So Close to Heaven by Dr. Gin Planes (guest writer)

Doc Gin or Ma'am Gin as she is fondly called, is a dentist, a registered nurse, an ISO auditor, a Christian Living instructor, an emcee, a former Karilagan model, a graduate of Dale Carnegie School, a badminton enthusiast, a mountain climber, a supportive wife, a loving mother, and a friend to everybody.

    At the bus terminal in Cubao, the excitement was all over everyone’s face. With our backpacks, tents, and wind breakers, each one of us weighed 30 pounds heavier. 

    Two hours to Cuenca, Batangas, we found ourselves at the foot of Mt. Maculot. Full of energy, after taking sumptuous adobo for lunch, and yummy halo-halo as  dessert, we started climbing around 1 pm.

Earl Sales : care for a drink?

       Taking pictures every few meters, gulping energy drink, and teasing each other along the way, were all that we did as we climbed up halfway to the top.

      At 2 pm I was almost breathless, numbed, and exhausted. My chest was pounding, my leg muscles were cramping, and my eyes were blurring.

         As I forced myself to climb, thoughts of quitting bugged my mind. “What am I doing here? It’s hot, dirty and remote! This is crazy!” I said to myself. “But we’re halfway there, I could not stop now.”

    Then I tried to recall my ultimate goal……to reach the top, to reach the top, and to reach the top. Being focused on my goal sustained me for the rest of the climb.

    Yes! We made it. At 3:30 pm, we were 2000 feet above sea level. As we set foot on the campsite, I felt an adrenaline rush and an endorphin overflow. It was simply ecstatic!

Doc Gin (with Mark) : so close to heaven.......

         We pitched our tents, left our baggage, and ran to climb the “rockies”, a cliff overlooking Taal Lake. The mountains were so majestic, the lake was so serene, and the breeze was euphoric. It was breath-taking! No wonder Jesus would go up the mountains to talk to the Father in heaven.

    As sun went down and the night fell, countless stars were covering the sky like neon lights during Christmas season in shopping malls. The constellations seemed so near, as though you could almost touch them.

 

    As I tucked my head to rest, all I could only do was to thank our awesome God for the wondrous sight I’ve seen, and for the gift of life in this beautiful world He created for you and me.

WCC Mountaineers: Dean Francis Tajanlangit, Dr. Gin Planes, Suzette Bueno, Gian Carlo Celedonio, Noriloyn Madarcos, Shara Ochoa, Nathan Pardiñez, Mark Regino, Earl Sales, and Vladimir Salum.

(pictures courtesy of Dean Francis, Suzette, and Nathan)