Back to the River

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
- Psalm 23:1,2

We come and go just like ripples in a stream.
- John V. Politis

 

Many a calm river begins as a turbulent waterfall, yet none hurtles and foams all the way to the sea.
- Mikhail Lermontov

Leisure is a form of silence, not noiselessness. It is the silence of contemplation such as occurs when we let our minds rest on a rosebud, a child at play, a Divine mystery, or a waterfall.
- Fulton J. Sheen

Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.
- Luke 12:27

Gorgeous flowerets in the sunlight shining,
Blossoms flaunting in the eye of day,
Tremulous leaves, with soft and silver lining,
Buds that open only to decay...
- Flowers, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The artist is the confidant of nature, flowers carry on dialogues with him through the graceful bending of their stems and the harmoniously tinted nuances of their blossoms, every flower has a cordial word which nature directs towards him.
- Auguste Rodin

All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.
- All Things Bright and Beautiful, Cecil F. Alexander

Love has its own instinct, finding the way to the heart, as the feeblest insect finds the way to its flower, with a will which nothing can dismay nor turn aside.
- Honore De Balzac

Nature will bear the closest inspection. She invites us to lay our eye level with her smallest leaf, and take an insect view of its plain.
- Henry David Thoreau

Men are like trees: each one must put forth the leaf that is created in him.
- Henry Ward Beecher

However far the stream flows, it never forgets its source.
- Nigerian Proverb



It has been quite some time since we have done some river trekking, thus the title. Featured here are some creatures and scenes from the nooks and crannies of Inghoy (ing-hoy) River in the municipality of Alegria, Cebu... This was a short trek, as this served as an ocular inspection. You'll see more of this river's beauty in a few weeks - we will be exploring it further upstream where three waterfalls await...

 

Strolling within Kan-irag

Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time...

-Steven Wright

After a short hiatus due to a change in my work shift, I need not press myself to explore... My feet were itching for a walk.

And so for the first day of December, with some of my friends, I paid Kan-irag Nature Park a visit. This park offers a one kilometer walk through a forested area.



The cemented trail is well covered by trees young and old. The ground is overlaid by grasses and fallen leaves.



We started early: dew drops are still evident as can be seen in the fruits of a hagimit tree (Ficus minahassae).



No, I did not classify the tree on my own. Scattered along the trail are useful information on the flora and fauna of the area. Most trees have labels - local name and scientific name.

Furthermore, the droplet on this taro leaf is not coincidental. It was purposely put on to check if the taro will hold it.



For tired feet, several stops are being offered. Cozy cogon huts like this one below bid shade and rest. Comfort rooms with sufficient water are also strategically placed along the trail.



Even though the leaves of this plant could well serve as a fan for the perspiring trekker, respect for the flora is strongly encouraged.



We passed along a lily pond and some hedges of birds of paradise, with several in bloom. With the dappled lighting, some rays chose to fall selectively on a bloom for each kind, and I am grateful to the Divine for allowing me to capture them.





Towards the end of the trail lays a wooden watchtower that allows a view of the mountainous region.



We stayed on the watchtower for about an hour listening to low, soft music, savoring the cool kisses of the wind and remembering our younger days while being joyfully disturbed by the noises of the birds.

The sun was already high, casting warm hues, when we returned to where we started.



Kan-irag is not as "easily" picturesque as I have imagined it to be. One would need to really open one's eyes to the small wonders it offers. The comforting serenity of walking its trail has added tension between my want to take pictures and my want to stroll. Halfway through, the latter won: I strolled along actual paths and along memory lanes while occasionally taking pictures...

Note: I have known of Kan-irag through a very prolific blogger. He has literally been to almost all of the "nooks and crannies" in Cebu, and still continues to discover new ones. Although I have taken less photos in Kan-irag, those photos would have been enough to provide you, dear reader, of the different sceneries along its one kilometer trail. Also, I could have detailed out the location of this park. However, I chose to post a different set of pictures and withhold additional details in honor of this proud son of Cebu.

See and let him tell you more of Kan-irag through this link.

Early Morning Rain and Fog in Trancentral

On Awakening

Morning was jovial
With raindrops rushing in glee to the ground.
The cold morning greeted me with
The fresh scent of the earth.
And so,
I remembered water puddles
And paper boats
And baths in the rain
And wet birds quivering in the cold.

(Messiah Chrome)

 

One early morning some months ago, I trekked the Trancentral Highway (the highway that connects Cebu City and the town of Balamban, snaking through the mountain ranges that borders the two) from Ayala Heights to Taptap, a stop-over area with stores selling local produce, with sweet corns as bestseller. I was hoping to continue to trek until Gaas (a baranggay in Balamban) but the early morning rain and fog decided against it. And so I stopped by this store, taking cover and eating freshly boiled sweet corns and banana...

 

Snapshots on the Way....

A road sign...

 

Rows of baby's breath...

 

Arriving in Taptap shortly before the strong drizzle...

 

Chillies and tomatoes after the rain...

I am looking forward to a continuation of this hiking adventure, further up the highway. I usually ply through Trancentral by taking a motorcycle ride. Walking however offers a different take of the road side views...

Te-de-det to Dalaguete

One of the very first dialectal puns I heard in Cebu is the one which pertains to Dalaguete. They say that a bus' honk while traveling towards south would sound like "tiiiiiiiiiit – tiiiiiiiiiit – tiiiiiiiiit”. However, when the bus passes through Dalaguete, the honk will change to “te-de-det – te-de-det – te-de-det”.

This dialectal variation seems to sound funny to the ears of those in the urban areas in Cebu. However the lilting air in the voice of the people in Dalaguete for me is but a joyous outlook to a pastoral rural life wrapped with simplicity and daily toils.

Getting There
I had the chance to visit Dalaguete twice this year with friends. Peripatetics that we are, there is a need for us to trek the most famous high spot in southern Cebu – Osmeña Peak. Osmeña Peak is the highest spot in the Mantalongon mountain range which stretches from Dalaguete to Badian.

In both trips, we took the bus from the South Bus Terminal to Dalaguete. The fare would range from PhP80 to PhP100. We then made our way through the Dalaguete – Badian National Road by motorcycle (locally known as “habal-habal”) to the agricultural barangay Mantalongon. The fare would vary from PhP30 to Php50. The fare and the start of trek towards the peak would depend on where the motorcycles could no longer inch into. This is a critical aspect as there are two possible ways on where to start trekking. However, this for me is trivial since trekking is part and parcel of every outdoor adventure.

Sprawling Greenery
The rural area near the peak is sprawling greenery.
Tracks of land are covered with sayote and Western and Chinese cabbages. Conifers add verdant to the area. In our recent visit, we chanced on discussing about English names of the common vegetables. I was asking for the English name of sayote and our motorcycle driver informed us that he had worked in a vegetable supplier in Baguio for quite some time and that there is no English name for sayote. The internet does work wonders most of the time. Sayote is an accepted alternative name for chayote.

Vegetable Kingdom
The people of the area are generally warm and amiable. Along the road, one may meet kids who would readily smile for the camera.
Mantalongon is said to be the vegetable kingdom of Cebu. The well-worn trails bore witness to the hard labor that farming requires for the locals in the area.
Vegetables are carried to the valley by means of large baskets worn through the head. Young children need to go through this silent rite of passage to learn how to earn a living.
Being a constant witness to this cycle, it was for me an affirmation of the culture that we need to cultivate on our outlook towards the food on our tables: we indeed need to pray for the hands that helped prepare for the food that we are about to eat.

Deformed Kisses
The top of the Mantalongon range is characterized by many hills that look like “deformed” chocolate kisses.
One may be reminded of the Chocolate Hills in Bohol. Osmeña Peak is said to be the highest of these hills. This peak provides the best vantage point to view the other hills. On clear days, Badian Island is visible. On our recent visit, heavens met us with wispy clouds.
Being soaked in the clouds is an exhilarating experience for some. One may need to prepare thick clothing and additional protection for electronic gadgets.

What's on Top
Vegetation is far from sparse at the top. Rows of cabbages line up beside the hills.
Though no fully grown trees can be seen, there are signs on attempts to grow conifers in the area. There were several stunted ficus and ipil or merbau trees. Moss is literally spawning everywhere even on the branches of small bushes.
The hills are covered by shrubs that are probably from the Asteraceae family due to the close resemblance of its small yellow flowers to sunflowers and mums.
White and pink ground orchids also litter the hills. Thus fields of greens are dotted by yellow flowers with occasional accents of pinks and whites. Red hibiscus can also be seen in the area.

With the two visits to Osmeña Peak, I seem to be convinced that the Mantalongon Range used to be underwater due to the strong presence of exposed limestones from the hills as well as the numerous sedimentary rocks in the area.
This mountain formation could not be possibly due to volcanic events. The presence of the hills or mounds seems to imply of a similar geological process that the Chocolates Hills have undergone. I am however basing my conjectures on the earth science subjects I have had as a student and I am no geologist. It is for me pure amazement to see those lessons again with my bare eyes.

My Take
With the visits that I had made, I am still craving to see more. Dalaguete has much to offer in terms of its natural resources and the venue it offers for peripatetics like me. In spite of the harshness of living that I have seen, the people of Dalaguete should find reason to continue with their joyous lilt.
Every green pasture is a sign of life.
Life is a celebration.

(29 October 2007)