fly high, jitterbug

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THRILLS AND FRILLS

FOR SOMEONE WHO

WRITES FOR A LIVING

and whose words count faster

on caffeine, I can only recall a

few times where I had felt an

unbearable amount of jitters:

the last few pages before

putting down an Agatha

Christie, that 2-hour class with

my childhood dance heroes,

and the first five lines I have to

read aloud for a speech.

But my knees have never

gone any weaker than that of

my most recent battle with

heights.

I never did anything to

overcome this fear, then

somehow, I found myself

in the roster of media

participants at the latest

NLEX Lakbay Norte, which

went on a comeback with an

adventure-packed itinerary,

perhaps in anticipation of

the young, thrill-seeking, hip

new hatch that has infiltrated

the media.

Fate did no dillydally. I

wasn’t given the chance to

ride a cable car or any of the

less intimidating options.

Instead, I was taken from

Point A to Point V, going

straight for the 1.4-km

zipline at Balungao HilltopAdventure, which, if you

must know, is just the longest

in the country. (Still, I ’m

grateful it wasn’t skydiving,

or Point Z in my spectrum.)

With such a number to

boast, you’d think the name

would have already caught

on by now. But Balungao

remains an off-the-beaten-

track, and to my surprise,

even unheared of to some

natives of Pangasinan.

Balungao Hilltop Adventure’s

fairly recent launch on

September 8, 2011, marks

the opening of Balungao’s

doors to adventure tourism.

Te area has drawn tourists

with its hot and cold springs

resort, bringing adventure

closer to your hideaway.

We were split into two: onegroup will first fly via the

two available zip lines, while

another group drives around

the tracks on AVs (all-

terrain vehicles). I sneaked

into the group of daredevils

who wanted to try the zip

lines first, just so I can get

over it already and enjoy my

AV ride later on.

Te tread to the jump isn’t

quick. From the pavilion, you

From top: Mount Balungao, an extinct

volcano, has existing natural beauty

that has reeled in an increasing

number of tourists in recent years.

This is the view of someone minutes

before taking the jump at Balungao

Hilltop Adventure’s zip line.

Fly High, Jitterbug

Overcoming a fear of heights at Balungao Hilltop Adventure, Pangasinan.

By JOANNE VILLANUEVA Photos by MARTIN SAN DIEGO


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THRILLS AND FRILLS

MANILA

LAOAG

PAL flies between Manila and

Laoag twelve times weekly.

For more information, call PAL

reservations office at (+632) 855

8888 or visit philippineairlines.com.

have to ride a jeepney, hike a few more

meters to reach the watchtower, then,

with all your might, attempt to divert

your attention from the ground below

as you walk some 170 steps up a flight

of stairs (while bearing the weight

of the safety gear). My imagination

kept running wild, but I was fortunate

enough to have shared the experience

with like-minded people. We laughed

about the same things, and that alone

made the air lighter.

After you get strapped to the zipline,

the guide suspends you in the air, and

won’t let go until you give the green

light, so take this time to make yourself

a bit desensitized. When you feel

like you can already let go of the bar,

you’ll immediately get over the scare,

and feel a bit ridiculous about how

much you have blown your fear out ofproportion. Te view is too spectacular

to be clouded by your thoughts. If you

still get a bit tipsy, it’s okay to hold on

the straps.

We then went through the 620-meter

zip line with ease, taking us directly

back to the pavilion. I would have gone

on another round if there was another

zip line to try, but it was the other

group’s turn. We rode the AVs in

tandem and got to explore Balungao a

little more.

Oh, and another fun fact: there’s a

priest who blessed the area while

riding the zipline. You may try painting

a picture of that, mid-flight, and break

a smile.

I can’t say I’m ready for the next

greater height just yet, but surely, this

one is for the books.

Te trip was made possible by Lakbay

Norte 5, a media familiarization tour

by North Luzon Expressway (NLEX).Contact La Union Conventions and

Visitors Bureau at 0917-5640361.

souls to discover why this umbrella-

thin land mass is the country’s final

frontier. n

From top: The author’s

fear of heights couldn’t get

in the way of the stunning

surroundings, although her

oversized helmet might

have. Media participants

take the hike on the way

to the watchtower. Riding

ATVs after zip lining was a

perfect way to ease off the

gas pedal in Lakbay Norte.


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