Category Archives: ACTIVITIES

Sandboarding and 4x4s at La Paz Sand Dunes (Laoag City, Ilocos Norte)

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Ida Noelle tries sandboarding while the others look on

After our nostalgic trip down the Marcos trail and some visita iglesia, it was now time for adventure back at Laoag City – sandboarding and 4x4s at  the unique La Paz Sand Dunes in Brgy. La Paz.  These low-lying, 10-30-m. high (some reach as high as 90 m.) elongated hills, along  the coast, north of the Laoag River, are locally called Bantay Bimmaboy (because of their pig shapes) and are declared National Geological Monuments.  They form, together with those stretching south of the Laoag River, a 16-km. long beach. Sandboarding is like snowboarding but done on sand and the sand board is very much like the snow board – just slip your feet to the straps attached to the wooden board.  In La Paz, this sport was first unveiled on August 2, 2009 by the Laoag Eco-Adventure Development (LEAD) Movement, a group that promotes adventure and eco-tourism.

Sandboarding on my butt

Instructors at the steep site (called “Devil’s Drop”) showed us how to strap our feet, properly mount the sand board, and where our center of gravity should be on our way down. Boards are waxed  first. prior to mounting.  You can sandboard standing up or, for those who balk at the thought of speeding down a  steep, 25-30 foot high hill, you can do it sitting down.  Having had a sprain on my right foot since my Anuplig Falls hike, I wasn’t going to do this standing up.  Even when seated, I still fell halfway. Getting back up on the slope, via the loose sand, was a great effort (you have to use the board as a prop). Finally, I succeeded on my second try.  Some in our media group were naturals or have done this before, effortlessly surfing, standing up, down the dunes without a hitch. For the newcomers, it took a while to find their balance and many  also fell halfway down the slope.  However, once you find your rhythm and balance, you’re hitched, wanting to do it all over again and again.

4×4 off-road vehicle

The thrill of the 15-min. 4 x 4 ride, patterned after that in Dubai, comes from riding at the back of the 4×4 off-road vehicle, with only a grab bar for you to hang on for dear life as you speed up a very steep hill then go down even faster. At one point our expert driver, barely into his teens, sped up a hill then suddenly let the vehicle fall back in reverse, making us grab the bars even tighter.  Truly a great adrenaline rush.  Of course, accidents can happen and we almost had one as our driver sped up the hill only to find out, at the last moment, that another was also heading up, on a collision course, at the reverse slope.  Close call.  Our driver had to back down.

The sand adventure package, consisting of the 4×4 adventure and sandboarding, costs PhP2,500 for one hour, maximum of 4 persons per jeep. Mobile number: (0919) 873-5516, (0932) 358-7521 and (0917) 523-0331).
After our La Paz Sand Dunes adventure, we again boarded our shuttle bus for San Nicolas   where we were invited for a buffet dinner at Ilocos Rosewell Hotel and Restaurant’s atrium-style lobby.
Laoag Eco-Adventure Development (LEAD) Movement, Inc.: Tel: (077) 772-0538.  Mobile number: (0919) 873-5516. Website: http://leadmovement.wordpress.com/.
Ilocos Rosewell Hotel and Restaurant: Brgy 1, San Francisco National Highway, San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte. Tel: (077) 670-6528 and 781-2122.  Fax: (077) 781-3700.  Website: www.ilocosrosewellhotel.com.

The Surreal World of Kapurpurawan Rock Formation (Burgos, Ilocos Norte)

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Kapurpurawan Rock Formation: The Sphinx-like “Head”

After our biscocho and salt making observation tour in Pasuquin, our Lakbay Norte 2 media group then boarded our bus and proceeded to the fellow Ilocos Norte town of Burgos.   From the National Rd. our bus turned towards a gravel road and traversed it for about 3 kms. until we reached a makeshift picnic hut, our jump-off point for the amazing, unique and Sphinx-like Kapurpurawan  Rock Formation, one of the best places to visit in the town, aside from the iconic Cape Bojeador Lighthouse, the country’s tallest.

Bonsai-like plants amid pools of limpid sea water

From the hut, it was a 30-min. walk, along concrete steps, dirt track and then, through a tidal pool.  At the tidal pool, sea water-filled coral rock pools, of varying sizes, and bonsai-like vegetation can be seen sporadically.  The rock formation was formed from sandstone naturally carved by weathering from wind, sand and water to create different surreal shapes such as the iconic “Head,” “Cradle” and the “Resting Dragon.” The word kapurpurawan was derived from the Ilocano root word puraw meaning “white” and these formations are said to be much whiter during the summer months of April and May.

This rock formation, possibly the “Resting Dragon,” looks
like a slithering cobra  about to pounce

Our short Kapurpurawan Rock Formation hike made us hungry and, as it was lunchtime, we proceeded to the nearby, picturesque town of Paoay for lunch at Cafe Herencia.

Check out “Restaurant Review: Cafe Herencia“

Herencia Cafe: MacArthur St., Brgy. 14, Sangladan, Paoay, Ilocos Norte.  Tel: (077) 614-0214

On the Road to Adams (Ilocos Norte)

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It was still raining and windy in the early morning when we left Kapuluan Vista Resort in Pagudpud, via coaster, for the nearby town of Adams, located at the foot of the Gran Cordillera Central Mountain Range. This fairly young (it became independent from Bangui on May 16, 1983 by virtue of Republic Act No. 337), 159.31 sq. km. town has a sparse 2007 population of 1,522 uniquely spread out in only one barangay with 8 sitios.   Our coaster backtracked towards the Cagayan boundary, again traversing the 1.3-km. long Patapat Viaduct  until we reached a junction at Brgy. Panzian. Incidentally, Patapat’s rocky shore is now littered with the unsightly, rusting hulk of the marooned Korean-owned MV Nam Yang 8 oil tanker which listed at the height of Typhoon Juan in January 2010, causing an oil spill.
The marooned MV Nam Yang 8

Our coaster finally stopped at the junction in Brgy. Panzian.  This was the end of the road for our coaster and, from hereon, we were to tackle the last, rugged 13-km. uphill drive to the town via a dump truck (the only suitable transportation for our group as the only other way was via single-seat motorcycles).  

Our transportation to Adams

Most, except those who sat beside the driver and on a cooler box, good-naturedly endured the hour-long trip standing up and clinging to the sides of the truck.  The going was really rough as the road was really bumpy and we had to watch out for overhanging tree branches.  

A sparkling stream
Rice fields

The hardships and rigors of the ride was somewhat offset by the rugged and pastoral beauty of the countryside which included sparkling streams and rivers; verdant rice fields; lush lowland and montane rainforests, colorful flowers and a number of narrow hanging bridges that traverse the streams and rivers.

One of the town’s hanging bridges

Arrival in Pagudpud (Ilocos Norte)

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The eco-friendly Kapuluan Vista Resort

We left the coastal town of Claveria, our last Cagayan destination, by 5:30 PM and it was already nighttime when our bus crossed the border into Ilocos Norte and the resort town of Pagudpud.  The weather still wasn’t cooperating with us and it was still raining when we arrived, by 7:30 PM, at Kapuluan Vista Resort where we were welcomed by Mike and Alma Oida, the resort’s gracious Fil-American owners.  Gabby Malvar, Dandi Galvez, Kim Madridejos, Roland “Jun” Fontilla, Frank Dizon and I were assigned to a six-bed dorm. Though not airconditioned, we certainly didn’t need it as the cool sea breeze wafted into the room.

Check out “Resort Review: Kapuluan Vista Resort“

Grilled fish and liempo main course

The gloomy weather was somewhat offset by the warmth and hospitality of our young hosts and their staff and our delicious dinner, served on a banig place mat, which consisted of cilantro soup and garden salad with dressing for starters, a main course of tender grilled fish and liempo (pork belly) with tomato salsa, and buko pandan with homemade vanilla ice cream for dessert.  Most of the herbs and vegetables served here are grown and picked daily from the resort’s organic garden.  Breakfast, on the still raining and windy early morning, consisted of a Filipino breakfast of Vigan longanisa with fried egg and garlic fried rice.

Pagudpud – a new surfing haven

While dining, Mike, an avid surfer and fitness buff who can still speak fluent Tagalog, and the Ilocano-speaking Alma (whose roots are in La Union) regaled us with their story of how these newlyweds, who both worked for Ikea, were drawn to the waves and rustic beauty of Pagudpud’s Blue Lagoon six years ago, liking it so much that they resigned from their jobs, packed up all their belongings in the US and decided to settle here. They bought an 8,000 sq. m. undeveloped piece of heaven near the Dos Hermanos rock formation where they built their eco-friendly dream home and resort.

Kapuluan Vista Resort: Sitio Baniaran, Brgy. Balaoi, Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte.  Tel: (072) 888-2809.  Mobile numbers: (0920) 952-2528 and (0920) 928-5273.  E-mail: kapuluan_vista_resort@yahoo.com.  Website: www.kapuluanvistaresort.com.

Enchanting Claveria (Cagayan)

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Claveria Cove

We left Buguey around 1:30 PM and our bus was to travel another 2 hours to get to Claveria, the last Cagayan town prior to entering Ilocos Norte.  It was now raining intermittently when we traversed the beach boulevard facing the town’s clean, 4 km. long brown sand Claveria Cove.  It was very windy when we alighted the bus for some photo ops and the waves along the beach were very turbulent.  On our left, we could sees the hazy outlines of the rock formations Punta Lakay-Lakay (“old man”), Punta Baket-Baket (“Old woman) and Punta Ubing-Ubing (“child”).  The onset of rain necessitated our return to the bus.

Lakay-Lakay Blue Lagoon

Back on our bus, we proceeded to Taggat to visit Lakay-Lakay Blue Lagoon. This lagoon is also located in a cove, albeit a smaller one.  As the bad weather prevented fishermen from going out to sea, the shore of this fishing village was filled with similarly-colored (blue and white with yellow stripes) fishing boats parked prow-to-bow and outrigger-to-outrigger. Minus the boats and in sunny weather, the panorama before us would have been a photographer’s dream.  Picture a lagoon enclosed by towering cliffs on both sides (the cliff on the right is topped by a cross) and jagged, rocky islands, all lashed and sculpted by the turbulent, churning waves of the sea.   Only in my dreams can I imagine such a scenery. In calmer weather and low tide, I could have swam to those rocky islets. Rain again woke me up from my day dream and we all had to run back to our bus.

Claveria town hall

Back in our bus, we next proceeded to the Claveria municipal hall where the amiable Mayor Celia Layus and other town officials welcomed us.  A merienda of buko juice, still in its shell, palitaw ( a sweet, flat and glutinous rice cake topped with brown sugar) and ginataan was prepared for us.  During the presscon, Mayor Layus narrated her plans to put up a zip line facility in the lagoon.  Personally, I would prefer that they leave the lagoon as it is and set up the zip line somewhere else in the town.

Buguey: The "Crab Capital of the North" (Cagayan)

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El Presidente Beach Resort

After breakfast at Eastern Hawaii Casino and Resort, we next headed west, to Ilocos Norte, with stopovers at Buguey and Claveria. We arrived at Buguey by 10 AM and were dropped off at the El Presidente Beach Resort where we were welcomed by town officials led by Mayor Licerio Antiporda III and his wife. The skies were overcast and it was very windy.  Before entering the conference hall, we were given a welcome drink of fresh buko juice, still in its shell, plus crab sandwiches.  While waiting for the start of the press conference, some sampled the Lamba Sparkle Berry Delight, a cocktail consisting of a 1/3 cup each of the following: native Buguey lambanog (nipa palm wine), sparkle and red berry juice, plus half a teaspoon of sugar; then garnished with lime and cherry and, finally, all the ingredients are shaken, strained and poured into a cocktail glass.

Lamba Sparkle Berry Delight

In his speech at the presscon, Mayor Antiporda enumerated his efforts to further boost the town’s tourism potential as well as to fortify its claim to being the “Crab Capital of the North.”  He also informed us that the local government-run El Presidente Beach Resort will soon be undergoing a total makeover, thanks to a PhP32 million loan from Land Bank, and will be turned into a U-shaped, bungalow-type hotel with 15 guestrooms and two dorms and will be renamed as the Buguey Crab Hotel.

Crab claws anyone….?

Afterwards, we were all invited to partake of the feast prepared for us: steamed shrimps; brackish water crabs, both steamed and cooked in the half shell; breaded prawns; seaweed, oysters, fresh fruits (mangoes, bananas) and bocayo (coconut candy). Some, foregoing the use of spoons, forks and knives, decided to dine kamayan style. While we were doing so, we were regaled with a bevy of native dances performed by schoolchildren and young adults.

Driftwood by the beach

After dining, some of us slipped out the conference hall to burn the excess calories gained as well as to check out the windswept black sand beach, observe people harvesting shells or children playing and to admire the high, turbulent waves breaking on the shore, a consequence of the converging waters of the South China Sea, the Pacific Ocean and the Cagayan River.  Prior to our leaving for Claveria, everyone in the media group was gifted with a bottle of Buguey lambanog to take home (I was given two).

Breathtaking Palaui Island (Sta. Ana, Cagayan)

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Palaui Island

We woke up very early in the morning to overcast skies and rain.  After breakfast at the Cagayan Holiday & Leisure Resort, we all checked out of our villa.  We left our luggage at the hotel lobby for transport to the Eastern Hawaii Resort, later to be our second home in Sta. Ana.  Thus unburdened, we all boarded our CEZA coaster for the fish port at Brgy. San Vicente. Point Escarpada, in Brgy. San Vicente, the sailfin capital of the Philippines.  It has the best fishing grounds for marlin, being at the confluence of several ocean currents that carry baitfish and the larger pelagic predators that hunt them.

White sand beach at Punta Engano

At the port, 5 motorized outrigger boats were chartered to bring us to the undeveloped and seldom visited, 3,850-hectare and volcanic Palaui Island, a 7,415-hectare Protected Landscape and Seascape with a shoreline of 20.6 kms., a length of 10 kms. and a width of 5 kms..  The island is inhabited by a community of Dumagats administered by a Filipino church group and is also home to different monkeys, wild pigs, deer, sea turtle and various endemic and migratory birds.  

Cape Engano Lighthouse

The skies were still overcast when we left port.  With me in the boat was Astra Alegre, Izah Morales, Kara Santos, Nina Fuentes and Kim Madridejos.  Our 45-min. boat ride was uneventful until we reached open water when the sea suddenly became choppy, creating mild to wild panic among the other boats but childish exhilaration (except for the visibly worried Astra) with me and my companions with every rising wave.  We first made short landfall at a gray sand Siwangag Cove for some photo ops then returned to our boats for our final landfall at a gorgeous bay with a curving white sand beach and well-preserved coral.  The beach looked really inviting but we weren’t here for swimming or snorkeling.   Instead, we opted to visit its picturesque old Cape Engaño Lighthouse (Faro de Cabo Engaño), the northernmost Spanish-era lighthouse in the country.  Located on the windswept headland of Punta Engaño, it was designed by Engr. Magin Pers y Pers, started in 1887 and completed on December 30, 1892. Upon reaching the end of the beach, we began our ascent up a mildly sloping to steep trail up the 92.75 m. high, cone-shaped hill, pausing at intervals to admire the Batanes-like scenery of its surroundings.

Dos Hermanas

After a 30-min. hike, we finally reached the lighthouse.  Though now run down and a little eerie, it was obviously a sight to behold during its heyday.  The back of the lighthouse had a panoramic view of the rolling waves of the Pacific Ocean breaking on the beach and rocky shore, the rolling, green-carpeted hills below, the two rocky islands of Dos Hermanas beyond and, farther off, the Babuyan group of islands, leaving all of us awestruck by the sheer beauty of nature before us.  It was already drizzling when we went down the hill and returned to our boats.  The return trip was just as exhilarating as the previous.  Upon arrival at the port, a prepared lunch adobo and rice awaited us at the nearby picnic huts.  

Roughing it up in San Lorenzo Ruiz (Camarines Norte)

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The Hike Begins …..

From the second day onwards, right after the Pabirik Festival, it was raining from time to time and heavy rain welcomed us early in the morning of the third day, the day we were to travel to the Calaguas Islands and camp overnight. A phone call confirmed our worst fears – the trip to the Calaguas Islands was cancelled due to rain and high waves.  Regretfully, we switched to Plan B – a hike to Nakali Falls in San Lorenzo Ruiz town, rain or shine.  We were all driven to the municipal hall where two guides were assigned to us by the mayor.  Amable Miranda and Roufel “Raffy” de Vera of the Provincial Tourism Office also accompanied us.  As it was still early in the morning, we expected the round trip trek to the falls to be over in four hours and that we would be back at the municipal hall by lunch time.  How wrong we were.  Regretfully, for the trek, we only brought bottled water and some snacks we bought at Daet.

Me with Kara, Raffy and our guide

The trail was understandably wet and muddy due the previous night and today’s rain and I regretted having worn slippers instead of sandals which, more often than not, got stuck in the muck.  The uphill, downhill and sometimes flat trail brought us hiking through coconut and pineapple plantations, boulder-strewn river banks as well as crossing the Matacong hanging bridge.  I also made a wrong turn along the way, hiking alone for some time before retracing my steps and catching up with them.  A number of times, media colleague Lito Cinco wanted to quit, uttering his famous line “This is where I draw the line” a number of times, only to continue on his way, goaded on by Kara Santos.

Dining on coconut meat and juice

We all finally drew the line when we neared the falls as the strong river current, even with a guide rope thrown across, prevented us from hurdling the final leg.  Even if we did, heavy rain would have prevented us from using our cameras much less get a good, clear shot.  We just contented ourselves with bathing the cool river waters.  It was now late in the afternoon and we hadn’t eaten lunch, just snacks, water and the juice and meat of some coconuts plucked from trees at a shack where we made a stopover and rested.

Contenting ourselves with bathing at the river

The thought of a late lunch waiting for us at the municipal hall plus a hot shower and warm bed at the resort goaded us to reduce the return hike from the original 4 down to 3 hours, helped along by my walking barefooted in the mud, however risky it may be.  The others made better time than us and Mark Nunez and I brought up the rear, as we finally staggered back to the town, so weak that we bought and gobbled up chocolate bars at the first sari-sari store we saw just to get us again walking the last few strides to the municipal hall.  Upon arrival,  town mayor Nelson P. de los Santos welcomed us with a much anticipated but very late lunch.  The others were already eating when we arrived.  Back at Bagasbas Lighthouse Resort, we had to coax our weary and aching bodies just to eat our dinner.  Sleep came easy to us the weary that night. Check out my Business Mirror article “Camarines Norte: 400 Years of Keeping the Faith.”

 

Water Fun in Subic (Subic Freeport Zone, Zambales)

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The popular and entertaining banana boat ride. 
That’s me up front


Aside from our relaxing overnight stay at Lighthouse Marina Resort at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, members of our Lakbay Norte 2 media group were treated to a round of watersports activities courtesy of Networx Jetsports along the Subic beachfront.  While the others opted to just watch or swim, a number of us, me included, dabbed on a lot of sunblock lotion and donned  life vests to try out what was on offer.  While others eagerly jumped into the jetskis, a number of us (Nina Fuentes, Melissa Dizon, Karlo de Leon, Ivan Mandy and yours truly) hopped on the popular and entertaining banana boat ride.  The boats, pulled by a powerful jetski, could accommodate a maximum of 10 persons.

Returning to shore after our dunking


Once on board, we all held on to the bar in front of us and tried to balance ourselves as the jetski  slowly pulled the banana boat. We all bent down to maintain our balance and when the boat turned left, we leaned to the left, when it turned to the right, we leaned to the right.  The jetski tried to catch the us off guard (and off the boat) by going fast and slow and succeeded on two occasions. It was fun for me but distressing for Karlo and Mel as they both irretrievably lost their expensive shades to the sea (luckily mine was hooked to my ears).  Getting back on board the boat was also difficult for some (including me).  I’ve tried banana boating before in Boracay but that ride was tame and uneventful compared to this one.  Rates for the banana boat ride are PhP250 er person, minimum of 4 and maximum of 10.


Jetskiing is addicting


Next on my itinerary was the addicting jetskiing, a first for me.  It is said by many that by riding the waves, it quenches the need for speed and gives one a feeling of power.  Upon climbing the jetski, a safety strap was attached to my wrist to ensure an automatic stop in case I should fall off, thus avoiding possible injury.  After basic instruction on how to operate the jetski, I was off and on my way, riding the waves standing up but making sure to get back on my seat as I made a slow turn.  I avoided places where people were swimming. Jetskiing was truly what it is hyped up to be.  Too bad there was no one to record my moment, either on film or video.  Jetski (Yamaha VX 110, 4-stroke engine) are  rented for PhP1,900 for 30 mins. and PhP3,000 for 1 hour. 

A Hobie Kayak Tandem

Karlo and I also tried out the Hobie Kayak Tandem.  The clear, calm waters surrounding Subic make it an ideal kayaking site for novice and experienced paddlers.  Our kayak was different from the kayaks I’ve tried before as this one had a kick-up rudder system and a hand-controlled steering system at the rear (where I was seated).  The Hobie Kayak Tandem rents for PhP500 for 30 mins. and PhP800 for 1 hour while the single rents for PhP300 for 30 mins. and PhP500 for 1 hour.. Networx Jetsports also offers parasailing (PhP1,500 per person, 10 mins. airtime), speedboat cruises (XR 1800-2001 models, maximum of 5 riders, PhP10,000 for 1 hour) and Pelican pedal boats (PhP400 for 30 mins. and PhP700 for 1 hour).  Networx Jetsports was established in 1997 by Emmanuel “Dong” B. Arcilla, an avid jet ski racer.  

Networx Jetsports: Waterfront Road, Subic Freeport Zone, Zambales (beside Gerry’s Grill).  Tel.: (047) 252-3469 .  Mobile number: (0922) 812-9832.  Email: jetsportssubic@yahoo.com.  Website: www.networxjetsports.com.ph. 

Pinatubo: Scratch This from my Bucket List (Zambales)

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Our 4 x 4s  traversing dry lahar fields and small streams

Mt. Pinatubo was prominent in my Bucket List of places to visit and I readily joined the 5-day, North Philippines Visitors Bureau (NPVB) and Manila North Tollways Corp. (MNTC)-sponsored Lakbay Norte 2 Tour as it figured prominently in the itinerary.  We were now in the third day of the tour and we left Microtel Inn & Suites Luisita  (Tarlac) very early in the morning, eating our packed breakfast on our special Victory Liner bus along the way.  By 7 AM, we arrived at our jump-off point for the trek to Mt. Pinatubo’s 2.5-km. wide Crater Lake – P.D.C. (Pull Travel Destination Corp.)  Spa Town in Brgy. Sta. Juliana in Capas in Tarlac.

The Trek Begins….

Normally, trekking via the Capas Trail (the easiest route to Mt. Pinatubo), passing by lahar deserts, would have taken us a grueling 6-8 hours on foot. However, five 4 x 4, 5-pax (including our driver) all-terrain vehicles, a mix of short wheelbase land cruisers and homemade jeeps, were made available for our use.  These were to negotiate some of the watery and rocky paths across Crow Valley, unreachable by other kinds of vehicles.  The drive through the valley, though at times bumpy, was exhilarating, with spectacular views of the Cabusilan Mountain Range.   After an hour, we arrived at the base of the mountain, the jump-off point of our trek.  From here, it was to be all 2-3 hours (dependent on our fitness and ability and the size of our group) of footwork, through the valley and up a mountain path, to the Crater Lake. Normally, a very hot trek, especially during the summer months (when the light gray volcanic ash reflect the rays of the sun), we were fortunate this day as it obviously rained the day before and it was quite windy.  Just the same I applied sun block lotion and wore a cap, shorts, sturdy rubber  sandals, plus my a comfortable light blue and white MNTC-supplied T-shirt.  

A surreal but serene landscape

The trek, though very tiring, was truly exhilarating as we traversed sometimes fairly flat and dry lahar riverbeds and oftentimes rocky ground and crossed numerous small creeks and rivers by jumping from boulder to boulder or, in my case, I just getting my feet wet under the cold water (truly a different kind of experience).  After a short, final hurdle up paved steps, we reached our destination – viewpoint for observing the magnificent crater and it turquoise-colored lake created during the 1991 Pinatubo eruption.  The viewpoint was developed to cater to us tourists.

Boating at the Crater Lake

After a few minutes of rest and quietly admiring the beautiful scenery set before us, most of us went down the paved steps down to the lake where a number of us rode boats, in two trips, and were rowed to the other side of the lake by an Aeta boatman.  The others, including me, contented themselves with dipping our feet in the cool lake waters while two others (Karlo de Leon and Melissa Dizon) took to swimming its deep water. Upon the arrival of the second boat load, we all made our way back up to the rest area, bade farewell to this magnificent creation of nature’s fury and made our way back to our respective vehicles.  The return hike was easier and done in half the time it took to get there as it was mostly downhill. The uphill climb to our vehicle’s parking area was the most strenuous.  As soon as everyone was accounted for, we all returned to our assigned 4 x 4s, too tired to even take pictures, and made our way back to P.D.C. Spa Town.