Another Friday is in the books. And soon it will be on the blog. Let’s get to it!
Darts last night at Alley Cats. I did the gin and soda with a beer for sipping on the side. Got a little more inebriated than normal, but not out of control. I threw decent enough darts throughout the night, actually playing a little better towards the end. I know it makes no sense for alcohol to enhance hand/eye coordination, and I’m not making that claim here. I will say that darts is more than just motor skills, the mental aspects of the game are huge as well. I think being in a relaxed frame of mind helps you stay focused on the basic task at hand–hitting your target–without all the baggage that comes from worrying about the consequences of missing. So, drinking, or aiming fluid as I like to call it, is all about the power of positive thinking.
Of course, it also helps if you draw a good partner, and Billy is one of the best around. That didn’t keep us from getting knocked into the losers bracket early on, but we fought our way back to the finals and prevailed in the end.
We are the champions!
Earlier in the day, I joined up with the Friday walking group for an adventure out in Castillejos–a hike to Nagsangong falls. It wound up being 9K because we made a wrong turn, but the scenery was nice and it was a good day to be out and about.
We rented this van for the 20-kilometer drive to our starting point. We packed 11 people, including the driver, inside. Still might have had room for one or two more. A couple of weeks ago the driver stayed behind with the van. This time he joined us on the hike. Still charged us though…When we first arrived a guy pulled up saying he was from the Barangay and asked us for our destination. I was thinking “shit, here we go again with some power trip bullshit”, but he turned out to be pleasant and helpful, suggesting a safer place to park the van and wishing us well on our journey.We started out on a new concrete road that went gently upward for 3k or so. When we reached a small village we inquired of the locals how to reach the falls. Turns out we had passed our turnoff and couldn’t get there from here.So, we turned around and marched back from whence we came. And 2K later we found our path.Of course, there were cookies to be delivered along the way. These kids went apeshit happy when they got their treat. Best dollar I ever spent!When the pavement ended, the mud started.And then we encountered the first of several water crossings. Wet feet were the order of the day.Mountain views along the way…There were some slopes and uphills, but no real climbs which I thought was a nice change of pace.Crossing another creek.You are not THAT hot, Shyrel.An out in the middle of nowhere village was a portent for trouble to come.Looks legit, right? One of the locals was manning a gap in the fence impeding our path to the falls. As usual, I was near the back of our pack. The first few guys had just blown right on by him, and the gatekeeper was furious about it. Shyrel spoke with him in Tagalog to try and calm him down, but it took a while. I heard him mention “respect” several times and I know enough that a Filipino who feels he has lost face can be unpredictable at best. I wasn’t going to proceed further without permission. Eventually, Shyrel got the angry man to accept 200 pesos for the trouble and we moved on.Now, I don’t think for one minute this man has any property rights to the trail and I seriously doubt that he is “cleaning the river”, although picking up litter from picnickers may be what he meant. Certainly not worth the controversy fighting over chump change though.And at last we reached the falls, such as they are. Actually, this is the lower falls. The guys who went ahead at the toll gate did the upper falls. This one was good enough for me.A nice swimming hole…And a small waterfall. We got what we came for…Chillin’ by the waterside.Later, we hoofed it back to the van without incident. Grabbed some cold ones out of the ice chest and took a break before the journey home.Some of the Aeta natives came out to get a closer look at those crazy foreigners…And that concludes another hiking post. Hope you enjoyed it.
About that post photo above, I also posted it on Facebook. A commenter there asked me to “Explain what is the purpose of this post.” Here was my response:
It demonstrates that taking a stand, even when surrounded by those who have no clue as to why you even exist, is worthwhile. Sometimes you have to be hard when no one else will. We all are here for a reason, even when awareness of that reason is difficult to comprehend. The seasons will pass and other things around us will come and go, but standing erect in the face of inevitable change makes you stand out. Time is fleeting, but being what you are in a world with an unknown future, impervious to the actions of those around you, is the surest way to achieve your destiny.
At least, that is what this post was intended to convey.
2 thoughts on “Taking a stand before the falls”
“Cleaning the river,” indeed.
Congrats on the win. By now, you doubtless have a reputation as the local darts badass.
I’d hate walking a trail with soaked feet. You never get any blisters?
No, I’ve never had any blister issues, might just be that I’m lucky that way.
“Cleaning the river,” indeed.
Congrats on the win. By now, you doubtless have a reputation as the local darts badass.
I’d hate walking a trail with soaked feet. You never get any blisters?
No, I’ve never had any blister issues, might just be that I’m lucky that way.