My 3,000 ft above sea level vacation

The long holiday has healed me from too much stress this city- life given me. Those days gave me an idea to forget everything I owned and think only one thing -REFRESH. And, nature is the only paradise that can exude all the ‘nega’ energies stored within me.

My ‘also-stressed’ office mates brought me to a place I have been dreaming of – an over night stay in the middle of the jungle. To have fun with the beauty that mother nature has created perfectly here in Davao City, 3000 ft above sea level.

PERFECT.was the first word came out from my mouth  as we arrived in the area while we were so amazed with a lush well preserved nature that somehow, was  slowly cleaning our lungs as we inhaled its unadulterated air.

The cool breeze and the sounds of the crickets and birds let us feel once again what is like to be relaxed. The sound of silence brought me to a point where I could say I am a thousand-meters away from all the problems and work loads I am into. It felt like I was detached from my weary mind and body that work so hard to survive in the urban world.

There in a stone stood still in this paradise, it gave me the full view of Davao City,Samal and even the grayish part of Davao Oriental. That point I told myself ” To all the negastars of my life, I am higher than you now”. Far from the political noise, polluted air, the issue of Gadhafi, GMA’s St.Luke ” HOTEL” and PNOY’ s rotten promises issues.

My mind was totally reformatted.The good memories pop-out and made me feel better while the frustrations especially Kadayawan failures were deleted even in my mind’s recycle bin. All I want to do in that paradise was to LAUGH OUT LOUD with my ‘kaberks’.

SLEEPING WITH THE “Sayaw” BIRDS

Albert poses inside the stinky Sayaw Bird Cage under the Gozostiza's house

The Pygmy Swiflets locally called as “Sayaw” birds are  known to be a territorial birds which flock together with its kind. They dance along and glide in one flying piece motion. And, that was actually I have seen in Gorostiza’s private ancestral house, where we spent our night in Hacienda de Gorostiza at Brgy. Uguis, Toril Davao City.

The sayaw birds were making territory on the first storey of the house. I was so delighted to see them and all thumbs up to the owner for protecting such species. Access to their nest is also an access to real CASH. One kilo of their nest can fetch up to 2,000 dollars or almost 90,000 pesos. Their nest is the main ingredient for the Bird’s Nest Soup.

Other countries like Cambodia,Thailand, Indonesia, Burma and even Philippines particularly in El Nido Palawan are introducing swiflet farming as serious income-generating business. For this writer? I am not promoting this business and I am actually against it.

Just below of my room, is the door of the Sayaw birds exclusive room.

Yes, hunters do not kill the birds but they definitely kill the birds’ home. Like humans, home is where the spirit of unity starts. Home is where we gather and bless each other. They may be birds but as I see how they make for a living, they deserve to be protected. Their homes must be protected as Gorostiza family does.

In the first place, why are these birds creating nests? For us to sell it?To feed human’s interest? Of course not! It took them days to perfectly build their nest and then, in just a minute , these hunters will just easily take that from them. How does it fell to realize that our efforts were useless? Pain, right?

Just like us they feel pain. They attack when somebody strike them. Like us, they create territory, government,rituals, entrance and exits. As what I have observed in the Gorostiza’s house, sayaw birds were going in uniformly to a certain ‘entrance’ hole and going out to another ‘exit’ hole. This means that they know each other. They know the rules. They know signs.

Swiftlets dance along in one flying formation before they get food. A tradition that they usually do before making difference outside, like us, we pray before we step out from our home. I pray for their survival.

The sun rose up at the back of Samal mountains. Its orange rays infiltrated to my skin while the cold touch of the morning air cooled down its heat. The sunshine was very soothing as I woke up early in the morning to face the King of the Stars.

Albert tries to reach the solar ball form of the sun. His hair says, he just woke up.lol

There in the window,while the sun shone up the sky, I saw once again the place where the battle of life keeps in combat mode.  Davao City where my real mind and body are. I wished to prolong my vacation but I have to move on. There are more battles to attend to.

A night of fun, liquors,barbeque,hotdogs, and the muddy disco on the table. A one night super laugh-in mode. A total refreshing experience.

I wish human body has an “F5″ function like a computer.  If pressed, all works are refreshed.