Masasabi kong hindi ko makakalimutan ang karanasan ko sa pagka-camping sa Makiling nitong mga nakaraang araw. Why not? It was a land-slide experience!! No pun intended; I slid seven times sa putikan while trekking!
Day 1 - January 18, 2008
Anyway, to chronicle the whole thing, we started things off by waiting at the Eng'g steps. Sa pagkakaalam ko, ako ang pinakaunang estudyanteng naghintay doon; nandu'n na'ko alas-dos pa lang. Wala kasing klase sa GE10, at kakatapos lang namin sa close compass traverse fieldwork namin. It was around 4 nang dumami kami, but there's no denying na ako talaga ang nauna. Hehehe
The buses arrived at around quarter to 5, pero nakasakay kami dun thirty or so minutes later. We left UP at quarter to 6.
Inside the bus, naka-on ang TV. Wheel of Fortune ang palabas. Nakakatuwa lang isipin na ang-dali-dali ng mga puzzles, pero spin nang spin ang mga contestants, only to get bankrupt. Tapos TV Patrol World naman, pero nilipat nila sa 24 Oras. And then, THAT dreadful mockery of Shaider.
But before that damn show ended, nakarating na kami sa camp site. So bumaba na kami, assembled into groups to determine kung sinu-sino ang magkakasama sa isang tent. I was grouped with Roy, Amado, Jayz, Mel and Ino, but since may dalang sariling tent si Ino, lima na lang kaming nagsiksikan sa tent. At mas mabuti na ngang may tent si "Haring Ino", dahil kulang pa sa aming lima ang laki ng tent na gawa lang sa lona!
Anyway, it was around midnight when we officially got our sleep. Of course, we should have slept earlier, dahil 5AM ang wake up call.
Day 2 - January 19, 2008
At ayun, ginising nga kaming lahat ng 5AM. Bah, that wake-up alarm still rings in my ears! LOL Our first assignment was to trek a mountainous course at the "Pook ni Mariang Makiling" and to rappell somewhere halfway. Dapat simulation lang ang gagawin namin, pero umulan, so naging "rescue & survival" talaga ang ginawa namin. Nagkatotoo ang pinanalangin ni Sir Renz (sana umulan), at ang sinabi ni Sir Jazz (mata lang ang walang putik)! LOL At dahil nga doon kaya pitong beses akong dumulas sa putikan, at binansagang "Sidu" ng JI (junior instructor) na si Alfie.
Pagkatapos ng half-day-long trek, sa grotto kami nagtapos, kung saan may waterfall! So doon kami nagtanggal ng mga putik-putik namin. Pagkatapos, dali-dali kami sa tents namin, basang-basa sa ulan at sa waterfalls, only to find out na "medyo" binaha ang tent namin! So I took matters to my own hands at ginamit ko yung isa kong spare blanket para ipamunas ng mga basa at putik sa loob ng tent. Natuyo naman ang loob ng tent namin somehow. Hindi nga namin nakain yung kanin namin, e. Pagkabihis namin, bulagta kaming lima sa tent.
Day 3 - January 20, 2008 - Birthday ko
Napatanghali ang wake-up call namin dahil puyat din ang mga JI. So around 6 na kami ginising. But before that, nagising na rin ako at around 3AM. As usual, na-anticipate ko na naman ang pag-aalarma ng cell phone ko na paubos na ang baterya. It was supposed to wake Roy up, pero nauna siya dahil nabasa ng tubig-ulan sa loob ng tent. So I went back to sleep after I snoozed the alarm.
Then hours later, tumawag si Mama, binati ako at kinumusta ang status ko. I said I'm just fine, except for the mud, and I also told her that before we go, we would still engage in a navigation activity, and some rescue swimming simulations.
I officially woke up at 6, took a look around, and laughed to myself at how everyone are unaware that it's my birthday. Everyone except for Angeli, who after seeing me, greeted me with a hug. So, apart from my mom, tentmates and Angeli, walang nakaalam sa kanila until ni-reveal ko. I also received text greetings from my AME buddy Reena, my fellowship sister Chame, my cousin Kenneth, and fellow cosplayers Sachi, Trizsa and Yabee.
Then at around 9, we started the compass navigation. There were around fifteen points we needed to discover as we traverse the mountaninous forest. Gumamit kami ng compass to locate the points we need to see, and from there look for certain codes stapled in trees. Nakuha naman namin ang lahat ng points, at somehow natapos ang mga tasks sa certain stations, because aside from locating those hidden points, we also had to simulate ropemanship techniques, spineboard rescues, CPR and one to two-man carries I don't know if I should say "sayang at hindi namin ginawa ang Tyrolean at two-rope traverse", dahil sa pagod ko nu'n, tiyak malilimutan kong mawala ang pagkalula. As usual, dahil umulan pa rin kahapon, basa na naman kami at puro putik pa, but not as muddy as the day before.
Anyway, dahil hindi nga namin ginawa ang Tyrolean at two-rope traverse, sinulit na lang namin ang paglalakad pabalik ng kampo. Then we saw a taho vendor approaching. Bibili dapat sila isa-isa ng taho, pero, malamang alam nyo na ang kasunod. Nilibre ko ang buong Team Kulot (save for one person na naunang bumalik ng kampo at yung dalawang absentees) ng tig-iisang basong taho. Tapos, picture-picture session sa may kalsada.
Pagkatapos ng navigation, we prepared for the swimming activities. At dahil kami ang huling nag-swimming kahapon, despite the rain and the mud, kami ang pinakamadaling nakapag-impake pauwi.
Hindi na ako masyadong mag-e-elaborate sa mga details.
I have the pictures to tell the story. And I tell you, after this whole camping affair, I and my camera will never be the same. You can't ask my camera why, pero the at the same time na naulanan ako at nadulas sa putik, ganoon din ang nangyari sa camera ko.
