Thinking Out Clouds in Mt. Ulap Traverse Day Hike

Started my year with a warm up - mountain hiking! This activity is not a new to people who are working in the city. This is one of their ways to destress from city life and explore up to the mountain. I was invited by Rams to joined them few days before the date. Whooaa! Spell spontaneous - YES to new adventures. 

Anyways, it was Saturday night when we leave Manila for more or less 10 hours drive to Itogon, Benguet. I love road trips. When we arrived the area where we need to registered was packed of people who will go up to Mt. Ulap. Whooa! 

Good thing, Grezel, our organizer decided that we will do traverse. From Sta. Fe Ride to Ampucao trail. Which was way good, I can say. Less group of people started on that trail. 

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It was almost six in the morning when we started to go up the summit. I was really focused because of the stairs. I hate stairs! So when we reached a good spot for sunrise I took photos while we were resting. I brought my camera so I can save my phone's battery.

Finally asked our tour guide to take photos of me :D 

I prepared my outfit for this. I think I did a great job.

Bag: Terra Peak | Leggings: Reebok | Shoes: Palladium Boots | Top: Cotton On

| Sports Bra: Sassa Activewear | Watch: Casio | Eyeglasses: Executive Optical

Decided not to wear contact lens.

Here's my friend Rams!

Looking fresh!

We stop here for lunch. We bought our lunch at the registration area of Mt. Ulap.

After lunch, we continued to go to summit and this is the view!

Thinking out clouds




And we continued to go up the hill! Remember the Jack and Jill song? you don't really want to fall down here or else... nakakahiya!

When we reached the hill we can't help but take a lot of photos and of course photo opts!

We continued to reach this signage!

and this!

We waited for the others for a group photo.

The popular rock formation for photo opts was too crowded and we have to wait for our turn. So we all decided to skip that sht and continue to our trail.



BUT we had our great tour guide, she suggested to take photos to another spot where no one knows. She is a local so I believe her and these happened:

It was really foggy. Ulap in english is Clouds. Truly Mt. Ulap / Mt. Clouds!

Downtime.

My left knee almost gave up. I was having a hard time going down the trail every time I bend it. Ugh. Success! We reached this signage as our end of our adventure.

Then we went to Baguio as our late lunch early dinner treat.

50 Diners!

My meal!

Gained new friends!

Our tour guide and my photographer.



My favorite photo.

"Hiking is like a drug. If you try once, you need more. Dead! Maybe after 6 months again."

Mt. Ulap Organized by: Byaherang Barat - check her page for more events this summer.

What are your plans this summer? xx

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Perfect Strangers in One Journey - To Meet Apo Whang Od in Buscalan

Can someone give me around of applause because I am blogging about my long weekend trip to Buscalan, Kalinga Mountain Province! (thank you, thank you, kahit wala naman.)

Backstory:

I was in Cebu for a week to spend quality time with my family and to spend birthday of my sister and mom when Nabilla my friend invited me to go with her to Buscalan for less than a week prior to date. I was surprised that a friend inviting me spontaneously so I said yes.

Honestly, I was not that excited and ready for the trip. It was really raining hard last Friday night our time to get on the road for 12-hour trip from Manila. (Yes.) 

I was impatience that I almost gave up not to go to meet up place because I was having a hard time to booked Uber and Grab-a-Car was a messed! 

12-hour drive. Let's go!

Fast forward... 

When we arrived to Benguet, it reminds me of my last year photo opts: Hello from Benguet! It was sunny that I missed the cold weather last year. But finally I was able to enjoy the view of Banaue Rice Terraces!

"Hello Banaue, I'm back" 

View from where we ate our brunch. 

Souvenir shop

I would love to have this kind of view every morning.

Bontoc

Trail 

We had no choice, but to start walking from somewhere 15 minutes away from the turning point going up to the Buscalan Village. I was torn between ready and not so ready. Oh man! I don't have any cardio exercise since I moved back here in Manila.

After an hour of hiking, I literally dropped my bag and myself. I was dead tired that I couldn't even catch my breathe. Well. we all do. 

Buscalan Homestay

Portraits for the win! 

Here's Rams invaded our room while we were catching up to one another. 

Choosing tattoo designs

My Godsister Nabilla. :)

We were informed that Apo Whang Od was not in the village for few days already and expecting her to go home the next day with no exact time. There's no cellsites in the area, no mobile phones that you can call or text. Literally, offline.

We had a drinking session, but I missed to try this Coffee Wine! I couldn't even bring this in Manila I don't want to go down the trail with a bottle with me. Next time! 

Good Offline Morning

The next morning, we had a chance to explore the village with our guide Asparo (hope I spelled this correctly.) 

Never failed to do this. Sunrise and coffee always. 

Breakfast time!

Rams, I, Josh

Children of Buscalan Village 

Here are the cuties lined up for sweet treats - chocolate! :) 

Tattoo Sessions

On our first night, some of the participants started to have their tattoo and we were all watching the process, shocks, looks painful for me, a little bit, but better than a heartbreak they said.

Nabi on her second tattoo! OMG! 

Bought a souvenir yey! 

Crossed Path with Apo Whang Od 

I thought we will never had a chance to meet her in person sa t-shirt nalang. :( 

But on our way down to the turning point. 

We met Apo Whang Od on her way home! I was amazed to see her in person and had a chance to greet her. I don't have any chocolate with me because I gave it away already, but she was happy to take photos with us.  

Achieved!

Whang-od Oggay ([ˈɸɑŋ:ˈəd]; born c. 1918) is a Filipina tattoo artist from Buscalan, Tinglayan, Kalinga, Philippines.[3] She is considered as the last mambabatok (traditional Kalinga tattooist) from the Butbut Kalinga people and the oldest tattoo artist in the Philippines. read more.

We all went home happy and with a light heart! 

Rachell taking photos, while Miko taking a photo of her while me taking a photo of them. 

Labo ko. Memalang.

Meet the Buscalan crew! 

It was great to meet all of you in one journey, hope to see you all again. 

Perfect strangers gathered together in one journey to meet Apo Whang Od in Buscalan Village. It was a great long weekend.

When you said "yes" to a new adventure, it will turned out great.

Photo by Mikoy

Thanks Nabi for inviting me and Byaherang Barat for organizing this trip.

Cheers!

(Bag: Terra Peak | Pants: Sassa Activewear | Shoes: Palladium Boots)

All photos are taken using Huawei P9 with Leica Dual Camera

PS: 

Here's our video from Josh and Mar 

 

How do you spend your weekends?

Have a great day everyone!

xx