Have you ever tasted a dragonfruit?
First time I was asked this was the when I was in Sydney for a business trip. I said “dragon what?” I thought it was a metaphorical question, but then the person who asked me was my boss who was definitely not into Game of Thrones. I watched him eat the unique-looking spikey colorful fruit for breakfast as I settled for kiwi.
Fast forward three years later and I read that the Three Lucky Mountains Dragonfruit Farm was walking distance away from the Numana Farm where we were staying for the weekend. And because we were already in the area, I pedalled away to the dragonfruit farm that fine Saturday afternoon.
We got there half past four, and the farm was not something to miss. At the entrance we saw rowa of dragonfruit plants, a huge warehouse where flags of different countries were posted. Luckily the farm manager, Nel, was able to accommodate our last minute visit. He gave us a quick tour and answered all our questions, which was very nice of him as we truly learned a lot that afternoon.
The Three Lucky Mountains Dragonfruit Farm started operations in 2015. It started when his uncle transplanted a dragonfruit cutting that he got from the northern province of Ilocos. To date, this farm boasts of having the most number of dragonfruit varieties in the world – 156 varieties to be exact. And it has become the go to farm of different countries who import varieties of cuttings from Three Lucky Mountains. Thus the world flags posted on the facade of their warehouse.
There are several colors of the dragonfruit in the farm: like violet, pink and orange. The most marketable dragonfruit are the red ones, and the high end ones are the yellow ones. We bought a kilo each of the red and yellow dragonfruits. Dragonfruit is loaded with fiber and is good to the gut, a rich source of magnesium, boosts the immune system, and helps prevent chronic diseases. I asked Nel why some people describe the taste as bland, and he said the trick is to make sure to pluck the fruit when it is ripe. The bland taste happens when the fruit is harvested semi-ripe and the ripening happens while it is stored. 
There are two ways that the farm plants the dragonfruit. The first is Vietnames style where there are four plants per post. Then there is the Israel trellis type which is easier to maintain and manage as there are 20 plants per post. The Three Lucky Mountains is an organic farm, so they take extra care so that the fruits do not get infested with fungi and virus (notice the fruits are enclosed in plastic). 
Fun facts:
- The flower of the dragonfruit opens at 8PM and closes at 3AM.
- The dragonfruit plants need luminence, and the lean months for harvest are the Ber months where sunlight tends to be shortest.
- They need little water as they are like cactus. Hence the sloping terrain in the farm helps wash out the water quickly during rainy season.
- Like the cactus they also have thorns. I cut my finger twice while opening a couple of fruit. They can be opened by slicing them in the middle, or peeling them like a banana. But carefully do it or end up with cuts like me.
So here’s the verdict on how we found the first dragonfruits we have eaten from this farm: we loved it! It tasted like a hint of kiwi, but not too sweet. D liked it so much he almost ate them all. Would we buy this again? Definitely!
What I like most about Numana is the relaxing vibe, being close to nature, and the childhood memories it brought me. I was able to use one of their bicycles which I drove to get to the nearby Three Lucky Mountains Dragonfruit Farm. I also enjoyed the swing and the duyan. I remember back in my hometown, my 
It was also in that recent Japan trip that I discovered how awesome Japanese curry dishes are. When we were about to leave Matsumoto via bus, a man greeted us near the bus station, saying “Arigato Gozaimasu”. We greeted him an “Ohayo Gozaimasu” and smiled back, and then it was a bit later on realized he was the man from the Japanese curry restaurant we ate at the previous day. It was quite touching he remembered our faces, and even said thank you for visiting his city. We were thankful for having had the opportunity as well. It was a truly remarkable vacation.
Yesterday we were finally able to trek the 
At 7AM we headed off to Tanlines PH’s roofdeck meeting place along Makati Avenue. Tanlines offered breakfast (choice of Filipino and Continental) for a fee of 150 pesos. We skipped that as we already had a hearty breakfast, but we were able to enjoy their free coffee and ice cold water. Tanlines limits the group from 7 to up to 14 people only. We were only 10 people yesterday, which I think is a good enough size for the trek. After a briefing at the Tanlines roofdeck we loaded the minibus and drove off to Baras, Rizal. Luckily traffic was not bad, and we arrived at Masungi about half past nine.
At the onset I was already impressed by the colorful flowers, the mountain backdrop, and the sound of chirping birds. We were welcomed by the Masungi staff who gave an introduction and history of Masungi and their efforts, as well as what to expect for the day. Masungi was derived from the Filipino word “masungki” which is a word used to describe crooked, spikey teeth — because that’s how the limestones of Masungi look like. The limestone formations of the Masungi Georeserve are estimated to be 60 million years old, when they emerged from the ocean following movements of the earth’s crust post the dinosaur age. It was in 1996 when the conservation efforts were started for the area, and today, the payments made by each visitor goes into planting trees. The Masungi staff told us that at the end of the trek we were to be given a certificate and hopefully in ten years we can get an invitation to see the trees that have been planted as a result of our visit.
We were reminded to always wear our helmets as there would be instances of walking through caves and climbing ropes; the leave no trace policy; sticking close to the group at all times and not wandering far; not petting or feeding any wildlife we encounter; and maintaining silence so as not to disturb other visitors and the nocturnal animals who are sleeping during the daytime. There were to be 9 destinations for the trail, and we were to walk around the conservation area, not going back to where we would pass through. Before heading off, our guide, Jackie, reminded us to load up on water and use the restrooms if we had to, as there were no sources of drinking water nor restrooms along the way. The trek was to take 3 to 4 hours.
We had several rest stops (thank goodness for that). One that struck me was this old logger’s saw that was left behind by illegal loggers, and then beside it was the remnants of a tree that they cut. It was heartbreaking, but I got a sense of hope as I saw a seedling of a baby tree that was growing halfway between the old saw and the cut down tree – it was planted in 2016 as part of the conservation. As I gazed at the seedling, I thought of how fast it is for man to just cut down a tree that takes years, maybe decades, to grow, and how long it is for one to be able to repair that damage driven by need for money.
The one stop that I liked the most was the Yungib ni Ruben because the moment we got to its mouth, I smelled the fragrant scent of Ylang Ylang oil. Jackie said they diffused the fragrant oil to mask the smell of bat urine. I liked the dramatic shadows and their effect in the cave. At first it was so dark I had to grope my way around, but then the staff placed candles to illuminate the corners of the cave and it was magical.
Other stops we passed through were the Tatay (highest peak of the limestone rock formation), the Nanay which was the second highest peak. There was also a meditation trail where Jackie asked us to hide away our gadgets and listen to the sounds and look around us for about ten minutes. And then we walked through hanging bridges and climbed down the Bayawak which was actually kind of scary because I literally had to hang on for dear life.
Known as Takayama’s oldest shrine, Sakurayama Hachimangu Shrine was built sometime during the 4th century when writing down history was not yet widely done in Japan. Today, this garners at least a million visitors per year during the Takayama Autumn Festival in October, where large floats with mechanical dolls are lit up by lanterns and paraded through Takayama.
The atmosphere in the shrine’s grounds was pristine. The sound of crows echoed in the background as I contemplated on the simplistic beauty of the wooden structure, surrounded by tall, strong trees.
