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Above: View of Mount Pulag

Do you have that sense of adventure inserted in your bones? Do you have what it takes to make that walk and go beyond obstacles and unforeseen event that can occur anytime of the day? If you can ride with the play then so well be it, throw caution to the wind and let nature grab hold of you. It’s a walk you’ll never forget.

The place is not popular for some, but the experience is simply indescribable. Mount Pulag is the 2^nd Highest Mountain in Philippine land though Mount Apo is the highest mountain; the experience is more challenging than one would think. To reach the peak of Mount Apo, one can opt to take a couple of rides; its commercial value conceded its accessibility viable to many tourists. With Mount Pulag, it is the exact opposite.

Mount Pulag is standing 9609 ft above sea level in Benguet.

Below: ANother view of Mount Pulag

Let the Journey Begin

As you start at the bottom, you’ll see a store selling T-shirts saying “I survived Mount Pulag”. You would think that typical business goers would allow you to grab and buy some for souvenirs, but that’s not the case here, you are actually not allowed to buy these shirts before you make the climb. The sense of the message will only be attained when after having gone up, then you can you buy the shirt after you go down. In that station you will be briefed about the climb, there will be guides and tips.

It’s a long hike starting with a 4 hour hike to the Ranger station. The ride up hill is actually seldom so take this as an advantage that hiking is actually using your feet and not be on wheels. As it should be, you’ll encounter muddy pathways, and the higher you get the steeper the travel would be. It gets dark and the wind is cold. You’ll definitely would stop from time to time since it is a very high mountain and when you stop, make you sure that you tighten the laces of your shoes for a more comfortable walk the next streak. As the darkness takes over, you’ll be barely see anything but the flash lights and the leaves along side of your way, still you walk on until you reach the highest point. But still it was dark and you’re just happy that your there. So as you try to sneak a peak of the view, you’ll see silhouettes of slopes downhill. The place is dark and so is your site that you rest and close your eyes for the next day.

Above: Yet, another great view in Mount Pulag

You wake up and the sky is lit a little dimly however seeing the clouds that glide across the summit of other mountains in view, one would think if they’re in heaven being above the clouds passing by. Across the horizon there slowly comes the orangey feel of color mixing with the blue, sending out a light and producing more colors in the sky. Then you’ll finally realize that its more than just finishing the climb, it is the view that was all worth it. Simply heavenly and everything felt at peace.

Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder so they say, then perhaps that is why people go far and wide to adhere in their views of what they claim to be “Paraiso” (Paradise). So if beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, then you might just find yourself enlisting the things that make up for the theme of your own little Paradise, and who knows, maybe paradise doesn’t have to be too far away.

Above: Views of Boracay at it’s finest

· Lying on a hammock at shore in a white-powdery-sand beach of Boracay

· Holding a glass of fresh mango shake with a small umbrella on the side

· Smelling the fresh breeze that shields you from the heat of the sun

· Seeing the rays light up the light blue sea, and hearing the ocean’s waves hitting land. Simply relaxes you.

Above: Views of Sagada, “Adventurer’s Haven”

· Venturing the rocky slopes of Sagada and resting yourself in Luke-warm pools of its deep hidden caves.

· After which you’ll follow the underground river leading to a water fall, where you can climb up a certain peak and brace yourself in taking a jump creating splash.

· Then reach the heights of Mount Ampakaw where you can have little picnic and find fulfillment in its view with a bonus of blackberries that are just ripe for the picking.

Above: Views of Palawan,”A chunk of heaven fallen on earth”

· Let your body float amidst the clear blue waters in meditation viewing the colorful reefs and fishes of Palawan, a place where it hardly rains and all seems so positively bright in an ambience that’s simply enlightening.

Above: Views Bohol, “Scenic in every aspect”

· Take a tour in Bohol and let its beauty unfold to your very eyes.
· See the landscapes of the chocolate hills that seem to change its color in reaction to natural lighting.Cross rivers underneath wooden bridges in your sense of adventure and find rest in Bohol’s finest beach resorts.

If heaven is paradise and paradise is what you make of it, then heaven isn’t too far away. It’s in the islands of where your heart is at home by falling in love with beauty in itself… the Philippines.