Northern Mindanao FAS Finals at CAMP BIVOUAC, Mountain Pines, Bukidnon

Good Morning everyone! It's been a while.. Since there is nothing to do around the office, I thought about sharing my Airsoft experience at a place considered to be one of the best airsoft sites in Mindanao. This is my hobby since 2009 joining and training to improve. I was a part of the Championship Team ARMADA who blazed and won the “Airsoft Supremacy 3rd Chapter” Northern Mindanao FAS Eliminations tournament held in Camp Bivouac, Mountain Pines, Bukidnon, Philippines last April 16-17, 2011. It was a FAS-sanctioned tournament. It means that you will be competing against the best teams the Northern Mindanao has to offer. To emerge as CHAMPIONS in that group is indeed saying something. We would go on to win the championship dropping only one game. After that we were crowned 1st runner up at the MINDANAO FINALS in CDO qualifying for NATIONALS this coming NOVEMBER in Luzon! Camp Bivouac is a place for camping, airsoft games, archery, shooting range, foods and other outdoor experience. Warning: This place is dangerous and you need to have a cool head. Everyone is carrying a GUN for crying out loud! MP-5, Carbines, AK, you name it and It's not airsoft unlike the ones we had!

In the second picture, makita ko nimo sa pinaka right most using a Marui head gear and a Sandugo kicks. It's far different from using a JT Mask or a 5.11 tactical shoes. Naa pud pagka mahal pero enough about that. Let's talk about my role and the experience I got from that event. Nagsugod tanan after work sa friday april 15. I packed up my gears and guns expecting just to compete. We were nobodies entering the tournament. And since Armada was born October 10 last year, it was a camaraderie out of town trip for all of us. Wala kaayo ko nka prepare ug maayo but it was all worth it. I traveled to Camp Philips, Bukidnon around 7pm gikan trabaho. I was with 4 of my team mates who went first to set up camp and provisions for our team mates. Ang among puy anan located sa Agusan Canyon 2KMs away from Camp Philips. To my surprise, murag naa sa twilight zone ang lugar pag abot sa 7PM! Ambot lang kung tauhan ba ang lugar or naay mga spirits, santelmo, etc. pero wala na ka makita pag 7PM, not even dogs. So we were surprised knowing that living in the city, 7PM is just too early for sleep. It was very silent. Grabe ka hilum puro ra aninipot ang imu ma dunggan even though ga tapad tapad ang mga balay. It was also very cool. Murag nag aircon! Imagine that! Ang among puy anan was owned by one of our members. It was like a rest house 4 decent bedrooms, sala, kitchen, balcony and all the nature you can watch! It was sort of therapeutic nga area. Maybe it was one of the reason why we succeed. We slept at 11PM that night waiting for our comrades to arrive early in the morning. 4AM mata na mi. There was one problem though. Lisod i kaligo kai freezing ang tubig. Nag init mi ug isa ka takuri and among gi hulom sa tubig kaliguanan pero ala gihapun epek so gi antus na lang namo ang katugnaw. Kada sablig sa tubig naay pakapin nga syagit! Hahahaha! We head to the nearest market looking for bread, eggs and Bulad (tuyo)! We ate and we packed and head to Camp Philips. Our comrades were waiting there and I left my car there to join the group. From Camp Philips, we traveled 15 KMs to Camp Bivouac. We arrived at 7:45 AM and set camp for our guns and gears. We didn't expect grandeur things. It's just that we won all our games during this day and I couldn't believe the pace we were in. The first day ended at 5PM and we went back to Agusan Canyon to rest. Everybody was celebrating. Some were drinking, gambling, talking and sleeping. Unfortunately for me, I was having an ashtma attack due to the cool weather of the area. I was without medication. All I did was meditate and I was able to go through the rest of the night. We started the second day, sluggish. We have to shake off hangovers and sleepless nights. We lose our first game but we rebounded and won everything afterwards. Based on points and no violations, we won the championship and the sportsmanship! In airsoft, the sportsmanship award is much harder to earn than the championship trophy given the nature of the game. But we won both! It was a blast experience for me to be able to put my team and my name and stamped the game!

It was satisfying even though it's very tiring. I went home tired but I own the bragging rights to being called a Champion amongst champions. Here's to the next episodes of Getting Lost with Ricky Boi Formerly, Getting Lost in the Philippines, Mabuhay!

Dahilayan Adventure

Dahilayan, Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon

Looking to experience the greatest adventure of your life? Be among the first to brave Asia's Longest Dual Zipline and fly like Superman from a launch point at 4,700 feet above sea level. With speeds of up to 90 kph, zoom through lush greenery and breathtaking views only found in the mountains of Dahilayan . Guaranteed safe and fun for every age, Zipzone has become the ultimate adventure destination for young and old alike. Since its opening in September 2009, Zipzone has been visited to over a thousand enthusiasts, including a courageous 2 year old and a 77 year old grandpa. 

Get the thrill of your life with Zipzone's 840m scream inducing ride! Bond with families and friends amidst Dahilayan's cool and foggy weather. This is one amazing adventure you will never forget!  - Yeah Right!

Mao na ang ads sa Dahilayan Adventure Park... But for my experience, this is what I have to say. Dahilayan Adventure Park is one of the most popular tourist spots near CDO since the wake of the White Water Rafting. Geographically, it is not part of Cagayan de Oro City since it is a part of Bukidnon's Manolo Fortich areas. It is a 45 KM ride from GUSA (Akong location). You have to travel a 30+ KMs to reach Camp Philips and another 10+ KMs of stressful lubak-lubak. Kai Musolod man jud ka sa plantation deep into hell's cove. It seems the ride is forever to accomplish kai grabe jud ka libaong! Matingala na lang ka pag abot sa unahan kai mura na ka ug mawala. There is not enough signage to guarantee your geographical location. I for one bit, almost reached Agusan Canyon if not for the courage to ask questions. I started the travel at around 8:30AM and that was the mistake! I reached that damn site at about 10:30 and there were already hundreds of people and cars already parked. And ako, mura kog kahilakon sa akong nakita. Since it was a PEAK day kai bagong tuig bya. Grabe jud ka daghan tao. Nakita pa nako akong mga ka berks sa highschool ug mga crush ug mga barkada sa akong ex, mga taga Butuan, Taga Cebu, Davao, etc. Sobra na sad! Nag line dayun intawn ko kai para mka sayo ug sakay sa 840m Zipline at 500 bucks. Naa pud silay All Rides for 600PHP which includes the 840m. 320m, and the 150m Ziplines. Tag 400 pud ilang ATV (all terrain vehicle). Kanang motor nga upat kabook ligid, 100 PHP dayun ang horsy horsy, and not to omit the mahal foods. If you want to save, do not buy foods at the site and bring your own. Imagine a hotdog bun for 45PHP and a corn on a cob for 35PHP? Mahal ra kaayo! Not unless you have money to spare. Sa park pud sa sulod, no foods allowed so mapugos ka ug palit foods inside. The entrance fee for the park ranges from 20 to 40. Mag agas jud ang imung kwarta pero who cares if you wanted to experience something different? May man sad ug permiminti, dili man.

The temperature of the place ranges from 14 degrees to 20 degrees Celsius. Bugnaw jud sya as compared to the heat within the city nga mura na kag naa sa sulod sa psych ward, mabuang pud ka ug apil. Naa pud gi construct na restaurant as of writing sa sulod. Ang location kai kanang area sa tumoy sa 840m nga Zip line. I am very sure nga mahal pud na kai mka demand jud sila ug price due to the isolated nature of the business. Walay convenience store sa gawas, puro ra tae sa kabayo! Ahahaha! 

Enough about the place, let's talk about the Zip line. After I lined, I paid the cashier and she gave that pink ticket nga imung ibracelet para mura ka ug eskapo sa ospital. Tima ilhan nga naka bayad ka ug unsa nga ride imung gi apilan. I didn't choose the All Rides, Just the 840m Zip line. Kai kabalo na man ko unsa ma expect sa mga gagmay nga Zip lines. I already experienced that in Davao. So I was given a ticket and to my amazement, it was numbered 51. PASTILAN! It was already 11AM and the numbers called to ride the van up to the 840m starting drops were still at 17, 18, and 19. Each number were grouped by three. Nakaingun ko na magabhian jud ko ani!! Maypag nagsayo ko! And that's the right thing to do. If you want to Ride the 840m Zip Line dapat as early as 5 or 6AM mag byahe na ka padulong dadto. Luckily, naay mga tourists nga wala ka dungog sa ilang mga numbers so ning singit ko! Gi persuade jud nako tong babae nga dugay pa mangabot ang 19 nga number kai naniudto pa bisag dili to true. Hahahahah! She granted me the ride. I said YES!! WOOO!! number 51 ko and naka singit hahahah! Pag abot sa taas. Every one was scared to go first so nag volunteer ko mu una! Isug baya ko. Plus gitabangan pa jud ko ug upat ka tao para ma sangit sa Zip line kai dili sila ka daug! Bwahahahahah! It was showery. Ga ulan. Grabe jud to nga antos. Bayad paka 500 para lang ka makulbaan ug masakit. Yahaya jud ning mga Paras dah. Pagstart sa Zip, I wanted to go as fast as 140 kph! Bahala nang 90 KPH nga gi mention nila. I wasn't scared kai sa una ra ko nakulbaan anang Zipline. It's a matter of banging the end point with a blast. Gusto nako gubaon nang safety brackets sa tumoy. Hahahahahaha. So I clipped my hands for ward like a ship and stretched it backwards clipping it below my tummy to prevent drag from my aerodynamics. And I did go fast. Nakahuman na ko sa Zip and naa pa sa tunga akong kauban. Tanan gud sila na kulbaan sa akoa pati ang mga spectators. Only I was there laughing! Hahahahahaha. You will never be scared as long as you knew what to expect. Kung first time ka. Please try the 340 and 150m rides. Don't go to 840m directly. Feel the rush first before you go to speed. About 2PM, the number called was still at 27 to 31. I said to myself. the next time I would come back here I would travel at 5AM. Para makauli ka after lunch. That's the ideal time. Thank you for visiting, sa sunod na episodes of Getting Lost in the Philippines, Mabuhay!