Trek to Tabunan

Trekking was never in my hobbies list. Though it's not my first time kay I climbed a dormant volcano before (Mt. Kalayo in Bukidnon..), but climbing is tiresome, it extracts all your energy, and it's not fit for me.

Mt. Kalayo or Musuan Peak

But our trip to the virgin forest of Tabunan made me change my point of view on this activity. It was I think the most challenging trip I've ever had, but it was the most fulfilling and interesting activity I've ever experienced.

The trip started in JY Square in Lahug, we rode on a hired jeepney going up to the TOPS. And I always thought that the road stops there, but naa pa diay sa likod sa mountain. The road was going to Toledo, but it was a trip where your only view is foggy mountains. And wow, the air is soooo cool. It's breezy cold.

It was a 45-minute ride going to Tabunan. The place was great. We can view the forest and Mt. Manunggal from the ground (the forest was uphill and it's infront on Mt. Manunggal). Though the weather was a bit rainy,. But it didn't stop us from trekking the forest. Rain or shine, here we come.


Tabunan Forest

I can describe our trek in 3 'R' words: RAINY, ROCKY and ROUGH!

It was rainy (not typhoony though..), and we're all wet.
Our bags are wet, even our foods.
Good thing most of us prepared a plastic bag to put our cellphones and wallets.
I pity the cameras though..hehe

70% of our trail were ROCKS!
Yes, mossy, sharp rocks.
We were sooo careful not to fall from climbing these rocks, kay lisod nah.

And it was rough. Our trail was muddy, slopey and slidy.
Na-slide ko like 2 times (yes, I was too careful..) and I ended up dirty.
The plants around us were so pointy and sharp. I even have scratches from these plants.

All these were challenges of the trek.
But it cannot replace the FUN I experienced while having this trek.
Let me enumerate to you the things I have seen and did during the trek to Tabunan forest.

* I've seen different types of beautiful birds (since Tabunan forest is a sanctuary to the most extinct and expensive birds in the world), including the source of the expensive birds of nest soup, the bird "sayaw-sayaw" in our own Cebuano dialect. It's just so timely we haven't seen the rarest bird in the world (I think it was the Cebu Red Pecker).

Sayaw-sayaw bird


* First time to be in a cave! The cave was the hiding place of 15 families during World War II, so you can imagine how big the cave is. There we found the "sayaw-sayaw" nest too.



* The view was so great. It was the best landscape I've ever since. We even ate at the platform where you can see a great view of the mountains and the birds.


* Tabunan Forests cradles the largest trees, enormous ants, creepy worms, largest "putyukan" (sting bee) hive, huge rocks, rarest birds and beautiful plants I've ever seen in my life.


* I've tasted the sweetest sweet corn, and its only 30 pesos a kilo (3 cobs/kilo). But the corn tasted so sweet, you can even forget your name. hahaha

* Cool cliffhangers!


* and a whole lot more!

So the trek was clearly not a wasted time.
I even forgot I have scratches and small, minor wounds around my body.
Our next challenge is Mt. Manunggal.
And I will take that challenge, and experience again the joy of climbing.


PS: Thanks to Whitney Ouano for the pictures..
More pics in my Facebook Profile..:D