Singapore, being a technology and business hub, is definitely not moving away from living with nature. Home of several nature parks and gardens, Singapore indeed envisions the combination of urban living and the natural habitat.
Last weekend, we went to one of the preserved forested areas in the city to breathe some fresh air (despite the slow-paced movement brought by this “new normal”). A little walk in the park to appreciate the green surroundings of this urban jungle.
Ok! Enough of the intro… I’m trying to make the description longer as “no one would really care about”.
Actually, we just went out last weekend to unwind from being stuck to working from home. We got nowhere to go so we decided to take some canopy walk in a forest park and Whoalah!, I got some beautiful phone shots of nature’s colors combined with few concrete lines.
Sharing this long overdue video blog about our CNY experience last. We took a quick 3-day holiday in Bali so to optimize our time we got the Airbnb packages for a hassle-free tour/adventure day.
Lempuyang Temple
The first stop of our Day 1 tour was the Lempuyang temple, also named as the “Gateway of Heaven”. It is one of the oldest and most sacred temples, located in the easternmost part of the island – in Banjar Purwa Ayu.
True enough, since we visited the place during a holiday, it was so crowded that we need to park our car far away from the jump off point, where motorcycles would bring us up to the temple’s main gates.
Since Lempuyang temple is a major place of worship, this gets crowded whenever there are important festivals celebrated in the island. During our visit, it was also the time of Sasih Kauli or the eighth new moon and, in Balinese Hinduism, offering rituals are usually done in New Moon Ceremonies.
As for tourists like us, you may have heard the famous mirror lake photos taken in Lempuyang Temple. Yes, it was a deception and real mirrors were used to capture those. Nonetheless, this spot is still worth a visit because, when the weather is good, the scenic view of Mount Agung is still impressive. It is just a matter of how dramatic you can get with that portrait photo. Unfortunately, we were not able to take those. We did not explore the temple thoroughly, just to pay our respect to the people who are doing their rituals in the said worship place.
Tirta Ganga
In Balinese Hinduism, the waters of the Ganges river or Gangga, are considered sacred. “Gangga” is where the name of our next stop was taken from – “Tirta Gangga”. The place is what remained of a former royal palace in eastern Bali.
Tirta Gangga was built during the mid-90’s by the late King of Karangsem. However, since the complex sits near Mount Agung, an active volcano in the island, it almost totally got destroyed during an eruption in 1963.
Tirta Gangga’s water is considered sacred and is represented by agricultural abundance, recreation, and economic prosperity. This significant historical complex remains as the pilgrimage and holy water site of the Balinese tradition.
Before heading down to our next and final educational stop, we took our lunch in a restaurant situated at the foot of Mount Agung. The establishment is exactly right beside rice fields and is overlooking the panorama of the majestic volcano. Unfortunately, she was quite shy as she did not show up almost the entire day.
Tukad Cepung Waterfall
We also took a very quick side trip and trek down the hidden Tukad Cepung- one of the many best waterfalls in the island.
This waterfall is within a cave and when the timing is right, shows a magical illumination of lightrays that is simply perfect for an Instagram post.
Tegallalang Rice Terraces
And where else should we be going to when we talk about Bali? Of course, the famous rice paddies of the island should not be missed out, right? So, we also went to Tegallalang Rice Terraces in Ubud. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this stunning rice field is carved in cascading levels on the mountain slope so that water can run through channels and be evenly distributed, giving a good quality rice produce. Tegallalang Rice terraces is said to be the rice planting landscape created by the early settlers of Bali during the eighth century A.D.
Several restaurants and cafes along the main road overlooking Tegallalang rice terraces, offer good spots for a charming capture. Almost all these establishments also have their own Bali swings to add up to an “instagrammable” experience.
Santi Agro Coffee Farm
To wrap up this 10-hr day tour, we visited Santi Coffee Plantation – just one of the many coffee farms in Bali specializing in the production of the famous Kopi Luwak.
Kopi Luwak consists of partially digested coffee cherries, which have been eaten and defecated by the palm civet, native to Bali Indonesia and other parts of Southeast Asia.
Unlike any other coffee farms, when you visit this plantation, someone will come and approach you to explain how the different varieties of coffee and other products are made in their farm. You will also get the chance to taste of all them – from the regular one to the unusual ones like the chilli-infused chocolates. So here is the summary of our experience in Santi Coffee Plantation.
There are a lot of private tour packages available in Bali that you can customize depending on your preferences. For me, this 10-hr day tour was so worth it since all I wanted to do is only to fly my drone and some “instagrammable” captures. LOL! Well on a serious note, this tour was also educational and we were lucky that our driver/guide was also entertaining and talkative as well.
Just want to share this video content about the liquor tasting tour package I booked when I visited South Korea last year – the version version of my previous blog about Samhaesoju-ga Brewery.
Actually, I got inspired by Erwan Heussaff’s video blog about his soju experience, so when I went to Seoul, I added this in the bucket list of my things-to-do there. I did not have the chance to find anyone who could join me explore Itaewon or Myeondong though, thus, I took this Liquor Tasting Tour instead. Different from the informal drinking session, this one is somewhat a classroom type. Nonetheless, it was still fun and very informative, of course.
We had a shot of one of the products of Samhaesoju-ga Brewery that has the highest ABV of 71.2%
A more detailed article of the various liquor we drank can be found here.
When we talk about Korea (South Korea) there is one “in thing” which we also shouldn’t miss… Well, aside from KPop and Kimchi, of course. They say, as a foreigner, you wouldn’t fully experience the Korean culture if you are not able to have a shot or a bomb session of this either alone, with a special someone or with friends in Pojangmacha. Yes, I am talking about drinking Soju – the world’s most popular liquor. This is apparent with Jinro (Korean soju brand) being consistently the best-selling spirits brand over a number of years.
Soju is a colorless distilled beverage that originated in Korea. It has alcohol content varying from 16% up to more than 50%. As of today, varieties of Soju are produced from rice, wheat, or barley and even starch from potatoes. Interestingly, Soju has become part of the Korean culture revealing more about their social structure, lifestyle, and traditions. Their unique alcohol drinking tradition traces back to as old as the 9th century A.D.
When I visited South Korea last year, I came across this GetYourGuide tour package that includes beverage tasting. It got me interested because I really wanted to know more about Soju and how it became reflective of Korea’s drinking culture. The duration of the tour was only about 4 hrs and covered the 1-hr session of liquor tasting with a brewmaster. I’ll discuss the other parts of this tour in my future blogs, but for now, I want to tell you how this soju experience went. If you have the same interest as me, in learning more about Korea’s popular liquor, this tour is definitely worth a try.
Disclaimer: Be Ready to get tipsy or drunk!🤣
Below is a short clip of our session at Samhaesoju-ga Brewery. I’ll be updating this with a longer video soon.
SAMHAE SOJU
We visited the Samhaesoju-ga Brewery operated by Master Kim Taeksang. His facility is designated to be the 8th Intangible Heritage of Seoul in Korea’s Food and Rural affairs because of his expertise in traditional Korean liquor brewing. A 300-year-old technique passed down from five generations above his grandparents.
Master Kim’s brewery house is known for producing Samhae-ju – a variety of Korean traditional liquor consumed mainly in royal ceremonies during the Goryeo period. Eventually, it has been transmitted as a home-based liquor through generations in noble families.
The main ingredients of Samhaeju are rice, sticky rice, malt, and water which are mixed and processed in cold fermentation. After the long-time aging, the rice wine is then distilled, but only 30% of it is brewed as high-quality spirits. The distillation process gives a rich harmonized flavor of grains and malt. This results in a soft and deep first taste while leaving a pleasant and long aftertaste. The distilled rice wine the very Samhae Soju.
What’s good about Samhae Soju is that it is additive-free, thus, you will never get a hangover the next day.
All about the liquors in Samhaesoju-ga Brewery
With the philosophy of “By Searching the old, learn with the new”, all liquors in Samhaesoju-ga Brewery are produced using the traditional brewing technique of Samhaeju with an additional application of modern edge brewery.
Samhae Guiji also known as “Terminator” Samhaeju due to its above 70% Alcohol by Volume content
It is no doubt that their liquors are remarkably tasteful, although, those with higher alcohol content are a bit of a challenge for some, if not most of us.
To get to learn more about the liquor products and production processes, Samhaesoju-ga Brewery opens its facility and conducts a list of tasting programs as well as regular brewing courses. Master Kim Taeksang, himself, leads the brewing academy but it is necessary to make reservations in advance due to limited slots.
Here is the variety of Samhaeju products that I was able to taste during our session with Master Kim. We were able to drink 1 shot of each of the 10 common Samhae liquors. The most challenging shot for me was obviously, the one with the highest %ABV.
Rice Wine:
Samhae Takju – a rice wine, with milky and off-white color, processed through cold fermentation for about 2 months (17%-18% alcohol by volume).
Samhae Yakju – a rice wine brewed by filtering out Samhae Takju giving it a clean and elegant taste (17%-18% alcohol by volume).
Samhae Soju – is made by distilling the Samhae Yakju. This is the main product of the brewery which features a deep and delicate flavor harmonized with grain and malt aromas giving a soft but rich soju taste (45% alcohol by volume).
Samhae Guiji – is also nicknamed as “Terminator” due to its remarkably high alcohol content. This is extracted by distilling Samhaesoju and adding a volume of alcohol by two or three times more, thus, being into its rare quality of liquor spirit (70% alcohol by volume).
Other Wine Varieties:
Samhaepo Takyakju – is brewed from grape juice (of Campbell Variety). The fresh grape flavor gives its deep sparkly flavor of red wine (17%-18% alcohol by volume).
Samhaegyul Takyakju – a golden-colored wine brewed from tangerine juice, rice, and malt. Instead of a sweet taste, it gives more appetite due to its pleasantly sour taste (17%-18% alcohol by volume).
Samhaegyul – a product of the distilled yakju from tangerines (50% alcohol by volume).
Samhaeguk Takyakju – is a fermented liquor brewed from rice, malt, and chrysanthemum tea. This liquor indeed has a very distinct flavor of chrysanthemum (17%-18% alcohol by volume).
Samhaeguk – is produced by distilling the chrysanthemum yakju leaving its fragrant taste to somehow last after sipping (50% alcohol by volume).
Samhaego Takyakju – is a fermented liquor made of water, rice, malt, and added with Sanghwang mushroom (Phellinus linteus). The mushroom gives its peculiar aroma and bitterness (17%-18% alcohol by volume).
Samhaego – is produced by distilling Samhaego Takyakju intensifying the unique aroma of the Sanghwang mushroom (50% alcohol by volume).
I have known about Soju when I started to get hooked with Korean dramas – 15 years ago I guess. I surely bet, there is no K-drama without a scene where actors drink it, right? Let me know if there is. Lol! Also, whenever I feel like having a Korean dinner, this is sometimes part of the meal. I am not really a fan of hard liquors though, but Soju seems good for my taste since it has a bit of sweetness in it (only those with the lower alcohol contents).
It was my first time visiting Seoul (South Korea) and, as much as possible, I wanted to try the uncommon things to do. I would say, this liquor-tasting tour was one of those. I met strangers with the same interest as me. There is an awkward feeling at first but then we became best of friends after 3 hours. That’s because of soju! The funnier thing is our tour guide also got drunk and we were chattering nonsense topics as we walk down to the eumsikjeom (restaurant) for dinner. Nonetheless, it was indeed an informative hour of a drinking session with the expert.
My next goal is to make the soju myself, however, the whole brewing course takes 2 months. Given the chance, I’ll definitely enroll in the regular brewing academy. We never know, Seoul might be my next work location. Grin!
Wow! It’s been a while, like a more than a year since I posted something relevant and current.
How’s everyone coping up with the current situation? This pandemic has significantly disrupted everything, right? 😑
On a positive note, let us take this “staying home” a chance to reflect on ourselves and still be productive. For me, I got the luxury of time to be able to transfer all my articles from the old blog (www.laaganadventures.com). I finally completed it.
I was able to fix few plugins on this site too. Woohoo! 😎 Apparently, Google Adsense won’t approve my account using the new email address. Sigh! I am writing to them to plead. I changed my country address 2 years ago and I wasn’t able to get my account verified until now. 😑
Speaking of “keeping ourselves productive”, I also got more time to do some online training and started with my favorite desktop applications in Adobe Creative Cloud. I am proud to share this 15-sec introduction clip which took me 7 hrs to finish. Lol! Still, this is fulfilling because at least there is no need for me to grab youtube intro videos anymore because I already had my own.
Anyway, I also hope you all are keeping safe, healthy, and still productive. When this is over, let us travel the world and experience more adventures again! Soon!
Since it is summer, sharing with you another laagan adventure post 2 years ago. If you are the type who prefer the mountain view instead of the beach, then this climbing adventure near Metro Manila, Philippines definitely suit you.
MT. DARAITAN
Tanay, Rizal and General Nakar, Quezon
Major jumpoff: Brgy. Daraitan (village center), Tanay
Minor jumpoff: Sitio Cablao Brgy. Pagsangahan, General Nakar
LLA: 14°36′48.5′′N 121°26′19.5′′ E, 739 MASL (+600)
Days required / Hours to summit: 1 day / 2.5-4 hours
Specs: Minor climb, Difficulty 4/9, Trail class 1-3
Features: Tropical forest, limestone formations, river trek
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DAY 1
——–
0600 Take a UV Express Van from Ayala Triangle (Citibank Paseo) to Antipolo (via Tikling) [Php45.00]
0700 ETA Tikling, Antipolo. Take jeep to Tanay, Rizal [Php45.00]
0815 ETA Tanay, Rizal (Jollibee). Take tricycle to Brgy. Daraitan [P100/person for a group of 4]
0900 Arrival at Daraitan River. Take trike to barangay hall [Php 20.00 / (You may also opt to walk instead]
0915 ETA Barangay Hall; Register and secure guides. [Tourism Fee: Php20.00 ;Guide Fee: Php500.00 – Day Trek | Php 1250.00 for – Overnight Trek]
** For us, we chose to take the Tinipak River Route on the 1st day then descended via the original Mt. Daraitan Route.
1000 Start trek going to Tinipak River
1100 Arrive at General Nakar Registration (Tinipak River Camp Site) [Php20.00 registration]
1110 Explore Tinipak River and go spelunking at the Tinipak Cave [Maintenance Fee for the Cave – Php5.00]
1200 Lunch at the Riverside
** Last stop to Buy essentials (food, drinks, meds, etc.) and Refill Water
1300 Resume trek
1600 ETA summit; Set up camp
1730 Sunset viewing
1800 Dinner / socials
——–
DAY 2
——–
0545 Sunrise viewing at the limestone formations
**Given the good weather condition you may be able to see Daraitan’s “Sea of Clouds”.
0630 Breakfast / Break camp
0730 Start descent to Barangay Hall
0800 Back at Barangay Hall; tidy up
0900 Head back to Tanay, Rizal via Jeepney (Php60.00)
1015 Back in Tanay Rizal. Take UV Express Van going to Shaw (Php70.00)
1130 Back in Manila (Shaw Crossing/SM Megamall)
Since it is summer, sharing with you another laagan adventure post 2 years ago. If you are the type who prefer the mountain view instead of the beach, then this climbing adventure near Metro Manila, Philippines definitely suits you.
MT. DARAITAN
Tanay, Rizal and General Nakar, Quezon
Major jumpoff: Brgy. Daraitan (village center), Tanay
Minor jumpoff: Sitio Cablao Brgy. Pagsangahan, General Nakar
LLA: 14°36′48.5′′N 121°26′19.5′′ E, 739 MASL (+600)
Days required / Hours to summit: 1 day / 2.5-4 hours
Specs: Minor climb, Difficulty 4/9, Trail class 1-3
Features: Tropical forest, limestone formations, river trek
——–
DAY 1
——–
0600 Take a UV Express Van from Ayala Triangle (Citibank Paseo) to Antipolo (via Tikling) [Php45.00]
0700 ETA Tikling, Antipolo. Take jeep to Tanay, Rizal [Php45.00]
0815 ETA Tanay, Rizal (Jollibee). Take tricycle to Brgy. Daraitan [P100/person for a group of 4]
0900 Arrival at Daraitan River. Take trike to barangay hall [Php 20.00 / (You may also opt to walk instead]
0915 ETA Barangay Hall; Register and secure guides. [Tourism Fee: Php20.00 ;Guide Fee: Php500.00 – Day Trek | Php 1250.00 for – Overnight Trek]
** For us, we chose to take the Tinipak River Route on the 1st day then descended via the original Mt. Daraitan Route.
1000 Start trek going to Tinipak River
1100 Arrive at General Nakar Registration (Tinipak River Camp Site) [Php20.00 registration]
1110 Explore Tinipak River and go spelunking at the Tinipak Cave [Maintenance Fee for the Cave – Php5.00]
1200 Lunch at the Riverside
** Last stop to Buy essentials (food, drinks, meds, etc.) and Refill Water
1300 Resume trek
1600 ETA summit; Set up camp
1730 Sunset viewing
1800 Dinner / socials
——–
DAY 2
——–
0545 Sunrise viewing at the limestone formations
**Given the good weather condition you may be able to see Daraitan’s “Sea of Clouds”.
0630 Breakfast / Break camp
0730 Start descent to Barangay Hall
0800 Back at Barangay Hall; tidy up
0900 Head back to Tanay, Rizal via Jeepney (Php60.00)
1015 Back in Tanay Rizal. Take UV Express Van going to Shaw (Php70.00)
1130 Back in Manila (Shaw Crossing/SM Megamall)
Before those self-proclaimed #influencers are demanding for free accommodations at some resorts in exchange of a feature, Siargao Island has already established its name on the map of the “most beautiful places to go to before you die”. Re-posting my Laagan Adventures post about this paradise almost 9 years ago. 😊
Date: Nov. 10, 2010
The 14-hour travel by land and sea from General Santos City paid off the time we stepped on Dapa Port (RORO gateway to Siargao Island). I was just reading feature articles about Siargao Island before, but now, I will be an addition to those people who are proud to have reached this Cloud 9 destination.
Siargao is composed of 8 municipalities. We stayed overnight in General Luna where the famous Cloud 9 waves are just about a mile away. The island has gained a reputation as the Philippines’ Surfing Capital because of Cloud 9. This right-breaking reef wave is the site of the annual Siargao Cup, a domestic and international surfing competition sponsored by the provincial government of Surigao del Norte.
We stayed at Ronaldo’s Inn and Restobar. Among the resorts in General Luna, I should say, Ronaldo’s Inn is the cheapest. But despite its low room rates, it still provides its patrons the comfort of an island getaway.
2019 Update:The resort has improved over the years, but their rates are still one of the cheapest and worth a penny especially for those who are in big groups. Check out their facebook page for details.
Aside from the surfing stuff, some shops in General Luna also offer island hopping trips recommended for those who just want to relax on the sand bars of the neighboring islets. They have a 16-hp motor island boat that can accommodate at most 20 passengers. It was an offseason when we went to Siargao, so we were able to negotiate their island hopping rate to as low as Php 2,500 for 3 Islands (Naked Islet, Dako Island, and Guyam Islet).
Daku Island
Pansukian Islet (also known as the Naked Island)
Guyam Islet
Siargao Island contains the largest mangrove forest reserves in Mindanao, at Del Carmen. Long stretches of wetlands indicate a potential for commercial seaweed propagation. Siargao Island is greatly influenced by the winds and currents coming uninterrupted from the Pacific Ocean, intensified by the Mindanao current running westward through the Siargao Strait. (…excerpt from Wikipedia)
The T’bolis are well known among the 18 tribes of Mindanao. Majority of them settles in the mountains of South Cotabato particularly in Lake Sebu. Even with the local government’s push towards development, T’bolis were able to maintain and preserve their rich culture and traditions. Their ways of living, in the present progressive state of Lake Sebu, can still be compared with how their ancestors lived centuries ago.
Their contribution to the tourism industry of South Cotabato has been a big factor. They are famous for intricate handicrafts such as their colorful bracelets, earrings, brass ornaments and their world-class woven fabric called the “t’nalak”. Bags and clothes made of t’nalak are being sold expensively in parts of Europe and the United States.
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The friendly T’boli Tribe in South Cotabato is worth a visit. Their happy characteristic will make your stay even more stirringly memorable. Moreover, when visiting Lake Sebu, don’t forget to witness and be entertained by the T’bolis’ tribal dances. These dances are inspired by the strokes of animals like that of the monkeys and birds. Their tribal songs are the traditions they’ve cherished from their ancestors, likewise their living connections with them ( their great grandparents).
“…T’bolis are descendants of the survivors of a great flood. A man named Dwata warned the people of an impending great flood. But the tribe refused to listen, except for two couples, La Bebe and La Lomi, and Tamfeles and La Kagef. Dwata told them to take shelter in bamboo so huge they could fit inside and in this way survive the flood. The first couple is the ancestors of the T’boli and other highland ethnic groups. The second couple descended the other Filipino indigenous groups.”
“…T’boli women are named dreamweavers. The T’nalak weaving was taught by a goddess named Fu Dalu in a dream and that women learn this ethnic and sacred ritual, based on tribal designs and cloth patterns through their dreams.”
If you want to visit Southern Mindanao and are looking for a out-from-the-beach summer getaway with the perfect view of the Philippines’ highest mountain, this place is just right for you. Camp Sabros Mountain Resort has a number of family-friendly zipline rides to offer, not to mention, the ambiance of a highland adventure. This mountain resort is about 2 hours away from the City of Davao, located in Barras, Kapatagan, Digos City, Davao del Sur.
You can choose either any of the adventure packages like a cable car ride, 380m zip line ride, 520m zip line ride, 820m super-zipline, rappelling and cable lift and horseback riding or even experience all of these for a very reasonable price.
It was 9 years ago when I last visited Camp Sabros. During that time, there was no entrance fee and no corkage charged if you’ll bring along your own food. But as the facilities improve over the years, their accommodation and ride packages have changed as well but I guess, prices are still reasonable. You may check their website for more information. You can spend overnight by camping/pitching tent or renting one of their cabins or glass houses overlooking the Mt. Apo landscape.
They are offering homestyle cooked food best for the Filipino or International appetite. There are also other amenities such as the billiard hall, sports center, and bonfire area.
You can visit this link to know the different ways on how to get to the resort. The gateway cities to Camp Sabros Mountain Resort:
Davao City, then travel by land for almost 2hrs
General Santos City, then travel by land for almost 3hrs
This video was taken 9 years ago as we spent Valentine’s day “zipping” our way up to Lake Sebu, South Cotabato… I have been featuring many about this adventure in “Laagan Adventures”, but let me just re-post it here.
Pardon me for the low-quality video. This was compiled years ago when my gadgets were only a 2MP video phone and a Hi-8 Sony camera.
The promoters say that the 7 Falls zipline adventure is the highest among other zip lines in Mindanao. This was the time when the local tourism board was promoting, for the first time, this adventure park and of course we didn’t let this invitation pass.
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That time the maintenance fee was only Php 250 and you’d get to ride a 45-second highest zipline, about 350ft+ level above the ground, overlooking the laddering falls of Lake Sebu. We then went back to the base camp riding the faster second zipline for 25 seconds. Well, it’s worth a pay… an experience of a lifetime.
And since we are talking about the seven falls, of course, we didn’t miss to take a plunge and feel the ravishing stream of the highest and the only waterfall where you can have the pleasure to take a swim, the Hikong Bente.
Repost from my old Laagan Adventures Blog (08 March 2008)… This was my first ever mountaineering adventure. As you can see in the gears and outfit, everything was improvised- not fit for climbing. But since it was my first time, I consider it the most memorable one.
This isn’t even considered mountaineering-ready! Lol! 😆
Most of us are not familiar with this sleeping volcano. Some would say, they’d rather climb other peaks than wasting their cracks going up the, what is known to be, Mount Matutum. But for those who live and grew up on the municipalities, cities, and provinces surrounding this almost perfect cone, it is as if they’ll be missing half their lives if they won’t be able to climb its highest point.
And who says Mount Matutum is just like that of an effortless mountain to climb? Located within Barangays Kinilis, Landan, Maligo, and Palkan of the Municipality of Polomolok, this cone formed by volcanic uplift during its previous periods of activities is such a superb, challenging and thrilling mountain for those who are seeking for an outrageous adventure; in time for the summer fun.
With much lesser expenses and an immense physical preparation, I bet you’ll have the satisfaction that a climber feels when reaching the crest. Actually, I only spent less than a grand during our ascent. The summit registration fee is Php 150.00- this is inclusive of the climber’s certificate. A jeepney or coaster rental can be bargained to as low as Php 800.00 good for 14 people (Php 58.00 per head), in a Cannery Park to Registration Site (Glandang/Lembisong, Linan/Akmunan and Kyumang) and vice versa route. A porter/guide fee is required which costs Php 500.00 per 7 people (Php 71.43 per head). If you feel you can’t endure the steepness of the mountain in carrying your stuff while you’re still at the foot, you better let these tireless porters carry them for you. For those coming from the northern part of the country, there are air travels courtesy of the country’s large domestic air transport companies, through General Santos City International Airport. If you prefer traveling through seas or by land, likewise, these are available options.
Mountaineers can choose on three officially promoted trails, namely, the Glandang/Lembisong Trail, Datal Ngesi Trail and the Limos Trail. These paths, although they have different starting points, will meet in one common summit which is Phase 2. Phase 2 is somewhat the start of a more difficult climb for those coming from Glandang or Lembisong.
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My team was brave enough to take the Limos Trail which requires the use of a “4-wheel drive” (hands and feet) from the foot up to Phase 2 then to the peak. At the starting point, Baranggay Kyumang, you will spot a freshwater brook coming from a spring on top of the mountain, the source of the community’s clean water. After having your names listed on the logbook, it will take you about an hour to trek from the hall up to the rest house which is yet the start of the real climb. As the porter would tell us during our climb, it will take about 6 hours to reach the peak when trailing this rarely taken path. That is if you are an experienced climber, but for us amateurs, it took us about 10 hours. Quite a long and tiring climb, but honestly, I enjoyed it, especially, when I used almost all of my body parts to move from one rock to the other, from one root to another and from one elevation to a higher.
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If you will be lucky enough to experience a non-cloudy morning, you will see this shadow blocking the plains at the base of Mt. Matutum.
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When we talk about Korea (South Korea) there is one “in thing” which we also shouldn’t miss… Well, aside from KPop and Kimchi, of course. They say, as a foreigner, you wouldn’t fully experience the Korean culture if you are not able to have a shot or a bomb session of this either alone, with a special someone or with friends in Pojangmacha. Yes, I am talking about drinking Soju – the world’s most popular liquor. This is apparent with Jinro (Korean soju brand) being consistently the best-selling spirits brand over a number of years.
Wow! It’s been a while, like a more than a year since I posted something relevant and current.
JEPOI's Adventures 