I've made it clear that I crave exhaustion and my dayhike to Mt. Daraitan is not only a testament to my obsession with centrifugalism, but also to the former claim. Why? Well, Team Daraitan and I managed to cram what was supposed to be a two-day adventure into one jam-packed day.
If you have read my self-diagnosis, you know that I am obsessed with centrifugalism. And this climb is another testament to that claim (because Mt. Daraitan is in Rizal, silly.)
This adventure had been in the making since mid-May. It had only been brought into fruition a week before the actual date, with two of my favorite people, French Fries and Julius, confirming their attendance. My good friend Eli, who was also my climb buddy in Tagapo, was the first one to say yes to this climb, by the way. (Hooray!) So Team Daraitan was composed of Me, Dennis, Eli, her boyfriend Alvin, French Fries, and Julius.
I am convinced that there is a part of me that once belonged to the oceans and the seas, for I always yearn to return to the water. This yen was palliated by the Manunggul Beach.
I crave exhaustion. I welcome aching muscles and joints; hail shallow breaths and parched throat. I enjoy pushing myself to the limit because I am confident that there is more, that I can do more. I like to think I am one step closer to evolution by doing this.
This is, perhaps, the reason why I love conquering peaks. Hiking and trekking do not have the same monotonous rhythm that mere running entails. It is exciting and I truly truly enjoy it.
My fourth summit was Mt. Pulog. Not to be confused with the more popular Mt. Pulag, Pulog is somewhat lesser known to most adventurers. Found in Bacon, Sorsogon, the trail cuts through thick forests that seemed mostly undisturbed.
In the interest of full disclosure, I would like to say that I've been to Paguriran Island exactly four times (including this one.) My mom's hometown is in Bacon, Sorsogon and we regularly go there for summer vacation so this is really no surprise.
Regardless, I was an entirely different person during my previous visits to this place and, thus, had used to look at things very differently. Now that I am an overhauled person, with a more-open mind and the eyes of an adventurer, I see Paguriran much better. Clearer.
I'm starting to think that I have a pathological obsession for centrifugalism. Stay with me, let me make things clear. At the moment, exploring other countries does not have as much appeal as exploring every island of the Philippines. I am keen on starting with my beloved country before I go adventuring into others'. This is because a) the Philippines is truly beautiful, and b) I'd have stories and bragging rights specifically targeted to other nationalities when I do get to travel abroad - I'm a veritable Filipino citizen and I like to be well-informed so that I can be thoroughly proud of what we have to offer. Another reason for this suspicion is that when it comes to conquering peaks, I like to start somewhere near. I mean, why go far when there is a mountain on the next town, waiting to be explored? See, I like to start from within - from the core, as they say. I think that says a great deal about me, wouldn't you agree?
For this particular entry, I shall let the photos speak for themselves. Lots of backlogs, see. Hehe.
So an overview: on our way to Sorsogon and during our journey back to Manila, we stopped by several spots. The Mayon Rest House and the Cagsawa Ruins are some of them.
The plan of visiting Caramoan had been in my system even before NJ, Marian, and I went out for brunch one Sunday morning. When the idea of a summer getaway had been raised during this particular pig-out sesh, it was no surprise that Caramoan was one of the top destination picks. Our first choice was Batanes, alas, my current financial state will not allow it yet.
