Hopping off a cramped, 12-hour bus ride with no aircon, Uli and I were happily greeted by Kuya Francis, our local guide. The bus arrived late in Bontoc, so he quickly ushered us to the nearest bakery to buy breakfast and head to the Tabuk-bound mini-bus. We almost didn’t make it, and the bus was pretty full. We sat on its roof, in between sacks of rice, wires, and a bunch of other market goods and produce.

The view was spectacular!

After an hour's ride, we arrived at Bugnay.

Uli said that the minute he saw our touchdown point, he knew we were going to be tested.

It would be another two and a half hour hike to Buscalan. With the blazing heat of the sun, a heavy backpack, and the fact that my footwear of choice was my four year old chucks, it was definitely a tiring and challenging climb for me.

We reached Buscalan exhausted but happy to have reached our destination. The village was never colonized, and there, everything’s simple and everyone’s close-knit. Dogs, pigs, and chickens marched freely about. Children played cheerfully on the streets and smiled at the camera.

We did a home-stay at Fang-od’s. She’s 92 and the last tattoo artist of the Butbut tribe. Her family cooked our food for us, and together with three other travelers we soon became friends with, the five of us slept side-by-side peacefully on the floor.

There was no signal there, and in this distant and isolated place, Uli and I bonded without distractions and interruptions. We finally had one other to ourselves. That night, before sleeping, we stayed up late and sat on the wooden planks in Fang-od’s porch. It was foggy, so there were no stars in sight. But we found the overwhelming darkness and silence comforting.

We were awakened by the crows of a lot of roosters the next day, and Kuya Francis recapped our next options. We could hike back with our friends and go to Sagada, or we could go to Tinglayan.

Uli: Kuya, mahirap ba yung hike papuntang Tinglayan?
Kuya Francis: Hindi naman.
Uli: Puro pataas?
Kuya Francis: Konti lang. May patag at pababa.
Mia: Gaano katagal yung hike, Kuya?
Kuya Francis: Apat na oras.
Uli (looks at me): Apat na oras?! PASS! PASS! Pucha, pass!

Hahahahaha! Uli’s Genuine Pass moment! A four-hour hike sounded too tiring for the two of us. But we were curious about Tinglayan, so we asked Kuya Francis how else could we go there without that long a hike. He suggested that we do an hour’s hike to Butbut Proper, and from there we could each take a motorcycle to Tinglayan.

That was the option we took, and I think that was the smartest decision we’ve made on that trip.

The hike to Butbut Proper was so scenic it already reached the point of being cinematic. With us were two Argentinians, two French folks, and a 76-year old German who overtook us throughout most of the hike. A diverse group of people traversing mountains and rice fields made it feel like a legitimate adventure. It was as though we were on an unspoken mission to destroy a ring or find Ibong Adarna.
  

We finally made it to Butbut Proper, and I found the children so adorable and interesting here. Uli and I soon separated from the group to hop on motorbikes and go to Tinglayan.

It’s my best motorbike experience to date! Riding through a beautiful changing landscape on a motorbike for one whole hour felt so incredible and kick-ass! I have yet to do that four-hour hike, but the motorbike experience was definitely, definitely awesome! A special shoutout to Kuya Augus and Kuya Timothy who were our drivers!

With Kuya Francis, our guide

We arrived in Tinglayan and checked in at Sleeping Beauty Inn. We ate a hearty lunch and spent the afternoon swimming and chilling in Chico River.

The next day, we hopped on top of a Bontoc-bound jeep and made our way home. It was a two-hour scenic ride to Bontoc, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Uli and I went to Bontoc museum as well.

I got back in Manila so sunburned. I couldn’t walk normally for a day because even my knees got sunburned, and they really felt sore. The sun didn’t feel like something to avoid there. The cool breeze and the lovely landscape made the heat bearable, and it was nice to reminded that the nearest star had a different kind of importance in this agricultural place.

I haven’t gotten a tattoo from Fang-od, but the people, the culture, and the landscape already have a permanent place in my heart.

Serious tips if you’re going to Buscalan and Tinglayan:

1. I still recommend that from Manila and back, you take the Banaue route. This route offers a lovely landscape and passes by the Banaue rice terraces. My suggestion is you take the Ohayami bus to Banaue, and from there you can take a jeep to Bontoc. We were really disappointed with Cable Tours which is the only bus line offering a direct Cubao – Bontoc route. Going to Bontoc, the bus bonked down a couple of times and we had no airconditioning. Going back to Manila, the airconditioning still didn’t work, and we felt so cheated because it didn’t even use NLEX. :(

2. Break down your bills. It’s difficult to find change there.

3. Bring matches, candies, and sugar. The people there love receiving matches and sugar, and the kids will give you extra smiles if you give them candies. :)

4. Before going to Buscalan, buy your food and market supplies in Bontoc. As far as I know, Buscalan only has one sari-sari store and no market.

5. Sit on top of the bus or jeep to and from Tinglayan. :)

Photos Taken: June 2012 / September 2012
Wearing the same top

Since July of this year, I’ve lost more than 20 pounds. I didn’t spend a single peso on the gym or any advertised products/diets. I didn’t have the time or the budget, and I wanted to do something that I could realistically maintain. A lot of people have been asking me how I did it, and I decided to finally write about it just in time for the hearty holiday dinners.

1. I did this 10-minute Victoria Secret workout everyday. Because I was always either too busy or too lazy to exercise, the length of this workout was an effective tool for me to keep doing it daily. And who didn’t want to be somehow at par with those gorgeous lingerie models?

Try it out! And don’t overdo it. Some of my friends tried doing it twice (20mins) a day. Trust me, if you want your body to be bearable the next day, 10 minutes is enough. It's that effective and tiring.

2. I rarely ate in fastfood chains, and I shared my French fries. In my previous attempts to lose weight, I’ve always felt constricted with my diet. I had to stop eating the delicious things and stick to oatmeal and other fiber-rich food. What happened was I would backslide: since I suppressed my cravings and appetite, I’d eventually pig out on my diet break days.

I just lessened my visits to my favorite fastfood chains, and when I ate there, I seldom upsized anything. I can’t live without French fries, so after snacking on some, I simply shared them with my friends and family. They appreciated the generosity, and the calories were split as well—less sinful for everyone!

3. I’d eat everything, but in little amounts. Connected to my fastfood binge, I realize it wasn’t the diet, but the overindulgence that kept me from losing weight. I eventually decided to stop controlling what I wanted to eat and focused on my consumption instead. I'd still eat lechon, bacon, and all things delectable, but I'd do so in small amounts. I didn’t fill my plate with them. I listened to my appetite and  found no reason to overindulge because of the thought that well, I could always eat them, anyway. That kind of mentality was pretty effective for me.

4. I learned to love drinking water. Did you know that 7 out of 10 times you think you’re hungry, you’re actually just thirsty? Our brains can’t clearly decipher if we need food or water, so we interpret them as the same thing. I used to drink less than 4 glasses of water a day. This, I discovered was the real reason behind my constant snacking before.

I made a habit of drinking a lot of water, and my munching on snacks was greatly lessened. I also felt healthier. My bowel movement became more regular. My skin also stopped breaking out.

5. I walked and took the stairs. I don’t have a car, and my businesses and errands entailed a lot of commuting and running around the metro. Instead of taking jeeps to nearby places, I'd grab my sunglasses and walk. I'd also opt to take the stairs instead of the elevators and escalators. Have you tried going up and down the stairs of any LRT or MRT station? They're quite the workout!

Photos Taken: March 2012 / December 2012

It’s been quite a challenge to confront my weight issues and find a healthy lifestyle that I could maintain. I hope this blog post has been helpful and encouraging. Good luck and happy holidays!

When Anna Oposa confirmed her trip to our province in Coron, Palawan this summer, I immediately panicked.

You see, Anna or Raisa is not only this well-known environmentalist and blogger, she’s also the only sister of Uli, my boyfriend. And if there’s a tiger mom, there’s a tiger sister.

I remember the threatening stare she gave me the first time that we met; it was the only thing she gave me then, actually. Ever since, I could never really shake off my fear of her despite our friendly banters and conversations throughout the years.

To make matters worse, Uli couldn’t come with us! While Raisa tagged along Ike and I had my best friend Kris come too, I was worried we might not get along; some of us haven’t even met yet. Being stuck in a remote province for almost a week may turn into torture if you’re with the wrong crowd of people.

Stress.

But guess what?

It turns out that we would get along. We got along so well that we four were inseparable in Coron!

We spent all of our meals and vacant time together. We snorkeled side by side that we accidentally hit one another because we’re all cramped at a certain area in the middle of the ocean! Hahahahaha! Clingy much?!

I pick up the most interesting things from the people I travel with. Ike had an appetite for pizza and hummed while ate. Kris had the most contagious laughter and expressions. Raisa just had amazing stories to tell. I recounted our first introduction, and we both had a good laugh at how grumpy she was that day! Raisa also let us touch her gorgeous nose during one of our candle-lit, mattress-burning nights (this sounds so malicious)! Hahahaha!

Six days with such crazy and dynamic people wasn’t enough.

And more than just a vacation, Raisa was also able to help us out with our resort and Mulat Kalikasan’s environmental curriculums. Mulat Kalikasan is an NGO that aims to promote sustainable growth through formal and environmental education. Thank you, Raisa!