A treasure trove called Mt. Apo

          Nature’s beauty is so vast to behold yet only few ones were given the chance to witness its beauty. Being one of the lucky ones, I cannot contain the richness of my experience so I have to share it with you.

            I once imagined myself bathing on a sauna luxuriating together with the elite of the society and rejuvenating myself in the artificial warm vapor. But as I did, reality set in. My fantasy is still far from where I am now.

            Good news from a friend came to me that a natural sauna lies in nature. That was when I embarked on a journey early in the morning, expecting to arrive at the foot of the Philippine’s highest peak, the Mt. Apo, before noon.

            Traveling with just motorcycle with the hours running fast, I watched the rolling verdant mountains on our way to Digos City. Anxiety filled my heart because it was almost noontime when we passed Bansalan and I asked myself, “Where could that sauna be? Is it still far?”

            As we enter the boundary of North Cotabato, I started to feel the coldness of the wind since the road is going uphill. By noontime, gigantic Lumad statue carrying baskets of harvest welcomed us as we entered Kidapawan City. I decided not to rely on the direction recounted by a friend so I asked a soldier in a check point for direction.

            With another inquiry from a motorcycle driver, my fear increased as he said that our destination is still far. It’s already noon time! Calculating the time, we may not be able to go home with the sun still shining. But we were already here. So go on with the destination.

      

      We started our never ending ascent towards the mountain in a far distance passing on concrete road to the rough road. I wonder why the road is white with stones and rocks resembling corals. Could this land be under the sea million years ago?

            Noontime sun may be glaring its heat but it did not succeed to bite my skin. It was overpowered by the coldness of the wind. As I touched my jacket, it felt like it was wet. That was how cold it was.

             But I cannot attribute the temperature to the elevation alone. The lush trees contributed a lot. Rubber trees covered the land as far as I can see. Its sap flows gently on its bark, finally filling the receptacle at the bottom.

            Fresh water we used to buy in the city flows abundantly in three rivers we passed. I never thought that we still have treasures like this. Scene I used to watch on television about province life with women washing clothes on the riverside; it was all here.

            Bamboos stuck on mountain-side rocks pours the flowing water people used for drinking. We stopped and drank it ourselves. As we filled our bottled container with water, moist formed on its surface. It was naturally cold and tasted like distilled water. What’s great is, this is free and contains natural mineral.

            As our motorcycle struggled with the steep slope, I couldn’t help but look at the cliff on the other side of the road. Fear ran through my spine which made me shiver as I thought of the dangerous fall awaiting negligent drivers. Judging from the road, it might have rained yesterday. The road is very slippery so I need to walk on foot to give way for the driver alone.

     

       Though the time is limited, still I pleaded to stop for several times just to take a close glimpse on the endemic but exotic species of flowers I don’t normally see. Purples, yellows, reds, violets, orange or combinations of other colors aesthetically bloomed on the roadside.

        

   

     This is the beauty of life! The lightning sight of lizards, I used to watch at the National Geographic Channel, running across the road made my journey worth sacrificing.  

      All kinds of sounds imitated by cellphone ring tones could be heard; from endless sirens, soul-refreshing symphonies to staccato wail of warnings which I could not recognize if it was produced by a bird or an insect. 

      It is truly an exceptional display of nature in its primeval state.

    

     

  


     I admired most the Obo Manobo natives along the road who were very eager in giving directions. 

      After five hours of travel, we finally arrived at our destination – Agco, Ilomavis, Kidapawan City, the trail leading to the majestic Mt. Apo. Elevated at 3,937 feet, the sight from the mountain made us feel like kings looking at the kingdom of the earth with the plains barely recognizable.

      

      This area was already secluded, yet a resort stood still making use of the natural resources like the moderate heat from the volcano to create the Jacuzzi Steam and Spa. 

      As I explored the place passing through a slippery trail, I found a natural waterfall of about 10 feet at the other side of the mountain. 

      By touching the water, it felt like ten blocks of ice were soaked.

            Having shivered, I longed now for the change of temperature so I basked in the spa. As I initially touched my toes with the water, the heat was almost unbearable. In time, as I slowly soaked my body, it seemed to adjust. I didn’t want to get out anymore. 

           My innermost nerves were revitalized. It seems like every toxins in my body was seeped by water. I didn’t notice that thirty minutes has passed already.

            

             It was time to keep moving. 

     There was more in the uphill to be explored. 

         We hiked 100 meters more until we found the Lake Agco, one of the four major lakes in Mt. Apo. 

          I felt the mighty thermal power of Mt. Apo as the lake exhausted its steam. The water was boiling in silent force. So hot yet so gentle.

            Popularly known as mud lake, the attraction offers healing power with its mud rich in sulfur. So we tried it on our skin.  After 15 minutes, I rinsed the mud off my face and I felt it was toned, feeling soft and supple. I’m almost tempted to bring home some but a reminder posted on a tree deterred me from giving in to temptation. 

    This is an ancestral sacred land so we are supposed to respect every part of it.  Altars built on every side of the mountain are indications that some known natural spirits is guarding the place as recounted by the local inhabitants.

            It was already late afternoon. It was now time to start our descent. If the motorcycle struggled during our ascent, this time it struggles with its brakes as we went downwards. One wrong move would make a fatal fall on the cliff. But we saved much fuel because even if the engine was not turned on, the vehicle kept on running.

            We still have one attraction on our list. We are now headed to New Israel, now part of Makilala, North Cotabato. We were lost several times since roads diverge. So long as there were people whom to ask for direction, there was no reason to worry.

            We traveled for 30 minutes from the highway until we reached a community where hatred and enmity do not exist. It seemed like I traveled back time. I heard of this only in stories. There was electricity in the place but not a single loud sound from the radio or television could be heard.            

            I was not here for the place in the first place.  I was here for the monkeys of various sizes since this place is known the long-tailed monkeys known as macaques that outnumbered the dogs. So I asked the locals where we could find the monkeys. I was expecting cages. But to my amazement, they were not caged at all as related by a lady. “Bag-o lang sila nanglakaw. Adtoa ninyo sa bukid basig maabtan pa ninyo sila” (They have just left. You may still catch them uphill.)

            So we hurried uphill. We could hear the cries of a hundred monkeys but they are nowhere to be found. 

             To my dismay, I was seated on the stair fashioned from clay on the side of the mountain, leading to a church where the local sect – Moncadista used to worship. 

                How I wish to see the animals living in absolute freedom!

            As I gazed in the open space, the view in front of me started to sink in my spirit. My God, I almost missed the perfect moment! 

      Two huge mountains separated by vast valleys with a small hill in between them. The sun is halfway setting in the crevices of the mountain changing the color of the blue sky into orange. It’s a picturesque view we usually see in posters or paintings.

         I wanted to stay here forever feeling the tranquility of the moment. I was lost in time.

            The gentle wind’s cadence with the dancing flowers thriving around touched my skin until the orange sky turned into pink. Slowly, gently, the sun gave way for darkness to reign. As I looked up, the half moon greeted me. I almost cried. What a perfect moment! What a perfect creation! What a perfect God!