Boracay Island

I Love Boracay

By Heinz Lopez Alvarez

To set foot in Boracay for a vacation or whatnot did not excite me at all. That was before and the reason was I  had experienced living a life near the beach ( beaches, actually) and mountains in my younger years. Our families in both sides, Lopez and Alvarez, came from Bicol. My parents were both born and raised in Caramoan, which is now a famous destination for both local and foreign tourists coming from different parts of the globe. But after spending four fun-tastic days in that Visayan jewel, I uttered "I love Boracay!"

I, together with my IBM workmates, explored Boracay in August 2011. Allow me to virtually share the fun and the experience through this feature.

Balite Falls

Amadeo, Cavite

P h i l i p p i n e s   


                          The BACKPACKERS Were Here...

Balite Falls

By Heinz Lopez Alvarez, Jr.
Photos taken by April Bedana and Alexi Lee

To celebrate the success of the Group's first official night trek, Mt. Talamitam Climb, The BACKPACKERS and guests had a refreshing treat in a place where the bustling of flowing water is irresistibly inviting - Balite Falls.

Balite Falls is a small but definitely a good place for some water fun! This somehow hidden nature offering is located in Amadeo, Cavite, a good 20-30 minutes drive from Tagaytay Rotonda. In our case, we are all grateful to Wilson, one of our guests, for making the Group's transportation from Sitio Bayabasan to Balite Falls comfortable because of Tami, his L300 box type. 

Mt. Talamitam

It was the second month in a row that The BACKPACKERS visited Batangas, a nearby province blessed with several impressive mountains. Nestled in the town of Nasugbu is Mt. Talamitam - a mountain no stranger to many of us as we have seen it when we visited its sister mountain Mt. Batulao a year ago. We have conquered several mountains to date but each new mountain that we encounter does not fail to impress us in its own unique way. Backpacker Anna said it best when she posted this on her facebook wall after a successful Mt. Talamitam climb:

BP Anna at Mt. Talamitam summit

The mountains indeed have their own unique beauty. And that makes them incomparable to each other. ~BP Anna

Aside from the breathtaking landscapes, you will get your unique experience from the people that you climb with, the unexpected challenging encounters and the beauty offered to you by the destination during the time that you step on it. These are some of the reasons why it is very difficult to replicate a climb so one should always make the most out of it.

Mt. Balagbag Revisited

While most of The BACKPACKERS were enjoying the astounding view atop Mt. Gulugod Baboy and the beautiful beach at Sombrero Island, two members of the group were busy guiding a group of nature lovers on top of a mountain which will always be dear to us: Mt. Balagbag. 

Backpackers Weng and Mon had a prior commitment of guiding a group of trekkers. And here in The BACKPACKERS, part of our commitment is to share the hidden paradise in our country so it was very much understandable that they were not able to join our adventure in Mt. Gulugod Baboy. They guided the artistic group PLUS (The Art Collective: Propelled by Learning via Unbridled Synergy) 

BP Weng

BP Mon

Sombrero Island

Mt. Gulugod Baboy 2012 revisit

Our guests appreciated what they saw and experienced on top of Mt. Gulugod Baboy. Expectations were met. Everyone was welcomed by the picturesque view of the blue sea bordered with verdant hills below and with the clear skies above seen on daytime. The cold breeze that kissed while the skies turned tangerine on late afternoon was indeed very relaxing. And, the Socials that night was made more inviting (and absolutely more romantic for those couples in the climb) because of the canopy of stars overhead and the tiny twinkling lights from the towns below which served as a lovely backdrop. No doubt, Mt. Gulugod Baboy always deserves revisits.



On with the next adventure in Mabini, Batangas: Sombrero Island!

Hat shaped when viewed from afar, thus the name Sombrero Island...
Sombrero Island is a small but very beautiful island along the coast of Mabini, Batangas