A Most Pleasant Surprise

Are we there yet? Yeah, I've changed lines since Mt. Mandalagan.

At 3:00 A.M., somebody's persistent phone alarm roused me from my shallow sleep. Just outside Lloyd's room, I could hear 'Nay Lourdes bidding 'Tay Bebot to get the chicken for slaughter while getting the fire started to boil water. It has been ages since I did it myself I forgot my manners I just watched them prepare lunch.

It was already light when we left but 'twas  early enough not to get cooked in the morning sun as we passed the cane fields that separate the Esparagozas' home with that of the Aldeas'. My lack of exercise had me struggling already by the 15th minute. I had yet to know I still have 5 hours of walking ahead of me to get to our destination.

I had no idea where we were going actually. They just told me that Delfin will get us "there". Delfin is Tay Ely's son. As the latter has already retired from guarding the forest as a member of Mt. Kanlaon Green Brigade, his son took his place. We had another round of coffee.

Soon, the inevitable came: the walk that took all morning. I never thought I wouldn't make it sans breakfast. I'd walk really fast for 10 seconds and rest for 2 minutes. It was all uphill from our last pit stop. We passed by gorges which were formed by the locals and made permanent by the water that ran through them when it rains. Some were inches deep in loose earth, some were slippery with the dried leaves that cover it. The walking stick that Ivan made me helped.

On our first hour, we were in the middle of a vast coffee plantation. They were a mix of robusta and arabica, which varieties can be differentiated by the shape of their leaves. They are flowering at this time and their fragrance filled the air.

On the third hour, I was already tired and hungry and the inevitable happened. I got cramps, big ones, on both legs. The pain was blinding I saw stars. I had to catch my breath for a few minutes while Tay Bebot and Tay Moroy took one each of my legs.

When I finally caught up with the young ones, the olds shared my story so Ivan took my pack for the rest of the way.

On the fifth and sixth hour, the terrain changed. Tall laua-an trees loomed over us. As part of the government's effort to deter "kaingeros" from cutting down more trees for coal, the "bantay lasang" planted spiny palm variety of palm around them.

The boys were too impatient to wait, they went on ahead racing to the ranger station guided by a seemingly built-in GPS.

A few wrong turns later (as there was no distinct trail to follow anymore), we heard a jolly banter a few paces ahead. Finally, we have reached the ranger station. That meant, I made it almost to Mt. Kanlaon crater. I was elated alright, but the adrenaline wasn't just enough to get me to the top. I just enjoyed the shared lunched, the freshly brewed home-grown coffee and a quick shut-eye before heading downhill.

(BMS -Biodiversity Monitoring System)