Little Pulag

We're already beaten, but Sir Santiago, our guide, is determined to show us everything included in the 'package.' He's determined to show us what Kabayan has to offer so we'll spread the word to our friends, and in return, they might consider visiting the place, too.

We are really on the verge of quitting, but Sir Santiago keeps assuring us that we are a strong group, and the hike is peanuts compared to what we've been through. So we resume the hike, traversing Junior Pulag from Lake Incolos.

Snowflakes! Char.

The hill got its name from Mt. Pulag, the second highest peak in the Philippines, because of their similarities in features. Our guide says the same species of plants can be found in Mt. Pulag.

True enough, in less than 15 minutes, we reach the peak. By this time, the fog is thick it becomes harder to breath, and it also begins to drizzle. But we are too tired to care, so we stayed for several minutes to rest, and rehydrate.

The weather becomes fair when we begin the descend. It should be a lot easier, but this time, I could feel my toenails hurt. (I forgot to trim my nails!)

Obstacle course.

We all make it, of course, without anyone being carried by our guide. We start walking back to the camp site. Though by this time, we all seem to be just functioning by forcing our brains to think that we are less than a hundred steps away, and soon, our feet will rest. Good thing the road is concrete.

We are rewarded with magnificent views of sunset, and vegetable gardens on the way.

We are several yards away from our camp site now. I look back, and saw my friend holding a couple of carrots freshly uprooted from the garden. I beam, and yell, "Haaa, saan niyo kinuha yan?" They point the garden at the side of the road. A little later, we are at a cabbage farm, picking "born again" from the unharvested/rejected cabbages.

This is us, 'stealing' baby cabbages (aka born again/saringit). Saringit grows from cabbages. Our guide assures us that it is okay, and by okay, he means, it's okay for us to get saringit or even cabbages from these farms and the community will not take it against us. Such good people.

A good amount of cabbages became rejects because of frost. Residents say that there were mornings when they wake up and their vegetable gardens are all covered with frost, making the vegetables 'unsellable' in the market.

We only pick saringit enough for our dinner. I am excited as this would be my first time to taste this part of a cabbage.

We reach the camp site, and...

RIP toenails.

This is the perfect spot to spend the night at, if it was not the cold season. We decide to ditch camping and rent a cottage instead so we can rest better. Apparently, we, except Mara, were all sleepless the night before because of the extempore cold.

We are warmly welcomed by the owner of the cottage. It's an advantage my companions are Cordillerans, they easily got along with the landlady and even our tour guide's sons.

Snacks care of the good people of Ballay--kapeng barako and boiled rootcrops to keep us warm.

And this is dinner. Canned sardines and born again! Ang sarap ng born again!!