The Unveiling of Secrets

I have finally come to admit that some of my Sundays from now on will, probably, be spent with mother nature and fun-loving friends.  While this is not a bad way to spend the weekend, it is still a work in progress for the lazy me to juggle my passion for poetry and my new found thirst for adventure. Gaaah!

Anyway, should we start the unveiling of secrets?

Roald Dahl once said, “the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places”.

True to these words, the team and I have never imagined to stumble upon a gigantic secret in this hike. Led by the one and only Bisaya Traveler, sir Aldrich, the squad met at Sun Gold across SM and headed to the town of Compostela. We haven’t even started the hike yet but the morning was already filled with chitchat and laughter on our way. It was thanks to Team Bang’s aspiring vlogger, Idol, for going on Facebook live to record the fun.

When we arrived at the town, we opted for a motorcycle ride to take us to the barangays tucked in the mountains. First off was Dikyop, Compostela where we were welcomed by the very charming travel blogger Demi of Ace and Demi Travel Stories. I knew I would like her since I always have a penchant for pixie-haired ladies (one of the hairstyles that I will never get to have). Plus, she did feed us some tasty traditional Filipino snacks– kamoteng-kahoy (cassava) and saba (banana) cooked with love. YAY! Happy tummies!

With the help of Demi’s uncle, we then advanced to the first stop of our escapade: Bungtod Panangban. As we continue to trudge the road, we caught sight of the Compostela’s massive Holy Cross that is unknown to most. There, standing on top of a hill with its admirable might, was this landmark that never left our minds.

The Holy Cross captured by sir Juan from afar

It did not take us a while when we finally arrived at the quarry overlooking the blues and greens of Cebu and the island of Mactan. Look at that beauty!

What could go wrong with a view like this?

Here at last! 🙂

Team Bang striking the iconic “Idol Pose”

Originally, our plan was to check out Bungtod Panangban and take a hike to Mulao River but the mystery of the Holy Cross got the best of us. We knew then that the day won’t be complete without seeing it up-close. So up and down the trails we went on our way to the Holy Cross located in Tagaytay, Bagalnga, Compostela.

Can you spot me here? Haha

Look what we found on our way!

 

Happy hikers resting under the shade of a nipa hut.

Mystery solved

The Holy Cross was only completed last 2016 which explains why only a few people knew of its existence. Privately owned by the Jordan family, the towering structure drew its inspiration from Rio de Janiero’s Christ the Redeemer according to the locals.

I’m bad at measurements and numbers but the cross was so tall that we had to set our phones to (vertical) panorama just to capture its full height.

Sir Juan, Shiela, and I jumping for joy 🙂

Look at those smiles reaching the sky ^^

Not only did we enjoy seeing the holy cross up-close but the hill from which it was erected offered a mesmerizing view of the setting sun. We talked and laughed about life and love up here which brought us to another big reveal…

Jovy’s puppy

I’ve been hearing tidbits of Jovy’s puppy along the trails with sir Aldrich being the main gossipmonger but it was not until she shared her side of the story that the puzzles started to fit into places. Her Hongkong escapade, we found, was quite fun and playful and naughty. Haha! I am not going to share the details here but it was interesting enough for the rumor to linger within the team up until now. 😀

The secret of the trails

Walking alongside with nature seemed to have awakened my hopeless romantic muse. I don’t normally write with people around so I took the chance to walk ahead of the team for a quick scribble. Not sure if this will remain as it is or I will have to write more but here goes something…

As If

she trudges the mountain trail
as if it doesn’t remind her
of a tale that once was
as if the mountain doesn’t bring
old memories back
of breathless race uphill
and tousled hair
of two hopeless romantics
shouting in the air
as if the wildflowers
doesn’t ring a bell
of a slow dance to Savage Garden–
her head on his shoulder,
his arm round her waist

As for my signature travel buddy, I have brought Rhonda Byrne’s, The Secret this time. It’s self-help book based on the pseudo-scientific ‘law of attraction’ which claims that thoughts can change the world directly. Hmm… any thoughts?

Going down was probably one of my favorite part of the hike. We left the mountain in an exciting way as we went down the steep trails, running from one tree to another for support. It was so much fun that we felt like kids again.

That’s it for now. Until our next hike! 😊☀️🏔📸

For travel tips and how-to-get-there queries, check out Bisaya Traveler.

You can also check out some these IG accounts for more stunning travel photos: @bisayatraveler and @life_ni_juan✌🏿