Here's to brighter tomorrows!

BOTH FEET FORWARD: My first & solo travel

It all started after being bored and stressed of all the life around me, I mean, I knew I wasn't the only one who felt the same but most people kind of just leave it at that and just live with it. Eventually, after a few years of pressure I felt like I needed some fresh air, literally. I was just sick of facing traffic everyday; all the noise and blinding glare of the scorching sun on my way to another stressful obligation that I don't like to do. 

It was on the 2nd week of May 2014 that I made my first and solo travel with no proper itinerary, no proper budget allocation, absolutely just for the sake of escaping the life.

OSLOB: The gentle giant & the showers

The first bus trip to Oslob was at 2am in South Bus Terminal (SBT). Most people just call it 'South Bus' for short. 

I went there and the bus left at around 3am. I always told the conductor of the bus to drop me in the right place because I literally had no idea where I was going. I didn't even know which comes first, Oslob or Dalaguete. 

I arrived in Tan-awan, Oslob (where the resort that handles the watching was) at around 5:45am. I went to the desk and had a little chat. The guy in charge told me I had to wait a little while because the fishermen/handlers were still preparing for the watch. While waiting, I took some photos.

Sunrise at Tan-awan Oslob: the handler prepare

After a few minutes, more and more people arrived, mostly foreigners. I paid the watch fee of P600, had my locker, and changed outfit for the swim.

I met this guy from abroad who was also travelling solo. He said he just graduated from school and just came on vacation. We were having a small talk until the paddle boat detoured us to the orientation area where we were told the rules:

• Camera flash must not be turned on
• 4 metres away from the whaleshark
• No jumping into the water or making splashes
• Do not feed the whalesharks

That was it! It was time to go! I was very excited to see this giant.

As it turned out, it was as huge as a car but as gentle as... I don't know.. a turtle..? 

Swimming with or watching the whalesharks is only given 30 minutes due to the number of tourists coming every hour. After the swim/watch, I ate my breakfast on the resort. The guy in charge offered me a ride to Tumalog falls for a price. Of course, I could have gotten it cheaper but I wasn't as budget-conscious at the time. He charged P140 for it back and forth. The ride took several minutes but when I arrived it was magnificent.

Tumalog Falls is a unique waterfall because of the way the waters drop – not in a concentrated, heavy manner. The waters showered as if it were heaven-sent through the pouring rain.

I met a family on vacation who had a problem in taking a picture because of possible water damage. So I offered my camera and proposed to just send them the photo through Facebook, and I did. 

DALAGUETE: Pico Osmeña

It was a great experience and I was back on the highway for my next destination: Dalaguete.

It was still mid-morning but I didn't know where to go so I went on a bus anyway. I arrived in Dalaguete and I stopped in a coffeeshop/bar to have a cup of coffee; my tummy was feeling a little funny. It also let some time to pass. 

It was still 11am so I went to the nearby Museo Dalaguete to have a little look.

I asked the tourism inside on how to go to Osmeña Peak. 

I took a habal-habal ride from the highway of Dalagete to the Vegetable Basket of Cebu: Mantalongon. The fare to the town was P50 and another P50 to the foot of the mountain, which I should've taken but didn't. I was able to meet a councilor in that town who gave me choices of which path I can take. 

There were 3 ways to go to the foot of the mountain:

1. Via habal-habal ride for P50 from Mantalongon market
2. Trek from Mantalongon market going the same route as the habal-habal ride
3. Trek from Mantalongon via around many vegerable plantations, the long way

Having no idea of the suffering I was about to face (lol), I took option 3 because I had the urging feeling of adventure. So then I went.. Saw houses, people, plantations, but no one else took the route as I did. It was not just the road less taken, it was the road NOT taken. Everyone I encountered and asked along the way all similarly replied, "You are going the wrong way.", "It's the other way." It was deeply discouraging yet I had no choice but to move forward. I could not stop and turn back as all my efforts would be for nothing. 

I moved forward with little hope, little hope that was completely shattered when, after an hour of trekking, another girl told me I was still 2 hours away. I was literally exhausted. I was saving water because I had no idea what distance I had yet to cover. 

At last, the foot of the mountain at 1 hr & 30 min of trekking under complete exposure to the scorching 3pm sun. There's a stop in the foot where you are required to sign in a logbook for monitoring purposes, and a P20 fee. From the foot of the mountain to the peak, it takes 10-15 minutes; it felt nothing compared to the road I took so I had no complaints. 

For the first time in my life, I've reached a mountaintop and on my own. 

It is a rugged paradise that had me paused for a moment to absorb its magnificence. 

The view was stunning.

I was hoping for a sunset but sadly, the fog peaked at 5:30pm. I had no choice but to go home. Nevertheless, it was a great experience to be on top of such marvel of nature and seeing what was frozen in time in my eyes.

I called the same habal-habal driver to pick me up. 
I went home with satisfaction and great fulfilment as I've realized..
that I was escaping from the slow torture of daily routine and stress, and that I was having the best time of my life with life itself; what life is all about. 

Don't be afraid to travel, especially alone. We never stop growing. We never stop learning.

Will I be back in these places? Certainly, and with a more interesting story, a more detailed how-to-get-there.

My expenses:

• Approximately P350 fare (cebu-oslob, oslob-dalaguete, dalaguete-cebu)
• Whaleshark watching - P600
• Breakfast - less than P150 (your preference, I suggest bringing your own)
• Tumalog Falls - P140
• Dalaguete highway to Mantalongon market - P50
• Mantalongon market to foot of the mountain (optional, but suggested) - P50
• Foot of the mountain down to Dalaguete highway  - P100

–– TOTAL - P1,290