Things to do: Kampo Juan at Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon

My father thought it was a good idea to bring the whole family to Kampo Juan, Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon for a day. We left the house at past 3 in the afternoon and got there a little over 4 pm. It was a good time of the day to be there. Not quite hot anymore considering it's the middle of summer.

  kampojuan
"What are those bikes for?", you might ask. So that you can cycle your way across the ravine on a bike that's hoisted on wire tracks.

My 2 younger sisters have been on those bikes already. So it was the 2 elder sisters turn. I wasn't up for it yet, to be honest.  The thought of falling over, imminent death, and leaving my preschooler motherless terrified me (though the staff assured me that that'll never happen).

Find out after the jump whether I got on those bikes!


While I was mulling it over, the family sat around, chatted, and snacked on junk food.

lounge/waiting for your turn area
Until others got tired, Euna got bored and started exploring the place.


lovely idea
Lovely idea of recycled tables and chairs from truck tires.

recycled tire chair
You could even see what brand of tire it is.


vignette of recycled tire table
Table top.


loving the hammock
My daughter loved the hammock. This photo was taken by my youngest sister.


little one on foldable bamoo chair
And this foldable bamboo seat. You get to customize the angle of the recline.


random white flower
The OMD has proven it's a very good camera to use for macro shots. I could not get this level of detail with kit lens on a D40.


bikes

But I digress. We were here to get on those bikes. My other sister was up for it. They were all just waiting for me. So I succumbed to family pressure. But not before scouting what lay ahead.

birds eye view of what's p ahead
Oh my god! That's-I-don't-know-how-many-meters-of-cycling-on-air-with-nothing-but-a-wire-to-guide-the-bike. There was no way I was going to live should I fall in that deep ravine trying to cycle my way across. I was composed on the outside, but I was already freaking inside.

I'd always been someone who welcomed adventure and the adrenaline rush. I wasn't afraid of death and I'd like to think that (after leaving my parent's home) I lived like I had nothing to lose. But all of that started to change when my daughter entered the picture. 


what's up ahead 2

So waiver forms were signed and we were made to put on harness as a safety precaution. My sister had no fears from what I observed from her. We both took on the bike handles and the guide told us that it'll be smooth sailing half of the way, no need to pedal until then. My sister took off and I was left there staring at her back.

Breathe in. Breathe out. "I can do this", I thought to myself, psyching myself up. And I let go.

what's up ahead

I pedaled even when there was no need and so I never felt that point where I had to pedal because I pedaled right from the start. I glanced below but averted my eyes just as quickly. If I was going to get through this, I need to focus. So I focused on reaching the other end as my goal.

cycling on air

Halfway through and I was leaving my sister behind. I did not look back. I was too scared. Haha!

made it!
Nearly on solid ground. There's no denying how relieved I felt at that point. And yes, we cycled without slippers for fear of dropping our Fitflops in the middle!

I was so gripped with fear. Normally, I'd dare myself to overcome my fear and would have looked at the ground or would've stopped in the middle of the tracks. Instead, I just wanted to get it done and over with. It was over in less than 5 minutes. In the end, I felt like I cheated myself. I consoled myself that I can always get back on it. With H the next time around!


TIP: If you want to take the faster bike, take the bike on the left. That will definitely get you across in less time and effort.

family at kampo juan Another family photo.


kampo juan activities
Other adventures you can embark on at Kampo Juan: Hanging Bridge, Zipline, and Rappeling. They also have packages so you can do all of the above in one go.


looking forward to this!
I'm looking forward to this. If I recall correctly, they will open parachuting/paragliding to the public in June.


For up-to-date information, check out Kampo Juan's facebook page here.


2 comments:

Unknown said...

Hi sir, paano po pupunta from kampo juan to dahilayan. Thank you.

Christine E. said...

Your post made me laugh so hard. It was like reading about myself if I ever get to ride the anicycle. I too am a mom and I used to be more daring but everything changed when my eldest was born. I so can relate!

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