WARM POOLS. These “triple decker pools” are known as the warm pools. They’re the first pools you’ll see once you get past the entrance of Hidden Valley.

Families with kids will enjoy Hidden Valley not for its activities but more for its pools and the sprawling grounds that your kids will love. Weary businessmen will love the place because of how much you can be disconnected from the busy city thanks to its location.

Wi-Fi and mobile phone service aren’t the strong points of Hidden Valley, nor should it be. It’s a paradise tucked in between two mountains, and is a place for you to relax and get away from all that work.

If you’re looking to stay in a place that’s full to the brim with nature and can give you nothing but relaxation, then Hidden Valley Springs is the place for you.

 

Cebu’s man-made forest, or also referred as Osmeña Reforestation Project, was just a side trip to our hike to Mount Naupa in Naga. As usual, there were a few Team Bang members who tagged along with me – Sherlyn, Lieve as well as Gelique with his brother. Wilfred didn’t get the chance to come with us to the man-made forest since the traffic to the rendezvous was nothing short of horrible.

For decades, science has taken huge leaps and breakthroughs to debunk the most contagious falsehoods. From the ethereal Northern lights to urban legends, modern science has been quite a myth buster, unveiling the truths of several strange phenomena and common misconceptions. Yet, somehow, there are still some strange forces and things like the spirits that defy logic as well as the principles of science. And in my recent weekend escape with Team Bang, I had a not-so close encounter with the strange dili ingun nato (spiritual beings), as we explored Campo 7 man-made forest, Minglanilla, Cebu.

I’m not much of a believer, when it comes to superstitions.  I’m a man of science who thinks there’s a logical reason for everything. While I do enjoy Filipino myths like Maria Cacao and Bernardo Carpio, I do believe some of our superstitious practices just don’t make sense. Let’s face it, some of our deep-rooted superstitions are just downright funny and ridiculous.

Don’t get wrong – I mean no disrespect to our ancestors, but do you really believe that having a mole in your private part makes you a heart-rob or a campus crush? Seriously, I have tons of moles in that part of my body, but I’ve never been a chick magnet ever.

Yet, for all our humorous superstitions, I still pay homage to the elements and spirits. Every time I pee or walk on a forested area, I always say tabi-tabi or tabi po (a Filipino way of saying excuse me to the spirits). Oftentimes, I ask permission, whenever I take a photo of an old tree or a mystical place.

But, I forgot to do all of that, as we were taking pictures of Campo 7 man-made forest in Minglanilla. The moment I set foot on this man-made forest, I just didn’t feel anything weird. Personally, it didn’t have the mystical feel of Japan’s Suicide Forest or the Yap-Sandiego Ancestral House in Parian, Cebu. To me, it was just a man-made forest that reminded of me of Bohol’s charming attraction.

Eventually, though, the spirits made their presence felt through the blurry photographs in our cameras. While it wasn’t really mind-blowing or spine-tingling, we did find out these beings were watching us inside Minglanilla’s man-made forest.

It’s a very old relic and beautiful church. One of the oldest.
It’s been preserved and beautiful structure.
It’s a great place to include in your sights for the day.
I came here with my wife and young child.

So there was I, standing in front of the Magellan’s Cross. With me were women selling candles. Of course the first thing I did was take an awful lot of pictures to prove to my Grade School classmates that I have actually seen the Cross. (Haha!) I was approached by a woman who was persistently selling me her candles. She said they would come with prayers. At first I didn’t understand what she meant, but eventually  I realized that she would dance in front of the cross and pray for whoever I wanted her to pray for.
The ladies sell candles and trinkets and it’s nice to support them in this way

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton