Somehow since I have been working from home, days seemed longer and I found it harder to sleep early at night. It does not help that most of the times on weeknights my only escape is watching movies or videos. D constantly reminds me to get up from my workstation and stretch my legs, and I find it helpful in putting my mind at ease when he and I would walk around the block after dinner. It’s especially a pleasant time of the year recently as the nights had been cooler and less humid.

When our friends invited us to join them camping over the weekend, I immediately said yes. The last camping I’ve had was back in the 90s, really more of a requirement from my PE class in the university. It was an “I’ll just wing it” kind of trip as my friends from class didn’t go, so I made new friends during that hike. On our trek up the mountains of Famy, Laguna it rained so hard I was drenched. I didn’t know what to expect during that trek – I just followed our professor until we reached the waterfalls where we would camp for the night. The next day I had to leave earlier than the rest of the class and hired a local guide to bring me back to the starting point because I had to take a finals exam for math that afternoon. So even though that trek was short and was mostly a rollercoaster ride, I look back to it with nothing but fond memories. So when my friends said ‘camping’ my impression was something similar to what I did at Famy, Laguna years ago. I was pleasantly surprised when my friends explained prior to last weekend that our camping trip was going to be comfortable and beginner-friendly. Just one thing to brace ourselves for: the campsite’s location would have little to no cellphone signal. That’s something my mind had been yearning for, and though I know it will be a bit of a challenge, we prepped ourselves for being off-grid.

At 6 o’clock on Saturday D and I drove out of Metro Manila towards Cavinti, Laguna. We packed light – just overnight clothes, toiletries and small towels, a chiller with some drinks and ready to cook food and snacks. We met our friends for Filipino breakfast at Aling Taleng’s Halo-Halo at Pagsanjan, Laguna, and we got there around 8 o’clock. The restaurant was about 45 minutes’ drive away from the campsite, and before heading out, we agreed which path to take because there were two routes to reach the site. Alas, despite checking our maps and talking about which path to take, D and I still managed to deviate from the path we agreed we were to take. We were oblivious we were on the other route, and stopped every once in a while to take photos of the lake. We only realized we took the longer route when we got to the site a good hour and a half after our friends arrived at the site.

The camping grounds we went to was called The Silent Sanctuary. Camping there was by reservation only, and though it was holiday weekend (Chinese New Year), we were lucky to have secured a slot at the Island View. It was my friends’ third time at the Silent Sanctuary, and they shared that this camp supports the school for the deaf. Interesting how the weather suddenly changed because when we left Metro Manila it was warm and sunny, but when we entered Cavinti it was already drizzling. Our friends, because they arrived much earlier than we did, already put up our tents. They were kind enough to lend D and I our tent and inflated beds for the night, because we have no camping gear whatsoever. We were impressed because they came fully prepared – and I was in awe at how they fit everything in their car. They brought two tents, portable chairs, a hammock, cookware (kettle, rice cooker, frying pan, barbecue sticks, butane stove, and a griller), an ice cooler full of drinks, and food good for lunch, dinner and breakfast. Because the drizzle turned into a downpour, we settled in a big gazebo by the lake. I know it’s not the full on camp mode, but we get a pass being beginners.

That afternoon we grilled meat and made salad, talked and shared stories. Had it not been raining I would have gone kayaking on the lake. The temperature in the campsite was cool, and I’m glad I brought a sweater with me. I didn’t take it off throughout our stay.

Later in the evening we got lucky as there was about a good one hour when the rain stopped and we finally got the bonfire lit. When the rain started pouring again, we were ready to call it a night and retreated in our own tents. It felt surreal being in such a serene space with nothing but the sound of wind and raindrops, my phone battery actually lasting the whole stay because the only time I used it was when I took photos and videos, and read an e-book before going to bed.

The next day, the rain has stopped and D finally had the chance to ride his bicycle. When I woke up he was already back and we enjoyed a hot cup of coffee while watching birds of different colors take flight from one tree to another. The air was still cool, and I found from the Pastor who manages the campsite that it was the coldest the campsite had been in the last few months.

As we packed up, I made a mental note to book weekend stays in Cavinti during the months of January and February because I just loved the cool weather and the quiet, nature-filled surroundings. I wondered if I should start investing in camping gear and if D is up for more camping trips in the future. Maybe I’ll do it one at a time and start with a tent and foldable chairs. Then I’ll sneak in a weekend getaway or two within this year so D can get more used to it. I’m very thankful for my friends for introducing camping to us. I look forward to doing it more again soon.