Hello WordPress :)

Hello WordPress! It’s been a long time. I actually managed to have my own website but I couldn’t keep up due to my schedule so I guess I would just take blogging easily and just enjoy writing without any pressure 🙂 Well I want to share about my recent addiction. Yes, I’m into Freediving now. Who would have thought that a girl who loves mountains is now a “mermaid”. I’m just a beginner but I really want to be a good freediver soon.

This photo was taken in Anilao, Batangas where I had my freediving lesson with my scuba diving instructor. You don’t need to go far if you’re from Manila, it’s just 2-3 hrs travel.

Hope to post my backlogs soon! They’re just way too many. See you 🙂

Burot Beach, Calatagan

Some of my friends went to this beautiful beach recently, so I was reminded of how much fun we had last year. Burot beach is a well-maintained resort for beach camping. The rates are pretty affordable and it’s located near Manila. A very serene place for nature lovers, just be very careful with sea urchins.

How to Get There:

Via private transportation:

We went there via private car; here’s how we made it.

From Pasay
Go to SLEX and exit Sta Rosa Laguna and take the Nasugbu Road.
Go straight once you reached Lian, Batangas. Once we reached Calatagan, we asked directions on how to go to their public market to buy some stuff. Then we asked one of the tricycle drivers to guide us to Calatagan beach, we paid him 100 pesos.

Via public transporation:

Go to Coastal Mall grand terminal, there are buses bound to Calatagan. Updated fare is P160.00, approx 3-4hrs travel time. According to some blogs, the earliest time of departure is 4 am. Alight at Calatagan market then ride a tricycle going to the beach, updated price is P200 for special trip, P50.00  per person.

Expenses and Itinerary:

Entrance fee:

daytrip = P65.00

overnight = P130.00

small table rental = P150.00

Day 1:

travel to Calatagan from Pasay

swimming, relaxing, bonfire at night

Day 2: island hopping for P100.00 each

picture-taking

bound to Manila

We’ve been here on February of 2014 so the prices might have increased as the place already gained popularity. Our total expenses including food is below 1kphp.

Scuba Diving at Anilao

So I finally tried diving.  I’m now a licensed open water scuba diver. I just got my license on July of 2014. I couldn’t be more proud. It was an awesome experience.  To be able to witness those underwater wonders is really an awesome experience. I want to encourage everyone to try scuba diving diving.

Anilao Scuba Diving

Anilao Scuba Diving

Anilao Scuba Diving

Anilao Scuba Diving

Diving is fun but it doesn’t mean it’s expensive. if you want to try diving at a discounted rate, please visit my new facebook page 🙂 https://www.facebook.com/pinaywanderlust?ref=hl. See you underwater!

My Love Affair to Mountains: Mt. Talamitam

Mt. Talamitam in Nasugbu, Batangas is 630 MASL, with a difficulty of 3/9.

This is my 7^th summit and one of the most remarkable climb I would say, misadventures are part of the game but this climb was full of it and that’s what made it challenging. It was supposed to be an easy, minor climb but because of the weather and unexpected events, we ended trekking at night time under the rain. We arrived at the jump off point at around 6:15 pm and started our trek instantly, you can imagine the trail with the rainy weather, it was slippery and muddy. Kudos to Columbia hiking shoes, it never failed me.

It was raining when we started the trek, we had no raincoat or any protection from the rain but still we kept going. We passed through an unstable trail on the latter part of our trek, it was dark and the right trail wasn’t visible anymore. I wasn’t even prepared for a night trek, no headlamps whatsoever; I still visualize the scenario of me holding a basic cell phone with a flashlight on my right hand while my left hand was struggling to pass against the tall grasses. It was indeed a challenge, a part of my mind was thinking, I could have stayed at home and enjoyed the comfort of my own bed yet I instantly came to the realization that this is what I love to do and the challenge uplifted my spirit to keep going.

with the ANITO mountaineers

After all the hardships, we arrived at the summit at around 8pm. It’s not the end of the drama cause even setting up the tent gave us headaches. it was my first camping, so you would imagine the drama.

mt. Talamitam

view from the summit of Mt. talamitam

Mt. Talamitam

Mt. Talamitam

Mt. Talamitam

Mt. Talamitam

freedom 🙂

sunrise at Mt. Talamitam

sunrise at Mt. Talamitam

Mt. Pico de Loro ; A photoblog

 m

My 2nd summit 🙂

I’m carrying a backpack almost half of my wt for 3-4 hrs

Mt. Pico de Loro campsite

campsite

feel the breeze 🙂

My Love Affair with Mountains; Mt. Batulao

My soul is inextricably intertwined  with nature. How I miss the relaxing smell of trees and  the soothing sound of a rushing creek. I yearn to dance with the wind while I extend my hands drowning with its glory. I’m dying to see how clouds fashionably change its forms and how the shadows play with the vast, grassy land. How I long to embrace the rays of the mighty sun and feel its heat towards my pale arms. I would trade a sumptuous meal just to have a cold, sweet taste of a spring water. My love, just the thought of these simple pleasures you bring makes me tremble with excitement.

Mt. Batulao

Mt. Batulao

Mt. Batulao

Mt. Batulao

And yes, I wouldn’t care getting scratches from conquering a giant rock. I dare to feel the nasty pain from being bitten by ants. I would take the risk of multiple falling just to surmount your splendid mountains.  I wouldn’t mind being burned by the sun just to witness your spectacular beauty. When will I be reunited with you? How I wish to have longer days, longer days to spend with you.

Mt. Batulao

Mt. Batulao

Mt. Batulao

A Mt. Batulao

And if someday I’ll be given the chance to meet that someone who shares the same passion as me, I will never let him go. 🙂

My Love Affair to Mountains; Mt. Maculot

Here’s a haiku I wrote for the love of nature 🙂

Place where I found love

It melted a frigid soul

In the summertime

Mt. Maculot Rockies

Mt. Maculot Rockies

Mt. maculot

Mt Maculot

Mt. Gulugod Baboy

Mt Gulugod baboy is located in Anilao Batangas. It is 525 meters above sea level and at it’s peak, you can see, from east to west: Janao Bay, Maricaban Strait which bears Sombrero and Maricaban Islands, a distant, faint blue Mindoro, Verde Island (SW) and Batangas Bay. The cityand port of Batangas is visible on the west, following a farther Mt. Daguldul. To the north is Mt. Maculot, and even Mt. Batulao and the Tagaytay highlands.

This is my 6^th day hike and I can say this is the easiest so far. It’s the first day of June, summer has ended and the rainy season is approaching yet we are lucky to have a fair weather considering that it was gloomy in the past few days. I always hike with my officemates/friends, we used to be four in the group but now we are six and there are others who want to join us. Assembly time was at 4:30 am at Teletech Roxas, we left at exactly 4:50 am. We had a stopover at Petron in Alabang at 5:30 and had our breakfast and bought some stuffs. We’re back in the road at 6am. It was a long travel and not only once that we needed to stop and ask for directions, luckily people on the road were nice and willing to help.

jump off point

We arrived at brgy. Ligaya, the jump-off point and registration area at around 8:40, we had our car parked at the nearby parking area for free.  We had our pictures taken and completed our registration and at exactly 9am we started trekking. We hit the ground running, it was easy at first, we were trekking a rough road passable by some vehicles.  Though it was a smooth climb, it was really energy draining because of the upward way and scorching heat of the sun so we needed to stop and took a rest for a while.

1st stop to rest

 

under the famous tree

 

We then resumed our hike and had some constant stopover when we feel exhausted.  We arrived at around 11:30 am at the famous tree near the summit. The view was breath-taking, it was really surreal. I always fall in love with the scenery; it’s always a new feeling to every mountain I climb. It was just amazing. We took pictures, had our lunch and took a rest. Lying down under a tree with this beautiful view in your eyes and the freshness of air, these are just priceless. It was really a beautiful God’s creation.

 

view from the trail

 

Mt. Gulugod baboy

 

trail of Mt. gulugod Baboy

 

amazing Mt. Gulugod Baboy

 

 

We spent more time relaxing then we headed to the summit at 12:40pm. It was about 5-10 minutes’ walk. The view is truly fantastic, you can see MT. Maculot from afar. The sea, the clouds, the sky, trees, it was a mixture of beautiful colours dominating by green and blue (trees as green, sky and sea as blue). Of course we had our pictures taken and some perfect jump shots.

 

Mt. Gulugod Baboy

 

jumpshots

 

We trekked down at past 1pm, before reaching the jump off point, we had a halo-halo for 25 pesos. It’s very appetizing at an affordable price, they say it’s better than Chowking’s and I do agree. We arrived at past 2pm at the jump off point and we decided to hit the beach at Phil Pan’s diving resort. Entrance fee is 60 pesos and we rented snorkelling gear at 150/3hrs and a life vest at the same price. It was an overall amazing experience I would say.

beach after the hike

sexy abbygurl