celebraTINg exisTENce: Quezon

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We were allowed to go around the Lilim Forest Conservatory.

For reservations to this place, refer to their Facebook account link: here.

The owner of this place was one of the people responsible in making Lilim a protected area.

Thank you for your efforts, Sir!

Most of the time, retreats and recollections are held in this place.

One day, I want to go back not by trekking down though. HAHA.

Picnic Tables

They have a lot of amenities like this pool and more are still being developed.

Fishpond

See the peak there, 'yung nasa gitna na matulis???! That was where we came from!!! LOVE IT!!!! Still can't believe we made it back. HAHAHAHA!!!

Overnight huhuhu

Thinking of the ascent, we wanted to spent the night there.

Take note: You can reach it by riding a vehicle, iba 'yung daan. Galing kami sa taas (Little Baguio) area pero meron daan from Quezon talaga.

Viewing Deck

Like the one in Kamay ni Hesus.

About to go through the arduous ascent again.

It was my toughest one hour as in I can't and I won't be able to replace that special moment. It was a lot harder than Mt. Pulag's assault! As in seryoso, namanhid ako sa sobrang hirap. HAHAHA! It was so slippery and the mud always stuck to my sandals plus we were time pressured since ayaw namin abutan ng gabi dun. This is a "virgin forest," a lot of monkeys, snake and wild boar still live there. Ang liit ng ibang daan tapos.ang daming branches na pag tinignan mong maigi, bangin na pala 'yung nasa ilalim. You wouldn't want to fall to an abyss, noh! Sarap pa mabuhay. hahaha.

Buti na lang we had dogs who trekked with us, it felt safer.

There came a point when I didn't care about anything anymore, I only wanted to get back alive even if it meant a lot of scratches and ant bites to me. Sobrang dami kong sugat that time nakakaloka pero lampake ako!!!! Rather than slip down, it was better to hold onto branches, some of which, had thorns :(( The rattan (sobrang daming thorns ng young tree) tree are also abundant in the area. huhuhu!

You wouldn't know how strong you are talaga unless being strong is the only choice you have.

After all the hirap, you know what's amazing???

We went it back in an hour!! We descended for three hours and the harder ascent, we did in an hour.

This is only one of the reasons why Sierra Madre Mountain Range is special to me. Haha

Cheers for all the moments when we felt like giving up but held on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

May we never lose hope even in the hardest and trying times... we'll get there eventually. Go lang! Before you even know it, you've reached your summit. :)))

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The weather was clear for day 2.

The fog was nowhere in sight.

We needed to go down the mountain to visit one Barangay but it was impossible to reach it by car since there was a landslide that occurred and damaged the bridge. You may look for Jay Taruc's Motorcycle Diaries TV program to know more about the landslide, he has an episode where they gave out relief goods to the affected residents.

I climb mountains, yes.
I love trekking, yes.

But I wasn't prepared for this at all. Descent was exhausting and punishing because this isn't a mountain that is frequented by mountaineers and tourists so the trek is, well, kind of hell with all the thorns, mud and steep descents.

HAHAHAHAHAHA. I don't remember how many times I slipped and how many scratches I got from our 3 hours long descent.

The only time I hated my Sandugo sandals. Gave it away after this trip. HAHAHAHA!

I forgot his name but he made my descent a lot easier.

"Malapit na ba?"
"Oo, malapit na."

"WAAAAAH WAG MO KO PINAGLOLOKO!!!!"

But he saved me though when I didn't know where to step at when a huge earthworm greeted (mej kasing taba siya ng ballpen) us there. He also helped me stand everytime I slipped. Grabe talaga!!!!!! As in best ever.

We reached the area alive! HUHUHUHU ALIVE!!!!! But not unscathed. :)))

I don't know what this place is called. Okay, I knew it but I forgot it now. HAHAHA.

We were able to talk to the barangay chairman and tourism activities are already in the works for this area to divert the livelihood of the residents from illegal logging, kaingin based livelihood to a sustainable tourism based one. Much better. A lot better.

Someday, I hope I'll have a chance to work with an agency or organization that would promote sustainable and responsible tourism here in the Philippines or in other countries. I hate it when I see irresponsible residents and tourists. HAHAHA. Kala mo kung sinong responsable...

Cleaned up my leggings and scratches before eating.
Sarap maligo!!

Boodle Fight for lunch.

Thank You for the gift of then budding friendship. <3

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Here are pictures from Real and Infanta's New Little Baguio area.

This place became really special to me not only because those three days we spent there were all filled with laughter, tears (HAHA!), and talks about making sense of our lives. But because, it was raw - it was nature at its finest; a place free from commercialization with nature taking care of us since day one.

Little Baguio isn't a famous tourist spot but it is a well-known place for motorcycle riders.

For day one, it was a foggy and cold day. The real Baguio lost me in this, iba talaga pag nature. I've always loved fogs and clouds, in this matter, Little Baguio gave us a lot.

The banner picture that I have in this blog was taken there.

It was gloomy yet so beautiful. Haha. And we had the whole place for ourselves! There aren't a lot of residents in the area so they knew all of us in just three days.

It was last December when we went there and the weather for day 1 and 3 were perfect for my preference.

According to a resident, fog clears up at noon. And she was right, it really did.

Sunlight finally!

But this only lasted for around a three hours.

Then we bought buko and Kuya told us to go up this viewing area because buko would taste a lot better when drank from where I took this picture. HAHA. Yes for a P 20.00 buko enjoyed in a priceless view.

This was our view...

That hiway is called MaRiFanta Hiway. It goes straight from Marikina to Infanta, Quezon. There are no public transportation so this place can only be reached by private vehicles.

No wonder only motorcycle riders frequent this place.

Viewing Deck inspired by Baguio's Mines View Park.

Only a lot better because you'll be seeing mountains, forests, and clouds not houses. :))

Then we decided to go up the mountain to see a better panoramic view of the area. It was so windy here we couldn't take decent photos of us.

Sobrang ganda.

I've always loved the feeling of being one with the clouds.

It was like Mt. Pulag camp site all over again without the pagod.

This is Jariel's Peak (search them on Facebook), one of the few restaurants in the area, they serve exotic food there.

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