We went to Mt. Manalamon last February 25, the same day as EDSA People Power Revolution Anniversary.
It was still dark when we arrived at the jump-off. We also had our breakfast there. At four and a half in the morning when everything was still dark, we crossed a hanging bridge. It was a bit scary, but a lot more exciting. The hanging bridge shook a little as we passed by. Under it was a river. The wind was cold.
Upon reaching the other side of the bridge, I saw some signs which read as Biak Na Bato National Park, and I thought the place was part of it. I reminisced about some of the history lessons I had when I was in high school, I imagined the revolution.
After meeting the tour guides and a short orientation, we started trekking even before the sun rose. It was dark and we badly needed headlights, our bad, again, we did not have any. The built-in flashlight in our cellphones helped us a little in getting a clear sight on our track. It was still cold as we went our way. We passed through a short passage of a cave, it seemed beautiful in the dark and again I was in awe as I gazed at the rock formation.
Coming out from the cave, we crossed a little portion of the river. It was cold and felt so, so good. It looked clear to me though it was still dark. The water gently rushed up to my mid-leg. There were stones so we had to be careful and mindful to avoid any potential injury. We were all giddy and excited at the beginning of the hike.
The slopes were getting steep as our hike progressed. I was anticipating the sunrise and hoping we would reach the peak of Mt. Manalmon very soon.
All I could remember upon reaching the peak of Mt. Manalmon was the breathtaking sight from above: the crowd of trees, the trail of the river, and other land formations covered with greeneries. It was a magnificent view for me and I was sure for others as well.
We did not miss the chance for a photo op with the rest of the joiners. Honestly, it was a nice group to be with. I am not comfortable meeting strangers, but that group just gave me the good vibes I need to enjoy the hike up to the very end.
We were sun-kissed at Mt. Manalmon. You should too!
To be continued...
Photos credit to Arra A. & Erist C.
Darkness might provoke in us the fear of the unknown, fear of not knowing what lies ahead in that gray area of our lives, and fear of losing control over the things that matter to us the most. But most of the time, which sometimes entails always, we just have to let go and surrender to the One who is in control.
Trudging our way towards the most anticipated part of the tour, we expectantly moved to the leading of the tour guides. Personally, I was looking forward to the cave and a little bit worried at the same time. It was the cave we were talking about, after all, I had watched movies and television shows to know what might happen inside the cave.
The heat from the morning sun still fried us as we kept up to the pace of the rest of the pack. The cave was not too far from the area where White Rock was situated. Tallgrasses were on both sides of the trail, some green, some already dried up. I still had my shawl as a protective gear from the scorching heat of the sun.
As we reached the entrance to the cave, there was a mix of excitement and worry inside me. Fear and anticipation of the unknown. As we began to enter the cave, our pack was giddy, yet the tour guides were on guard and consistently reminded to be careful. We were on the lookout for any rock formation that might hit our heads or any parts of our body. We went up and down as we overcame the boulders and climbed to reach our endpoint.
Inside the cave was total darkness and it was our bad that our group of four did not have any flashlight. Good thing, others from our pack were gracious to share their headlight with us and lit our way as we struggled from almost blindness. One of my friends also used the built-in flashlight on her phone to aid our eyes to the best of its ability and capacity, and we knew how limited a built-in flashlight could do.
We did not get the chance to take photos inside the cave since we were so occupied conquering our fear of the darkness and overcoming the obstacles towards the exit of the cave. Unlike the time, when we went to Marinduque and sported caving, we had few photos taken inside the cave.
Upon exiting the cave, we were in for a surprise. We were welcomed by a breathtaking view of rock formations. I concluded that the formations formerly catered water, the area must have been a river based on the markings on the stones as if waves hit them over and over again. Another dry area, I thought. It appeared to me like a barren place, thirsty earth, yet rich with history I might never learn. It also reminded me of the canyoneering we did in Cebu upon reaching the Kawasan Falls for the resemblance of their structure.
The sad part was there some vandals on the rocks, a part of its past when tourists were frequent in the area. But the good part, in the broad daylight, self-imposed photoshoots were possible.
Our last stop of the tour ended at the Malangaan spring. It was not clear as I expected it to be. My friend mentioned its greenish color, and that stopped us from enjoying the water from the spring. I was looking forward to clear water, yet I found none. I did not pursue my wants to try the water, we were already tired and hungry, and salivating for our prepared lunch with halo-halo on the side.
Mt. Secret adventure led us to the places we did expect, yet it brought us to realization and experiences beyond our expectations. We never forget the past, we cave into the past when the need arises and learn from our past.
Photos credit to Arra A.
They say opposite attracts. During this season of love, it is a quote that is timely and for a reason, I don't really care and the reason is I am not in a relationship, but I don't want to sound bitter so I hope you have a wonderful day with your lover. There are times when we feel and appear different both at the same time, just like the White Rock appeared and felt different to me. It looks cold yet heat overwhelms a total opposite, but it is undeniably beautiful. I hope you have a wonderful and beautiful relationship despite your differences and imperfections just like the White Rock.
A few meters from Mt. Secret is a massive rock formation covered with snow-white sand called White Rock. It gives the winter vibes in the desert-like land as we look at the humongous formation. We rested for a few minutes under the shade while waiting for the sun to hide from us and went behind the scarce sea clouds. It took us longer than we expected for Mr. Sun to hold its shine even just a little moment.
The magnificent massive rock formation reminded us of the movies and television shows. The place is actually a good location for shootings action or tribal-themed production. We could imagine actors, directors, and production staff making their way to the place or doing their stuff in the seemingly remote area. One of the tour guides shared with us the information about Ding-dong Dantes shot some scenes for his show Amazing Stories and also Maymay Entrata's movie Princess Dayaries made the place as one of its locations.
When we thought as well as the tour guide that the sunshine began to be gentle, we continued our journey and started conquering the White Rock. We were only in the middle of the climb when the sun radiantly smiled on us again. It was already sizzling hot during the climb, and upon reaching the summit, we were met by the scorching sun on the top of the White Rock. The heat was too much to bear and it pricked my skin like needles. Our clothes and my shawl were not enough to protect us from the sun's energy. It did not take long enough for us to decide that it was time to go down. Some sightseeing and picture taking had sufficed our curiosity to the massive rock formation. It was only nine in the morning yet the sun stood too proud on us.
Humbled by the blazing sun, our group went down while the others sacrificed their skin and allowed the activation of some more melanin for skin protection as they took on the challenge of photoshoots against the proud sun. We sat down on stones under the shade as we waited for the culmination of others' self-imposed photo shoots.
White Rock stands firm amongst the other rock formations. It appears like a fortress all ready to protect anyone who seeks safety and security. It reminded me of our Mighty Rock, Jesus.
To be continued...
Some photos credit to Arra A.
No secret remains hidden forever, even the unknown Mt. Secret reveals itself to us. And now that I conquered the heights of Mt. Secret, I believe it will strike its popularity among tourists around the world anytime soon.
The first question that came into mind after hearing the name of our next target mountain to climb is why it was named like that and the same question also came out from my friends when we were already having a conversation with the organizer of the joined tour. As far as I could remember we did not receive a satisfactory answer. The organizer just mentioned that it was named by the locals or by the proprietor of the land where the mountain was situated.
Mt. Secret barely stands at San Rafael, Bulacan. It is not the usual mountain we draw on a piece of paper with a perfect cone shape. It is rocky and even has sharp surfaces. I can compare its shape to the Nagpatong Rock in Quezon. They both have the same texture and somewhat similar shape, but Mt. Secret is smaller than Nagpatong Rock.
It is also coined as The Hidden Mountain of Bulacan, and I still wonder why oh why. I failed to ask the locals as I was busy tending myself from the heat and enjoying the journey with my sister, friends, and other joiners of the tour. I thought it was named like that because it is private property or it was only discovered recently and unconsciously kept hidden from the locals and tourists coming from the different parts of the world.
It was a short hike and the easiest mountain climbing ever since I experienced the thrill and joy of hiking in the year 2018. In the darkness and cold air of the dawn, the organizer told everyone during the orientation that the mountain's height was 300 MSL something and perfect for beginners. It was a relief on my part since it was my sister's first time climbing a mountain.
There were boulders and small rocks of Marmol on our way to the mountain itself. Most of the self-imposed photoshoot began in that area. It appeared that mining occurred somewhere near the mountain and we were not wrong. We could hear explosions when we were already on the other top of Mt. Secret where we climbed through via rappelling, and one of the coordinators and other guides of the tour did not keep it a secret to us that quarrying and mining were actually transpiring at that very moment.
The place appeared to be dry and on the verge of drought, but there was still a remnant of beauty in spite of the dryness. I was able to capture a picture of a flower I usually encounter from the other mountains I had been and the only tinge of color on the vast space of greens, browns, grey, and white. It is only my observation and maybe already a hush-hush among the tourists and the locals. It is like an open secret to everyone who arrived and captured the remnant beauty of Mt. Secret.
Mt. Secret, the Hidden Mountain of Bulacan, will bare it all to you, the good and its bad sides, the danger and the protection it can provide. All of it, nothing is hidden in the Mt. Secret.
to be continued...
Photos credit to Arra A.
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