Warning: This post is long and has a gazillion pictures. I couldn’t choose fewer and I wouldn’t have it any other way. You’d love it though – full of greens and browns: WELCOME TO THE PHILIPPINES! 🙂
It has been some time since I last shared any hiking/camping trip up the mountains but I definitely have a lot of stories to share in the coming Mondays – do make sure you stay tuned for that.
Today I’m sharing a recent day hike (our very first ever as a family) and it definitely was a blast! The way I’ll be sharing it to you is slightly different because this month, I decided to try out Grounded and Surrounded’s #ETHANProject.
ETHAN actually stands for Enjoy The Here And Now, a summer challenge (since they are based from the US) for mom bloggers so they are able to enjoy and stay sane during those critical two months when the kids are not in school. The challenge is now on its fourth week, which focuses on Enjoying the Water. You can read more about the #ETHANProject here or the past challenges: Week#1: Enjoy Friendship, Week#2: Enjoy the View (this post could totally fall under that, too) and Week#3: Enjoy the Flavor.
As a background for this week’s challenge:
Now, our take on this challenge is totally different from what you guys might think about enjoying the water. You probably have some clue now, don’t you?
You see, while the US is now starting to enjoy their warm summers – here on the other side of the planet (in the Philippines), we have just started entering the rainy season. Yes, you guessed that right! We’re totally enjoying the water – despite the flood and mud – since we’ve been on a dry spell for some weeks now.
So here’s our story:
Our day started off pretty insignificant. Or maybe not. Because we had a slightly huge pack (I decided to put in a little more weight on my day pack so I could train myself to endure heavy loads) plus we had our 2-year-old daughter in her backpack carrier. In our country, not a lot of families go out for adventure hikes the way we do – and definitely not with young children – so those curious stares always make us feel like we are in celebrity status. Haha!
The jump-off point for our hike was about an hour ride from our place but the day was just perfect for the activity. It was overcast, yes, but compared to our usual hike weather, this was sooo much better than staying under the heat of the tropical sun.
Eventually, the rain did pour down in drizzles but it was still a refreshing feeling. Our previous hikes and camping trips were never ‘effortless’ because the blistering heat plus our heavy packs always made us feel 10x tired than we probably are. I hated the rain somehow because obviously it meant muddy trails. The daughter enjoyed it though and was even able to walk for almost 45 minutes on a gradually ascending path. When we told her we would have to carry her (so we could cover more distance, too), she would tell us there’s no need since she would just jump over the muddy puddles (we don’t speak English; that one’s courtesy of Peppa Pig, haha).
Someone insisted on walking for 45 minutes – uphill!
We got lost many times (not new) and missed out a popular stop along the trail – a house up on the mountains that offer fresh coconut juice and meat, which the owner would have to climb. I got frustrated; we were about 3 hours down our hike but I found out we were far from the destination. We overestimated ourselves thinking we would be able to reach the top by lunchtime but alas, at 11AM, we were still halfway through. We only brought a pack of snacks which the daughter happily munched on but we were definitely hungry.
The greens have finally sprouted because it’s rainy season – hooray!
Despite our circumstance – we reached the peak at around 2PM and had to walk about 30 minutes more to find transportation to get back to the city – we were thankful. We were thankful for the rain that made our loooong walk a whole lot bearable, that made the trails muddy and slippery but tested our patience, strength, endurance and will to make it to the end point. We were thankful for our 3L water and 1L ionized drinks for keeping us hydrated all throughout the hike and helping us get over our hunger especially during the last stretch of knee-breaking ascents.
Feeling rather insignificant.
We are thankful for that time that we enjoyed nature and each other’s company as a family, that time when we were able to acknowledge each other’s strengths and weaknesses.
Would we go through that hike again? Most definitely! There’s so much to enjoy and be thankful for, not just the water, and I can’t wait to tell our daughter about it.
A foggy afternoon here in tropical Philippines is too awesome (at least for city dwellers haha)!
PS. On a funny note, our daughter actually stumbled on a concrete road on her way down (she has never been injured during a mountain hike) and it may have caused a bit of trauma in her because the next day (we decided to go through a 5-hour hike again), she decided to stay at home with her paternal grandmother. She keeps on telling everyone about what happened even until now. Don’t worry though – she’s gotten over it and says she wants to go up the mountains again to camp inside a tent. 🙂
Oh hey, before I go, I wanted to share with you guys my two favorite posts from last week’s Enjoy the Flavor Challenge:
I super love this Enjoy the Flavor: Camping Edition by Rosie of Peony & Pine because obviously we love to camp, too. Though looking at their set-up, I don’t think it’s something we could achieve here in the Philippines. Our friends and I may have to think of a way to create gourmet food with all the ingredients and tools stashed in a backpack! That would be a challenge, definitely!
Another favorite are these Easy Cookie Ice Cream Cups made by Lisa of Feathers in the Woods because, uggh, who could resist sugar? I know I can’t and I would love to try this out at home one of these days.
Thank you all so much for your awesome ideas – I’m no good in the kitchen but I would want to get my hands dirty with these!
Would you like to join the #ETHANProject, too? Hop on over to Challenge#4 and be part of this awesome group! 🙂
XX
PPS. For our Filipino/Cebuano readers, this trail is the one from Guadalupe to Mt. Babag in Busay.
Wow, wonder how my kids will fare when it comes to survivalship. My daughters had been maarte na when it comes to wounds and walking. I had hoped to bring up cowgirls but I think I am rearing the opposites.
Included this in my bucket list! Taking your little one with you is worth the effort, it looked like she enjoyed the trip! 🙂
Super admire you for going on this hike with your toddler! I can’t even imagine bring both my boys out for a nature day (well, one is highly allergic to almost everything, so he’s out!). Continue imparting this wonderful hobby to your little one!
You fascinate me every single time you share with us your hike stories with your kid. I hope your daughter feels better now and that little injury won’t stop her from exploring the different wonders of the Philippines. I don’t know if I’ve said this before, but I really admire your family. 🙂
Thank you, Rhoda. She’s okay now. If not for the typhoons and the constant rains here in Cebu, we would have gone back to hiking already.
I wish we could expose our little boy to the greens, countryside and mountains. Iba talaga ang laki sa probinsya! They will grow up loving, exploring the simplicity and wonders of nature. Cheers to more family hiking adventures!
So true, Nanay Nadia. Our neighborhood is now being enclosed with big concrete walls since the nearby lot was bought by a rich man. Now I wonder how kids of today ever get the chance to run around or breathe fresh air. If it wasn’t rainy season yet, we would have wanted to make our nature hikes a weekly thing.
Hiking is one of my dreams. I’ve always wanted to try but never got the chance to do it and I don’t think I’ll be able to do it soon too with my 19 month old son. I am just sooo impressed with your family, especially your little girl, for being brave enough to hike. Good job mommy!
Thank you! I think hiking even in nearby parks is a great exercise your son, too. It’s the best way to put them to sleep without fuss. Hahaha!
What a great family bonding. 🙂
wow! hiking is something i would really love to try with my boys. the problem is my better half is not your outdoorsy type of person. but am not giving up on this dream, maybe when our son is a bit bigger we can go on a hike in Mt. Pinatubo or somewhere near our place!
you are one awesome hiking family! ^_^
Asha is an inspiration! 🙂 I hope there’s a group/community for hikers with toddlers, really! I want my kids to experience this kind of adventure. The hubby is a bit cautious and I can’t convince him if we are to hike alone as a family – we need help. Friend’s trail are difficult and for a beginner like me, I’d say I’m so sure my kids can’t handle it.
Hehe. Balot! You can go with us. Our trails are almost always a mix of easy and difficult. I think kids will fare better though since they have more energy 🙂 and we can always hike with their pace — I am more than willing to do that since I easily tire. Haha!
I so love how you involve your little one into your hikes. She is definitely going to grow up strong willed and a nature lover. 🙂
Thank you. I do hope she does. 🙂
I remembered hiking with friends and I realized it’s not my thing. Hahaha! And grabe, kasama niyo pa daughter niyo. I can’t imagine myself hiking with two little ones tagging along :))
Lunch at 2pm ain’t so bad. Good thing you have snacks. Do you hike trails all by yourselves with no more guide? Galing naman.
Hahaha. I guess it’s not that bad, May, unless you’re hiking. 😛
We rarely hike with guides since most trails are pretty straightforward. Getting lost is unavoidable though especially if you’re new to the trail but it’s part of the fun. And the challenge. Hahaha.
It wasn’t a long post actually as I enjoyed reading it. When my kids grow a little older, hiking is one of those things I wish to do as a family adventure. I just hope they’ll like it as much as your little one.
Thank you – I did enjoy writing (and re-reading) it, too.
Kids love adventures and it’s never too late to start one. You can even start out small and go on short trips around the neighborhood so you can instill that spirit of adventure (haha I love UP!) in them.
I have never tried hiking in my whole life and I think I don’t have any guts to do it. So lucky for you that you were able to do it with your whole family 🙂
I have not tried hiking. I want to try it soon.
Xoxo
MrsMartinez
Tried a rainy day hike up mt mayon in the past too, with the husband though. Hope to try it with kiddos.
Wow that sounds fun and scary, too, since it’s an active volcano. It’s really nice to do hikes with kids. 🙂
Early start to a life of adventure for your daughter! Hats off to you, I don’t think I can manage the camping scene. 😀
WOW! I can’t imagine the patience that you guys have to even have one kid go up with you on a hike.. I mean, I would love to do it for my family but we have two kids, and one’s still 2 so it’s a definite no-no for us now.. Anyways, I was hoping if you can do a what to bring on a hike with your kid post soon? Thanks! 🙂
Awwww thank you, Nicole. You guys actually don’t need to do the same thing – you can just walk around in a park. The partner loves a challenge so he insists going up mountains and I’m kinda competitive. Haha. Plus we badly need to sweat it out since we sit the whole day in the office.
I can see why you included lots of pics it looks beautiful
So true, Anne. Don’t you just love the greens? It actually makes me feel proud of our place. 🙂
Thanks for dropping by!
That was a really nice adventure! We’re giggling at your account of locals giving you strange looks. That happens with us too when locals see us bringing huge mountaineering packs and wearing colorful clothes. Hehehe!
Oh my gosh, it is such an honor for you to visit my blog! *blushes*
And yes, so true. Our daughter in her backpack carrier has pretty much become the blog’s mascot. There were two instances when we went out for a hike + camp that someone recognized us because of the carrier. Hahaha.