I've been here in Cebu City for almost a year. But because of the ongoing pandemic fight, I haven't explored the Queen City of the South. Cebu is known for its booming tourism where magnificent mountains, picturesque waterfalls, and pristine beaches eagerly await you. When I arrived here, I was immersed in burning my eyebrows, and then quarantine happened. I have constrained myself to be placated at seeing the mountains from far off and envisioning the ocean.
Last weekend, my roommate, Argine, invited Anthony and me to go with them to Taptap. Her colleagues who are Anthony's former colleagues planned to have overnight camping. Excitement arose but turned into worries. I worried if it's not allowed for a group activity and I might end up in jail, and also, I would be surrounded by strangers. Anthony had worked, so it was just Argine and me.
It took me a few days to decide. I said yes the day before the departure. The urge to see a landscape and to unwind helped in my decision-making. Plus, I needed it to reset my body clock. I've been a nocturnal ever since, but because I haven't go out for how many months, it got worse to the point I can stay awake for more than 36 hours and slept for the following days not more than four hours.
Before we headed to the camping site, we had gone first to their office to grab the food and other things needed for the camping. Then, we were off to an hour-drive to Taptap Camping Site.
No trekking or a short hike happened since it is just beside the highway. As I stepped outside the car, the cold breeze greeted us. I haven't experienced this kind of coldness for a long time, and the feeling of the wind caressing my skin made me feel alive. As I walked into the deck and the container, I couldn't help but enthralled by the greenery. The view alone was relaxing and refreshing already. I can only see the panoramic view of the landscape. It was a much-needed scenery in a suffocating four-cornered room. The cityscape was behind the mountain. But because some are a towering megastructure, it is still visible even from afar.
The deck was spacious. A big tent can fit in the deck. None of us brought one, so the ten of us fitted in the two big container van attached side by side that serves as the bedroom. However, the other one, the supposed to be a room for two is turned into a storage room. The comfort room was at the back. The water was not accessible, and I'm afraid there might be a 'Game of Thrones' happening (IFWIM).
After several minutes of entrancing the magnificence of nature, it was time to prepare lunch. It was rather gloomy. Everyone was busy so we could eat right away before it starts raining. A few minutes later, the sun was out from the clouds and it immediately turned into burning blistering. I wanted to make myself useful by volunteering to cook the shrimp but my bashful self emerged first before I could speak. With that, I stayed beside Argine and watched her slicing the cucumber. I just stood there and did nothing.
A few minutes later, it started raining. Luckily, we found a big umbrella in the storage room. However, it was good for one table only. So the food on the other table was transferred to the table inside the container. We waited for the rain to subside. It was not pouring, thankfully, just a drizzle. The grilling team went beneath the deck and continued grilling the stuffed squid. The weather was unpredictable. It changed swiftly from rainy to sunny. At around two in the afternoon, we had set the table outside since it was back to being gloomy with no drizzle at all.
We ate our lunch surrounded by a marvelous lush landscape. We were at the mountain with food usually served at the beach. We had shrimp and grilled stuffed squid. But, we also had pork liempo, siomai (a popular food in Tisa), ngohiong, and roasted chicken.
There were lots of food that we didn't finish them. Thus, we had spared it for dinnertime. After the sumptuous lunch, I went inside the container and grabbed my book while laying down in foam placed on the floor. I was hoping that this mountain getaway would reset my very ruined body clock. I slept after reading two chapters. When I woke up, everyone was outside. I even missed the sunset.
They invited me to play cards. Unfortunately, I only know solitaire and 'Unggoya" (pairing of cards). That's when they decided to change the game to Exploding Kitten. I am not a fan of a card game but this one is an exemption, as of the moment. For the first three rounds, I was the first blood. You could say I was still adjusting to the game. In the fourth game, I won. I did use some of my brain cells to strategize my every move. From Exploding Kitten, it was advanced to Imploding Kittens. The game became more thrilling and difficult that I didn't want it to end. The game continued, and as the darkness enveloped the sky, it became chillier. Every end of the game, I went back to the container to wear my jacket first. Next, my socks. And lastly, I had to change from shorts to sweatpants.
It was dinnertime and the game was put on hold. Hot soup was served for the cold and breezy night. But I didn't grab a soup. Instead, I had a samgyupsal since there was Kimchi, meat, and lettuce available. After dinner, we immediately continued the game. Others played Charade, a guessing game. We went on for an hour then they decided to have some chitchat. When I looked up in the sky, I can see constellations. It makes me miss my hometown even more. While they were having their booze and chit-chatting, I just lie down and star gazed. An hour later or more, I went inside the container to sleep. There's no point in resetting my body clock if I'll be awake until dawn.
Unluckily, I kept on waking up, from two to four, and lastly, at five sharp. Hues of oranges were spreading, but it's visible the weather was not cooperating. There were dark clouds and it remained for several minutes. Thankfully, God heard our pleas. The sun was not out yet but the sky alone was a stunner. While staring at the breathtaking view, we were orchestrated by the sound of nature and caressed by the cool breeze. I paused and enjoyed the moment. As the sun came out, I savored its warmth blended with the refreshing air.
It was almost seven when everyone decided to prepare breakfast. As the sun went higher, the heat became intense. The huge umbrella was not enough. For that reason, we had to transfer below the deck. There was enough space where we can cook, place the tables, and even lie down. We played charade while waiting for the other food. We played by teams with categories: Disney Characters, Disney movies, and the Animal Kingdom. For the Animal Kingdom category, both teams had a series of "Pass" since we didn't recognize what animal it was. The game ended when breakfast was prepared. They continued their conversation after a meal, while I was busy feeding and playing with the dog.
It was around noon when we decided to check out. It's time to face again the hotness of the concrete jungle. How I wish I could spend another night in Taptap. Just by thinking that we were off to go made me sweaty. All things considered, it was indeed a fun weekend getaway.
Note:
Some of the photos were snapped by Matt Blanes, Argine's colleague. Permission is granted to include his photos on my blog.
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