THE POLITICS OF WALKING

WALKING, ACCORDING TO my good friend, Dr. Abe Manlawe, is the best exercise. It is most perfect when you walk 6-8 hours everyday. I could do that on weekends only. On the mountain trails of Napo to Mount Babag with a weight on my back. Yes. The sweat, oh, it streamed like a river, especially on a hot day. And I feel good after that. Go, ask Boy Toledo how he felt. You should see him scream with delight.

Seriously, I will walk as long as I am able. I am gifted with a pair of strong legs and would use these in every possible chance. Even walking exposed to the elements like the sun, the wind, rain, dust, even smoke from cars. For that, I am fit and I developed a stamina that my vehicle-driving neighbor have never had dreamed about. The color of my skin is my indicator that I am in the best of health. It is reddish brown; the color of the earth.

The walking allowed me to view the scenes around me in slow easy motion. It allowed me to socialize and greet people with a smile or a nod. I could change my pace – from leisurely to brisk – depending on my schedules or those that walk with me. A flat road surface is ordinary for me and a gravelly and uneven trail suits me fine too. I could walk in any road conditions, in any weather and in any pace short of running. In short, I always burn calories whenever and wherever possible when I walk.

Everyday I walk a kilometer from the highway to my place of work and another kilometer from my office back to the highway; the rest of the distance to and from my home, I commute. When I walk, I am always on the safe side; on the opposite direction where I could see the oncoming traffic. Not even the cool shades on the other side of the street could tempt me to change places. The sweating, I don't mind, as long as I am alive and well.

When I walk, I carry things with either hand. Even with a heavy bag that has shoulder straps. That way, I could also use my arm and hand muscles in tandem with the legs. Convenience is far away from my mind. I would optimize all my movements – my walking – as a form of exercise. This exercise will be of use to me someday. And I am ready for any kinds of emergency – be it calamity or war.

My walking is one of my preparations for war. War will knock anytime at our door and I don't want to be caught in a very bad shape. That would be the ultimate embarrassment. The world today is at peace and we are blessed that pockets of conflict are far away from our doorsteps. We also are so blessed that we still have plenty of that most important natural resource that nations are now fighting for – WATER; a resource that we need in our walking to keep us rehydrated.

I do not know the mileage I have accumulated walking through the years, but I'm pretty sure that mine is well above that of the average human being. For a week, I would average a distance of 20-25 kilometers. More if I am on a backpacking trip of two to three days. Walking on a trail is different in walking on a city street. The latter cannot be applied in the former else you will develop sore muscles and injured toes. There is a whale of a difference in the gait you will use.

It is best, when you walk, that you use both eyes and both ears. Expect always a stray vehicle behind you and be alert. Calculate every moving object as you yourself is moving and change direction and pace often as you would to prevent yourself colliding with another. Walking everyday will develop your motor reflex.

And, lastly, take good care of your feet and use the best-fitting shoes available. It should not be too small and, at least, one size larger. It should be breathable but not compensating the safety of your feet. An able feet will take you anywhere. Enjoy your walking.

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NAPO TO BABAG TALES XXIX: Year-End Climb

THE SUN SPIKED HOT today, December 27, 2009. I am with old buddy – Boy Toledo; two people from Kompay Lakaw Mountaineers – Nathan and Myla; and a junior bank executive – John Chan.

It had not rained today and it is a good day to introduce John to trail hiking. We deem it unnecessary to rest along the trail until after we have reached the river crossing where there is a water spring. We arrived at the place at 8:15 AM and rested for a while and moved again at 8:30 AM.

John, a newbie long-distance runner, brought a pack of second-hand toys as well as Boy T; Myla carried used clothings. Me, I brought five discarded textbooks that could still be used by upland children as reference and study aid. Aside from the books, I brought my regular gift of bread to Manwel Roble and his siblings.

We passed by Sitio Busan and parted our gifts to the children. We arrived at the house of Manwel and we unpacked our presents to him and Jucel and Juliet. I learned that the Ewit Mountaineers visited them and gave many presents to them. For that I am very glad. We did not tarry long and decided to visit Ernie's Trail. It is 9:45 AM.

Ernie's Trail, the last time I was here (September 6, 2009), the vegetation was lush and the route could barely be seen. Now, after two weeks of rainless days, the trail could easily be followed but the topsoil is very loose and so slippery. We used all four limbs to negotiate this stretch until we arrived at the ridge. We rested for a while and gave off toys to the little ones living among the huts.

After a long walk from the peak, we set up our cooking stoves nearby a store and do our cooking there. I carried fine-grounded corn grits and cooked this on Boy T's cook set and introduced this Cebuano staple to my kind. Myla, on the other hand, sliced pork, radish, eggplant, iba and other spices and turned this into a mouth-watering pork sinigang.

John fished out a canned mackerel in olive oil which we heated up and this complemented very well our prepared lunch. All took turns in refilling their plates until all had their fill and then Boy T ordered two bottles of San Miguel Beer Grande to help in the digestion. We stayed on until 3:00 PM and then it's time to go.

We backtracked back to Mt. Babag and passed by a lone house where there is a little corn farm and parted more of our gifts to the children. We followed a trail that led to Kahugan. The trail was a sorry site. All the vegetation and madre de cacao trees that grew thick here have been cleared. The soil became loose and dangerously slippery. They didn't even left a single trunk, a limb, a branch, or a root to hold on to. The whole stretch of the trail down to a community before the chapel were cut clear.

People are sometimes so stupid and so lazy. I could understand that this is where they earn their income but why cut trees on the trail itself. They could do that far away above or below the trail. They would burn it into charcoal anyway and charcoal is very light to carry. It was so anti-climactic and so depressing!

I begin to question what sort of barangay officials they were electing here? I saw a week ago, their very own barangay capitan eyeing me suspiciously while caressing his fighting cocks. A very fat guy with big eyebags that gamble well on fighting cocks. I wished he could learn to climb trails and see the rest of his barangay instead of the four corners of a backyard cockpit! That would make him healthy.

We passed by the house of the cousin of Manwel – Paterno – and gave away the last of the toys, clothes and chocolates. The children were very happy. My anger slowly vanished as I hear the giggling of the children. We followed the Kahugan Trail and, ultimately, I released the negative emotions away running downhill until we reached the river crossing.

We arrived at Napo at 4:00 PM but I lost my Nokia 3650 as I changed my wet shirt with dry ones. There go my stored beautiful images for this day's journey and of last week's. I don't mind. It's not mine, but I have to pay for it. Haha. Anyway, we piled inside Nathan's Crosswind parked here and promptly left for Guadalupe and doused my worries with beer courtesy of Boy T.

In the back of my mind, I have to find a way to reclaim Upper Kahugan Trail's allure. I have to organize a tree-planting activity eight months from today and line the bald trail with fruit trees. Any fruit tree except mango. Mangoes need a lot chemicals and these chemicals pollute the soil and into the rivers.

Locals won't cut fruit trees and they will share in the harvest once the trees mature. This tree-planting will be dedicated to the younger generations and it will empower them not to depend anymore from charcoal gathering which use a lot of trees to cut for so little.

I will utilize Manwel's place as a seed bank and let's all go there and bring and share fruit to them where the seeds will be dry-treated and stored in little plastic cups which we will also provide. Any fruit except mangoes. You can even bring marang, mangosteen and durian. Believe me, they will grow anywhere. At an appointed time, let's make a barrio fiesta of Upper Kahugan.

I'm crossing my fingers that this will be realized. Any help will be received gladly. God bless to all!

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