who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.
– The Peace of Wild Things by Wendell Berry
When anxiety for the future kicks in, a vacation with nature is the key. It is undeniable how nature quickly soothes us and shoo the worries and stress away.
Hi there, wholesome reader!
I hope you're having a great week so far. I'm here again with another post to continue my travel series in Mindanao. Previously, I shared with you our adventures at Dahilayan. Today, let me showcase the beautiful landscapes of Impasug-ong, a mountainous town in Bukidnon, Philippines.
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From Dahilayan, we traveled to Impasug-ong for two and a half hours. This town is known as the Cowboy town in Mindanao. We rented a car since it's inconvenient to go from one place to another in Bukidnon carrying luggages. Although there are buses, we opted to rent a private vehicle for convenience and so that we could reach places faster.
Let the adventures begin!
Our first destination was Roty Peaks. Only motorcycles and 4x4 vehicles have the capacity to access the undeveloped road leading to the peak. Our personal driver for the trip, Sir Mark, dropped us at what they so-call Payag, where motorcycles meant for Roty Peaks standby and wait for passengers.
The first few minutes of our motorcycle ride was just smooth but when we reached the point where the roads were starting to get rocky, that’s when the real adventure began. The whole motorcycle ride was more extreme than the ones at Dahilayan Adventure Park! It took us an hour before we finally reached the peak. But I tell you, it was totally worth it!
A surprise at the peak
It was already about 5pm when we reached the place and the surrounding was slowly getting dark and gloomy as rain poured when we arrived. It wasn't the best time to have the best view but the view was still mesmerizing as silhouettes of endless mountain ranges rolled before our eyes.
We booked the Kubloy, a native Filipino house a.k.a. kubo, that is made of bamboo. The kubo is a two-minute walk from the main area at Roty Peaks and can accommodate up to 6 people. It has a 360° view, which was the most exciting part for us.
When the rain stopped, we went to our Kubloy and guess what? We were surprised that there was no electricity in the whole place. We have not considered it and have not read such reviews on the internet, our bad.
My phone and one of my friends' were already drained out of battery. Our habal-habal (motorcycle) driver offered to recharge our phones at their house, just somewhere below the peak. At first, we hesitated as we are used to the idea of not trusting strangers. But since this person was also the one who's going to drive us back the next day, we entrusted him our phones, together with the phone chargers. Thankfully, he brought them back the next day we met. He even went back early so that we can use our phones in taking pictures of the scenery. For that, we were grateful to him and gave him a little tip.
The beautiful morning view
Morning came and as per usual, I chose to wake up early to catch the sunrise. I also woke my friends up so we can watch it all together.
We trekked the stretch of the hill beside our hut and found a nest-like decoration on the hill. We sat there and stared at the mountains. Every once in a while, just staring at the lush greens of the mountains is essential for our mental health.
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Sadly, we did not see the colors of the rising sun. I believe it was on the other side of the mountain which cannot be seen from our perspective as it is blocked by another mountain. However, we saw how the golden rays of the sun slowly spread across the mountains and plains and it was as magical as seeing the sunrise.
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We had breakfast with the most refreshing view. Roty Peaks also offer meals with the view of the mountain ranges of Impasug-ong. Aside from meals, they also sell bottled water and limited choices of snacks.
And oh, before I forget to share, did you know that the CR in our hut had a big open window with the view of the mountains? At first, I was hesitant to take a bath as I was scared that someone might see me naked, lol. But after a while, I just convinced myself that there was nobody else on the opposite side who would see me, unless they use a pair of binoculars. 😅
The adventure continues...
After we had breakfast, we tried to absorb all the beauty in this place before we finally leave. The view inside our hut looked like framed paintings straight from an art museum. We never got tired of looking at the views, I mean, just look at these! Staring at these literally took all the negative energies away.
We also grabbed the opportunity to take photos of the most famous swing in Bukidnon that's been trending on social media. Going up to the air gave so much thrill, as if there were butterflies inside my stomach. Plus in front of you is a view that makes everything feel like a dream.
One night in this place was a bit short but since we still had a few places left on our itinerary, we had to bid goodbye to the beautiful view of mountain ranges.
On the way back to the Payag, we found another nice view of a flowing river. We had a very quick stopover just to take pictures with the view.
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Nature, truly, has its own magic. Its lush greens and skies of blue give me the peace I needed. How I wish I could spend more days like this, just staring at mountains and taking in all its splendor.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4
Thank you for reading my post up to this point. I hope you have a great time ahead!
I'll take delight in writing for you again soon.
Love,
Sam ♡
Hello, in case you have not read my intro post, my name is Samantha. You may call me Sam for short. I am from Cebu, a beautiful island in the Philippines. I created this space in an attempt to put all the good things in one place, thus, my blog name @wholesamdiaries.
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Wow! I am star struck by its beauty, it was a picturesque scenery. Huhu. I wanted to witness it myself, siguro next time haha
Hi @douceink! I hope someday you'll have the chance to visit Bukidnon. It's totally worth it. 😊
Hiya, @livinguktaiwan here, just swinging by to let you know that this post made it into our Honorable Mentions in Travel Digest #2118.
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