Far From Neutral Notions – Philippine politics, culture and stuff

I have never been, to my chagrin, an outdoorsman. Don’t get me wrong, I have strong feelings for the environment, and I love nature as much as the next leave no trace guy… it’s just that getting to those places can be such a pain.

Take the photo on the right as an example: Gorgeous, absolutely breathtaking. I can just imagine the air being so clean, the wind being so crisp. And it must be oh so peaceful – it’s hard to think about politics, rising prices, or terrorism in a place like that. It’s that kind of beauty that can’t help but inspire you. God’s art. Gaea as she would’ve been when she was 16 and still a virgin. Or something like that.

And then they – the folks of ApexTerra – tell me it took them a day of uphill climbing to get there.

Sometimes we stand on the top of a hill
And we gaze at the earth and the sky
I turn to you and you melt in my arms
There we are, darling, only you and I
What a moment to share
It’s wonderful, wonderful
Oh, so wonderful, my love

Wonderful! Wonderful! by Johnny Mathis

That’s like twelve hours on the stairmaster, only with 40 pounds of rations strapped on your back. In a sauna.

So I do what any horizontally challenged couch potato with an overactive imagination would do: I live vicariously through them.

In my mind’s eye I can see the rolling clouds beneath my feet and the bitter cold against my face as I set up camp. My fingers would be stiff from the chilly air as I try to get a fire going, my can of beans and beef jerky by side, ready to be heated. In a few minutes the sun will start to rise; already some of it’s rays are peeking over the horizon, illuminating the cloudtops with neon colors of purest red and gold. Soon it’ll be time to decamp, and we’ll be going over the camp to make sure nothing gets left behind. The cans from last night’s meal are already buried, all that’s left are the bits and pieces of plastic lying around. I finally get the fire going, and putting the food on a pan, I walk to my friends’ tents to wake them up.

In the back of my mind, Johnny Mathis is singing. There’s a skip to my step as I feel the good earth beneath my feet, the universe conspiring to make it a better day than it was before. It’s a wonderful morning, and it feels great to be alive.

Miss ko nang umakyat…

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