weekend activities

Last weekend I climbed Mt. Sembrano in Tanay, Rizal with the Wannabes and some folks from Habagat. What a climb! It wasn't a piece of cake and the weather wasn't perfect, but I enjoyed it a lot.

Almost every part of the trail was going upwards. The beginning part was especially difficult because the road was angled high and it gave a shock to my unexercised body. There were also parts that were really steep and required me to use both hands. But after 4 and a half hours of walking, climbing, crawling, resting, and almost having cramps in my thighs, I was finally at the summit. Then, for dinner it was pasta and fried chicken. It was fantastic! Aaron must have already perfected his pasta recipe.

It rained hard in the middle of the night and the rain did not stop until around 9 AM the next day. But I stayed dry all throughout, thanks to my tent. It was a very comfortable night for me, despite the rain and the wind. Actually, the bad weather may have heightened the comfort that I enjoyed. Because the elements were wreaking havoc outside while I was warm and dry inside, my 2-person tent felt like a 5-star hotel suite. What a nice feeling!

The descent was difficult but unexpectedly lots of fun. The rain the night before made the trail the most slippery I've ever encountered. I actually broke my record for the most number of times I've fallen flat on my butt in a span of 3 hours. Then there was this part which was so slippery, I just went down on my ass and just pushed myself to slide a good 50 feet down the mountainside slope. But it was fun, mud and all. My knees also didn't hurt even once, so one big hurray! for that too.

At the house at the base of the mountain, we had chicken tinola which was cooked especially for us. It was great! I was also able to take a bath at the house, which had a shower, mind you. We took our time to rest in the house and I was able to recharge my batteries well enough for my next activiy. 'Coz when I got home, it was straight to choir practice, then a night out with my church friends to celebrate Joshua's birthday. What a fun weekend!