Main menu Majayjay Falls with side dish of Arabela in Laguna

Our eager feet and stomach are aching for an adventure. So as a food lover and explorer we decided to make a road trip in Laguna.

We take a bus going to Laguna in Gil Puyat. We go down our bus in Los Banos, Laguna where we wait for a friend who has our ride that will take us to our destinations. Unfortunately there's a mishap in our adventure because one of our member is late. So while waiting for our friend who is probably cooking our rice that time. We take our first food trip in the car.

Yummy local yoghurt made from carabao's milk. That's one exotic yoghurt. Not bad to start our food trip.
After our friend finally manage to appear in our presence. We decided to hit the road. Since this is a food trip and our stomachs are complaining that apparently it is now lunch time. Our friend who drives for us drops us in a restaurant that will start our heavy food trip.

Yummy!

Well after making our stomachs full and pockets lighter we're off to Majayjay falls. Finding Majayjay falls is difficult but we're glad that locals there are gracious enough to lead us to the right way. After travelling where Majayjay falls is.

We paid our entrance fee which is very cheap. Taytay falls is another name for Majayjay falls. After we park the car we go down a small trek going to the falls. There are public showers available there but few are functional.

When we see the falls we become very eager to swim there no matter how cold the water is that it's freezing when we manage to soak ourselves.

It looks like we rent the whole falls when we get there, there's practically no one joining us with the water. They are probably not as adventurous (insane) as us because the water is freezing there. The rain do help in making the waters temperature drop significantly. But because were insane just like that we enjoyed the water for an hour. (O.O)
After freezing ourselves with the water, we go and clean up in order to make it to our next destination. Arabela in Liliw, Laguna..
Food in there are wonderful. The tall people should watch their heads or else there will be bumping in the ceiling happening there. My tall friend done himself just like that hahaha. There are paintings that we enjoyed looking while waiting for our orders.

Yummy! My favorite there is their blue berry cheese cake.

A great dessert for a sweet tooth like me.

Apparently there is a curfew in Liliw, Laguna so after we finish eating we are the only ones left in the restaurant. At 7pm all businesses and houses are expected to close that's why when we leave, Liliw felt like a ghost town. Wow the people there are disciplined with their curfew law. That is too early for a curfew. Were glad we manage to get there on time and eat because our food trip is incomplete without eating there.

As usual we go to our separate ways home. It's alright since we always see each other in our biology lab.We go home with our stomach full and smiles to our faces.

ciao. (^_^)

Lichens= Mysterious

****Lichen****

 Finding what topic in my research is hard. My classmate decided that he will take lichens as his topic me as someone curious who have no idea what is lichens decided to search it from the net. Turns out during my search that lichens is a very interesting species. I decided to follow my classmate in making my topic as lichen in my research but in a different approach because lichen definitely catches my thirst of knowing.


 We decided that our specimen collection would be in the provinces of Banaue, Mountain Province and Benguet. There's so many different types of lichens I have seen everywhere during our trek with each provinces.

 Because we are trekking in Sagada, Mountain Province just after a heavy storm we can get branches of pine trees full of lichens everywhere as shown in the picture above. Hulog ng langit (pine tree).

Foliose lichens are said to be a leaf like type of lichen that can be easily get from its substrate.

Usneas in branch of a tree above picture are the green one's that look similar to a grass, shrub or if your imagination is more deeper a green beard (O.O) that's why it belong to the fruticose type.

 There are many lichens that is impossible to collect in its substrate without getting the substate with the lichens first. Unfortunately I don't have the right equipment to get those type of lichens during our collection so I disregard it to my thesis. (T.T) huhu..

After our collection of each lichens we put it to a brown paper bag. In Manila we put the lichens that we manage to collect in the refrigerator of our laboratory for a test the following days.
There are many kinds of methods that we can use in order to identify certain lichens through species level. These are spot test, microcrstal test, paper chromatograpy, TLC and HPLC. I decided to use the first two the spot test and microcrystal test because it is more affordable and easier to make.

I think lichens are one tough organisms because unlike higher plants (lichens are considered to be a lower plant with bryophytes) the lichens that I collected manage to survive many days of my experimentation. Although they are dry.

Lichens are a very hard species to identify without the help of an expert. Unfortunately present lichenologist in the Philippines are so few. I can't find lichenologist that can help me confirm the species of lichens ( Too bad!).
Lichens can be used as a bioindicator for pollution. That's why in cities with many vehicle going like Manila lichens are rare or nonexistent to find specially fruticose type of lichens because those type of lichens are more sensitive. Still until now many people don't know what lichens is. I tried asking strangers about lichens and they don't have any idea what that is. Well too bad for lichens it seems that they are not popular but it's okay because they  make up for it with being mysterious.^_^

ciao.

Cave Connection SAGADA

Well here goes my adventurer's side again. Spelunking in Cave connection of Lumiang and Sumaguing cave is my first spelunking experience. Not bad right. I'm 20 years old and in my 4th year college that time by the way. We experience it with my professor and classmates. My professor loves bringing as to many places and most of it can give heart attacks to those less adventurous people.hahaha. What a wonderful professor I have O.O.

We start our adventure by taking a short trek going to the opening cave where the burial sites can be seen

This trek going to the cave is only a little walk compared to what's ahead.

 Pictorial is a must before entering the cave with my group.

 The cave is in my grasp! So excited! (^_^)

.
Were in a cemetery like opening of a cave ooooohhhh. (O.O) I hope there's no ghost in there specially with the darkness and all.

Before the start of our spelunking our would be guides started lighting their lamps. Lamps would be our only source of light inside the cave.
 

Yes everyone that's where our entrance to the cave. I thought our guide is joking but unfortunately his serious. We're seriously getting in the cave using that hole. I'm glad I'm sexy hehehe ^_^.
***My Advice for those who want to experience this too***
Spelunking in that cave is no joke but definitely worth it. I think I prayed thousands of times inside that cave because of how life treatening most of our path there. That totally helps me find my courage inside the cage. So lets not forget to pray when were there prayers definitely help. If you're planning to try getting in this cave you should first try throwing all your phobias like claustrophobia, Acrophobia or any kind of phobias because phobias is not welcome in this cave if you want to survive this. Trust in your guide they will help you throughout the whole experience. Know your left and right foot. Why? because your guide will always tell you what foot to use in landing a certain stone or stalagmites. Remember some stones are very slippery so watch your steps. Tripping there is also a definite NO because you never know where you will land there like a 'cliff' maybe. For those of you who is not a good swimmer you should always take in mind that there is a part where you should hold on to the stalagmites because it is kinda deep. Don't wonder on your own and always stay present beside your guide.
Inside the cave when you entered it keep in mind that there's no turning back.
*** End of scaring the hell out of you***

It turns out that flexibility is also a requirement in surviving this cave. How fun for my bones specially my butt. I used my butt all the way there. Our guide call it the butt technique but I call it 'slowly but surely' for those who don't want to slip that technique is a must.


 Although experiencing spelunking inside the cave is hard It is still worth it because of the formations of stalagmites and stalactites that you will find there. 

 o.O What formation can you imagine with this? (^_^)

 Our guide said this is a frog. Well his right because I can see his snout, external naris, browspot and dorsal part with its hump. That is one sexy frog there! I'm itching to dissect it! I'm a biologist thru and thru even inside of a cave.

Our guide is also our photographer. That's why we take many photographs there. Thanks SAGGAS!
I think SAGGAS is the association of guides in Sagada and they are very professional in what they do.
The next time that I spelunk I want to try the crystal cave of Sagada. The crystal cave is a harder but more beautiful cave in Sagada and It's on the list of adventures that I want to go.

Nasugbu, Batangas

 
OoooMountain Climbing for beginneroooO

O.O
That EVERYONE is the view on top of Mount Talamitam in Nasugbu, Batangas. Spoiler much!. This is my first experience climbing a mountain during my first year of College. Ooooo O.O I still remember those days in the past clearly. If you're a beginner in mountain climbing then Mount Talamitam is a great mountain to start for you. Though it is said to be for beginner It's still a hurdle specially for those beginner. A hurdle it may be it is still worth experiencing because of the view on top of the mountain. The way I climb that mountain is "AWESOME". The way I keep on stopping for a rest,  my thousand "are we there yet?" to our poor guide, stumbling, whining and of course the best part there is my face after that climbing "again of course I will NEVER post here my face after I experience climbing that mountain. At least pardon me because I'm a complete beginner at that time. :3 During our trek our guide advices me on how to breath correctly. He said to inhale through your nose and exhale using your mouth. As a biology student that explains a lot to me.
I felt like a child there trying to learn everything new because I pictured every little scene that I found amusing which is everytime I see the view under me while on trek 'just imagine how obsessed I was'. Well, I can't help it the view there is beautiful and new to me a city girl thru and thru. :-D

****O.O I suck in taking pictures.****
When I manage to go down to Mount Talamitan the sun is starting to set. We hired a jeep and goes to a beach resort and rent a hut to spend our night there. There we eat our dinner while hearing the sea wave. We slept there and in the morning when we wake up the sea is what greeted us. My experience there makes me realize how fun my professors, classmates and course is.

After our breakfast we swim in the sea. The waves at that time are strong so me with my friends played with it. We jump together whenever the waves come to us and that's a great experience.

This picture truly represents how I love the school organization that I belong. I love Biological Science Society with every members and advisers in it.

Unfortunately it seems that locals there don't know how to take care of their beach. There's actually trash in the sand and that's not good for tourist attraction. If only locals take care of their beach they can make income with inviting tourist in it. So we as good biology students decided to TRY cleaning the coastal area.

 Unfortunately we have no such luck in actually managing to clean the whole area that's why the word 'try' is emphasized in my last sentence. We are too few for that kind of coastal clean-up (-.-').
The locals there are the ones who should take actions in cleaning their coastal.

O.O there's also a horse in the beach! We can ride the horse around the coastal for a cheap price. Since I don't know how to ride so the owner of the horse guided me throughout the ride. Riding the horse is great I feel like while in the beach I am riding a carousel. If only I know how to run the horse that will probably make my experience riding the horse greater.

Climbing mountain, swimming in the sea, trying to clean the coastal and riding the horse well that's not bad for our first field trip. So at the end of our field trip we all have smiles in our faces and stories to tell. Ciao :-D