Gulugod Baboy
THE HILLS ARE ALIVE with the sound of music *LaLaLaLa*
My brain was playing the Sound of Music soundtracks all the way up to the mountains and when we got to the summit, I wanted to twirl around singing with my dramatic a-la-musicale voice (utterly failing, though).
Although my friends told me that the trek up Mt. Gulugod Baboy is way easier than Mt. Pico de Loro, it was actually a harder climb for me because it's a uphill all the way with the loose soil combo (reference to the trail characteristic of Mt. Pico de Loro going up to the summit). The good thing is it only takes 2 hours to reach the summit and this includes all the breaks we took (countless, I tell you). The BEST thing is, you already get a very good view just trekking up with the appropriate abundance of palm trees (which is always a good sign).
Another thing I like about this mountain is.. the cows. I swear they just tiptoe up and down the mountain like it was nothing. Be careful though, there's a large amount of cow dung around the area the size of your foot!
So here I am stalking the cows
Here we are staring at the cow
Here I am trying to pet the cow
Then I ran away from the cow.
The heat is really intense up in the mountains 'cause there aren't any trees that would give you some shade, so it would be a really good idea to start your trek early. Probably as early as 6am if you want to enjoy the beach afterwards.
Here is the view from the summit, which these photos do not even give justice to its beauty. I love how it isn't so high up but you still see everything. And don't miss the little isolated islands you could also see from the summit like Sombrero island!
We did something different as we went down Mt. Gulugod Baboy, we gave back some love by picking up trash other people left behind. This included a lot of plastic bottles, candy wrappers, chichiria wrappers, even diapers! So if you do decide to go on an adventure in the mountains, do bring garbage bags (the plastic bags+a sako we used wasn't enough) and save the earth in our own little way. The amount of garbage in Mt. Gulugod Baboy was so overwhelming, it needs all the helping hands it can get.
If you've read my other blog entries, you probably know by now that I'm a huge fan of the land and water combination which involves a hike and a swim right after. Which is how I found the courage to leave this beautiful summit because of the beach waiting for me when I get down.
Confession: I'm so not a fan of Batangas beaches because they're usually really rocky in the worst way possible that end up bruising your feet, it's usually tampered by human hands to turn the sea into something we could basically just swim in, and the lack of marine life. But this is an exception!
1. Although the beach is rocky, they're these really big smooth rocks that are actually really beautiful.
2. The water is very, very clear.
3. Marine life is abundant! You could see all the fish withouth using goggles and snorkeling equipment and there are even baby crabs walking around this bamboo raft you could lie on all day.
Truly, the perfect ending to this beautiful day.
Cost Breakdown:
Total Toll Fees (We went through 3 toll gates going home and the same 3 going back)- P664.00
Registration Fee- P35.00
Beach Entrance Fee- P60.00
Cottage Rental Fee by the beach- P150.00 (We negotiated this from P300 since we stayed for an hour and a half only anyway)
Gas, diesel (Sharing)- P190.00 each
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Total cost per person, split into 5: P447.80