Paradise Only from God

     It's something beyond the more than three hours walk in the challenging trails towards the famous Mayon Volcano... This is beyond building the tent or having reached the part that would give you that sense of achievement. It is feeling the coldness of the Earth while you were sleeping, with the moon as the source of light and the vibrant sounds of the wind and the insects as the lullabies... Yes, it’s about finding the heart of the nature, and having the heart for the nature. You climb with the goal you never forgot despite not having the right shield for your feet, despite getting bruises from the bushes and giant ferns, despite the thirst that would seem to come to you kilometers by kilometers. Yes, it’s about sharing that goal with the rest of the team. The harder and riskier the course, the more you stick with and for each other. You wait for each other, you search for those who get lost, you help those who need a hand, you smile while you cook or get the water from afar, you carry down the trashes because the climb is not about you after all, and then you reflect and wish that the next generation can still experience the awe of feeling so close to heaven and the joy in wiping your sweat you know you will always be happy to remember. If everyday, all of us will think such way and be more loving and caring to this paradise only from God, then this world will be a lot more different! If it would be that way, then day after day, there would be many people healing their lonely hearts...

   The Team: November 3-4, 2012 Mayon Volcano Trekking and Camping