Beyond Scrubs: Conquering the Mountains and the Seas (Part 3)

Mt. Pinatubo: Beauty unveiled from the ashes

                Mt.Pinatubo, first and foremost is an active volcano located the province of Zambales, Philippines. Its last eruption happened over 30 years, following a massive earthquake. Considered to be the world’s second largest volcanic eruption of the 20^th century, this catastrophe buried its surrounding towns under lava flows and ashes and left behind terrible destruction of agriculture, infrastructure and loss of life. Decades later, like true display of resiliency, Filipinos turned this unfortunate event into a popular tourist destination.

                To reach Mt.Pinatubo, we hopped on a 4x4 vehicle for an exhilarating offroad drive travelling across different landscapes, featuring geological remnants of the destructive eruption. We cruised through rugged terrains of lahar (volcanic ash), mudflows, rock debris and even crossing entire rivers. For this, we donned masks and bandanas to cover our faces because the ride to avoid inhaling dust and ash.

                We also met with some members of an indigenous tribe in the Philippines called the AETA. They are the native inhabitants of the area skilled with hunting and jungle survival. We socialized with them respectfully while some also bought from them fruits and other goods.

               

            After an hour of bumpy, dusty and intense ride, we reach to foot of the volcano and trek begins. The trail is relatively easy compared to Mt. Pulag and it’s a day hike. First part consisted of fairly flat grounds, navigating valleys, lush forest and small sulfuric streams; then there are stairs leading up to the volcano’s crater. Under the daylight and shade of tress, we exchanged stories and funny banters with occasional slips and falls caused by slippery slopes and also due to our own clumsiness.

 Soon, we were greeted by the magnificent Crater Lake. The scene was like straight out of a painting. The luminous blue water mixed with the bright green from thriving plants balanced the dull, ashen walls of the volcano’s crater. Swimming was prohibited for safety reasons. Regardless, just being able to see with our own eyes such a picturesque backdrop is more than enough. One will not think such spectacular creation resulted from devastating calamity. Indeed, it is a beautiful disaster.

Beyond Scrubs: Conquering the Mountains and the Seas (Part 2)

 Baguio: A bustling city with a timeless appeal

Dubbed as the summer capital of the Philippines, Baguio City attracts hordes of tourist due to its cool weather, museums, artistic man-made attractions, flower farms and nature parks.

Before and after our Mt.Pulag hike, we stayed in Baguio, the largest city of the mountainous province of Benguet. It was February and this is their month-long celebration of Panagbenga or the Flower festival. There were lots of booths showcasing the beauty of the city. 

We went for a boat ride in the Burnham Lake. We tried traditional Igorot attires and took mandatory photo with the friendly St. Bernard dog at the Mine’s View Park then proceeded to Mansion House where we had fun under towering pine trees.  We ate lots of delicious street foods and of course, strawberry taho (famous Filipino snack made of soft silken tofu, with sago and sugar syrup, in this case strawberry-flavored).

We also visited the majestic Baguio Cathedral. Then proceeded to the Lourdes Grotto where we lit candles for our hopes and aspirations.

Adjunct to the Lourdes Grotto is a Japanese- inspired park called Mirador Heritage and Eco Park where we saw a fascinating bamboo forest, various plants and flowers and other picture-worthy sites like wishing wells, a Japanese torii gate and resting areas. There is also panoramic view of the highly- urbanized city. The park was a mix of nature and man-made installations offering a relaxing atmosphere. 

 

               

But then, we had to walk down the famous 252-step stairs. Frankly speaking, it felt like it was a continuation of our Mt.Pulag hike because the whole area consisted of up and down paths. Our legs did not quite recover yet from the hike. 

We also went shopping in their massive ukay-ukay thrift stores and bought souvenirs from the pasalubong centers.

          Although many think that Baguio City is too crowded and overrated, but this bustling city never loses its charm. There is always something new. Albeit brief, we really enjoyed our stay.

(We give our huge thanks to GA Outdoors, our tour coordinator for Mt.Pulag hike, Baban's Homestay and Jude Air BnB and the accommodating caretaker Ate Roxy.)

(part 3 coming...)

Beyond Scrubs: Conquering the Mountains and the Seas (Part 1)

        Patients coding, double-up allocations, shifts with barely a time for bladder break, let alone to eat a proper meal. This is the erratic environment we, critical care nurses are used to. How do we cope? How can we achieve the so-called work-life balance?

        One thing we really look forward to, especially expatriates is vacation to our home country. Away from the hustles and bustles of hospital life, we long to spend time with our families and some seek rest, healing, and soul-searching trips and adventures. On this note, we want to share how four NICU nurses temporarily ditched our scrubs bonded over three weeks trotting across different destinations in the Philippines.

        Let me take you on the ride to our extraordinary quest where we communed with nature from mountain heights to volcanic disasters to the depths of the seas.

 

Hiking Mt. Pulag: A walk among the clouds and the playground of the gods

        With an elevation of 2,926 meters above sea level, Mt. Pulag is the third highest mountain in the Philippines, located in Benguet and borders provinces of Ifugao and Nueva Viscaya.

        We were the absolute beginners with no prior hiking or mountaineering experience. Hikers with us were exchanging slight worried looks. They asked us if we are certain about climbing Philippines’ third highest mountain for our first ever hiking adventure. Well, considering our workplace where we are constantly on our feet, caring for patients, doing procedures, walking around the hospital going to pharmacy, laboratory and other units, we have had practice working out our leg muscles already. Still, we made preparations to condition our body for the hike, jogging and exercising during off days. We secured our medical certificate to determine us fit for the climb which is a requirement, by the way.

        We started our climb around one in the morning. Yes, it was dark and cold. With our headlamps, flashlights and the stars in the sky and our prayers as our guide, we embarked on our journey to the mountain’s summit.

    The trail was challenging from the start. We navigated through different paths, rocky, grassy, muddy and sometimes, slippery too. We paused when feeling fatigued but continued on. The darkness added a bit of chill and danger too. At one point, the lights from headlamps went out. Good thing, they are rechargeable so we took turns charging the batteries on our powerbank. While charging our headlamps, we just trusted the one with brightest light to lead the way. It was quite funny to think now but there was a clever display of cooperation right there. 

        Marching on, we encounter steeper paths, where we need to use our hand for additional balance. We stopped every now and then to catch our breaths. Literally, we walk five steps and pause, continue for ten steps then pause again. I remember wondering how far we still need to go because our lungs and legs were on the verge of giving out. Turns out, we are actually only few inches from the summit. Later, we learned the proper hiking terminology for the steep trail was ASSAULT. It was aptly termed because it felt like a strenuous assault to our bodies.

    

        It was still dark so we took time to rest, hydrate and eat while we wait for the daybreak. Light slowly overcame the darkness and nothing prepared us for the breathtaking view around us. The exhaustion from our struggles in the trail drained away. Everything was worth it. Witnessing with own eyes the most stunning sunrise is priceless. Then there is the magnificent sea of clouds from the distance.  Feeling the cold mountain breeze against our faces and a 360 degree view of pure beauty was overwhelming. In that moment, our souls truly felt one with nature. One can only gaze and marvel at the beauty of God’s creation. It is as close to heaven as it can get, literally and figuratively.

        After about 2 hours at the top, we start the descent which was equally thrilling and fun. With the daylight, we are able to appreciate the trail more. We passed through stretches of grasslands, lush enchanting mossy forest and century-old trees. Some parts of the trail were frighteningly inches away from a cliff. One wrong step will be a fatal fall. Thinking back how we passed through that very trail enveloped in darkness is spine-tingling.

                            

                                                            

        Mt. Pulag hike was truly the best experience for us, beginners; it was such a big achievement. We came and conquered the third highest mountain of the Philippines. Thanks be to God, we completed this feat without any injuries, of course our whole body felt sore but it was all worth it. Words are not enough and even photos cannot capture how beautiful the sky, the clouds, the mountain, the feeling, the sense of fulfillment but our memories will. We gained a core memory up there. One thing is for sure, we will definitely come back.

                               

(part 2 coming...)