Thursday, August 31, 2006
mt. ugo here i comeTC3 kinda took us by surprise. but i must admit that i'm quite excited. it's our first multi-day climb and i wonder what wonders it has in store for us. i'm contemplating on whether i should bring my SLR or not. i am a very clumsy girl and i'm afraid that by the end of the climb, my camera would have cuts and scrapes much similar to the ones i had in Malipunyo. we'll see. bajay is our trail master, i'm pretty sure my sister will miss him on the sweeper's group. haha..peace achie. also i found out that we'll be crossing a freakin' hanging bridge...i wonder, will tears begin to fall? i have yet cried on a climb (exception when i got teary eyed on the back dive) and i plan to keep it that way. i really want to do good on this climb especially since all the trainees in my group are strong climbers. and also because some of my TC1 groupmates are with me, i don't want them to think i have not improved at all. my right ankle is acting up though, i hope it goes away by thursday. well...good luck to me.
is the rumor about a haunted tree true? a lady apparently committed suicide. pls tell me it's a joke. please. i'll bring my crucifix just in case. haha...
8:17 AM
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Friday, August 25, 2006
malipunyo thoughts - day 2i lost track of time that day so bear with me...
Sunday 08-20-2006 3:40 AM
"i don't wanna wake up yet. i wanna sleep. (susan saying something about how she had a hard time sleeping...) i am not a morning person. i need an hour before i start talking. (susan saying something about sliding down as she sleeps) just ignore her muna...maybe she'll stop when i don't respond. i wanna sleep pa... (susan telling me she'll change na) aaaah...ok. i still have 15min. (susan telling me she'll fix her things na) susan, i really really don't talk at this early in the morning. im sorry."
Sunday 08-20-2006 around 4:30 - 6:00 AM (it's raining)
"aaaaarrrrggghhh....sOoOoO cold. it's freezing. i hope they'll make the trail easier. wait, maybe Sky did his rain dance last night. why does he hate us? why? why? why? aaaah.. lamig. pls stop raining na. stop it. waaaah...
sunday 08-20-2006 (start of trek)
"here we go again. we are trekking as a group now. i wonder what Malipunyo and Sky have in store for us now. oh well. good luck to us. "
sunday 08-20-2006 (lunch)
"hmmm...this is nice. the water is cold. this is the start of the river trek i guess. and this is the last chance for the short cut. this the last chance to escape. but no, i know i have to do this. slowly but surely i'll make it."
Sunday 08-20-2006 (by a huge rock)
"move you stupid foot. (Dyake telling me to just bend it and step). hey you, c'mon move it. just listen to what he is saying:bend and step. ayaw. dali na. it's taking too long. just step. ok, 1-2-3 step. AYAW!!!! it has the mind of it's own."
Sunday 08-20-2006 (water was too high, we had to float on our pack)
"what the heck! my bag is heavier. am i that tired? what a minute, may water sa loob. oh siyet. cellphone ko!!!!!! siyet!"
Sunday 08-20-2006 (more water)
" cellphone ko. cellphone ko. cellphone ko. did the water really got inside the bag? cellphone ko. cellphone ko."
Sunday 08-20-2006 (passing by Sir Bojo)
"daya ni achie ah nagshort cut. she even had Sir Bojo carry her bag. hmmm...but i do know she would have continued if she can. un pa. si ms. adventure willing to try anything. too bad she'll miss the back dive."
sunday 08-20-2006 (lagoon slide)
"wihee...this is fun. it really is. and the place looks beautiful.. never in my life have i imagined i'll ever get to be here. ha! can't wait to tell dad. and he thought i'll never have the courage to actually do this."
sunday 08-20-2006
"will this ever end????? how freakin' long is this river?! my whole body is aching. why did i ever join? why? oooops. a log. and my stupid feet are stuck again. help!!!! ok, 1-2-3 step. dammit. my feet really have a mind of their own. ok, thanks Dyake. again."
sunday 08-20-2006 (backdive)
"this is it. hmm...i thought Angie has already been here, why is she still afraid? aba si paulo na, niiice. it's our turn. nauna na si GL Dyake. there goes Mike and Janice. me? why me? jay, you first pls. ok. me it is. oh.my.god. oh.my.god. i can't do this. i can't. squat daw. ok. i will bump my head and die. oh no. how do u just let go??? how??? push me. just push me now. i can't i can't. shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!!!"
sunday 08-20-2006 around 5:30 PM
"headlamps na? so night trek it is. this is gonna be tough. are we going to spend the night here? what about snakes? and other animals. we have to move it. i won't be able to see where we're going. bahala na ulit. push push push."
sunday 08-20-2006 (after passing sweepers Bajay and Jay sitting by a rock)
"2 hours to go????? are they serious? waaah. no way. but im going as fast as i can. no way. whaaaat???? i wanna go home. i wonder where's achie. probably all clean by now. isn't this river gonna end? is this river eventually gonna lead us to the sea? or the ocean? stupid river!!!!"
sunday 08-20-2006 around 11:00 PM
"it's a highway! hallelujah! yehey!!! thank GOD!!!! yehey!!!! wipee!!!"
1:26 AM
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Thursday, August 24, 2006
malipunyo thoughts - day 1apparently many observed that i did not talk as i trekked. it's true. i don't. i'm having a hard time as it is...i just don't have time to talk. that's what those thumb signs are for. BUT it doesn't mean my mind is blank. here's some of what goes on on my mind along the trail.
friday 08-18-2006 10:00 AM
"i don't want to go. i really don't. i don't feel too well. bahala na."
saturday 08-19-2006 12:30 AM
"this is it. am i really doing this? is it raining? oh dear God i hope it isn't, or maybe i hope it is...whatever. better get ready."
saturday 08-19-2006 around 3:30 AM
"i can still back out. i can still text my dad. aaaaaaarrrrrggghhhh.... WHAT am i doing? what did i get myself into?"
saturday 08-19-2006 around 6:00 - 6:30 AM
"dear God, do take care of us. i do hope we reach the campsite before nighfall. (i hear the words "and lastly pls do take care of our loved ones if we do not make it....) what the f***?! diyos ko po. uuwi na ko. waaaah... it's too late. or baka kaya ko pa habulin yun bus. wala na. God oh God, guide me through this mountain and my sister as well. i know i can do this with you by my side. waaaaaaaaah!!!!!!"
saturday 08-19-2006 around 10:00 - 10-30 AM (second slippery wall to climb with a rope) "SPIDER!no way no way no way. @#*%$!!!!! i hate spiders. no way!!!! stay there. pls...pls... pls...ok, now go. 1-2-3. aaaaah..mike wait let go. my face is hitting the rocks. don't push. aaaaah...."
saturday 08-19-2006 around lunchtime (climbing Nampucha Peak)
"siyet, siyet, siyet!!!!!! i don't want to die. Oh.My.God. SSSSSKKKKKYYYYYYYYY!!!!! what did i ever do to you?! SSSSSSKKKKKYYYYY!!!!!!! i can do this. i can. i must. ah siyet. (sweeper Jay says sige kaya mo yan. para matuto ka) i am fucking dangling here a little help won't hurt. wala ng silbi ang mga matututunan ko if im six feet underground. aaaarggh...(Bajay asks Jay to help me out) thanks Bajay!"
saturday 08-19-2006 around 4:00 - 5:00 PM (we have just passed the cross)
"if i only i could do this with my eyes closed....oh dear, no mumu pls. it's so quiet here. only susan was talking, asking me if we were on the right track. susan, sssshhhh....we might disturb sleeping souls. where's Dyake? are we getting lost? i want to look back but i'm scared that it won't be Dyake behind me. where is he? waaah...susan, im scared. malayo pa b? where the heck is Rendo? i can't hear anything? siyet. what if i see something? waaaaah... ah basta, i just have to keep walking. at least i have susan with me. si susan pa nga kaya to? waaaaah... dammit.
(after passing the second cross)
"yiheee!!!!! woohoo!!!! thank God. yey! yey! yey!
saturday 08-19-2006 (somewhere in the sagingan)
"i think Dyake is either pissed or bored with us. we're really slow. and he's not talking anymore. sorry GL. Dyake. say something. woohoo. actually best not to talk. less energy exerted. just keep on walking and walking and walking and walking."saturday 08-19-2006 around 6:00 PM
"WE'RE HERE!!!!!!! yey!!!! hallelujah! hallelujah! hallelujah!!!!!!!! i cannot believe it. we're here na"
11:56 PM
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Friday, August 04, 2006
my triumph over the Standard Australian Lizard
I had been internalizing since I received Angie's mail and saw the horrifying pictures. I even had trouble sleeping. but no amount of internalizing could have prepared me for that...5 floors up. and 5 floors down. 3 techniques. all designed to give you a heart attack, one for each! and that rope was tied to a very suspicious, rusty, old gate. now tell me, would you have just smiled and said "bring it on!" hmmm...maybe some of them did say that. but not me. no no no. people were looking at me expectantly. I guess they were waiting for the "waterworks". but I was still smiling... no tears in sight, yet. but my mind went " " the moment we stepped into that building. I was telling myself, no way in hell will I do that. you can drag my feet and tie me to the rope, but I will never step on to the ledge. I will kick. I will scream. I will bite anyone who tries to make me.the first chapter: Standard rappelling
the anticipation was building up with every step I took. I was having enough trouble with climbing up to do anymore thinking. and when i reached the 5th floor "oh oh". they started strapping the harness and i just couldn't keep it in anymore, tears everywhere. tear after tear after tear. i was grasping for breath. even Paulo's "nanginginig" na paa wasn't even enough to make me smile (bumawi ako after) but jay's frantic shout for his mommy did. it was too hilarious not to. before I knew it, my turn already. and the tears were at it again. i guess the Makati rescue people saw my fear (everybody did) so one of them volunteered to accompany me on my way down...at some point he was the one pulling my rope. and everybody was running to catch up with me on every floor. but i could pretty much see and hear only one person: my sister. the rest was a blur. after a couple more thug and whole lot of sweating..finally "thump". my feet on the ground. i did it!!!!!! i finally heard the cheering of my fellow trainees and other members. i called my dad during lunch...his voice was enough to make me brave for the last two.
chapter 2: the not so slimy Lizard
this i have to say was the worst of them all. when you step off the ledge, first you sit on the rope. slowly you lean back...and then you flip. you actually flip. you are upside down. you actually feel like you're falling...the worst position of all. i kept my eyes close. they were shouting at me to open them so that i could see any obstacle but i couldn't. i knew that if i did, i would have given up right then and there. no questions asked i would have jst quit. so as much as i'd rather have done it with a little more dignity, i opted to just keep 'em shut and just pull pull pull. they say i did it faster than some but how could i not when all i was thinking was "i would have a heart attack or panic attack if i didn't pull that freakin' rope." never mind the bumps or cuts that i could incur, i would live. the important thing is my feet hitting that slippery muddy green plank. and it did. chapter 3: do it the aussie way
again..i shut my eyes and hoped for the best. this is like plunging to the unknown... except i did knew where i'll end up. the key here was BALANCE, something i never gained/learned. and u had to open your arms wide. even the hand holding the rope has to be kept away from the body. so imagine me dangling on a rope and twirling. i tried not to panic but you're twirling 3 floors up, how was i suppose to stay calm??? but the more you panic the more u twirl so again i just kept pulling and pulling. it did feel like i was floating especially with my eyes close. i tell you, it was not a very good feeling. all i wanted to hear where the words "stop". in all honesty, i think have begun to form an attachment to that still muddy, very hard, solid, green board. though it did not serve any comfy purposes, it always always signified my safe return. (hahaha...parang galing moon) when my feet finally thumps that piece of wood, only then can i smile again. more like rejoice actually.
again..i shut my eyes and hoped for the best. this is like plunging to the unknown... except i did knew where i'll end up. the key here was BALANCE, something i never gained/learned. and u had to open your arms wide. even the hand holding the rope has to be kept away from the body. so imagine me dangling on a rope and twirling. i tried not to panic but you're twirling 3 floors up, how was i suppose to stay calm??? but the more you panic the more u twirl so again i just kept pulling and pulling. it did feel like i was floating especially with my eyes close. i tell you, it was not a very good feeling. all i wanted to hear where the words "stop". in all honesty, i think have begun to form an attachment to that still muddy, very hard, solid, green board. though it did not serve any comfy purposes, it always always signified my safe return. (hahaha...parang galing moon) when my feet finally thumps that piece of wood, only then can i smile again. more like rejoice actually. so there you go. i did it. not with much dignity as i would have preferred but that would do. i can finally give myself that pat on the back. i had overcome my fear even for just a few seconds. i wonder...can i know use that "shangri-la escalator"? hmmm..we'll see.
12:07 AM
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