Art Attack

1729 ARTISTS! A great number for The Covers Project. While we didn't quite hit our mark of 3000 Filipino artists, we rallied a great response for this milestone project in a short 8 weeks.

...And we're going to make it work. Thanks to the artists who sent us two pieces of art, we have enough for all 3000 covers of our first issue. With your permission, we would like to use ALL art pieces submitted for both the exhibition and cover - including the 2nd piece that was initially for the exhibition only.

How will we do this? Prior to distribution, ALL THE COVERS WILL BE EXHIBITED during the Art in Site Magazine launch in January 2009. On display will be covers by Ugu Bigyan, Paul Pfeiffer, Neal Oshima, Wawi Navarroza and other Filipino artists from all corners of the world including Saudi Arabia, Australia, Bosnia, Trinidad, Iceland, Qatar to name a few.

Thank you to everyone who has participated in THE COVERS PROJECT. We appreciate your support in helping Art In Site magazine create its unique vision of having each copy be an original art work. We have extended the submission deadline to 30 September 2008. So please keep the art works coming!

*****

Got this email from one of the cool people from Art In Site Magazine. And yes, they are extending their deadline until September 30! Wipeee!

I've learned about The Covers Project just several days before their first deadline (September 15) and with the hecticity (not a word!) from our org's sponsorship of the "Eagle Eye" premier screening, I thought iL never gonna make it to create an artwork for them.

First, I was aiming to do an acrylic painting in canvass but looking at the deadline I knew I will not make it in time. Then I scrounged up from my photo archives for any "non-postprocessed" picture that was creative enough to be called an art. NOTHING passed my taste! My mind racing, I installed a Photoshop CS2 and while waiting for it to finish, quickly scanned the web for past editing lessons I've worked on. The first thing that hit my convoluted thoughts... Andy Warhol!

Sooobrang kadiri sabihin but I have to admit that one of the major reasons why I did Warhol is that his "silk-screening multiples" technique in painting is quite easy to replicate in Photoshop! This, and the fact that I dig vintage Pop Art designs on my shirts (none of those brand label shite), made me quickly decide for it. So tadaaa... my artwork:

sadly, my original work's high resolution made its color crappy here. the colors on this one is waaay too different from my original!
The girl's name's Ly so I just called that art "Smile-Ly".

At first, I ought for this to be just a test work... to just refresh if I still know how to do the technique. Turns out, I was even more pressed for time than I thought that I had no choice but to have this as my actual submission already. I worked on this on a staggered five-day period and by late last week, I was just on the process of "cleaning" it up ready for 8R photo printing. See? Warhol-art's quick but cool.

I submitted at the deadline itself (last Monday) but I just received words from them that they won't mind a second submission since the deadline was moved. Astig!

For coherency, iL probably just do another Warhol again. I'm currently in the process of digging my photo archive again for any other unwilling subjects. Haha!

Addendum: Crap! When I posted the pic of my artwork (see above image), it din't turn out to be on its original colors! The high resolution probably screwed it. Have to find a way how I can upload a closer semblance.

*****

Quick Facts:
Title: Smile-Ly
Composition: digitally processed photograph in photo paper
Software: Adobe Photoshop CS2
Date Started: September 2, 2008
Date Finished: September 8, 2008
Genre: Portraiture, Silk-Screen Multiple

My artwork is based on Andy Warhol's silk-screen multiple method replete with his use of vivid pallette. However, unlike his famous use of pop art subjects, I opted for a more personal touch and did a portrait. Again, in contrary with Warhol's works, I made use of more muted colors to give definition not only on the "color play" but on the subject as well.

*****

For more about "The Covers Project", click the link on the image below...

Ang Pandesal. Bow.

Last week inabutan ako sa kalsada ng pagdidilig ng bagyong Marce. No choice, hindi na ako makabalik ng opisina. Tambay na lang muna sa tabi tabi. Ganun din naman, mahirap din kumuha ng sasakyan.

Dahil walang mapag-trippan, eto ang naimbento ko habang kumakain ng tinapay. Salamat sa Friss Point, sponsor ng pandesal ko!

Lintek, Ang Mahal
by Obi Concepcion
Herrera Ave., Makati - Sept 8 (9:47PM)

Umuulan.
Wala akong masakyan.
Pabili ngang anim na pisong pandesal.
Inabutan ako ng isa.

Lintek.
Ang mahal.

Inip.
Sa langit sumilip.
Gento pala ang Makati pag nakatingala.
Sabay kagat sa pandesal.

Lintek.
Ang mahal.

Inip.
Dinaan sa pag-iisip.
Teka, wala na ako sa trabaho ah.
Nag-iisip pa.
Kagat na lang sa pandesal.

Lintek.
Ang mahal.

Inip.
Antagal ng jeep.
Basa sa ulan at kumakalam ang tiyan.
Isa pang kagat sa pandesal.

Lintek.
Ang mahal.

Inip sa kahihintay.
Mayroon bang dadating?
Huling kagat na sa pandesal.

Lintek.
Ang pagmamahal.

The Sagada Journal - Day 2

Pictures available in my Multiply account...

Sagada Experience - Album 1
Sagada Experience - Album 2
Sagada Experience - Album 3

*****

Day 2 - Page 5
3/F Room Bilig, Residential Lodge, Sagada
* 4:45AM - woke up
- galamig!
(I was awaken by the biting chill! And partly by Gelo's snore. We forgot to close the windows and I wasn't able to grab my share of the blanket *I fell asleep while reading on the previous night*. I can't feel my toes because of the cold! Grumbling, I yanked on a blanket then went back to sleep.)

* 6:31 - breakfast (hipon, embotido, tocino)
- activated GPS (1,521 meters above sea level)
(Nice breakfast. Nanay Chebang cooked shrimps for us. Delectable! Afterwards, tambay muna sa labas then I activated my phone's GPS to save our coordinates and altitude. Wow high tech... pa-burger ka naman!)

* 6:46 - off from Residential Lodge
* 7:06 - mountain trail
(From here, we hiked up to a cliff ledge overlooking the Kiltipan Rice Terraces. Niiiice view! The height from there was reminiscent of my Sydney rappelling adventure but twice the drop! Even thrice, I think, if my GPS altimeter is correct.)

* 7:40 - mountainside photo ops
- overlooking Kiltipan Rice Terraces
(More photo shoots! The place is just romantic... if only we're not a sausage fest... Gelo, me, and Lou... pfft. Sausage time.)

cliff hanger?
Day 2 - Page 6
* 8:23AM - back to the van
* 8:39 - store stopover to buy trail food
(I bought the local version of chocnut.)

* 9:04 - dropoff point going to Bomod-ok Falls
- Barangay Aguid
(Sabi ni Gelo... Bumod-Okay Falls daw. Hahaha. O sige, you win. Haha! From Barangay Aguid, it'll be a downslope hike through the rice terraces to reach Bumod-okay Falls which is situated on a valley surrounded by the terraced mountains. Despite the sun, the climate's generally windy and temperate so it's perfect to get sunburn without you feeling it. As a precaution to shield my eyes and face, I wore my shemagh ninja-style!)

* 9:33 - Fidelisan Community reached
(This is one of several communities you'll encounter hiking from the Aguid trail. Bokyo told us that they weren't able to use this trail the last time that the Discover Asia trip was there because of an Ifugao ritual that forbids outsiders to pass through the ritual site. Anyway, it's a good thing there were no rituals during our hike. It's supposed to be only me, Ria, Bokyo, Dennis, Bang, Lou, Gidget, Gelo, Weng, Daniel, Ian, and Kuya Oscar that will walk all the way down to Bumod-ok Falls but we were surprised when Mex followed. Di talaga kami matiis ni Mex... naks! Happy happy happy birthday! Sayong tenenenenen, ho! Sayong tenenenen, ho! Happy happy happy birthday!)

Fact: Birthday ni Mex sa October 18! Happy happy happy birthday! Sayong tenenenenen, ho! Sayong tenenenen, ho! Happy happy happy birthday!

* 9:52 - small river passage
- walang signal ang Globe!

Fact: Mas malakas ang signal ng Globe on most parts of Sagada than Smart. Tas sasabihin nila sa kin mas malakas ang signal ng Smart sa mga probinsya... psh!

* 10:03AM - suspended bridge
(There was a steel matting bridge over a gorge.)
* 10:06 - Bumod-ok Falls sighted!

stop to blog in my journal, near Bumod-okay Falls!
* 10:15 - Bumod-ok Falls!
(Along the trail, we were followed by Ifugao kids going to the waterfalls too. I was able to have short conversations with them which included brief Ifugao language lessons as one of them acted as translator for me in Tagalog and/or English. They're intelligent and I can see that they were properly educated if not by "private school" standards but ample enough. They have awareness not only about their small town but on other current events as well. They thought I was from Mindanao because of my shemagh. Gelo's getting anxious about it too. Madami na daw tumitingin sa akin from the communities we passed by along the trail. I'm sure, whatever it is, it's not about being anxious at a Muslim-looking bloke amidst them. They're probably just curious on how I look on my shemagh. Moving on...)

(Bumod-ok Falls in my estimate is just around 80-90 meters high but unlike most waterfalls, the surrounding pool at the bottom is not as expansive. The impact of the water is strong nonetheless! Mists sprayed on us from as far as 50 meters from the pool area. This pool supplied water on a narrow river that flows around the rice terraces' valley floor.)

(We roamed around the area while the others had massage from the Ifugao kids who offered some foot shiatzu for extra income. If not doing that, these kids haul sacks and sacks of sand back to their houses for construction purpose! I edged my way nearer the waterfalls, hopping from rocks to rocks scattered around the area. The falls is a beauty! It just sucks that there's this thick black wire hanging from the top of the falls lolling all the way to an adjacent cliff. You can't have a good photo without it getting on the way. Agaw-eksena!)

the future Mister Pogi of Sagada
Fact: According to Kuya Oscar the Guide, just two weeks ago, a 15-year old girl slipped into the rapids raging from the waterfalls and into the connecting river and died. So sad.

Day 2 - Page 7
* 11:13AM - bye Bomod-ok Falls!
(We headed back to the trail.)
* 11:30 - back in the terraces path
* 12:16 - still on the trail
- music on Lou's music player: "Senti" by Yano

* 12:28 - Pide Community
(Pide is one of the communities along the trail. You'll notice on this part of the rice terraces that there were huge... as in HUGE... boulders littered everywhere on the terraced steppes. These are evidence of landslides that ravaged the rice terraces during typhoons. Although I can't imagine seeing those uber humongous rocks rolling down the rice terraces.)

* 12:37 - back at dropoff point (Aguid)
- basketball with the locals
(It was a very very tiring hike going back up and it drained me of the remaining water supply in my hydropack... all 4 litters of it! Still, I have enough energy to have a shoot out with the locals in an adjoining basketball court while the rest took a rest. Wow, double usage of "rest"!)

Sagada Mavericks superstar Obi Nowitzki!
* 12:54 - off from Aguid
* 1:17 - Strawberry Fastfood
- lunch time!
- videoketime with foreign audience
(We had a quick lunch at this local eatery that has a karaoke machine. Kuya Oscar punched in a cowboy-song MTV and took delight on it while he finished his food. It's quite entertaining, really, and I think it was the "IN" thing on the Mountain Province area since later on the trip, we'll hear some more hick-songs playing on the local radio somewhere in Benguet. Daniel should have started the videoke craze but the machine kept on acting up when he attempted to key in his songs. When at last, one of the songs played properly, Gelo finished it for him. I followed next without much prodding with the ubiquitous "Closer You and I" but alas it was not the upbeat version I wanted. Boooring. Lou followed with Andrew E.'s "Banyo Queen" as some foreigners went in to chow. Weng had a small chit chat with them as Lou finished his song.)

What-I-ate: Mami, Bacon Sandwhich

* 2:23 - off from Strawberry Fastfood

Day 2 - Page 8
* 2:34PM - St. Mary Church
(We started the hike going to the Echo Valley, passing by St. Mary Church which is under the Anglican governance. Along the way, we had some small historical talks about King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, mother of Queen Elizabeth I. Key figures on the establishment of the Church of England and Ireland which later on became associated with the current Anglican Church. Kuya Oscar exchanged ideas with me regarding small differences between the Catholic and Anglican beliefs. Astig.)

Fact: According to Kuya Oscar, St. Mary Church is the biggest church on the Cordillera region.

* 2:49 - Sagada Cemetery
(It's weird that I din't feel eerie walking through this cemetery. Shortcut daw ito sabi ni Kuya Oscar the Guide. The place is so serene and I can see more "art" in its beauty than morbidness.)

Fact: Contrary to popular belief, the corpses in the Hanging Coffins of Sagada are not mummified. They were embalmed using natural embalming herbs and concoctions.

* 2:54 - Echo Valley viewdeck
(The view is wicked! I'm starting to regret not having a proper digital camera.)

Fact: The latest addition to the Hanging Coffins was just affixed last June 18... our guide, Kuya Oscar's own late grandmom.

* 3:12 - actual grave site!
(We descended some 80 meters *warning: I suck in distance estimates* down a cliff face towards the grave site. Kuya Oscar explained everything we should know about the Ifugao tradition of hanging their dead.)

nginiiiig...
Facts: According to Ifugao beliefs...
...the higher the coffins are, the closer they are to Heaven.
...those who believe in reincarnation are interred inside the coffins on a fetal position, readying them for their second life.

Day 2 - Page 9
* 3:19PM - bye Hanging Coffins!
- starting to rain
(It was starting to drizzle and Kuya Oscar gave us the time estimates and what to expect on traversing the trail under the rain. Despite it, the team decided to still continue the hike instead of backing up to the Sagada Cemetery! I'm proud of you Team DiscovereD haha! We came to stop at this spot where Kuya Oscar pointed at a higher cliff face where more wooden coffins were impossibly stuck on crevices. None of the locals know how it ended up there because the coffins have been there since the early times of Sagada.)

* 3:31 - cave sighting
(We're now further down the Echo Valley. So far, on most of our hikes, it's been the descent that is more treacherous than the climb. Here at the Echo Valley floor, it's still the same problem. Sumemplang twice si Bang! But the superwoman was still able to continue the hike. Angas. Pero mas maangas yung naputol na tsanelas ni Weng. Haha! Peace.)

* 3:37 - dead river trail
* 3:40 - rain!!
- ciao for a while
(The rain got stronger! I have to hide my notepad for a while and it actually caught droplets on some parts. Good thing the smudges it made are still readable.)

Team DiscoverED Asia in Matangkib Cave
*** Team DiscoverED Asia and the Echo Valley Hike ***
The rain churning none-too-subtle, we still continued the hike... o-ha! The trail was doubly slippery and handholds has been too tricky to be relied on as well. I told Gelo to stay as close as possible to the ground... and even butt-crawl on most parts of the descent just to work around the thickening mud. Despite getting soaked wet and filthy, the group even held their spirits higher as they took the situation more as an exciting adventure than a pityful predicament. See, nice set of people to be with on such a trip di ba? I can't imagine being with more "refined" companions on this trek. Sigurado sumasakit na ang ulo ko sa mga reklamong maririnig ko.

* 3:55 - river crossing
- cave haven
(The rain got colder and heavier. We crossed a narrow river that flows from a huge cave... Matangkib. We took refuge inside it to wait out the rain. Photo shoot time with Gidget's waterproof camera! Waterproof! Waterproof! Waterproof! We were kidding Mex that this was all part of the itinerary... and that we actually loved it!)

Day 2 - Page 10
* 4:35PM - got my journal back
- back in the streets of Sagada
(We're back in the streets of Sagada and Gelo just kissed the concrete road... yes... kissed. Don't worry there were no tongues involved. Along the trail back to the main road, we passed along this Mr. Joaquin's house which was built on a cliff edge. Writer daw sa UPLB? Basta sikat daw siya sabi ni Kuya Oscar. I don't know him. There were more burial caves high on the crevices on that part of the Echo Valley.)

Facts: According to Kuya Oscar...
...there were other Persimmon trees around the Cordillera region but the Persimmons in Sagada are the only ones that bear fruits!
...Sagada has a population of only around 10,000.

* 5:04 - St. Mary School - Sagada
(We went inside the campus. All their classrooms' furnitures are wooden. Gidget studied on St. Mary in Baliwag. Nice... sister school. Pa-burger ka naman!)

Fact: Tuition in St. Mary's is only 5,000 bucks a year which already includes school supplies!

* 5:29 - back to Residential Lodge
- valley shortcut
(Going back to the lodge, we trekked from the rear area of St. Mary School... a descent down a small valley community and a partially steep climb emerging at the streetside near Residential Lodge. It's actually the shorter but harder route going back. And we thought we've had enough of the Echo Valley trek! "Malapit" lang daw kasi sabi ni Kuya Oscar. Argh.)

* 6:51 - nakaligo!
(One of the bestest bath I had in my life. Haha!)

Day 2 - Page 11
* 7:20PM - Masferré Restaurant
- dinner
(The foood is mui delicioso!!! O baka dahil sa sobrang gutom lang namin from the day's events? Masferré has a nice selection of food but most are not available. Oo nga pala, expect things like this where some cuisine in the menu are not available. Most resto in Sagada has limited access to ingredients that are native to the place. Remember that the next place they can buy stuffs are like several kilometers away and most grow their own ingredients instead. Kuya Oscar told us that some resto grew their own rice on their own lot in the rice terraces.)

Facts: Masferré came from Eduardo Masferré, Father of Filipino Photography. Dahil nauuso ang SLR ngayon, dapat alam ito ng mga photographers at mga feeling photographers. So for those photography afficionados, afficionados-to-be, and afficionados-wannabe, remember the name Masferré! Tatay niyo daw siya. Haha!

(The place has a lot of photos by Masferré. But it's prohibited to take photos inside the place. Kinantyawan na lang namin ulit si Mex... Happy happy happy birthday! Sayong tenenenenen, ho! Sayong tenenenen, ho! Happy happy happy birthday! Yes... maingay kami.)

What-I-ate: CHICKEN in orange sauce, chopsuey, ham and egg sandwich!

* 8:45 - done dinner
* 8:56 - tambay mode (Residential Lodge)
(The Koreans on our adjacent room are gone for the day. Wala na kaming kaagaw sa tambayan... yipeee! We lounged on this communal sala then took out our toma! A bottle of peach and persimmon liquor. Amoy at lasang suka ang persimmon pero tinoma pa din namin nonetheless! The gang also took turns getting a massage from Manang I-forgot-her-name while Gelo, being Gelo, slumped on his seat for some Z-time. Zzzzzz!)

* 11:00 - done tambay
(Ang sarap pa din ng tulog ni Gelo. Kaya iniwan naming lahat mag-isa sa sala. Haha!)

Day 3 - Page 12
* 7:00AM - wake up!
* 7:38 - breakfast table
(Hotdog, bacon, and egg on our plates... yub yub!)

* 8:50 - packed up
(All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go...)
* 9:21 - souvenir shop
(I bought several tshirts and an anklet that I laced around the zipper of my assault bag... so can I call it now a "zipperlet"? We even had short lessons on how Ifugao naming conventions are done from the Ifugao saleslady, herself.)

Fact: If an Ifugao baby is named after a living family member, the family member has to change name. Most Ifugao names are taken from dead relatives. This way, those people who are still living in the family rarely have the same name. Sorry Junior.

* 10:07 - bye Residential Lodge!
(Ayaw pa namin umalis ngunit kailangan.)
* 10:20AM - exchanged contact numbers
(Dito na namin niloloko si Mex na kukumpitensyahin namin siya under the company name DiscovereD Asia! Hahaha... isang letter lang ang diperensya!)

* 11:13 - Alab, Mountain Province
* 11:24 - Gonogon, Mountain Province
* 12:32 - pee break

* 12:52 - bus screw up

*** The Bayanihan Bus ***
A couple of kilometers from Gonogon, the rough roadside merges into a one-laner due to constructions. A local passenger bus bound for Benguet screwed up blocking the dirt thoroughfare. When people from the bus went down to push the BUS, we decided to help out. It's part of the adventure! Despite our numbers, the uneven terrain, sheer weight of the bus, and the upward slope proved to be a stubborn resistance. The bus won't bulge.

A couple of minutes more and both lanes have several vehicles piled up already. More people from the stranded vehicles went out to help. But my immediate observation was that none from the more "well-off" luxury vehicles cared to. You can take the konyo out of the city, but you can't take the apathetic lazy-ass city attitude out of the konyo! Hahaha. I say, they should be the one who deserves to get stranded on that place... forever!

Being immediately behind the bus, Bokyo was able to craftily squirm our van past the blocking bus and we should have been free to go outright. But the bayanihan-spirit on us, spurred by the passion of the people outside to help, made us stay for a while and also help push the poor bus out of its misery. It was uplifting to be with a bunch of people who can't even understand each other because of their different dialects but are working out of camaraderie to strangers in need! Heck, the next person beside me pushing the bus is a foreigner!

Anyway, after a while, after continued effort to shove the bus for even a small distance, the ignition fired up. Wippeee! It was a nice feeling. I can see the foreigner beside me in glee and he din't think twice when I offered a hand for a high-five. Apir! Anong say ng mga highfalutin bastards dun sa mga otong hindi tumulong? Bwiset!

* 1:29PM - Buguias, Benguet
* 2:29 - Atok, Benguet
- siopao stopover
(SIOPAO... ganyan kalaki yung siopao nila.)

Day 3 - Page 13
* 4:00PM - La Trinidad, Benguet
* 4:16 - Petron - La Trinidad
- stopover
* 4:46 - Burnham Park, Baguio City
* 5:04 - SM-Baguio
- dinner
(A quick dinner at SM-Baguio. Kami nila Gelo and Lou nag quick draft beer. Haha!)

* 6:18PM - bye Baguio!
* 6:38 - pasalubong stopover
(I bought mom her pahabilin na walis tambo.)

* 7:33 - Shell-Rosario stopover (again!)
* 8:12 - Urdaneta, Pangasinan
(Ayan, dito medyo magulo na kami sa van. Hirit na naman si Nanay Chebang na para daw kaming matagal nang magkakakilala. Sabi namin matagal na talaga kaming magkakakilala. Kahit si Mex tropa talaga namin noon pa. At na nasa Wow Mali lang siya. Hehe. Laugh trip. Kamuka pa daw ni Ian si Stephen ba yun? Peborit niya tuloy si Ian. Haha.)

* 9:54 - Shell-NLEX
* 10:13 - Mega Station, Caltex-NLEX
(Ambilis talaga namin!)

Day 3 - Page 14
* 11:13PM - Drop off in Muñoz (Bang, Daniel, Gidget, Weng)
* 11:16 - Drop off in Q. Ave. (Ian)
* 11:29 - Drop off in Makati (Lou, Gelo, Obi)

*12:14AM - Home sweet home!
-- Thanks God for the safe trip!
-- Salamat sa Discover Asia!
-- Salamat sa Team DiscovED Asia! Hahaha! "L" is for Love!
-- Salamat kay Nanay Mary ng Residential Lodge (na magtatago sa akin sa Sagada pag nang rape ako dito sa Manila... pumayag siya!)
-- Salamat kay Kuya Oscar... isa kang alamat!
-- Salamat at naimbentong kainin ang manok!

two thumbs up ang Sagada

The Sagada Journal - Day 1

I've always dreamt of going to Sagada ever since the late 90's. A decade later, just last week actually, after my very first trip to that humble Mountain Province town, the experience was not just a dream-come-true for me but a life-long treasure. The place is sooo awesome that you'd say "iL be back" even when you're still there! And yes, iL be back for sure. Peksman.

woodlands overlooking the Kiltepan Rice Terraces
*****

Quick Facts
Place: Sagada, Mountain Province
Coordinates: 17.0809N, 120.9002E
Elevation: 1527.5 masl
Places of Interest:
-- Echo Valley (Hanging Coffins of Sagada)
-- St. Mary's Church
-- Bomod-ok Falls
-- Kiltepan Rice Terraces
-- Lake Danum
-- Sagada Weaving House
-- Sumaguing Cave

*****

The trip was organized by Discover Asia. I just saw it on an ad posted at the Pinoy Mountaineer site and from there, started inviting people from my various circles of friends to join the tour. I'm wanting to hook them up sana with each other, just as how Gelo did during his birthday last year. Unfortunately, the then impending typhoon "Lawin" caused most of them to back out and in the end, kami kami pa din ang nagkita sa finals... ako, si Gelo, at si Lou.

At the designated meeting place, we met the other trippers which later on I realized how lucky are we that they are the ones we got to share the tour with... walang KJ sa grupo at cool silang kasama lahat! Para silang ako na pinadami... "joiner" na kidnap-material ba.

Attendance: Dennis, Bokyo, Ria, Nanay Mely, Mex, Gidget, Weng, Daniel, Beng, Ian, Obi, Gelo, Lou, Kuya Oscar

Anyway, I started the journal even before we headed to the meeting place. I have with me, as ever, my handy travel notepad (in purple plastic cover) and a sign-pen (violet tint). Together with my violet Umbro shirt, huli pala agad ang peborit color ko hehe.
Here be my entries in verbatim...

*****

Day .5 - Page 1
HP 10/F, Rob Summit Bldg, Ayala Ave.
* 8:11PM - waiting for the Lou
8:18 - off HP
(Hanga ako sa pagka-workaholic ng mga taong ito. Parang totoo! Hahaha!)
8:48 - van spotted
9:11 - departure from Makati
10:48 - departure from Petron-NLEX
(We did a short stop-over at Petron. We had chicken for dinner and we never thought we'll be eating CHICKEN for the rest of the trip!)

Day 1 - Page 1
* 12:24AM - Paniqui, Tarlac
* 1:30 - Caltex, Rosario... na naman!
("Na naman" since from the start of this year, I've been tripping north for the Nth time already and we never missed stopping over at this petrol station. Palagi!)
* 2:06 - off Rosario
(We did Kenon Road.)
* 2:55 - just passed Padi's Point-Baguio
* 3:03 - La Trinidad, Benguet
(Looking at the time logs, I realized just NOW that wow we actually did Benguet in only around 4 hours?!? Good job, Dennis and Bokyo!)

Day 1 - Page 2
* 5:09AM - stopover, mountainside road heading to Sagada (doh!)
- stretching break
(It was still dark outside but we can make out the profiles of the rice terraces on this part of Benguet.)
* 5:32 - pee break
* 5:35 - Buguias, Benguet
(First break of dawn.)
* 5:49 - "Welcome to Mountain Province" arc
- Mountain Province-Benguet border stopover
(Photo ops break. After which, I slept on most part of the ensuing travel.)
* 8:12 - Borris Store
- tabing bundok, bangin!!!
- Bontoc-Sagada junction
(Borris Store and una kong nakita pagkagising. Tapos pag lingon ko sa kanan... bangin! We were already at the rough road part of the travel and it was actually the bumpy ride that shook me awake. On this part of the Mountain Province pa lang I was like on "WOW" mode already.)

* 8:35AM - Welcome to Sagada
(We did Sagada in 11 hours, including stopovers. Still a quick feat. Astig.)
* 8:50 - Sagada Market
- roadside tiangge
* 8:55 - Residential Lodge
(We stayed here. We were welcomed by the owner Nanay Mary.)

Day 1 - Page 3
* 9:06AM - settled at Room "Bilig"
(We got this nice spot at the back of the lodge overlooking the rolling hills where the St. Mary School is *we'll realize this on the second day pa* on the horizon and a simple community not-so-far below on a small valley. I immediately claimed the bedside spot near the window in the name of OBI! I'll regret this later on as the blistering cold seeps in! Moving on...)

* 10:30 - done breakfast
(We had eggs and hotdogs and bananas. Just right to kickoff the day. We goofed around with the other trippers and as Nanay Mely would say it "para kayong matagal nang magkakakilala". Gelo was just beginning hehehe. He'll always find a way to "eps" around... di ba Bozz? Bwaha! Eps!)
* 11:18 - off from Residential Lodge
(Destination...)
* 11:32 - ...Sagada Weaving House!
(Lotsa lots of weaved products... from bags to celphone casings to placemats! I grabbed myself a violet bag. We observed around trying to spark an understanding of how the complex woodwork operates and weave the threads into such ornately colorful cloth... in vain. It's just too complicated for my poor puny brain. Kuddos to the weavers of Sagada for their skills on this contrapments. Yun nga lang, bawal kumuha ng ritrato sa loob ng tahian.)

* 12:01 - off from Sagada Weaving House
* 12:15PM - Lake Danum
(What a splendid site! If I'm into photography and actually have an SLR, I'll be orgasmic. I'll confirm with Daniel on this one... hehe. The place is sooo serene... if not for Gelo. Haha. Basag na naman. Sorry bozz.)

the gang at Lake Danum
* 12:26 - off from Lake Danum
* 12:40 - Sagada Pottery
(We were welcomed by an English-speaking-complete-with-slang Manong Potter who showed us around his "lab". I've always wanted to try "spinning a pot". I think it's a very relaxing activity. But I'd rather not try it since my hands are far from gentle. Mex and Gidget beat me to it! They were able to spin some kind of clay containers that has cow or horse poop in the middle. Hahaha! Peace, oi! Manong Potter streamlined Mex's work and set it aside for baking. We were singing "Unchained Melody" as they shape their pots to imperfection. Hehe.)

Fact: Sagada pottery are more stoneware than earthenware according to Manong Potter. To know the difference, check your Wikipedia.

* 1:24 - off from Sagada Pottery
- Igorot Model House
(There's an Igorot model house right beside the potter's workshop. We just hang out there and did some photo ops before riding away.)

Fact: The Igorot hutts were not built using nails or tying materials. They just pile it all up by crafting the woods to snap on to each other ala Lego. Astig.

* 1:31 - French chef fully booked!
(The French chef's guest list for the Saturday buffet is fully booked! Argh... lamentation! Another reason to go back to Sagada!)

Fact: Chef Philippe from Alsace, France decided to retire back in 1992 and do biking instead on random places he could think of. After 8 years of doing this, he arrived in Sagada and, endearing himself with the place, considered it as his second home. He was given an Igorot name by the locals - Aklay - and every Saturday, he cooks a buffet dinner out of what ingredients he can scour from the local market. It only costs 250+ pesos! The catch is it's only for a limited seat so you have to book early on a Friday.

* 1:41PM - Yoghurt House
- draw a caricature on the guest book
(Another must-visit for the tourists is the Yoghurt House. I'm not much of a yoghurt-person but sans it, their food still tastes fantastic. I find the yoghurt a bit too sour for me though. I draw a caricature of me, Gelo, and Lou on the guest book.)

What-I-ate: Banana Granola yogurt, chopsuey!, java CHICKEN
(Chopsuey is your best choice for tipid-meals.)

Yogurt House... yub yub!
Day 1 - Page 4
* 3:12PM - off from Residential Lodge
(The lodge is a walking distance from the Yoghurt House so we hang out back in the HQ for a while before setting off again.)

* 3:19 - cave spelunking!
(From here, I have to leave my journal since it'll get wet for sure. There were three options for the spelunking activity. You can either traverse three cave connections, two, or one. Ian and Gidget picked two cave connections. There goes our waterproof camera haha! The rest of us just picked one. I can hear my soul saying... no, clamouring... to try the two cave connections... heck, even three! But the pocket won't agree. Charge rates varies also. And besides, I'm chicken poop when there's swimming involve... especially inside a very very very dark cave. And I'd rather go with the majority. Justifications... justifications.)

150 meters down under... with Weng, Mex, and Bang
*** Inside the Cave ***
We were given specific instructions by our guides (Kuya Jeff? who takes the lead and another one who takes our rear) before we jumped into the cavernous gap. The supposed congo line arrangement should be the lead guide, Gelo (probably intentionally picked by the guide so he can slow everybody else behind the line... haha peace bozz), Bang, Lou, Me, Weng, Daniel, and the rear guide.

The top level of the caves were full of filthy bats and the place reeked of bat pee and bat poop. The descent was tricky since slippery limestones lined the cave floors at this part. Further down the cave levels, the filthy scene eventually lead to very wonderful imageries! Rock formations hung left and right and the placements of stones seemed masterpieces of nature. At this point, we were welcomed by the cold underground river that, like us, wanders around the labyrinthine passages of the subterranean caves.

We were now 150 meters below the surface according to Kuya Guide. The rock consistency changed from slippery to uber coarse. There were an abundance of textured sandstones that you can scale at seemingly impossible angles ala Spiderman just because of their mere coarseness. Aliw siya, peksman! There's a part where we have to rappel down a sandstone. We were all humming the "Indiana Jones" musical score. It gets easier as you get deeper into the caves. How ironic.

Sumaging Cave. That's the name of one of the cave connections and I've seen local logos referring to it also as "Porn Cave" because of rock formations that resembled male and female sex organs. At another point by the end of the tour, me, Gelo and Lou ought to join the lead guide on this part of the spelunking trip where we have to crawl, slither, and wade ourselves out of small holes, tubular mazes, and random pools. We're like lab rats in a scientific experiment! It's like one tectonic shove and we'll be burried alive where we are. Verily a nerve-wracking experience!

ang green minded... BOW!
*** Lou's Near-Death Incident ***
Before we headed back to surface, we were allowed to roam around some more and take a dip on the subterranean pools that ringed the caves. Lou, on his way down one of the deeper streams, slipped and fell flat on the waters and it took him a couple of seconds before surfacing again... on the wrong part of the precipice. It's the side where a continuous semi-waterfall supplies water on the pool. Surfacing below it gasping for air while it pours water on your face could be very disorienting and such was the case for Lou. What's more scary is that the light from the guide's lamp coincidentally went out sending the area in pitch darkness. I can already hear Bang calling at Lou while Gelo reaches out saying "Wag kang gagalaw!" I, being on the rear part of the ensemble, quickly hiked up to call for the other guide's lamp. By the time the light was brought in, Lou was already clinging on one of the rocky outcrops... his face as white as espasol. Hehehe. Somebody should have captured that.

* 6:11 - done spelunking
- I effin made it!
(That has been a life-long achievement. I can't even believe I would crawl the last part of that trip. We literally have to wade on chest-high *and deeper on some parts* water, uneasy feeling of soft sand and stones beneath you, inside a claustrophobia-inducing enclosure! Grabe. And y'know what's even more insane? I can't wait to try the two and three cave connections next time! But iL definitely should have a waterproof camera by then. I'm sure that's the daredevil in me speaking AFTER completing the ordeal... but I was really chicken-shitty when we were about to jump in!)

(Before we hiked up back the trail we were able to meet Gidget and Ian along the way. But they still have to look around where the rest of us have been earlier so we went ahead of them. Jet's got the waterproof camera so no wonder they stayed loooonger than we do.)

it just missed the angle but there should be an "etits" rock formation in the center of the pic... haha!
* 7:01 - we're off to Residential Lodge
* 7:16 - Bana's Cafe
- Kape Alamid for only 120 bucks!
(Bana's is just a couple of meters walk from Residential Lodge and they're your best substitute for Starbucks when in Sagada. They have various coffee servings including the wild cat poop brew more commonly known as the Alamid Coffee! I sampled one and it's great! Kinda in the strong side but I like it's taste with milk... and smells good too. But remember, it's cat poop! Hehe. We were surprised when we saw that our lead spelunking guide also cooks for Bana's. Astig.)

What-I-ate: chopsuey (pa din!), buttered CHICKEN!, garlic rice, alamid poop coffee, beer

* 8:26PM - bill out
* 8:57 - back at Residential Lodge
* 10:30? - sleeping time
(I fell asleep reading the Warhammer 40K 5th Edition rulebook.)

*****

Day 2 to be continued...

my PC wallpaper... Bomod-ok Falls

Art Attack

1729 ARTISTS! A great number for The Covers Project. While we didn't quite hit our mark of 3000 Filipino artists, we rallied a great response for this milestone project in a short 8 weeks.

...And we're going to make it work. Thanks to the artists who sent us two pieces of art, we have enough for all 3000 covers of our first issue. With your permission, we would like to use ALL art pieces submitted for both the exhibition and cover - including the 2nd piece that was initially for the exhibition only.

How will we do this? Prior to distribution, ALL THE COVERS WILL BE EXHIBITED during the Art in Site Magazine launch in January 2009. On display will be covers by Ugu Bigyan, Paul Pfeiffer, Neal Oshima, Wawi Navarroza and other Filipino artists from all corners of the world including Saudi Arabia, Australia, Bosnia, Trinidad, Iceland, Qatar to name a few.

Thank you to everyone who has participated in THE COVERS PROJECT. We appreciate your support in helping Art In Site magazine create its unique vision of having each copy be an original art work. We have extended the submission deadline to 30 September 2008. So please keep the art works coming!

*****

Got this email from one of the cool people from Art In Site Magazine. And yes, they are extending their deadline until September 30! Wipeee!

I've learned about The Covers Project just several days before their first deadline (September 15) and with the hecticity (not a word!) from our org's sponsorship of the "Eagle Eye" premier screening, I thought iL never gonna make it to create an artwork for them.

First, I was aiming to do an acrylic painting in canvass but looking at the deadline I knew I will not make it in time. Then I scrounged up from my photo archives for any "non-postprocessed" picture that was creative enough to be called an art. NOTHING passed my taste! My mind racing, I installed a Photoshop CS2 and while waiting for it to finish, quickly scanned the web for past editing lessons I've worked on. The first thing that hit my convoluted thoughts... Andy Warhol!

Sooobrang kadiri sabihin but I have to admit that one of the major reasons why I did Warhol is that his "silk-screening multiples" technique in painting is quite easy to replicate in Photoshop! This, and the fact that I dig vintage Pop Art designs on my shirts (none of those brand label shite), made me quickly decide for it. So tadaaa... my artwork:

sadly, my original work's high resolution made its color crappy here. the colors on this one is waaay too different from my original!
The girl's name's Ly so I just called that art "Smile-Ly".

At first, I ought for this to be just a test work... to just refresh if I still know how to do the technique. Turns out, I was even more pressed for time than I thought that I had no choice but to have this as my actual submission already. I worked on this on a staggered five-day period and by late last week, I was just on the process of "cleaning" it up ready for 8R photo printing. See? Warhol-art's quick but cool.

I submitted at the deadline itself (last Monday) but I just received words from them that they won't mind a second submission since the deadline was moved. Astig!

For coherency, iL probably just do another Warhol again. I'm currently in the process of digging my photo archive again for any other unwilling subjects. Haha!

Addendum: Crap! When I posted the pic of my artwork (see above image), it din't turn out to be on its original colors! The high resolution probably screwed it. Have to find a way how I can upload a closer semblance.

*****

Quick Facts:
Title: Smile-Ly
Composition: digitally processed photograph in photo paper
Software: Adobe Photoshop CS2
Date Started: September 2, 2008
Date Finished: September 8, 2008
Genre: Portraiture, Silk-Screen Multiple

My artwork is based on Andy Warhol's silk-screen multiple method replete with his use of vivid pallette. However, unlike his famous use of pop art subjects, I opted for a more personal touch and did a portrait. Again, in contrary with Warhol's works, I made use of more muted colors to give definition not only on the "color play" but on the subject as well.

*****

For more about "The Covers Project", click the link on the image below...

Ang Pandesal. Bow.

Last week inabutan ako sa kalsada ng pagdidilig ng bagyong Marce. No choice, hindi na ako makabalik ng opisina. Tambay na lang muna sa tabi tabi. Ganun din naman, mahirap din kumuha ng sasakyan.

Dahil walang mapag-trippan, eto ang naimbento ko habang kumakain ng tinapay. Salamat sa Friss Point, sponsor ng pandesal ko!

Lintek, Ang Mahal
by Obi Concepcion
Herrera Ave., Makati - Sept 8 (9:47PM)

Umuulan.
Wala akong masakyan.
Pabili ngang anim na pisong pandesal.
Inabutan ako ng isa.

Lintek.
Ang mahal.

Inip.
Sa langit sumilip.
Gento pala ang Makati pag nakatingala.
Sabay kagat sa pandesal.

Lintek.
Ang mahal.

Inip.
Dinaan sa pag-iisip.
Teka, wala na ako sa trabaho ah.
Nag-iisip pa.
Kagat na lang sa pandesal.

Lintek.
Ang mahal.

Inip.
Antagal ng jeep.
Basa sa ulan at kumakalam ang tiyan.
Isa pang kagat sa pandesal.

Lintek.
Ang mahal.

Inip sa kahihintay.
Mayroon bang dadating?
Huling kagat na sa pandesal.

Lintek.
Ang pagmamahal.

The Sagada Journal - Day 2

Pictures available in my Multiply account...

Sagada Experience - Album 1
Sagada Experience - Album 2
Sagada Experience - Album 3

*****

Day 2 - Page 5
3/F Room Bilig, Residential Lodge, Sagada
* 4:45AM - woke up
- galamig!
(I was awaken by the biting chill! And partly by Gelo's snore. We forgot to close the windows and I wasn't able to grab my share of the blanket *I fell asleep while reading on the previous night*. I can't feel my toes because of the cold! Grumbling, I yanked on a blanket then went back to sleep.)

* 6:31 - breakfast (hipon, embotido, tocino)
- activated GPS (1,521 meters above sea level)
(Nice breakfast. Nanay Chebang cooked shrimps for us. Delectable! Afterwards, tambay muna sa labas then I activated my phone's GPS to save our coordinates and altitude. Wow high tech... pa-burger ka naman!)

* 6:46 - off from Residential Lodge
* 7:06 - mountain trail
(From here, we hiked up to a cliff ledge overlooking the Kiltipan Rice Terraces. Niiiice view! The height from there was reminiscent of my Sydney rappelling adventure but twice the drop! Even thrice, I think, if my GPS altimeter is correct.)

* 7:40 - mountainside photo ops
- overlooking Kiltipan Rice Terraces
(More photo shoots! The place is just romantic... if only we're not a sausage fest... Gelo, me, and Lou... pfft. Sausage time.)

cliff hanger?
Day 2 - Page 6
* 8:23AM - back to the van
* 8:39 - store stopover to buy trail food
(I bought the local version of chocnut.)

* 9:04 - dropoff point going to Bomod-ok Falls
- Barangay Aguid
(Sabi ni Gelo... Bumod-Okay Falls daw. Hahaha. O sige, you win. Haha! From Barangay Aguid, it'll be a downslope hike through the rice terraces to reach Bumod-okay Falls which is situated on a valley surrounded by the terraced mountains. Despite the sun, the climate's generally windy and temperate so it's perfect to get sunburn without you feeling it. As a precaution to shield my eyes and face, I wore my shemagh ninja-style!)

* 9:33 - Fidelisan Community reached
(This is one of several communities you'll encounter hiking from the Aguid trail. Bokyo told us that they weren't able to use this trail the last time that the Discover Asia trip was there because of an Ifugao ritual that forbids outsiders to pass through the ritual site. Anyway, it's a good thing there were no rituals during our hike. It's supposed to be only me, Ria, Bokyo, Dennis, Bang, Lou, Gidget, Gelo, Weng, Daniel, Ian, and Kuya Oscar that will walk all the way down to Bumod-ok Falls but we were surprised when Mex followed. Di talaga kami matiis ni Mex... naks! Happy happy happy birthday! Sayong tenenenenen, ho! Sayong tenenenen, ho! Happy happy happy birthday!)

Fact: Birthday ni Mex sa October 18! Happy happy happy birthday! Sayong tenenenenen, ho! Sayong tenenenen, ho! Happy happy happy birthday!

* 9:52 - small river passage
- walang signal ang Globe!

Fact: Mas malakas ang signal ng Globe on most parts of Sagada than Smart. Tas sasabihin nila sa kin mas malakas ang signal ng Smart sa mga probinsya... psh!

* 10:03AM - suspended bridge
(There was a steel matting bridge over a gorge.)
* 10:06 - Bumod-ok Falls sighted!

stop to blog in my journal, near Bumod-okay Falls!
* 10:15 - Bumod-ok Falls!
(Along the trail, we were followed by Ifugao kids going to the waterfalls too. I was able to have short conversations with them which included brief Ifugao language lessons as one of them acted as translator for me in Tagalog and/or English. They're intelligent and I can see that they were properly educated if not by "private school" standards but ample enough. They have awareness not only about their small town but on other current events as well. They thought I was from Mindanao because of my shemagh. Gelo's getting anxious about it too. Madami na daw tumitingin sa akin from the communities we passed by along the trail. I'm sure, whatever it is, it's not about being anxious at a Muslim-looking bloke amidst them. They're probably just curious on how I look on my shemagh. Moving on...)

(Bumod-ok Falls in my estimate is just around 80-90 meters high but unlike most waterfalls, the surrounding pool at the bottom is not as expansive. The impact of the water is strong nonetheless! Mists sprayed on us from as far as 50 meters from the pool area. This pool supplied water on a narrow river that flows around the rice terraces' valley floor.)

(We roamed around the area while the others had massage from the Ifugao kids who offered some foot shiatzu for extra income. If not doing that, these kids haul sacks and sacks of sand back to their houses for construction purpose! I edged my way nearer the waterfalls, hopping from rocks to rocks scattered around the area. The falls is a beauty! It just sucks that there's this thick black wire hanging from the top of the falls lolling all the way to an adjacent cliff. You can't have a good photo without it getting on the way. Agaw-eksena!)

the future Mister Pogi of Sagada
Fact: According to Kuya Oscar the Guide, just two weeks ago, a 15-year old girl slipped into the rapids raging from the waterfalls and into the connecting river and died. So sad.

Day 2 - Page 7
* 11:13AM - bye Bomod-ok Falls!
(We headed back to the trail.)
* 11:30 - back in the terraces path
* 12:16 - still on the trail
- music on Lou's music player: "Senti" by Yano

* 12:28 - Pide Community
(Pide is one of the communities along the trail. You'll notice on this part of the rice terraces that there were huge... as in HUGE... boulders littered everywhere on the terraced steppes. These are evidence of landslides that ravaged the rice terraces during typhoons. Although I can't imagine seeing those uber humongous rocks rolling down the rice terraces.)

* 12:37 - back at dropoff point (Aguid)
- basketball with the locals
(It was a very very tiring hike going back up and it drained me of the remaining water supply in my hydropack... all 4 litters of it! Still, I have enough energy to have a shoot out with the locals in an adjoining basketball court while the rest took a rest. Wow, double usage of "rest"!)

Sagada Mavericks superstar Obi Nowitzki!
* 12:54 - off from Aguid
* 1:17 - Strawberry Fastfood
- lunch time!
- videoketime with foreign audience
(We had a quick lunch at this local eatery that has a karaoke machine. Kuya Oscar punched in a cowboy-song MTV and took delight on it while he finished his food. It's quite entertaining, really, and I think it was the "IN" thing on the Mountain Province area since later on the trip, we'll hear some more hick-songs playing on the local radio somewhere in Benguet. Daniel should have started the videoke craze but the machine kept on acting up when he attempted to key in his songs. When at last, one of the songs played properly, Gelo finished it for him. I followed next without much prodding with the ubiquitous "Closer You and I" but alas it was not the upbeat version I wanted. Boooring. Lou followed with Andrew E.'s "Banyo Queen" as some foreigners went in to chow. Weng had a small chit chat with them as Lou finished his song.)

What-I-ate: Mami, Bacon Sandwhich

* 2:23 - off from Strawberry Fastfood

Day 2 - Page 8
* 2:34PM - St. Mary Church
(We started the hike going to the Echo Valley, passing by St. Mary Church which is under the Anglican governance. Along the way, we had some small historical talks about King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, mother of Queen Elizabeth I. Key figures on the establishment of the Church of England and Ireland which later on became associated with the current Anglican Church. Kuya Oscar exchanged ideas with me regarding small differences between the Catholic and Anglican beliefs. Astig.)

Fact: According to Kuya Oscar, St. Mary Church is the biggest church on the Cordillera region.

* 2:49 - Sagada Cemetery
(It's weird that I din't feel eerie walking through this cemetery. Shortcut daw ito sabi ni Kuya Oscar the Guide. The place is so serene and I can see more "art" in its beauty than morbidness.)

Fact: Contrary to popular belief, the corpses in the Hanging Coffins of Sagada are not mummified. They were embalmed using natural embalming herbs and concoctions.

* 2:54 - Echo Valley viewdeck
(The view is wicked! I'm starting to regret not having a proper digital camera.)

Fact: The latest addition to the Hanging Coffins was just affixed last June 18... our guide, Kuya Oscar's own late grandmom.

* 3:12 - actual grave site!
(We descended some 80 meters *warning: I suck in distance estimates* down a cliff face towards the grave site. Kuya Oscar explained everything we should know about the Ifugao tradition of hanging their dead.)

nginiiiig...
Facts: According to Ifugao beliefs...
...the higher the coffins are, the closer they are to Heaven.
...those who believe in reincarnation are interred inside the coffins on a fetal position, readying them for their second life.

Day 2 - Page 9
* 3:19PM - bye Hanging Coffins!
- starting to rain
(It was starting to drizzle and Kuya Oscar gave us the time estimates and what to expect on traversing the trail under the rain. Despite it, the team decided to still continue the hike instead of backing up to the Sagada Cemetery! I'm proud of you Team DiscovereD haha! We came to stop at this spot where Kuya Oscar pointed at a higher cliff face where more wooden coffins were impossibly stuck on crevices. None of the locals know how it ended up there because the coffins have been there since the early times of Sagada.)

* 3:31 - cave sighting
(We're now further down the Echo Valley. So far, on most of our hikes, it's been the descent that is more treacherous than the climb. Here at the Echo Valley floor, it's still the same problem. Sumemplang twice si Bang! But the superwoman was still able to continue the hike. Angas. Pero mas maangas yung naputol na tsanelas ni Weng. Haha! Peace.)

* 3:37 - dead river trail
* 3:40 - rain!!
- ciao for a while
(The rain got stronger! I have to hide my notepad for a while and it actually caught droplets on some parts. Good thing the smudges it made are still readable.)

Team DiscoverED Asia in Matangkib Cave
*** Team DiscoverED Asia and the Echo Valley Hike ***
The rain churning none-too-subtle, we still continued the hike... o-ha! The trail was doubly slippery and handholds has been too tricky to be relied on as well. I told Gelo to stay as close as possible to the ground... and even butt-crawl on most parts of the descent just to work around the thickening mud. Despite getting soaked wet and filthy, the group even held their spirits higher as they took the situation more as an exciting adventure than a pityful predicament. See, nice set of people to be with on such a trip di ba? I can't imagine being with more "refined" companions on this trek. Sigurado sumasakit na ang ulo ko sa mga reklamong maririnig ko.

* 3:55 - river crossing
- cave haven
(The rain got colder and heavier. We crossed a narrow river that flows from a huge cave... Matangkib. We took refuge inside it to wait out the rain. Photo shoot time with Gidget's waterproof camera! Waterproof! Waterproof! Waterproof! We were kidding Mex that this was all part of the itinerary... and that we actually loved it!)

Day 2 - Page 10
* 4:35PM - got my journal back
- back in the streets of Sagada
(We're back in the streets of Sagada and Gelo just kissed the concrete road... yes... kissed. Don't worry there were no tongues involved. Along the trail back to the main road, we passed along this Mr. Joaquin's house which was built on a cliff edge. Writer daw sa UPLB? Basta sikat daw siya sabi ni Kuya Oscar. I don't know him. There were more burial caves high on the crevices on that part of the Echo Valley.)

Facts: According to Kuya Oscar...
...there were other Persimmon trees around the Cordillera region but the Persimmons in Sagada are the only ones that bear fruits!
...Sagada has a population of only around 10,000.

* 5:04 - St. Mary School - Sagada
(We went inside the campus. All their classrooms' furnitures are wooden. Gidget studied on St. Mary in Baliwag. Nice... sister school. Pa-burger ka naman!)

Fact: Tuition in St. Mary's is only 5,000 bucks a year which already includes school supplies!

* 5:29 - back to Residential Lodge
- valley shortcut
(Going back to the lodge, we trekked from the rear area of St. Mary School... a descent down a small valley community and a partially steep climb emerging at the streetside near Residential Lodge. It's actually the shorter but harder route going back. And we thought we've had enough of the Echo Valley trek! "Malapit" lang daw kasi sabi ni Kuya Oscar. Argh.)

* 6:51 - nakaligo!
(One of the bestest bath I had in my life. Haha!)

Day 2 - Page 11
* 7:20PM - Masferré Restaurant
- dinner
(The foood is mui delicioso!!! O baka dahil sa sobrang gutom lang namin from the day's events? Masferré has a nice selection of food but most are not available. Oo nga pala, expect things like this where some cuisine in the menu are not available. Most resto in Sagada has limited access to ingredients that are native to the place. Remember that the next place they can buy stuffs are like several kilometers away and most grow their own ingredients instead. Kuya Oscar told us that some resto grew their own rice on their own lot in the rice terraces.)

Facts: Masferré came from Eduardo Masferré, Father of Filipino Photography. Dahil nauuso ang SLR ngayon, dapat alam ito ng mga photographers at mga feeling photographers. So for those photography afficionados, afficionados-to-be, and afficionados-wannabe, remember the name Masferré! Tatay niyo daw siya. Haha!

(The place has a lot of photos by Masferré. But it's prohibited to take photos inside the place. Kinantyawan na lang namin ulit si Mex... Happy happy happy birthday! Sayong tenenenenen, ho! Sayong tenenenen, ho! Happy happy happy birthday! Yes... maingay kami.)

What-I-ate: CHICKEN in orange sauce, chopsuey, ham and egg sandwich!

* 8:45 - done dinner
* 8:56 - tambay mode (Residential Lodge)
(The Koreans on our adjacent room are gone for the day. Wala na kaming kaagaw sa tambayan... yipeee! We lounged on this communal sala then took out our toma! A bottle of peach and persimmon liquor. Amoy at lasang suka ang persimmon pero tinoma pa din namin nonetheless! The gang also took turns getting a massage from Manang I-forgot-her-name while Gelo, being Gelo, slumped on his seat for some Z-time. Zzzzzz!)

* 11:00 - done tambay
(Ang sarap pa din ng tulog ni Gelo. Kaya iniwan naming lahat mag-isa sa sala. Haha!)

Day 3 - Page 12
* 7:00AM - wake up!
* 7:38 - breakfast table
(Hotdog, bacon, and egg on our plates... yub yub!)

* 8:50 - packed up
(All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go...)
* 9:21 - souvenir shop
(I bought several tshirts and an anklet that I laced around the zipper of my assault bag... so can I call it now a "zipperlet"? We even had short lessons on how Ifugao naming conventions are done from the Ifugao saleslady, herself.)

Fact: If an Ifugao baby is named after a living family member, the family member has to change name. Most Ifugao names are taken from dead relatives. This way, those people who are still living in the family rarely have the same name. Sorry Junior.

* 10:07 - bye Residential Lodge!
(Ayaw pa namin umalis ngunit kailangan.)
* 10:20AM - exchanged contact numbers
(Dito na namin niloloko si Mex na kukumpitensyahin namin siya under the company name DiscovereD Asia! Hahaha... isang letter lang ang diperensya!)

* 11:13 - Alab, Mountain Province
* 11:24 - Gonogon, Mountain Province
* 12:32 - pee break

* 12:52 - bus screw up

*** The Bayanihan Bus ***
A couple of kilometers from Gonogon, the rough roadside merges into a one-laner due to constructions. A local passenger bus bound for Benguet screwed up blocking the dirt thoroughfare. When people from the bus went down to push the BUS, we decided to help out. It's part of the adventure! Despite our numbers, the uneven terrain, sheer weight of the bus, and the upward slope proved to be a stubborn resistance. The bus won't bulge.

A couple of minutes more and both lanes have several vehicles piled up already. More people from the stranded vehicles went out to help. But my immediate observation was that none from the more "well-off" luxury vehicles cared to. You can take the konyo out of the city, but you can't take the apathetic lazy-ass city attitude out of the konyo! Hahaha. I say, they should be the one who deserves to get stranded on that place... forever!

Being immediately behind the bus, Bokyo was able to craftily squirm our van past the blocking bus and we should have been free to go outright. But the bayanihan-spirit on us, spurred by the passion of the people outside to help, made us stay for a while and also help push the poor bus out of its misery. It was uplifting to be with a bunch of people who can't even understand each other because of their different dialects but are working out of camaraderie to strangers in need! Heck, the next person beside me pushing the bus is a foreigner!

Anyway, after a while, after continued effort to shove the bus for even a small distance, the ignition fired up. Wippeee! It was a nice feeling. I can see the foreigner beside me in glee and he din't think twice when I offered a hand for a high-five. Apir! Anong say ng mga highfalutin bastards dun sa mga otong hindi tumulong? Bwiset!

* 1:29PM - Buguias, Benguet
* 2:29 - Atok, Benguet
- siopao stopover
(SIOPAO... ganyan kalaki yung siopao nila.)

Day 3 - Page 13
* 4:00PM - La Trinidad, Benguet
* 4:16 - Petron - La Trinidad
- stopover
* 4:46 - Burnham Park, Baguio City
* 5:04 - SM-Baguio
- dinner
(A quick dinner at SM-Baguio. Kami nila Gelo and Lou nag quick draft beer. Haha!)

* 6:18PM - bye Baguio!
* 6:38 - pasalubong stopover
(I bought mom her pahabilin na walis tambo.)

* 7:33 - Shell-Rosario stopover (again!)
* 8:12 - Urdaneta, Pangasinan
(Ayan, dito medyo magulo na kami sa van. Hirit na naman si Nanay Chebang na para daw kaming matagal nang magkakakilala. Sabi namin matagal na talaga kaming magkakakilala. Kahit si Mex tropa talaga namin noon pa. At na nasa Wow Mali lang siya. Hehe. Laugh trip. Kamuka pa daw ni Ian si Stephen ba yun? Peborit niya tuloy si Ian. Haha.)

* 9:54 - Shell-NLEX
* 10:13 - Mega Station, Caltex-NLEX
(Ambilis talaga namin!)

Day 3 - Page 14
* 11:13PM - Drop off in Muñoz (Bang, Daniel, Gidget, Weng)
* 11:16 - Drop off in Q. Ave. (Ian)
* 11:29 - Drop off in Makati (Lou, Gelo, Obi)

*12:14AM - Home sweet home!
-- Thanks God for the safe trip!
-- Salamat sa Discover Asia!
-- Salamat sa Team DiscovED Asia! Hahaha! "L" is for Love!
-- Salamat kay Nanay Mary ng Residential Lodge (na magtatago sa akin sa Sagada pag nang rape ako dito sa Manila... pumayag siya!)
-- Salamat kay Kuya Oscar... isa kang alamat!
-- Salamat at naimbentong kainin ang manok!

two thumbs up ang Sagada

The Sagada Journal - Day 1

I've always dreamt of going to Sagada ever since the late 90's. A decade later, just last week actually, after my very first trip to that humble Mountain Province town, the experience was not just a dream-come-true for me but a life-long treasure. The place is sooo awesome that you'd say "iL be back" even when you're still there! And yes, iL be back for sure. Peksman.

woodlands overlooking the Kiltepan Rice Terraces
*****

Quick Facts
Place: Sagada, Mountain Province
Coordinates: 17.0809N, 120.9002E
Elevation: 1527.5 masl
Places of Interest:
-- Echo Valley (Hanging Coffins of Sagada)
-- St. Mary's Church
-- Bomod-ok Falls
-- Kiltepan Rice Terraces
-- Lake Danum
-- Sagada Weaving House
-- Sumaguing Cave

*****

The trip was organized by Discover Asia. I just saw it on an ad posted at the Pinoy Mountaineer site and from there, started inviting people from my various circles of friends to join the tour. I'm wanting to hook them up sana with each other, just as how Gelo did during his birthday last year. Unfortunately, the then impending typhoon "Lawin" caused most of them to back out and in the end, kami kami pa din ang nagkita sa finals... ako, si Gelo, at si Lou.

At the designated meeting place, we met the other trippers which later on I realized how lucky are we that they are the ones we got to share the tour with... walang KJ sa grupo at cool silang kasama lahat! Para silang ako na pinadami... "joiner" na kidnap-material ba.

Attendance: Dennis, Bokyo, Ria, Nanay Mely, Mex, Gidget, Weng, Daniel, Beng, Ian, Obi, Gelo, Lou, Kuya Oscar

Anyway, I started the journal even before we headed to the meeting place. I have with me, as ever, my handy travel notepad (in purple plastic cover) and a sign-pen (violet tint). Together with my violet Umbro shirt, huli pala agad ang peborit color ko hehe.
Here be my entries in verbatim...

*****

Day .5 - Page 1
HP 10/F, Rob Summit Bldg, Ayala Ave.
* 8:11PM - waiting for the Lou
8:18 - off HP
(Hanga ako sa pagka-workaholic ng mga taong ito. Parang totoo! Hahaha!)
8:48 - van spotted
9:11 - departure from Makati
10:48 - departure from Petron-NLEX
(We did a short stop-over at Petron. We had chicken for dinner and we never thought we'll be eating CHICKEN for the rest of the trip!)

Day 1 - Page 1
* 12:24AM - Paniqui, Tarlac
* 1:30 - Caltex, Rosario... na naman!
("Na naman" since from the start of this year, I've been tripping north for the Nth time already and we never missed stopping over at this petrol station. Palagi!)
* 2:06 - off Rosario
(We did Kenon Road.)
* 2:55 - just passed Padi's Point-Baguio
* 3:03 - La Trinidad, Benguet
(Looking at the time logs, I realized just NOW that wow we actually did Benguet in only around 4 hours?!? Good job, Dennis and Bokyo!)

Day 1 - Page 2
* 5:09AM - stopover, mountainside road heading to Sagada (doh!)
- stretching break
(It was still dark outside but we can make out the profiles of the rice terraces on this part of Benguet.)
* 5:32 - pee break
* 5:35 - Buguias, Benguet
(First break of dawn.)
* 5:49 - "Welcome to Mountain Province" arc
- Mountain Province-Benguet border stopover
(Photo ops break. After which, I slept on most part of the ensuing travel.)
* 8:12 - Borris Store
- tabing bundok, bangin!!!
- Bontoc-Sagada junction
(Borris Store and una kong nakita pagkagising. Tapos pag lingon ko sa kanan... bangin! We were already at the rough road part of the travel and it was actually the bumpy ride that shook me awake. On this part of the Mountain Province pa lang I was like on "WOW" mode already.)

* 8:35AM - Welcome to Sagada
(We did Sagada in 11 hours, including stopovers. Still a quick feat. Astig.)
* 8:50 - Sagada Market
- roadside tiangge
* 8:55 - Residential Lodge
(We stayed here. We were welcomed by the owner Nanay Mary.)

Day 1 - Page 3
* 9:06AM - settled at Room "Bilig"
(We got this nice spot at the back of the lodge overlooking the rolling hills where the St. Mary School is *we'll realize this on the second day pa* on the horizon and a simple community not-so-far below on a small valley. I immediately claimed the bedside spot near the window in the name of OBI! I'll regret this later on as the blistering cold seeps in! Moving on...)

* 10:30 - done breakfast
(We had eggs and hotdogs and bananas. Just right to kickoff the day. We goofed around with the other trippers and as Nanay Mely would say it "para kayong matagal nang magkakakilala". Gelo was just beginning hehehe. He'll always find a way to "eps" around... di ba Bozz? Bwaha! Eps!)
* 11:18 - off from Residential Lodge
(Destination...)
* 11:32 - ...Sagada Weaving House!
(Lotsa lots of weaved products... from bags to celphone casings to placemats! I grabbed myself a violet bag. We observed around trying to spark an understanding of how the complex woodwork operates and weave the threads into such ornately colorful cloth... in vain. It's just too complicated for my poor puny brain. Kuddos to the weavers of Sagada for their skills on this contrapments. Yun nga lang, bawal kumuha ng ritrato sa loob ng tahian.)

* 12:01 - off from Sagada Weaving House
* 12:15PM - Lake Danum
(What a splendid site! If I'm into photography and actually have an SLR, I'll be orgasmic. I'll confirm with Daniel on this one... hehe. The place is sooo serene... if not for Gelo. Haha. Basag na naman. Sorry bozz.)

the gang at Lake Danum
* 12:26 - off from Lake Danum
* 12:40 - Sagada Pottery
(We were welcomed by an English-speaking-complete-with-slang Manong Potter who showed us around his "lab". I've always wanted to try "spinning a pot". I think it's a very relaxing activity. But I'd rather not try it since my hands are far from gentle. Mex and Gidget beat me to it! They were able to spin some kind of clay containers that has cow or horse poop in the middle. Hahaha! Peace, oi! Manong Potter streamlined Mex's work and set it aside for baking. We were singing "Unchained Melody" as they shape their pots to imperfection. Hehe.)

Fact: Sagada pottery are more stoneware than earthenware according to Manong Potter. To know the difference, check your Wikipedia.

* 1:24 - off from Sagada Pottery
- Igorot Model House
(There's an Igorot model house right beside the potter's workshop. We just hang out there and did some photo ops before riding away.)

Fact: The Igorot hutts were not built using nails or tying materials. They just pile it all up by crafting the woods to snap on to each other ala Lego. Astig.

* 1:31 - French chef fully booked!
(The French chef's guest list for the Saturday buffet is fully booked! Argh... lamentation! Another reason to go back to Sagada!)

Fact: Chef Philippe from Alsace, France decided to retire back in 1992 and do biking instead on random places he could think of. After 8 years of doing this, he arrived in Sagada and, endearing himself with the place, considered it as his second home. He was given an Igorot name by the locals - Aklay - and every Saturday, he cooks a buffet dinner out of what ingredients he can scour from the local market. It only costs 250+ pesos! The catch is it's only for a limited seat so you have to book early on a Friday.

* 1:41PM - Yoghurt House
- draw a caricature on the guest book
(Another must-visit for the tourists is the Yoghurt House. I'm not much of a yoghurt-person but sans it, their food still tastes fantastic. I find the yoghurt a bit too sour for me though. I draw a caricature of me, Gelo, and Lou on the guest book.)

What-I-ate: Banana Granola yogurt, chopsuey!, java CHICKEN
(Chopsuey is your best choice for tipid-meals.)

Yogurt House... yub yub!
Day 1 - Page 4
* 3:12PM - off from Residential Lodge
(The lodge is a walking distance from the Yoghurt House so we hang out back in the HQ for a while before setting off again.)

* 3:19 - cave spelunking!
(From here, I have to leave my journal since it'll get wet for sure. There were three options for the spelunking activity. You can either traverse three cave connections, two, or one. Ian and Gidget picked two cave connections. There goes our waterproof camera haha! The rest of us just picked one. I can hear my soul saying... no, clamouring... to try the two cave connections... heck, even three! But the pocket won't agree. Charge rates varies also. And besides, I'm chicken poop when there's swimming involve... especially inside a very very very dark cave. And I'd rather go with the majority. Justifications... justifications.)

150 meters down under... with Weng, Mex, and Bang
*** Inside the Cave ***
We were given specific instructions by our guides (Kuya Jeff? who takes the lead and another one who takes our rear) before we jumped into the cavernous gap. The supposed congo line arrangement should be the lead guide, Gelo (probably intentionally picked by the guide so he can slow everybody else behind the line... haha peace bozz), Bang, Lou, Me, Weng, Daniel, and the rear guide.

The top level of the caves were full of filthy bats and the place reeked of bat pee and bat poop. The descent was tricky since slippery limestones lined the cave floors at this part. Further down the cave levels, the filthy scene eventually lead to very wonderful imageries! Rock formations hung left and right and the placements of stones seemed masterpieces of nature. At this point, we were welcomed by the cold underground river that, like us, wanders around the labyrinthine passages of the subterranean caves.

We were now 150 meters below the surface according to Kuya Guide. The rock consistency changed from slippery to uber coarse. There were an abundance of textured sandstones that you can scale at seemingly impossible angles ala Spiderman just because of their mere coarseness. Aliw siya, peksman! There's a part where we have to rappel down a sandstone. We were all humming the "Indiana Jones" musical score. It gets easier as you get deeper into the caves. How ironic.

Sumaging Cave. That's the name of one of the cave connections and I've seen local logos referring to it also as "Porn Cave" because of rock formations that resembled male and female sex organs. At another point by the end of the tour, me, Gelo and Lou ought to join the lead guide on this part of the spelunking trip where we have to crawl, slither, and wade ourselves out of small holes, tubular mazes, and random pools. We're like lab rats in a scientific experiment! It's like one tectonic shove and we'll be burried alive where we are. Verily a nerve-wracking experience!

ang green minded... BOW!
*** Lou's Near-Death Incident ***
Before we headed back to surface, we were allowed to roam around some more and take a dip on the subterranean pools that ringed the caves. Lou, on his way down one of the deeper streams, slipped and fell flat on the waters and it took him a couple of seconds before surfacing again... on the wrong part of the precipice. It's the side where a continuous semi-waterfall supplies water on the pool. Surfacing below it gasping for air while it pours water on your face could be very disorienting and such was the case for Lou. What's more scary is that the light from the guide's lamp coincidentally went out sending the area in pitch darkness. I can already hear Bang calling at Lou while Gelo reaches out saying "Wag kang gagalaw!" I, being on the rear part of the ensemble, quickly hiked up to call for the other guide's lamp. By the time the light was brought in, Lou was already clinging on one of the rocky outcrops... his face as white as espasol. Hehehe. Somebody should have captured that.

* 6:11 - done spelunking
- I effin made it!
(That has been a life-long achievement. I can't even believe I would crawl the last part of that trip. We literally have to wade on chest-high *and deeper on some parts* water, uneasy feeling of soft sand and stones beneath you, inside a claustrophobia-inducing enclosure! Grabe. And y'know what's even more insane? I can't wait to try the two and three cave connections next time! But iL definitely should have a waterproof camera by then. I'm sure that's the daredevil in me speaking AFTER completing the ordeal... but I was really chicken-shitty when we were about to jump in!)

(Before we hiked up back the trail we were able to meet Gidget and Ian along the way. But they still have to look around where the rest of us have been earlier so we went ahead of them. Jet's got the waterproof camera so no wonder they stayed loooonger than we do.)

it just missed the angle but there should be an "etits" rock formation in the center of the pic... haha!
* 7:01 - we're off to Residential Lodge
* 7:16 - Bana's Cafe
- Kape Alamid for only 120 bucks!
(Bana's is just a couple of meters walk from Residential Lodge and they're your best substitute for Starbucks when in Sagada. They have various coffee servings including the wild cat poop brew more commonly known as the Alamid Coffee! I sampled one and it's great! Kinda in the strong side but I like it's taste with milk... and smells good too. But remember, it's cat poop! Hehe. We were surprised when we saw that our lead spelunking guide also cooks for Bana's. Astig.)

What-I-ate: chopsuey (pa din!), buttered CHICKEN!, garlic rice, alamid poop coffee, beer

* 8:26PM - bill out
* 8:57 - back at Residential Lodge
* 10:30? - sleeping time
(I fell asleep reading the Warhammer 40K 5th Edition rulebook.)

*****

Day 2 to be continued...

my PC wallpaper... Bomod-ok Falls