’ve had my first taste of the popular Strawberry Taho in Baguio. Indeed a must try for the sweet tooth!
Pt Pulag First Stop
Mt Pulag Tourism Office
Mt Pulag Orientation
4×4 Jeepney Ride to Mt Pulag
Aboard the jeepney, one could also witness the unique construction of the houses here to combat the cold weather.
Unique Houses in Benguet
Mt Pulag Ranger Station
Here the trekkers will be dropped off and the hike will start.
In the ranger station also is where you’ll hire your tour guide to accompany you through the night and towards the peak.
You could also hire a porter to carry your things if you want the trail to be a lighter one.
*Tents can also be rented at 200php.
At around 1pm, the hike began.
Hiking to Mt Pulag
At first an easy one, enjoying ourselves to the luscious green and scenic view from the mountain tops.
Wild Berries in Mt Pulag
But as time passed, our bags got heavier.
We realized we should just opted for a porter. Probably that way we could have enjoyed the hike more.
Mt Pulag Camp 1
Camp 1 Mt Pulag
After 2 or more hours, we reached the first camp.
Here one could rest in a man made shelter, and could also set camp if you want to spend the night.
Mt Pulag Camp 2
But we proceeded to Camp 2 and stayed there for the night, an hour or two away from Camp 1, but nearer to the summit.
We were also lucky to witness the sunset at Camp 2 , and so here are some photo ops.
Mt Pulag Sunset
The trek is nothing compared to the challenge we’ve endured as night time approached.
Night-time be a true test of grit with the cold reaching near-freezing levels. I even thought that I’ would die in the cold.
Having 5 shirts and a thick jacket plus 3 jogging pants sure DID NOT made me warm enough to have a comfy sleep. The winds are horrible and scary, they are howling making as if the tents will fly away in any second.
But we did it! We survived the freezing atmosphere!
The heavens were filled with a cacophony of stars as we woke up at 4 am to bravely make that trek towards the summit to catch the sunrise. It was awe-inspiring.
We were awoken by our guide for the early trek to the summit in expectant of a sunrise and to see the majestic sea of clouds that every Mt Pulag climber wishes to see.
But as we proceeded the weather didn’t seem to cooperate.
It started to drizzle. And when we reach the summit it’s freezing though it’s already 6am.
Zero visibility and yes – NO sea of clouds 😦
Although I did not get to witness the sea of clouds, the journey, however, is more than rewarding.
The experience of a rich flora along the trail – it’s like entering an entirely new realm as the sight of wide open slopes give in to that of closely-huddled trees, ferns of different shapes, and other rich vegetation.
Alas, even a most courageous heart is no match for the elements when one is not properly-geared. Warm clothing and sturdy shoes aside, though, one can never match the company of people with happy dispositions when taking on such a tough adventure. Bring lots of them when you make that journey to the clouds.
For those who’ve reached Mt. Pulag’s peak, meanwhile, the reward, as they say, was “heavenly.” And they’re being literal about it.
At 2,922 meters above sea level, after all, reaching Mt. Pulag’s peak is like reaching the heavens. They have photos of the clouds behind them to prove it.
Mt Pulag Philippines
Of lines of a poetic piece of art,
To tackle one’s broken piece of heart,
It’s time for another tale to tell,
To spell this month’s PTB Blog Carnival.
xxx
xxx
Hearts will once again rejoice,
To celebrate or to mourn,
That will be your own personal choice.
I write this post not to brag,
Whether I be happy or in need of a hug,
All I know my Valentine’s won’t be a cold one,
A hand to hold, friends and a family to run,
All’s enough, I ask for none.
But Valentines may not always be happy and gay,
Oftentimes there may be shades of black and gray.
There are those with tears to display,
All brought by hearts in decay.
xxx
So the question that I need to know,
This month of hearts,
Where do broken hearts go?
Are they meant in the deep, blue ocean to flow?
Thrown in the wind, pierced by a crow?
Or perhaps lie shivering in a mountain of snow?
xxx
xxx
xxx
But put in mind that wherever they go,
What matters is for us to grow.
If you’ll ask where mine would go,
In times when it’s shattered, broke, and hurt,
And I have nothing else to give,
Tears are dry, soul exhausted, no longer wanted to live.
I’ll tell you what…
I run,
and run,
and run…
Until I’m gone.
xxx
Travel in a far away land,
Of nobody but me, myself, and I.
For they say that you should endure,
what you cannot cure.
Tears will flow once more,
Questions will be asked,
Even the meaning of life be pondered,
For when we are weakened and broken,
All else seems to be forsaken.
We are left again with nothing but us,
Alone, tormented in this messy fuss.
Then we started to swore and to curse,
Who is it to be blamed in this time of adverse?
Is it we who did become careless and thoughtless?
Or them for being mean and heartless?
But would it be wiser to stop all the blaming,
And just proceed on living?
xxx
There’s no point explaining,
That all we achieve in blaming and exacting revenge,
Is to make ourselves the equals of our enemies.
Whereas by forgiving, we show wisdom and intelligence.
Let us always heed that when faced by any loss,
There’s no point in trying to recover what has been,
Rather it’s best to take advantage of the space that opened up,
And fill it up with something new.
For in theory, every loss is for our own good,
For that is when we question the existence of God
and ask ourselves,
“What did I do to deserve all these?”
Men is in a constant quest of seeking answers,
We will always be asking ourselves the same questions,
But perhaps it may be of help,
If we’ll be humble enough to accept that our hearts know why we are here.
Yes it’s difficult to talk to your heart,
And perhaps it isn’t even necessary.
We simply have to trust and follow the signs,
Sooner or later, we’ll realize that we’re all part of something greater than us.
– even if we can’t understand rationally what that something is.
They say that in the second before our death,
Each of us understands the real reasons for our existence.
xxx
xxx
These, and the many reasons of why we breathe,
Are just some of why in times I’ve got a broken heart,
All I wanna do is depart,
Not to be apart, but to be with myself until then,
For only in these times will I be whole again.
How about you?
On this day of hearts,
Given a broken heart,
Where would you opt to go?
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| This is my entry to the Pinoy Travel Blogger’s Blog Carnival for February 2013 with the theme “WHERE DO BROKEN HEARTS GO?” hosted by Rain of Rakistang Nars. Check out the carnival’s archive as compiled by Estan Cabigas by clicking the Logo below 🙂
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Early mornings are best for leisure walks and of course – bike rides!
Travel with me down the aisle of photography quotations as I journey into the sunrise – after an early morning bicycle ride, made to calm the soul and unrest the feet – a hobby that I’ve been lately addicted.
After a leisurely bike ride, we stopped by the popular fruit stands in Brgy. Kablon, Tupi, South Cotabato for an early morning treat!
Lover of the Corn? There’s nothing surely more sweeter than this…
Endless Rows of Abundant Fruits, only in Brgy. Kablon, Tupi, South Cotabato
Do you have a sweet tooth? Why not give this pineapples a try!
To end this, I’d like to share some of more quotes to inspire your day today. Have a lovely one!
Minutes before the 30th of January,
And I’m starting to get wary,
Will this change of year for me be happy?
Or will it bring nothing but worry?
+++
+++
You see this isn’t sentences and paragraphs in a post,
But a parade of lines in rhyming words and prose,
Reminds me of the PTB Blog Carnival that’s just to poetic,
So let’s just move on before I become less energetic.
I am not a poet, a verse lover, or the like,
I just love writing this way though you may dislike.
So today please allow me to rant and to grunt,
In the hope that you’ll stay there in front.
Thank God the world did not come to an end,
I still have a lot of my thoughts to lend.
Today as 22 becomes 23,
I’d like to share to you things of value to me.
May they be future plans,
Or something in the past,
I wanna share them amassed,
In the hope that you’ll be inspired at a glance.
Photo from http://www.digitalphotographer.com.ph
You may be wondering where the wanderer will be,
On the big day that is today,
Hope you’ll not be disappointed or so,
For my trip will still be tomorrow.
Now you’ll ask where shall I be,
I’ll answer you in a place I long to be,
On top of the clouds and winter frost,
Find out where in this adventurous post.
+++
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Newest Travel Buddy – VIGOR!
On this day also is a time of another’s birth,
Not a person nor another living being,
But something that’s really of worth,
Useful for fleeing and sightseeing.
Yes, it is a bike,
Something that I long like,
Now that I have it,
There’s no stopping me where I could get.
Vigorous Adventurous Bike
I wish to discover faraway places,
As I leave my bicycle’s traces,
See more trees, hills, and valleys untied,
And have that really, really looong bike ride.
Care to join me for a ride?
This year, I also opt to save,
To travel is brave,
But I believe some things needs to be waived,
So this itchy feet’s will mildly behave.
Spend less and travel more,
How could that happen anymore?
Need not worry or put on a roar,
For I’ll make sure I’ll still give you travel tales and more.
To write of places near where I reside,
That’s what I will be doing with pride,
To travel more within my province,
Show you more for you to be convinced,
That it is indeed more fun here ever since.
Apart from that, I’ll also teach you how to invest,
As we’ll give the stock market a test,
Expect more from this day and the rest,
For I’ll be giving you something you’d like to digest.
I’ve already started in this basic stock market post,
Revisit it for you to get the most,
More will come that I tell you,
Together we will grow.
To grow we need to learn,
That I always yearn,
Glad to know a place I could turn,
Somewhere to have my mind in constant discern.
The place’s called Coursera –
An online community
That offers education for free,
From the top universities,
You’ll surely learn with glee.
Now I’ve started my quest,
I hope you wish me the best,
Time to end this lengthy post,
You, I’d like to thank the most.
Thank you,
And may all our dreams come true.
+++
Ever wondered where I’ll be heading?
Fret no more, for it’s somewhere high that many are dreading,
Ever heard the news?
That the temperature there’s less than zero degree celsius?
+++
Where else could this be?
Known as the rooftop of Luzon,
And dubbed as the third highest mountain peak in the country,
None other than, the beaming Mt. Pulag.
Photo from http://www.digitalphotographer.com.ph
+++
Yes, there’s nothing more adventurous for Adventuroj,
Than to take on this challenge,
So here’s the itinerary that’s prearranged,
Stay tuned for the future photos, posts and more!
+++
At the summit of Mt. Pulag. (Photo courtesy of Tin Fuentebella)
Tour Package and Itinerary courtesy of Roadtrip Adventure Travel and Tours for 2,500php (all in).
Somebody once asked me, “Roj, paano mo nagagawang mag travel? Where do you get your travel fund?”
Right now, you might probably be asking the same question. And so today, I would like to end all answer-seeking there is.
I’m going to write a series here in my blog on how to save and invest, for all of us to enjoy financial freedom someday and start traveling!
So let me begin.
You probably know by now that I am a Registered Nurse by profession. And I am proud of that.
But I hope I’ll not disappoint you if I said that I am not a practicing Nurse at present. Why?
Simple. Because I want to travel. And I think realizing this dream will be a difficult one if I would be working day and night in the hospital.
And I also do not want to add myself to the ballooning number of Nurses looking for jobs , getting a meager income, some are even the ones paying for the experience instead of receiving a salary.
How tough could that get?
And so I settled for an online job. And no, not my blog. For I DO NOT EARN ANYTHING FROM MY BLOG, contrary to the belief of many people.
My blog is just a passion of mine. A hobby. A way of sharing to the world all my travel and adventures.
I work online, specifically at Odesk.com. There I handle various clients, mostly from the US and they pay me by the hour. I do research, email marketing, project management, etc. The salary’s not big, nor not small, but it is enough to fund my wanderlust.
Take note of the word ‘put’. You may wonder why I used this instead of using “Save money in the bank”.
Because I believe that:
When you put money in the bank you are not saving, You are lending.
Yes. That is true. The only way I think that putting money in the bank could be of help is for your Emergency Funds. I’ll be talking later about this
Why will you choose to put your hard earned money in the bank that earns ONLY 1% INTEREST RATE ANNUALLY, or 5% in Time Deposits, not included to that the taxes, etc, WHEN YOU COULD INVEST IT AT A MINIMUM OF 12%?
But invest where and how?
Let me introduce you now to the Stock Market.
This investment series of posts has been long overdue.
I’ve been planning to write this for the longest time.
But I felt it wasn’t the right time.
Because I was still in the process of learning and experiencing how is it to invest in the stock market myself.
But now the time has come. It has been 3 months since I started setting apart of my monthly income and INVEST it in the stock market, and to tell you IT REALLY DOES GROW.
Note: I didn’t say “Trade” in the Stock Market. Because there’s a giant difference. Let me explain that.
“The stock market is dangerous!”
Have you heard that before?
I have. Many times. And you know what? I agree.
After all, statistics say that 85% of stock market players lose their money. Believe me, billions have been lost.
But whenever people say, “The stock market is dangerous!” they’re referring to trading in the stock market. Not investing in the stock market.
Trading is buying stocks and selling them within a day or a few days.
Investing is buying stocks and selling them in six months or never!
Warren Buffet, the richest man the stock market has ever made, said, “Only buy something that you’d be perfectly happy to hold if the market shut down for ten years.”
Here’s why I believe you should be investors: I don’t believe ordinary people should be trading. I repeat, 80% of people lose their money in the stock market. My belief is that most of those 80% are traders.
If you want to invest in the stock market, there’s only one choice: Money Cost Averaging.
That’s just a fancy name for buying stocks of great companies, little by little, each month.
Perhaps P5000 a month. Or P10,000 a month. Or whatever fixed amount you’re can set aside from your monthly earnings.
The important thing is to do it regularly. When you do this, you’ll find your money growing steadily year after year.
Are you already eager to find out how?
I often hear people say that they are investing in the stock market, and always wanted to give it a try as well, but I DO NOT KNOW HOW.
I also thought that investing in it could be done only via stock brokers (these are the people you hire, you let them handle your money and they’ll be the one to invest it in the stock market).
Then I found out through my research that YOU COULD INVEST START INVESTING IN THE STOCK MARKET YOURSELF.
No middle man. No stock broker. Less expenses. More savings.
Great isn’t it? But how? Let me introduce you to CITISEC ONLINE.
I don’t work for Citiseconline. But I highly recommend that you use it as your way into the market.
I’m recommending it to you because they’re the best online trading platform in the country today. They’re also the biggest.
Trust me on this, I’ve researched them well.
Citiseconline has made it very simple for small investors. They created the Easy Investment Program or EIP.
If you have P5000 or more, you can start investing. P5000 is the initial minimum amount. It’s up to you how much you’ll invest after that. Log in to WWW.CITISECONLINE.COM to get started.
Every month, you can deposit P5000 (or whatever amount you want to put in) into your Citiseconline account. No need to go to their office to do this. You can do it through a bank deposit via any branch of BDO, BPI, Security Bank, and HSBC.
From the comfort of your home, you can open your computer, log onto the website, and buy the stocks that you like. You’re doing it. You’re in control.
I said “Buy stocks that you like”, BUT THESE SHOULD NOT BE JUST ANY STOCKS.
You have to make sure that the stock you buy are from established companies ; solid, great companies that will make you wealthy in 20 years.
But how will you know that?
Simple. You could join in a club called the TRULY RICH CLUB.
The TRULY RICH CLUB is founded by Bo Sanchez, an author known for his best selling books, inspiring talks, and yes, financial mentoring.
Upon joining the club, Bo will bug you every month to invest. He will email you his Stocks Update containing the list of the companies that we should invest.
Here are some sample snapshots of what the Stock Update contains –
Apart from receiving the Stocks Update, he’ll also be sending out daily inspirational emails, monthly newsletters, DVDs, interviews, power talks on how to view money, in terms of relationships and on building businesses and character ; and of course, personal growth materials.
I honestly believe that in today’s world, information is king. If you are not informed, you will be left out. You will always be wondering how come others are getting financially ahead while you’re still stuck working at a dead-end job you really hate.
So why wait any further?
Here’s a sneak peak of what you will receive:
Below is an ebook that I’ll be sharing to you and it’s all yours for FREE. I recommend you to read them to get to know more about the Stock Market, Citiseconline, and the truly rich club. (JUST CLICK BELOW TO DOWNLOAD)
To be a member of Truly Rich Club by Bo Sanchez you need to register —> HERE
For just a small monthly membership fee, you’re off to a start of financial freedom and wise investment.
So if you are ready to gain financial wealth and spiritual abundance then click the link below:
Feel free to contact me via my EMAIL ; or send me a message at my FACEBOOK ACCOUNT if you have any questions.
Happy investing everyone!
The Adventures of AdventuRoj! 