Three Great Weeks

I had another chance to see beautiful places in Palawan. It was five months ago when I last flew there. It was never tiring to witness time and again the grandeur of the country's Last Ecological Frontier. This time, I and a friend, started the journey in Puerto Princesa, the capital city and went up North to Coron and Culion, skipping El Nido this time. Last June, we kicked off our vacation in Coron, then to Culion, El Nido and Puerto Princesa. This time we did it the other way around.

Let me do a travel tip/review of places, hotels, and food this time. This will help you guys if planning to go there too.

First, airfare. Cebu Pacific ranges from Php 1,400 ($30) to Php 7,000 ($152) depending on the availability of seats, season, and the time you purchased the ticket. The plane is divided into price categories so basically all seats have different prices. You are lucky if you can avail the lowest rates since there are no difference in the accommodation once on board (e.g food, no free snacks by the way, tv, pillows, etc.) Flight takes approximately one hour.

Hotels. We first booked ourselves to Turissimo Garden Hotel formerly Airport Hotel. Not too bad for Php 1,300 ($28) with AC and TV and free breakfast but we decided to upgrade to a better room, Php 1,800 ($39) We love windows and porches, by the way and never fans of free breakfasts. One big disappointment was there were no brewed coffee there. They have a small swimming pool but never got our interest. Must be the space factor, the pool is located on the way to the rooms in the back building in a so narrow walkway, not too much of a privacy. After two days we decided to check in at Microtel. Heard so much fuzz bout this new chain of hotels so it was time to check it out. Located in a secluded beach in the outskirts of the city, they will pick you up either from the airport or any hotel you are transferring from once you make a reservation. For Php 4,200 ($92) you can get a room facing the sea, double bed, AC, flat screen TV, telephone, fridge, and free breakfast.Quite expensive, though but it's worth it.  One disapointment, though is the WI-FI which is only available at the lobby. Nice view and cool breeze specially at this time of the year when winds coming from Siberia and Northern China are blown to the country by Northeast Monsoon (Amihan). The beach is fine but the waters isn't really for swimming. Tidal line is so far during low tides exposing mangrove roots and lots of starfish. At night when the tide is high, it is very enticing to swim but the waves are strong. We opt not to dip though for fear of scraping ourselves against the rocks and roots. Good alternative for swimming is the pool but the flooring is plain concrete and not tiles that makes it a little bit slippery and yucky underneath. Their Kilawin Tanigue (Mackerel in vinegar) is great too. The place is quiet and idyllic for honeymooners. I give Microtel Palawan four stars out of five.

Next destination, Sabang/Underground River. This is one truly magnificent work of nature. I hope it could still make it to the New 7 Wonders of Nature. Since we were planning to stay there for at least a week, we decided to stay on a more modest cottage like Green Verde in the main beach as it is more affordable at Php800 ($17) compared to the lofty rates of Daluyon at Php4,450 ($96) per night. There is no power supply in the village until 530 in the afternoon when generators will start running up to 11 in the evening. However, Daluyon runs their generators 24 hours and WI-FI is available in their restaurant. As wise as we are, we checked in at Green Verde, had breakfast and dinner at Daluyon to check mails and send reports. Entrance to the Puerto Princesa River and Subterranean Park, formerly known as Saint Paul Underground River, wass secured from their office in downtown Puerto Princesa, Php200 ($4) for foreigners and Php150 ($3) for locals. Bus or jeepney rides to Sabang is at 200 pesos and would take some two hours. For a more convenient and faster ride specially for those with extra money you can rent airconditioned vans from Php3,500 ($76) to Php4,500 ($97).

After three days of sand, sun, and fun, we decided to head north to Coron via WGA Superferry. We took the Suite for only Php3,500 (two pax). Much better than getting a tourist accommodation for some Php1,500 per person and sharing spaces with another 100 passengers or so in that AC room with double deckers. Not a good idea if you are travelling with some gadgets like laptop and would always go out for a smoke. Just can't leave important things unattended. The voyage took some 15 hours. Was really bored throughout the whole trip but I was able to get lots of sleep though. As usual the food in the ship sucks big time. No choice but to force it inside. We arrived in Coron just after midnight and checked ourselves in everybody's favorite Seadive. We had a reservation for Deluxe for only Php1,800 ($39). The room was nice, clean, but no TV. I wonder why. Wi-fi is only from the restaurant. Not too bad as long as there's connection for emails.

We planned to spend seven days in Corn for relaxation and a day's visit to Culion once again. We made sure that the Museum will be open as we didn't see it last time. Hired a boat going there for P3,500 and stayed a night at Tabing Dagat Lodge. Room rates are between P500 and P700. We really love this island. It gives me a playful imagination that I am living in the 17th century. The town is rustic, quiet, and has a different appeal. People are shy and would never approach you and talk. I guess it's all about the stigma attached to this island once relegated as the island of despair. However, things changed when we started saying hi to people and smile a bit. They smiled back and nod. We felt sorry for all those who've been confined here. On the brighter side, I met one of the Tourism Information Officers, Pastor Hermz Villanueva and told him about my plans of coming back to do some trail riding and hopefully bring other bikers with some assistance from the Local Government. Will tell you if this thing materializes.

Back in Coron, our fave hang out was Kawayanan Grill. We think that they have the best stuffed squid in town or maybe in the entire country. We just loved it so much. Their kinilaw (mackarel or tuna in vinegar) is also great. We don't get tired of eating the same food everyday with matching lato (seagrapes) and of course red wine.

Getting Back Into the Groove

A few weeks even before the infamous typhoon Ondoy  (Ketsena) which drowned most of Metro Manila and made lots mountain bikers itching to hit the trails, I was off the longer and more serious group rides I normaly join. I don't know why lately I prefer to do and seemed to enjoy solo short rides.  Maybe it's because I can play my own clock. Maybe because I don't have to worry about someone else's time and tantrums. I can get up even late and still pedal somewhere without worrying some people were waiting for me. I can speed up at any point of the ride and stop for rests no matter how long and how many. These are the perks that are luring me do solo rides.

However, yesterday Monday Nov. 2nd, waking up late in a clear sunny day, I suddenly felt the urge to ride with a group. Tried to check the calendar and it was still a holiday following the All Saint's Day. I immediately cooked up a ride to Angono in Rizal and then up to Antipolo via backdoor. This is something I've been playing in my head for some time now. A route I stitched together from scanning google satellite images. Sure I've done Angono and nearby towns but the backdoor climb to Antipolo, not yet. This route was also confirmed to me by a former officemate who lives in Angono. So I texted up some people I know that might be interested in this route. But since it's already about 10 AM most of them were already somewhere in the trails doing their rides. I noticed that there was no any organized ride for that day and most rides were in smaller groups in different locations. Fortunately, there was one ride available to join me, Doc Harry who lives a couple of blocks away from me.

We started to pedal quarter to 3 in the afternoon. Took the Rainforest (Pasig) entry to Taytay-Manila East Road. Running at 18km/hr since Doc Harry seemed to enjoy it being first-timer there, we reached the town of Angono just before  4PM. Made a lazy tour around town proper then proceeded to Angono-Antipolo road which is of course uphill. A place is always beautiful on the first time, though there was a dumpsite on the way up. Generally, the route was OK and can be a good training or alternate route for those who might be sick and tired of the normal Antipolo approach which is Sumulong Highway. We reached downtown Antipolo by 5PM and took the Ortigas Extension on the way down. Stopped by Jolibee in Cainta to refuel when suddenly a big downpour started. Reached home around 6:30. My cyclocomp had it at 51kms. Not bad coming from a few weeks lay off. The most recent long I had solo was 40km. This was fun but still far from my usual rides not to mention the century ones. One thing for sure, I might do this again soon wether solo or with a group. Nice loop for a change.

First Time Official

Not Too Late To Float

I had my first day of formal swimming lesson today at Saint Paul College in Pasig under Bert Lozada Swimming School. As the title goes, it's never too late to learn how to swim.

Living in archipellagic country gives an impression that people there are good swimmers. But not really. Lots of Filipinos aren't good swimmers. How many times I've heard foreigners say they were surprised to learn that many of us can't swim well. Aside from the dream of joining triathlon this also challenged me to enroll myself in a swimming class, a little bit late for my age though. I'm taking the Adult Novice Program for basic skills, basic paddling, kicking, breathing. This is a 10-hour course in a once a week session/1 hour or 1.5 hours per session. I'm doing the latter so I can gain some skills in time for my next Palawan adventure in December.

My problem in the water is that I never learned how to swim properly. I didn't grow up near any body of water. But I can do snorkeling pretty well without the vest. Just the mask and me there I go. The funny part is I can snorkel good enough if my head is under water that's why I need the mask so I can breathe. If I put my head above the water I go sink down the bottom. If you put me in a 5-foot deep pool there's no way I would float. But throw me in a 20-foot ocean then I go paddling like a dog back to the boat. I can even give you a good plunge head first like a real swimmer into the salty water. I do really need to correct it and start with the basic. High school classmate Let Guieb and wife of fellow biker Eric told me about the swimming class that she herself went into. She told me she really learned how to swim after the course. After today's session, I wanted to believe I would still be able to float well after completing the program. On my first day, I was able to do a 25-meter stretch freestyle with just two stops. My coach, Vivian told me I was a fast learner except that my legs were so stiff. I guess it's the result of too much biking.

First Official Birdwatching

Last Sunday I was able to do my first official birdwatching with Alice Villa-Real, Vice President of Wild Bird Club of the Philippines (WBCP) and Dr. Rene Callado at University of the Philippines grounds. I biked my way to the campus which was 15 km away from my pad so coming back and forth gave me a good 30 km exercise. Better than no miles at all. I was able to observe the White-collared Kingfisher, Brown Shrike, Pied Thriller, Phil. Pygmy Woodpecker, Zebra Dove, White-breasted Wood swallow, Low-land White-eye and Yellow-vented Bulbul. Too much for a first timer to see eight "lifers". A lifer is what professionals refer for any bird you see first time as a birdwatcher.

Photos courtesy of Starbird

More Century Rides

Lately, my rides seemed to be longer and harder. I guess my overall biking was improving. Last Saturday I joined the Philippine Mountain Biking Forum (Philmofo) on a ride to Sta. Inez, in Tanay, Rizal. The route was along Marcos Highway in Lower Antipolo passing the town of Baras and down the trail of Barangay Cayumbay of all the way to Sta. Inez which was already part of the town of Tanay. Trail head was some 30 km from the meet-up are at Jollibee in Marcos Highway in Marikina. It was located at Sitio Batangas which was about 6 km before reaching Sierra Madre Hotel.Going to the meet up area was already a good warm up for my legs since it was some 12 km from my pad in Pasig-Makati-Pateros area. Every biker knew that this route to the hotel was only half of what was called Sierra Madre Loop which was the training grounds for most riders of Metro Manila specially for roadies since it's a long and hard climb.    (Photo to the right courtesy of Mountguitars, Philmofo. All other pictures were taken from my Canon PowerShot A470)

The ride was generally fun but I can't understand why most member of this club seemed to enjoy racing against each other. Based on my counting there we crossed Sta. Inez River eight times. After the seventh crossing and more than an hour of pedaling in a valley with beautiful view of the Sierra Madre Range, I and another rider decided to backtrack. Five of us were on the middle group now sipping soda from one of the houses along this riverine trail. The lead pack passed this point about 15 minutes ago according to the store owner. Locals told us that it still some 1 hour and a half to get to the falls. It was getting cloudy up there, I reckon. I didn't want to get stuck in that place if the rains started to pour in the mountain which would flood the river as a result. Some part of the river we crossed earlier had strong currents and about thigh deep. Can't imagine how bad it would be when it rains. Reached home about 8:00 in the evening. My cyclocomp registered 121 km. Was dead tired.

A week ago, I was able to pedal another century via Bugarin Pass in Pililia, Rizal. Obviously by now, Rizal Province is the nearest playground for most bikers in Metro Manila. It offers almost all kind of terrain for biking. I had 114 km this time, matching the miles I made during the Licao Ride five months ago, my very first century ride. A century ride is when a biker covered at least a hundred kilometers. Bugarin Pass is the zigzag portion of the town of Pililia that connects the provinces of Rizal and Laguna. It has the panoramic view of Laguna de Bay. This is a major route for buses and cars going to Laguna and Quezon Provinces.

Birdwatching

I never thought watching birds up close was more fun than just listening to their chirp in the morning. Yesterday, I went to the still under construction C6 road to see the amazing birds on this northwestern shore of Laguna Lake. This road will connect the Alabang in the south to Taytay, Rizal to the north, an alternative route to decongest the heavy concentration of vehicles in Metro Manila.

Armed with a newly bought 8x40 Hahn binoculars I pedaled to the area which was a mere 3 miles (5km) from my place. Reaching the compacted road of gravel and sand just after the C6 Bridge, the last along the mighty Pasig River almost very close to the mouth, I don't need to go far to get a glimpse of the birds. Right on the table to be feasted on were a handful of Cattle Egrets right next to a group of carabaos in a small patch of land on the edge of the lake teeming with water lilies. They were about 20 meters away almost mixing up with the ubiquitous Eurasian Tree Sparrows hopping from grass to grass. I immediately took my binoculars off my backpack and started to zoom in. It was 7AM and there's an overcast. Almost no wind. On the horizon were a flock of black-feathered birds with white undersides and white beaks flanking to my direction. What a vantage point.  At fist I thought they were the beautiful Philippine Falconets but after reviewing the Photographic Guide to Birds of the Philippines of Tim Fisher and Nigel Hicks, it told me they were the White-breasted Woodswallows. Falconets are normally spotted on edges of forests and come in pair, sometimes singularly. Though both birds have the same size between 16 and 19 cm, the book said the latter is more abundant in open grass, coastal areas and are seen in groups. C6 is nowhere near any forest. It is on the shore of Laguna de Bay with the Rizal Mountain Range in the horizon miles away to the northeast and the skycraper of Makati to the west under the billowing smog. And I was looking at a flock of birds.I was convinced they weren't the falconets. My rookie error as a birdwatcher.

Moving my lense panoramicaly I gazed upon birds hidden amongst the lilies. They would make short flights from one location to another as if they knew I wanted to have a better view so I can identify them. They were Great Herons according to my field guidebook and as was confirmed by my later reaseach online. Another cuties on that day were the Chestnut Munias with their noisy eek-eek chirp and an almost burst-stop-burst flying motion. Once considered the National Bird until deposed by the Philippine Eagle, Munias give me a hard time telling which is which against the Eurasian Tree Sparrows. I grew up just like any one of us seeing the Eurasian everywhere. That gave me the impression they were the Mayas until lately books say it was the Munias who are the real mayas.

It was fun for a first time. Well, I'd say it wasn't the first since I've done something like this with a group of Japanese students back in 1997 just outside the Saint Paul Park in Palawan. But I didn't have any gadget then and came there for a different agenda and not really for birdwatching. This time I was on my own with the intention of observing the birds and get to appreciate more these creatures. And I've got my binoculars this time. This is not going to be the last for sure. Unfortunately, my Canon digicam is not capable of shooting images or zoom in to small details like birds as far as 50 meters or so. Lol!

First Crash, Third Century

Things have to be measured in numbers if to be remembered. Last Friday, I registered my third 100km and more mileage. I did 102.67 from my house to Calinawan Cave in Tanay, Rizal. I can still remember my first century ride last April during the Licao-Licao tour. It was memorable since it was a major ride where 85 riders participated and I was freaking dead tired when I reached home after 15 hours when I left home at 4:00 AM. My cyclo comp showed 110.78 km. They call it century ride once you hit at least 100km on the saddle . My second on the other hand happened last June with about 114km enroute to Tagaytay and back. Being "paydak-all-the-way" (pedal all throughout/no car) makes century rides achievable and more in the horizon. Only one denominator with these three was the seemed to be never-ending roads. It surely consumed my energy almost to the limit. Unfortunately, my ever growing century rides gave me another stat. This time my first crash on my mountain bike ever. Yeah, I had a couple of misjudgement over a rock, a stump, or rut but they were all minor. No wounds to worry, no cuts gained. This time I literaly banged myself to the ground hard.

It was hot and humid afternoon, must be nearing 3:00PM. Just passed by an overlooking view of the town of Tanay and was now about to go downhill on a fireroad approaching the first village in Pinugay. The gang was traversing the inner trails of Tanay-Sampaloc-Pinugay that would show us back to Marcos Higway. It was a sort of Rizal Loop but instead of doing an all road we did the inside trails going back to the jump off point after visiting Calinawan Cave. Oh boy, it was fun to hit above 50 kph on your cyclo comp. I was on the tail end of the group since I was having some problems with my chain which already sucked in between crankset and frame a couple of times. How can anyone explain the great feeling when the wind is blowing on your face, great scenery, the mood of the countryside. Still sipping the last seconds of the downhill rush the jeepney fully loaded with local people from Pinugay was also taking advantage of the downhill portion to gain some speed. She was some 25 meters ahead of me. The jeepney was occupying the road somewhat a little bit to the left of the center, taking half of the other lane which was supposed to be against the law. But if you were in places like this, who cares much about the law? Few vehicles and wide open countryside. So there was no way for me to overtake her from the left, the normal way. My momentum showed faster than what the jeepney was doing. She slowed down a bit. Now I was caught in the moment whether to pass to her right or not as she kept her pace while keeping her place to the left of the center of the road. Stupid of me I know it's not a good idea to pass any vehicle to the right side. I applied some breaks, a little to the rear and a little to the front. Suddely i felt my rear tire wobbling, she must be skidding. It's okay I told myself it happens when you are pressing breaks when going down the hill. I know it would hold since I was now using Crossmark 2.1 which is much better than SmallBlock 8 that came with the bike when I bought it. Crossmark had bigger threads for better traction. As they say, accidents happen very fast. After just one second that my wheel came wagging, I saw my handle bar making a swift circle to the left. I realized I was in deep shit. Next thing I knew my right shoulder banged against the compacted road, can't really remember if I spin but review of what happened and the prescence of bruises and small cuts in both of my shoulders and legs told me I did. Yeah, I remember my head slammed to the road, thanks to my Specialize helmet. I was also lucky that my cleats disengaged on it's own I don't know how. All of this happend very quickly. I would say in just about 3 seconds from the time my tired wiggled. I can still hear the voices of the shocked young girls who were straddling at the end of the jeepney..Haha, young girls on estribo, what a sight indeed. Plus, a stranger in a beautiful bike to their eyes crashing. Lol.

Instinct told me to get up and check my body for any injuries. My hands run through the side of my body, my arms, and my legs. Seemed perfectly ok. The last two fellas came and one asked what happend. It seemed he didn't see a thing and was wondering I was coming up the side of the road with my bike laying down. An indication that something bad happened since it wasn't a resting position or anything to that effect. And who the hell in the world would rest at the end of the downhill part. I told him my bike skid. The skidmark was still there some 5 meters from where the bike was but the mark was not that long, maybe just a meter and a half. That gave me a conclusion I did flip over, thrown away sideways from the bike after it skid. The bike might have fully stopped and I fell to the right like a log. The other biker told me he saw everything. Yes, my recollections were true. Fortunately I didnt have any visible injuries. Just the scratches, bruises, and small cuts. I was worried of the colar injury that any biker is prone when crashing. But since I was able to make some shoulder, head, and arm rotation, I guess I was Ok. My helmet held on and wasnt broken. they were amazed to see me get up as if nothing happend, my jersey was intact with no tear. We continued to bike.

The following morning I went to the doctor to have some xrays for some peace of mind. Luckily, all was well. Just two days of rest and I was back to what I love doing. Lessons learned. Much care to be taken next time.

Art of Peace

After more than four months of hibernation, the Art of Peace has been calling me from deep within to get back into the groove or should I say back on the mats. Time to continue my Aikido. I've been running my fingers on my gi (uniform) for some days now wondering when I can wear them again. I called Hiroshi on the phone and asked when does he want to go to Alfonso,Cavite and train at Sensei Dennis Tatoian's dojo (training hall). Sensei is the Japanese term for teacher. He said he's been out for three months and still busy with his job. Hiroshi is a senior Aikidoist in my school, Traditional Aikido in the Philippines, and Dennis Sensei is our Technical Adviser. Dennis moved to the town of Alfonso just outside the panoramic city of Tagaytay from California in 2006 and built his dojo there. Surprisingly from out of nowhere I got a text message from Sensei Aries Supremo, my Filipino Head Instructor, that Hitohiro Saito Sensei is in town and there will be Aikido seminar on over the weekend. I've been out of practice for a while and my school was also out for some three monthsa as everybody seemed to be busy lately.

It's the sixth time, if my memory was correct, that I am attending Saito Sensei's seminar in the Philippines. Saito has his own dojo in Iwama, Japan called Shin Shin Aikishurenkai. His father is Morihiro Saito Sensei who was the longest serving student of Aikido founder Morihei Ueshiba or whom we all referred to as O'Sensei. The old Saito stayed with O'Sensei for 23 years until the Founder's death in 1969. He was given the task to take care of the Iwama Dojo, thus the Iwama Style as well as the Shrine. Hitohiro on the other hand, started his training with O'Sensei at the age of seven. He was born in Iwama and continued training with his father until his own father's death in 2002. Now, we still continue that Iwama tradition under the guidance of Hitohiro, again as taught by O'Sensei to his father Morihiro and then to him.

I arrived at Ascott Hotel's Japan Room beside Glorietta in Makati around 4PM Friday, July 31 to find some 25 Aikidokas from different schools in Metro Manila. Some were familiar faces or repeat attendees and most were first timers. Others came as far as Cebu. I can see that almost half of the people were wearing hakama (skirt). I was thinking weather I would wear mine or not. I'm only at brown belt but my school would want brown belters to wear hakama. Normally, as in most aikido and other martial arts school, hakama is conferred only to black belters. This is not to say that a brown in Iwama is equivalent to blacks of other Aikido schools. This is still a debate. But we do things in our dojo the Iwama way, the way it was taught by O'Sensei to his students back then. No changes, no personal modification. It is said that we do it the hard way. Thus, I would say, the effective way. I practiced that day not wearing my hakama. One thing, to show some humility since I haven't done anything for four months, and to also gauge how the black ones would fare that day.

My feet were really aching from the seiza position. Four months made my legs really sturdy. It's hard. I had to kneel from time to time to give my feet some break from the seiza (Japanese sitting position). Just a little review of the techniques and I'm back on track, slowly but surely. Saito Sensei always tells us not to fall if we are not really going to fall. What he meant was uke (attacker) should not submit to falling from nage (thrower) if he or she is not losing balance. This is one critic that onlookers are tainting Aikido. They say it is fake and that we tend to fall to the ground as if everything is scripted and rehearsed. Some schools tend to become soft during practice that students seem to fall easily without much effort from nage. Some, really fall in not so convincing way out of respect to his partner specially if he was a senior student and becomes a habit. We in Iwama-style are taught not to fall just to show nage that uke is falling. Still, with all due respect to nage whether of higher belt or lower he should be able to execute the technique correctly and successfully unbalance uke. That's why other schools do not want to pair with us during seminars since we grip harder and hold our ground a little bit tougher. I mean we don't intentionally fall to the mat if we still have balance just to save a training partner's ass from humiliation. One black belter from another school paired with me during one of the Ikyo Urawaza sessions. He needed to pin me down after executing a spiraling 180 degree turn while stretching my arms. Ikyo is the First Holding Technique in Aikido. Urawaza is the "back" style as there are front (omote) and back (ura)execution of every technique (waza). This visiting black belter can't throw/pin me down just as he expected me to be on the ground. I told him I'm sorry but I still have my balance. With a look of some frustration and a little bit of irritation, he told me to just maneuver. Meaning, I should just fall. Hahaha..Not in Iwama. Not in our school. This is our seminar. Just after Hitohiro Sensei demonstrated the next technique, he left me and looked for a new partner. Too bad to see a hakama-wearing aikidoka doing that.
Second day, we did some more of holding and throwing techniques in the morning and some suburi (sword-swinging) and tachidori (sword-taking). It was fun to do a review of them. It made me understand more the philosophy underlying each technique. I guess the four months of inactivity gave me a lot of time to reflect and meditate on my Aikido. During the seminar, I was surprised to suddenly came into almost full understanding on why hips should always be dropped, on why turning should always come from the hip, why one should always go back to hamni (stance) every time. Before, I was having hard time figuring out why do I have to do this and that. Now, things seem to be a lot easier and understandable. I could easily follow a technique with just one viewing. I guess I was finally able to dig deeper into the philosophy. I wore my hakama on the second day by the way, as I felt more confident. Plus, I got Saito Sensei's name signed on my new aikido t-shirt.

Midweek Training Ride

After conquering Shotgun last Saturday, June 18 for the second time, I decided to give it another try. Maybe on a regular basis. I'm making it a midweek training ride since weekend pedals seem to be dull and heavy if you didn't do some saddletime a day or two or in between major rides.

I posted on PMTB about this ride but it didn't get much response. I can understand that not too many are available on weekdays. This was a goal for me to test my own limits since riding with other people specially in big groups compromises one's ability to test his speed, endurance, and riding skills. You always have to go with the set pace and don't try to appear you are a better rider than anyone else. It is always time consuming riding in throng though always fun. So riding solo I can do my own pace, test my time and reach some personal goals.

Waking up at 4:30 AM has always been difficult. Given the reality that it was always an issue for me to get decent sleep the night before every ride. Ironically, it looks I was stronger with only some 2 or 3 hours of sleep before a ride than getting five or more. I planned to start pedalling at 5Am but was able to leave a few minutes past 5:30. Need to eat some Quaker Oats for some energy. I happened to pick up from the shelf not the instant pack. Stupid of me. I reached Aling Tina's at 6:40. It was closed. No breakfast this time. Pushed up the road trying to find some food. Saw one at Froi's motel but the mini canteen's manager seemed to be very busy counting hundreds and I didn't see anything ready within minutes. I decided to go ahead the trail hoping my banana and chocolate bar will hold.

It was 6:53. Weather seemed to be fine today. Sun was partially out , my head would look up to the sky from time time a bit anxious on the solar eclipse that should happen today. Oh boy, Shotgun is always a challenge to most riders. Steep gradient even from the start. But in my two previous climbs here I would say she is overrated. Riders seem to give her overwhelming reviews as to diffuculty of one's experience but good for anyone's training. I would say, with correct pacing shotgun is just as hard as any other trail. Decided to do a quick stop at the new sari-sari store just around the bend since a dump truck was pushing up the hill emitting black smoke. No soda so I decided to get iced-water (no bottled water too) and some crackers. Reached my first planned pitstop where there's a view of Lamesa Dam, Licao, and beyond after a few minutes in granny. Can't sustain my mid-ring plus second to the last sprocket combo. Some men were already at work, adding more concrete roads up the hill. I reached the recovery section some 50 minutes from the trailhead. Checked the tire pressure on the rear tire, I am dragging the whole world I guess. Just as I was putting the cap back to the tire's air nozzle(?) I notice the cream pick-up truck which passed me by midway uphill. She was now going down hell fast from the summit (assault). This is the place where all heavy equipment are parked, leading to the dumpsite itself. In no time the truck was flashing lights in front of me so I had to pull my bike to the side of the road. She must be in a hurry. She didnt need to flick the headlights if it wasn't anything important and rush. As the back of the truck appeared I saw two men and a bike. One man was doing chest pumps to someone lying in the back of the truck and the other one was holding the bike fro m falling off. I heard the man say "Kaya mo yan Boyet, hinga ka lang" while pounding the man's chest. I didn't see who was it. Everything happened so fast and the truck disapperead in the meandering hills of Shotgun. I continued pedalling thinking who that rider was and what happened. Reaching the summit, the guard immediately started a conversation, looking ready to share the news. No need to ask a question, he told me a young man around 26, a bit chubby suddenly fell from his bike just before he can reach the top of the hill. His companion, someone a lot older asked for some help to rush the man to the hospital. He had a locked jaw. I dont know if it's a seizure from epilepsy, heat stroke or heart attack. It was indeed very hot at some point of the ride and Shotgun dont offer any shade. Not even a tree. I took some picture's of the bike for reference. Maybe someone knows the guy. Let's hope nothing serious happened.

I go on with my bike up to Kubo. Reached Roxas crossing/trail and slide down Timberland/Wall to get back to Aling Tina's. This time the canteen was open. Had a breakfast there and some chat with another rider and the canteen's staff. I was right on sked. It was 8:40, just 10 minutes behind my target finish. Well, something happened along the way that took some of my minutes.

Heal The World

As Michael said, "Heal the world. Make it a better place." Today, we went to an orphanage in Antipolo City to donate four bikes to the kids there. This haven the little souls is called the Redeemer's Home Foundation. They have 15 angels and about half of them were big enough to put their fragile bodies on the saddle.

It's my first time here and this was the second time Philippine Mountain Bike (PMTB), an online forum for bikers, headed by Roche (Whoops) is visiting the Foundation. I could have joined the other ride in Norzagaray, Bulacan which offered some sightseeing for nature lovers like me but I decided to donate my sweat to these young fellows who need more attention and much care. About a dozen of us pedaled all the way to Antipolo via Sumulong Highway. The mini-bikes were put in a pick-up truck of one of the forum members who drove to the orphanage while the rest of the group biked all the way. We brought the bikes as gifts to these wonderful children who were mostly abandoned by their parents in the hospital after birth. I wonder if I can ever do that to my child. I felt really sorry for these angels but glad to see them beautiful and bouncing. Funny thing was they all look the same as if they were siblings. I guess everyone got a fair treatment from the caretakers.


Happy to see them, the big ones with ages between 4 to 9, tested their new bikes. I couldn't show them my tears. I went inside the house and found three little cuties in their cribs. I wanted to hug them and feel them. I don't have my own baby yet but I'd like to have one. I picked up Rica who was barely a year old. She was cute and round. She cried being held by a stranger for the first time. I tried to play with her, still unsure who was this tall, sun-burnt, sweaty guy carrying her, I decided to put her back to her crib. She tried to flip a couple of times with her clear and beautiful eyes fixed at me. I tried to give her some mumbles then she smiled. I poked my finger inside the crib, she reached for it and held it like she knew me, I was so glad. So i tried to pick her up again and gee there were no more crying. I guess no more fear of strangers. She gave me a big smile and held me tight...Bernard, the Home's manager told me one trick: When you carry a baby, put her next to your heart. That gives the connection... And I did.

Coron and El Nido Rides

It was some five or six year ago since I last saw Coron and El Nido. I was still working then for an Environmental Non-Government Organization as an educator of laws that protects the interest of indigenous people of Palawan. I came back to these amazing places a day after my birthday for a 3-week journey to the province with a friend. Good thing was I was able to bring my Haro Sonix to test the tracks of Coron and El Nido with side trip to Culion.

First destination, Coron, May 26. I was able to get a 2-way ticket from Cebu Pacific for just Php3,000 plus. Definitely a good deal. From Coron Airport I could tell it wasgoing to be a great biking experience. I used to call this area as "New Zealand" for hundreds or maybe thousands of cows dotted the grass fields bounded by low brushes and trees. The surrounding area is something like you see at the backdrop of Lord of the Rings Trilogy. After a 30-minute ride we reached SeaDive Resort which is oddly shaped like the bridge of a ship. It is "anchored" on the coast giving guests a great view of the Coron Island with its majestic karsts across the town. My room only cost Php800. It has AC, private bath and of course the view. Food was quite expensive ranging from Php220 to P385 but the serving was big and tasted wonderful.

Since I am showing my friend the beautiful Palawan I can only ride my bike during free time. Since were able to billet ourselves only after 5 PM, we decided to check out some of the nearby attractions. Maquinit Hotsprings is some 5km from the town and is a good 15-minute ride by tricycle. Instead of riding the 3-wheeled vehicle I opted to take my 2-wheeled full-suspension. It was only 5 km from the hotel but it was uphill and the road was loose gravel. The following morning, while my friend was still snoring, I decided to follow my feet's itchiness. I went up north and checked out the Mabintangen Dam. I got lost a bit and passed by Tapyas Hotel.After some friendly directions by the locals I was able to get back to the right track. It was a beautiful offroad, typical of unspoiled countryside. But lo and behold! The road is lined up with Mangium trees on both sides while the tip of Mt. Tapyas was showing up from behind the thick bushes and trees from time to time. The dam was just some 5 km away but since the view was different from my usual Metro-Manila outskirts destination, plus being unfamiliar with the terrain, the short distance made the whole trip seemed so long. Along the way, I saw some single track trails, obviously made by years of treading by different feet. I came across a small ranch with some horses for hire. Some horse back riding. I took some pictures then continued my journey. I finally reached the dam which seemed like the main source of water for the entire town. Not a good place for any visitors to see as it looked poorly maintained. After a sip of water from my bottle I retraced my route and decided to check out the feeder roads I saw earlier. Two-tired ruts were still fresh of marks. There were also puddles telling me it had rained last night or early morning. After a couple of hundred meters the road ended in a makeshift wooden gate. I dare not trespass for fear of being shot by anyone inside or being chased by the dogs.I'd say respect to any private property.

Second day, we went to the beautiful and quaint island of Culion, a former Leper Colony in the early 1900 until the latter part of the 80s. This was one of my fave destinations in Calamianes Group of Islands. Every time I sit and look at the horizon on top of the fort guarding the town, I can only imagine the Philippines in 1800s. The town has a colorful history. It was founded by Spanish Conquistadores (Agustinian Recollects) in 1622 but of course our own Filipino ancestors (Tagbanua) were already having their own system of life there. In 1740 the Fort was constructed to ward off what the Spanish called the "Moro Raiders", our beloved Muslim brothers from the South. I guess there were too much branding from the invaders themselves back then. After the Spanish-American war of 1898, which we all know in history that Philippines was ceded for only $20M, the Americans tried to cleanse Manila of its filth. They found the city too dirty and many residents were plauged with leprosy. They looked around for a place to put (segregation) these unfortunate Filipinos and found this beautiful island (leper colony). Today, no more than a handful of patients reside in the now Culion Sanitarium and General Hospital which used to be dreaded by most people specially the uninformed. According to the information found at Culion Museum, leprosy has already been cured and eradicated. People in this town are either 3rd or 4th generation of former patients and some are migrants themselves from other parts of the country.

My trip there didn't only bring back memories of my old visits, of people I knew, not only of the book I got in 2003 from the local school, Loyola College, entitled "Letters from the Lepers' Isle" by Fr. John Chambers S.J. but also of the chance to scout some good places to bike in the future if chances will allow me again. We were told not to miss Pulang Lupa, some 8 km on top of the hill overlooking the town. We paid the fee to the Tourism Office and took their van to get there. Suddenly, a big rain poured that made the road muddy and sticky. The van was stuck to the mud so we were forced to walk. The place offered a great view of the town proper across the bay from a hill of about 500m elevation. It was designed to look like some sort of theme park with statues of different animals everywhere. Funny thing was statues of Disney characters were also scattered around the place. I found it annoying for such a pristine place decorated with concrete replicas of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. I would say a tour to this island will be a great challenge to any mountain biker. Off road, loose gravel, sticky and muddy fire roads, single tracks (foot trails), lots of uphills, and the best thing of all, locals told me that no bikers had ever set foot (tires) on this island. I was thinking of doing a proposal to local government to sponsor a number of riders in exchange to some exposure to blogs, threads, and fora online as part of their tourism promotion.

Third Day. I took my bike around Mt. Tapyas. This mountain is very prominent landmark of Coron as a gigantic cross on its peak is visible from miles away. It offers some 700+ steps to reach the cross plus a rewarding view of the sunset. Since I have conquered the steps a couple of times few years ago, I decided to bike around the mountain itself instead of climbing the stairs again on foot. I took the road going to Maquinit HotSprings, passed by Cubi Beach, the village of Balisongan, pedaled my way in between Tapyas and Mt. Tundalara, a sleeping volcano, and ended up in the receiving area for tourists at the foot of Mt. Tapyas. My cyclocomp recorded only some 16 km to get the route done but it's quite a challenge. Again, different terrain, loose gravel on uphills, not properly maintained fire roads and some side trips to coves and beaches. As every bikers would want it, every ride is a unique ride. After the ride, I can't get my feet to settle down. Went around the central town and found a car wash. While giving my bike the well deserved bath, I had a conversation with the shop's owner, Boyet Aborot. I learned that there were no organized bike clubs in the area though some own mountain bikes. Boyet belongs to a motorbike club that go inside trails as well. He was e so eager to show me a crudely-drawn map of trails around Coron and Busuanga. He wanted to show me a trail at the back of Mt. Tapyas that they regularly take by motorbikes. The trail serves as backdoor to the top of Taypas. I said to myself, this was great I'd better check it out. He rode his motorcycle, I took my freshly cleaned bike and off we go. He led me to the place. The trail looked difficult. I guess it was already some 40 degrees of inclination at the trail head all the way to the top. We would need some experts to do it. I told him not this time, besides it's already dusk, sometime around 6 PM. He gave me the map of the different trails he was showing me earlier and we said our thank yous and goodbyes.

We flew back to Manila the following day since there were no planes to El Nido from there. We had to get to Manila first, book tickets to Puerto Princesa City and travel by land to get to El NIdo. We were informed there was a ferry servicing from Coron to El Nido but travel time would take eight hours. We didn't want to take the risk of spending 8 hours on a a boat. Plane would only take an hour to get to most destinations in the Philippines, a bit more expensive to do but safer for us. At Terminal 3 back in Manila, while waiting for my bike and luggage at the carousel, I saw two mountain bikes being unloaded on the next carousel, no bike box, not in a package. I reckon that it would be more easy to bring the bike without the box on my next flight.

Upon reaching Puerto Princesa we started contacting vans to get us to El Nido. In no time, I found myself and my white Sonix inside the 4WD Mitsubishi Delica. Heavy rains, bad roads for almost half of the trip, and some long stops for food took us 9 hours to get there. Our driver told us that some drivers could make it to El Nido in only 6 hours in a good weather with no stops. The first half of the trip was fantastic as Palawan offers one of the best highways in the entire country. Perfect concrete road for the first 120 km or so. W reached the beautiful El Nido around 7 PM. Can't see much at night but the sillhouette of the karst was still visible to my eyes. We had dinner at Squidos, my favorite restaurant before. They still have nice food and of course their specialty, squid. They still satisfy my taste. Their food's average price is Php180.

Next morning we decided to change hotels. We didn't like the first one. I'm not going to tell the name so as not to destroy their business. We went to El Nido Beach Hotel, owned and managed by some Koreans. I could say this could be the best or maybe on the Top 2 in the entire town. Nice bed, spacious room, has AC, cable tv, and hot and cold shower. Breakfast suck, though. The rooms have nice verandas leading to a great view of the sea and the island of the bay. For five days that we stayed in El Nido, we only went to one place for breakfast after our first day of disappointment from the hotel's food. We only ate at Balay Tubay owned by Bong Acosta. I liked the ambiance, the nice home-baked bread, the aromatic brewed coffee. Cecile, the waitress was more than of a friendly service.

Restless feet needed to be cured too. And the best medicine, what else, pedal all the way. I asked around for some trails but it was obvious there were no organized bikers there. There was one bike rental shop in town for Php300. The bikes were ordinary. I started my journey to this fabled beach town at around 730 AM just like what we normally do on a weekend in Manila. I hit the road from my hotel which was already uphill. Gee, no warm ups, uphill at the start. Concrete road was only good up to the first 5km just as you reach the tiny airport. Then it's offroad all the way. I reached a beach resort on kilometer 9 marker and decided to check it out. After some photos, merged again to the main road. I came acros a sign showing the town's Sanitary Landfill. I took the feeder road and ended up in a gate without a guard. Better make a u-turn than to get in trouble. A few kilometers more I reached a fork. I told my self this was it and time to go back. I am not familiar with the area but my feet wanted more. I decided to follow my brochure/map saying there is a waterfall some 4kms ahead (14km from the town proper). I came across a sign offering some tour guiding services to the falls. I stopped for some photo shoot. A man in shabby shirt and torn sleepers came out from the house accross the street and asked me if I needed a guide. After some chat, I decided to get his service for Php100. It was almost 11AM and all I had was half filled bottle of water. I took some bread, water and biscuits from a local store a kilometer away and went back to the spot to get Manong Alex "Boy" Albag, the guide. Oh yeah. I also got my self a pair of slippers as Mang Boy told me it would be slippery up the trail since it had been raining lately.

He also told me there was no one ever made it to the falls with a bike. Foreign tourist would just leave their bikes in his house and would just trek. He added that motorbikes would not make it too since the rocks were too diffucult for them. We would be crossing rivers seven times. So it was not seven rivers. Despite his repeated mantra of "Aruy! Mahihirapan ka. Hindi kaya ng bike paakyat dun." (You're not gonna make it. It is a very difficult trail, you can't do it on a bike), I was determined to do it. What's the point of pedalling that far under the heat of the sun, under the pressure of navigating an unfamiliar track alone if I will not try to conquer the falls. The idea of being the first to make it all the way there by bike was enough energizer for me to do it. Trailhead welcomed me with the first river crossing, just above ankle-deep. Mang Boy's daughter was doing the laundry there. He introduced me to her as if she wanted the young lady to marry me. Haha.. First terrain of the trail was riverine with bamboos all over. After a few hundred meters it changed to open grassfield with coconut plantation. The track suddenly angled towards the slope on a single track with bushes and small tress at both sides. Muddy and sticky. As the trail goes deeper in the jungle it became more slippery with 2-inch thick leaf cover. Big ree stumps and roots added to the challenge. I can already imagine the thrill on the way back. Downhill, baby! After more or less 2km in the trail, I could hear the strong thumping of water. That must be the falls. The last leg (assault) would need me to dismount, take off my clipless, and go under or over the fallen log. This was a bit tricky. I need to carry my bike piggy style, duck under the log and keep my upper body above water.

I made it! I made a record! The first one to make it to the falls in a bike! I don't want to brag about it but my guide would attest to it. Mang Boy has been a tourist guide to this trail since 1997. The store owner where I bought the snack also told me the same thing that no one yet has been to the falls with a bike. I took some pictures, had a small snack with my guide and back to the trail again. Boy, I told you it was downhill galore! Except for the river crossing. I had to dismount and carry my bike like child. After that adventurous ride, I thought my feet deserved a great massage. I walked inside Lucille's Massage and Spa in the town to have my feet pampered. Not all that. I found myself relaxing to the rythm of reggae and Filipino Music jam at Balay Tubay for a night of reggae.

Almost three weeks on the road was the best birthday treat for myself. Though I only managed to do 84 km of leg power to these awe inspiring destinations, making history as the first to climb Nagkalit Falls on a mountain bike made it all worthwhile. I hope my creative thinking would work to get some attention to bring some riders to this place. Who knows, after falling in love all over again with these places I might be the newest resident in no time.

Talim Island Adventure

I'm glad I did some mountain climbing when I was still in College. Going up the mountain where it was no longer rideable by bike and making your way through slippery and sharp rocks to avoid getting soaked into a body of water came very handy. This was how I described my latest adventure with nature last Saturday, May 2.

A ride to Talim Island situated at the Northern portion of Laguna de Bay was organized by Obijuan of PMTB. Again, names here are all handles by people logging in to pmtb forum. The island's western part is within the jurisprudence of the Municipality of Binangonan and the eastern side is under the town of Carmona, both in the Province of Rizal. When I was growing up in Santa Cruz, Laguna, a capital town located southeast of the lake, I was always intrigued what lies within this island. Why is it called Talim?, I often asked. If it is situated at Laguna de Bay why is it under Rizal Province? Some questions that have puzzled me eversince.

The group composed of 19 eager to pedal individuals met up at Tiendesitas around 5:30 AM. We started to hit the road to Pritil Wharf in Binangonan at exactly 6. Binangonan is some 22 km away. Just an hour away if you are kicking it out with the "halimaws" (speed riders) at 30kph. Good thing, I already learned how to use my 1-week old Louis Garneau Terra Grip clipless shoes. It helped keeping pace with these fast and furious engineless riders. After arriving at the port, bikes were immediately loaded and packed to the boat. Other riders who came from nearby towns were already there waiting, plus those from Metro Manila coming in by cars. Had breakfast at the local market, waited a bit for some logistics and there we go to Navotas village. The barangay's wharf and the coast of mainland is like 300 meters separated by the lake's waters. We wonder why the Local Government can't build a bridge to ease travel time here since everybody needs to go all the way up to Pritil in Binangonan for a 30-minute boat ride to get food supplies and other stuff. Later, along conversations with the residents we found out that there was no road from Binangonan proper to these coastal barangays that might link up a bridge to the island. Everybody needs to take the ferry. The equation now gets complicated. I don't want to dwell more onto this.

Taking off from Barangay Navotas, northern tip of the island, we were like celebrities. People went out of their houses and watched 29 beautifully costumed (colorful dry-fit jerseys, sunglasses, warmers, nice shoes, and gorgeous bikes) individuals invading their quiet town like an army mounted on bikes. You can't blame people from the countryside who see the same faces everyday. This day was a feast for their eyes. We headed down south via the western front of the island. At the start, the roads were just wide enough to accomodate a tricycle or pedicab. But just after a few hundred meters the roads get slimmer, then almost single track, to no track at all. There were portions, I mean lots of portions where we have to carry our bikes. We had to make our way through sharp volcanic rocks at the coast balancing not to get dipped into the lake which would create waves and ripples everytime boats pass by, to get to the next trail. Water lilies helped some extra stepping pedestals. The trails included villages' cramped paved roads, rolling hills, lots of bamboo single-track trails, rocky downhills, waterline coastal carry-your-bike, and of course lots of hike-a-bike.

A much needed lunch break was held at the house of Empoy's (another rider) relatives. I forgot the name of the barangay though. Grilled tilapia and pork sinigang were served just in time when all of us were all needing extra energy. It is always nice to see a sari-sari (local retail store) along the way to get a quick drink or munch. After some good bonding we headed to the mountains again and entered the bamboo trail where lots of tires got punctured. Thanks to Whoops for the assist. I really need to learn how to change tires from now on. Luckily, I always bring spare tube in the trail. It helped when I needed it most.

We reached the village of Talim south of the island at around 4PM. We started hitting the trail head around 8:30 in the morning so it was like 7.5 hours inside the trail. This is not including the travel time on pedals from Tiendesitas to the Pritil Wharf and back, and from our respective houses to Tiendesitas. Cyclo comp recorded just below 20km inside the trail though. You can now imgagine how hard the terrains and trails were given the long hours in so short a distance. Great views by the way. You can see Mt. Makiling from the distance, the Alabang-Sucat,Taguig coastline and the Manila Skyline in the horizon.
We took the now chartered ferry which has enough room this time for all of us 29 riders and our bikes back to Pritil. This was the same boat we took to Navotas earlier but there were a couple of other passengers and some cargoes. There's no way anyone would dare backtrack the trail to the jump off point. Initially, it was planned to bike all the way to the eastern side of the island, the Carmona side, but time didn't permit us. Maybe a Part 2 is already in the works. I would love to join this one too. By 7PM, the "padyak-all-the-way" group started to hit the National High Way at almost full speed. I was kinda very cautious since my eyesight is not that good at night and my headlight is not that bright. Might need to get a better one. I reached home around 8 and my cyclo comp read 73km. Another great ride!