You know that video where people are climbing nets, crossing a giant duyan, and posing on top of a spiderweb-like platform that's been on Facebook for almost a year now? If not, well, you're definitely missing out! That beautiful place called Masungi Georeserve happens to be close to my hometown - Baras, Rizal. Here's a video to see how our adventure went:
Masungi Georeserve only allows 17 groups 7-14 people each day if I'm not mistaken. They start at 5:30am for those who would like to catch sunrise during the trek. We booked our reservation about a month before and didn't find any weekend availability. There was only one spot left for the weekday we opted to go, so we sent our request form to Masungi via their website. Waited a couple of days to receive a reply from them asking us to send a deposit. It took a while before they got back to us so I suggest give yourself plenty of time to book your reservation ahead especially if you don't live in the Philippines as you can only communicate to them via email.
The trek took about four hours for us to complete but that already included picture taking, breaks, and other stops. The group before us was a large one so we kept stopping and waiting for them to finish in some of the areas. The trek starts at an ascend to the famous spiderweb-like platform seen mostly in pictures and videos. The view was breathtaking! The web can hold about 15 people because it's made of industrial steel wire. It was still scary to walk on though! It moves whenever you step on it. Underneath the web are rock formations similar to the ones in Palawan. They got their shapes through time, wind, and rain.
The trail was not too difficult but at the same time challenging. We had to climb up and down net contraptions. At first, I was so scared to climb down but it ended up being my favorite obstacle there! There's also three suspension bridges there with the last one being the longest. The trek will take you to both Nanay and Tatay so you're able to see the captivating views they offer.
The steps were narrow and steep. We were told by our guide that all the steps/blocks used for the trail were manually carried/brought there by people! That's thousands of steps we're talking about. Aside from the narrow trail, the passageways are the same. There was one that we all had to walk like a duck!
Looking at others' pictures, the giant duyan didn't look that scary at all but being actually on it was kind of a struggle. I'm not one who's good in balancing thy self so you know how that went. Haha. It's situated on treetops. When you get there, try to not focus on being scared of what's underneath but just take a breather and appreciate what's below and around you. You'll be mesmerized!
There's also this cave called Yungib ni Ruben which was named after the person who discovered the place. It's so nice inside. Thank goodness for the helmets they made us wore to protect our heads because I definitely hit mine a couple of times. The last part of the trek is called the Liwasan which serves as a bird bath for the inhabitants there in the georeserve. They also have an area wherein you can relax and eat the snacks they prepared for you. We picked it at the time of the reservation. The options are egg salad, tuna, and chicken spread. They also serve you water, juice, and bananas.
The cost for the trek is Php 1,400.00 each person with a minimum of 7 people so if there's less than 7 people in your group, you still have to pay for the entire cost which is Php 9,800.00. Masungi Georeserve is located at Kilometer 45, Marcos Highway, Rizal, Philippines. Visit them at http://www.masungigeoreserve.com for reservations!
Finally! The long-awaited post about my 16-day vacation in my home town, the Philippines!
Started off by driving all the way down to LAX for our 10:30PM flight through PAL when I suddenly got a text from a friend(who's in the same flight as I am) that our flight was canceled. I didn't believe him so I asked my best friend to check it online for me. And it was! When we got to the airport, there was this really long line for PAL. Long story short, We waited in line for about 5 hours, flight was canceled, PAL gave us hotel and food accommodations(which wasn't really worth the time that they took from us), flight was moved to 1:30PM of the following day. Boo you, PAL!
I won't be able to remember everything from day 1 to day 16, so here are some highlights of my trip:
PHOTO OVERLOAD!
Got my hair did with my best friend, then got a haircut.
Went to Mindoro with the family. Calapan, Bongabong, Puerto Galera. First time riding a RORO. I've rode a boat before but only for a tour in SF so I don't think that can count. Found the best Italian style pizza in Puerto, I swear! It's called Luca's Cucina Italiana. Met a lot of relatives whom I've never met before. Didn't go swimming though.
I also met up with two long time online friends, Camille and Jenny. Camille is from and Jenny is from TEENTalk. I also got to see Maye but it was just a quickie. It's so nice to meet online friends in person. Thanks for your time girls!
I got to visit Manila's first ever Forever 21 too! Ahahaha. Feeling turista.
Went to Enchanted Kingdom but sadly, Anchor's Away(my favorite!) was closed that day for maintenance. We were in the middle of go karting when it started raining so hard. Good thing we finished riding all the attractions when it rained. So we just headed home, dropped by Megamall to eat and buy something.
Here are some of my favorite food pictures I had when I was back home.
Isaw
Taho
Puto-Kutsinta in one
Tong Yang Shabu Shabu & BBQ Grill
Buko Pandan Shake
Rambutan
Luca's Pizza
My new fave: Yellow Cab Pizza
Strawberry Lemonade
Thumbs Up Ice Cream
I'm so glad I got to spend a lot of time with my best friend. Hoping to see you again! Also met up with my cousins, got to ate a lot, had an Ooops! moment, sleepovers, Timezone, malling, went to the cemetery. (Pictures are all in my Flickr/Facebook account.)
