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Photos and stories from many of my travels in the past 5 years

Tumalog falls Oslob Cebu GoPro

Philippines: Tumalog Falls; Oslob church, Cuartel

Date: April 30th, 2014

After spending the early morning swimming with whale sharks, I then decided to visit Tumalog Falls, Oslob’s other big attraction.

Bus stop bike taxi Oslob highway
There were plenty of bike taxis at the entrance of the Whale shark briefing center and this guy approached me asking me if I wanted to go to Tumalog Falls. He said it would cost ₱120 to take me there and back.
Bike taxi ride Oslob
Tumalog Falls isn’t too far away from the whale shark briefing center
Way to Tumalog Falls Oslob road
Basically the road to Tumalog Falls is just off the main highway, heading back from the whale shark briefing center
Road to Tumalog falls
The driver dropped me off at a parking area at the top. From here, I had to climb down a steep slope.
Going down steep hill road Oslob
You can pay again to have a bike drop you at the waterfalls and back, but I just chose to walk not knowing how far it was (it wasn’t)
Oslob blue pond Tumalog
Once at the bottom, the beauty begins right away
Tumalog blue pond Oslob Cebu
How is the water so blue?!
Entrance to Tumalog falls Oslob
I really wasn’t expecting much from Tumalog Falls and planned to spend only a few minutes here
Tumalog falls stream Oslob Cebu
But even from here I could sense the beauty. You have to climb from the left to get inside the falls area
Tumalog falls blue water Oslob
Tumalog Falls is really beautiful!
Tumalog falls Cebu Philippines
It was so nice and cool to stand here… even though water droplets were hitting my lens
Tumalog broken waterfalls Oslob Philippines
The water was so blue, but it was hard to get the entire falls top to bottom in one frame
Swimming in Tumalog falls Oslob
There was so much mist in the air from the waterfalls!
Tumalog waterfalls mini umbrellas
I pictured Tumalog Falls to be one big stream — it isn’t
Tumalog falls bamboo trees Oslob
If you wanted to set up a BBQ or picnic, you could do it here. But mind you, it’s very muddy.
Tumalog falls Oslob Cebu GoPro
I decided to pack up my DSLR as I didn’t want it getting too wet. It was time for the GoPro to come out.
Tumalog waterfalls Oslob Philippines
I held the GoPro sideways to take this shot
Picnic area Tumalog falls Oslob Cebu
I took my shirt off and carefully stepped to the left of the waterfalls
Tourists showering Tumalog waterfalls Oslob Cebu
It was slippery and the water felt cold, but I felt like taking a shower after a swim in the sea 😛
Tumalog falls water splash Oslob
The water sure was chilly — but it felt good!
Tumalog falls closeup Cebu Philippines
I tried to get closer to the falls from the left

Tumalog waterfalls sunrays Cebu

Tourists Tumalog Oslob Cebu
I decided to go to the other side
Tumalog falls panorama Oslob
I figured I would take some photos of the waterfalls from another angle
Tumalog falls pond Oslob Philippines
Seemed to be less splashier on this side
Tumalog falls full Oslob Philippines
You could get a full shot from this side, with no tree obstructing
Sky Tumalog falls Oslob
Fortunately the skies were clearing up too. I got in the water to try and see if I could stay under the water splashing down.
Mithun cold splash Tumalog falls
IT. WAS. COLD! And heavy!
Mithun filipino woman Tumalog falls
Then for some reason, this woman asked for a photo with me. After that, her group asked me to take a photo of all of them.
Mithun group photo Tumalog falls
Finally I thought, why not, handed one of them to take a group shot on my GoPro camera. Clearly not the best camera for such situations. I didn’t know any of them but that’s how it works in the Philippines 🙂
Tumalog waterfalls Cebu Philippines
I took a parting shot
Leaving Tumalog falls Oslob Cebu
It was now time to leave
Bamboo trees Tumalog falls Oslob
I enjoyed Tumalog falls more than I thought I would. It was really beautiful and you have to be here to experience its beauty! I ended up spending close to an hour instead of just a “few minutes”.
Steep climb Tumalog hill road
I walked back to the top where my bike taxi guy was waiting.
Tumalog falls road Oslob
I took these photos using the GoPro
Road Tumalog falls sea view Oslob
You can get a nice view of the sea from up here
Bike taxi stop Tumalog Oslob
I asked the bike taxi driver how to get to a bus stop in town from where I can catch a ride back to Cebu. He dropped me here and told me I can take a jeepney going to the market area. (This photo and the next few are taken on my phone)
Oslob town main road Philippines
I hopped on a jeepney and this was the last stop. This was the main market area.
Oslob municipal road Philippines
Since I was in town, I decided to check out some of the attractions near by
Oslob municipal park Philippines
This is where the municipal offices and government offices were
Stilt house Oslob Cebu
There were a few houses around
Oslob municipal office Cebu
Pulis = Police
Oslob covered court Cebu
A covered basketball court
Oslob church Cebu
Church of the Immaculate Conception — Oslob’s oldest church
Church of Oslob Cebu
I couldn’t go in, the doors were closed
Conception Parish Oslob Cebu
I wasn’t sad or anything. I had seen enough churches in Philippines.
Cuartel walls Oslob Cebu
Next to the church was Cuartel, an unfinished structure by the Spanish colonials that was meant for soldiers
Cuartel remains Oslob Cebu
The stones used came from the church when its floor had collapsed in 1899
Cuartel Oslob Cebu Philippines
It is still well-maintained
Crow church Oslob Cebu
I decided to shoot some photos using my 70-200mm lens

Bell church ruins Oslob Cebu

Stone arch Oslob Cebu

Oslob church bell tower Cebu

Cuartel park Oslob sea side
Behind Cuartel and facing the sea is a public park
Cuartel garden Oslob Cebu
There used to be an old lighthouse here
Hall Cuartel park Oslob Cebu
I sat under the tree shade for a while as it was scorching hot

Girls Oslob sea Cebu Philippines

Blue water Oslob Cebu
I just love how clear and blue the water appears here
Blue sea Oslob Cebu Philippines
Oh so blue
Sea side Oslob park Cebu
I decided to walk on the edge too
Clear blue water Oslob Cebu
Ahh, felt like swimming in these waters

Oslob sea park Cebu Philippines

Oslob Cuartel street Cebu
I walked back and decided to leave Oslob

Once back at the main highway, I asked the townsfolk from where I could board a bus to Cebu and they said, “Right here”. I figured I would eat an early lunch (it was just past 11am) as by the time I would reach Cebu, it would be past 3pm.

Garlic chicken rice sizzler Cebu
I had (garlic) fried chicken and rice (₱60)
Inside bus Oslob to Cebu
Soon after lunch I boarded a bus going to Cebu
Blue sea Oslob Cebu
I passed by so many houses by the sea. Imagine waking up to such blue seas every morning.

I really enjoyed Oslob more than I thought I would. Definitely a place to visit and worth spending a day at! I’m glad I woke up early. A visit to Oslob is highly-recommended if you are in Cebu. I’m glad I didn’t do this trip via some travel agency. It can by done by yourself and for a lot less. As a foreigner, I spent around ₱1500 today (to & fro bus journeys + whale shark experience + bike taxi + Tumalog Falls + lunch), half of what was quoted to me by some of the travel agencies back in Cebu yesterday. I could make up for sleep on the bus journey back. I was going to take it easy tomorrow anyway.

Next posts in this series:

Philippines 2014: Leaving Cebu for Davao; Davao City sights

Philippines 2014: Sky Cycle at Eden Nature Park, Davao

Philippines 2014: Attractions at Eden Nature Park… and getting lost

Philippines 2014: Scuba diving for the first time, at Samal Island (Davao)

http://mithunonthe.net/2014/10/14/philippines-japanese-tunnel-davao-pink-manila-hostel/

Philippines 2014: Bargain shopping in Manila; Paseo de Santa Rosa & Solenad

Philippines 2014: Corregidor Island tour

Philippines 2014: Manila Chinese Cemetery

Philippines 2014: Pahiyas Festival in Lucban; Kamay Ni Hesus

Previous posts is this series:

Philippines 2014: Oslob – Swimming with whale sharks

Philippines 2014: Trek to Mount Pinatubo crater lake

Philippines 2014: The itinerary this time around; UP Diliman and Maginhawa

My Philippines journeys: 2011 series | 2013 series

Butanding Oslob Philippines

Philippines: Oslob – Swimming with whale sharks

Date: April 29th, 2014 – Leaving for Cebu

Today was a Tuesday. I had a nice one day break after the Sunday trek to Mount Pinatubo. I was to leave Manila and head to Cebu by flight. I thought I’d take the train to Pasay and then take a taxi or jeepney from Pasay/TAFT Avenue to the airport.

But that was a mistake. When I got to the Cubao station, first there was a line for tickets. After I got the ticket, there was another line just to pass through security. Then another line after security just before taking the steps up to the platform. Then another line to get inside the train. This was done because that’s how many people there are during morning rush hour! It took an hour after getting my ticket just to get inside the stuffed train. It was such a struggle to stand inside with my two bags but I somehow survived! I got to Terminal 3 in time… which was not that important as the flight was later delayed by half-an-hour.

Anyway, my Cebu Pacific flight landed in Cebu safely, but getting to my hostel took more than an hour due to the line for taxis, first, then the city traffic. As irritated I was arriving past lunch time, it was nice to be back in Cebu since 2011.

Tr3ats guesthouse Cebu hostel
I was staying here, Tr3ats Guesthouse. (Just read it as ‘treats’). The hostel was a short jeepney ride away from Fuente Osmeña circle which has a Robinsons mall and many other eateries
Dorm beds Tr3ats guesthouse Cebu Philippines
This is the room I was given. They would later shift me to another room a day later but this is how little space there is to walk around once you leave bags on the floor
Bathrooms Treats guesthouse
They have 3 bathrooms, but the shower heads needed some cleaning up. You had streams of water shooting in every other direction besides your head.
Treats hostel washroom Cebu
Beside the bathrooms

I stepped out soon after to first, get some drinking water, hand over my laundry, and then to have lunch. Fortunately, just across the road from Tr3ats Guesthouse were many laundry shops (₱25/kg). I then took a jeepney, paid minimum fare (₱8) to get to Fuente Osmeña circle. It was already well past 3pm and I was late for lunch as it is. I went downstairs where the supermarket and food court is.

Garlic chicken seafood fried rice stuffed crab Cebu
₱170 for some garlic chicken, stuffed crab, and fried rice

After lunch, I went around to find travel agencies offering trips to Oslob for the whale shark sighting tours. A few of the travel agencies I visited said they need a minimum of 3 people for them to organize a tour and even if I managed to group together 3-4 people, they told me it would still cost me ₱3k or more, per person, which was way too much. Back at the hostel, the staff told me how to get to Oslob by bus (which I also read online). I convinced myself to wake up really early — like 3am early — and so I went to bed early.

April 30th, 2014 – Cebu to Oslob by Bus

I woke up at 3:30am and took a taxi to the Cebu bus station, which only took 10 minutes to get to due to the lack of traffic.

Inside bus Cebu to Oslob
Even though there were air-conditioned buses to Oslob, I hopped into the first regular bus leaving the bus station — mostly because I didn’t want to wait, or freeze. The one-way ticket to Oslob cost ₱150.
Oslob early morning Cebu
I slept through much of the journey, but by the time I woke up, the bus had reached Oslob province
Oslob sea morning calm Philippines
Look at how amazingly calm the sea is. It was beautiful.
Oslob dive center main road Cebu
The bus dropped me at Tan-awan, which is where you need to disembark and right where the Oslob Butanding (whale shark) Briefing Center is
Oslob dive center main road
It was just past 7am, which is when the center opens
Oslob briefing centre village Cebu
I walked straight to the briefing center
Oslob butanding briefing centre Cebu
I assumed at 7:30am in the morning, things would be just starting up
Whaleshark centre Oslob beach Cebu
But there was a trail of boats already out in sea!

Continue reading “Philippines: Oslob – Swimming with whale sharks” »

Philippines: Trek to Mount Pinatubo crater lake

Date: April 27, 2014

I got up very early today as Gale and I were doing the Mount Pinatubo tour. She picked me up from my hotel in a taxi and we then rode to Ortigas where the meeting point for the tour was at a 24-hour McDonalds outlet (at the Shell gas station).

Gale made the booking with a tour company called TRIPinas Adventures. Once at the McDonalds outlet, we met our co-ordinator who assigned us a van and a number for the 4x4s we would be taking up to a certain point. I also paid whatever was the balance I needed to pay for the trek. There were quite a few people who had signed up for this tour, which was a positive sign considering how I struggled to even get a tour organized last year towards the end of May. I only hoped it wouldn’t rain.

This is the route map for the trek
This is the route map for the trek

Gale and I packed up some McDonalds burgers for lunch, which we would have after reaching the Mt. Pinatubo crater lake. Yes, you have to pack your own lunch as it’s not included in the tour. Once everyone had been assigned their respective tour groups, we made our way to the vans parked outside. From here it was an hour-long drive to the base camp in Tarlac.

Mt. Pinatubo base camp Philippines
This is the base camp in Sta. Juliana, Capas. It’s actually someone’s house and property. But you have restrooms you can use and you can buy bamboo sticks which are helpful for the trek if you have weak legs.
4x4 Mt. Pinatubo trek
After a quick pep talk and instructions from Anna, our co-ordinator, we got in to our assigned 4x4s.
Inside 4x4 Mt. Pinatubo tour
The base camp is very near to a Philippines Army training facility so every jeep has to pass through security and only then enter the valley grounds
Valley Mt. Pinatubo Philippines
This valley is vast, and the army even uses this site for bombing practice. Good thing they tell you when you are safe to pass through 🙂
Jeep splashing through water morning sun
The time was just nearing 7am and I loved the lighting!
Mt. Pinatubo tour by bike
Some people were riding bikes out here… and some even ride the dirt bikes all the way instead of trekking. I can’t imagine how bumpy the ride must be.
4x4 jeep Mt. Pinatubo tour
I took out my GoPro camera to get some interesting angles
Mithun Pinatubo tour GoPro
The ride to the drop off point would take around an hour, and it was very dusty! I also wore a neck pillow to avoid straining my neck during the bumpy ride.
Zamables valley early morning
I was loving the photographs
Mt. Pinatubo lava ash field Zambales
It was challenging to shoot using the DSLR given the bumpy ride, but I persisted
Zambales valley ash Philippines
The geography was amazing — and it would only get more amazing
Carabao Zambales Mt. Pinatubo
A few people even live out here
4x4 jeep Land Rover Mt. Pinatubo tour
The ride would mean crossing more than a few water streams
Morning sun Mt. Pinatubo
The morning sun was up
Vast open hill space Zambales
After nearly 30 minutes on the road, we were stopping up ahead
Mount Pinatubo jeeps
The stop was just a break to stretch our legs and take photos
Mithun Gale Mt. Pinatubo tour
So Gale and I did (I’m barely smiling, I know)
4x4 river Mt. Pinatubo tour
Then we resumed the ride a few minutes later
4x4 jeep river Philippines
This was my first time on a proper 4×4 off-terrain journey
Terrain Zambales Philippines
The terrain kept appearing more awesome and rugged as we drove along
Ash mountain Mount Pinatubo Zambales
This place would make for an excellent location shoot for movies
Mountain terrain Zambales
That said, the ride was really bumpy from here on
Kids playing with stones Zambales
And yet, in such a barren landscape, you could find kids playing with stones along the way. They belong to the Aytas, the indigenous community here.

Mountain range Zambales Philippines

Mt. Pinatubo tour by jeep GoPro
(Shot on the GoPro)
Mount Pinatubo jeep tour
We neared our jeep stop
Mount Pinatubo jeep stop Philippines
From here, we would now begin our trek
Mount Pinatubo trek Zambales
My group set off with our guide leading the way
Rocky trail trekking Philippines
Much of the trail is very rocky
Hut Pinatubo trek rest stop
After a kilometre, we stopped for a few minutes at the first rest hut
Mount Pinatubo trek Philippines
I was always last because I stopped to take photographs — a lot
Sulpher river Pinatubo trek Philippines
The yellow stream? Sulphur deposits
Mount Pinatubo river Philippines
As tiring it did get for sick Mithun, I still enjoyed the scenery
Mount Pinatubo trek Zambales Philippines
We were slowly ascending
River stream Mount Pinatubo
I enjoyed crossing the river streams by NOT hopping over them. The water was so cold and soothing!

Trek to Mount Pinatubo rocks

Mount Pinatubo trek resting huts
We finally reached the final rest stop before the crater
Trekkers Mount Pinatubo crater Philippines
After nearly an hour of walking, it felt good to know we were near
Trek to Pinatubo crater lake Philippines
But it was quite uphill from here on
Trek to Mount Pinatubo lake
Finally the crater lake was near!
Mount Pinatubo crater
After nearly two attempts to come here…
Mount Pinatubo crater lake park
… I was finally here!
Mt. Pinatubo lake crater trek
First reaction? “Why isn’t the water bright blue like in the photos I saw online”?
Mount Pinatubo lake crater Philippines
I waited for the sun to come out a bit more and hoped the lake would appear neon blue
Mount Pinatubo crater lake Philippines
There are steps taking you down to the lake, so I kept taking photos while going down
Mount Pinatubo lake crater tent
They have a big hut here if you want some respite from the heat
Mount Pinatubo crater tour group
You can camp out here and have lunch
Mt. Pinatubo lake panorama
The water may look nice for a swim…
No swimming Mount Pinatubo crater lake
But you can’t. If something happens, there is no way medical help can come to the crater in time.
Pinatubo volcano mountain Philippines
Seeing landscape like this….
Mountains Pinatubo crater Zambales Philippines
… you wonder if you are in Iceland, not somewhere in tropical Asia!

But what you see above is what Mount Pinatubo looks like now. Believe it or not, the lake was formed after a volcanic eruption. Mount Pinatubo erupted in 1991, and that eruption was so big that it became the second largest terrestrial eruption of the 20th century! The lake was formed after monsoon rains. The water was extremely unsafe for swimming soon after and many still don’t recommend getting in.

Mithun Gale Pinatubo hut Philippines
I took out the GoPro to take some more photos

Pinatubo volcano crater lake Philippines

Inside mount Pinatubo volcano crater
It was only 10am
Pinatubo crater lake panorama
Took this panorama on my phone
Pinatubo crater lake beach Philippines
Gale and I ate our McDonalds ‘lunch’ by the ‘beach’
Mithun Divakaran Pinatubo crater lake
I took a selfie before leaving
Pinatubo volcano steps
Back up we went
Mt.Pinatubo crater lake
I took this photo from my phone (Sony Xperia Z1) from halfway up the stairs
Mt. Pinatubo crater lake beach
Come to think of it, that’s a beach in the crater of a volcano!
Pinatubo crater peak garden Philippines
You have a small park/garden up here where you can rest under the shade of the trees
Mount Pinatubo Tarlac Philippines
I took a final few shots
Mount Pinatubo crater lake park Tarlac
It was time to say goodbye to this amazing place
Mount Pinatubo trek tourists Philippines
We walked back down
Mountain bikes mount Pinatubo
We would stop at the same rest stops along the way (three in total)
Rocks stones Pinatubo trek trail Tarlac
The trek back seemed to take less time as we were descending
Trek mount Pinatubo Philippines
It was getting hotter though
Pinatubo trek Zambales Philippines
That said…
Tarlac hills Pinatubo trek Philippines
I loved the geography! I had seen similar geography in photos my friends took from their treks up in Ladakh (North India) — but this was just 2 hours from Manila!
Pinatubo trek rest hut
Even though I was pretty tired, we didn’t stop for long at the huts
Mount Pinatubo trek end Philippines
We could see the jeeps, and it felt good!
Tarlac hills Pinatubo drive Philippines
The ride back was just as bumpy and dusty
Tarlac barren land Philippines
I highly recommend this trek for the geography!
Tarlac fields Philippines
It got even sunnier once we were back in the fields, but there were a few tour groups who were only now just beginning their trek!

By the time we got back to the base camp it was 1:30pm. We were all tired, sleepy and dusty! I washed up and if you pay, you can even take a shower there. After an hour of waiting for everyone in our van to re-group, we finally left the base camp and headed back to Manila.

I slept through much of the journey and by the time I woke up around 4pm, we were already in Manila. Gale asked the van to drop us at Cubao, from where she could get to her place quick and I could just walk to my hotel room.

At ₱2090 (Rs. 2800/$47/€35), the Mount Pinatubo trek it is one of the more expensive tours I have done. That said, it’s hard to get anything cheaper than this as the few other companies offering such tours charge about the same or more. The only way you’ll get it cheaper is if you are a laaarge group making a group booking. Regardless, I highly recommend TRIPinas Adventures. As per the itinerary they sent, this is how it was supposed to go:

03:30  Meet up (McDonalds in Ortigas area)
· Make sure to have your breakfast and buy your packed lunch and water
· Meet the tour coordinator – Pay your balance – Orientation – Sign the waiver form
06:30  ETA Brgy. Sta. Juliana (base camp)
06:45 to 07:15 Board 4×4 vehicles.
08:30  Start trekking (around 2 hours walking using the old way)
10:30  ETA at the crater of Mt. Pinatubo.
· Relax, photos, lecture, lunch (at clients’ account)
12:00  Start return trek (around 2 hours walking using the old way)
14:00  Back to the 4x4s.
15:00  Back at base camp. Freshen up
16:00  Departure from the base camp to Manila.
18:00-19:00 (depending traffic) ETA Manila

But we reached the crater at 9:30am and it was a relief to get there before many others. Trust me, the heat gets progressively worse later in the day and I don’t know how those who were only beginning their trek by the time we came back managed to do it! Who knows if the lake turns bright blue when the sun is at its hottest, but if you are more concerned about enjoying the trek — then beginning very early is what you should do. It’s also a lot cooler early in the morning. And had we re-grouped earlier, our van would have left the base camp and arrived back in Manila much earlier than 4pm. Oh, and those who wish to do the trek, better do it before May 31. May 31st is the last tour of season for many tour operators as treks are not allowed during rainy season — and that’s from June to October!

Still… I did it! I finally did the Mount Pinatubo trek and I’m so glad I did! This was definitely one of the biggest highlights of this trip (the other is Oslob, next post) and I couldn’t have started this journey on a better note (minus the cold I still had).

I ended my day by meeting Gale in the evening and treating her to dinner at Maginhawa street. I just wanted to thank her for making calls and doing all the tour bookings.

Mexican Express nachos shawarma Maginhawa
We first ate at Mexican Express and then I had a beef shawarma from Kazam’s next door (I was hungry)
Kazam restaurants Maginhawa street Philippines
A lot of nice, moderately-priced eateries on this block

If you enjoyed this post, then wait until you see the photos from my day swimming with whale sharks (butanding) in Oslob, Cebu! 🙂

Next posts in this series:

Philippines 2014: Oslob – Swimming with whale sharks

Philippines 2014: Tumalog Falls; Oslob church, Cuartel

Philippines 2014: Leaving Cebu for Davao; Davao City sights

Philippines 2014: Sky Cycle at Eden Nature Park, Davao

Philippines 2014: Attractions at Eden Nature Park… and getting lost

Philippines 2014: Philippine Eagle Center, Davao

Philippines 2014: Scuba diving for the first time, at Samal Island (Davao)

Philippines 2014: Japanese tunnel; leaving Davao for Manila

Philippines 2014: Bargain shopping in Manila; Paseo de Santa Rosa & Solenad

Philippines 2014: Corregidor Island tour

Philippines 2014: Manila Chinese Cemetery

Philippines 2014: Pahiyas Festival in Lucban; Kamay Ni Hesus

Previous post in this series:

Philippines 2014: The itinerary this time around; UP Diliman and Maginhawa

My Philippines journeys: 2011 series | 2013 series

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