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| Hello Carabao! |
fter our bags were unloaded from the jeep, many from the group began to set up their tents. From our group,
Matt and
Andrew were also setting up their tent. The rest of us are puzzled. Silently, I was thinking "
Here? Really? Beside this carabao and his carabao poo?". Fortunately, my cousin
Angelo and
King King voluntarily went up to hike a bit to search for a better alternative. A few minutes later, they called to tell us to go up because they found a good spot. By this time, many have set up their tents.
Matt and
Andrew were already testing the comforts of their tents. Since all of us wanted to camp elsewhere, they had to ask the staffs to transfer their tents to the new spot as well. Before we left, we witnessed the carabao attack one of the tents so they had to move.
After our firm insistence to camp elsewhere, our tour guides agreed provided that we also hike back down for our dinner. We agreed. We then hiked on our chosen camp site which involved crossing this little wooden bridge.
When we arrived, there was already another tour group camping at the site. See the simple tent on the right with a orange canvass? That's their tour guide cooking their meals.
While waiting for our rented tents, our camp site became foggy and it drizzled. We brought out
Raingears (2-pieces and 1 piece poncho) and covered our stuff with garbage bags to protect them from the rain and moisture.
Unfortunately, my friend Steph and I were the last to have our tent put up so we were invited by these guys to have some cover. Too bad I forgot to get the name of their tour group. They were really nice. On
Day 2, they even offered us some
Hot Sopas which we had to decline because we have our own meals.
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| The orange tent is a tent for 3. The rest of the tents are a tent for 2. |
Because it was drizzling and we were soaked, everyone decided to take a nap as soon as our tents were pitched. When we woke up, the fog and drizzle has already cleared.
The back of our camp site has a stunning view of an ocean of clouds and fog overlooking the green fields.
The coolness was so comforting. And, the air was so fresh. I wish I could wake up to this every morning of my life.
We were surrounded by tall green grass, pine trees and the sea of clouds rolling over the
Cordillera Mountains.
After our pictorial sessions, the clouds slowly disappeared.
We decided to hike down to the
Babadak Ranger Station and see what they have there.
Mt. Pulag Da-Guhan Store became our official
tambayan store for hot drinks, cigarette breaks and rest room.
Instant coffee has never tasted so good! It warmed us up from the cool weather.
There were other stores around the area too. You can buy meals, coffee or rice wine. You can also rent tents, sleeping bag, stove and cookset.
Everyone has their own favorite store.
And, their preferred pay rest rooms and shower rooms.
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| Friendly respectful native kids! |
Some even opted to just camp and set their tents outside houses at the
Ranger Station.
At night, we only have the full moon to light upon us. We didn't have a starry view like those in the upper camps. We went down for dinner with the aid of our flash lights and head lamps.
Matt led the group down. But,
Steph and I went down a bit later. We got a little lost finding our way down. Good thing some guys camping there pointed us to the right direction.
It was my first time to be inside a tent. I discovered that I have a bit of a claustrophobia. I had to breath out of the camp tent once in a while. I also found it too cramp to sleep on. In the middle of the night, my stomach also grumbled so I ate some
Nova Jalapeño inside my tent. To my surprise, my friend
Steph woke up from the smell haha! =p When I got out of the tent, I was surprised to see that they are now more tents at our sight. I guess some from our group also transferred they during the day. I didn't get to sleep anymore since call time is nearing.
Pros for Camping a the Babadak Ranger Station
- Easy food and drink replenishment
- Clean pay restrooms and shower room
- Availability of equipment rental and assistance in set up
- Sea of clouds view
- Comfortable and manageable temperature
Cons for Camping a the Babadak Ranger Station
- Not entirely in one with nature
- No stars or constellation view
Related Posts:
Ultimate Prepation Guide for Mt. Pulag
Mount Pulag DENR Registration: Hiker's Orientation
Mount Pulag: Hike to the Summit (Peak 3) to Watch the Sunrise
Mount Pulag: Chasing the Sea of Clouds
Mount Pulag: Hiking Down Ambangeg Trail
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