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Day 1: The Adventure Begins
by Rika Lazo
Our day actually begins on the night of September 18, 2002. We had to take a bus to get to Tabuk in Kalinga. Our bus departure time was 10 pm. The plan was to meet at Marko's Shell station at 8 pm so that we could go to the bus terminal together. Because I had a 5-7pm clinic to attend to that evening, I had already decided that I was going to just meet up with Marko and the rest of the group directly at the bus terminal. I had made plans for my Dad to drive me just in case my schedule did not permit my meeting up with Tonnette who also had work until about 8 pm that night. When Tonnette decided last minute, however, that she wasn't going to go, I was put in a spot. I knew my parents were not keen on me going without Tonnette because that would mean that I wouldn't know anyone in the group. That being, they gave me a terrible time that afternoon while I was packing my bags. Still I was set on going and the only thing that stood in my way was the possibility of having a busy clinic and thus not being able to finish early enough to get to the bus station on time. But my clinic load cooperated with me and I was done with enough time to spare. I figured that the best way to calm my parents' fears was to have them meet the group. So I offered Marko a ride to the bus terminal, that is if he could come to my house. Fortunately, he thought it was a good idea. When I got home, I only had time to take a bath, before Marko and Cha Cha arrived. The introductions went smoothly, and we were off to the terminal with my Dad driving, and Marko providing directions (one other reason I offered you a ride, Marko). Ofcourse, my Dad grilled Marko a bit on the way to the bus terminal, but Marko was up to the task and handled the whole situation quite well. Later on in the terminal, Jona arrived. So again with the introductions. Then we settled into a nice conversation, especially since Jona had a lot to tell about the first rafting trip. We were all laughing at ourselves because as it turns out, Jona and Cha Cha didn't really know each other either. Finally we boarded the bus and at exactly 10pm we were on our way...
The Bus Ride 
The bus ride took 10 hours with about 4 stops in between. The nice thing about taking long trips at night is that you more or less sleep through the trip, and in the morning when you get to the destination, you don't feel that the trip was long at all. We alighted in Tabuk (the intersection with a statue of a Kalabaw standing in the center), about 8am of September 19, 2002. It was a nice sunny day. After waiting a few minutes, we were picked up by Mang Edgar (the driver) and Mang Danny (Tabuk master guide). We were then brought to the Kalinga Hostel where our host, Tita Nati Sugguiyao was waiting for us. When we arrived at the Hostel, another rafting group was just leaving. Again the introductions. We were showed our rooms, had time to freshen up, and came down to enjoy a big breakfast prepared by our host. After loading up, we were ready to rumble!!!
The Problem
The plan had been to take a jeepney ride to a town called Tinglayan, which was 3-4hours away from Tabuk. We were supposed to start off the "run" from there, which would have been a longer and more daring run from that which Marko and Jona had done previously. However, our host explained to us that because of rainfall the previous days, the water level had risen above the point that was considered safe for newtimers. So she recommended that we trial the lower "run" from Tabuk, at least for the day, and if the water level dropped to a safer level, we could still do the Tinglayan run "tomorrow." Well, not a problem, really! The Rafting Adventure 
So with Mang Edgar driving, we were brought to the "start-off point" on the Pasil River. We would later learn that the Pasil River eventually merges into the Chico River. After getting all geared up with life jackets and a helmet (me in my blue easy-drying suit that I brought to protect me from too much UVa and UVb exposure), Mang Danny provided us with a brief lecture on riding the rapids, whether we were in or out of the raft (such as if we inadvertently fell into the river). Although we weren't too sure we could remember all the things he said, and were a bit anxious about falling out and thus needing to really remember the things he said, we were eager to start our adventure. Finally, we boarded the raft. It was an inflatable raft meant for 6 persons (although we totaled 7). Up front, we had two lead guides (guides from Tinglayan, actually), Mang Moises and Roger. Behind them we took our places, Cha Cha and Jona on the right, and Marko and I on the left. Mang Danny occupied the back portion of the raft. Then with oars in hand, and a brief push off, the ride begun, Mang Danny barking out orders, "FORWARD."
The Fall
We had not gone far and had just begun to experience how the raft reacts to the rapids, when we reached our first turn. Mang Danny bellowing orders, "LEFT FORWARD," tried to stir us away from the rocks...BANG!!! The right side of the raft rammed a rock that the waters hid from view. The impact and the sudden change in direction caught us by surprise. I actually saw the surprised look on Cha Cha and Jona's faces, and then BLOOP... just like that, they were gone! It happened so fast, Cha Cha fell backward, and Jona fell forward after Cha Cha into the water. The rest of us hang on while the raft moved forward. As we looked back, we saw Cha Cha and Jona caught snugly behind a rock still holding on to their oars, and as they looked at each other and realized what had happened, they began to laugh. So we knew somehow that they were okay. Meanwhile, the raft continued to move forward, so Mang Danny began to guide us to the bank. We then rested as Mang Moises and Roger went to pick up the two girls. They were fine, "THANK GOD!"Conquering the Chico River
The rest of the ride was a breeze (ya right!). Well okay, there were several close calls and rough moments, but this time we were prepared and the Chico river was not going to claim any more casualties for the day. Our confidence grew as the ride went on. And each time we conquered a rapid, or skirted a rock formation, or came up against a rock without falling off, we laughed our hearts out (at least, I did) and then branded our victory with a rousing rafter's "HIGH FIVE!!!!!!!" At one point, we even managed to help some people cross the river by giving a few women a ride from one bank to the other. Ofcourse, there was no way of going back to help the rest of them as the rapids pulled us away. We had one rest stop, near a cozy fall, and this was a chance to fill up our tanks (siyempre the excitement and the effort of driving the raft left some of us hungry). We safely maneuvered the raft the rest of the way. It took us all of 2 1/2 hours for that ride (falls and rest breaks included). At the finish-line, Mang Edgar was already waiting to pick us up.Relaxing and Scheming
While we were rafting earlier, we had passed by the landmark that they used as a gauge for the water level, and Mang Moises said that the water level was still too high for the Tinglayan run. He said that if we pursued going to Tinglayan the next day, he was not going to guide us. Wow! What a heart breaker! Ofcourse, we understood that if he guided as in such conditions, he would be responsible for us; and seeing how easily Cha Cha and Jona fell into the water today (hehehe, just kidding, guys!), he wasn't going to risk our safety. So the only choice we had for the next day was to do a repeat of the Tabuk run.Well, after freshening up from the run, we had a late but very hearty lunch (4 pm) at our host's house. While waiting to eat dinner (scheduled at 7 pm), we decided to watch some video tapes of the Americans who "discovered" the rafting capabilities of the Chico River. They were shown kayaking. What a rush! Marko's mind started to churn, " Would it be possible for us to do that? Maybe, to try something new, they could just teach us how to kayak.. Hmmm"... Our host was very understanding, though. She realized how disappointing it was for us to be denied the Tinglayan run, especially after we had looked forward to this for several months and had come all the way from Manila. So she agreed to let us try the kayaks. Alright!!! After dinner, we were brought to our hostel, feeling satisfied with the day's adventures. And as we tucked ourselves in for the night, we looked forward to another day of adventure, this time with the KAYAKS...