2021-037 | ADRENALINE ADVENTURE HIKE: SEGMENT II

AFTER TEAM ADRENALINE ROMANCE wrapped up Segment I of the Cebu Highlands Trail last February 25, 2018, it is expected that their next target would be Segment II. Unlike Segment I, Segment II is not divided into two sub-segments. It starts from where Team Adrenaline Romance left off last time for its first day and goes all the way south to Mantalongon Barili on the second day. Hopefully.

 

We choose May 18th, 2018 as the first day. The blogging couple, Gian Carlo and Sheila Mei, were there in the early hours at the Cebu South Bus Terminal. They were joined by Apol and Halourd. We left Cebu City at 05:30 bound for Lutopan, Toledo City. By 07:30, we were now at Lutopan and took a quick breakfast by the roadside. We hardly rested after and decide to proceed slowly at 08:15.

We followed down this highway to a corner where there is a feeder road to Bunga, Toledo City. It is already 08:32 and we are behind schedule by twenty minutes but it is not a big deal. No need to hurry. We checked our things for the last time before proceeding at 08:40. Remember, we finished Segment I in just a leisurely pace and got rewarded for that by bettering our itinerary by 30-90 minutes.

So, on we went, following this road in Bunga under the brunt of the sun, paved most of the time, but we were rewarded with native flowering trees growing along the road, since May is the month where almost all tropical plants became productive. The ricefields, which used to be Lake Bunga, are bare. Further up ahead, we stopped by to see the smaller Lake Poog, which still has water. 

After a 15-minute rest we continue over the rolling terrain until we came to a vantage point where we could clearly see Canlaon Volcano without its ever-present mantle of clouds. Ahead of us, the road tilt downhill for a good half-hour of walking but awed at the limestone rock formations which are good spots for rock climbing, especially at a monolith I referred to as “King Kong Rock”. 

This same road, I walked during the tenth day of my Thruhike of the CHT last January 2017, but in reverse, which was about 45 minutes from the bottom to the top. I had carried much heavier load then. It was harsh but it was necessary. Repeated again during the fifth day of the Camino de Santiago last July 2017. My load were the same as today but, just the same, it was harsh, even without.

Anyway, we were approaching Lamac, Pinamungahan. We passed by a local resort at 10:30 and stopped to rest and rehydrate with water and soda drinks. We did not tarry long for we were a half-hour behind schedule. We did not even enjoy that sight of a wonderful waterfall dropping from out of a cave. We followed the same road but, this time, many of it unpaved. 

It is a rural area where swamp buffaloes lay half-submerged in streams amidst the flat fields of rice whose tops are heavy and ready for harvesting. This rough road of dirt and gravel ended on a grassy meadow where there is a big tamarind tree bearing many fruits. We were now in Sibago, a very remote village of Pinamungahan. We decided to stop under the shade of the tree at 11:45. 

Since it was very warm, we decided to stay for 15 minutes to recover our strength because it would be uphill this time. A trail would pick up our route where the road ended. Halourd, Sheila and Apol, meanwhile, made themselves busy picking tamarind fruit from the drooping branches heavy-laden with fruits. 

Where the road ended, a trail picked up our route. The path goes up winding among big rocks. A few trees afforded shades but we pushed on. Despite the heat of the mid-day, we were consoled by a beautiful view of Lamac Valley from a higher elevation. We arrived at a road and crossed it and we are now in Bugho, San Fernando. Time is 12:30, good enough for lunch. 

After that much needed rest and a good dose of soda drinks, Team Adrenaline Romance went on with new vigor to finish the day starting at 13:30. We are still a half-hour behind schedule despite the many and long rests and the deliberate slow pace we churned. A trail opened before us but this one was different. It was carved by the sleds of so many generations of swamp buffaloes. 

Welcome to the “Carabao Highway”. It goes on a roll over easy rolling terrain with magnificent views of the valleys of Magsico and Anislagon. We were traversing on a long ridge and you could feel that you were in the middle of Cebu. Both Tañon Strait and Bohol Strait could not be seen as these were totally blocked by hills east and west of us.

We arrived at Tubod, San Fernando at 15:15, our campsite, and I immediately set out to the task of making a courtesy call to their village head. After finding their head unavailable after a lengthy walk, I proceed to look for the nearest residing village councilor. Fortunately for me, it was the next house. I got the lady councilor’s consent and I walked back another kilometer and set up our shelters. 

Tubod’s location is very remote. What it has is the elevation which gave you magnificent views of two valleys and a refreshing natural spring which gave the village its name. The water source is the center of the village where a community stage, a basketball court and a chapel are constructed nearby. I have slept here just once during the exploration phase of Segment II last March 2012. 

While we were in the middle of our cooking for our early dinner, a village official arrived and opened their chapel for our use. We were welcomed! I transferred my hammock inside the chapel as well as that of Apol’s. The chapel was big enough to accommodate the tents of Halourd and that of Gian Carlo and Sheila. We ate our supper at 18:00 and observed taps at 19:30. It rained at 23:00.

 

I woke up to the crowing of the cocks at 04:30 of the second day, May 19th. Sunrise was early but our location was wrapped in fogs. Sheila, Gian Carlo and Apol gets busy with our breakfast while Halourd tinkers something from his kit. The mist begun to dissipate as the sun lorded again the skies and then I heard a familiar noise of a drone which I never thought would be found here. It was Halourd’s.

It rose over us and moved forward then right and left in a semi-circle. It remained steady for a few seconds then it slowly went down guided by remote. In mid-air, it wavered and slapped a branch of a tree and crashed on the concrete basketball court. Pieces of it separated and we retrieved all, except one. There was a glitch in the software. Nevertheless, it provided a most magnificent footage of Magsico valley. 

We took breakfast at 06:30; then we broke camp. We bade goodbye to the residents at 07:30 and proceed on the second half of Segment II. We followed a road that goes on a long and winding way among hills and picturesque farms. We passed by Balungag, San Fernando and took a brief rest to rehydrate. Over rolling terrain, so remote and unmarked by humble homes for long stretches, we find solitude where only the songs of birds broke the silence. 

We arrived at Calidngan, Carcar City at 09:15 and, here, habitations were now grouped and, for just short stretches, another community. Here, we walked concrete pavements again which added to the warmth of the day. In Buenavista, Carcar City, we stopped to rehydrate with soda drinks. Motorcycles and Suzuki multicabs compete for road space and you have to give way.

We arrived at Valencia, Carcar City and decided to eat our lunch at 12:10 on a family-run eatery on a road junction. We enjoyed siesta for an hour and resumed our Segment II walk at 13:15. The world seemed to be on fire. Heat bounced off the concrete pavements producing glare and sweat-rimmed eyes. By the time we reach a place called Tapal, we took rest. Here, breeze were plenty. 

The road, this time, was unpaved but lacking in shades for most of the way. On a bare stretch, we found refuge underneath a water apple tree (Local: tambis) and, here, Halourd, Apol and Sheila took their fill of its fruit just like yesterday’s tamarind. We cannot combat the heat of the day but make light of it by foraging fruit and enjoying it. 

As the sun reached mid-afternoon, the shady places became scarce. Then I noticed something moving up ahead and it was gone when I focused my attention on it. Then there it was again and it was a blur of yellow. A bus! We are now on the verge of approaching the Carcar-Barili Highway but it is still far away, maybe two kilometers more to walk. 

The presence of the highway consoled everyone that we are now ending our journey in a matter of a half-hour, maybe less. Everyone were suffering from feet blisters and they felt that they not make a fuss out of it; shoulder aches from carrying too much load; and that unrelenting warmth of a mid-afternoon. The more pressure we placed on our strides the nearer those buses whizzing by up ahead.

We reached a road corner and we are now on the national highway. It is 14:30 but it is not yet over. We have to walk to Mantalongon Public Market, to claim the pennant of Segment II, which we did at 14:45. We waited for these buses which, an hour ago, have been calling our attention from a distance, tempting us to walk faster so we can have our dream ride. In reality, they have no seats for us!

We hired an empty tricycle, thank God, and it brought us to a bus stop in Carcar City. From there, we were able to ride but we found ourselves standing along the aisle. By and by, some passengers disembarked, Sheila and Apol first got the seats; then Halourd, then Gian Carlo. Last was me and it was already near the Cebu South Bus Terminal. Loser’s luck! 

Segment II was not an easy route despite it being walked on roads most of the way. Some of these roads were trails when I explored it in 2012. Although the terrain is rolling and scenic, there were parts where there were hard uphill climbs. It has an approximate length of 47.81 kilometers. The terrain, the climate and the distance is the least of your challenges. The biggest challenge is you. 

Team Adrenaline Romance, toned by Segment I, developed that stamina and discipline and that mindset which only long-trail hikers could understand in Segment II. They now ratcheted a total of 112.41 kilometers for Segment I and Segment II and claimed 25 percent of the Cebu Highlands Trail. They were not in a hurry but the CHT is a bucket list and they are committed to claim that bragging right sooner than you would expect.

Gian Carlo and Sheila Mei wrote about their Segment II experience on their Adrenaline Romance Blog under two installments:

Cebu Highlands Trail Segment II: Lutopan to Tubod. 

Cebu Highlands Trail Segment II: Tubod to Barili.

MAN-SIZED HIKES XXVI: Lutopan-Tubod-South Poblacion

ONE OF THE BEST TRAINING route for stamina and endurance which I first tried in August 2012 for the Camp Red Bushcraft and Survival Guild. It follows Segment II of the Cebu Highlands Trail, coming from Lutopan, Toledo City but it veers down the coast once you reach Tubod, San Fernando. I miscalculated its length though, based on an estimate, and measured it at around 31 kilometers. Actually, I found out later that it is more than 41 kilometers.

The Camp Red Bushcraft and Survival Guild has a few requirements for membership and one of these is called the Selection Hike. It is a cross-country day hike that needs to be finished in under twelve hours. This present long day hike is the first time that I would implement strict time pressure. Although, this is a guild activity, I considered many non-applicants to join so local residents would get used to our presence and activity.

Thirty-six signified their intention online but only twenty-eight committed individuals arrived at the assembly place at 7Eleven, across the Cebu South Bus Terminal, at 05:00 of October 8, 2017. We board a bus bound for Toledo City and arrive at 07:00 at the outskirts of Lutopan, now known as Don Andres Soriano. Across the highway is the village of Bunga and there is a road which, many years ago were mere paths of residents.

At 07:10, the Selection Hike begun. The day is starting to go warm but it is nothing. Adrenaline is on our side. We passed by Bunga, some upland rice farms and Lake Poog. Due to an unusual number of participants, six Camp Red regulars accompanied me. They are Jhurds Neo, Aljew Frasco, Jonathaniel Apurado, Justin Apurado, Christopher Ngosiok and Jingaling Campomanes. Half of them have been here.

Six of the participants are members of the triathlon team of the Municipality of Liloan and I expect a torrid pace, which I do not want to happen. Although we are under time pressure, this is not a race, and I have to curtail the speed that would accommodate the slowest. Besides that, I am not that young anymore and I need reserves of energy during the last stretch, which would be to the coastal highway.

We go down the valley of Lamac, in Pinamungahan, and reach its market at 10:00. Here, participants and veterans take time to rest, rehydrate and take snacks. After 15 minutes, we continue and crossed a spillway to another village of Sibago. The valley is humid and it begins to take its toll on some of the participants. Rest spaces under any shade are most welcome as the pebbled road begins to create pressure to the soles. 

Going out of Sibago is climbing up a trail that is bare and rocky. Except for three of my wards, the rest do not know that there is a store selling cold softdrinks and I relied on that presence so I could have a modicum of control for the weaker hikers. The triathlon team is still strong, much more so with marathoner Eduardo Eduria, the most senior among us yet possesses the greatest stamina.

We overcome a hill and we are on to a road that is the boundary of Pinamungahan and San Fernando. Just a few meters is the store and how everyone loved to just sit and relax and eat bread, energy bar or good old raisins and peanuts paired with cold softdrinks. I did not allow a long break this time like we used to in the early selection hikes where we cook food with real fire. I, myself, has bread as my meal. 

 

We have an hour of break and that is part of the time needed to finish this test in under 12 hours. We arrive here at 11:30 and, by 12:30, we proceed on our quest. We will be treading this time on a dirt trail that was carved by sleds of many generations of swamp buffaloes, which I loved to call as the “Carabao Highway”. It is a scenic trail that passes on a single ridge of mountains that goes north and south and is found exactly in the middle of Cebu.

This is my sixth time to walk this beautiful trail and the last time was leading eight pilgrims during Cebu’s first Camino de Santiago last July 2017. It was raining then and the path was muddy, slippery and nasty. I thought I heard thunder from afar and I looked back to see dark clouds northeast of us. We are walking south and making distance from it. Suddenly, the afternoon air is cooling down. Breeze blow from our back and it is so soothing.

We arrive at a concrete marker. It is square with the names of the places at each face. This is where the most scenic spots can be seen. You would not see the sea on each side of the island from here but the valleys of Magsico and Anislag are a dramatic sight. We have passed the part where the trail is carved a meter deep by the sleds and the ground from hereon are hard sod. It is now 14:30 and there is a threat of thunderstorm behind us.

We reach the village of Tubod after 25 minutes. This is the midpoint of our Selection Hike and there is a good water source here which comes deep from the ground. We only halted for a while to top off water bottles and then we proceed down the road to the direction of the coastal highway. We stop by a store to rehydrate on cold softdrinks for about 10 minutes but we were off again, spurred on with beating the 12-hour limit.

The road goes down until we arrive at a bridge and this is now the difficult phase. It goes uphill and uphill. Road rises, which you thought was the end of it but, once over the top, you see more. Hiking from Lutopan to Tubod was hard already and you expect to claim the reward of your troubles by following the last half of the journey in splendor. This was not to be and two of the participants decide to end their journey. They thought this was picnic.

Those who persevered would discover that, right after the endless road rises, are another endless downhill stretches. Our foot soles are now tender to the constant pounding on hard surface like pavements of asphalt and concrete. I would prefer walking on the side of the roads where there are grasses but underneath it are hidden pebbles which would be painful when stepped upon, a concession you receive when you wear light hiking shoes.

I arrive at the village of Magsico after a series of horseshoe bends. There is a store that I knew from last time to enjoy cold softdrinks because we will have a long way to go and too few daylight hours left. It is now 16:30 and I am worried about the rest for they begin to feel pain. There will be more downhill stretches beyond here although not that steep anymore. The hard part here is that it is a broken road strewn with holes and pebbles.

When some of the participants arrived, I resumed towards our destination for the day. Twelve came with me while the other thirteen needed a breather. The line stretched long this time. Pain on the soles and knees, fatigue and humidity were the culprits. This time, pain on the weight of the backpacks came bearing on our shoulders. The contents inside the bag are just water, extra t-shirt, a knife and a first aid kit. Gravity multiplied the weight.

We passed by the village of Tabionan at dusk. Pebbles are all over the road while asphalt pavements stubborn enough to withstand rain and heavy vehicles remained, creating a patchwork of lunar-like landscape. You have to find the best spots to step on and you need light. I do not have to use one since all behind me started to light their way. Motorcycles passed by leaving trails of dust and annoying muffler roar.

You cannot always walk on the best places because these are marked by motorcycle drivers, locals who knows every inch of the road and they always travel at full speed. They cannot brake and wait for you to step aside. If they do, they would steer wildly sideways. Most of the time, they do not honk their horns and, sometimes, their motorcycle headlight is not functioning. You can see their narrow well-beaten paths on both sides.

You cannot walk at the outermost, on the shoulders, and you certainly cannot walk on the middle. You walk single file and warn each other of oncoming motorcycles and step aside together. You stay alert and keep conversations and jokes to a minimum. Silence, borne out of coping pain, step after step, becomes mandatory. You go slow or fast, pain is still there. Then you see light coming from a cement factory and your morale goes high.

There are two cement plants in San Fernando and the one operated by Taiheiyo Cement Corp. is the one where we are bound to. The visible light comes from its smoke stack but it is still three kilometers away. I see a light behind me in a long line bobbing left and right and I thought I saw a few walking lights some 300 meters away. That is a good sign. We will overcome pain and we will reach our destination safely. 

  

I arrive first at South Poblacion, San Fernando with Eduardo Eduria, Maria Theresa Lanit, Jenmar de Leon and the Liloan Triathlon Team and they all made it in 11 hours and 37 minutes. Next to come are Rany San Juan, Rodel Arnejo and Christopher Ngosiok at 11:38. Coming too at 11:39 are Locel Navarro and Justin Apurado. Then you have Mark Moniva, Joy Delantar and two guests at 11:44. Randy Salazar nipped the bud at 11:59 for that 41.64 kilometers of happy torture.

For those who did not make it, there is always a next time and it would not be here, thankfully. Honestly, I cannot do this all the time. I had a hard time up there. My age caught up with me. Besides, I was nursing a pinched nerve in my lower vertebrae and, although pain was tolerable, it was annoying. It limited my movement and I have to think about it all the time, keeping in mind not to over exert.  

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Some photos by Christopher Ngosiok

CAMINO CEBU JOURNAL: Day Five and Day Six

DAY FIVE :::: THE STAY INSIDE THE HIDDEN Valley Mountain Resort, in Lamac, Pinamungahan, last night had taken away the burrs of fatigue and emotional torment that the pilgrims have unconditionally accepted in return for that rare privilege of walking the Camino de Santiago – their own Camino – for the past four days. The cool night bath, repeated again this early morning, had freshened up the tired bunch. The soft bed, well received by a sore body last night, became an object that we found again hard to leave behind. 

The last two days of walking I found unbelievable. 53.33 kilometers! Can you dig that? It simply defied reality and a long argument between the numbers and my own calculations took place and the numbers were winning. That in just a total of 21 hours walk! How could that be? Of course, we rode a patrol jeep on Day Three for around 45 minutes at Libo, Sibonga to Dakit, Barili, and that would be 4 to 5 hours walking for the same distance but, would that made a difference to the journey? For me it did not. The load I carried since Day One are still the same. It should have lightened up if we follow our food plan.

Today, July 10, 2017, is Day Five of the pilgrimage. We lived on the generosity of the parishes that hosted dinners for us for four nights and breakfasts too. That also include a bath and a cozy place under the protection of a roof. Probably, another parish this night would open its sacred doors for us. Fr. Scipio “Jojo” Deligero seemed to be in a different mood today. He fully knows that the most challenging “principalities” are beginning to lose its grip on us as we crept slowly closer and closer to our destination north.

But there is one thing that kept tearing at my mind. Yesterday’s ride. The offer of conveyance from the cops of Sibonga was hard to refuse and it seemed like it came from heaven. I tried to protest the free ride but who am I to question Providence? Like I said, there is a parallel universe in the heavens for navigating the Camino de Santiago. If it benefited the pilgrims, it would, perhaps, benefit me. I hope it would. I still carry our food supply in its untouched state, you know.

Rev. Fr. Wilfredo Genelazo, our host, came to fetch us and brought us all back to the San  Isidro Labrador Parish for breakfast. His parish exists from modest contributions of the communities he served. These are just small tokens and for as long as he respect the other faiths of his part-time parishioners. These other faiths are a conundrum of mixed Christian and indigenous beliefs which survived in the village of Lamac and these have influence on the affairs of people’s lives there. All told there are 27 different pseudo-Christian sects competing with the Roman Catholic faith and Protestant churches for the salvation of souls. A stronghold.

We leave at 09:00 and my second, Jonathaniel Apurado, is good for another long walk behind the last of the pilgrims and he seemed to enjoy the company of Roman Catholics. He is a Protestant and he does not mind. It is all about the soul, you see. The Camino de Santiago does not discriminate. It is open to all who has an open mind and a humble heart. When we had overcome the last rise, Mizar Bacalla begins the rosary while Fr. Jojo, Mayor Joel Quiño, the couple Roderick and Jemmelyn Montesclaros, Roger Montecino and Alvie Rey Ramirez, replied with a string of Hail Marys. We are now entering Toledo City.

Mayor Joel is the incumbent mayor of the Municipality of Compostela, from where all the pilgrims came from, except me and Jon. His participation is a commitment for the future of Compostela. Its being a namesake of the original Compostela of Spain is something that should not be left to the mercy of the four winds. Nor its favorable position in sharing the same patron saint and a relic which originally came from there. The town has to rise from the trivial and the idea of introducing the Camino de Santiago to Asia is well received by many of the faithful.

The Camino does not deprive the far provinces of the faith and to those who cannot afford the expensive travel to Spain. The Camino could be everywhere and could be in anybody’s heart. Tangible steps have to be made to establish one in Cebu and our Fr. Jojo and Mayor Joel crossed that line of the impossibility. I, too, shared in that idea. I have a great purpose in participating this pilgrimage which could have been predetermined when I was still in the womb of my mother. In all my life before this, the Camino or its equivalent takes up some of my reflection time.

I am not toying with obsession. I could have but I am humble enough to recognize that I do not have the resources to engage in it nor the skill to fleece people’s money so I could proceed there. I am just a servant and discernment of invisible messages is my eternal task. I move in God’s own time and so here I am in Cebu’s version of the Camino de Santiago. It overlapped my own creation – the Cebu Highlands Trail – which I walked and finished in 29 days last February 2017. Never did it occurred to me that I would walk this same route again in a span of six months, this time for the Camino.

 

My 55-liter High Sierra Titan backpack is heavy as was the first day. My most important cargoes are my original Camino passport now stamped with five seals from five different parishes, a bleached scallop from Compostela, Spain with a red-painted St. James cross and a pebble from my doorstep. I may add a fossilized scallop I found in Dagatan, Badian. A camera would have been useful to document what I saw and discovered but I trust Jon and Alvie to share me what photos they took afterwards. The photos guide me in my writings of my online journal and blog contents. I am the author of this 10-year old blog.

By this time, the effects of two multivitamins a day and a capsule of Natural Raw Guarana would work on the stamina of the pilgrims. I used this same formula during the Thruhike and I know the day when it would finally fill your body system and give you that much needed boost to push ahead day in and day out. The day is warm. It would only slow them but it would not tire them. The road bounced the sun’s heat to our faces and bodies and there are a few shady places. For want of that, I increased my pace and arrive at the village of Bunga at 10:30. Another waiting game.

For sure, they would have passed by a roadside stall selling jackfruits and beside it is another stall selling food. Cooked warm food. I would have stopped there earlier but the glare was too much and the heat radiates from the paved road. I am sitting in a very cool place munching on my energy bar and Titay’s Rosquillos and sipping a cold Coca Cola. After an hour of waiting, they finally passed and I rejoined them. We reached the Naga-Toledo National Road and we opt to bypass the big village of Don Andres Soriano by walking on the same highway.

A strong storm overtook us and we decide to take shelter under whatever awnings we could find. We just stood there for around twenty minutes or so to wait out the rain. It was already 12:30 when we lurched forward for our destination of the day: the San Pedro Calungsod Parish, in the village of Cantabaco, Toledo City. The abrupt change in the weather system have made walking on the road better. We arrive at the parish at 14:25 and Rev. Fr. Armando Orehuela is very accommodating and showed us the rooms to spend the night.

After refreshments and snacks, some of the pilgrims took a bath and washed their clothes at the back of the rectory, trying to take advantage of our early arrival and enough time to do chores which were denied them for the past four days. I would take a bath early morning tomorrow but, for now, I joined Fr. Jojo and Fr. Arman in a discussion about the latter’s aquarium containing riverine vegetation. Then I found out that I got blisters on my toes. I let it be and tomorrow it will be dressed. A bottle of cold beer came my way and I cannot refuse.

DAY SIX :::: WE ARE NOW ON THE second half of the Camino de Santiago today, July 11, 2017. Day One to Five was now history and the worries that hound me for the past five days are still there, although a bit slighted by the idea of hurdling only five days more. I am refreshed by the early morning bath and I am now plugging my blisters with Band-Aids. I checked on the other pilgrims’ toes and theirs are not too good either. Jemmelyn has all ten of her toes bedecked with Band-Aids. The petroleum jellies I bought as part of our first-aid supply would now be most useful. They ignored it when their toes were healthy then.

The next vulnerable part – the inner thighs – have not been affected. I also bought three pairs each of elastic undershorts for each pilgrim. It is quite amusing to see Fr. Jojo trying one and he found it unmanly at first but soon found out that it is more comfortable than wearing a brief. You know how older guys are, especially those who are brought up in a traditional environment tend to accept change in the way of how they think, feel and look but, once the undershorts were worn, they began to like it. Just like tinkering a smartphone. That goes for Roger and Mizar too and maybe Mayor Joel. They changed one everyday and washed the worn pair to remove abrasive salt crystals.

After a lovely breakfast and the stamping of the passports with the sixth seal, we say goodbye to Fr. Arman at 08:45. Fr. Arman instructed me the way to the next parish, which would now be in the highlands of Cebu City. It would be very enticing for me since I have not been there before. We follow the road once more but the temperature is cooler here, maybe because of the presence of a man-made forest which we get to pass at the village of Camp 7, of the municipality of Minglanilla. The pilgrims’ stamina have now increased and are now used to the abrupt changes in terrain difficulty and weather.

We stop by at a small store in Lantawan, in the village of Sinsin, Cebu City. With cold soda drinks, they finally munch on their energy bars, Titay’s rosquillos and biscuits. Fr. Jojo complained as he felt something unfulfilling inside. He eats another bar. He does not know how energy bars work. It works the same like the altar bread when introduced with water. It bloats inside your stomach. After an hour, we proceed. We passed by the famous Sinsin Ridge that stalled American forces during their campaign to take the Katipunero stronghold of Sudlon. It has a narrow passage that is now heavily eroded caused by heavy usage of quarry trucks.

The road begins to ascend and ascend and ascend like it is going to heaven. It is concrete but the roadsides are thickly vegetated, giving you enough shade. There are many places here where you could establish campsites. The Sudlon Mountain Range is a place that exudes an aura of mystery and most of its trails and remote peaks beyond the habitations had not been visited by urban hikers.  Slowly, inch by inch, we are now in the village of Sudlon I. Sudlon hosts a large community of an indigenous cult that is a mix of Christianity and spirit worship. It was established by the late mystic, Hilario Moncado.

The climate begins to go cooler as we reach higher elevations. The heat of the sun do not bother us anymore. We are sweating hard because of the effort yet we were not tired. We reach a very populated community where a road sign says, with an arrow for emphasis, that we are on the right direction to the St. John the Baptist Quasi-Parish. We arrive there at 16:45 and, just a few minutes after, thick fogs cover us and the church. I am a bit disoriented by its sudden appearance. I could not relish anymore the beauty of the landscape that I saw a few minutes ago.

 

The parish priest, Rev. Fr. Bernardo Oyao, was not present. He was on a personal errand and has to travel downtown. Anyway, his staff expected our coming and welcomed us inside. The rectory, which doubled as the living quarters of the priest, shielded us from wind chill. Fr. Jojo and Mayor Joel used the room of the absent Fr. Bernard while the office was now the refuge of the Montesclaros couple. Despite the cold weather, a few bold pilgrims took a bath. I would have but I decide not to at the last minute. Perhaps, I would have that tomorrow morning.

The parish is made of concrete, painted white, with the bell tower located on top of the main door. It is facing a deep valley and the faraway Babag Mountain Range, with its distinct feature of one peak crowned with many telecommunication and television towers. That range is my playground and I have not seen it from the vantage of Mount Tabla, a peak that is 2,342 feet above sea level, where I am standing beside. I asked Fr. Jojo about the difference of a parish from a “quasi-parish”, but it is still God’s Country, nevertheless.

Meanwhile, the helpful staff of Fr. Bernard cooked a very enticing brew: a steaming broth of pork knuckles. Despite the cooler climate, I could feel minute fingers of sweat streaming slowly down my temples as the soup warmed up my body. Outside, the wind howled and it would be foolish for me to sleep outside. After that very filling dinner, I found the dining table a very good place to stretch for the night. Not on the table top but underneath it. I unrolled my Therm-a-Rest sleeping pad on the cold tiled floor and inspected my bruised toes before saying goodnight at a late hour of 20:30. 

Total Distance Walked: 24.38 kilometers.

  Highest Elevation Gained: 2,342 feet. 

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CAMINO CEBU JOURNAL: Day Three and Day Four

DAY THREE :::: HIS STRONG FAITH, CARRIED HIM to two days of difficult terrain, a blunder on the first day, extreme pain, unrelenting fatigue, fear of heights and a disdain of early morning baths. Rev. Fr. Scipio “Jojo” Deligero, suffering from problematic gout on both ankles, remained unshaken. If he dropped out on the first day, the first Camino de Santiago in Cebu would have been placed in a shaky debut. But the devil cannot have his party yet. We are still in the game. 

We have churned a total of 38.80 kilometers in 26 hours of walking spread in two days and that is unbelievable, considering that the people I led barely walked outside of their homes and workplaces. The long hours were caused by a controlled pace I imposed to keep Fr. Jojo in the flow. Let us see how the pilgrims would fare in Day Three? The worst happened in Day One. It is the crucible, the deciding moment, if ever a pilgrim should abandon or proceed with his pilgrimage.

Today, July 8, 2017, is part of the dance with destiny which started two days ago. Not just for me and the rest of the pilgrims but also for the Archdiocese of Cebu, the Province of Cebu, the Municipality of Compostela and the Archdiocesan Shrine of Señor Santiago de Apostol, the parish for which Fr. Jojo is performing his sacerdotal duty. To walk it is a sacred undertaking where your soul would benefit. Yes, it is a spiritual journey.

The Camino de Santiago is a route in Spain which is more than a thousand years old and is walked by millions of pilgrims to through so many generations. It follows the route of St. James the Apostle when he left Jerusalem to fulfill his vows as one of the chosen twelve. The journey starts from your doorsteps and ultimately wind up at Compostela, a place in Galicia, where our own Compostela in Cebu got its name. Fr. Jojo wanted a Camino here.

 

My pilgrimage indeed started two days ago from my home and I am now awoken by my preset alarm in the compound of the Our Lady of Immaculate Conception Parish, here in the village of Colawin, Municipality of Argao. After I had bathed, I am all set to hear an early morning mass to be celebrated together by Rev. Fr. Mario Villacastin and Fr. Jojo. I feel blessed to hear concelebrated masses for three straight days. 

One of those who walked his own Camino is the incumbent mayor of the Municipality of Compostela – Hon. Joel Quiño. Mayor Joel have prepared himself for this occasion. He would surely be missed behind his desk, along with those volumes of documents which need to be scrutinized, re-studied and signed. But where communication signals are present, he cannot escape answering the mobile phone.

The rest of the pilgrims are the couple Jemmelyn and Roderick Montesclaros, Mizar Bacalla, Roger Montecino, Alvie Rey Ramirez and Jonathaniel Apurado, who is my subaltern and is assigned to sweep the rear. Jon have fulfilled that task during that historic Thruhike of the Cebu Highlands Trail which we did in 27 days and 400+ kilometers from Liloan Point, Santander to Bulalaque Point, Daanbantayan.

This was the Thruhike that caught the attention of Fr. Jojo from which this Camino de Santiago is now being walked after being hatched just 3 months ago. This pilgrimage route here in Cebu, would start from the St. James the Apostle Parish in Badian and would end at the Archdiocesan Shrine of Señor Santiago de Apostol in Compostela. It would follow some stretch of the CHT which would be rugged, undulating and scenic. Instead of among bushes, we would sleep in rectories.

So there is no need really to carry those bulky tents but all of us have hammocks and tarpaulin sheets. Then again, I am beginning to question myself of the wisdom of bringing these hammock sets with them? The mountain parishes can accommodate any number of pilgrims in their rectories and where space is wanting they can always knock on the kindness of their parishioners.

If and when Cebu’s Camino de Santiago would become established and be renowned, the influx of pilgrims would create an economy which would favor the mountain communities found along the route. Mountain parishes are lonely and remote for any priest to be stationed in and can bring about the best in their sacred office or, hopefully, not their worst. A visit from people outside their places would lighten up their faces and break the tedium of everyday living in far-out locations.

I believed Fr. Jojo had foreseen all these things and it is his mission, a divine one, in spite of the physical pain he is enduring day in and day out. After our provisional passports were stamped by Fr. Mario, we left his parish at 08:00, walking up the road towards the next stop. The day is sunny and warm. In a few more hours, this warmth would be intense and would bore into each pilgrim’s resolve.

 

I am used to extremes of weather and the harshness of the mountain terrain but I cannot comprehend how they could still keep up with my pace, even if I deliberately controlled it. At this moment, pain would be most felt. Are they hiding something? I see now. They carried less. The heaviest would be water and those hammock sets. They need not worry about their food. Jonathan and I carried it all and there is no sign that the supply will ever be consumed. That would be less weight, if ever. But when?

The “Vegetable Highway” brought us to the village of Bae, in the Municipality of Sibonga. I sent a text message to the Sibonga Police Station about our presence. After more kilometers of walking and I did not see them anymore when I looked back. This road twisted among and along hills and valleys. I arrive at the village of Libo at 10:30 and waited for them. It is not difficult to find their way to where I am for there are habitations lining along the route where they could just ask directions.

After 15 minutes of waiting, I sent a text message to Jon. Signal is erratic and I gave up. 30 minutes became 90 minutes and my furrows are now deep. Just when I went back to find them, I saw them midway inside a police patrol jeep laughing. Policemen were dispatched by their station to provide security and assist us if need be. They already had and are now reluctant to drop them all here. I loath joining them in a free ride. An hour of ride would be about 4-5 hours of walking in the same distance.

I just hope that nobody would see us or understood what we were doing. That idea have not come of age yet but, to my conscience, that is cheating. Forget it. I am thinking like a human again. Leave that to God’s hand. I cannot question Fr. Jojo’s wisdom. His thoughts are much deeper than mine. I am just the pathfinder and the terrestrial navigator. Interpreting divine interventions are beyond my understanding. Navigation, it seems to me, has a parallel universe in the heavens.

The patrol jeep drop us finally at the village of Dakit, in the Municipality of Barili. They took a longer route. Of course, the policemen could not drive over a trackless mountain direct to the village of Mantalongon. It would need feet to do that on a trail that is still in my memory. Oh yes, I just navigate by memory. The CHT was explored, completed and hiked through without the aid of satellite navigation systems. I preferred traditional means.

We walk the Carcar-Barili Road until we reach Mantalongon at 15:02. This village hosted me and Jon last January during the Thruhike and it was not difficult to find the location of the San Isidro Labrador Parish here. Rev. Fr. Dennis James Acedo welcomed us to his parish and hosted a dinner later on our behalf. We stayed in the old rectory for the night and the rest was most welcome.

DAY FOUR :::: I WOKE UP THE WAY I liked it to be, earlier than 05:00, as is printed on the itinerary today, July 9, 2018. After taking our baths and breakfast, we left the San Isidro Labrador Parish at 06:42. But not after our provisional passports were stamped with the parish seal by Fr. Dennis himself. I was amused at the good priest doing everything beyond priestly duties to keep his parish afloat in such difficult times and it would be best I not tell you. The stay has given us plenary indulgence since it is the jubilee year of the church. 

We followed the highway going to the boundary of Carcar City. An unpaved road to the left would be our route to the next stop tonight. The pilgrims start to recite the rosary on its third day while I sent a text message to the Carcar City Police Station. We are now on the approaches of the village of Valencia and there is a brand new concrete road. It is a warm day and the weight carried inside my 55-liter High Sierra Titan had not changed since Day One.

When you are on concrete pavement you tend to walk faster. Your mind is analyzing the length and angle of the shadows. The sooner you get out from there, the better. Valencia is a highly populated semi-urban setting and that scene would repeat itself as we walk into the next village of Buenavista. Roderick, Jem and I waited for them in a small parish of  Santo Niño de Cebu. The shady trees on the patio shielded us from the heat of the 10 o’clock sun.

 

A text message from Jon woke up my Cherry Mobile U2. They were looking for us. I gave them my direction but they interpreted it through another route. Jesus, they took the wrong way and they are a half hour ahead. I did not retrace my steps but proceed on where one of these roads would lead us. I increased my pace and the couple Roderick and Jemmelyn are game enough to increase theirs. We crossed a big bridge and we are now on the village of Calidngan. 

My group arrive first at the San Isidro Labrador Parish at 11:30. After an exchange of text messages with Jonathan, they finally found their way and reach the parish at 11:40. Rev. Fr. Benjie Contapay arrived from his sacerdotal visits in one of the villages at 11:45. He welcomed us all and gathered his staff to prepare food for us. Just lying down on the bare tiled floor under the shade of a roof is most welcome. Siesta before a meal. Whatever. My body direly needed it.

We get to take lunch at 12:30. I took many servings. We like it. For this day, nobody touched their energy bars. Warm food is better. By miles. After the fulfilling meal and the cold refreshments, the temptation to go horizontal again is so strong but we have a long way to go. By 13:00, we say goodbye to Fr. Benjie and his staff and took to the rough roads once more and encountered our first rain. In an hour, we were now crossing over to the village of Balungag, Municipality of San Fernando and I immediately dispatched a text message to their police station.

At 16:00, we are now at the village of Tubod. A free-flowing natural spring refreshed us and we topped off our water bottles. From hereon, we would be traversing over the “carabao highway” towards the next Municipality of Pinamungahan. This is a trail that had been carved deep by many carabao sleds over the years and today I have seen and walked it for the very first time in its muddy state. It is quite nasty and tricky. I can hear angry and excited voices behind me. I slipped once but I cannot know of how many times each pilgrim had.

The slow progress carried us till dusk. By the time we reach a road it was already 18:00 but the presence of a store selling cold drinks brought back the pilgrims’ strength and composure. Across us is another trail, downhill and rocky. In daylight, you could see the Lamac Valley but it is better to negotiate it at nighttime with Fr. Jojo. He just cannot stand looking from a high place. He can never be a saint. You see, saints are placed on a high pedestal on the highest places outside of a church facade. Haha! Just joking.     

 

Guided by lights and by helping hands, Fr. Jojo made it safely down to the village of Sibago, in Pinamungahan. It is 19:45 and the other pilgrims kept asking me how far the village of Lamac is. Signs of fatigue and pain. They now felt it all. Who would not. I felt it too and the pain on both my feet are great as well as on my shoulders where the pads of my heavy backpack rubbed. We are now walking on dirt road and I was hoping to find a motorcycle for Fr. Jojo. It never came and, in these places at these hours, everything stops to a standstill.

Stepping on a concrete road raised everyone’s morale. A few houses still have lights and then, after more walking, the first local seen outside a house. We asked when there is someone out there. Nobody trusts people who travel in darkness. Everyone is suspicious of us even though we have a Roman Catholic priest and a municipal mayor in our midst. Of course, we do not advertise that with banners and megaphones. We are just pilgrims walking on the Camino de Santiago. We liked it that nobody shows interest on what we do. The hinterlands are quite different from urban areas.

At 21:00, after negotiating a few streets, we arrive at the San Isidro Labrador Parish of Lamac. Rev. Fr. Wilfredo “Boy” Genelazo welcomed us with a case of cold beer, cold lemon juice and a warm dinner since he knew of our coming. After almost an hour of happy conversations, Fr. Boy facilitated for our free stay inside the Hidden Valley Mountain Resort. As soon as I got settled for a half hour, I took a bathe. Dreamland automatically took over.

Total Distance Walked: 53.33 kilometers.

  Highest Elevation Gained: 1,961 feet. 

 

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THE THRUHIKE JOURNAL: Days 9 and 10 (Mantalongon to Buot)

DAY NINE ::::: I WOKE UP TO A FIERY SUNRISE from the vantage of the upper level of the village hall that we stayed in last night. Jonathaniel Apurado was already up and he has regained his strength from the struggles of the early days of the Thruhike. He has adjusted to the rigors of the hike under adverse conditions as well as to the load he is carrying. I had begun to call him Doc Jon after he treated my feet blisters last night and, likely so, for today – January 25, 2017.

Day Eight was a longer day than the one before that and the comfort and rest we got here at Mantalongon, Barili was good enough to stave off the fatigue that went with it and revitalized our mood and enthusiasm for today. A breakfast of Knorr soup and rice tells me otherwise. The blisters on my toes are dressed up after the meal and the feet is housed in another pair of clean socks. In the old days, I used to encounter blisters on the insides of my thighs but I am wiser now. I wear elastic undershorts now and “de-salinize” it every night if I ever wear it for three straight days. Then I changed into a clean pair like today.

Walking with us today would be Willy Muit, the village councilor whom we met yesterday who was on the lookout of us. He would accompany us up to the boundary between Barili and Carcar City. Joining him is his fellow councilor, Jun Mag-usara, and a local peace officer, Glen Paras. Willy and Jun were in athletic attire. They walked fast by the time we hit the road at 08:10, nonchalant about the heavy bags we carried. We have to keep pace with them on the paved road. I sent a text message in advance to the Carcar City Police Station informing them of our presence, for very soon we would again be in their area.

We arrive at the boundary of Guadalupe, Carcar City but Willy and Jun enjoyed the morning exercise that it extended all the way to a place called Tapal, located in Valencia, Carcar City. By then, at 09:00, we are on our own. I walk by memory as the hike on nice paved roads begets nothing from me but uneasiness. It just does not fit being called a trail as in the Cebu Highlands Trail although it was a trail long ago. The weather is strangely warm with few clouds to shade us. We are now primed up by the swift pace we had with the village councilors early in the day that maintaining it was the best thing to do for, by 10:30, we are now at Buenavista, Carcar City.

We took our second rest here and doused the parched thirst with cold bottles of RC Cola. Our rests are also opportunities to talk with the locals and it helped to our cause. Their familiarity of their places are so valuable. Nevertheless, we have to proceed as the day is still long and our next night stopover would be quite far. I reviewed my itinerary and it says: Noonbreak at Buenavista, Carcar. Campsite at Tubod, San Fernando. It seems we arrived too early to enjoy a noonbreak at Buenavista. I would again tamper my itinerary and find a good place ahead for that well-deserved break.

We arrive at Calidngan, Carcar City at 11:30 but I saw a good shady area with a big log to sit upon. Nearby is a well where women wash clothes. It is a cool oasis under the brunt of a noontime sun. We took our Spartan lunch of four pieces Park N Go bread, a Fitbar and my trail mix of coated chocolates, different nuts, marshmallows and dried raisins. Popped in afterward a Herbalife Natural Raw Guarana capsule to keep me from drowsing. I have to wait the one hour to pass before we proceed to the next.

The road that we had been walking on once we left the concreted ones are a combination of asphalt and unpaved. The Jack Wolfskin shoes provided by Niño Paul Beriales worked very well in different conditions. It is very light and it dries quickly. After eight days of walking it had been properly broken but not after bruising my feet with a blister each. I am aware of that and it is properly dressed up. Once we reach the next night stopover, I would have it washed again by Doc Jon and smeared with calamine ointment.

The warmth is beginning to be felt. Moments like this gives a calm sea to a fisherman. I am shielding my face and head with a camouflaged sniper’s veil. I find the veil too versatile for a mere hat and I look good with it on photos. The dark sunglasses provided by Zue Fashion worked well on very glaring moments and protected my eyes from UV rays. The road goes up again and we saw once again two men carrying big cabinets on their backs whom we met yesterday at Bae, Sibonga. After a brief happy conversation, we passed by a beautiful rice field in a hidden valley. We are now entering the mountain boundary of Balungag, San Fernando. It is 13:12.

I crossed a spillway where a herd of swamp buffaloes are cooling on a water hole. I sent another text message for the San Fernando Police Station about our presence. Up ahead is a rustic view of a rough road with coconut palms lining it reminiscent of an old photo of Cebu I had seen that was taken in the 1930s. I am beginning to like it even though it is utterly warm. Nobody is in sight and that is better. Locals usually stay in their houses at this hour glued to their AM transistor radio listening to a popular drama series called Handumanan sa Usa ka Awit. Those that were not, are alarmed at our presence. Either they would ask us what are we selling or we get just get a hard stare.

When I saw a small chapel, I hastened my pace. I thought I am in Tubod, San Fernando this early at 13:30 and it would be a bonus for me since I could do a courtesy call and a long rest after that but I was wrong. I was still in Balungag. Nevertheless, we stopped to join a couple of locals enjoying an early afternoon recreation of drinking palm wine in a cool and shady part. We bought a jug of “tuba” for ourselves from Teresito Tangente and began to talk about a local work blade that he owns. It is called a “butetehon” and is made by a local blacksmith named Fredo Yangyang.

After sitting for 15 minutes, we decide to retrace our route and proceed to Tubod which we reach at 14:30. I do not like the reception I got today. I have bad memories of this place. It happened during the Segment II Exploration Hike in March 2012. There are still places here in Cebu which do not welcome outsiders as much as you would like them to embrace openness. When I made my itinerary, I cannot find a better place to stay during Day Nine except in Tubod. It has a good water source and has nice places to set up a campsite. It had also become familiar with me.

I was hoping that my meeting with municipal tourism officers in early January would enlighten people of our presence on the places where we would pass or stay. There was a breakdown of communication somewhere. My constant updates to the different stations were done to protect us, first and foremost, and to remove any suspicions of our presence. Of course, how could two people who walked for nine days across mountains and burdened by heavy loads and blistered feet threaten the peace and order situation of communities? It is like seeing the banana eating the monkey.

I have to change my itinerary pronto. I will go further along the route to look for that safe refuge. We left Tubod and follow the trail that I loved to call as the “Carabao Highway”, which would lead me to the boundary road of Pinamungahan and San Fernando. We arrive at the road at 15:30 and properly dished out a text message for the Pinamungahan Police Station. In the waning hours of the day, we doubled our pace down the trail to Sibago, Pinamungahan, churning kilometer after kilometer bound for Lamac, Pinamugahan. We reach it at exactly 17:45 but found the village hall already closed.

In dusk we walk up a steep road where the Hidden Valley Mountain Resort is located. I have cash prepared for any unforeseen event, thanks to my donors. We booked a room after a wait of a half hour. The facility has free WIFI and I enjoyed the liberty of updating our hike to friends, sponsors and followers. We have airconditioning but we toned it down to fan. We cook our food inside and eat a silent dinner. The stress was great for this day. This has got to be the longest day. I have not mentioned that I have developed blisters on both my shoulders when we were approaching San Fernando.

The blisters on both of my big toes are throbbing with pain as the old dressings are removed. It is smeared with calamine ointment. My shoulders are treated. On a soft warm bed, I wrote the day’s activity on my journal, as I had done in all the days, recording the times I sent messages to the police stations in every municipality we passed by. Same with the weather and places we stopped to rest which I sent to the base support team. I am tempted to take a bath but I saved it for tomorrow. The room starts to feel warm and Doc Jon flipped it forward to Low Cool. An early rest on a soft bed is the most sensible thing to do.

Distance Walked: 25.43 kilometers

Elevation Gained: 293 meters and a low of 57 meters

DAY TEN ::::: I TOOK A BATH FOR ONLY the second time on this southern leg of the Thruhike. I am fresh but sooner or later I would smell again like hell and get sweaty. I do not care. This IS the Thruhike! There is not much I can do for that but give a big smile and a wide berth. We checked out at 08:00 from the Hidden Valley Mountain Resort after a different breakfast of Japanese miso soup and rice. As every after breakfasts, capsules of multivitamins and Herbalife raw guarana extract are swallowed along with Yakult cultured milk. My blistered feet are swelling and I decide to have it covered with small adhesive plasters. It goes its painful cycle of healing.

We leave Lamac, Pinamungahan at 08:25 with heavy burdens and thinner pockets. The road took us higher and higher and on some stretches of scenic views until we were on the boundary of Bunga, Toledo City. We passed by Lake Poog and then the bigger Lake Bunga which is drained of water to accommodate rice farms. I stop by at 10:15 to see how Antonio Vergara is doing and to shoot a text message to the Toledo City Police Station. He was my guide on the Segment II Exploration Hike which we start from Lutopan, Toledo City to Mantalongon, Barili that ended at Mantayupan Falls, Barili in March 2012.

I learned that he suffered a mild stroke which made him slightly incapacitated. We decide to part to him our unused powdered turmeric tea and, for his grandchildren, baked products from Park N Go Bakeshop. He seems healthy than the last time I saw him. He is ecstatic to know that he had contributed something so grand like the Cebu Highlands Trail where it is realized now with this Thruhike. I would have loved to stay for the whole day to talk of the old days but time is too precious to me right now because of this piece of paper called the “itinerary”.

We arrive at the national highway that linked Toledo City with Naga City, cross it, and we are now at Don Andres Soriano, Toledo City, which was known formerly as Lutopan. It is very warm. Maybe because we are walking on concrete pavements or maybe that there are no trees to shade us on our late morning walk. Our food plan for this day is lunch with real food and we got it at exactly 12:00 from a stall vending food on the village plaza near a big gymnasium. The progressive village and the city of Toledo derived its income and its progress from a big copper mine operating here.

After a rest from the overwhelming warmth of a noontime sun, we proceed at 13:00 for Cantabaco, Toledo City and took rest at Lower Camp 8, Toledo City at 14:30. An old woman, who says she lived alone at Upper Camp 8, stopped by to ask us of what we are doing here? She must have been curious about our attractive CHT jerseys and our big bags. When she asked us for food, we were happy to part her our coins worth around 45 pesos. It brought her a big smile since she had not have a meal this day but she has to walk many kilometers to buy food at Lutopan and back to her home.

I am sad at the old woman. Life is hard when you are living alone and frail. After 20 minutes of rest, we proceed to Camp 7, Minglanilla and arrived there at 15:30 where I dished out a text message to their police station to let them know of our presence. We were now in a man-made forest when a group of young people came running after us. They surmised that we were the ones on a Thruhike and they have guessed well. Our CHT jerseys and backpacks were a dead giveaway and so were our smell. They are the young bureaucrats called the “Eco Warriors”, which is the pride and joy of Boboi Costas of the Cebu Provincial Tourism Office.

Their presence in Camp 7 were to study the flora and fauna here and it was just a coincidence that our paths crossed. A young woman did an impromptu interview of me while a male colleague of hers took a video. After that, all five of them had their photos taken together with me and Doc Jon. A motorcycle rider with full-faced helmet happened to pass by as we were posing before the camera and I had a reunion of sort with a classmate, Noe Rondina, whom I have not seen for some 20 years. Such coincidences glued our feet on one place while the minutes ticked by. I have to break from this impasse but, as all good things that went well, it flowed through its course seamlessly.

We arrived at the tri-boundary of Minglanilla, Talisay City and Cebu City and I had a cold Sparkle to douse the thirst caused by heat and stress and promptly sent off text messages to Cebu City’s tourism officer, Punky Oliverio, and its police headquarters. It is now 16:00 and too few daylight and government hours to make it to Buot, Cebu City. The paved road going there is on rolling terrain but, once we reach a place called Odlom, it would all be downhill and partly paved, which would help to our cause. Our pace hastened and it increased when it goes downhill on that almost abandoned road.

The road is cut off by a brisk creek but, once we are on the other side, the funny looking road beside the Bonbon River just tossed us later to the doorstep of their barangay hall. It is 17:55, almost an hour beyond official government hours but their office is still open. I half-believed we were expected but the staff has to go about the full details like counter checks, confirmations and several phone calls. I am supposed to be in home territory but I seemed to be the one speaking a different language. Or maybe them. I am tired and rest could wait until the green light glowed, which it did after almost an hour.

I thought I would finally see another banana eating the monkey but it was just a thought. It went well and we were assigned a room in the third level, with bathroom and running water. I would have loved to take a bath but, what the heck, tomorrow would be the last day of the Thruhike’s southern leg. The Thruhike will enjoy a temporary stopover once it reaches Guadalupe, Cebu City and we will also enjoy that two days rest promised to us by the itinerary. The room is wide but we preferred to sleep on the floor with our sleep pads.

Doc Jon cooked spicy Korean noodles while I made myself busy stirring an Extra Joss energy drink and catching faint cellular signals for my regular real-time uploads. Two policemen from the Mabolo Police Station arrived shortly to provide security for us. Mabolo is far away yet these cops travelled swiftly at short notice to fulfill their beat. This is unprecedented. I have not had experienced this special attention during the exploration hikes. We were simply left to our own wits then, even accosted when we were erroneously and maliciously reported as “armed and dangerous”.

But both the Cebu Provincial Police Office and the Cebu City Police Office, under their respective commanders, Sr. Supt. Eric Noble and Sr. Supt. Joel Doria, are serious in their commitment of ensuring our safety and the Thruhike’s success. They sent their people to check on us and that is good. I appreciate it very much. It gave us peace of mind and the legitimacy of our undertaking. I wished these good officers success and may they reach their respective stars in a shorter time than usual.

I failed in my photo uploads but I was able to sent text messages to my wife and my base support team. It seemed like a big burden have been taken off me, knowing that we are just a day away to reach the mid point of the Thruhike. We had been hiking for ten days straight and, by a stroke of fortune, we did not encounter difficulties, accidents and anything that might delay us. My plan worked so well even if I have to vulgarize my itinerary. Even when I suffered blisters on my big toes and on my shoulders. This is the first Thruhike of Cebu on a route that I have painstakingly explored for more than five years that became the Cebu Highlands Trail.

I touch the image of the Señor Santo Niño and made the sign of the cross as a sign of respect. The whole of Cebu honors the Holy Child Jesus every third Sunday of January and every able-bodied Roman Catholic goes on a pilgrimage to the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño to pay homage and ask blessings. I was not there. The preparations of the Thruhike had taken every attention of me and it is most intense when there were just a few days left. That was the time when my sponsors shared their graces for this Thruhike. He understands and I am in good hands.

Distance Walked: 24.95 kilometers

Elevation Gained: 507 meters and a low of 101 meters

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