---

But with a little convincing and lies telling him he would no longer feel the pain when we get there, we went on equipped with only the knowledge on how to get to Hayanggabon Port, Claver, Surigao del Norte. And after that, once we embark the boat, everything is in blank slate - uncertain of what's stored for us. But only one thing I know is certain, this is going to be one hell of an adventure.

It was a sleepless, butt-numbing 14-hour trip from Davao City to Surigao del Norte (Davao-Butuan-Bad-as-Hayanggabon Port). But I really don't mind such long trips knowing that I'm with this guy:

We may have quiet moments, but it's never boring with him around.

We've already trekked steep and rugged terrains, a simple 2-km trek is just a piece of cake. We walked in a relaxed pace knowing we can almost call it a day. Then somewhere in between the rough and rocky road, I saw a familar sight. We're in Canibad! Well, after the horror of getting lost in the mountain, we deserve a place to chill and relax. And I guess, the odds were in our favor this time... Canibad is just perfect.


We hastened our steps to get to the resort as soon as we can. We're exhausted and we really need to eat and rest. But much to our dismay, every resort was already fully booked. Going to the nearest town is definitely out of the question because the road in Canibad is unforgiving and since it's already night, no one would take us to town anyway.

Thankfully, the Madyaw Resort caretaker Ate Jovy was too kind to let us sleep in one of the rooms that's not really for guest use (a storage room, as a matter of fact). The odds were indeed in our favor. I guess, she took pity on us after seeing our condition: sweat dripping, weary, exhausted, and really hungry. The room's not much - far from the luxurious rooms couples usually get for their anniversaries. Haha. But still, we're thankful it has a mat on a tiny bamboo bed, an electric fan that barely gives off air, and a newly installed led light for us to use. We are really really really grateful for it. Magiging choosy pa ba naman kami?

The following morning greeted us with a sore body. De-stressing at the beach is just what we needed. I would like to think that getting lost was a blessing in disguise for we ended up in a little paradise. I know I suck at taking pictures. But oh well, what more can I say? We enjoyed this getaway and I'll let the pictures speak for itself. :)

Of course, at the end of the day, a deep muscle full body massage is imperative.

That's it. :)

Thoughts About the Anniversary Getaway
I love how our outdoor adventures can be both exciting and romantic. I love how we are a great team no matter where we are - be it on a highland, underwater, or underground. That we can laugh even at the random shit happening to us. That we can get really comfortable with all the uncomfortable things. That we know we can lean on each other during our absolute worst. I love how we learned to be strong for ourselves and each other. Doing new things coupled with a good conversation can indeed do a lot of wonders to a relationship.

Our anniversary getaway has taught me a lot of things. This hike was able to push our thresholds, patience, and endurance. Our physical, mental, and emotional state were all tested to the limits and I am glad we're able to work through the hard times. And I believe it just made us even closer together. :)

We started hiking at 1:30pm and reached the peak by 2pm. Just in time. But when we got there, it is not the same Puting Bato that I have climbed about ten years ago. It looks totally different. But the view that was set before us is just the same. Beautiful. Breathtaking. And the feeling of freedom that comes from scaling heights, I think, is the the only thing that doesn't change over time.

I may have climbed several mountains before, even with higher elevation than this. But six years of mountaineering hiatus just felt like I am a newbie once again. The only difference is, I still know the essentials of mountain climbing which I still applied during the hike. 

Trudging up an easy trail was already a lot of work for me. There are times when I was on the verge of quitting especially when the sun was trying to fry me and my back was about to raise the white flag. But there's no way to quit when you've already covered at least half of the entire hike.

Since we couldn't keep up with our company's pace, Jan and I decided to just enjoy the trail instead. After all, we can't get lost in it as there's only one trail up. We started hiking at our own pace and did several rests in between. Yes, technically, it was only the two of us hiking, constantly checking up on each other, looking for that tiny bird species that can surprisingly make a sound as loud as the ambulance sirens and admiring the unusual flora while others were already way ahead of us.

Our first climb together!