Trekking @ Mount Pinatubo and What Not

I heard a lot good reviews about trekking in Mount Pinatubo. Luke and JC went there last year and was jealous seeing them riding those 4 x 4 trucks, err and the crater of Moutn Pinatubo din pala. Luckily Dom organized a trip for Pinatubo a couple of weeks and as soon as I read his announcement I immediately texted him and ask for a reservation. Was suprised also that Rosa

and her AG are joining the trip. Ang saya! The more the mannier! Jejejeje

Meeting time is 4:14 AM @ Shell McKinley. Shucks! Ang aga! Went home from PM around 11:00PM na then eat (i asked my nanay to cooked porkchop bbq even on a friday!) and watch a movie pa till 12:30AM. Then woke up before 3:00AM for Rosa to pick me up and Che then go to Kuya Ef house for our service to Makati.

The trip to Dau took us 1 hour then spend a couple of minute to buy pack lunch and then rode the 4 x 4 trucks (yes!) all the way to Capas Tarlac! 

Nasagap ko ata lahat ng usok along the highway! Jejeje

On the way to Pinatubo

After 2 hours we arrive to this Pinatubo Spa Town where Dom need to register us trekkers and gave us some time to go to the bathroom and freshen up before our trek.

Welcome powh!

4 x 4 All line-up

After making chikka with other people and putting our protective gears for the dust (errr..sila lang pala kasi wala akong dalang pangprotekta) we start our drive to Pinatubo. The first pit stop is a very wide space na puro buhangin and small streams of water. The place looks like this...



According to our guide this place used to be a vast sugarcane fields but it vanished after the eruption. Then I remember the proposal project that I made 2 years ago for Capas Ethanol project, and i was like "where the hell are they going to get the sugarcane to use for this Ethanol plant". And yesterday I sit down corrected. The thing is tarlac has sugarcane sources pala! Now I know jejeje.

The walls of lahar

Sabi ni guide, the place is the location shoot for those GMA-7's sci-fi telenovela a few years ago. (Forgot to ask what's the name though). The place reminds me of the sand dunes of Saudi, minus the water streams of course =D

Che inspecting her camera

After a couple of hours driving we finally start our trek to Pinatubo crater. This is the part i've been waiting for. Good choice I wore a trekking shoes instead of a sandals coz konti lang naman ang mga streams of water we've encountered (plus i dont have sandals! waaaa!).

The lahar wall and me

Parking lot of 4 x 4

During the trek it's hard to find a place to sit down and take a rest, unlike in Batulao where there is a shack after 15 minutes of walk. And it came as a suprised to find a Kubo in the middle of the mountain. Yehey!!! Pahinga galore!

After 20 minutes of trekking again, we've finally arrived at the crater! Wohoo!! And this thing greeted us a the entrance..

God's reminds us on how he can create and destroy life with just one snap

Welcome po sa crater!

In fairness, daming tao sa crater! Met a whole family, a balikbayan, a retires US servicemen (from Clark i suppose) and a lot of young professionals. It's like a pasiklaban ng mga DSLR! Did the DSLR convention moved to Pinatubo? Jejejeje

Thank you Lord for the good weather=D

After eating our lunch and made some acquaintance we descend to the crater lake for the boating. According to our guide its a 170 steps daw. It was easy going down but it was hell going up!!!!

Kuya Ef made it to the other boat coz puno na boat namin. Good thing coz at least we have picture from other the other side. Dom was with him as well. And Josh ,the nice kid we've met (i say kid coz he relly looks so young, eventhough he's working na as a accountant) at the trip.

At the other side of the crater we descend, Faith tried to feel if the water is really hot, and indeed it was true. Nope i didn't tried to touch the waters coz paranoid ako sa mga acid thingy things. LoL! Crazy me noh?

I have to admit the place is awesome! It's like your in the magical world of LOTR. Winner!!! Would love to go to that area where there is sandlike slopes kaso it's on the other side of the crater. So far from where we deck. =(. But still it's nice to view them from afar.

KE, ang huma-hardcore photographer!


That's the area i want to explore sana!
River (lake deep) Mountain high!

A lot of vegetation flourished on the crater lake, wonder how this plants live on this type of water.

Fact: Walang isda sa crater, di ata kaya ang sulfuric acidity level ni Pinatubo.
False: Hindi puedeng maligo sa Pinatubo.
Fiction: Kaya kong languyin to the other side of the lake.

Bato sa buhanginan


Yay! Uwian na!!

All in all the trip is awesome. Btw, before we went to the crater we had a small outreach for the Aeta's living in Pinatubo. We brought clothes, books, school things and some small snacks for the kids. It was heartwarming to see the smiles in their faces upon receiving the gifts. Didn't took photos during the event coz i was handling out the clothes to the adults. I hope they appreciate the little gifts that we've gave them.

Special Thanks to Dong Ho for oganizing the trip, to Shy's AG for the food and kwento, for KE for the service, to our guide Rennan for helping Shy and Dory make it to the top, to the mamang bangkero (pic below) for the safe trip on the other side of the crater, and most specially to all the trekkers who joined us thank you for being a sport. Thanks so much!

Naks! Si Kuya all smiles (kasi puro chicks kasama nia sa bangka)

Thank you and godbless you all!

The Dalaw sa Batulao Experience

Finally, after weeks of planning ay natuloy narin ang First Outdoor Activity ng office namin! Wohooo! Our plan was mountain trekking to Mt. Batulao in Batangas, but as we go on to reach the summit of the mountain the trekking part became a climbing na! Scary!!

Welcoming Sign sa Mount Batulao!

In fairness to Mt. Batulao hindi sha mahirap akyatin. Though nakakapagod coz you need to go up and down the slope (kaya nga sha tinawag na mountain climbing eh) several times in the heat of the morning and noon sun kayang kaya naman sha akyatin kahit ng mga first timers sa pag-akyat ng bundok.

Along the way, you'll see some dilapidated markings indicating which peak are you now. Unfortunately I didn't notice the other markings, kaya itong tatlo lang ang nakita ko.

In Peak no. 8 is the camp site of the New Trail. It's more higher than the old camp trail but the view is spectacular!! We got the Summit as our background! See some pics here...

(naks gwapo!!)

The locals of Batangas are naturally nice and friendly in fairness to them. They will happily assist you if you’re lost (nawala kasi kami ni Al when we’re on our way to the pit stop), and pansin ko rin that the store owners don’t take advantage the climbers when selling buko juice or Mountain Dew (yes mountain dew lang ang available sa bundok, go figure!). I remember when I went to Puerto Galera (6 years ago nga lang ahahaha) the price of drinks and food was Mahalia Mendez! Here in Batangas, the difference of Mountain Dew in the slope and the one being sold on TOP of the mountain was only Five (5) pesos!!!!

No, I will not give my comments (though I would love to kaso wag nalang ahahaha, saying ang space) about how-to-take-care-of-the-environment or how-lucky-we-are-on-what-we-have-right-now-compare-to-those-living-in-the-mountain but instead I will focus on the behaviors of the mountain climbers.

I was surprised to meet a lot of nice mountain climbers last Saturday. This nice people greet you when you meet them on the road, they will say “magandang umaga/hapon/gabi po”, “ingat po kayo”, “kumusta po” and what not. Yes I’m a sucker for nice gestures kaya naman it’s hard not to respond to their greetings din. Sadly some of my colleagues didn’t appreciate these simple gestures (i.e. deadma-thology) so I ended up greeting all those people na nakakasalubong naming =D. There was an instance that some climbers assist us on descending a very slippery trail. Kasi naman kami lang ata ang mountain climbers na ang dala lang sa pag-akyat eh camera! Hahahaha! Mountain Climbing is the best place to spot who is nice, gentleman, concerned people and those who don’t care nor give a damn on what’s happening to you.

Anyhow, here’s some other pics I’d like to share when we’re on Mount Batulao..

The Batulao Ridge

On our way to Peak No. 8 (New Camp)

The Mountain, The Sky, and the Ex-Kubo

Sarap! Sana maulit muli!!

Excuse Me I’m not fat, I’m Buff!

Ever since I’ve returned here in the Philippines instead of the usual “Hi” or “Musta” remarks that I’ve received from friends and family the usual greeting they say is “Uy, ang taba mo” or “Hiyang ka sa Saudi ah! ”. Believe me, everytime somebody remarks about my weight it always cross my mind to respond with satirical comment like “Look who’s talking?” or “Of course you’ll get fat, ikaw nang mayaman and can afford to eat anywhere”. But my moral values come first so I politely tell them that it’s because of the lifestyle that we had in KSA (which is office-home-office only).

But I think, base on my perspective, I’m not fat. Yes my waistline do ballooned to 34” from 32” and I have this horrible belly fats which looks disgusting when I’m wearing a semi-fit shirt but believe me I’m as healthy as a horse used in Polo club in Mongolia.

So, as to appease the maddening crowd and the unruly remarks of friends and officemates I decided to return to GG. Though my membership will not expire till June 2010, I still avail the promo that they had last December. God, I do miss GG! This place has all the equipments and machines necessary to keep me fit, and the sauna bath and steam room is a must-try for relaxation. And the hiphop dance session are so fun. Not to mention the good ambiance (except for the lockers which always smell bad) and the snobby attitude of the gym-goers (i.e. don’t-talk-to-me-i-don’t know-you).

That said, I spend 2 hours thrice a week in GG plus I’ve lessen my rice intake during lunch and no dinner for me as well. But when there’s sinful foods serve on the table (like Fruit salad ice cream from Magnolia or Black forest cake from Red Ribbon) I just have to partake on it. Remember: Food is God’s blessing to us =P.

You’ve might be asking “how come you consider yourself buff wherein your waistline is 34” and you have a flabby tummy?” In fairness to me…

First I don’t have flabby arms. They’re more compact than a 11-seater FX taxi plying the Sucat-Manila route.

1. I walk faster than the average (bear) juan without gasping for oxygen.
2. Threadmill is my bestfriend.
3. Minimum weight during work-out: 90 pounds

So, to the next person who will tell me that I’m fat, well tell that to my face at GG. =P.

Things that I would miss about Al-Khobar saudi Arabia (part 2)

3). The Iftar celebration

During the holy month of Ramadan it’s a tradition to hold a Iftar party (or Breaking of the Fast) after the sun sets. Here in our office it is usually held on the second Wednesday of Ramadan. It’s a great time to bond with other employees and to meet and greet our President and CEO of our office. Besides the usual award giving ceremonies the most sought after activity during Iftar is the food being serve. In the two Iftar party that I’ve attend I must admit I’m impressed and never went home disappointed. The food was great and the place was awesome (thanks to SEEF center).

When is this happening: Every second Wednesday of Ramadan, after office hours.
What to expect: Great food, Tons of fruits, overflowing desserts

Daming pagkain!!!

Party!Party! Arabian style

4). IKEA! IKEA!

When I was a kid my father, who was still working in Jeddah then, always bring home an IKEA catalog and Im always mesmerize by the design of the furniture and how it look so “chica” even on paper.

Fast forward twenty years now, I was surprised to learn that IKEA has a store here in Dammam and from then on every time I have a chance to go there I don’t go home empty handed. The last two visit was the highest point of my IKEA trip, I didn’t mind bringing home 2 heavy wall frame for picture frame and a 6 feet carpet made in Egypt (which was on SALE!) Or the 3 pieces big glass jar that I had trouble in packing in my balikabayan box. I mean if SM got it all for you IKEA got it all for me (make sense?) Anyhow, bottomline is the place is just freaking awesome!!

IKEA and Me

I wonder when they would open a store in the Philippines??! =(

When is the best time to go: Morning time during weekend (Get a breakfast first at their restaurant before shopping)

What to expect and what to buy: Sophisticated home decor, fluffy pillows and duvet, kitchen utensils that won't rust, Posh drinking glasses, scented candles that soothes the body. Also looking and getting the stuff from the rack is also quite challenging, the store clerks would only tell you how to find the item and it's up to you to retrieve it from their metal racks/warehosue (and that is why their price is low because they dont have to pay for extra money to the clerks to do your work).

Testingin nga natin ang mga upuan.LoL!

5). Auto Terrain Vehicle trip on the Arabian Sands

I must admit at first I was hesitant to ride the ATV because I find it unreliable (re: not safe) but once you get the hang of it the adrenaline rush will just rush out of your body! Yes the safety issues are still there but as a grown man I think you can handle the ATV as per your required action. The vast dessert is the best place to roar this engine and be wild and be like a kid, seriously! It was fun to circle around the sand or jump from the small hill and land in the sand again with a big bang (or splash of sands). It feels like you’re an action star when you’re riding this bike. The price to rent the bike is cheap but the experience you’ll get from it is priceless.

The best time to go is: Before sunrise during summer, the whole day for winter season.
What to expect: Sands, sands, sands! Breathtaking view and slopes of sands and sometimes a shock of your life learning that you’re on the edge of a sand mountain without any warning.

More to follow on this great adventure...

Things that I would miss about Al-Khobar saudi Arabia

Hwoh! Exactly one week from now and I will bid adieu, sayonara, khodafes and goodbye to my beloved Saudi Arabia. I've only lived here for one and a half year but suprisingly I already adapt to the way of life here in KSA. So, now that I'm leaving for good (though I hope I would be assigned here again, like in construction site in Rabigh or Manifa jejeje) I will be listing up starting today some of the places and things that I would be missing about this place:

1). Swimming at Al-Baher beach Resort

We're blessed that we are working here in Al-Khobar, which is 20 minutes away from the Persian Gulf. And during summer our group always go to this resort to relax and have some bonding time. The place is perfect because it has swimming pools and you hvae access in the beach> With entrance fee of 50SR (roughly 700 Php) this is a bargain. The place offers jetski, boating, videoke and catering for large group of visitors. They have rooms to rent but it's quite pricey.

I had lots of fond memories of this place and Im sure the other guys can say the same thing.

Best time to go there : Summer months of July-September, 6:00 PM- 5:00 AM

What to do there: Swim (of course!), jetski, fishing @ Jetty area, rent a boat

Baher Resort in the morning

Shot from the Jetty side of the resort
Good Morning Saudi Arabia!

Illuminated pool for night swimming

2). Easy access to Kingdom of Bahrain

Al-Khobar is located on the Easter region of Saudi Arabia and it's only an hour drive to Bahrain. Saudi Arabia and Bahrain are connected by a King Fahd Causeway bridge which makes the travel to this tiny Kingdom (but utterly beautiful and fun) a breeze. During Eid holidays most of Pinoys who have disposable income go to this country and have their vacation and access those things that are not available in Saudi Arabia. We we're supposed to go back ther last Eid-Al-Adha holidays but due to time constraint and some miscommunication we did not push throught he trip (same thing happened to the egypt, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan trip...so frustrating!!). Anyhow the trip last year was a blast! Had so much time i forgot that we're living in a Middle east country.

Best time to go there: Pratically every month of the year, specially if there's a sale season! But most of the parties happens during Eid holidays.

What to do there: Visit Arad fort, party at bars in downtown Manama, Visit the futuristic and artistic buildings in Manama, Buy at Manama Souk, and many more.

Thank you Bahrain for the wonderful time I've been there.

One of the largest mosque in the world: The Al-Fateh Mosque
Paying homage to the earlier inhabitants of the country, the majestic Arad Fort

Prayer carpets in front of Arad Fort

More to follow on this tribute to my host country.....

(links are all provided by wikipedia)

Random Thoughts of the Week

Two great things happened to me this past week. First was my nomination to be a instructor to the young Engineers here in Saudi to teach Material Engineering. It was such an honor to be nominated by our Deparment Manager (who is a japanese). And when i submitted my training manual to our technical adviser (who is a Jap as well) both he and our Department Manager like the presentation. It was like a seal of approval to my job/pat in the back which I really need these past few days after my colleagues just stab me in the back (which is very very depressing and sad). This training is like a slap to their face coz the bosses choose me over them =P.

Sweet revenge.

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Another good thing that happened was when our Manager designated me to handle one activity which my stabber-at-the-back boss was to give to his preferred engineer. Our manager think I can handle this activity more accurately than the other engineer.

And my boss was like: *facepalm*

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Im totally hooked with anything that is related to Vampires, werewolves, teen angst. hahaha! I love watching Vampire Diaries, Glee, One tree Hill (thanks to Floro who keep insisting me to watch that show) and I just finished watching Twilight, New Moon and Eclipse. I must admit Vampire Diaries is much better than the Twilight Saga and Glee's episodes are getting better and better every week (except for re-runs). Now the question is: if given a chance what would I choose: To be a vampire or werewolves. Sure the vampires are snappy dresser but having an immortal life seems kinda boring while to become a werewolves you must have 6-pack abs

(and it made me think what's with the no-shirt-abs-showing-denim shorts-hiking shoes get up?i dont get it?!)

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Oh, pre-winter season started a couple of weeks ago.Goodbye to humidity and hello cool breeze and clouds. What I love most about winter season are the flowers bloom in every corner, the migratory birds starts to arrive and as early as 5pm it's completely dark outside. And speaking of flowers, what I love most about this place is that every season (winter and summer) they always change flowers in parks, center islands, etc. I think they have specific flower for each season.

Cool noh?

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It's hajj holiday again next week. It will give me more time to write (coz we don't have overtime huhuhu) and play with my Wii. Last year we where in bahrain for the hajj holiday (but we've planned to go to Syria and Jordan but visa problem gets int he way) and this year Me and orlan was planning to go to Egypt but I never heard from him since the Eid holidays and budget constraints is a MAJOR hindrance! Hahaha. Now i'll just eat, sleep, play wii, blog, watch movies, gym this one week holiday.

All Packed Up!

Less than 45 days nalang ang araw na i'll be staying here in KSA. As a kinaugalian na ng mga kababayang natin sa ibang bansa kapag pauwi ang isang pinoy hindi mawawala ang Balikbayan box!

Since October I was collecting this pasalubongs para sa family and friends and last week i sent all of them via air and sea cargo. Sa sobrang dami nia umabot ng apat na kahon na 60" x 60" ang kinailangan para maipadala lahat ng gamit ko =(. It translates also na mahal ang babayaran ko sa padala pero di bale, para naman sa family yun eh kaya sulit nari =D.

Shempre inunan ko sa listahan n g pasalubong eh yung para sa nagiisang cute na cute na baby namin sa bahay, at para sa kanya eh itong cute na cute na elepante na stuff toy from IKEA..

Mother and daugther Elephant (ang kyut diba?LoL!)

Nagpanick buying din ako ng mga duvet from Ikea, Unan at towels from SMAA. Advice ko sa mga friends ko dito sa Saudi, shop at SMAA, super mura ng mga gamit nila dun!

All vaccum-ed up!

I need to buy vaccum kasi hindi ko malalagay sa plastic yung mga unan na binili ko! Waaaa!

Hello BEAC & ALDO!

I higly recommend for those who are in Saudi also to visit IKEA, super sulit ang pamimili dun coz high standards na ang mga gamit pero affordable naman ang mga presyo.

A room carpet and some cheap glass

The ilawan at candelabras (wish ko lang hindi sha mabasag during transport!)

The decor balls (na pang christmas!!!)!

Another thing that i always bear in mind kapag magpapadala ng pasalubong is the sandamakmak na lotion, shampoo, sabon, and other groceries na wala sa Pinas! Tiyak masaya na naman si ama't ina nito! LoL!

Ang mga groceries kasama si starbucks Oman, Kuwait at Saudi Arabia!

Also bought this silver palted, heavy duty na lalagyan ng mga prutas..Im planning to give it as a Christmas gift.Pero kanino naman??

And here's another set of baso ulet...Ewan ko ba but i have this fascination with Baso...I really wish walang mababasag sa kanila pag napadala na sila sa Pina!!!

Another headache for me was this Vuvuzela which was a pasalubong by my close friend who happened to watch the World cup in South Africa last July. Sa sobrang haba nia I had a trouble on how to fit them in the box. Sana pala t-shirt nalang ang pasalubong ko para at least nasusuot pa vs. this vuvuzela! Hahahaha!

The Red one is mine, the black one is for Jasper

All in all, masaya naman pala ang pagiimpake, lalo na ngayon at papauwi na ako sa Pinas for good. I alaso miss blogging, so now quietly I'll open up again this blog para mai-dokumento ko naman ang mga nangyayari sa buhay buhay ko dito sa Saudi via this blog.

Para sa mga nakakabasa ng blog ko, thanks for dropping by and I promise mas magiging madalas na ang pagsusulat ko dito, ngayon pa na pauwi nako..hehehehe..

Peace yah all!

Ang blue na polo..bow..

Nitong mga nakaraang araw, tinamaan ako ng homesick.

Huwatt? Ako maho-homesick?! Parang isang himala na nangyari ito! Kasi ba naman kung kelan ang tagal ko na sa overseas ngayon pako tinamaan ng homesickness.

Inisip ko nitong mga nakaraang araw na baka puede magpa early demobilized ako dito sa saudi. Parang gusto kong umuwi sa darating na September sana.
Masaya siguro yun, baka masakasama pako sa RLTC ng Lingkod sa September, baka makakajoin ulit ako sa trcik or treat sa office sa darating na October, makakapunta ulit ako sa sementeryo/fiestahan sa November, at higit sa lahat maeexperience ko ulit ang christmas rush pagdating ng kapaskuhan!

But wait there's more! Miss ko narin ang mga kaibigan at pamilya ko sa Pinas. Miss ko na ang mga debate namin ng kapatid ko, miss ko narin makipaglaro sa mga pamangkin ko, miss ko na rin ang mga prayer meeting at fellowship sa Lingkod, miss ko narin magturo sa mga bata sa Tuloy, miss ko narin ang kulitan namin ni bestfriend. Hanubhayan, dami naman namiss!!

Kung kelan naman nagdesisyon nako na umuwi sa September saka ko naman nakita yung color blue ko na polo, and it all coming back to me now (insert memory lane song here)....

You see almost 8 years ago, right after college, nung panahong nag-aapply pako ng work, dalawa lang ang suot kong polo lagi. SM Menswear ang tatak nila pareho, yung isa is color blue, the other one is old rose.
Sa lahat ng mga interview at submission ng resume na pinuntahan ko parating ito lang ang suot ko kasi wala naman akong ibang formal wear. This polo symbolizes my struggles in finding work that time, never give up kahit na inabot nako ng bagyo sa isang examination ko sa cavite, o di kaya sobrang init naman habang nagiintay sa isang lumang factory sa liblib na lugar ng laguna. Kung noon na mahirap ang buhay dahil walang pera at sobrang hirap pa ang trabaho ay hindi ako bumigay ngayon pa kaya na im living the good life at ngayon pako bibitiw.

Then it struck me..shit..what the hell am i thinking!!!!

The reason im here is because my boss believes that I can do this job. The reason why im extended for anther 6 months is because my japanese boss trust me alone in this job. The reason im here is because i want to give the good life that my parents didn't experience before. The reason im here is because i can help further my community and my charitable institutions financially wise. The reason im here is that I prayed to God to be here.

Ang kapal pala ng mukha ko to just give up simply because I miss my life in Pinas.

Parang nasa kama na ako lilipat pa sa sahig.

Kung dati hirap na hirap akong maghanap ng work eh i never give up, ngayon pang ang dali-dali lang ng work eh ngayon pa ako susuko!! Di na oy!!!

Looking back at my polo again I made up my mind. Ok i'll finish my contract till December, and i'll make sure that ill give all my best in the remaining months of my stay here. Salamat sa mga alala na binigay ng simple at kupas kong polo, naliwanagan na ako na ang mga biyaya na ating nakakamit ngayon ay bunga ng pagsusumikap natin at higit sa lahat sa tulong ng maykapal.


postcript:
sa anim na taon kong pagtratrabaho, naka mahigit kumulang 75 formal clothes (polo at longsleeve) na ako. may mga pinaglumaan na akong pinamigay dahil hindi na kasya o di kaya ay kupas na. pero ang dalawang polo ko na ito ay kasama parin sa sinusuot ko. it is a reminder of where i came from at kung papanong struggles ang aking nagawa para lamang marating ang position ko ngayon.