How to Get to Balanan Lake

Errmm... this might be a post that is one summer late, as it's the last day of May already and classes will actually start tomorrow for some schools in the province. However, St. Louis School - Don Bosco in Dumaguete has thankfully moved the first day of school to June 15, because the road going to the campus is not finished yet and one can just imagine the horrendous traffic snarl that would ensue once school begins.

The rains have also come, signaling the end of summer and the start of the wet season, which is probably not a very good time to go mountain climbing and canoing to distant mountain waterfalls. In fact, when we went to Lake Balanan yesterday, it rained sporadically throughout the day that's why we had to defer our banca ride to the Balanan Waterfalls.

But the rain did not stop us from swimming in the Balanan Hillside Pools, four sets of odd-shaped pools carved on the side of the mountain. If you hold on to the edge of each pool, you will be looking directly down a steep cliff with lush vegetation. I've been to a lot of swimming pools this summer and I swear the Balanan Hillside Pools are the very, very best among all the rest.

Why?

Because the water comes from an underground spring, that you can actually drink. The caretakers there said they get drinking water from the source that feeds water to the pools. And when it rained, the air was cold but the water was warm so it was actually warmer to be swimming than not! On the other hand, when it is a bright and sunny day, as it was the last time that we went there, the water is cool and refreshing. Plus there's the canopy of trees and mountains all around. Every time I reached the edge of the pool and looked around I just kept saying, this is the best place ever, this is the best place ever! I could swim here the whole day. Which we did, actually, that's why last night's post was just a picture of the road sign where one makes a turn to go up the mountain.

So, this is how to get to Lake Balanan:

If you're bringing a four-wheeled vehicle or a motorcycle from Dumaguete or from Bayawan or from Bacolod or from wherever, look for the Km 51 marker on the Siaton Hiway, right before or after (depends on where you're coming from) the bridge (whose name I failed to get, sorry).

The ten kilometer drive up the mountain to the lake is not so steep (unlike the drive to Pulangbato!) but there are areas that are narrow and so near the pang-pang (cliff). Some cliffsides have railings but some do not! So if you're a not-so-brave driver like me, there are alternatives.

First alternative would be to get a driver who's not afraid of cliffs. Yesterday, Mike offered, no insisted, that he drive the car, to my great discomfort because I can't sit still when someone else is driving my car. He said, "Go to the back and go to sleep," which was mighty hard to do.

The other alternative, which we actually did the first time we went there, was to take the habal-habal from the town of Siaton. We left Dumaguete very early at six am, parked the car in Siaton and had breakfast (full meal with coffee at thirty whooping pesos per person only!) near the habal-habal terminal. The habal-habal costs eighty pesos per person hatid-sundo, meaning the driver will bring you to the mountain lake then he'll come back to fetch you when you text him that you want to be fetched already. Yes, there's a cellphone signal, albeit a weak one (one to two bars only) in the mountain, and all the habal-habal drivers have cellphones, too.

Travel time from the highway to the lake is about thirty minutes, I can't be too sure. I've wanted to clock it but the beautiful scenery always distracted me and I lost track of the time. Entrance fee to Lake Balanan is 50 pesos for adults and I forgot how much for kids, as we didn't have any kids below 12 years old with us. On Tuesdays, the entrance fee is waived, entrance is free! The huts where you can leave your stuff and eat your meals cost 30 pesos only. You can use the bamboo floating cottage/lake raft to cross and cruise along the lake for free. The banca ride to the waterfalls cost 100 pesos, seating capacity is 8 guests and two guides per banca.

I almost forgot, there are also the Ceres bus, the Van-for-hire and the other smaller public transport systems that ply the Dumaguete-Siaton route. Just ask the driver to drop you off at the habal-habal for Balanan terminal. It's right in front of the Siaton church.

Have a happy trip to Lake Balanan!!

P.S. When you leave, please be sure to clean up your trash, ok? Try not to mess up the beautiful place. Enjoy.

km 51

Saturday Sched

* Lolo Vits and Lola Cons are here to watch Bhea's piano recital and Onin's flute recital tomorrow at the Luce Auditorium.

* Jovitt, Jean and Anton won't be able to attend coz they're going to Dapitan early in the morning.

* We won't be able to attend as well coz we're going to Lake Balanan early in the morning, too.

swim, slide and surf!

We were at Sea Forest again today, from late afternoon to evening, when all the guests had left and we had the entire resort to ourselves. The management has made some improvements to the place since the last time we went: they have a newly renovated reception area, new waterproof menu books and new free wifi! Sea Forest is a cool new hot spot!

So when guests get tired from swimming and zipping down the numerous slides, they can always surf the net. As long as they bring their own laptops, of course.

Mike



Pat

Carlo, Raphy, Mike, Pat, JR, Joseph, Shangyu

morning has broken

in siquijor

sunrise
at Coral Cay

sunset
at the Danish Lagoon

cambugahay falls, lazi, siquijor

The cool and clear waters of the many-layered Cambugahay Falls are fabled to be enchanted. This shot was taken last April when I was in Siquijor.

After it rains, the water gets murky, as it did last Sunday, May 24.


Will you dare swim in the err... not so inviting brown water?
Well, why not? It's just err... minute particles of solid suspended in particles of liquid, yes?


addik sa tubig getting a hydro-powered back massage

hayop sa ganda

Ito ay si Macky, ang resident parrot ng
Coco Grove Resort sa San Juan, Siquijor.

Ito naman si man and cow, where the master is giving the beast an early morning salty bath in the clear and calm waters of San Juan, Siquijor.

At nakikita mo ba yong bamboo little thingy doon sa right upper corner ng photo? 'Yon ang floating cottage ng Coral Cay Resort, kung saan kami nakatira (sa resort, di sa floating cottage, ha). Malayo, ano? Mantakin mo ba namang nilangoy namin mula dalampasigan hanggang doon? At pabalik pa! Haneeeep naman!

Kaso, baka maniwala ka. Estir lang yon. Ang totoong nangyari, nagkayak kami papunta doon, itinali ang kayak sa floating cottage at doon kami nagswimming palibot-libot sa cottage. Aba'y malalim doon, ah. Crystal clear ang tubig at maraming maliliit na isda. Kaso lang maraming sea grass kaya medyo katakot ng kaunti, baka may biglang lumabas na something mula sa seagrass, ano kaya? Tang-ng-ng-ng-ng-ng-ng-ng. (Tune ng theme song ng 'Jaws.')

playing paparazzi again

It's not everyday that we get a celebrity in Dumaguete but yesterday Korina Sanchez was in town, as she is touring the country to help campaign for her husband-to-be, presidentiable Mar Roxas. Here's the popular and pretty Rated K host at the Delta Fast Craft Terminal, as she arrived from a brief trip to Siquijor.



Oh, Siquijor!

There are so many things about that island to rave about. Here's a brand new one: The Danish Lagoon where Korina and company stayed. It's a children's stories by Hans Christian Andersen inspired resort, with separate luxury villas named The Little Mermaid, The Ugly Duckling, Clod Hans. It's an ultra modern resort with facilities that befit princes and princesses.

As for us, we didn't stay there but we did kayak to the beach of this hilltop resort early this morning. It was so, so fun to kayak in the rain especially because my rowing partner, Geena, was such a scaredy-cat she kept telling me to paddle close to the shore, very, very close to the shore that several times we were almost grounded in the sand! :-)

This is all for now. Hopefully, more later (in the later days to come).

in siquijor

again!

mga guni-guni sa Siaton Hiway

Pagnakakakita ako ng ganitong puno, naiisip ko agad ang panahon ng autumn sa ibang bansa, kung kailan nagbabago ang kulay ng mga dahon sa mga puno.

feeling autumn

Ngunit pag ito naman ang nakikita ko, mga overloaded na mga sasakyan, bigla akong natatauhan. Nasa Pilipinas pala ako.

overloaded ever

faintest rainbow at the boulevard

I had not seen a rainbow in a long, long time so when one late afternoon, there came a very faint one at the boulevard, I just had to stop and try to capture the gossamer color arc with my trusty Nokia phone.

[pause]

[ bleep ]

ipagpaumanhin...

[So sorry for yesterday's post. Ang gulo-gulo. Last night's internet connection was very slow and patchy, tapos nag-brown out pa ng ilang beses. In fact, when I gave up and decided to go to sleep, wala pa ring kuryente.

At yan ang dahilan kung bakit di ko na-edit ang post ko kahapon. At yan din ang dahilan kung bakit gusto kong burahin o guhitan man lang ng ekis ang mga talata na wala sa lugar.

Gusto ko mang ayusin at baguhin ang nailathala ko kahapon, ay di ko magawa dahil sangkaterba ang mga dapat ko munang asikasuhin dito.

Kaya, hanggang sa muli uli... ]

Climbing Mt. Pinatubo

I've been wanting and wanting to write this for weeks now before the story got too stale. But this and that and that and this got in the way, and then I couldn't put together a cohesive story, and then Globelines connection got patchy again, and then...

So I've decided to just post by increments instead of making one long post.

The beginning is always a good place to start.


________________________________


The trip to Pinatubo began with a just past midnight meeting at Wendy's Taft Avenue and at McDonald's Quezon Avenue where two huge tourist buses carried the one hundred of us trekkers to the town of Juliana in Tarlac. We had to be at the rendevouz point very early because on that day, April 25, there was a scheduled Balikatan exercises in the area, hence, nobody would be allowed to enter that part of Tarlac after 5 am.

Aided by flashlights, we piled out of the buses, and climbed on to four by four jeeps

This is the four-by-four jeep which took me and my companions from the jump-off point in Sta. Juliana town in Tarlac to the place where our trek on foot began.

We were supposed to pass by the Skyway, which meant trekking on top of the lahar mountains instead of down in the valley. But the Skywas was damaged by a landslide just a couple of days earlier so we had to go the long way, hiking through the almost-dry-but-not-quite river bed where the water current could be significantly strong at times.

This here is the jeep assigned to us, or us assigned to it. For each jeep, there's the driver, the native tour guide and three trekkers.

fourrr-X-fourrr

tough off-road vehicles

These two photos were taken at the end-point, the point where the jeep rides ended and the trek began. It was a bit dark yet when we began our jeep ride and the ride itself was just so rough I decided my camera would be safer inside the bag than outside.


________________________

itutuloy...

hill house

This is a house on a hill somewhere along the way to Lake Balanan, one of the many must-visit summer destinations in Negros Oriental.

I'm wondering what it must be like to live in a house with a panoramic view of Siaton, the Tanon Strait and even the islands of Apo, Siqujor and Cebu. I'm wondering if the residents of that house are concerned that their hill has been eroded and could very possibly be eroded some more. I'm wondering whether they still live in that house on the hill at all.

Dr. LEFT's Clinic

Doctors' clinics at the SU-MAB

Dr. VTR's

Dr. BPF's

Dr. AES's

Dr. RMTO's

Dr. EBQ's

Dr. DVO's

Dr. STF and Dr. SLF's

____________________________

Dr. LEFT's Clinic

breastfeeding is best! (crosstitched by the Dr. LEFT)


the obstetrician-gynecologist at her table

hearts and flowers made by LEFT: a closer look at details beneath the glass-top desk

Me and Lucille reflected on the examining room mirror

Erlyn's here!

My St. Luke's-based cardiologist friend, Erlyn, is in town on a side-trip from her many nationwide and international speaking sorties. So it's going to be a night of talking story and no weblogging. :-)

mind boggling

What the freakin' thing is happening to the streets of Dumaguete??

Everywhere (well, almost) the asphalt roads have been dug up. Simultaneously, it seems, judging by the horrendous traffic jams in unexpected places, like the boulevard!

There has to be a logical explanation to this madness: digging up roads, to the north, south and center of the city. All at about the same time. Yet there are long stretches of road that have been dug up for months now, like the road in front of the Ceres Terminal in Calindagan, but no work has been done to finish cementing that road. When it rains the road gets muddy and just the other night, there was delivery van that got stuck in the mud for hours.

One cannot help but wonder, whose brilliant idea was this? To dig and dig long stretches of road instead of digging and cementing shorter stretches so that the roads can be passable faster?

An interesting note: when the roads are built by the government agencies, the construction takes ages and ages. When the roads are built by private companies, the road becomes passable in a month or so.

Bakit ganoon?

health care, a world of difference

One of the many things that struck me about my classmate Cado's heart attack story is how advanced the health care system of first world countries is. It also reminds me of something that happened only last March to a local doctor, BGS, who had a heart attack while attending a medical conference in Egypt. Immediately, from the time of diagnosis, Cado and Dr. BGS had stents inserted within hours of the myocardial infarction. If either of the guys had the heart attack in Dumaguete, neither would have survived as we just do not have such capabilities (angiography and stenting) here at present. And I am thinking, even if the MIs happened in Manila, the harrowing traffic (without emergency lanes) would significantly decrease the victim's chance of reaching the hospital alive.

We in third world Philippines, especially in the provinces, have a long way to go in terms of health care technology and economics. Sharing here again are more of Cado's MI event, diagnosis, treatment and recovery, in his emailed reply to my asking him permission to share his experience in my weblog.

________________________

...OK ra kaayo!

I actually would like to spread my personal experience around and make people start realizing that our hearts do need our TLC, as well. I just happen to be in a country where the medical care profession/industry is quite advanced. Otherwise, I know I would have been a goner in another place! Let me enlighten you regarding Canada ’s Health Care System. We pay our health care premiums, but if you work, the company pays for it. In my stay in the hospital, the Cardiologist/Physician, the room/ward, the meals, the ambulance, the MRI, the different tests I had, the medicines, were all paid for. I only started to pay for the medicines when I got out, everything was taken out of the health care insurance. I’m not trying to brag here, just to let you see the picture. I had a friend who has leukemia and everything’s been taken cared of, she doesn’t have to worry about a thing. Delivery of babies is free. You can even take home some disposable diapers on the way out.

Actually, we did have an alternative at the time of the incident, it's calling 911 Emergency services. The ambulance would have been on my doorstep within minutes. But because I didn't anticipate I had something extremely wrong, it never even registered on my mind to use it. So we ended up waiting in line on the Urgent Care Clinic till it opened up (very bad) ;-(

If I remember correctly, the angiogram and angioplasty was done in less than 40 minutes. I myself was quite amazed at how fast the operation went. It was only after the doctors told me they had inserted the stent did I even think of the Lord and realized how He could have changed things, but instead, He gave me another chance in life. Still trying to figure out what my purpose is, though ;-o)

Melinda emailed me shortly, too. Apparently, Hector Katada was her Uncle. I managed to speak with him for a short while, they were heading home within the hour when I saw him. He had a mild one, but he had other complications, too. He had diabetes. So his case seemed much more complicated than mine.

Anyway, feel free to use this letter of mine, and hopefully somebody would benefit from it in some way. I have taking time off work, this would be week 1 of 4 and taking it easy, dealing with constant blood tests (every three days, down from two) for my INR to determine the correct dosage of warfarin (blood thinner) to take. Even while simple gardening, I get dizzy spells when standing up because of lowered blood pressure from the drugs. Although still very agile, I definitely have lost energy and stamina compared to before. And I am more conscious everytime there’s a slight pain on my chest, I keep the nitroglycerine spray handy. If I feel any chest pain, I have two instances to spray it at the back of my tongue in 5 minute intervals, and after 10 minutes, if I still feel discomfort, that’s when I call our emergency services, 911. Hopefully, I would get back stronger in time.

Best Regards,

Cado/Lotz/chin2

a heart attack

Our SUHS Batch '78 Yahoo Groups Website has come alive these past weeks with well-wishes, prayer requests and thanksgiving because one of our beloved classmates, 47-year-old Cado DMaX of Calgary, Alberta, had a massive heart attack, and survived it. With Cado's permission, I'm sharing his story with everyone.


__________



Hi Everyone,

Thanks for all the prayers, I made it!

I experienced a massive heart attack (MI-Myocardial infarction) last Apr 24 (I had 100% blockage PCI to pLAD) while on the way to work.

I started having pains in the center of my chest, which I thought was a just a bad case of heartburn. It became worst, that I started to have shortness of breath, as well.

Fridays is when Lolits comes with me on the way to work. She suggested that we go to a hospital, I kinda ignored her because of the 'hospital' word. Even though I was experiencing a lot of discomfort, I was still adamant to go to work (hoping that the pain would subside).

Then she said the magic word, about going to a clinic, and that's the only time I agreed and diverted to the nearest possible urgent care clinic, as per advise of a friend. Unfortunately, the clinic opens up at exactly 0800, we were there around 0735, so the wait was extremely agonizing.

Needless to say, when my turn came, the nurse diagnosed right away that I was in the middle of a heart attack. They immediately called the ambulance and gave me nitroglycerin spray, ecg, blood thinning tablets and morphine for pain, then sent to the furthest hospital, but was apparently the better hospital to go to.

Arriving there we went straight to the operating room, stripped off my clothes, cleaned up, IV's put in, then they started angiogram on me. I could feel the blood coming out of my wrist where they inserted the catheter, cold feeling, burning, throbbing sensation when it went in. I was able to see my throbbing heart on screen and after 30-40 minutes they finished inserting the stent. I had 100% blockage, so I was lucky that I made it.

I'm out of the hospital now, but taking four weeks off work, but have additional blood tests to contend to and medicines (lots of blood thinners) as well as having a totally different meal altogether, no fat, low sodium, no cholesterol, no trans fat....

During my stay in the hospital, I was doing my own 'Rounds' as well, too (I got bored after day two). In one of my rounds, I did see the name Katada on one of the rooms, we were on the cardiac recovery floor, 8th. So when I checked my mails that's when I noticed that there were two of us Alumnis that were admitted, same day to boot. He's on the older side, I think 1968.

Picture this: we just finished our periodic annual exam, everything normal, ECG, Blood Sugar, Cholesterol, Uric. So was all the results since we've started doing this, 2000. I've also stopped smoking since 00. Saturday was my first game of tennis with a compatriot, then the attack on Friday. Maybe a plaque came off during that time.

So I guess my genes (Dad died of it at age 51, then lately my Mom had her three-stent operation in 05) played a big role in here, because there seems to be more constricted areas than just the affected area. If you have it in your genes, I'd advise you to be careful.

I thank the Lord for giving me another lease in life.

Best Regards to all,
Cado DMaX

Opadas* all aboard the Ocean Jet

*My paternal grandmother was Maria "Iyay" Opada. Uncle Loloy, Uncle Joe, Uncle Mado and my father are her living male children.

Jean, Lynette, Ruby, Lyndon, Jovitt, Lolo Mado, Lolo Vits, Anton

Uncle Loloy and Uncle Joe

the Opadas from Ayungon, who will be hosting the next reunion

night and day

There are a dozen things I want to write about but have not been able to because the past nights and days have been extra busy. So it'll have to be representative photos only for now.

This first image shows the Dumaguete Boulevard at 8 pm, the time that our Ocean Jet fastcraft from Tagbilaran, Bohol docked at the pier, after we attended the two-day Opada Clan Reunion. I did not know I have so many relatives in Bohol!

shining, shimmering, splendid

And this second picture here is one of the few shots we took during the day, while we were basking in the white sands and crystal clear waters of Panglao Island in Bohol. I said few shots because the water was just so perfectly delicious it was almost sacriligeous to do anything but soak and swim in it.

cuz Tata, toasted me, and the lovely blue southern sea

Manila Memoirs 6

Med School Memories

This fiery flame tree reminds me of the ones in UP Diliman. This is the view from the Anatomy Floor of the Med School. That building behind and to the left of the tree is the main pay hospital of the UERMMMC. The white building with the little blue roof on the right lower quadrant of the picture used to be the charity neuro-psych ward 23 years ago. It still is.

This used to be my dormitory along Aurora Boulevard: Medic's Home, for med and dentistry students. It's just a minute's walk (or less if you run) to the classrooms. The yellow arrow points to my old room on the fourth floor, Rm 403!

mga salitang ugat

Pasensya na po kung puro litrato na lang ang nailalagay ko sa blog na ito. Pagkaraan po ng ilang araw na pakikinig sa writers workshop ay masyado na po akong na-i-insecure sa aking pagsusulat. Ang pagsusulat pala ay isang mabigat na tungkulin; ang paglikha ng kaakit-akit at kaaya-ayang kuwento ay nangangailangan ng masinsinang pagwawari kung ano ang pinaka-angkop na salita, diwa o pananaw. At siyempre pa, parating nandyan ang hamon na gamitin ang lenguahe sa makasining na paraan.

Kaya sa gabing ito, ni larawan ay wala tayo! Kasi matutulog muna ako.

Manila Memoirs 5

Luneta: The mother of all Rizal Parks

writing Mi Ultimo Adios, in Spanish

the firing squad, mga kapwa Filipino



falling for you, Filipinas

Manila Memoirs 4

The sun does set upon...

... the billet and HQ for the elite force tasked to serve and protect the residents of the house pictured at the back of the twenty-peso bill.

Manila Memoirs 3

Action at the Roxas Boulevard

boat rowing

playing badminton

aerodancing, a fun way to keep fit

'in the company of greatness'

The 48th National Writers Workshop began today in Silliman University and once again I'm so privileged to be a sit-in-er, a jaw-dropped eavesdropper, with ears straining to hear every word the distinguished panelists say about the works of the fellows.

National artist for literature, Mom Edith Tiempo, so smart and collected at 90 years old, graced today's opening ceremonies, together with her workshop 'babies' Sir Sawi Aquino, Ma'am Myrna Pena-Reyes, Dr. Gemino Abad, J. Neil Garcia, Sarge Lacuesta and Ian Casocot, respected Filipino writers all.

In such august company, there's only one thing left for me to do: Stop talking and start listening very well!

1-4-3, MP

I love you, already, Manny Pacquiao! You do us proud, so very so.

(Taglish translation: Crush ka ng bayan, PacMan, super proud kami sa 'yo, talagang-talaga.)



Now, just don't run for public office, please.

(Para mo nang awa, maghunos dili ka.)

Manila Memoirs 2

Roxas Boulevard comes alive

colorful playthings

fresh catch from the ocean

a soothing back rub by the sea, ala-Boracay

sometimes even the sea breeze is not enough to sustain life

Manila Memoirs

sunrise

Waiting for the sun to rise over Malate Church
over at the Roxas Boulevard