JOVIAL WANDERER

My third visit to Mt. Pulag, Luzon's highest peak and one of the most popular mountain trails in the country had an exciting twist, a day hike traverse!  :)  Our route to its summit was through  Akiki-Ambangeg, a 16 Kilometer trail that is estimated to take around 8 hours on a steady pace, short breaks and with smaller packs. Akiki is known to be notoriously steep while Ambangeg trail with its rolling terrain, is commonly taken by hikers who want to take an easier approach to its summit.

Those who are keen on witnessing the  sea clouds during sunrise may opt to spend two nights in the mountains, however, that will entail more planning and a bigger pack on your back. Personally, I prefer extended day hikes (hikes that take more than 5 hours). I find it more enjoyable because you can focus on the scenery without lugging a heavy pack on your back and have more time for side trips once you get down.  
For this adventure, I was happily reunited with hiker friends, Gid of Pinoy Mountainee…

After almost 4 weeks of staying indoors due to chicken pox, I returned to one of my favorite mountains, Mt. Makiling in Los Banos, Laguna. Although the trail is known to have lots of leeches (or limatiks as we locals call it), its rainforest is so beautiful - countless enormous trees with branches shrouding the sky, big ferns along the trail, endemic flowers at Peak 2, truly a plant lover's happy place. :) 
I knew I wouldn't be as strong as I was before getting sick since I hardly moved in weeks but it was a familiar trail (and one that I sorely missed!) with a 16 KM long course, out and back that takes 4-5 hours to complete. I figured I'd be okay if I took it easy.  We started hiking at 12:45 noon. It rained on the 1st hour  and the limatiks relentlessly sprung towards almost every part of my body, which I fought off by spraying alcohol. 

We weren't even halfway when I started feeling breathless and dizzy. I certainly did not expect my endurance to be that bad  because I…

Hello wandering subscribers of Globe! (and if you're not a subscriber and have cherished chums who are, please feel free to forward this :) )

Globe's unlimited data roaming flat rate of P599/day is now available in over 70 countries worldwide! 


This offer is convenient when traveling overseas and you find yourself in dire need of internet access. Let's say, you need to view an online map or a navigation app to make your way around a place, you're scouting for a hotel and restaurant to try or need to send an important email. The service also comes with an excellent complement -  free travel insurance! :) 
What Plans are covered by this service?
All Globe Postpaid Plans. It is currently not available for Globe Prepaid, Load Tipid Plans and Load Allowance Plans.

How to Use?
No need to register, just switch on your data roaming and you'll be locked on to Globe's partner carrier in your destination. You will receive a notification upon first data usage to signify the beg…

As part of my training for a long hike we did last October, I joined the Batad-Banaue Marathon, a destination run organized by Baguio-based running group, Team Malaya. 
*Blog about our long hike in Mt. Kitanglad & Dulang-Dulang here. 
Participants had the option to register in either a 21K (half-mary) or a 42K. The route, which  is one of the major draws to this event gave us the opportunity to enjoy a cold, scenic run from the Banaue town proper to the remote community of Batad. It was held August 24, 2014, an excellent time to view the rice terraces as it's greenest from  August-September.   On our first day,  we enjoyed the pool at Banaue hotel where Ferdz was checked in. It was near the garden and I was struck with excitement when I saw it. There's an excellent view of nearby mountains and it was deserted too so we had it to ourselves the entire afternoon! 

The deepest end of the pool is  12 feet with a diving board over it. I've never seen a recreational pool as deep …

A mountain that has appealed to my fascination for trees, plants and long hikes is Mt. Dulang-Dulang. :) Located in the province of Bukidnon, it is known for its beautiful mossy forests and is the 2nd highest peak in the Philippines at 2,938 MASL. A trail exists that connects it to a volcano, Mt. Kitanglad, the country's 4th highest summit. 

Since we needed to fly from Manila to get here, we thought it was more economical to squeeze two peaks in one trip instead of going back for the other in a separate trip. :) 
Among local mountaineers, this trail is nicknamed as D2-K, with the usual route starting at Mt. Dulang-Dulang and then on to Mt. Kitanglad. However,  we were advised by our friend from Bukidnon, Ben Maputi, that it's cheaper if we do a reverse so we decided to climb up via  Mt. Kitanglad then go down at Mt. Dulang-Dulang. 

Preparation :
Earlier during the year, I made a commitment to get fitter so I started training 10 months prior to the hike,  doing a variation of  swim…

Sands at SM by the Bay, Manila’s Newest Outdoor Sports and Event Destination,  Now Open!
Back when I was actively playing football, I had to travel  from Manila to Subic to play in beach football tournaments. While it was fun to get out of the city with the team, it eventually got harder over the years to field a team due to the expenses and time involved to participate in out of town tournaments. 
Which is why I am very pleased to share about the launch of Sands at SM by the Bay which would pave the way to beach tournaments within the city.  

Press Release
Sands at SM by the BAY is the only beach-themed, multi-purpose, outdoor sand court in the city. With an impressive and spacious court area measuring 28x18 meters, Sands is an ideal facility for outdoor sports such as beach volleyball, beach tennis, football and sepak takraw. Sands in also the perfect venue for product launches and beach-themed parties without the hassle of travelling outside the city. 
At the launch were former DLSU Lady…