Category Archives: Recreational Outdoor Activities

Calaguas Islands (Vinzons, Camarines Norte)

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A pristine paradise discovered

Part of my itinerary during my first week of February visit to Camarines Norte was to camp overnight at the famed Calaguas Islands, a group of 17 islands northeast of Daet under the jurisdiction of the town of Vinzons.   This was not to be as three days of continuous rain prevented us from doing so.  Two months later, I was again invited back in the province during the peak of summer, covering the 4th Bagasbas Summer Festival in Daet with blogger Mark Vincent Nunez.  This time the weather was perfect, with bright sunshine, clear skies and calm seas, and Mark and I were again invited by Provincial Tourism Officer Atty. Debbee Francisco to visit these islands  famed for their Boracay-like (minus the commercial development) white sand beaches.

Minaongan Fish Port in Paracale

Aside from Debbee and Mr. Amable Miranda, a member of her staff, and ABC TV 5 crew Ms. Justine Santos and cameramen Mr. Amor Casiano and Mr. Dencio Suing; Mark and I were joined by participants of the summer surf festival who availed of the special participant’s price of PhP1,350 per person (normal rates range between PhP1,800-2,300) which included the boat ride to and from the island, tents and two meals with snacks. They include Ms. Joie Lacson, Ms. Iya Yujuico, Ms. Katrina Cruz, Ms. Lei Reinares and Mr. Philipp Cabales of www.pakyaw.com; Mr. Arnel Pahuway of World Vision; and Mr. Darryll Montebon of Jubilee Christian Academy.

Survivor Calaguas

From Daet, we all boarded a van for the 38-km. drive to Minaongan Fish Port in Paracale, arriving there by 2:30 PM.  Here, we all boarded a large, 25-pax outrigger boat.  Provisions for our overnight stay were loaded as well.  The boat ride took all of two hours, passing a number of rocky outcrops and beautiful islands with white sand beaches, and we landed on a cove called Mahabang Buhangin (“long sand”) at the 8 km. long Tinaga Island, the most frequented camping and swimming site for tourists. The beach was everything it was hyped up to be: powdery fine white sand, crystal clear waters and blue skies.

On our way

It was now late in the afternoon (4:45 PM) when we landed and, once the provisions were landed, we all set up our respective tents in a shaded area, Mark and I staying in one of the seven tents.  A comfortable hammock was already in place.  As the beach faced the west, we were in for a magnificent sunset show.  After a delicious dinner of grilled fish and chicken, we all shared a good chat and laughs while toasting marshmallows over a bonfire. It was already late in the night when we called it a day.

Sunset at Mahabang Buhangin

Come morning, we awoke to a delicious Filipino breakfast of fried rice, fried egg, hot coffee and crispy dilis (anchovies) and espada.   Dabbing on a lot of sunblock, we all savored the sand, sun and sea, doing snorkeling, sunbathing as well as swimming.  Later, some of us tried to burn our excess calories by walking along the beach and then climbing up a nearby hill.   The view up there was fantastic, with a bird’s eye view of Mahabang Buhangin on one side and the nearby Guintinua Island and other smaller islands on the other side.  A photographer’s dream, it was truly beauty from every camera angle. which we all indulged in, kamayan style.

Mahabang Buhangin seen from the hill

Our cameras also espied boatloads of tourists coming in from the mainland, it being a Sunday weekend.  It was time to go and, it was with regret that we went down the hill.  Back on the beach, many boats were unloading their cargo of tourists, surfer friend Mr. Oween Andrade and his family among them, plus their provisions.  It was just fitting that we left by 10 AM, giving up our campsite to these tourists, as we wanted to avoid the influx of this maddening crowd.  We thus left the island with bittersweet memories, hoping one day to again savor its beauty. Quoting from the lyrics of an Ogie Alcasid song, “Sana Maulit Muli.”

Posing with Guintinua Island on the background

 

Balingasay River (Bolinao, Pangasinan)

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The clean, multi-awarded Balingasay River


On the way back to the Tourist Center from Enchanted Cave in Bolinao, we made a short stopover at a bridge to photograph the 7-km. long, pristine and now fishpen-free Balingasay River (Brgy. Balingasay),  twice winner of the Gawad Pangulo sa Kapaligiran Award for inland bodies of water in the Ilocos Region and a recipient of the highly prestigious Wetlands Conservation Award in 1994. Set aside as a protected seascape, this river, noted for its scenic beauty and biodiversity, has 15 hectares of century-old and new growth mangroves areas, 30 hectares of of attap palms (used for nipa hut roofing), wild ferns and balete trees hanging into the water.  These protect the river from erosion and pollution.  Different species of wild birds (locally called kiaw and pagaw) also make their home atop the trees and wild ducks, lizards, monkeys and wild boar also make their home in the forest.

Some boats parked at the river mouth

The Balingasay River is fed by Quibuar Spring, Bolinao Falls and several other springs and creeks. Fresh water meets the sea water of the South China Sea toward the middle of the river,  a perfect environment for unique fish (malaga, lapu-lapu, etc.) and shellfish (crabs, shrimps and oysters) species to flourish.  Boats from the bridge can be rented (PhP500) to explore the river which connects 5 villages to the town proper, located 5.5 kms. from the mouth of the river. Aside from regular outrigger boats, some boats that ferry villagers are made, through Filipino ingenuity, from discarded wings of World War II airplanes secured from the former U.S. Naval Base in Subic.  The wings are fitted with bamboo and wood as “balancers” and then wooden seats are installed for 12 people.

Bolinao Marine Laboratory (Pangasinan)

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Bolinao Marine Laboratory

After our brief rest stopover at El Pescador Beach Resort, we proceeded to the Bolinao Marine Laboratory (BML), the official marine station, started in 1983, of the Marine Science Institute (MSI), University of the Philippines.The BML, located 2 kms. from Bolinao town proper, has a main laboratory building (with research lab and classrooms), administration building, staff houses, dormitories and a land-based hatchery.  A venue for research work, BML also aims to be a focal point for extension activities involving the municipality and the various communities inhabiting the coast; serve as an educational exhibit center for research activities on marine science; to offer direct service to the local community in the form of environmental education programs and; to assist in the formulation of coastal management plans for the municipality.

Giant clams

At BML, we observed the laboratory’s propagation of the endangered giant clam (Family Tridacnidae),  sea urchins and certain species of sea cucumbers through grow out culture and sea ranching.  The sea cucumber Holothuria scabra, one of the most expensive if not the most expensive in the market, are, once bred, are then planted in research pens in Santiago Island.  Sea urchins (scientific name: Tripneustes gratilla), locally called uni, have been overharvested by fishermen in the 1980s and 90s for the Japanese market. These too are bred, fed with processed sea weeds (sargassum) in a hatchery and re-seeded.  BML also does habitat restoration (e.g., coral transplantation) and sets up marine protected areas for coral and sea grass conservation. 

Bolinao Marine Laboratory: U.P. Marine Science Institute (MSI), Brgy. Luciente 1, Bolinao, Pangasinan.  Tel: (075) 541-8022 ext. 102. E-mail: chin445@yahoo.com.

Paoay Lake National Park (Ilocos Norte)

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Cattle and boats for hire line the lake shore

After our brief sojourn in Batac City, we next proceeded to the Malacanang Ti Amianan (Malacanang of the North) in Paoay.  Along the way, we made a brief stopover at the view deck of Paoay Lake National Park.  This 470-hectare, horseshoe-shaped lake, the largest in the province, was declared as a National Park on June 21, 1969 by virtue of Republic Act No. 5631.  Once known as Naguyudan, it is known to the locals as Dakkel a Danum and is a popular picnic site. The lake is artificially seeded with various species of colorful fish and is 10 m. deep, yet the surface is below sea level.  Its fresh water comes from a subterranean source.

Lakbay Norte 2 at Lake Paoay National Park

According to a charming but Sodom and Gomorrah-like legend, it is said that a once-prosperous town, San Juan de Sahagun, once stood where the lake is now.  The materialism of the town and the indolence of its people incurred God’s wrath, so he sent an earthquake and flood waters that swallowed up the town and formed the lake.   Town elders will tell you that the original townsfolk, in gaudy fiesta finery, can still be seen as colorful, transformed fishes swimming around with earrings and bracelets.  Geological studies indicate that the lake was formed by a massive earthquake that caused the ground to sink and be filled with water from underground springs.  

A barge used to cross the lake

The lake is ideal for bird watching   Common residents here include the endemic Philippine Duck (Anas luzonica), the White-Collared Kingfisher (Halcyon chloris), the White-Throated Kingfisher (Halcyon smymensis), the Brahminy Kite, cattle egret and little egret. Migratory birds that linger for a while here include the Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula), the Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea), great egret and the osprey. Cottages (PhP50) can be rented at the viewing deck.

Paoay Lake is located north of Paoay town, 3 kms. off the main highway and 3 kms. from the sea.

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

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.”

 

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.

The Pugad (Pugo Adventure) Tour (Pugo, La Union)

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Four-wheeled, all-terrain vehicles (ATV)

We were now in Lakbay Tour’s second day and, after an art-filled first day in Baguio City, we were now in for some adrenalin pumping adventure featuring zip lines (3 to be exact) with some all-terrain vehicle (ATV) excitement thrown in at Pugad Pugo Adventure Park in Pugo, La Union.   Pugad, “bird’s nest” in the vernacular, is actually a hybrid of the two words Pugo, the name of the town, and “adventure.” We alighted from our special Victory Liner tour bus (its body sticker-wrapped with the tour’s sponsors), at the Flying V (incidentally also a Lakbay Norte 2 tour sponsor) station along Marcos Highway in Brgy. Cares in Pugo and transferred to a smaller Pugad shuttle bus.  DOT Region 1 representatives Evangeline M. Dadat (senior tourism operations officer) and Reynaldo Gesmundo (tourism operations officer II) joined us.  After a 300 m. drive over a narrow road (unfit for our big bus), we finally arrived at the resort. Though this inland swimming resort has 2 crystal-clear outdoor swimming pools (adult and kiddie), picnic cottages, clean toilets, shower rooms, conference halls and a hanging bridge over a clean river, Pugad Resort  is more known for the extreme adventure it offers. Pugad’s famous 380-m. long and 240-ft. high Super Man Zip Line 1, one of the resort’s  three zip lines, stands out as the longest zip line in Luzon and is reportedly the second longest in the country.  Rates for the 3 zip lines is PhP900 per person or PhP1,000 if it includes wall climbing and breathtaking rappelling.This was too good to miss out.

Pugad Pugo Adventure Park

But first we had to wait in line as only five people can be accommodated at a time.  While waiting, we opted to try out out the  4-wheel, all-terrain vehicles and dune buggies at the nearby dirt track.  Unlike the zip line, this was a first for me and I drove cautiously over the winding and hilly but well-designed, 2.5-km. long course with its numerous bumps and turns, at one time falling into a ditch in spite of my caution.   My other companions confidently drove like seasoned racers. However, I soon speeded up midway round the course, only slowing down as I tackled the final 4-ft. high and steep hill back to our starting point.
 
Hannah Barrios finally enjoys Zip Line 3


This initial adrenalin rush now over, it was now time for some state-of-the-art zip lining. There were no more waiting lines as only three of us were left, the other two being Studio 23’s  Hannah Barrios and Joshua “Red” Nietes, both reluctant and scared first-timers. After filling up the necessary waiver forms, we were suited up with the necessary Petzl C29 Pandion harness and Petzl helmets for our safety then bundled into the back of a pickup truck, then driven up the cliff,  We then made a short hike, up a concrete stairs, to our first zip line—the Super Man Zip Line 1 (so named because we had to do it in a flying Superman pose), the highest and the longest in duration (30 seconds) of the three.

I tried it first, as Hannah and Red  were reluctant.  Soon I was harnessed parallel to the ground and on my way. It was everything it was hyped up to be, with picturesque views of a smooth flowing, boulder-strewn river, small rice terraces and lush, forested mountains. It was sometime before Red then Hannah took the plunge but, after having done so, liked it so much that they were both first at the succeeding 2 zip lines. The 280-m. long, 160-ft. high and less picturesque Zip Line 2, the fastest among the three (10 seconds with its 100-m. descent), and the 250-m. long, 60-ft. high and relaxing, 20 second long Zip Line 3, the basic and beginner’s zip line, were both done in the sitting position.  The last passes over the swimming pool and the river before ending at the campsite. It was starting to rain when I finished the last of the zip lines, making rappelling and wall climbing out of the question as the wall had become quite slippery. Besides, it was now time for lunch at the resort’s restaurant prepared by resort owners Eugene Martin, a retired police director, and his wife Pricilla, a Pugo councilor.  Heck out my Business Mirror article “Pugo’s 3 in 1 Adventure Tour.” 
 
Pugad Pugo Adventure Park: Sitio Kagaling, Brgy. Palina.  Mobile number (0927) 667-2619.  Tel: (072) 603-1592.  E-mail: pugoadventure@yahoo.com.