Before Leaving Manila

A smoggy Makati skyline viewed from my room at Marriott Manila

For a long time, Manila was missing a good airport hotel. There used to be a Philippine Village Hotel but I can't even say if it was any good since I never stayed there. That was a long time ago anyway before my travel itch even began. A couple of years ago, a casino resort called Resorts World Manila opened right in front of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3. Among the 3 hotels built there was a name so familiar in the US market - the Marriott.

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Safari Lodge

Taking an overnight bus just after hiking down Mt. Pulag didn't appeal to me. I wanted to rest in Baguio City for the night. It's been a long day after all - a whole morning on the trail and some 3 hours on the jeepney. We arrived at the city's Victory Liner Terminal before 4 PM all tired and starving. I was the only one staying. Since the group's Manila-bound bus doesn't leave until 10 PM, we made plans for a farewell dinner at a restaurant on Session Road.

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Top of Luzon

Behold the Cordillera: view as seen from Mt. Pulag's summit

It's only 5:30 AM, it's cold, windy and dark. I was walking behind our local guide along with Carlita, a German backpacker. The guide soon exclaimed "Eto na! This is it!". We made it to the top of Mt. Pulag. The rest of our group was somewhere lagging behind. From our vantage point at 2,922 meters above sea level, we could see a long trail of headlamps headed our way - pretty much everyone else who woke up in the pre-dawn darkness just to get to the summit in time for sunrise.

For a few minutes, the three of us enjoyed solitude as the first to make it up there. Soon that will change.

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Camp 2

2600+ meters above sea level @ Camp 2

"OK ka lang Mang Andy?", I asked as I passed by this gray-haired 64-year-old gentleman on the popular Ambangeg Trail to Mt. Pulag.  He's standing on the side of the narrow path, catching his breath, his weight bearing on a single trekking pole. A vacationing grandfather from the US, Mang Andy shots back at me, "I feel great!". While our group led by Miguel (Yabag Mountaineering) met only the previous evening, we felt a bond already. "I just couldn't take my wife here with me. Papatayin nya ako (She'll kill me)", he laughs later at camp.

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From Sea To Summit

From here...

Call me nuts for taking a punishing trip traveling all day and night - from coastal El Nido to mountainous Kabayan in Benguet. It started on a Friday early morning and didn't stop till mid-morning the next day. This involved taking the RORO bus from El Nido to Puerto Princesa (6 hours) where I waited (6 hours) for a Philippine Airlines flight to Manila  (1 hour) to catch an overnight Victory Liner bus bound for Baguio (6 hours) before eventually riding a chartered jeepney the next day to a Ranger Station in Kabayan, Benguet (3+ hours). Whew!

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