Escapade: Bitoon, Clarin, Misamis Occidental

Unwinding the Stress

I am not a big fan of travelling especially around people. I am used to being alone at home. Either I do something I can use my hands on or I write, watch anime, do gardening, crocheting among many other things. I prefer being confined within the four walls than being with anyone, of course that's what we introverts do.

However these past days, I have come out of my shell and proved to myself that I can mingle and enjoy moments with the people close to me, especially those who matter to me.

Bitoon was a planned trip with only few of my friends. We payed for the expenses together, we prepared the things needed along with our mind. We went there on an early Saturday morning. We rode a motorcycle up until Guba, Clarin, and from there onwards we walked our way to Bitoon in Clarin. I had been to Bitoon before, but I had forgotten how far we had to tread to arrive there. We walked for almost an hour, even after taking a shorter route.

The road to Bitoon isn't easy. There are big rocks, sloppy areas, and a hanging bridge which is scary but thrilling for a travel freak. The camping would have been easier if we didn't bring things like backpacks, tents and food. Walking with backpacks, tents and food on inclined areas was the most tiring part, but the excitement to be in Bitoon and camping was worth all the extra burden we carried on our backs.

Arrival

Seventh Day Adventist Church in Bitoon welcomed us with a very warm and kind gesture. When we reached Bitoon, we realised it is one of the most serene, refreshing, and inviting places one can find in the world. We spent most of the day in church where we offered for the church service and the whole program finished by 2pm, which was earlier than expected. Later that evening we were totally exhausted and since we had nothing better to do, we all just talked with each other and celebrated few moments of friendship together before we retired to our tents for sleeping.

Where did we camp?

We were allowed to camped inside the church after taking permission from the authorities. The setting was simple and none of us was looking for anything more than simple. We set our tents inside the church premise and arranged our things. The members of the church especially kuya Efren and lolo Concordio offered us their cooking pots, wood stove, glasses, water bottles and even blankets for us to use. As for the blanket, we made it into bed sheet (since bed sheet was extra luggage and we didn’t pack any) with bathing towels above it because the floor was just too cold to sleep on. We cooked our dinner early, ate, washed the dishes in clean and cold flowing water nearby, brushed our teeth, cleaned ourselves and prepared ourselves to sleep. The church itself has no electricity, but there are few nearby houses which do have. We had to ask one of the church members to charge our phones so that we could use our phones as flashlights and for taking pictures, to which they agreed without any hesitation.

Day 2

We all woke up with cold creeping inside our tents. Even though we were tired from the day before and didn’t feel like getting up, we somehow managed to wake up and do our worship and chores for the day, which included preparing rice for breakfast and lunch. If you would ask about our preparation, it is just like any other campers food. We had noodles, eggs, sardines, corned beef for our food for the rest of our stay at Bitoon. Access to the washrooms in the mountains was very difficult, but for those who loves adventures it’s not a biggie.

At 10 in the morning we made our way to a local river which was the most anticipated part of the trip, God’s creation at its best. The mountains were lush green, the weather was perfect, the water was crystal clear, and the wind was invigorating, definitely a delightful place to unwind from the daily stressed life.

We had the best time of the summer in the cold and revitalising water of the river. We stayed there for some time, took lots of pictures and immersed ourselves in the wonderful nature that surrounded us. In the afternoon, we went back to the church with a fulfilled heart. We changed, had our lunch and packed our things to return back to Clarin. We had to return the things we borrowed before bidding goodbye to the people who had been so loving and caring to us. The extra rice that we brought for that camp was shared to the households near the church.

Departure

This time heading our way back home we took the longer route. We didn't imagine the route to have stairs and cemented pathways on the mountainside, however surprisingly they did. The walk back had all our energies drained, and our backpack felt heavier than before or maybe they just felt heavier due to all the fatigue. The view back to Clarin from Bitoon was simply breathtaking and astounding. We could see houses all along the top of the mountains. The way up is difficult but the way back seemed more challenging.

Although I am afraid of heights, I conquered my fear by joining my friends when they decided to go the mountains. During the climb downhill many a times, I had to sit and hold on the railings of the on-going road construction. I felt as if something was pushing me down, and it made me terrified, however when I reached the planes it felt great that I had enough courage to face my fears.

It had been years since I had any mountain climbing experiences because my studies never left me enough time to travel. We walked for almost 2 hours to Guba where we had to wait for the motorcycle to get us.

We arrived home with shaking legs, worn out shoulders and fatigued body, but we were full of excitement, happiness, enjoyment, fulfilment and adventure.

In the end I realised that it is not okay to be always inside four walls, locking myself away from anyone and making my own world inside the walls. Socialising is a part of life and that is something we should all try to strive for. The trip to Bitoon was a great way to mingle with friends, face my fears and experience exhilarating adventures. It’s exactly as Mae West said “We only live once, but if we do it right, once is more than enough.”