Hello everyone!
It really pays to make new friends. All the photos in this post are not mine. It's from a fellow mountain enthusiast and freediver France Villamor. Of course, I posted it here with his permission. You can check his Instagram to see all his amazing photos of his escapades.
I'm the type who really lacks self-discipline. I always wanted to post more often to augment my earnings because my bills are mounting and I have an upcoming out-of-the-country trip, but here we are again. It has been 16 days since my last post and I said before that the opportunity cost for someone like me who depended on Hive for everything is too much. But I don't want to make it like I'm milking Hive, so I'll only post when I feel like it. I still want to enjoy that posting part and not make it a chore. In the end, it's always a tug-of-war in my head.
I also told myself not to travel too much so that I can save, but when someone invites me to anything, I rarely refuse. I end up spending more than I anticipated. I'm still amazed by how I was able to manage to pay all my obligations despite of these prices. Maybe because I'm unbothered by these things? I know God's timing is perfect just like His creation is perfect. Just look at the photo above! That's more than enough evidence of God's perfect creation. I know what you're thinking. I might not look like it, but I believe in God or Higher Being or Universe, whatever form you might think it may be. I just don't conform to the human construct such as religion to explain the beauty that surrounds us. Anyway, back to the camp.
When we were freediving in Moalboal last June 10-11, we met France and he invited me for a chill camp the next weekend, June 17. He said I would be occupying the last slot in the car. For some reason, I didn't decline even if I didn't know anyone in his group. I had been to Osmeña Peak before, but it was not camping. We were just there to admire the view of Cebu from its highest point.
Came Saturday, we agreed to meet at Bayfront Hotel since he's from Lapu-Lapu City. I didn't expect that I would get along with everyone, so I was expecting that I would just be quiet during the whole trip. Turned out they also don't know each other. It was France who was the common friend with everyone. I was amazed that I was able to vibe with them.
We arrived at the entrance of Osmeña Peak at around 3:00 PM. There's an entrance fee of Php 50.00 and a camping fee of Php 100.00. If you have a car, there's a parking fee of Php 40.00. We immediately hiked to the campsite after the registration because we were after the premium camping spot. It didn't take long to reach the campsite. We were not able to secure the best camping spot, the one facing Tañon Strait, because there were already two groups camping ahead of us. But we still had an awesome spot. Everyone then pitched their tents before preparing for dinner.
While France was cooking our dinner, I decided to head for the summit because there was a signal there and it was an awesome afternoon. The area would be enveloped by fog during early mornings and late afternoons, especially during the rainy season, but there was no fog that day. I had some awesome photos, but I decided to have them in a separate post. I want this post for France's photos alone.
We had a sumptuous dinner before the socials time. The menu was lechon kawali (crispy fried pork belly), ginataang munggo (mung beans in coconut milk), and sisig. It was one of the best dinners I've had. I joked with France that he can have a travel and tour agency and he'll be the guide and cook. They were drinking Kulafu (a Filipino brand of strong liquor) during the socials time. I didn't drink, but I was enjoying their no holds barred conversation.
I didn't really expect anything in that camp. I thought I would just be there for the cold weather and change of scenery. It became one of the best camps I've had even if I joined with mostly strangers. Since it was just a chill camp, we immediately went back home the next day.
I guess that's all for this post. See you at the next one!
Kim Ybañez
Welcome to Kim's small corner in Hive. He is a chemical engineer by profession, but a blogger by passion. He is a wanderlust and an adventure seeker. Join his quests as he visits remote destinations, climbs mountains, tries new and exotic dishes, and explores his country (The Philippines). He's also a trying-hard photographer so stay tuned as he shares his photos and his thought process while creating them.
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