that includes being able to go to three new places. by may, i was able to see four new places and it includes mt. pulag or as they say the "mountain of the gods."
i do not earn a lot and to go to these places was a struggle that until now i am facing. well, i exceeded my budget because of these:
yup, i have reached the highest peak in the island of luzon. was i scared? hell yeah! i thought i was gonna die of fatigue yet we were still at the ranger station and have not started the actual trek yet. we are not yet talking about the six-hour bus ride from manila to baguio and the four-hour ride from baguio to the jump off site.
at the beginning, i told myself that i'll bring my things with me during the climb and that i will not hire a porter. but after a twenty-minute "walk" from the ranger station to the jump-off site, i definitely told myself that i badly needed a porter so i can truly enjoy the climb.
i was prepared to join other groups as i registered by myself with a travelling agency. lo and behold, i met these workmates at the bus station and was totally surprised that we were on the same trip! yay for friends!
did it rain? totally. slept with a wet and cold blanket as the moisture from the rain got inside of our tent. literally felt like a "basang sisiw." i shivered and was tired from the trip but i was prepared for these things.
this is my prize for reaching the top and working my fat ass. just beautiful.
in the past, i have told myself to never climb mountains. i have fear of heights and honestly, i am not that physically fit. i am lazy and i like eating double rice. but after reaching the top and see the beauty of God's creation, i begin planning again my next climb.
of all climbs that i did in the past, this has to be the most challenging. yet, it was also the most beautiful that i had. i had to endure travelling with a 12-kilo bag that i thought i could manage to bring it with me at the top but realized early on that i could not. i had to slip a number of times in the muddy paths and had to stop to breathe. there were times that i could not feel my legs anymore and there were those times also that the cramps that i had made my eyes sweat.
however, i relished on every moment of the climb. there were no regrets for sure as i i felt the sacredness of the climb and of my intentions that i will keep to myself. i never felt more human and more capable.
thank you for choosing me pulag!
