pico de loro

This is one of the stories I love telling for two things:

1. It is a story about how I discovered something about myself.
2. It is a story of how the happy story of J and I began.

This is the story of the first adventure J and I shared. Inherent to the story of our adventures is our story and how each adventure brings us even more closer to each other. It's nothing short of amazing how each adventure we take rewards us with experiences that enrich each of us and memories that help the story of us unfold.

Every story has beginning and I believe ours began somewhere along the trails of a mountain south of Manila called Pico de Loro (when our happy feet trekked this famous mountain with Trail Adventours at the start of 2013). I can think of no better way to kick off a year other than climbing a mountain.

Pico de Loro, January 2013.

It was my first time to explore a mountain so imagine how I was filled with mixed emotions. For the greater part though, I was thrilled and excited. This is what carried me from the jump-off point to the summit and back. I have never been athletic ergo until the adventurous in me dared to trek Pico de Loro, my feet had never known the kind of happiness only a terrain of a mountain can give.

From the very first step I took, all my worries and fears were forgotten. Being in the mountain was like being home and everything the mountain required me to do felt like second nature. As we went deeper and higher, the more energy I felt. And there I found myself with a natural high, an unmistakable joy that was so pleasantly surprising. Thrill and excitement filled me, the kind you feel when you're curious and eager, the kind that makes you forget all the dark places in your mind and allows you to focus only on the present moment.

In that mountain, I felt so alive as if I were a bouncing ball of youthful energy - so sure of myself, curious as a cat, and knowing no fear. I felt infinite.

The sounds in the mountain were both familiar and foreign. Here and there the snapping of twigs, the rustling of dry leaves, the chirping of unseen birds and the sounds of unseen insects and animals, the wind blowing against trees so tall, and the occasional familiar sound of stories being shared by one hiker to many others.

There was an indescribable feeling borne out of being one with everything that surrounds you. All at once, I felt connected with everything around me and within me. In exploring the mountain, I felt that I have discovered something within me that I would never have known had I not taken the first step on that trail.

We started sometime around 6:30am. By around 10am, we reached the campsite. This is where we first saw our destination, the summit. We stayed here for a while to rest and have brunch. I couldn't really eat, which is what usually happens when I am too excited about something. So it was still surprising how I still had energy left to assault the summit, which I found quite challenging. The trail to the summit was steep and dry with barely anything to hold on to.

At the campsite. Pico de Loro, January 2013.

First view of the summit from the campsite.
Pico de Loro, January 2013.

When we reached the summit, my heart was brimming with pride and joy... I was also thirsty and quite hungry. But I had time to drink and munch on snacks with the most glorious view on sight. I was overcome with so much joy, realizing in a moment that I was able to see all of that with only my feet to take me. Amazing, isn't it?

The most exciting part of our Pico de Loro adventure is the Beak. The Beak is a monolith that is a short hike from the summit. When J asked me if I wanted to climb the Beak, there was no doubt in my mind that I would do it no matter how treacherous it looked and how difficult it sounded based on the accounts of the group we were with. Perhaps it was because of the rush of adrenalin but I knew no fear then... until I had to climb with only a rope to hang on to.

The Beak. Pico de Loro, January 2013.

Our group at the Beak.
Pico de Loro, January 2013.

Our group at the Beak.
Pico de Loro, January 2013.

It was only by God's grace that we made it.

Going down the mountain was as much as an adventure as it was going up. It was only then that I was able to get to know more about J beyond the few things that I know of him. There were stories and snippets of information about each other that we shared. There were questions and answers. There were silence and laughter. But above all, there was a happy discovery that we shared values and priorities.

There were hints of a possibility of spending more time together and of exploring new spaces and places. I don't find it easy to find people who are always willing to share in an adventure so in that moment, I felt happy to have found a kindred spirit. I liked the possibility of sharing adventures with J but I didn't count on it at the time. Some people were all talk and didn't really walk the talk. Still a happy thought crossed my mind. I felt then that was the start of a friendship with an equally adventurous soul and quite possibly, a travel buddy.

My feet were tired but only too happy when we we caught a glimpse of the road that signaled the end of our Pico de Loro adventure. I felt a pang of sadness then, anxious that the day was almost done and that my succeeding steps would take me away from that beautiful mountain. At the same time, there was comfort in knowing that I was coming back home.

And then there it was, the road. That same road that held so much promise just that morning at the beginning of our adventure. It made me happy and sad at the same time.

Yes, that is the road. Little did I know that our adventure would not end there. In fact, it was only the beginning of a much greater adventure.