Day#5: Glorious Day in Gloria

It's already our fifth day and we were really hoping for a waterfalls! So here we were in Gloria, Oriental Mindoro, after quite a ride along the scenic rough roads with views of vegetable farms, native huts, and rice fields with balatong/mung beans planted this summer season as an alternate crop.

We finally found the right place to park our car and arranged a good deal (only P100) with our guide. The boys did not even ask the question "Matagal pa ba?", which is the Filipino counterpart of "Are we there yet?" during our hike of around 45 minutes. We took it as a sign that they were enjoying the breath-taking trail as much as we did. We cannot believe this experience, walking deep in the mountains, deep enough that we were between roots of giant trees. It was cold and we felt small and vulnerable, and honestly, that's when I convinced myself that we are an adventurous family. I liked that! But the best part was of course, the waterfall itself! It was our first time and both boys were laughing and jumping as they enjoy the powerful rush of Walang Langit Falls.

After our hike back to our car, we enjoyed some fresh buko(young coconut) juice, changed clothes, and expressed our gratitude to our guide for the this experience of a lifetime.

On our way, we passed by a pottery shop. Our curiosity made us stop by, so we spent some time learning how pottery is done, where the materials are from, where and how they are baked, and of course, bought some for our herbs!

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Exploring Naujan, Oriental Mindoro

About a minute after I started researching about the things we can do in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro, I received an electronic notice that informed us that we missed paying our internet bill and then the connection was cut immediately. Usually I would panic, but we resorted to our original plan instead: to explore and be surprised by the things we will find on our own, to be lost and ask about places we can visit, instead of having a list of "things to do". Actually, not-knowing adds a distinct flavor to adventures, which offers a thrill factor when you navigate through places you have not seen an online preview of. This free-style travel plan also help us take our time and just enjoy the experiences instead of rushing from one destination to another. So here are some of our new discoveries: The municipality of Naujan boasts a good collection of ancestral homes that took us to another era in our history. For only P100, yes one hundred pesos, you can afford a

Day#3: Mansalay's Mangyan Burial Cave, Mangroves, & Buktot White Beach

While enjoying our ride, Daddy saw a port and was curious, so we stopped to explore like we usually do and it was just the perfect time to enjoy some snacks so we bought some chips at the local sari-sari store as well. As we were licking our salty fingers, we saw some mangroves or bakawan, lining up a portion of the shore. Here are some pictures of what we discovered and enjoyed next. We walked along the white shore, soaking in the unbelievable sight composed of mangroves, white dead corals mixed in the sand, and clean and clear water. It was definitely a stop worth taking! When we reached a certain point, we found out that there are sea guards who are more than willing to take us to a cave. The tide was high, so we had to walk in knee-deep water, which made the experience quite relaxing and memorable. We learned that the Mangyan Burial Cave is the resting place of some skulls and bones of our Mangyan relatives, an indigenous group living in d

A few of James & Adam's Talents

One of the great gifts of unschooling is having all the time we need to pursue whatever it is that interests us. We have the luxury of time to do more or less of the activities that we enjoy, develop skills, or just try something new. It also allows us to take as much rest or breaks as we need and the choice to quit or continue anytime. Having the freedom to do what our hearts feel like doing make every second counts. Here's James Singing "The Man Who Can't Be Moved" And here's Adam, showing off his skateboarding and rollerblading skills

Unschooling James and Adam

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