All I Want for Christmas...

…are things that I could not afford or don’t have to get at the moment. But as Paulo Coelho quotes—“When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it” thus I’m placing this out in the open hoping that maybe someday in the future, Mother universe will finally conspire and grant me these! :)

But most importantly, HOPE for our brothers and sisters in Mindanao who were affected by Typhoon Sendong.

** Credits to photo owners from here, here and here.

Text-versation With My Not So Little Niece

Early this evening, I received a text from my sister’s phone but the one texting did not sound like my sister. True enough, it was not her but my 8 year old niece.

She was texting because she learned I’m not going home this Christmas. However, she has no idea I’m going home for New Year. Anyway, here’s our exchange of texts.

** Tita – Filipino word for aunt

*****

V: Apay ngay haan ka nga umay agsine tayo kuma. Adda ti selfon ko (Why are you not coming home so that we could watch a movie? I have a cellphone)

V: Tita shak ti agtetext kneka velmari daytoy (Tita, I’m the one texting you. This is Velmarie)

Me: Apay nga ada selfon mo? Ubing ka pay. Awan met mayat nga mabuya. Apay ada? (Why do you have a cellphone? You’re still young. I don’t know of any interesting movie to watch. Is there?)

Me: Wen ngarud. Apay ammo mon nga agtxt? Anya ngay ti mabuya dita? (Ok then. Do you know how to text? What are the movies currently being shown there?-we live in different cities)

V: Panday two wen tita ammok tita (Panday Two. Yes tita, I know tita)

Me: Kayat mo diyay? Madik met haha (You want that movie? I don’t like it hehe)

V: Wen tita kayat ko tita (Yes tita, I like it tita)

Me: Nu ngay han nga mabalin ti ubing idiay? (What if they don’t allow children in the cinema?)

V: Oray no tita aglemengak tita (Even if tita. I’ll take cover-so that they won’t see her :p)

Me: Handaka paunegen. Makita ka latta hehe. (They won’t allow you inside. They would still see you hehe)

V: Apay ngay idi panday one inmunegak (Why did they allow me to enter during Panday One?)

Me: Apay nagbuya ka idi ti Panday 1? (Did you watch Panday 1?)

V: Wen tita ostun pay ti text tita. Agbuya ak pay ti news tita ta agpasaklot ni Joyce keni mami nga taba awan mangsuro kenyak (Yes tita. Enough text for now tita. I’m going to watch the news tita. Joyce (her little sister) wants to be carried by fat mommy (referring to her mom LOL). No one will teach me now)

Me: Agdamag ka latta ah keni mamim no ada han mo maawatan hehe (Still ask your mom if there are things you don’t understand hehe)

Me: Ay bakasyon yun gayam? (Is it your vacation already?)

V: Agsobli ak no January 3 tita (I’m going back (to school) in January 3 tita)

Me: Ngem tatta awanen eskwela yu? Anya naalam nga exchange gift? (But now, you don’t have classes anymore? What did you get during your exchange gift?)

V: Awanen tita, tinapay lang met, basta a agawid ka ta apan tayo agsine (No more tita, just bread tita. Promise me you come home so that we could watch a movie)

Me: Nu ngay hanak agawid? (What if I don’t go home?)

V: Apay ngay adi pay awan ti sine tita agananserak ti hanap salita amukon a tita. (Why so? So no movie for us? Tita I’m answering Hanap Salita (Word Finder). I already know how tita)

Me: Lalaingem nga aghanap salita a. Dpat perfect ken awan cheating (Do good in searching the words ok? It should be perfect and no cheating)

V: Tita napanak nakisimbang gabi ngay ket mayat adu gayam ti silaw jay baguio (Tita I went to Simbang Gabi and it’s beautiful. There are lots of lights in Baguio (downtown))

Me: Nagluganan yu idi apan kayo nakimisa? Apan kayo manen nu bigat? Sino kadwam? (Who did you ride with when you went to mass? Are you going again tomorrow? Who are you with?)

V: Ni dadik ken ni adding Joyce ken ni mami wen nagjip kami nasapa kami (My dad, my sister Joyce and my mom. Yes we rode the jeep. We went early)

V: Good night tita maturugakon kadwak ni ading Joyce (Good night tita. I’m going to sleep now with my sister Joyce)

Me: Han ka met lang naturog idiay simbaan? (Did you not sleep while you were in church?)

V: Haan tita (No tita)

Me: Goodnight Velmarie and Joyce. Mwah!

*****

It’s always fun and entertaining talking to kids. J

*Credits to image owner.*

BDO's Easy Investment Plan-Brochure

I'm feeling industrious to type away today so I'm posting some of the contents of BDO's brochure on EIP given to us. Credits to BDO. And no, I was not asked to blog about it. I just want to.

"Don't Just Save, Invest."

Saving is, and always will be, the foundation of any fortune. It is secure, risk-free and readily accessible.

But saving alone is not enough to make your money grow. You should also invest. This means taking some risks, but the rewards are higher. When you save and invest, your money has the power to grow faster. So don't just save, invest!

The BDO Easy Investment Plan (EIP)

The BDO EIP is a wealth build-up plan that enables you to attain your financial goals and financial wellness through the twin habits of saving and investing. It incorporates the best, tried and tested principles that make a successful saving and investment plan and provide a solution to counter the major obstacles to saving and investing.

Here's how in just three easy steps:

1. Fill out the EIP Application Form and enroll your BDO Savings/Checking Account in the EIP at any BDO branch.
2. Decide on the following details of your contribution:
• Amount: Minimum of Php1,000.00 per contribution
• Frequency and schedule: Once a month (5th, 10th, 15, 20th, 2th or 30th) or Twice a month (every 5th & 20th, 10th & 25th or 15th & 30th)
3. Choose what type of Unit Investment Trust Fund (UITF) is best for you: BDO Peso Fixed Income Fund, BDO Peso Balanced Fund or the BDO Equity Fund.

Once enrolled, the amount you have chosen will regularly and automatically be debited from your account and will immediately be invested in the UITF of your choice. Every time the market value of your investment reaches Php10,000.00 on a contribution date, this will spin off and be treated as a regular UITF investment documented by a Confirmation of Participation (COP). The cycle of saving, investing, spinning off from the EIP and issuance of COP continues for as long as you are enrolled in the program.

So with the EIP, saving and investing become a habit. It's simple, it's easy and it's automatic.

Choose your Investment
Choose where your monthly investment will go.

BDO Peso Fixed Income Fund
A medium-term bond fund which aims to provide a high level of income with preservation of capital and maintenance of liquidity. This fund invests in a combination of short to long-term fixed income securities. The fund is suitable for risk toleranct investors.

BDO Peso Balanced Fund
The fund aims to achieve capital appreciation over the medium-term by investing primarily in equities and to some extent in fixed income securities, the allocation of which shall be determined by the Trustee depending on market conditions. The fund is suitable for risk-taking investors.

BDO Equity Fund
The fund aims primarily for capital growth over the medium to long-term by investing in a selection of exchange-listed equities. The fund is ideal for risk-taking investors.

The Perfect Opportunity
The time for investing is now. With the BDO Easy Investment Plan (EIP), it has never been easier.
Automatic savings and investment
The EIP has an auto-debit facility to regularly set aside funds for immediate investment.

Convenience
Enrollment  can be don in any of the BDO branches nationwide.

Flexibility
The BDO EIP is multi-purpose since it can be used for a variety of your major projects (i.e. education for your children, family vacation/s, special family celebrations, retirement). THis is unlike private and government pension funds and pre-need and insurance funds which can be withdrawn/distributed only upon retirement, disability or death.

Affordability
With a minimum of Php1,000.00, an investment can be made in the chosen UITF.

Professional Fund Management
Gain access to the services of BDO professional fund managers who keep constant watch over the BDO UITFs.

Cost Averaging
The BDO EIP enables you to benefit from Peso Cost Averaging, a time-tested personal wealth-building strategy wherein fixed amounts of investment in regular intervals over a period of time allow you to average your costs. This allows you to invest without having to constantly monitor the market. Any time is a good time to invest!

The BDO EIP is the perfect opportunity for you to invest. Rush to your nearest branch today."

Well, that's it. Now, your call :).

**Disclaimer: I'm not Financial savvy. I'm just sharing what I learned from the seminar. I hope to at least become financially literate though :). **

Gain or Loss?

As I posted earlier, my friend and I attended a seminar sponsored by BDO.

Here's one thing that's a new learning for me. The speaker showed the performance of one investment product. Sorry, I don't remember which one and I don't remember the exact figures as well. But for instance, we have these percentages of the investment product's performance per anum:

• Year 1 - 52%
• Year 2 - (48%)
• Year 3 - 63%
• Year 4 - 37%

The question thrown to us was: did I regain my loss in Year 3 after its negative return in Year 2 and very high return in Year 3? The answer is NO. Here's to illustrate:

Based on our example, our starting Principal for Year 2 was 15,200.00 but by year end, it dropped to 7,904.00. And although Year 3 yielded high return, the principal of Year 2 has not yet been recovered by end of Year 3. It was only on Year 4 that it was greater than Year 2's principal.

Why a lesson learned for me? Because if I were to look only at the rates, it is always my impression that you recovered your loss by Year 3 because of the big jump in interest. However, the figures don't show it. In some instances, perhaps it may, but not always.

**Disclaimer: I'm not Financial savvy. I'm just sharing what I learned from the seminar. I hope to at least become financially literate though :). **

BDO's Easy Investment Plan (EIP)

Around 2 weeks ago, I saw an announcement in BDO's website that they are giving a free seminar to introduce their new product-the Easy Investment Plan (EIP). I grabbed the opportunity and signed up with a friend. The seminar was this morning. It lasted for about 2 hours. And I'm glad I attended :). There were new lessons I picked up, aside from the fact that it affirmed the things I read from books and financial articles.

Sad to say, the Philippines has one of the lowest percentages globally. In Asia, China ranks first, followed by Singapore.

Here are some tips shared during the seminar. The short explanation is based on how I understood it.

• Pay yourself first. All financial references say this. Savings should always be part of your budget. The formula should be Income-Savings = Expenses and not Income-Expenses = Savings because the tendency is, you’ll always have nothing to save.
• Stop spending on things that decline in value. We should be spending on things that put money on our pockets, instead of things that take out money from our pockets. Hence, we should know which are real needs and which are just wants.
• Make your financial plan automatic. With the advancement of technology, this is very feasible nowadays. All you have to do is inform your bank to do that for you automatically on a schedule of your preference. A lot of banking institutions are now also online so go, create your online account and monitor anytime, anywhere as long as there’s Internet!
• Make money work for you. Famous line. Make money work for you instead of you working for money. How? By investing so that it will earn you more money.
• Invest wisely and regularly. Should you invest, you should understand what you’re entering into. Again, there are a lot of references online. Otherwise, you can also just proceed to the bank or financial institution and talk to a fund manager (that’s how those people dealing with investments are called J).

I'll post some more if I remember the other things discussed.

**Disclaimer: I'm not  Financial savvy. I'm just sharing what I learned from the seminar. I hope to at least become financially literate though :). **

* Image from here. *

It's Nice to Meet You, Magalawa Island!

** This was written sometime in May, right after this trip.**

Magalawa Island is located in the municipality of Palauig, Zambales Philippines. It’s a small island where you can rent for accommodations or pitch your own tents and cook your own food. We visited the place last weekend and it was a perfect weekend getaway. 

How to get there from Manila:

• Take the Sta. Cruz bound bus at Victory Liner Caloocan. You can take the LRT 1 to Monumento then walk to the back of Victory Mall to get to the terminal. Else, you can always take the cab. :p
• Drop off at Barangay Pangolingan, Palauig Zambales. This is at corner Radio Veritas Road. The bus drivers are familiar with the place so just tell them that you’re alighting there and you won’t get lost. Travel time is 6-7 hours, including stop overs.
• Ride a tricycle that will take you to Oslet Armada Fish dealer compound in Brgy. Luan. When we went there last weekend, fare was Php 150.00 per tricycle with 2 pax (so that’s Php 75/pax).
• From the compound, take a mini boat going to Magalawa Island. Since we availed of the package, boat fee is already included so I'm not sure how much they charge but I'm guessing that would be around Php100.00/pax. Travel time is approximately 10 minutes.

Then, welcome to Magalawa Island!

Estimated expenses is at Php3,200.00 but this is because we availed of the package which already includes accommodation, 4 meals, boat transfers, bamboo rafting and snorkeling (snorkeling gears were provided with no additional fee). This can be much lower if you bring your own camping gears and cook your own food.

Playing loud music is prohibited. People should use earphones if they wish to listen to music.

If you're looking for a quick and relaxing weenend getaway and you don't mind the long travel time, try Magalawa Island.

For our booking, we contacted Ate Grace. Here's their Facebook page.

And I leave you with these photos :)

Pictorial with the star fishes. Don't worry, we brought them back to the water after :). Oh, don't mind my long sleeves. I didn't want to get more tanned since I was somewhere else almost all weekends of the summer!

 Off to the snorkeling site with the beautiful, amazing friends and the little niece. Teenager niece didn't want to join us anymore. We were being pulled by another boat! Very exhilarating! When we got to the site, the little niece and I transferred to the boat. Didn't snorkel coz I had to babysit :p.



Enjoying the waters with the little niece. My arms were hurting after this outing. My niece wanted to practice swimming so I had to hold her everytime she wants to practice ker kicks :p.

Conversation with Kids

After our Quezon trip where I brought my nieces with me, I showed her our pictures that were already uploaded in FB. While viewing, she had some comments that really cracked us all up. I placed all her comments in FB as well and my friends and I all had a good laugh. Here are those pictures:

V: Apay ag-ung-ungetak (Why was I angry)?

Me (In a teasing tone): Makabis-bisinak! Makabis-bisinak

(I'm hungry! I'm hungry!)

* This was where she told me that she was hungry but we had no food at hand hihi. Good thing she was shy so we were just whispering when this episode happened-her almost crying because of hunger and me, trying to pacify her hahaha.

V: Nagkatawa akon ta mangmanganak. (I'm already laughing because I'm eating.)

* She really was hungry! Hahaha!

Lessons Learned from the Quezon Trip

I was with my nieces aged 8 and 14 when we went to Quezon Province. Being single my entire life and as it was my first time to bring with me my family in an outing with friends (where there are no other family members to take care of them), I was clueless and wasn’t ready :p.

• Be ready to carry even the kid who can already walk. My 8 year old niece is used to walking because she lives in Baguio and walking is normal for her. I just didn’t foresee that I need to carry her when we went to the river because she didn’t want her feet to get wet on the way back. The water is cold. So I had to carry her on parts that we need to walk in the water. And since that’s a river, I had to carry her for the most part. *Tiring* 
• Be ready with food. I’m not used to eating snacks unless I’m so hungry so I did not have any snacks with me. I did not foresee my little niece to go hungry on the way to Kwebang Lampas because we had breakfast earlier. After the boat ride, two minutes after we stared walking, she told me she was hungry. I told her to wait a little because we were already near the beach (even though I know that we are not really near yet :p) and we don’t have food with us because some of the guys volunteered to carry it for us so they are nowhere to be seen and we don’t know who had it. And yes, the food I’m referring to is my friend’s which she graciously shared hihihi. Anyway, good thing that my niece was discrete enough and did not show her tantrums to everyone. But I was crossing my fingers that she won’t ask me to carry her again because she’s too weak to walk hahaha. So there, lesson learned. I should be ready with food anytime when I’m with kids.

Rise and Shine and Get Ready for Kwebang Lampas!

We woke up at 7AM and breakfast was already waiting for us. We sure were spoiled by A’s relatives! :D By 8:30AM we were already on our way to Kwebang Lampas. We’ve been to Kwebang Lampas 2 years ago for the same occasion so we were a bit surprised with the changes we saw.

• Before you even reach the parking space (I’m estimating that this is around 3 KM away), there’s a checkpoint/gate where you have to pay an entrance fee. Not sure how much but they charge differently for cars and tricycle
• You are not allowed to pass by the trail anymore. You need to take the boat to reach the other side where you will trek further to the beach. The charge is Php 10/head. I doubt if they even have the permit to operate those boats. They don’t even have the basic safety precautions such as the life vests and they allow more than 15 people in a small boat, thus you’ll take the trip standing. I was a bit worried because I was with my 2 nieces before who were kids.
• The caretaker at the entrance was rude. I don’t know the exact details but those who were ahead of us were asked to wait until all of us were complete before he allowed us to enter the premises. What’s wrong with just collecting a fee for those who have gone way ahead of us then collect from those who were behind? Also, don’t be grumpy please. Not a good way to greet your guests, if I may say so.
• On the way home, we decided to just walk on the same trail we used 2 years ago. Upon reaching the parking area, we were shouted by the people there because apparently, we were not supposed to use that trail anymore. Well, sorry but there was no signage and nobody mentioned it to us when we arrived in the morning so we thought it was ok. But to be rude and shouting was unacceptable to us. We suspect that the reason why they were pissed off at us was because they were not able to earn from us via their boats :p. I do understand but then again…this is supposed to be a “tipid” trip as well :p.
• They still have water problems and when we requested in advance for water in the morning for our use in the afternoon, they told us that we just request it from them in the afternoon. When we arrived there in the afternoon, there was no water available. Because of the rudeness we experienced earlier and water unavailable, we decided to just leave the place and go back to A’s relative’s place and wash up there.

Oh well, despite all these mishaps, we still had the time of our lives at the beach. I just hope that the people there were friendlier. Their place is becoming popular these days but people may just be disappointed because of how they handle their customers.

Anyway, as agreed, we will just go back to A’s relative’s home for wash up. Unfortunately, when we arrived there, they also don’t have water available! LOL. We tried with their other relatives to no avail. We considered other options and one mentioned that we can try the Grand Central Terminal because they have restrooms there where one can take a bath for a minimal fee. Since we were 15, others had to commute. Unfortunately, those that should be commuting were having a hard time looking for a ride so we fitted everyone in the Inova hahaha. 15 peeps! Whew. Off we went to the terminal where we will later on find out that taking a bath is only allowed from 5 AM – 7 AM. Disappointed a bit because we can’t convince the one in charge for us to bath as well, we just told her that we’ll just change into clean clothes then. But of course that did not happen…and that must have been the quickest bath I took in my entire life :D.

We parted ways after wash up. The others took the bus at the Grand Central and we also headed straight to Manila after that.

Hello Summer, Hello Quezon Province!

** This was written sometime in May, right after this trip. **

It’s my friend’s birthday this 19th of May so to celebrate, we headed to Quezon province last May 14-15. Our itinerary was to have a picnic at Yapak ni Hesus on the 14th, spend the night at her aunt’s place then proceed to Tayabas, Quezon for another picnic on the 15th. However, everyone was more interested in going to the beach so we went to Kwebang Lampas in Brgy. Polo instead of Tayabas River.

I was also with my other friend and 2 nieces (a 7 year old and a 14 year old) on this trip. We met with the gang at around 5 AM and proceeded directly to SLEX where we met up with the rest of the group. We brought private cars by the way. We did not commute. We were supposed to drop by Shell SLEX for breakfast and to buy our lunch from KFC but we missed the right turn. Assuming that there’s also a KFC in Petron, we proceeded there. Unfortunately, no KFC so we just had a quick breakfast at McDo then resumed our travel, now in search for a KFC. We did not find any so we ended up buying chicken from Andoks instead. Not KFC but still chicken :). We also dropped by the market to buy some mangoes and have a CR break.

We arrived at Mang Domeng’s place at around 10AM. After changing into our swimming attires and rechecking items to be brought to the river, we started the trek going to our spot, the mini-falls (mini to me at least :)). It takes around 30 minutes to reach the place. It’s a combination of river trekking and land trekking (if the way is the land beside the river). When we reached our spot, everyone was already hungry so forget 12 PM, we were already having lunch by 11 AM LOL. After a hearty meal, the others went down to the falls while my nieces and I and some friends stayed at the shallower part of the river. The stones were slippery. Maybe because it was not yet raining often during that time so the muds are not yet washed out.

At 3PM, it was time to head back to Mang Domeng’s for wash up. On our way back, the others, including my older niece, entered the cave. At the cave, there’s a pool of water where the local believe to be miraculous. During the first time I was there, Mang Domeng poured water unto our heads while we say our wishes. True or not, it doesn’t hurt to wish right? :)

At around 6PM, we were already on our way to Pagbilao, Quezon to my friend’s relatives’ home where we’ll be having dinner and spending the night as well. Other friends and Pastour Emata (yes, the Filipino M.t Everest summiteer) met us there as well. They had prior appointments so they were not able to join us in Yapak ni Jesus and opted to just follow.

Our hosts prepared delish dishes for us! My friend’s cousin’s specialty was . it was with cheese! Would you believe that? A viand with cheese! :) But then again, I love anything cheesy so I may be biased a bit but everyone said it was yummy as well so I was not the only one captivated by it :D. The other dish that struck me was . it was shrimp with grated coconut, wrapped in banana leaves and steamed to perfection. Home cooked food is and will always be glorious :).

Of course after that sumptuous dinner was socials-stories, laughter, jokes- over a bottle of beer and of course endless picture taking. We called it a night at 1AM and proceeded to our designated sleeping quarters for a much needed rest.

Me and my nieces

Yummy yummy dinner!

Whew! 102!!!

Happy 102nd birthday my beloved Baguio. You will always be my home <3. I hope the sun's up and shining today. Let's go and move forward to a better Baguio. Entako la manlinis! (Let's go clean!)

* I was looking for the program of activities so that I can post it here but learned from several sites that due to Typhoon Mina, celebrations will just be simple and then a clean up drive will follow. Good move! I hope everyone participates. :D

116 days...

...to go before christmas! Merry christmas y'all! :p

Kota Kinabalu: Wrapping Up

Btw, here are some facts I got from the brochures. Kota Kinabalu (formerly called Jesselton) is the capital of Sabah state in Malaysia. The mountain we just climbed is called Mt. Kinabalu (not Mt. Kota Kinabalu). There are also still a lot of places to visit in Sabah. Most are showcases of their natural resources. Hopefully, I can go back and explore these other places :).

Expenses:

Airfare – Php 3,445.00 (booked last Nov. 2010 during an Air Asia seat sale)

Climb Permit – Php 15,350.72 (booked last January 2011)

Other expenses – Php 4,000 (estimated - inclusive of accommodations, food, airport fees, miscellaneous expenses)

Here was my Facebook status after the climb:

Was able to summit Mt. Kota Kinabalu (4,095.2A MASL, jump-off starts at 1,800 MASL) after 48 years whew! Pero haggardness to the highest level!!! I love you rocks and boulders, you were easier to navigate. I 'm sorry wooden stairs, I don't like you that much because you are a stress to my knees but thank you still for making the paths easier to walk on :).

I almost gave up at KM 4 when I learned that the staff house can also be used by climbers who can't go any further LOL. But thinking that this was supposed to be my birthday climb, I had to finish it, whether I like it or not. So next time you decide on something to do for your birthday, make sure it's something that won't make you very haggard and exhausted tee hee.

While pushing and puffing and having the hardest time of my life, I decided to stop climbing for a while hahaha. Quota na sa Kota.

Anyway, terima kasih (Thank you) Sabah for an awesome experience.

Terima Kasih Father God for another opportunity to travel and witness Your wonderful creation. I am forever grateful.

And now my friends, I leave you with the different trails you'll expect when climbing Mt. Kinabalu.

 

 Easier paths shaded with trees :)

 Gosh, the dreaded steps. Basag tuhod talaga. Wasn't able to take a picture of the wooden stairs going up the summit. Those were more dreadful to me ahihi.

The boulders which I love! Hihihi. See that rope? It's your lifeline so you should hold on to it if you want to hold on to dear life. One time I was not holding the rope on the way up, our guide insisted I hold on to it. Well, he wasn't holding so I just wanted to experience walking on those boulders without holding on to anything hihihi.

At this time of posting, will I be going back again? YES! :D (Adik?!) But the next time I do it, I'll make sure that my feet and lungs and mind and everything of me are up to it so that I won't take that long to climb hihihi.

Bye KK, Back in Your Arms PH

Day 4 (March 26) is getting ready for the trip back home. We woke up a little late and it was raining so we didn’t have time to go around the neighboring shops. Ed went out quickly to check out if he can buy some souvenirs. I just requested him to buy me one ref magnet. Good thing he was able to buy some goodies! :)

On the way to the airport, the taxi driver recommended a place where we can buy some yummy chocolates! Being a sweet tooth, I was in heaven :p. They have free tastes on the different flavors. They have unique chocolate flavors and one that stuck to mind was the curry flavored chocolate. Tastes weird though. After enjoying all the free tastes, we finally settled on what to buy. They had sales that time so we got some of the boxes cheaper.

And then, it was back in your arms PH at around 4 PM. Hmmmm……feels good to be home! :)

Check in! Check in! Check in!

Just landed! Don't know why my head was so bent hahaha.

Off We Go to the Mt. Kinabalu Summit!

At around 2:20 AM, we woke up and had to rush to supper and prepare our things so that we can leave for the summit by 3 AM. Our guide told us that normally, the summit can be reached in 3 hours. What?! Well, not in my case :p. After travelling for around 700 meters, we reached the part where we had to hold on to ropes for support while we walk on rocks. This goes all the way up until the summit. I must say it was scary but this was also actually the part I enjoyed most. After more than 4 hours, I was able to reach the summit. Since my friends already started going back, I just asked some random guy to take my picture…just 2 shots to be specific hehehe. After that, I descended right away. On the way back, it was a challenge to not slip so on some parts of the trail, I opted to walk backwards with the support of the rope. Easier especially on the knees :). We reached Laban Rata at around 10:40 AM already so we had to be very quick with breakfast and pack up as check out is supposed to be at 10:30 AM hehehe.

At around 11:45 AM, we stared our trek back to the Timpohon gate. We made it as quickly as we can – and we made it to the gate after 4.5 hours. We missed the lunch hour but our group mates were kind enough to pack some food for us. The van is already waiting at the gate whew! Our other group mates were way ahead of us and we later learned that they walked an additional 4-5 KMs to the registration area. Wow, they still had the energy after the climb!

We were back at Summer Lodge at around 6:30 PM. We decided to just have dinner first before checking in. Fri and Heloise followed a few minutes after they’ve settled in their new lodge. We had fun exchanging stories, and of course Facebook accounts, over cans of coke and ginger ale. We had to call it a night at around 10 PM because everyone’s beginning to feel sleepy already.

Up and awake and ready to leave the lodge at 3AM.

 On my way to the summit. I think I still need to trek half a kilometer. Love the reflection. Pic taken by Heloise when they met me on their way down.

Group pic-me going up, them going down. I was excited to be over and done with at this point :D

Summit!!!Summit!!!Summit!!! (KM 9) Reached it after 10 years! Exag. After 4 hours only. So yes, this is one of the two shots. Me at the peak on a cloudy morning. No sunrise :(.

Going back to the lodge from the summit. Reunited with my friends again.

 

Still going down. My most favorite part! We needed to rapel hihi. While others were dreading this part, I was actually excited to do all that rapelling tee hee. Dare devil stint lang. One wrong step and you're off rolling down the boulders ahihi.  

The gang on the night of the 25th having a round of drinks and wondering what we just subjected ourselves into tee hee! We don't look tired but we all had special smell from all the sweat hihi. When we said our goodbyes to Fri and Heloise, we did not hug because of ummm...the special smell hahaha.

Hello Mt. Kinabalu

*This post is picture heavy*

While waiting for the van to pick us up, we met a couple from London (Fri and Heloise) which we learned later on that they are also our group mates for the climb. We had to travel around 1.5- 2 hours to where we will be meeting with our guide. The place is already at 1,600 MASL. After they (agency via tour guide) settled our registration and permits, we proceeded to the Timpohon Gate where the jump-off is. This is already at 1,800 MASL, where the 6 KM journey to Laban Rata (accommodations in the mountains!) begins. According to information, Mt. Kinabalu has one of the easiest trails. I must agree because the trails are well established. There are rest areas with rest rooms for every kilometer. But no matter how established it was, I really had a hard time uggh! I was able to reach Laban Rata after 9 long hours. We started the trek at around 8:30 AM, I reached Laban at around 5:30 PM. My friends went ahead of me. Good thing the food is ready so I just took a quick dinner, took a bath and hit the bed at 7 PM for a much needed rest.

@ the registration area. bought a walking stick for RM8. I'm glad I did!

the gang @ the Timpohon gate jump-off.

@KM 1. The one at the rightmost is our guide. I was still keeping up with the rest at this point.  5 freakin' KMs to go!!!

@ KM 4. Had lunch. Eggs anyone? The staff house is also here. I wanted to quit and just stay at the staff house at this point :p

  

 @KM 5. 1KM to go!!!But it was the most challenging 1KM. It rained right after we passed this area. It took me more than an hour to finish the last KM.I got so hungry I had to really stop and eat. Good thing I still had something left from lunch hihi.

Finally @ Laban Rata Lodge-wet, exhausted, and hungry! Excuse the pic.