2022-002 | ADRENALINE ADVENTURE HIKE: SEGMENT IV-B

TEAM ADRENALINE ROMANCE HAD walked through the first half of Segment IV and came out stuffed with better appreciation of the Cebu Highlands Trail. The challenges of the fresh sceneries that the “no man’s land” route provided have excited Team Adrenaline Romance so much so that they filed a leave of absence the soonest time possible.

 

When we breezed past Mount Manunggal on our way to Lawaan, Danao City the last time, they begun to enjoy the landscapes of their backtrail and picked off the familiar landmarks which had given their confidence a shaky ground to stand on. The second part of Segment IV – Segment IV-B – has different difficulties than the first and it offers another different side of Cebu. This is still a “no man’s land”. 

We choose the Cebu North Bus Terminal as our meeting place on October 13, 2018. Gian Carlo and Sheila Mei arrived first. Later, Apol came, and we found an empty bus bound for Danao City. The bus left Mandaue City at 05:30 and arrived at Danao at 06:45 and we found a small eatery to take breakfast. We also bought extra food for our lunch which our itinerary says 12:30 at Mount Mago. 

We left the busy city center at 07:30, each astride in tandem on a motorcycle-for-hire, bound for the village of Lawaan, our last place of engagement two weeks ago. We arrived there at 09:10 when the motorcycle I rode conked out and we waited for another. We hit the trail at 09:15. We were following a paved road that was quite shady and very peaceful. We faced a road junction and followed the one on the left.

 

The road rose in elevation and we were now exposed to the morning sun. As we walked over a ridge, we saw Mt. Kalabasa of Danao City; Garces Peak of Asturias; Mt. Matun-og, Mt. Mauyog and Mt. Manunggal, all in Balamban; and – surprise! – Mt. Babag, Cebu City. These were the great landmarks that we saw on our northerly quest that created furrows on our foreheads. As we checked our backtrails, these were now just drops of water in a pail. 

Walking on, we passed by a farmer harvesting pomelo from his fruit-laden trees and gave us two which Sheila Mei and Apol devoured without a trace and brought another with us. We walked on and we arrived on the trailhead in the village of Pili, Danao City. There is a trail that goes to Mt. Mago but I have to make a courtesy call first to a military detachment located nearby. 

After my business with the authorities, we pushed north at 10:20, following the trail that go over the ridges of this unnamed mountain range. The path is soft earth blazed by generations of feet while all around us are green meadows. It is rolling terrain without forest cover. On a rise, I read an elevation of 755 meters from my Casio Pro Trek.

 

We still brought a pair of Versa Quicktalk Go UHF/FRS transceivers which we used for our communications in Segment IV-A. While I took the point, Gian Carlo swept last and Apol and Sheila Mei in between. We used the radio to check each other out when visibility is hampered by rolling terrain or when a branch of a trail placed Gian Carlo in a bind. 

We arrived at the camping grounds of Mt. Mago at 12:40 and quite famished. We spent noonbreak here under the shade of one puny tree, enjoying lunch from food we bought earlier and finishing the one last pomelo for dessert. I noticed a pond. It had always been there the two times I was here. I excused myself and made a brief inspection. 

I found out that it is a seep that overflowed to a very tiny brook. I deduced that it became a small stream, ultimately dividing Carmen from Tuburan, until it became a river that flows out to the Camotes Sea. This unassuming pond could be the headwater of the Panalipan River! We took water from the pond and washed our plates, spoons and forks from twenty meters away dowhill.

 

We left Mt. Mago when dark clouds appeared with the clap of thunder and followed a trail in a forested area. The ground is dry and plenty of loose soil and pebbles. We came upon a very steep part which was kind of tricky. This path is so enchantingly silent that only locals know and, of course, me. Overnight campers would never go beyond Mt. Mago. We rested after that descent and rehydrated. 

From then on it would be rolling terrain once more, passing by solitary houses and farms and, sometimes, a family of cows blocking the way. The trail goes down to the remote village of Bangkito, Tuburan. We passed by a public school, going into their center where there was a basketball game in progress. Everyone stopped playing and looked at us. 

This was one of the critical areas during the insurgency problem in the ‘80s until the early years of the third millennia and everyone wanted to make sure that we were not armed. When they resumed their game, I released a sigh of relief. Then and there, I did a courtesy call to their village council while Team Adrenaline Romance stayed behind to fill water from a water reservoir.

 

On the way back, I brought a cold big bottle of Coke. We emptied it fast and we hoped we could produce another one later. We prepared our campsite and then our dinner. When the food was almost cooked, I went back to the community store to buy another cold big bottle of Coke. But it was the last they sold to me earlier. 

We had our dinner and pairing it with warm Coke was not bad after all. That night there was another basketball game and there were many onlookers from the different places. After the game there was a disco. The noise interfered in our quest to snatch that sleep. Motorcycles would park nearby and leave. Nevertheless, it did stop at 03:00 of the next day, October 14. 

We woke up collectively at 05:30 with eyes that hungered for more sleep. We prepared breakfast and, after eating, we broke camp. I went back to the village center to give the village council my appreciation of thanks in the form of a certificate, as I did yesterday with the villages of Pili and Lawaan. This was for their hospitality in accepting us in their localities and aiding me and my team during the exploration phase of the CHT and that epic Thruhike.

 

We left Bangkito and went east for that deep valley under the shadow of another mountain range found across us: Ngipon-sa-Ilaga. I almost missed a trail were it not for a girl who was observing us. After asking her directions, we followed the trail down the deep valley of Anahawan. It would twist and wind its way among the lower foothills of Mt. Mago. 

Cows and carabaos were tethered along trails and we have to make wide detours. When we reach a stream we rest for a while from the brunt of the morning sun. This was the same stream that I suspected to have originated from that small pond at Mt. Mago and this could be the upper portions of the Panalipan River. Downstream of me are small waterfalls and Team Adrenaline Romance had to change to Project BLUE t-shirts for a photo ops.     

After a generous rest of thirty minutes, we resumed our journey. The trails pass by meadows and farms and a very old oleander-leafed euphorbia (Local name: soro-soro). The biggest I have seen. This marked the start of the ascent to Taguini. The trail is well beaten and easy to follow.

 

We arrived at Taguini so early at 10:00 but it was empty of people and traders. I expected a market fair. I missed by a day! Anyway, we are two hours early for a noonbreak and we decide to have that at the village of Caurasan, Carmen instead. So we spent rest here and bought locally-baked bread and paired it with cold soda drinks. 

After twenty minutes, we resumed the last few kilometers of Segment IV-B. Team Adrenaline Romance, perhaps, assured that the last half of the CHT was about to end, walked with a confident and springy stride this time. We reached Caurasan at 12:30 and checked in at their village center with our identification cards with a civilian interloper who insisted on voter’s ID! 

After that, I did another courtesy call on a military detachment nearby and then we ate lunch there. We left Caurasan for the town market of Carmen astride motorcycles-for-hire. The ride down to town was a long one and we arrived at 14:00, time good enough to take it easy for our return to Cebu City. Team Adrenaline Romance celebrated their feat with an early dinner in a Japanese restaurant inside SM City.

Team Adrenaline Romance had achieved one-half of the CHT by finishing Segment IV-B, which was 17.68 kilometers in length. With that, they extended their mileage total to 207.73 kilometers which was quite impressive! They had adapted to the rigors of what it was like when walking a long trail like the CHT which is partly wild, very humid, unimaginable difficulty in terrain and somewhat dangerous!  

The lands we passed by in all of Segment IV, to include parts of Segments I, II and III, were indeed very dangerous if we walked it in another time, say 1987 or 1995. That is the reason why adventure tourism and outdoors leisure activities did not grew beyond the known safe havens. Many have tried to open these corridors among Cebu’s mountains but it never prospered. 

The exploration of the CHT and its opening to the public as a guided adventure hiking tour came at a favorable time when such threats and troubles to foot travel have disappeared although residues of it remained which comes in the form of suspicion and distrust. By and by, people will come to terms with their past and embrace change which is harmless, fun and productive.  

Gian Carlo and Sheila Mei wrote about their Segment IV-B experience on the Adrenaline Romance Blog under two installments: 

Cebu Highlands Trail Segment IV-B: Lawaan, Danao to Bangkito, Tuburan.

Cebu Highlands Trail Segment IV-B: Bangkito, Tuburan to Caurasan, Carmen.

2021-046 | THE 3RD CAMINO DE SANTIAGO OF CEBU: DAY 4 & 5

A RAINBOW GREETED ME as I enjoyed a cup of coffee on the balcony of the San Pedro Calungsod Parish rectory on the fourth day (June 21, 2019) of this Camino de Santiago from the North. The hills were still swathed in mists as an early rising sun bathed it in golden light. It was a magical feeling, almost surreal. 

Behind me was the imposing height of Mount Manghilao, a great landmark of Masaba, Danao City, as seen from anywhere. Across me, far more distant than these hills swathed in mists, was another landmark: an unnamed peak. That mountain would be my signpost later on my journey to Compostela. 

I arrived here yesterday at the San Pedro Calungsod Parish together with fellow pilgrims Renita Reynes, Erl Durano and Grace Lina. Fr. Junly Cortes, the parish priest, had welcomed us and took care of our comforts and needs. We had taken baths in the early morning and were now seated with Fr. Junly at the breakfast table.

This Camino de Santiago from the North was the last of the three Camino de Santiago established in Cebu, at the behest of the former parish priest of the Archdiocesan Shrine of Santiago de Compostela, Fr. Scipio Deligero. We started from the St. James the Apostle Parish in Sogod four days ago and this exploratory Camino Cebu has brought us here in very good hands. 

We have stamped our credenciales with the parish seals of St. James in Sogod; the San Guillermo de Aquitania in Catmon; the St. Joseph the Worker in Binongkalan, Catmon; the Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Cantumog, Carmen; even that of the St. Benedict Monastery in Corte, Carmen. We have also secured one from Fr. Junly’s parish. 

This was a journey that had turned out well despite it being exploratory in nature. I was commissioned by Fr. Scipio to find and identify the routes but I decided to involve the three ladies instead, who really were all veterans of another but much longer Camino de Santiago from the South which they walked in January 2019.

Fr. Junly, who is an adventure racer, knows the hinterlands of Danao City for this was his training ground. He showed me a path and mentioned all the places that we needed to pass in order to reach the next parish: Our Mother of Perpetual Help in Ibo, Danao City. This time, the Camino Cebu would pass long stretches of trails and unpaved roads. 

We left Fr. Junly and his parish at 07:30, following a low ridge which goes amongst farms and homesteads. The appeal of trails on this fourth day for the Camino de Santiago was a different experience. The soft ground that crunch underneath your shoes was most welcome for any feet but it brought with it a certain caution when you experienced the usual skids.

These part of the Camino Cebu was unexpected and was never thought of in my itinerary. I literally created another itinerary based on this and shall be permanent. We were walking over ridgelines, among meadows, within pocket forests and small communities where residents helped us with our journey. 

We crossed a small stream and went over another trail that led to an unpaved road where there was a chapel which then led to a paved one in the village of Mantija, Danao City. We arrived at 08:30. After fifteen minutes of rest, we resumed our journey. Then it passed by sparsely-populated areas, farms and more pocket forests.

The weather cooperated and we really enjoyed this part. We just walked without so much strain. We were just killing time. I even forgot the mandatory rests of fifteen minutes after each hour of walk. This casual-like walk led us to a steel foot bridge. Below us was the Danao River. Across us was the village of Ibo, Danao City which we came upon at 10:15. 

While I was walking searching for their parish, I mistakenly presumed a local wearing a palm hat and an open-carried bolo as a farmer until he identified himself as Fr. Porferio Mahinay Jr., the parish priest of the Our Mother of Perpetual Help. What humility! I even learned later that he was a licensed civil engineer! 

He welcomed us into his rectory. His parish is kind of busy since their village fiesta was approaching. On the dining table were fruits and vegetables brought by his parishioners as offerings and donations. There were no concrete structures yet for the church. Fr. Jun utilized a chapel as their temporary house of worship. 

Fr. Jun was very much happy to receive us but he has no word of our coming since his locality has no cellular phone signal yet, much less, the internet. It was cool inside and we were served cold juice which helped to our cause. After 30 minutes of rest, it was time to leave again for the Camino de Santiago.

Taking the hint from Fr. Jun, we followed an unpaved road bound for the village of Togonon, Danao City. Midway, the road became paved and the air became warm. This familiar landmark of a mountain that had left me marveling in the past was now in my midst. It has bare karst formations which are used by local rock climbers. 

We stayed under the shade of a small store by a road junction to spend our noonbreak. The lady storekeeper was most happy to serve us instant noodles and, later, just coffee for me. After an hour, after asking directions from her, we took the road on the left which goes up to the higher elevations of this unnamed peak. 

At 13:00, we huffed and puffed on an ascending road but, once we were on a level terrain, the road became unpaved and showed its true character. It was very shady, due to presence of a second-growth forest and there were no houses along the route. Another enchanting road that gave you the creeps. 

This was a rather long stretch and I liked it that way. I could see valleys below and the mountains that shaped this new landscape that I have seen for the first time. Beyond, far away, are familiar trysting grounds. Then the enchantment gave way to a small community and more of it as the gravelly road became concrete again and goes downhill. 

We now crossed into the village of Dapdap, Compostela. In a very spacious community shelter, we found rest at 14:30. I have never been in this part of Compostela. After 15 minutes, we proceed passing by a junction which led to the village center of Dapdap on the right and to another village, Mulao, Compostela, on the left. I took the left.

The road goes downhill, crossed a stream, goes a little up and goes down again and we were in another junction: the right goes to village center of Mulao while on the left to the village of Basak, Compostela. I know this part very well and what to expect. Just like yesterday, we climbed a hill in the morning and another in the afternoon. This time it was at lesser proportions and I know where I was going. 

We finally arrived at our resting place for the night at 16:00. It was not a parish that we were so privileged to rest for three nights but a humble home that a family had dedicated to welcoming pilgrims of the Camino de Santiago. This was the third time that Frank and Minnie Catampatan hosted me and my pilgrims and I could not find the happiest second home but here.

Woke up to the crowing of the cocks for this fifth and final day (June 22) of this Camino de Santiago from the North, we were treated to a good breakfast again. We were that pampered, thanks to Santiago de Compostela, who provided, from out of nothing, comfort, kindness, empathy, protection, nutrition, charity and piety. At 08:00, we left our kind hosts and proceed to finish this exploration and pilgrimage today. 

It was getting warm by the time we left Basak although the path was very shady. We were approaching the great highlight of all the three Camino de Santiago: the “Cross of Triumph”. This cross was erected in 2016 on top of a hill and is a hundred feet high, the biggest in the island of Cebu. Upon this cross, pilgrims leave their pebbles carried since Day One of their spiritual journeys. 

We arrived on the great cross in Bagalnga, Compostela at 09:15. I left another pebble. Renita, Erl and Grace did, likewise. Aside from pebbles, which actually represents our old self, we said our personal prayers here as well as prayer petitions from relatives, friends, classmates and neighbors, hoping for small miracles in their lives. These prayer petitions came in verbal requests or written on papers.

The morning was just so perfect. There was no pressure and we just enjoyed the view and prayed the five decades of the holy rosary facing the lowlands and the Camotes Sea. By 10:00, we went down the hill and followed a narrow concrete road down to a much busy road in Guila-guila and sate our thirst with cold soda drinks inside a small store at 10:45. 

After 15 minutes of my standard rest time, we walked again this busy thoroughfare, muddied and hosting puddles of turbid liquid after a hard rain last night. We turned right on a much better road but lacking in shades. It was now very warm and the road rose up but I know where it would take me. This was the last obstacle. 

We arrived at last at the Archdiocesan Shrine of Santiago de Compostela at 11:40. Bells herald our coming and the welcoming committee was most happy of our arrival for we had accomplished our mission: that of establishing and completing the third route of the Camino de Santiago for Cebu. Fr. Scipio Deligero had delivered his promise before ending his stint in this parish come August where another priest would assume his post.

Renita, Erl and Grace had the distinction of the only other pilgrims who walked this Camino de Santiago from the North, as well as that rare feat of walking both this northern passage and that of its much longer route from the south. All three have grasped the full meaning of being a pilgrim and so have found a different avenue of spirituality. However, Renita, most of all, had achieved a most rare deed: that of walking the three different routes of the Camino Cebu.   

On my part, the opportunity to work with the Roman Universal Catholic Church, notably with the Archdiocese of Cebu, and to my close devotion to St. James the Apostle, had transformed me into someone that I have not had dreamed of before. It was a calling and I answered it. I am in a unique situation after I helped establish the two longest routes of the Camino de Santiago here. 

This special relation granted me certain spiritual privileges, or indulgences, if you may, which I could never achieve with my sinful ways, past and present. This was more than monetary compensation, titles and prestige. My church is kind enough to give me certain earthly privileges as well to work as an independent guide. While it may have a certain air of prestige but, do not be misled, it is a very demanding work. 

Cebu now has three Camino de Santiago routes. The first one was the one from the south, starting from Badian, 175+ kilometers long and walked in ten days. It was established in 2017 and is now the premier route. The second is the one walked around Compostela and Liloan, which is 28+ kilometers and walked in two days. This was first walked in 2018 and is the most popular. Then we had the one from the north, walked in five days at 65+ kilometers.

iBuen Camino!

2021-045 | ADRENALINE ADVENTURE HIKE: SEGMENT IV-A

SEGMENT IV OF THE CEBU Highlands Trail is the beginning of where leisure mountain camping ends. The latter had been popular, especially at its two prominent peaks: Mt. Manunggal and Mt. Mauyog. These had been shaped by constant activities of outdoor clubs beginning in the ‘80s. What lies beyond is terra incognita or “no man’s land”. 

I decided to break that impasse by boldly walking through those areas in October 2015 with which places have confined the activities and stunted the growth of the collective outdoor community only on those two peaks because it was risky to do so. That exploration opened a corridor of passage where I eventually used during my Thruhike in January to February 2017.

Segment IV is divided into two sub-segments because of its length: Segment IV-A starts from Mt. Manunggal, Balamban and ends in Lawaan, Danao City. Segment IV-B takes off from Lawaan and finishes at Caurasan, Carmen. These were the very places which were frequented by armed groups in the ‘80s up to the earliest years of the third millennium. 

But Gian Carlo and Sheila Mei of Team Adrenaline Romance were ready. They understood that mindset which only long trails could provide. They honed this, starting from Mt. Manunggal to Mantalongon, Dalaguete, churning a mileage of 166.56 kilometers on four sets of weekends for Segment I, II and III. It was beyond my expectations considering that segment hiking the CHT was still an experiment yet. 

Experiment, in the sense, that I could not choose the people who desires to walk the CHT’s rugged length, the tyranny of the humid tropical climate, the remoteness from help and the very inquisitive locals. There was one major adjustment that I had made in the light of these and this was the deliberate reduction of pace. I cannot afford accidents in the middle of nowhere. I had to have a modicum of control on people’s movements, especially at places where you cannot observe them. Then, of course, there is the radio.

So the paths to the north of Mt. Manunggal were ripe for the taking on that day of September 29, 2018 and Team Adrenaline Romance were in the right place, at the right time, with the right person leading them to places where only a handful had been. Going with them were Apol and Swiss adventurer, Markus. This was the very first time that adventure tourism would be exposed on these misunderstood places. 

After a meet-up at the Ayala Mall van-for-hire terminal at 05:00, we cruised over the Transcentral Highway in a passenger van and to our preferred starting point, on a lonely corner where a feeder road led to Mt. Manunggal. On this very spot, Team Adrenaline Romance launched their campaign of the CHT seven months ago, which was the first half of Segment I. It was an extraordinary feeling for everyone who were here. 

We transferred by motorcycles-for-hire to the campgrounds of Mt. Manunggal and proceed to acquire something to eat for we simply forgot to eat breakfast, except for Markus. Then the journey for Segment IV lurched under a controlled pace at 07:15. The weather was mild but, once out of the mantle of fogs, it would be humid out there. We followed the route I explored in 2015 and it remained wild.

 

The forest had reclaimed what was theirs after a road was created in their midst. On a trail in between tall grasses, I spotted a large bird scat. It was made by a mature grass owl, perhaps a pregnant female. This was her breeding ground. Trees abound on both sides, 20 meters away and, ahead, were wild raspberries (Local: sampinit) which branches were heavy with succulent fruits. 

The path narrowed as we passed through it, plucking as many raspberries as we could and enjoying the freedom of the hills. We delighted the solitude of the moment, for we know, in five years’ time, people would come to settle and claim farm patches here. That would be alright if you are a subsistence farmer but what I feared really are outsiders who would buy rights to big chunks of land and then fence off both humans and beasts away in the name of “development”. 

I saw a couple of homesteads along the way but I know also that the lure of money from these outsiders would make them exchange their way of life for the lowlands, forfeiting their children’s rights to the land and its bounties. It is a cycle as moneyed lowlanders from the cities purchase properties to do “farming” while the true farmers on the mountains sold those rights to make a living in the urban areas. Then they exchange places, maybe in a hundred years. 

After snaking our way through that beautiful forest, we were met by wide open spaces – Cebu’s “Big Sky” – where you could see beyond the highlands rolling north before you without any obstacle. We stopped here for a while to rest and rehydrate. Markus carried with him binoculars and I saw better with a larga vista than with my own naked eyes.

With magnified vision, I noted Garces Peak of Asturias, Mt. Kalabasa and Mt. Mago of Danao, Ngipon sa Ilaga of Carmen and Mt. Kapayas of Catmon. Beyond was a blur of blue. All of these are on the fringes of Segment IV. These might be very far from where we stood but, in a matter of a day, we would be below Mt. Kalabasa. Another 2-and-a-half days, Mt. Kapayas. Team Adrenaline Romance have used my assessments to gauge their strength, stamina and rest time since day one of their journey. 

If Markus had brought a binocular, he would be bringing other items as well. While a binocular is a valued item, it is not a necessity on this long trail. He has a backpack with him and another big sling bag made of canvass. He answered to my appeal in bringing a gift for the grandchildren of Candelario Garces, who lived on a very remote mountain of Kaluwangan, Asturias. It was a board game and I decided to remove the burden from him and carry it myself.

We all carried extra loads for the Garces grandchildren. We would unload that tomorrow and we need to reach Cabasiangan first for the day was getting warmer. Tech1 Corporation, distributor of VERSA 2-Way Radios, loaned me a pair of their VERSA QuickTalk Go, for field tests. It is in FRS/UHF band which is ideal for urban areas with transmission distances of up to 200 meters but equally effective where there were no obstacles like unpaved mountain roads. I let Gian Carlo carry one of the pair. 

This heavily-furrowed road brought us to a small community which has a small store that sells cold soda drinks. They did not have something cold, this time, since a ref conked out. What the place had was a wounded, leopard cat (maral). It was breathing heavily half-alive and I cannot understand why people here did not put it out of its misery. Pity aside, it was my first time to see it so close, although I saw glimpses of this many times on the mountains. 

Leaving that poor animal, we decided to move on. We took a short cut but the imperious sun was still bearing its heat to our exposed skin no matter how we tried to be smart. As I was with Apol, a hundred meters away from the village center of Cabasiangan and waiting for them, my VERSA QuickTalk Go caught a transmission from Gian Carlo. I left my bag with Apol and proceed to their location. 

It was very warm at 11:15 yet I overtook a male local and appealed to him to carry a bag of one companion who may have been bogged down by the severe warmth. After a few minutes, Gian Carlo, Sheila Mei and Markus emerged with the local carrying a backpack. We thanked the local and paid him for his valuable services and we all decided to enjoy our noonbreak under the shade of a covered basketball court. 

At 13:30, we left Cabasiangan but not after ensuring that Markus gets a motorcycle ride down the lowlands and safety. The tropical heat was just too much for him. When we continued our journey, it was really warm. No amount of breeze could stymie the heat. We rest when we find a shady spot where there were no houses. We city people have habits, ways of talking and body language which locals might find unusual and might gave off a different connotation if espied.

 

We arrived at the village center of Ginatilan and, fortunately for us, their village chairwoman was present and I personally asked her approval to let us stay for the night at their old village square found at the bottom of this mountain where it meets the Lusaran River. It was downhill walk but, at least, it hid us from the overpowering heat of the mid-afternoon. At 16:00, we arrived there and claimed their granary as our billet area. 

On the second day, September 30, we left Ginatilan to cross the Lusaran River at 07:45. The water was just right as against the last time where it was thigh level. Everyone crossed the stream safely to the other side, which became the Municipality of Asturias. On the higher bank was a community square and a public school. 

Seen a familiar face. It was the farmer whom I talked to during my 2017 Thruhike. He was the son of a Korean War veteran and currently employed as a sentry in the said school. I gave him my extra Swiss Army Knife as my token of friendship and as my gesture to establish rapport in this place, as I did so on other places.  

Of course I printed certificates of appreciation for those villages which welcomed me during the CHT route explorations and the Thruhike. In Segment I, it was the village of Buot, Cebu City. In Segment II: Tubod, San Fernando. In Segment III: Mantalongon, Barili; Mompeller and Balaas, Argao; and Mantalongon, Dalaguete. Here, in Segment IV-A, I already gave Ginatilan. 

Soon, I would provide a different appreciation of thanks to Candelario Garces and his wife for welcoming me during the October 2014 exploration and for sharing what little food they had during the Thruhike where I passed by here last February 2, 2017. We have gifts for the Garces couple and their grandchildren. Yes, we have extra cargo but it would be worth its weight in bringing it here. 

I followed the trail up a ridge. It was another very warm day but I have one person less to look after this time. The view from up here was superb and you could see the serpentine path of the Lusaran River below, shining as the sun reflected its surface. I struggled with my breathing under the naked sun until I reached a forest line and stopped to rest, leaning my weight on a live tree. The canvass sling bag with its cargo were both heavy. 

After a few minutes of catching my breath, the covered trail led to a high meadow where there were two children playing. Instantly, the kids recognized me and respectfully took my hand to kiss it. The kids, a boy and a girl, were very happy and laughing to see visitors. They led us to their remote home. We finally arrived at the Garces Homestead at 09:40 and unloaded our gifts.

There was the expensive boardgame bought by Markus which I carried on his behalf. Gian Carlo and Sheila Mei unpacked their bags to produce two loaves of sliced bread, chocolates and more food. Apol has notebooks, pencils, ballpens, crayons and writing pads. On my part, I brought two books, four paracord bracelet assembly kits and free giveaways from a popular fastfood chain.

Apol was most helpful with her experience in dealing with children, orphans and youths in conflict with the law. She made the children overcome their shyness and sang and played with her. She even taught them how to create a paracord bracelet from the assembly kits. We gave all the food we brought to the beaming grandparents.

After an hour of rest and interaction with the two children, we bade goodbye and proceed on our journey to finish this sub segment. We were feeling blessed to impart something which would be appreciated very well by them as well as to their grandparents. It was a nice feeling and the hour-long rest was well deserved for the four of us. 

So I followed the rest of the trail through the graces of a kind memory. Sometimes I missed a path but most of the time I was correct. If I was in doubt, I brought out my compass for the cardinal directions. If it could not help me, I consult my map but it rarely came to that. Navigating in an almost unfamiliar terrain by memory sometimes burn you out.

When I missed a trail, I retraced my path until I found a familiar something. It could be a landmark, a familiar smell or just a gut feeling. But a chance meeting with a local is most valued. So I found the true path on the premise of the familiar and I found the unnamed river that separates Asturias from Danao City. It is a long descent and somewhere up ahead would be the pot of gold. 

We reached the bottom and prepared our lunch at a time. We are behind schedule. It was already 13:00. While Gian Carlo was at it, Apol and Sheila Mei took a dip on a deep pool of a stream where there was a small waterfall. God, it was so warm. I keep Gian Carlo company and exchanged stories to keep us occupied on dry ground. It was a good moment under the shade, recouping strength with coffee even on a very warm day! 

After a more than an hour of noonbreak, we crossed the stream and were now in Danao City. A path led to a large tree where there was a bull blocking the way. Although it was leashed, it could still reach us should we took any of the safest spaces to walk. The best thing to do is walk as one tight group so as to intimidate or confuse him. Small fries do that to keep at bay bigger fishes. 

There was a community and we moved through it and over a steep hillside which was bare and loose. Then we crossed a smaller stream and we were now in the village of Sacsac. We reached a paved road and stopped at a store to hydrate with cold RC Cola, just like I did during my thruhike here. For a good 15 minutes we took our rest ignoring a huge but empty jeepney calling out for passengers. We disregarded the opportunity, afraid that it may stay longer and ruin our itinerary. 

By 15:20, we moved out, following the ascending road that offered a view of the imposing karst formation and forest that was visible from yesterday’s walk. At the steepest part of the road, the empty jeepney roared ahead of us on its way to the Danao City terminal. Pride kept us grounded afraid to cheat for just a while. Anyway, after an hour of walking up several rises which seemed to have no end, we arrived the main road at Lawaan. 

We made it at 16:45 but, at this hour, in these places, transportation were scarce. After a longer wait, we were able to convince two motorcycle-for-hire drivers to ferry us down to the city center. Although downhill, the distance was great and we arrived 30 minutes later. We transferred to midget public jeepneys, dropping by at Liloan, to grace the opening of a friend’s halo-halo franchise and ingratiate ourselves with the specialty of the house to recover lost energies.

Team Adrenaline Romance, after Segment IV-A, have amassed a total of 190.05 kilometers and there is the Segment IV-B that is scheduled for October 13-14, 2018, which would surely goad them over the 200-kilometer mark and complete the first half of the CHT. That was a tough walk and the trail north has lots of these. But Team Adrenaline Romance is now in the groove of things of how the CHT ought to be walked…and enjoyed.  

Gian Carlo and Sheila Mei wrote about their Segment IV-A experience on the Adrenaline Romance Blog under two installments: 

Cebu Highlands Trail Segment IV-A: Mt. Manunggal to Ginatilan, Balamban.

Cebu Highlands Trail Segment IV-A: Ginatilan to Lawaan, Danao.

2021-043 | THE 3RD CAMINO DE SANTIAGO OF CEBU: DAY 3

WE PILGRIMS ARRIVED AT the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, Cantumog, Carmen yesterday afternoon, June 19, 2019; which was the second day of the inaugural pilgrimage of this third Camino de Santiago of Cebu. This route started from the St. James the Greater Parish, Poblacion, Sogod on the first day, June 18th. 

While this may be an exploratory walk, which the then parish priest of the Archdiocesan Shrine of Santiago de Compostela, Fr. Scipio Deligero, have commissioned me to be realized before he would end his term, it is also an educational campaign. My team of pilgrims played their role very well as the unofficial representatives of St. James or Santiago de Compostela. 

The pilgrims were Renita Reynes of Compostela; and journalists Erl Durano and Grace Lina. They were the only ones available when I knocked on former pilgrims for company. All were veterans of the Camino de Santiago of January 27-February 5, 2019, which arrival coincided with the 2nd National Congress of St. James the Apostle Parishes and Devotees hosted by Compostela. 

We were very blessed to have attended two Eucharistic Celebrations. The first was on the very first day, before we started from Sogod; and the second was here which was concelebrated by fourteen priests led by the parish priest, Fr. Fiel Suico, yesterday evening. This early morning of this third day, June 20, we would be blessed again to attend another Holy Mass. 

Fr. Fiel invited us for breakfast first with his guests, all of them his classmates in their seminary days. They were having a reunion and Fr. Fiel was the host. To everyone on the table, we explained the Camino de Santiago. They have heard of that but they never have an inkling that it was already established here since 2017. In fact, they were witnessing an actual Camino de Santiago with our presence. 

After breakfast, we proceed to the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish for another concelebrated Mass at 06:30 led by Fr. Fiel and seven other priests. It is good to be in the middle of all these. The adrenaline rush of an unexpected journey tempered by the familiar rites of my faith. The good thing is you get to know those who worked in the parish and listen to their stories. 

At 07:15, we bade goodbye to Fr. Fiel and his peers and the people who made our stay worthwhile. We were encamped yesterday on the fringes of the parish grounds where there where trees but, even so, we were invited to enjoy coffee, biscuits and fruits at the rectory when their parish priest was out. I have a souvenir from them – an avocado seed – which I intend to bury on the last day when we are at the Cross of Triumph.

I already know where Fr. Fiel would be next assigned and I hope we would meet again there in his new parish on another Camino Cebu. So was another classmate of his. Hefting my heavy High Sierra Titan 50 with much greater confidence, I set on leading this last of the Camino de Santiago from the north on its third day. We are going down a road which joined a wider but busier road.

We arrived at a part of this road where one goes to Caurasan and the other to Corte, where all the monasteries are. We chose the latter because it is in our itinerary. Surprisingly, despite its remoteness, the pavements are concrete. The width of the road is wide enough for two trucks. It goes steep and, along the way, we find mountain resorts that we thought never existed here. But there they were. 

At its steepest part, another road branched on the right. A concrete arch says we are at Saint Benedict’s Monastery. This one I have heard many times and I was tempted to explore the place. Monasteries are places of worship where isolation plays a big part in the residents’ spiritual growth and I might be visiting at the wrong hours?

The neat courtyards beckoned me the more to intrude into its solitude. There is a sense of holiness in the place, especially at the part where there is a long flight of stairs that led to a huge image of the Santo Niño de Cebu amongst the backdrop of verdant mountains. When I was about to turn back for the Camino de Santiago, a man came out from another flight of stairs and asked us of our purpose here.

We told him that we were just carried away by our curiosity. He identified himself as a priest but he has a different accent. He was from India and he was the administrator and spiritual director. He invited us instead to the monastery building where he explained the origin of their order and how did they started here upon learning that we were in a pilgrimage. 

Inside were beautiful paintings, statues and glass mosaics that you only saw in TV documentaries and encyclopedias and, later, in the Internet. It is as if we were in Italy or some other European city. One painting caught my interest. It was that of Pope John Paul II meeting Mother Teresa. Two of the holiest people in contemporary times who are now saints. 

In a corner was a glass showcase where the monastery sold items and souvenirs for their upkeep. All nice things! As I was choosing one from among the many, my attention was called upon by the arrival of a team of policemen from the Carmen Police Station. I have been expecting their presence since I made a courtesy call a week ago on their mother unit – the Cebu Police Provincial Office. 

After a photo documentation with the policemen, we decided to stay longer here by praying the five decades of the rosary inside the Our Lady of Manaoag Chapel. When we left the monastery, it was already 10:25, yet we managed to have our credenciales unexpectedly stamped with their seal. We have stayed more than an hour and we have far to go. 

Good thing, even at this hour, shades from an exotic mahogany forest occupied both sides of the road. We passed another Franciscan monastery but it is best that we do not disturb their solitude. We hiked on up this steep road until we were now at another corner where a sign says Cebu Safari and Adventure Park. 

Nearer to that is a small restaurant constructed out of two steel cargo containers. It is 11:10 and it is near noontime. Why not spend noonbreak here? For a good reason, I forego of cooking lunch when on the long trails. The lady pilgrims brought cereal bars and chocolates for nutrition to save on time and to enjoy a longer siesta.

By 12:00, we resumed our walk and finally reached level ground. No more uphills this time and it is lushly forested with a mix of exotic and indigenous trees. I have never been here and I believed we are now on the highest ridges of this mountain range in Carmen. The road feels so enchanting under the noontime day. This would be eerily dark at night. 

A concrete signpost says that we are in the village of Lanipga. Five minutes later, we were now on a road where there is another branch. I consulted my compass and the needle pointed favorably on the unpaved branch. This road goes downhill this time, passing by a well, then on to hillside farms.

We left the safety of the shady trees into paths lined with coconut trees. The warmth of the day became real once more. When a breeze slapped through you, what a relief it would bring, even though how brief. Communities began to take shape here. We stopped by a shed to rest away from the sun and we learned that we were now in Canhumayan, Danao City. 

I was now filling in the blanks that my itinerary could not identify right after leaving St. Benedict’s Monastery. There were so many surprises brought about on this third day of the Camino of the North. The familiar rush of adrenaline with the discovery of new places was revving up and playing on my juices. The weight on my back became nonexistent as I put forward one foot over the other. 

I have been navigating, most of the time, on dead reckoning and my directional sense have never failed me except of a few occasions where a blunder would cost me more time and energy and doubled the distance. Over the horizon is Mount Manghilao, which became my landmark. Below that hill is our theoretical destination.

Crossing a small stream, we are on another pebbly road which connect to a paved one which seemed to be busy. We arrived at a very busy corner next to a public school and enjoyed iced candy to cool ourselves. Crossing a small bridge, we were now following another steep road which seemed to have no end.

We were now tired. We just hurdled a mountain range in the morning. Now, in the middle of the afternoon, where our energy reserves were on the wane, another mountain range. The road bent and snaked its way up the hills until we saw the most welcome sign: San Pedro Calungsod Parish. It is 16:05 and we are in Masaba, Danao City. 

We were expected and Fr. Junly Cortes welcomed us into his parish. The parish is under construction but the rectory is very neat and modern, being new. I was assigned a room while the ladies have their own. Cold juice drinks were prepared and it is most appreciated by a thirst-tortured throat. Then I saw a small statue of St. James on a small altar near the balcony. We were almost home!