Saying goodbye is not an easy thing, especially when you've grown attached to the person. This is particularly true if they have always been there for you and your team during climbs or if they have helped to lighten the mood during difficult climbs.
A few years ago, my team and I planned a farewell climb from Osmeña Peak in Dalaguete to Kawasan Falls in Badian, Cebu. It was one last hurrah before one of our friends would be leaving Cebu for good.
Christine is the one who will be leaving Cebu after staying here for years. She was one of the first people I met when I started climbing mountains. She was there during my struggling years in hiking, and together, we created a hiking group that explored the mountains in Cebu.
Therefore, we can't just let her leave without a proper send-off. What better way to send her off on her next journey than by hiking one of her bucket list items in Cebu - The O'Peak to Casino Peak to Kawasan Falls.
Osmena Peak
Our journey started as early as 02:30 in the morning when we took a bus to Dalaguete from the Cebu South Bus Terminal. The bus departed at 03:45 AM, and we had a 2-hour and 45-minute bus ride to Mantalungon Junction.
Upon reaching the junction, we bought food at the 7-Eleven and rode a motorcycle taxi to the Osmeña Peak Tourist Assistance Center at the foot of the mountain.
When we arrived there, a thick fog enveloped the trees and the surrounding mountains. It was already gloomy when we reached the junction, but we remained positive, hoping it would pass.
The hike from the base to the peak was like a walk in the park, at least for me. The weather added a little something extra to the atmosphere of the hike, but I actually prefer it when it's gloomy. At least then, we don't have to worry as much about getting burned by the scorching sun.
Upon reaching the peak, there was nothing to see, haha. Apart from the dense white fog that obstructed our view below, it had already started drizzling. However, a little drizzle couldn't deter us from our adventure.
Rain brings out my inner child. I truly love the smell of rain as it hits the ground, and the scent of the grass brings back countless childhood memories - the days when I was carefree, playing under the rain and engaging in games of tag with childhood friends. Oh, how I miss those days.
Casino Peak
Casino Peak or Lugsangan peak is another peak located just a few kilometers from Osmeña Peak. On the way there, you'll pass a cabbage farm, so we have to be careful not to step on the crops.
Most of the time, we traverse on a cemented road towards the next peak. Along the way, we come across a few houses and sari-sari stores. Fortunately, we bought food from the junction area.
It was my first-time visiting Casino Peak. Although it has gained popularity recently and I have seen some posts online, I always envied those who had already been there.
To reach the peak, there is only one trail. While it wasn't a particularly difficult climb, the continuous drizzle made the trail muddy and slippery. I took my time since we weren't in a race anyway, haha.
Upon reaching the peak, similar to the first peak, we couldn't see anything below. Thick fog covered the scenery, resembling the Chocolate Hills. Occasionally, the fog would briefly dissipate, so we had to quickly snap photos, haha.
We waited patiently for it to clear, and all I could say was, 'WOW.' The view was truly comparable to Bohol's Chocolate Hills, but this one had sharper mountain formations.
As much as I wanted to stay longer and savor the view, we had to continue our journey.
|
|
|
|---|---|
|
|
|
Descending was a bit challenging. One wrong step and poof, you might fall onto those sharp rocks. Even though I was wearing proper footwear, I still had a hard time descending.
Casino Peak to Kawasan Falls
After descending the muddy trail of Casino Peak, I took over as the trail lead. My friend, who had been leading the entire time, decided to take the middle position as he was struggling to walk without slipping every now and then. So Christine and I took the lead on the muddy trail towards Kawasan Falls. We still couldn't get over the view of Casino Peak and continued discussing it along the trail, haha.
After walking a few kilometers, we passed by a remote house with a sari-sari store. Since it was already 11:30 in the morning, we decided to have our lunch there.
We took our time, enjoying each other's company. After 45 minutes, we continued on a trail that was still muddy and slippery. Fortunately, I managed to avoid slipping throughout the entire hike, while some of my friends encountered problems with their knees and others had minor cuts and blisters. It's best to wear arm sleeves to protect your arms from the sharp edges of plants, as some may have thorns. So, it's better to be careful.
Finally, we reached a cemented trail, but we still had a few kilometers to go before reaching the back entrance of Kawasan Falls.
As we made our way to the junction of the Kawasan Falls back entrance and the road leading to the Badian main road, some of our friends let out a sigh of relief. Knowing that we were almost there, we sat on the road for a few minutes.
The next part of the trail was the unfinished road leading to the Kawasan Canyoneering jump-off area.
At 2:30 PM, we arrived at Kawasan Falls. We couldn't contain our excitement upon hearing the sound of the water while we were still at the back entrance. I started walking faster, haha, as if all my knee aches had vanished.
We stayed at the third level of Kawasan Falls, where we put down our bags and immersed ourselves in the cold water. We spent an hour and a half there, enjoying our time. Some of us went to various Instagram-worthy spots in Kawasan to pose for photographs.
As we found our way back to the main highway, I couldn't help but think about all the memories Christine and I shared. We started as strangers, just trying to make our day off productive by going hiking. I'm usually a shy person and don't easily get along with others, especially at work. However, with Christine and all of my hiking friends, I become a better version of myself. I tend to be livelier and laugh wholeheartedly when I'm with them. But with Christine moving away to a foreign land, I couldn't help but feel a mix of sadness and happiness. Sad that she's leaving, but also happy that she's taking a big step towards her future. Goodbyes are not the end; they're the start of something new for both us and Christine. Instead of saying goodbye, we say, 'See you later!'.
https://leofinance.io/threads/view/nietokilll/re-leothreads-2ttmjjvas
The rewards earned on this comment will go directly to the people ( nietokilll ) sharing the post on LeoThreads,LikeTu,dBuzz.
Woww niwanga pa gud 😂 very scenic hike from Opeak to Casino to Kawasan!
niwang mnsad karon gud
Congratulations, your post has been added to Pinmapple! 🎉🥳🍍
Did you know you have your own profile map?
And every post has their own map too!
Want to have your post on the map too?
Bet na bet ang lawas ser Arc! 😆
karon di na wahhhaha
That's so sweet, all of you. For sure she will remember this always especially you all did it for her. The place is so pretty, the adventure for sure is full of fun. It's just scary because you are reaching the peak.
Hehe its not that scary once you are at the peak hehe
Amazing place for tourists, looks realy wonderful views in all photos. i wish i could also visit someday.
Yes, the place is really popular to tourists. 😁
Such a big and refreshing reward taking a dip into the Kawasan Falls after that incredible experience hiking through these challenging trails. It must be a wonderful and most memorable journey spending it with good friends.. especially with someone who's leaving for good!
All our body sores disappeared once we dipped into the cold waters of Kawasan, hehe.
Osmena Peak is one of the greenest green hills I've ever seen online. Did you edit the photos 😮 Kawasan Falls looks fun. I want to run in that lush greenery, misty fog. It was also interesting to learn about the history and culture of the area, as well as your thoughts on responsible travel. 🤗🤝🙏 This is really important and some people do not understand the importance of the taking care of nature. 👏
Yes, I did some minor editing to the photos, but the colors of the hills were really green in person.
that is so cool 😮
Super
!PIZZA
Very exciting adventure. I hope one day I can enjoy the air there. Thank you for sharing the amazing nature.
thank you for reading my blog 😆
Ok @kev.incredible .
The fog made the sceneries a lot more dramatic. Ka nice pud ibalik diri.. untouched pa ang Opeak sa imong time sir arc. Hehe
hahahah laina sa akong time mura kog karaan nga taw wahahha
beautiful place, I really like the photographs of the waterfalls, very beautiful, it is seen that they had a great time on this adventure 👍☺️
I haven't had the chance to take a photo of the main waterfall of Kawasan, which was a real beauty. I'm glad you appreciate it.
Climbing groups are really enjoyable. I learned a lot in these groups. The scenery is really pristine and beautiful
I'm glad you appreciate it.
Congratulations @kev.incredible! You have completed the following achievement on the Hive blockchain And have been rewarded with New badge(s)
Your next target is to reach 15000 upvotes.
You can view your badges on your board and compare yourself to others in the Ranking
If you no longer want to receive notifications, reply to this comment with the word
STOPCheck out our last posts:
Support the HiveBuzz project. Vote for our proposal!
Congratulations @kev.incredible! Your post has been a top performer on the Hive blockchain and you have been rewarded with this rare badge
You can view your badges on your board and compare yourself to others in the Ranking
If you no longer want to receive notifications, reply to this comment with the word
STOPCheck out our last posts:
Support the HiveBuzz project. Vote for our proposal!
Hiya, @LivingUKTaiwan here, just swinging by to let you know that this post made it into our Honorable Mentions in Daily Travel Digest #1871.
Your post has been manually curated by the @pinmapple team. If you like what we're doing, please drop by to check out all the rest of today's great posts and consider supporting other authors like yourself and us so we can keep the project going!
Become part of our travel community:
thank you as always @livinguktaiwan and to the rest of the @pinmapple team 💛
Wow.. Mas mganda sana view sa Osmeña peak kung mganda ang weather.. Umulan ba? Ang foggy.. But the falls is so relaxing.. Best to soak the tired body after the long trek..
Umaambon lang po pagdating nami sa osmena peak haha
Wonderful place buddy
thank you buddy
Very nice place,,, 😊👍👍👍
Indeed 😄
Dear @kev.incredible, bidding farewell to a friend is never easy, but such is the nature of life - people come and go. Nevertheless, offering a goodbye gift that resonates with the person's passions is a beautiful gesture that will be cherished forever.
Indeed, saying goodbye to a friend can be a bittersweet experience as we navigate the changes in life.
I always envy your hikings to so many cool places in Cebu. Of course I'm joking but you all look so happy doing it together and I'm sure that you will feel the missing of Christine from now on. Honestly I don't know how that feels because I've always did it with my family but I always dreamed on having a young gang to go up and down the mountains, so I appreciate you for being able to enjoy this experience 🤍
Thank you for your kind words! I truly feel fortunate to have such amazing hiking experiences in Cebu. It's always a joy to explore new places and create beautiful memories with a group of like-minded individuals.
thank you for appreciating my post 😍