Mount Manabo - The Return

Quick Facts:
Coordinates (peak): 13.9938N, 121.2361E
Location: Batangas
Jump Off Point: Sulok (Barangay Sta. Cruz), Sto. Tomas, Batangas
Elevation (peak): 830 masl (but Shiny the Techy Phone tagged the peak at 809 masl)
Elevation (campsite): 762 masl
Climb Level: 1 (Easy Climb)
Estimated climbing time: 2-3 hours

*****

Pictures are now available at my Multiply site:
View Me

My first Manabo journal is in here:
Read Me

*****

Attendance:
Obi, Dan, Ayn, Nico, Kyle, Armand, Jeff, Yaya, Mher, Celle, Carl, +2

My legs are still aching and it's still a pain going up and down our stairs but the journey's still worth every drop of sweat.

This is my second climb in this mountain and my first night trek. It was a little tough as the trail were really really muddy and halfway through the climb my headlamp gave up on me.

But this din't deter me from writing the logs along the way.

*****

(Entries were taken from my journal... some folded bond paper!)

Day 1 - Fold 1
* 4:56PM - Sta. Cruz Barangay Outpost
(Hati kami sa dalawang grupo. Pag dating namin sa Barangay para mag register, andun na yung mga pangalan ng grupo ni Mher.)

Group Dan
Obi, Dan, Ayn, Nico, Kyle, Armand, Jeff, Yaya

Group Mher
Mher, Celle, Carl, +2

* 5:06 - Sulok Jump Off
(Pre climb preps. Hinihintay na kami dito ng Team Mher as they are already prepared with their stuffs.)

* 5:19 - Start Trek
(Napaka familiar ng lahat. I was pretty sure na hindi namin makukuha ng usual na dalawang oras yung trek dahil sa putik ng daan.)

* 5:33 - Station Two
(This is a local hut. Usually sa umaga, may nag titinda ng buko dito. Pero ngayong gabi, may isang matanda lang na nag babantay dito. Sobrang putik na ng daan at ang kapal kapal na neto sa sandals ko. Wala nang torsion sa kapal ng putik kaya madulas dulas ako along the way.)

* 6:01 - Brook-side Stop Over
(Tinutuluan ng pawis ang papel ko. Parang agos ng batis yung pawis ko. Haha! Nakapag linis linis kami ng mga maputik na sandals at sapatos sa batis. May mga nakatambay din na ibang trekker para mamahinga.)

Day 1 - Fold 2
* 6:07PM - trek resumes
(May signal ang Globe! I was kinda texting along the way. We encountered some other mountaineers that are going down already.)

* 6:13 - Kubo Stop
(We took our lunch here during our first Manabo trek. This time, we just stopped here to muster the group then resumed immediately.)

* 6:16
(Another group of mountaineers are encountered going down.)

* 6:28 - Grotto Stop
(This is the last water source before the peak. Tumambay lang kami ng konti bago tumulak ulit. Sa buong trip, hindi kami masyadong tumigil ng matagal.)

* 6:43 - 1st Assault Stopover
(Eto yung 1st part ng assault papunta sa "clearing" overlooking the province of Quezon. I was walking ahead of the party before my headlamp acted up. Inaayos ko eto habang naglalakad at napagana ko din naman.)

* 6:59PM - "Wall Climb" Spot
(We stopped on a very familiar spot. Dito kami nag piktyuran dati ng mga "wall climbing" pics nung unang trek namin dito.)

* 7:01
(Finally, bumigay na talaga headlamp ko at hindi ko na maayos!)

Day 1 - Fold 3
* 7:11 - Crossroads
(This is the same spot where we got lost before. This time, tama na yung kinuha naming trail.)

* 7:53 - PEAK! (Cross of Mount Manabo)
(Hindi biro yung last part ng assault. Napaka tarik tulad ng dati pero nawala na yung mga ginawang natural hand-holds. Plus gaputik pa! Buti walang bumalentong papuntang bangin. As usual, aaaang ganda ng sights sa taas. 360 degree view ng Quezon, Batangas, at Laguna at night! Mas malinis na ngayon yung krus sa peak ng Manabo. May nag pintura na ng mga jologs na vandal.)

* 8:12 - Campsite
(Madaming umakyat ng araw na 'to. May mga tatlong camping spots sa tabi ng peak ng Manabo at jampacked sila tonight. So naki camp kami sa isa sa mga group ng mountaineers. We ringed around the edges of their campsite.)

* 8:36PM - Tent is Pitched
(Tinayo ko na tent ko. Kasama ko sa tent yung dalwang anak ni Dan kaya designated baby-sitter ako. They helped me pitch the tent while I gave pointers to them. It was really cold. As soon as I got my tent pitched, nag ayos na kami ng mga gamit then report na ko kay Kumander! I'm saaaafe!)

* 9:58
(Dinner's done. Menu of the night ay Igado at Adobo. Yub yub! Bago mag umpisa ang trek hindi na ko mapakali dahil alam kong may nakalimutan ako... this time ko lang narealize kung ano... canteen at utensils! Ginawa ko, sa gamit na cup ng cup noodles ako kumain *enter McGyver music score here*)

Day 1 - Fold 4
* 10:28
(Called Kath. I'm ready to sleep at this point. Ang sakit sakit ng katawan ko. Iniintay ko mag umpisa ng inuman sa labas pero hindi na ko makatayo sa sarap ng pagkaka-lapat ng likod ko sa sleeping bag.)

Day 2 - Fold 4
* 5:55AM - Rise and Shine
(Nagising ako sa lamig at hindi na ako makatulog ulet.)

* 6:47 - Cooking Time
(Nag umpisa na magluto at magpainit ng tubig para sa mga naka-abang na instant noodles. Nakipag kwentuhan ako sa mga kids about DOTA. Rasta for life!)

* 7:14
(We're still eating. Nagluto ng pancakes si Mher. Pancakes in the mountains... sosi! Medyo umambon ng konti. Still freaking cold!)

* 8:22 - Break Camp
(Nag umpisa na sila mag prepare umalis. Pero naka hirit pa ako ng idlip.)

* 8:50 - Tent Packed Up
(Done packing up. Nauna na bumaba sila Jeff, Yaya, at Armand.)

* 8:57PM - Trek Starts
(Me, Dan, Ayn, and the kids went ahead as the second group to start the trek going down. Team Mher stays behind to take the rear group.)

* 9:03 - Peak
(Passed through the peak the second time before going down. Photo ops followed.)

* 9:45
(We reached the clearing again. Pahinga muna habang reminiscing kami nung una naming trek dito at kung paano kami naligaw.)

* 10:30 - Brook Pass
(Meet more trekkers that are yet to go up the peak.)

Day 2 - Fold 5
* 10:43 - Another Brook
(Hindi na gaano ka-putik this time. Andami na naming nakakasalubong na mountaineers na paakyat pa lang. Sinasabihan na namin ng balala na maputik ang paakyat.)

* 10:51AM - Buko Juice Stopover
(We passed by a hutt that's selling buko. So pahinga muna kami sabay kwentuhan with the locals.)

* 11:21 - Station 2
(We reached Station 2 and this time may tao na. Binigay ni Dan yung mga natitirang kanin namin.)

* 11:38 - We're back!
(Back to the jump off point. Kanya kanya nang ligo!)

Thanks Bro we're safe!

Feel Good Sunday

So this is how it feels...

...when you'd not want to sleep just because, finally, reality is better than your dreams!

...when you'll want to wake up early just because there's something good to expect everyday!

...when you just want to stare blankly and know that it won't be blank for long because somebody will fill that space!

My Facebook

I finally gave in after years of resisting Facebook!

I was being asked by friends to sign up since like two years ago and I can't justify creating another networking account since all people I need to touch-base with are in Friendster anyway!

But recently I surfed with friends in La Union and the only way I can get our pics is to sign up and grab pics from their accounts. So... asan na kayo?? I want my pics! Haha!

AND... add me up! I'm still learning how to navigate around.

Obi Parcon

Buhay Pa Ko

Been busy doing a major revamp of processes and work habits more for myself than for my growing team at work (we're 10 now and soon-to-be growing s'more soon!). This week alone has been one of my most stressful week in my 8 years of IT practice and frankly, it din't do any good to downsize my burnout level.

Still... thanks to my wonderful team, who never backed down on me on facing our present challenges at work!

Thanks to the SA Sportsfest tomorrow! I'll finally have a shot of "life" back into my veins (I wasn't able to play hoops for the last two Wednesdays and stayed home ALL DAY - which is a miracle - last weekend!). Looking forward to the basketball games! Good job, Fellowship Team!

Thanks to Kath and our foodtrips kapag stress! Comfort food for the win!

And at the end of the day, nothing beats a geeky hobby to balance my active lifestyle... thanks Warhammer 40K!

Speaking of... I've been working on painting this Warhammer 40K miniature tank (Vindicator) for the last two weeks.

Dark Angels Vindicator - Work in Progress
PVC pipe - turned - Demolisher Cannon
I'm giving myself another week to paint everything up!

Anghel at Demonyo

I was able to watch this film last week, just in time before the cinemas replace it with a whole slew of new movies! I was chasing it out with an expectation that this is an interesting film worthy of the cinemas. Watch it in DVD instead.

the brands of the Illuminati
*****

Angels and Demons
Spoiler Alert! Spoiler Alert! Spoiler Alert!

The gist...
The symbologist Dr. Robert Langdon has been called by the Vatican to solve a threat by the church's long-dormant nemesis - the Illuminati.

The situation is this:
* The Pope is dead.
* The Conclave of Cardinals is in session for Papal election.
* Four of the top candidates - the preferatti - are kidnapped by the Illuminati.
* A bomb threat is up in the Vatican... a powerful bomb that can wipeout the entire city-state.

The Illuminati will start to murder the kidnapped Cardinals one by one before midnight - the time the bomb is set to detonate. Langdon, starting with a clue from a Galilean book, follows the trail of the culprit around the walled city as the latter sets to accomplish his murder spree. Three dead Cardinals after, the symbologist still hops around the Vatican in a race to make sense with everything that is happening.

As Langdon closes in on the murderer, events unfold that leads to the discovery of the people behind the plot. On a dramatic climax, he saves the last Cardinal and exposes (in a sorry way of tying lose ends) everything that the viewers need to know.

The verdict...
What's outright striking about the movie is the overall aesthetics of the sets and locations. As if on a tour bus racing around the Vatican, the scenes switch from one landmark to another... as quick as the fast paced movie can showcase in two hours. Great cinematography!

The story is a lame excuse for a mystery flick. The development of the conflict is progressive only up to the point where Langdon flew to the Vatican and started nosing around. By the time clues started raining down on the symbologist, all went in a confused flurry of lame riddles and chasing around the Vatican and boring action scenes. I can imagine a more interesting Hardy Boys plot line.

What sparked a bit of interest for me is the same reason why I enjoyed "Da Vinci Code" - the way Robert Brown interlaced facts and fiction and make it seem to have an appearance of plausibility. I love the concept of the Illuminati and the personalities Brown affiliated with it... Galileo, Bernini, Michaelangelo, and Raphael Santi. He could have used the mystery of this clandestine group for a deeper plot line than just being a mask of the Carmelengo's deeds.

I haven't read the book so I can't tell if it was adapted in the movie well. But I have a big hunch it did not.

The acting is cool. The cast is cool. The script lame. Langdon is a walking curator! I mean 80% of the film, he's wise-talking and annotating every single Encyclopedia entry they pass through along the story. Again, I don't know if that's how Langdon's character is supposed to be since I quite remember a different Langdon from the "Da Vinci Code". And I don't mind it either... it's educational! It's just that there are a lot more creative ways of presenting information to readers than directly spoon-feeding.

In all, don't take the story too seriously or prepare to be disappointed. It may appear to have depth in the start but as Langdon starts to crack through the mystery, you'll have this notion that the story is more of an elementary detective novel than a CSI-ish episode.

6 of 10.

Museum of Natural History

Watched this film last week after a stressful day in the office. It's just the right type of film to detox from work!

Larry Daley of Daley Devices
*****

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
Spoiler Alert! Spoiler Alert! Spoiler Alert!

The spoiler...
Several years after the movie's part 1, Larry Daley hit it bigtime as a CEO of his own company leaving the nightguard post in the Museum of Natural History behind.

When the museum closed down for upgrades, some of the display artifacts are sent to the Smithsonian Institute archives in D.C. including the tablet of Ahkmenrah that which turns these objects to life. Triggered by the tablet, the Smithsonian displays are reanimated including the Egyptian pharaoh Kahmunrah and his unlikely allies Al Capone, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Ivan the Terrible.

The ragtag gang plans to rule the world by unsealing the gates to the underworld and summon forth a daemon army. But to accomplish this, Kahmunrah needs the tablet hieroglyphs deciphered! Larry, who breaks into the Smithsonian archives as soon as he is contacted by Jed the miniature cowboy for help, seems to be the pharaoh's only hope to break the code. With his reanimated friends being harassed by the bad guys, Larry had no choice but to work on the tablet, meeting new museum personalities as he go through it.

All the while, Larry's friends from the Museum of Natural History are brewing a daring attempt to get rid of Kahmunrah. They are able to do it in time as the pharaoh has just opened the gates to the underworld... Abe Lincoln's monument swathing daemons back to the netherworld!

With Kahmunrah gone, everything returned to normal in the Smithsonian. Larry brings back his friends to the Museum of Natural History and had it open 24 hours where every past midnight, patrons may walk with the reanimated museum artifacts.

The verdict...
It comes as a surprise to me that I enjoyed this film more than its prequel! And surprising even more is that it's not all about Ben Stiller's performance. He even hardly carry most of the fun stock of the story. I watched this movie expecting to see something entertaining yet won't require me to think too much deeply AND it did not fail me. It was good brainless fun! A must-see for a family outing.

The GOOD...
The new museum characters are a laugh trip... Kahmunrah has a comical lisp, Bonaparte squeals like a chick, and Al Capone and his honchos are in black and white! Even General Custer and the new capuchin monkey have their share of hilarious antics. The old museum characters are still kickin' fun as well. I particularly liked this scene where the miniature Octavius attempted to charge across an expansive lawn, tiring himself for naught (melodramatic and all!).

The entire production is just right. Costume and set design fit what needs to be depicted in the story. Computer graphic works is really creative and done flawlessly.

The SO SO...
Ben Stiller. I think he can't pull off a better-than-average presence in the film. I don't know if its because his script is lackluster or everybody else just outshines him! His female counterpart Amy Adams (Amelia Earhart) is a poor attempt at throwing in a romantic twist. She's exaggeratedly perky for me.

The BAD...
The story is not really impressive. It's developed just for the sake of having a plot to pour the comedy into. So with that, don't expect much depth on it or wish on having lose ends tied up. It's a fantasy story. Things happen, rationally or not. To add to that, the story ending is rushed.

Robin Williams is cheesy.

The rating...
7 of 10.

Keep Praying

We're now selling our second batch of tshirts! Still at P250 bucks a piece, the design is inspired by the Johnny Walker classic logo with an inspirational twist.

Check the design by clicking the image below...

Keep Praying
And you might also be interested on buying our first tshirt! Check the design by clicking the link below...
http://lakwatserongkalbo.multiply.com/journal/item/260

If you want to own one, you can reach me or my friends Kat and Drew on our mobile numbers printed on the image above.

Watchout for more cool designs!

Ako si Onoraryo Batongbakal

Palipas oras habang naiihi ako...

1. OK na sana araw ko kahapon, kaso?
- kaso nawala yung araw bago ako maging OK.

2. Ano mas masarap, magpatawa o tumawa?
- ang patawanin

3. May "special" ka ba na body part, na kakaiba sa ibang tao? ano yun?
- balat ko... namamantal kasi pag kinakamot!

4. Sino huling tao na nagpakilig sayo?
- si janroy at si laida!

5. Ano mas piliin mo, SOBRA sakit na hangover sa alak, o hangover sa past/X mo? (parehas tatagal ng 3 months)
- pwede both?

6.If ever you're in my arms again.. this time ill hold you forever.. This time will never end..
- anong tanong?

8. Ano mas ok, naka FERRARI pero ubod ng pangit, o naka BESTA pero ubod ng ganda?
- yung naka FERRARI at ubod ng ganda!

9. Favorite streetfood mo?
- isaw

10. Pili ka, magka pimple sa ilong, o magka pimple sa pwet? (sobra laki nito, kasing laki ng 5 centavos)
- pwede both?

11. May gusto ka bang tao ngayon, pero alam mo na ndi pwde? bakit? sino un?
- nag hang ako ng 1.5 seconds... (tangenang tanong to!)

12. Kung iibahin mo name mo, anong pangalan un ?
- Onoraryo Batongbakal (para may explanation na ko pag tinanong na "bakit OBI?")

13. Cnu ang mga taong "weakness" mo?
- si kryptonite!

14. Flirt mode ON or OFF?
- pwede both?

15. Tingin mo, ilan may gusto sayo ngayon?
- sandamakmak

16. Ako ang ______ sa pamilya..
- batas

17. Ano role mo sa barkada mo pag inuman
- tanggero... taga tanggi!

18. Bigyan kita ng chance na dagdagan ang bilang ng kahit anong body part mo, ano un at bakit?
- mata. para mas laki kita negosyo!

19. Ano reason ng last time mo nainis?
- ingay ng halakhak ni Kris Aquino

20. Best sa ________ si _________?
- best sa UP si Manong Fishbol

21. San the best manood ng movie na may kadate?
- sa bahay... dibidi dibidi!

22. Last person na nag text sayo?
- si virus!

23. Kapag ginawa sayo ng GF/BF mo, makikipagbreak ka kagad,
ano un?
- pag tinutukan niya ko ng baril sa ulo

24. Ang init! favorite pampalamig mo pag mainit?
- aircon

25. Ilang beses mo na nagawa matulog na walang damit?
- madaming beses na... hindi na mabilang sa daliri. isama pa ang daliri ng paa!

26. Magvvideoke tayo ngayon, ano kakantahin mo?
- My Way

27. Rate mo kung gano ka kasaya ngayon[1-10]:
- 3.141592

28. Bakit ganyan rating mo?
- para di ko makalimutan ang value ng PI

29. Nakakita ka na ba ng pulubi na may cellphone? kung makakita ka ng ganun, bibigyan mo pa din ng pera?
- nakakita na. hindi ko bibigyan ng pera. bibigyan ko ng load.

30. Kung magpapatattoo ka ng pangalan ng tao sa katawan mo, kaninong pangalan un?
- pangalan ng nanay ko na napapaligiran ng heart (para mama's boy!)

31. Sang part ng katawan mo ilalagay ung tatoo?
- sa tapat ng puso ko

32. Choosy ka ba?
- depende sa pagpipilian

33. Ano mas mabilis mapalitan sayo, cellphone o GF/BF?
- pwede both?

34. Bat nauso na ngayon ang gwapo na BF, pero pangit na GF?
- kasi mas maraming mayamang babae kesa mayamang lalake

35. Sinong gusto mong mawala na sa mundo ngayon?
- si Barney... ang dinosaur na bading

May Issue Ka?

I was staring at this box of Word Factory amidst the chaos that is my room and I find it funny when I recalled how I sorta "cheat" my friends when we play this game back when we were younger. What I would do when I already run short of words to pick out of the jumbled letters is to move (discreetly) to another place in the huddle so I can have a "different" view of the letters tray.


I dunno if it's just me but I can pick out a whole new set of words each time I move to different spots around the tray. It's cool that we can see words that we haven't seen before on the very same jumble of letters from a different point of view.

Parang buhay.

Enter, segue way! Haha!

Things happen to shit us. And if we only cool our heads and think about it, your shit is none too different to somebody else's shit. Different people have different views on the same shit. We can do a lot of things about it but it will all boils down to two - take it like the shit it is or, like in the case of my "cheat" in that Word Factory game, change your perspective to see a non-shit out of the shitty situation!

I've had my share of recurring troubles... a vicious cycle of hurt. And no matter how I always fall on the pointy end of things, looking at the bright side of em made me somehow make it through. Yes, it was never easy but there are no fancy tricks either to find it out.

You just have to remember that people who say life sucks are:

1. people who don't know how to find the non-suck out of it, (outright pessimists)
2. people who just don't want to see the brighter side of it, (mga emo! pero uso naman siya ngayon haha!)
3. and, people who are clueless that there is a salvageable happiness out of a seemingly hopeless living. (naliligaw ng landas)

...ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU ARE NOT ONE OF THESE PEOPLE and you're off to a good start!

Curly sent me a text message this morning and it's really uplifting to know that we are not alone in our quest to "change perspective" and eventually leave our troubles behind. Her message comes from the book of Jeremiah 29:11 and guess what, it's from "the Man" upstairs!

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Isn't it reassuring that someone who is as mighty as Him professes that in the grand plan of things, we are off to a promising "change"!


I remember walking along Ayala Avenue one afternoon. Ever since I pull off my first job in HP, I've been walking this route for 8 years now! Imagine how boring it can get seeing the same buildings again and again everyday and edging your way through the same amount of crowd every rush hour! That day was different. I happened to look up as I felt a bead of water drop on my head to check if it's the telltale sign of a bummer rain (I hate bringing an umbrella) or perhaps a spittle from somebody on the nth floor of one of Makati's high-rise buildings (yuck... i know).

What I din't expect to see is a different perspective of Ayala Ave. The business district's skyline from a worm's-eye view! A perspective I've never seen in my 8 years of walking around the area. It's something new out of the ordinary for me and I was like, "May ganito pala sa Ayala!" in wonder.

Try to experience it yourself when you happen to walk in one of those places you frequent. Look up and discover a new perspective. And when you do, I wish that just as how you learned to look at things differently to make out something good from it, you'll learn to do the same thing in your life... in your troubles. And then let God do the rest.

End of sharing.

PS: It's not spittle.

Godside Believer

Guys, we're selling this "Ringside Boxing Club"-inspired shirt at P250 bucks each. For now, I'm limiting the sales for friends and people I know.

Check out the inspirational design below.

Godside Believer!
It comes in color black and the following sizes:
XS (Extra Small)
S (Small)
M (Medium)
L (Large)
XL (Extra Large)
XXL (Double XL)

If you want it, just contact me through here or my mobile number. For people from the Alabang area, you may keep in touch with my friends Drew and Kat. Their numbers are also on the image above.

We're looking forward to print more cool shirts so do watchout!