So guess who's back after 10 months? Hahaha! MEEE! The last time I wrote something was March last year, and now it's almost February of the next year. Sobrang consistent ko talaga eh, noh? :P And if I mentioned the last time that I was writing to stay sane because of the pandemic, I would say that I'm writing again for the same reason -- to stay sane! And now, it's not only because of the pandemic but because of a lot of other things. And when I say a lot, I really mean A LOT. It's unbelievable what I had to go through last year. But let's save that for a "life update" post maybe?

For now, I edited a few photos from my very last vacation. At 2018 pa to, jusko! I'm actually BADLY craving for another vacay but as I've said, pandemic pa nga. Although it's not really impossible to travel, I don't wanna go through all the needed protocols especially swab testing. Eep! Nope! Just nope!

So anyway, these photos were taken in La Union, aka, Elyu para cool. :P I went there with my closest friends from college -- Jhov, Mhoi, Nok, Jun and his wifey, Den. This was in April, I think. *checks album* Yep, April! We wanted to stay at (the very famous) Flotsam and Jetsam Hostel but it was fully booked already. Jhov suggested Sebay instead and luckily, they still have rooms available. And it was beach front too, so yayy! :)))

For dinner, we headed to Flotsam and Jetsam. It was a long walk from our accommodation but maipilit lang talaga. I then realized why it was so famous, super party vibes pala talaga! It was jampacked as expected and we had to camp out near the shore. Chill kwentuhan lang as we fill our tummies up. We're not even party people so ewan ko anong ginagawa namin dun. Hahaha!

The next day, we went for a hike going to Tangadan Falls. I actually miss hiking too and I've been trying to bug friends to go on a hike. The thing is, we're all doubting if we can still do it as we are all aging. Haha! Pero feeling ko may chance pa naman! I really should go on more adventures before it is too late. Habang kaya pa ng mga tuhod ko at forgiving pa yung rayuma ko! :P

Anyway, we went there with a guide but I can't remember exactly where and how we found him. I think he just approached us by the beach and offered the tour. I'm just glad we accepted it. Beach - check! Mountain - check! And I should say, it was one easy and entertaining hike. There were so many things to see along the trail -- flowers, carabaos, big rocks, bodies of water. Oh well, nature pleases me so easily. 

So this is me trying to stay sane while the world is going through a pandemic. I've been so anxious since last week so I'm consciously exerting effort to busy myself. I actually just published two new posts on my old blog a.k.a my Sanity Project. Shared more about that on my previous post! Meanwhile, on this side of the web, the next item on the back burner is this trip to Masungi Georeserve two years back. Oo, ako na! Ako na ang madaming backlog. :P

Alright, first off, can I just say na ang taba ko dito?! This was way back February 2018 and I was on the process of losing the extra weight I gained from my two-year corporate stint. Blame it on all the free pizzas! Haha! Aside from my weight issues, I was also bummed out about life in general and I was really telling myself that I should travel again. Hence, the Tagaytay trip with Jhov from the same month, and then finally this, another exciting adventure.

There are different packages offered by Masungi but we booked day hike of the Discovery Trail. Our adventure started with a little briefing in what they call Silungan. It's also where we prepared for the hike -- helmets, water refills, bathroom needs. We were also assigned a park ranger to guide us through the entire hike. And then off we went!

The first highlight of the trek was Sapot. It is a view deck made with tension cables that were spun like a giant.. guess what? SPIDER WEB, of course! Di nyo nahulaan no? Hahaha! For me, this is the most iconic feature of Masungi. It was all over Instagram when Masungi gained popularity few years back. Unfortunately, it was drizzling when we were there. I can clearly remember how we were cramming to get our solo shots taken. We didn't even have creative group shots to boast of! Well, not that we can pull off good group photos. It's just that we weren't even given a fair chance to try. Haha!

After Sapot followed a long trek. I remember our park ranger giving us disposable raincoats to protect ourselves (and our gadgets!) from the rain that's getting heavier. Sobrang hassle! I remember removing the rain coat once only to wear it back when the rain started pouring again. And then when we finally found shelter, we were given ample time to rest (and to take photos!) I also remember us catching up with each other's lives. We talked about work too! Kadiri, no?

The next main attraction of Masungi was Yungib ni Ruben. It is a cave formation that is a part of karst landscape daw. So Google naman ako ano itong Karst na ito. Hehe! So according to our ever reliable friend Google, it is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum. Di pa rin natin gets no? Sige, move on na tayo! Hahaha!

I wish I had better photos of the cave itself but unfortunately, none. I only got to get photos from Monique and she didn't have cave photos either. I think Joel has but it's easier to link up this photo from the web sooo. That's Yungib ni Ruben right there!

The next attractions were Ditse, Patak and Duyan. The three are always listed in that order but based on experience, you'll get to Patak first, and then it's connected to Ditse, and finally the Insta-famous Duyan. So Patak is the drop-shape air house where you can make emote-emote as seen on the photo above. Sabi nga, malayo ang tingin, wala namang tinatanaw.. ♪♫♪ Char!

Once you pass through Patak, you'll get to Ditse. Yep the photo below. It's a peek where you can experience a 360 view of the vast forest reserve. Lula levels, ganon! And then on the side, it has a rope ladder that will lead you to Duyan.

Photo below is the rope ladder! Lula levels ulit, ganoin! To be honest, I got a bit nervous going down. When I was younger, I don't remember feeling scared when doing stunts like this. But as I aged, I feel like I have mellowed. Siguro, I love my life more now. Hahaha!

Connected to the ladder was the famous Duyan. Aside from Sapot, this is another Insta-famous attraction of Masungi. I swear I've seen so many creative shots on Instagram featuring this giant hammock. As for us, syempre hindi na naman kami creative. Haha! We just lay down on the hammock, posed and smiled without conformity. Iba kami eh! :P

Next attraction: Nanay and Tatay. These are two peaks which are natural formation of rocks that are piled on top of one another. The taller one is Tatay and it is the highest peak in Masungi. The climb was actually easy because they modified it with stairs and railings, but of course, it was tiring. The photos below are from Tatay and you can easily spot Nanay from behind our backs. (second photo below)

And then finally, Bayawak, Liwasan and Sawa. Bayawak and Sawa are rope courses that would lead you back to the starting point while Liwasan is a valley-like resting area. At this point, we do not have much photos anymore. A.) We're tired already. (B) We're excited for the snacks. or (C) Both. Hehehe! I'd say both. 

To cap of the day, I had a mini photo shoot at the cosmos field near Silungan (the starting point remember?) Thanks to Jane, Monique's sister, for indulging me. Truth be told, tuwang tuwa talaga ko sa mga Cosmos. I actually love flowers in their plant form, but I hate them in their bouquet form.  Hahaha! Nagets nyo yun? :)

I'd say that the Masungi trip was literally and figuratively, a breathe of fresh air for me. Prior to Tagaytay and this, it was two years of all work and family for me. I seemed to have forgotten "ME" in my list of priorities. But I know better now. I have progressed in so many ways and honestly, I've been having a grand 2020 before this pandemic happened. 

Speaking of pandemic.. despite all the anxieties that I have to fight every single day, I am still grateful for a lot of things. For one, I thank the Lord that even if we're on community quarantine, we still get to work. Our family still gets to earn. Two, I'm thankful every single day that we have food on our table. And three, I'm thankful that even if our family members had to be quarantined in three different homes, it is now that we get to appreciate one another more. My brother and I are actually on speaking terms again after he had to step up as the Katniss Everdeen of the family. Haha! Aside from that, he's a front liner in his own right, being an employee of the Barangay Hall. Somehow it eases my guilt towards other families who are having a more difficult time. :( 

And lastly, due to the community quarantine, it is now more than ever that I am looking forward to more adventures! But for now, we gotta do our part in containing this virus. Above all, we gotta strengthen our faith and keep praying for better days. This too shall pass. 🌻

OLA! 👋 Gulat kayo no? Hahaha! Yep, I'm back to blogging. Hopefully for good this time even if blogging isn't an "in" thing anymore. After all, I'm only doing this for myself, or maybe for my nieces too! Para we all have a means of looking back few years from now. 

Actually, I'm maintaining two blogs right now. This of course, and my old one - A Taste of Apple. I was supposed to stop writing then when I made this new blog but I thought of doing a little sanity project. And if you're wondering (or maybe not but whatever), I'm referring to my catching up series. I stopped blogging back in 2016, save for some travel posts here. And now that I finally decided  to go back to blogging, I felt like I had to start where I stopped. YEP! 2016! Hahaha! So my sanity project is to actually write about those four years that I was on hiatus. Once an OC, always an OC. And yes, I am guilty!

As for this blog, I planned on writing my pending travel posts and then move forward with my 2020 kwentos. Syempre naman no! And to tell you honestly, I'm super excited! I feel like I'm in a good place right now and it's only fitting to begin writing again. But during this Tagaytay trip back in 2018, life was the total opposite! I'll tell you more about it..

January 2018, I was so bummed out about life. I lost my job the past month and even though they gave me a lot of money (haha), at the back of my mind, I knew I was worried. On top of that, there was family drama. I don't wanna go into details (kasi baka mabasa ng nanay ko, hahaha) but to give you an idea, let's just say that my brother has turned out to be such a disappointment but my parents were blind to it. Yung tipong instead of encouraging him to do better in life, lalo na as a father to his two kids, they would even defend him, his immaturity and his lazy ass. Gigil nila 'ko eh. Haha!

So I asked my (last standing) friend, Jhov, to accompany me anywhere. It was February 2018 when we went to Tagaytay to relax and breathe. I booked a room at Tagaytay Wingate Manor, via AirBnB if my memory serves me well. Teka, nakaw lang tayo ng photos nila so I can show you.