Palaui

Not Palawan...Palaui Island on the Northernmost tip of luzon in the Cagayan region.

A 14-bus ride if am not mistaken since was always sleeping on the way, Palaui is the most remote island I had visited in a long time.  The jump-off point to get there is Sta. Ana, Cagayan then it is a 45 min motorized bangka ride.

The first time i went was in 2007 when Speedo organized the Aquathlon race series.  It is an island with no electricity, no accommodations of any sort and no running water - except for the water falls which is about a kilometer inland.

My second time on Palaui was with a group of friends who were not as prepared for the rusticity of the island which is why we had to stop and get more supplies along the way or we would all have been eating bread, tuna, and jam all weekend.

We dropped by the town market in Sta. Ana and bought some vegetables to add to our spam and pasta. One of the girls with us seemed to insist on surviving on root crops sprayed with olive oil, which for the life of me was just out of pride so her food would not go to waste.

The only inhabitants of the island was a family who served as caretakers, a couple of carabaos, and home to some 40 different species of migratory birds.

Also on the island is one of the oldest lighthouses that is still being used today thru solar power.

This is definitely a great offbeat destination for those who want to avoid the crowds and have a sense of being in the wild.

Happy Campers

Keep on Tri-ing

Was and always will be a Triathlete...Having started in the sport back in 1997 when Y101 organised the 1st Timex International Olympic Distance Triathlon in Mactan, Cebu.  I always considered myself relatively fit from doing all my outdoor activities and decided to give the sport a shot and fell in love with it instantly.

I then went on to join Sprint triathlons and well as duathlons and other multi sport activities including Marlboro Adventure Team that competed in Utah, USA.

                                                            AAV Independence Day Tri

After being away from the sport for over 5 years (my last triathlon being in 2007), I decided to give running a shot and went on to do 10k races which eventually lead to 21k races and then full marathon distance.

A 42km marathon is one of my most painful experiences EVER! I don't plan on doing that ever again...this is why I like Olympic distance coz the run leg is only 10k.  And for me, I find the 15k to 21k distance quite manageable.  In fact my best time at just over 2hours was in 2009 when i ran the San Francisco half Marathon....This was probably my best running experience ever as the weather was cool and the course was rolling with not a lot of uphills or  strenuous downhills.  And there were even masseurs at the finish line!

After suffering from torn ACL and MCL this year and having to pull out of the IRONMAN, will get back to training and hopefully be able to race again by next year....

So for anyone looking to get into what is growing to be quite the popular sport now in the Philippines, GIVE IT A TRY! and you will find that finishing is one of the sport's most fulfilling achievements.

Adobo 15k Night Run

Red Cross Million Volunteer Run

Corregidor Half Marathon

                                                              Adobo 15k Night Run

Cebu Marathon 2012 (42km)

Condura Skyway 10k

Adidas King of the Road

Surfin' Bagasbas

South of manila and close to a 10-hour drive away in Daet, Camarines Norte is a surfer's paradise known as Bagasbas.

Away from the crowded breaks of La Union, Bagasbas offers a perfect getaway for surfers looking to learn how to surf with nice beach breaks.

One weekend, a group of Couch Surfers - a social network for travellers decided to spend the weekend in bagasbas to surf.

We stayed at White Wave resort, one of the newer establishments on the beach and sang the night away at the local karaoke bars.

Being the more experienced surfer in the group, I happily assisted the local surf instructor Ariel in teaching the newbies.

Everybody had a grand time and I can't wait to go surfing again.

futile attempt at skimboarding

Baby Waves that day

Island Hopping 2011

Holy Week Road Trip 2011 in pictures

Last year's road trip was epic in so many ways as a couple of friends of mine took a whole 9 days to travel from Manila to Cebu, then to Danao to cross to Camotes Island.  The Plan was 3 major destinations in 9 days.

Camotes Island

After Camotes, we headed North to Hagnaya and crossed over to Bantayan Island and stayed at Sante Fe.

Not having had enough sun, sand and sea, we then headed to the mainland of Cebu to head to Maya Port, the jump-off to Malapascua island.

love on the rocks

Someone once said or maybe it was a quote from a movie wherein rock climbing was described as ballet on the rocks.

If you think about it, it actually is.  Precise hand-eye coordination is needed to navigate your route as you scale to greater heights.

Gravity and weight is one major factor as you have to propel yourself upwards to reach the top.  Which is why the weight of your body must rest on your legs and not on your arms.

The Extreme Adventure Zone or TEA Zone, headed by Marc Gana, invited Beth and I for a fun climb in Atimonan, Quezon for the weekend.  It had been awhile since I had gone rock climbing being a former instructor in my younger days.

There was an initial sport climb session at Power-Up, Quezon City to orient first time climbers - Beth included, in climbing basics 101.

Arrival at the climbing site was before dawn, as the climbers camped out at a shack right beside the climbing site.

There were about fifteen (15) climbers total and we all had a grand time conquering our fear of heights and pitting ourselves against each other in fun competition.

Looking forward to the next climbing trip.

Club 101 Adventure

Since I was a kid, I was always outdoors. Whether it be family outings and weekend trips to the beach with my family or get-togethers with friends, I was always close to nature. I would also accompany Dad on his hunting trips which entailed long hikes deep into the mountains.

College was no different as I became a member of the CRC mountaineers.  We scaled Mt. Banahaw several times, once doing it in just a little over 4 hours (normally a 6-7 hour trek up the mountain).  We travelled to Mt. Talinis in Negros Occidental - one of the Philippines more challenging climbs.  Mt. Arayat in Pampanga, Mt. Makulut, Mt. Famie, Mt. Pulag through the long trail were some of the other mountains we climbed.

CRC mountaineers

                                                       

After college, I landed a job as an Adventure Tour Director for Y101 Cebu.  We would get radio sponsors to cover the cost of adventure trips and radio listeners would get to go for free.

Dolpin watching in Bais, Snorkeling trips to Apo island, Bike and camping tours in Boracay, rapelling Kawasan Falls, and a Mt. Apo Expedition were just some of Y101's tours for Club 101 Adventure.

                                                   Club 101 Adventure Mt. Apo Expedition

A good friend of mine once told me, "When you see the beauty of God's creation is when you are closest to Him."

Up to now, I still do adventure and dive trips for friends who want to experience the great outdoors and it is thru my sharing my experiences that give me great fulfilment.

So till our next adventure...

                                                 Marlboro Adventure Team - Moab, USA