Where's the escalator at? A delusional journey towards Pinatubo

You want to go to where? Do you know how long that will take?

They said 2 hours.

At least 4 hours man, a 4 hour trek, and God knows how long to Pinatubo by car.

Hey man, it can't be a 4 hour trek. I was told it would be around 1 hour, and I could do that.

You'll need to wake up by 2:30AM to take the 3:00AM bus to Tarlac – stop at Capas Junction and be picked up by the 4x4.

Damn that's early... but I could do it.

Tell you what. I'll bet you that you can't get up there. Someone will have to take your picture once you get up there for proof.

Yea man, that's no problem. It can't be that hard right?

Geez, these guys don't think I can take a little jaunt up a volcano that smothered half the Philippines in ash over a decade ago.

Next day -

Damn, I'm already late. Get the hell out of my room and head for the Victory Liner terminal in Olongapo. The fuck, the Jeepney driver I got into isn't heauling ass. He's still waiting for a few more people to fill up the back seats.

I get off and trade in for another yellow jeepney - the other passengers get off also.

Was able to get on the bus to Tarlac and off we go! Zoooom! Zooom! Zoooom!

So I slept on the bus.

And I awake to find that I passed Capas Junction. Damn! Got off the bus and took a tricycle – 8 kilometers back to my destination – Mcdonalds.

So here we go! Get on the 4x4, and head off to Pinatubo. I'm gonna climb you sucka!

To say the ride to Pinatubo was mild would be a bloody lie. It was bumpy, jumpy and wet as we rode through dirt, rivers, lahar (ash), and rocky terrain. This was the fabled shortcut – through terrain that chafed your ass to the point of developing blisters in all the wrong places.

Yea boy! Finally going going to start the trek to Pinatubo! I was given a pathfinder, a ranger, a local, a guide rolled into one. Didn't talk much, probably because I didn't know Tagalog. But he knew his stuff.

We started..! And I had to quickly lean on a rock to take a rest. Damn he walks fast. Where the hell is the end? Damn this is freaking long. What's up with this bloody trail? Where the hell is the escalator?

Hu Hu Puff Hu Puff Wheeze Wheeze... Stop?! Again! I had to stop, this time I stopped at a scenic area. I took my camera and started to shoot this stone pagoda. There was a lot of these stone pagodas as we moved. My stop....That was a ruse... I wasn't going to show a local how out of shape I was, my flabby stomach and weak assed legs giving out on me. Hell no! I'm manning up!

Going to use my camera to my advantage and take photos I was planning on getting anyways.

Yea boy, I'm not taking a rest! I don't take rest, hah! I stop because I'm taking in the scenery with my camera. No excuse at all. Hell no. No sir! Not at all! Yea.... right. Delusions have a way of worming into my mind as I trudge ahead.

So yea, the sign at the parking lot said – 40 minute trek to Pinatubo. Right! 40 minutes!

Wait huh?! I just manned down, told the guide to stop.... again – can't... take... this trek... damn it's far. I should stop and turn back. Took a lot of pictures already.... damn it! I'm not going to lose that bet. Hell no.

I kept myself from asking if we're almost there. I'm not a kid at the backseat of the car asking my mom every few minutes if we're there yet.

I'm a man, and a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do!

What the? A group of European tourists just passed us by - a man, a woman and a kid. Damn!

Take your time damnit. Let me take in the scenery. The guide sees this everyday of his life. Let me take in the few hours that I have and live through the moment. Let me stop and let the environment sink into my brain and my camera. Tourists should be given the option of a slow 2-3 hour trek to take in the scenery.

The destination is only half the journey. The scenery on the way to Pinatubo is beautiful and deserves the time for people to take in – instead of looking down at the rocks as you try to avoid slipping or sliding on this rock or that wet rock.

Wha? What?! After climbing those stairs, I will see Pinatubo? Man, this better have been worth it. By this point, I'm wheezing, my legs are about to give out on me. Every few steps on the rock made stairs, I have to stop. This is getting really bad. My body that's been slaved to the office is so close to collapse over.... a 40 minute trek? I think it was closer to 2 hours to reach Pinatubo.

My eyes – they've been tasting my salty perspiration for a while now. My eye sight is getting really assed up. My glasses fogged from the salt, my camera's LCD looks shit. Everything looks hazy and underexposed. Man this is bad. I'll fix everything in post! Yea boy!

WOW Pinatubo! DAYMN! That's NICE! Shit, it was worth it to see that emerald green lake rocked by howling winds breaking its waves onto the rocks. Whoooosh!

From the lookout overlooking the lake, the winds push you hard as dirt hit your face like a billion ants stinging at your pores. It's that bad. The winds are strong up on the bluff. The is kinda funny. One moment, you don't feel it. Then all of a sudden, whoooosh! A big ice of wind blows at your direction, then it's gone. You meet silence.

Below, a small beach gives way. To the side, a pile of boats looks ready to be used by anyone. My Europeans are swimming in that clear emerald water on my right. Man they're fit. It probably took them less than 40 minutes to get to Pinatubo.

Man that's nice. The water is beautiful. I take in the sand as I lay down and listen to some jazz and blues.

I made it! Pinatubo reamed me all over my body, but I manned up! I got – you – blisters and all!

I won the damn bet! That's all that counts! I manned up, even though I have blisters all over my feet, and my ass. My muscles – all my muscles screamed at me.

I slept that night – a long beautiful sleep.

Danjugan – an island sanctuary.

Took the plane from Cebu to Bacolod and met up with a buddy who drove me to Danjugan. Before the ride began, we stopped to get some lunch. I was pretty damn hungry. Off to the Chicken House for Bacolod's famous chicken inasal. Man was that good! Chicken on a stick with rice! You don't just put a damn chicken on a stick man, there's some kind of special sauce they put on it. Just like KFC's secret ingredients, but at least you know this is real chicken.

Then off to pick up two more guests to the island and we were off on our 3 hour tour... our 3 hour tour... what the... ahhh, it was a 3 hour drive to Danjugan. On the same road, I was told that you can drive the entire length of the island and come back to the same place you started. Small island huh? It was a bloody 3 hour drive! It's not that small!

Man, so many tricycles on this road. At least most of the road is paved! Woooow... 6 guys on a tricycle! 8 guys on a trike... you've seen over 10 guys on a tricycle? Man, with those underpowered engines, those things must ride like a slug, and when there's 10 guys, I wouldn't want it to go any faster.

Sugar cane trucks were piling on the road fully loaded with there cargo, with bits and pieces coming down the road.

Bacolod is mainly an agricultural island, sugar cane seems to be the main crop. Hey man, what's that on the right? Sugar cane dude. Ah man, what are they growing on the left. Dude, that's sugar cane too. Sweeet, so where's the rice?

(PICTURE)

Danjugan? It's a small island off the coast of Negros Occidental - a far and distant island that can be reached from Manila or Cebu in a few minutes by plane.

Danjugan is an island with a few basic accommodations, the foundation that takes care of the island is keeping an eco-friendly attitude, so only a small part of the island is being developed....

Development in this case means, a few structures with beds wrapped surrounded by mosquito netting – I think they can accommodate up to 30 guests a day, a cooking structure, a central eating place, and a manual flush toilet for girls and guys! If you want to really be green, you can drop your shit in a special area on top of a hill and in a few months it will become compost. What do you think of that earth lovers?

After 3 hours drive - we got on a banka for a few minutes ride to Danjugan, it was getting dark as we started on our final leg to the island.

(PICTURE)

If you need any kind of gear to scuba dive, snorkel, fish, etc.. you should be able to rent from the foundation that takes care of the island, so tell them of your needs when you make arrangements.

(PICTURE)

Stepping off the banka – ouch! Ouch! Ouch! The hell? The beach is made up of corral! The entire beach is made up of shells and corral. Better put the sandals on. Yea!

If all you want to do is lay on a soft white sandy beach this isn't the place for you beach lovers. It's a island to explore, to listen to the hermit crabs at night shuffling about and watching the birds fly right in your face as they race each other. This is an unspoiled island. Check out the lagoons and just listen to the sound of well... nothing but nature.

Or take a night of beer drinking with friends as you watch the empty night sky devoid of any obstructions to the stars. Take some puffs and feel your skin flow into the the wind as you see transdimensional realities encroach on your stupified brain cells, you gotta bring your own puffs. I am not in any way condoning the use of illegal substances. Carrying illegal substances and if found by police is a serious crime in the Philippines.

If you want, tell the entire staff to get the hell off the island and you can strip totally naked anywhere! Do anything to yourself or to your friend! Just make sure she's hot!

You could relive the The Lord of the Flies! Oink! Oink! Oink! Or how about the Blue Lagoon! The Beach! Or bring a golden gun, and YOU can be The man with the golden gun running naked all over the island! Damn right! Not sure if there's a fee of telling the staff to get off, so you gotta ask the foundation. You also gotta make sure there's food available once they leave!

So... My buddy was snorkeling and saw a turtle in that clear sea. There's also corrals surrounding the island - the scuba gear was ready to go in case anybody needed to use it.

(PICTURE)

There is a way out – just a few minutes from the island on the mainland is a modern resort called Punta Bulata with big air conditioned rooms, a nice sandy beach and all the amenities you'd expect from a resort. It's close to Danjugan so it's pretty out in the boonies. Good for people who need the amenities and the quiet atmosphere without the crowds on the beach muscling on your turf. Punta Bulata isn't like Patong, Kata or Karon beach in Thailand or even Boracay with the crowds stepping on each others feet. As I write this, Punta Bulata is a boonie resort that has a quiet and nice beach for people who want to get the hell out of the tourist traps.

Punta Bulata can make arrangements with the foundation that runs Danjugan for a day visit and take care of the entrance fee and any other equipment you'd need – snorkeling, scuba equipment, etc.

But you're not going to do that because you're a mans man right?! Damn straight! Let me be politically correct about this - you're going to stay over night on the bed with the mosquito netting and drink beer amid the hermit crabs on the beach because you want to get in touch with nature because you're an eco-adventurer! Darn right! Word!

(PICTURE)

This is where you find yourself.

So wake up early – around 5AM and start exploring the island before breakfast. Bring a camera with a telephoto lens, you won't want to miss taking photos of the birds around the island. You might get a photo of the eagle nesting amid the tree atop the hill overlooking the camp. How about this flightless bird that's kind of like a turkey but without the feathers sticking from his ass? Explore the lagoons and before you see the bat cave, you'll smell a stench so vile the wicked witch will smell oh so sweet. You're on the right track! Yea, don't really know how the hell the wicked witch came into the picture. How does a witch equate the stench of bats? Damn straight!

Then in the afternoon take a splash in the water either snorkeling, kayaking, swimming or scuba diving and explore the deep water depths of that clear sea surrounding the island. Let me say this again, the water around the island is so freaking clear, and there's nobody out there making waves to screw it up.

(PICTURE)

The food was incredible. It was home cooking that you wish your mom can cook. The chicken adobe oh shit man! It was fine. It had that taste that you wish chicken adobe can taste this good every time you order it from a Filipino restaurant or maybe... your mom?

The mangoes were sweet and juicy. The coconuts served were delicious. The fried rice turon was god watering crispy. First I thought it was banana inside the crispy shell, but after one of the other guests tried it, they were gushing about the taste, and it was rice inside! I was skeptical before I took a bite, then another, and after a few minutes of good table manners, I got another one, hahahahahaha. Damn tasty this stuff is!

The fish served was fresh and good. Normally don't eat fish, but this was really good. This was home cooking, real to goodness good Filipino food. None of that turo-turo greasy shit you find in the States.

I spent the night at the island and paid the 2,500 peso plus an additional tip, because damn the food was so bloody good! The food was included in the cost – breakfast, lunch and dinner when we arrived on the island. We left the following afternoon after lunch.

Back to Bacolod and a good nights sleep in a hotel. Ah shit. I almost forgot to mention this. The hotel had a restaurant below. My buddy suggested a steak meal. Forgot the name of it. But it was one of the most tender mouth watering pieces of meats I've ever had. It was prepared in pieces placed on the plate with the sauce surrounding each piece. So good, man it was good.

I was a voyeur. The table next to me a Filipino guy was making the moves on a Korean girl. It was like watching a movie. Making his pimp move on one of the girls. After a while, I figured the Korean girls were practicing their English skills on the guy. I ignored them in favor of my meal, but as I finished, dude was still trying to convince them that he should be her boyfriend. Salutes dude!

Then off to bed in my big air conditioned room with a television with a functional automatic bathroom with shower that gave off hot and cold water! I love modernity! I love fluffy pillows and a nice sheets over a comfy bed.

But you know. It's nice to take a break. To live on an island, just to hear yourself think, to get away from modern living - to a distant place called Danjugan.

Dude that last sentence looks like it was ripped from a travel book. One of those cheesy ones...!

Trying to be legit!

Links:

PRRCFI - The Foundation that overseas Danjugan.
Punta Bulata - The resort on the mainland, just a few minutes travel from Danjugan.

Historical Cebu 2006

Arrived at Cebu International Airport on Mactan island. Man. This airport is pretty lax in security. Once everyone from the plane left the airport, I was basically walking around looking for a taxi... all alone. No one in sight.

Well, the taxi people were visible... this felt pretty luxurious, a big difference from Nonoy International in Manila, where you have crowds waiting outside for family and friends.

...after getting settled in the hotel, I took a tour of historical Cebu. I only had a half day, and I was really tired from my Puerto Princessa trip. Took these photos before I crashed back at the hotel.


This is Magellan's cross. It's actually encased in a protective enclosure. Historically, people came to venerate the cross and took chips off it, believing that it had medicinal properties.

Forgot what this battleship of a statue was. It's basically a history of Catholic expansion and enslavement of the islands.

The Infanta encased in protective glass where people come and pray.

The four saints in front of the Church and convent of Santo Nino. As I was walking around, there was a school of little kids going to class with their moms.

By looking at all these pictures, it looks like I was on a religious pilgrimage. Well...these were the only pictures that actually turned out OK. Found myself by this Taoist temple.

Not much to say. The place was empty except for the guard at the gate and a few tourists taking pictures. Lao Tzu fishing. Yup... just needs a working water fountain, because theres' no freaking water, and there's no fish.

So yea, that's about it for Cebu. I didn't really take a lot of interesting pictures. What's cool about Cebu is that it's pretty clean. I noticed a lot of Koreans due to the English schools all over the city. Economic Free Trade zones were sprouting all over the place. Malls were just as big as their cousins in Manila.

It did feel... well, it felt more orderly than Manila.