Saturday, March 24, 2012

Stats (File 11)

According to the do-it-yourself health kiosk you operate with a five peso coin,

--
Your Measurements:
--
Weight: 155lb 15oz / 70.8kg
Height: 6ft 0.8in / 185cm
Body Mass Index (BMI): 20.7kg/m²
Age and Gender: 23M

Blood Pressure
Maximum Systolic: 137 mmHg
Minimum Diastolic: 71 mmHg

Body Fat Estimation
Fat Index: 11.8%
Fat Mass: 178b 4oz / 8.3kg
Free Fat Mass: 137lb 10oz / 62.5kg

Heart Rate Analysis
Heart Rate: 107 P/min
Maximum Heart Rate: 125 P/min
Minimum Heart Rate: 89 P/min

--
References:
--
Normal Weight: 141.1 - 189.8lb / 64.0 - 86.1kg
Normal BMI Value: 18.5 - 24.9
Normal/High/Hypertension Systole: 129 / 130-140 / 140+
Normal/High/Hypertension Diastole: 84 / 85-90 / 90+
Normal Fat Index: 14 - 20%
Normal Fat Mass: 22.5 - 34.4lb / 10.2 - 15.6kg

Friday, March 23, 2012

Stats (File 10)

According to the do-it-yourself health kiosk you operate with a five peso coin,

--
Your Measurements:
--
Weight: 155lb 15oz / 70.8kg
Height: 6ft 1.6in / 187cm
Body Mass Index (BMI): 20.2kg/m²
Age and Gender: 23M

Blood Pressure
Maximum Systolic: 126 mmHg
Minimum Diastolic: 71 mmHg

Body Fat Estimation
Fat Index: 11.1%
Fat Mass: 17lb 2oz / 7.8kg
Free Fat Mass: 138lb 12oz / 63.0kg

Heart Rate Analysis
Heart Rate: 84 P/min
Maximum Heart Rate: 90 P/min
Minimum Heart Rate: 82 P/min

--
References:
--
Normal Weight: 141.1 - 189.8lb / 64.0 - 86.1kg
Normal BMI Value: 18.5 - 24.9
Normal/High/Hypertension Systole: 129 / 130-140 / 140+
Normal/High/Hypertension Diastole: 84 / 85-90 / 90+
Normal Fat Index: 14 - 20%
Normal Fat Mass: 22.5 - 34.4lb / 10.2 - 15.6kg

Three-Day Mindanao Escape: Iligan and Cagayan de Oro (Part Four)

After eating a quick breakfast at Victoria Suites, our driver arrived and picked us up at four thirty in the morning. We took the still dark highway to the west towards Iligan, Lanao del Norte. Sleepy, our group once again fell asleep on the way. We only woke up to the endless shaking of our van as we took the rocky path towards one of the best places I've seen in the country: the pristine Tinago Falls.

With our guide, Kuya Jonathan, we descended the steep four hundred steps downwards the falls. After a few minutes, we finally arrived at the bottom, and we were all astounded by the color of the water: it was an unreal turquoise blue. The cold air made by the falls made me shiver with anticipation. We donned our life vests and took a balsa towards the falls. The water was very different: it was clean and fresh. I scaled a rock face about twenty or so feet high and jumped down. I was frightened, but the feeling of falling down in a seemingly endless plummet was one of the experiences I'll never forget. The wind rushing on my face until the splashing of the beautiful waters deafening my ears was something I want to do all over again. After listening to the stories of Kuya Jonathan while on the raft, we decided to leave the magnificent falls since we were pressed for time. With places still to set foot to, we tried ourselves against the challenge of the four hundred steep steps uphill. Our knees and legs creaked and groaned every step, but the experience of Tinago Falls served as a source of strength. After reaching the top, we said our thanks and bade goodbye to Kuya Jonathan, before starting to head back to Cagayan de Oro.

We took a short sidetrip to the Macapagal-Macaraeg Ancestral House, former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's heritage home. There, we learned a little about history thanks to the very friendly and courteous staff who took care of the place. After that, we went to the country's highest waterfalls, Talon ng Maria Cristina, since it was just a short drive away. Situated inside a nature park in Lanao del Norte's biggest hydroelectic power plant, it is dubbed as the "Twin Waterfalls" since a rocky protrusion on the edge of the falls splits the water into two mighty currents. It was unfortunate that we were unable to see the falls in its full glory, since it was only during weekends when both segments of the falls are opened. Two hours on the road, we arrived back at Cagayan de Oro for our final adventure in the trip: the adrenaline-pumping white water rafting.

We transferred to a jeep and headed to the starting point of our adventure on the great rapids. After a hearty lunch and a few pointers from our raft guide, Kuya Bambam, we boarded our raft and started our adventure down Cagayan de Oro's river. We passed through numerous rapids, from simplest to the craziest ones. We paddled and steered our raft under the command of Kuya Bambam. After successfully conquering a leg of rapids, we raised our paddles high and shouted our cries of victory and relief. After almost four hours of white water rafting adventure, we arrived at the endpoint. At that time, it was the end of our adventure, so we dried ourselves and prepared for our return back home. Kuya Bambam gave us a lift back to Lumbia Airport, which was a convenient fifteen minute drive from the rafting adventure's endpoint. We said thanks and bade farewell, before entering the airport to board our plane back to Manila. After an uneventful wait for our delayed flight home, we boarded the plane at around nine in the evening, and shortly took off bound for Ninoy Aquino International Airport. At eleven in the evening, our plane made its final turn and landed safely and soundly at Manila.

The three days I spent in Mindanao was a tiring one. More than half of the time, we were on the road or on sea, traveling to our next destination. But all the sights we saw, people we met, and experiences we gained was definitely worth all the time and effort. This was my first time to travel somewhere far from where I grew up, and it made me see the glimpse on how exciting it is to embark on a journey to travel across new places.

Monday, March 12, 2012

Three-Day Mindanao Escape: Bukidnon (Part Three)

Still hungover with the natural beauty of Camiguin, our group pushed forward to Bukidnon. We traversed the roads we passed the day before, which made the scenery more familiar than before. With the tiresome yet fun day that passed, most of us fell asleep during the ride to Bukidnon. After a few minutes of getting into the van, I fell asleep and was wakened by the door of the van being opened. One of my friends needed to withdraw some cash, so as soon as we reached the city proper of Cagayan de Oro, we pulled over on a machine for her to get some money. ATM machines were like little luxuries there, since there were so few of them. After around ten minutes, we left and started to climb the sloping roads going uphill.

Our guide informed us that to reach Bukidnon, we had to cross several mountains. The trip was a process of waiting in a complete stop for ten minutes of more, then moving forward on very rocky and bumpy terrain. Our guide mentioned that the destroyed mountain road was an effect of Sendong, the typhoon that devastated Misamis Oriental, more specifically, the City of Cagayan de Oro. After the road smoothed out, we found ourselves sleepy once again, and after a period of time elapsed, we were already in Camp Phillips, municipality of Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon. There, we quickly hopped off our van to take some pictures of the giant pineapple that decorated the road. Beyond the orderly Camp Phillips was the seemingly endless fields of pineapples of Del Monte Plantation. There were pineapples almost as far as the eye can see, and the air there had a sweet and pleasant smell to it. It wasn't long before we reached our destination, Dahilayan Adventure and Forest Park.

It was very cold at Dahilayan. The feel was like we were in the far north in Baguio City. However, sweet pineapples replaced the fresh strawberries and adrenaline-pumping zipline rides took over the tranquil horseback strolls. After arriving, we quickly ate our breakfast from Paras and immediately purchased our passes to ride the three ziplines there. The first two ziplines were of the usual lengths, but what Dahilayan was proud of was its 840-meter dual zipline -- Asia's longest dual zipline to date. To reach the start tower, we had to ride a small but powerful utility vehicle along steep dirt roads. It was quite the trip: we often found ourselves precariously overlooking steep cliffs overrun by wild foliage and greenery. After the short but nerve-wracking ride upwards, we arrived at the start tower. We were geared up by a set of crew members at the ground, and then we walked up a hanging bridge to the start tower while donning our zipline gear and harness. After a few minutes of wait, I found myself hanging by my zipline gear, and before I knew it, I was already zooming down the line.

It was my very first zipline ride, and nothing beats the fact that I did it on Asia's longest one. Looking down, I saw my shadow flying above the different landscapes that changed every second or so. I flied across several scary-looking ravines and cliffs. For the first time in my life, I was soaring on top of the vibrant treetop canopies instead of being shrouded by it. The whirr of the zipline gear made my heart pound with  anticipation, excitement, and a little bit of fear. I was actually flying! After almost two minutes of railed flight, the marshall at the end of the line signaled us to tuck our head down and fold our arms to the side. With a sudden jerk of the rig, we halted to a complete stop. I was a conqueror of Asia's longest dual zipline!

After we claimed our zipline pictures, we moved to Dahilayan Forest Park, which was just a few meters away from Adventure Park. There, we took a lot of snapshots because the picturesque scenery. Some of us were brave enough to try the Zorbit Experience. My friends were strapped inside a giant zorb ball, and was pushed about three hundred meters downhill. As I watched on a bridge over the track, all I could hear was screams of a mix of joy and terror from my friends. After even more pictures, we left the beautiful Dahilayan Adventure and Forest Park, had a quick lunch at Del Monte Clubhouse, and went back to Cagayan de Oro. We arrived at our hostel, Victoria Suites, at around six in the evening. After a delicious dinner sponsored by my generous Tita Aiza and Tito Jun, we retired for the night, since all of us were deadbeat by the long travel and since our call time was four-thirty in the morning for the last leg of our Mindanao escape: Iligan.

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Three-Day Mindanao Escape: Camiguin (Part Two)

Our adventure, which we fondly call "The Forever and a Day Experience" because of the movie "Forever and a Day" started with our flight to Cagayan de Oro at seven in the morning last Tuesday, February 28. We were at the airport early, and thank god we were because the box of longganisa and embutido my mom asked me to bring to her friend in Cagayan de Oro was questioned and was sent for further inspection. The parcel was cleared by the officer, and we boarded our plane at around 6:30am. It was my very first plane ride, so we took quite a number of pictures before we actually boarded the plane.

I took the window seat and after a few minutes, our plane was taxied to the runway. Shortly, the plane sped and took off, and it was a feeling that I won't forget. I was like a kid always peering out of the window to see the clouds, the clearly defined plots of land, and the endless array of roofs on the ground below. I was so excited that I immediately got a small tan since it was a very bright and sunny day.

A little past 8:30am, our plane made its final approach and landed at Lumbia Airport, the main gateway of the City of Golden Friendship, Cagayan de Oro City. We were welcomed by Tita Aiza and Tito Jun, my mom's good friends in Cagayan de Oro. After giving her my mom's problematic padala and a few quick words and instructions, we parted ways and left the airport with our tour guide, who was already waiting outside with a sign bearing our group's name. It was then the start of a long two-hour journey to Balingaoan Port, which connected the beautiful island of Camiguin and mainland Mindanao via an hour's journey by ferry.

It was already past eleven when we arrived at Balingaoan Port. Much to our dismay, we missed the ferry by a few minutes. Roads were under repair because of the damage brought by the typhoon Sendong, so there were a lot of places wherein only one lane was passable. We stayed at a small carinderia beside the port and waited for about an hour. After eating a very quick lunch, we boarded the next ferry and headed to Camiguin.

After over an hour of travel by ferry across the Bohol Sea, we arrived at Benoni Port in Camiguin. Outside the port, we met with another one of our guides and headed for Paras Beach Resort located at the other side of Camiguin, a 45-minute drive from Benoni Port. My impression of Camiguin was it was a quiet little province, mostly covered by lush foliage and surrounded by pristine waters. People lived a relatively slow life, although modern amenities like cable television and wifi had already taken its place there.

When we arrived at Paras Beach Resort, we were pleased on how beautiful the place was. The resort had a modern vibe to it, but what was breathtaking was the view it had of the vast open ocean. We checked our bags to our room and left to tour the island.

Our first stop was the Old Vulcan Walkway and the Stations of the Cross, which was on a side of Mt. Hibuk-hibok. It was a steep trek upwards the mountain face, and it took us almost two hours to reach the end. At the seventh station, we were supposed to turn back, but a foreigner living in Camiguin made us change our minds. We were glad we did: the view at the final station was simply outstanding. It was like nothing I've seen before. As far as the eye can see, the ocean always met with the sky in a beautiful sparkling shine of sunlight. After going down and buying some refreshments, we took a quick trip to the Sunken Cemetery and the Old Church Ruins to take some pictures and meet some locals. Since the sun was about to set, our guide rushed to bring us back to Paras. He told us that there, we would ride a boat to White Island, a small patch of sand surrounded by pristine emerald waters. After a ten-minute ride by boat, we arrived at the most beautiful beach I've ever been. One can walk the entire island in less than ten minutes, and the water there was just clear as crystal. Our trip was even graced by a rainbow appearing over Camiguin, which was being showered by a light drizzle. The beautiful sunset and unmatched waters made us want to stay there, but before the sun totally set, we returned to Paras.

Our adventure wasn't over yet, as we headed to Ardent Hot Springs, located in the middle of the island. It was already dark when we arrived there. We first ate a hearty dinner, and we all ate a lot since it was the first decent meal we had the entire day. After eating a sumptuous dinner of chicken, fish, and vegetables, we took a dip in the hot spring pools. The warm waters was very relaxing and soothed our bodies from all the travel we just went. The water there was very clean and was free from any kind of chemical treatment since it was free-flowing. Before midnight, we returned to Paras Beach Resort and ordered some snacks before finally going to sleep.

We woke up at five in the morning the following day, since we needed to catch the first ferry out of Camiguin which was at six in the morning. We packed our belongings, bade farewell to the wonderful place and to White Island at the distance, and checked out. The ferry left at around past six-thirty, waded across more rough seas, and arrived a little past seven at Balingaoan. Our guide picked us up and informed us that it would be a two-hour journey to our next stop: Dahilayan Adventure Park in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon.

Friday, March 2, 2012

Three-Day Mindanao Escape: Camiguin, Bukidnon, Iligan, Cagayan de Oro (Part One)

I just arrived home after my fantastic Camiguin - Bukidnon - Iligan - Cagayan de Oro three-day adventure trip. My body is sore and weak, since most of the time, we were traveling by land via rocky roads or by sea via ferries splashing against the mighty waves. But all the effort was well worth it; very well worth it. I will never forget the beautiful places I have visited, generous and outgoing people I met, and experiences and memories with my friends that I have created.

White Island in Camiguin, Dahilayan Adventure Park in Bukidnon, Tinago Falls in Iligan, and the great White Water Adventure in Cagayan de Oro -- things that made me realize how beautiful and free the country could be.