What’s this post called again?

I thought of a post title when I was on my way home last night. But I forgot so I came up with an alternate title when I was on lunch earlier. And I forgot the alternate title so I’m posting something that is almost untitled. Squeezing a whole bunch of stuff into a phrase is a tough job and I don’t know why I do it anyway.

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87 degrees and a whole of humidity. While all the logical people in the world were eating ice cream and lounging lazily at the mall, we were making our way up trans-central highway. It was my first time to join Team Big Ring again after almost a couple of years and this time they were en route to Gaas for the Operation Tuli which they do several times a year.

Circumcision, helping a bro become a bro. I was not part of the whole thing, I was in there for day two—trail for the main menu and cliff on the side (there literally were cliff on the side). It’s not really cliffy all the way but there are parts where you can really end up on the after side of life if you do things wrong. I’ve been there before but two things are different this time: I was riding on an XC bike with and XC group and Chyrel Gomez was part of the pack. From six-inch hills to 40-feet cliff.

Chyrel’s uncle has been inviting her for some time now and she took the RSVP this time. I don’t know if she chose the perfect time. She fell off her bike while maneuvering thru a single track. It was only a thin layer of grass that kept her from being on the front page. Front page may be too much. I would say lots of bruises and scratch, I didn’t see the whole thing I was a bit ahead of her. I heard her shout though. A local guy helped her up.

I kept telling her not to look down but she kept doing it anyway. Riding through a ridge creates a paranoia that can only be cured by not looking down. Turning a blind eye is, at times, the better medicine. She didn’t listen anyway so she had to walk on the more technical parts. Better safe than mangled, she lives that philosophy.

Anyway, this entry is not about her but I love writing about newbie riders. It hasn’t been too long ago since I was one and bullying newbie riders feels good. It lets you get back at the part of yourself that you hate. You never hate a newbie. You just hate that you once couldn’t make a simple turn and they give you the chance to bully your old self. Life coaches, if you’re reading this, I know you’ll send a 40-volume note about what I just wrote but let’s get real this time.

Sunday’s trail was full of good and bad stuff and they came at such unpredictable intervals that they nearly made me bipolar. I don’t wanna get to the details of that because you can only understand if you go there. Words can never bring experience to life. I know words can mummify experience and photos can make it look alive, but it only gets real when you start getting muddy, dehydrated, and scared all throughout
I can’t thank Big Ring enough for the experience, the food, and the stay at probably the highest vacation house I’ve ever been to. Food at the end of the trail was free, too. I didn’t know that so I felt like a huge freeloader at the end of the day. But a well-fed one, that is.

I almost forgot to mention that it was already dark when we got to Sinsin. That’s like hills away from Camp7 and Camp7 is several kilometers up Talisay. Chy and I got separated from the group and we had to go through a whole length of road lit nothing but 20-watt bulbs from lone, odd houses on the side road.

Some kids who were hanging outside helped us through by flashing lights on the road when we passed them. I know it’s only a few meters but it meant a lot that they cared. It’s the concern of other people that made up for our lack of preparation. When we got to Camp 7, we ate humba (the perks of being a freeloader).
The road down to Talisay is flanked with cliffs to the left. The road winds in every direction without any heads-up. So our group of eleven decided to hire  motorbike that guided us down to safety. My “night vision” sucks so I had to get way far back at times. I only had the shadow of the riders ahead of me to know which way to go.

I made it home at 9.44pm, got some sleep, and was able to report at 3.04am for work. Mountain biking is a fairy tale that always ends happily with getting home. And I’m glad I’m home again from work so I could stare again at the wall and do nothing.

Hills Don't Have Eyes

The Seven Tribes of Bukidnon

Yesterday I watched this movie called Looper and I think that the movie is not about time travel--it's more like some alternate universe kind of movie. The Romeo Must Die sort of movie. The guy didn't kill his future self, he only ended the alternate version of himself. Not someone from the future but someone from a universe where he made that other decision.

My post does not really have anything to do with Looper. Most of my posts got nothing to do with anything. I just wanted to post about the seven tribes of Bukidnon because I recently went to Kaamulan grounds. That's in Malaybalay City. Their names are there because Kaamulan is celebrated to honor the ethnic tribes of Bukidnon.

My grandma's mother was a Talaandig. My mother can speak Talaandig very well. The last time I heard her talk Talaandig was a week ago and she was talking to some native about Pepsi. I don't know exactly what they were talking about.

Bohol Is that You??

After this post I am going to write about Bukidnon, because I am in Bukidnon as of this writing. It's gonna be scary and I might end up not writing about it at all. It’s always scary to write about something so dear to you. My creative writing teacher agrees with me. I know he said something along that line, I don't know how exactly he said it. Writers have a way of saying things so well that only them could say it.

 I guess I’m afraid to write about the place where I spent my childhood. I don’t wanna turn wrong recollections into narratives and end up regarding them as real. But so much for the Bukidnon talk. I’m gonna write about my recent trip to Bohol, which is only my second by the way.

The fast craft trip from Pier 1 to Tubigon is only an hour and 280 pesos away. Or if you have a lot of stuff to bring you can take the 10pm Lite Shipping slow boat. But slow boats to China or anywhere only applies to lovers (with all due respect Mr. Simic) so it’s better to take the fast craft. They depart every hour. Supercat is your cozier option, plus it docks at Tagbilaran which is a lot nearer to Panglao.

The bus ride from Tubigon to Dao Terminal near Island City Mall is more than an hour, with the wait time at the terminal taking longer than the actual trip. The bus left Tubigon when I was about to die of dehydration. Yes, it’s one of those “mini-buses” where the only ventilation you have is some rust-edged window that is just enough to prevent asphyxia. And they crammed us inside the bus like we don’t need space. I know I lack some imagination because I thought it couldn’t get worse.

But when I took the bus from Carlos P. Garcia museum to Panglao, I got a sampling of how a bus can double-capacity-double-profit at the expense of my sweat glands. And us the good passengers. But then again, it was the only option I had and I stood during the whole trip.

I stayed at Chill Out and I would really recommend the place because you get a huge veranda and a bathroom with wooden floor for P1,200. Regular room rate is P1,500 but walk-ins get a discount. But they only have about six rooms so walking in is not the best idea. Their staff are some of the most beautiful people in the world and I really appreciate how helpful and friendly they are. I don’t get paid for this (I wish I did) but those people deserve some kudos. Here’s there website http://www.chillout-panglao.com/.

I did go to Alona, that’s a given. But the place that captivated me most is this quiet little place away from the awareness of most people. I just love that little rocky beach because the water looks so clean. It’s a public beach and there’s a free cottage you can just use, nobody will mind because nobody is there.

It’s best to go there in a huge group because it has the feel of a murder scene if you’re alone. You know the drill, just copy and paste to Google Maps 9.617813,123.773024. I wasn’t able to the place justice because my camera went out before I got to take some pictures. So unfair of it to always tell me that it’s full then it would go on the whole batter exhausted thing. I know I’ll be back. Here are a few snaps.


The Church of Calape, Bohol. I was inside the bus trying to stay alive when I took this.

I passed by this house going to Chill Out. There are quite a few of them there. I'm not sure if this is really the house, maybe this is just the attic and there's a really huge house underground.

The cliffy, rocky, murder-y beach in Tangnan, Panglao.