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I was
born with a tiny mole on my left heel, a
mark of wanderlust according to Philippine
superstition. As a child, my itchy feet
could only take me as far as the village
park, but fortunately, I landed a career
that accommodates my baffling inability to
stay put. Nevertheless, my scheduled trip to
Cagayan de Oro drew mixed reactions from
people around me. I hadn’t made up my mind
about how to react myself.
Was I scared? You bet! I still get lost in Makati, how can I
possibly navigate my way around Mindanao’s
most cosmopolitan city alone? But it was an
assignment and, more or less, all in a days
work.
So what’s a girl to do in Mindanao? In search of an answer to my
own question, I boarded a plane for a quick
sojourn south, armed with a big bag, a
wandering soul and all the enthusiasm I
could muster.
The very first place I visited when I got to the city was the
Macahambus Adventure Park. Opened sometime
last year by a group of mountaineers headed
by Chisum Factura, Macahambus is nothing
like the tiny village park that I’m used to.
The historic site marks the first victory
against the Americans in the
Filipino-American war: the Battle of
Makahambus Hill. Developed as an adventures
playground, it features zip-lining,
skybridge/ canopy walks, rappelling and an
exploration of the Macahambus Hill Cave and
Gorge.
I wordlessly slipped into a harness and put on a helmet but
stopped dead in my tracks when I saw what
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skybridge
walking entailed. The bridge was made of
narrow wooden planks hanging from sturdy
trees and suspended 150 feet above the
ground, and I was supposed to cross it. One
misstep and I plunge down to my leafy grave.
I’m exaggerating, of course. I was safely
strapped with a rope that can carry up to
three tons; however, my first instinct was
to sit this one out. After seeing children
half my size have a go at it, my stubborn
pride prevented me from backing out. I was
glad I didn’t because the spectacular view
of the forest from that angle was worth all
the gut-wrenching dread.
I thought the hard part was over but as it turned out, they
saved the more challenging part for last:
zip-lining. To zip-line is to hook yourself
to a steel cable, jump off a launching point
from the top of a tree and make like a human
clothesline, 120 meters in less than 10
seconds, until you reach the other end.
I had never heard of anything more absurd. And it was too
late for me to turn back. “Is it safe?” I
demanded in near hysteria. I made my guide
check my harness a dozen times before
finally getting in position. I tried to
remember all that I had been told to do,
keep my knees folded, don’t hold on to the
steel cable, but the moment I launched
myself off everything was forgotten. All I
can recall from it is the feel of the wind
on my face and my own terrified screams
ringing in my ears. For a space of a second
I was sincerely convinced I was going to
die.
Pumped with adrenaline and very much alive upon reaching the
platform,
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