My 2018: A Tour Around My Town and A Free Invitation from the Lucky One

in #my20186 years ago (edited)

And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul.
Anonymous

Nowadays, a lot of us are caged in the online world that we do not have the time to go out and be with nature. I suggest you reevaluate your daily routines as studies show that people who are more exposed to greens are happier and more creative. So, brace yourself as I take you to paradise!

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Bukidnon may not be as citified as the other places in the Philippines but I am pretty sure that it can offer a lot of things especially to adventure enthusiasts out there. This is the reason why joining Anomadsoul’s My 2018: A Tour Around My Town Contest brought so much joy and excitement in me as I will be able to show you how beautiful my town is.

Bukidnon is a province composed of twenty (20) municipalities and two (2) cities. Today, I will be showing you two places as I am technically living in both. My hometown is an hour away from my workplace. Thus, I have to get a place nearby for convenience. So, I hope you enjoy these two treats which I have in store for you!

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Literally Dawn to Dusk

Panimahawa Ridge

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Panimahawa ridge is the best place for you to start your adventure in Bukidnon. This is located in Impasugong, Bukidnon, my hometown and will require you to walk two hours from the town proper. It may be a tough hike but the stunning sea of clouds and sunrise is all worth it!

Bed weather is always something that you also have to look forward to when visiting Bukidnon. It is tagged as the country’s “Little Baguio City” for a reason. Thus, it is best that you prepare your winter outfit as you will literally be covered with fog and mist.

Can’t get enough of these photos? Check the video below for a full luscious greenery treat!

Video is from my Youtube channel.

Cedar Falls

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Aside from the beautiful mountains and view, Impasugong is also abundant of waterfalls which you can chase and dip into. Cedar, is located in one of the barangays in Impasugong. It can easily be located as it is along the national highway.

The moment you reached the place, you will be automatically welcomed by the long-standing trees which give the crisp and invigorating vibe. Few walks from the entrance, you will be delighted with an inviting swimming pool and a breathtaking Cedar Falls surprise.

Tugisan 3-Step Falls
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The cold water of Tugisan Falls will definitely take away all your worries and anxiety. It may be a bit of a hike but the view is such a food for the soul.

Balisbisan Curtain Falls

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The Balisbisan Curtain Falls is also a newly discovered tourist spot in my hometown. Indulge yourself with the beauty and tranquility that nature can offer you.

Intavas Flower Farm
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At the foot of Mt. Kitanglad, the fourth highest mountain in the Philippines lies Sitio Intavas. It is known for its flower and strawberry farms.

Impasugong Lover’s Lane
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Who would have thought that this magnificent view is only along the national highway? Yes, no need to climb mountains or cross rivers as this very spot is only a 5-minute ride from my house.

Walk a little further and you will reach the Atugan swimming pool. Breath the fresh air and take in the calming energy of nature.

Monastery of Transfiguration

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For those who want to take refuge with the nature’s embrace and find the needed solitude and silence, the Monastery of Transfiguration is the best hideaway for you. Its intricate structure stirs the interest of the many including other tourists from Luzon and Visayas.

This is located in Malaybalay City, my second home. Here you can find the black and gold Miraculous Madonna and Child. The best thing about the Monastery of Transfiguration aside from its structure and ambience is it also offers a retreat house for those who want to stay the night especially to those who are from distant places who would like to participate the 8AM mass.

Visitors get to enjoy a room for a reasonable price and have the chance to meet the Benedictine Monks. It also has a souvenir shop where people can buy rosaries, prayer books, peanut products and the famous Monk's Blend Coffee.

Food Lust

There are a lot of excellent food places in Bukidnon but I will take you to the best places that do not only offer great food but also great experience. You are in Bukidnon to have fun after all.

Rancher’s Steakhouse

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Your Bukidnon experience would not be complete without the cowboy vibe. Rancher’s Steakhouse offers a very cozy feeling in addition to their world-class menu. The ranch setting brings you home and will definitely bring out the little cowboy in you. To compliment the rodeo setting, you can try their horseback riding activity while waiting for your food.

Of course you have to try their tenderloin steak, it is one of the best steaks in town! Their sisig and calamares fritos are really a must! Rancher’s burger is also on top of my recommendation list.

Yaka Music, Beer and Burger
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Acoustic music, homey feeling and good food are the few things that Yaka can offer to their customers. The best thing about Yaka is they offer “Open Mic” sessions every night. Those who want to showcase their talent can just grab the guitar and mic. Sounds fun, right?

Monks Blend Coffee

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Locally cultivated and processed by the Benedectine Monks in their own coffee farm. This is well-appreciated by the Philippine consumers as their coffee beans are used as one of the main coffee crumble ingredients for Selecta Ice Cream Philippines.

Country’s Sweetest Pineapple

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Bukidnon, being home to the first pineapple production and plantation in the entire East Asia is also known as the pineapple capital of the Philippines.

People and Culture

Kaamulan Festival

I could not express more how colorful and lively the Bukidnon culture is. Words would not be enough to describe my roots. So, I will let the following photos say the words for me.

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Then Dusk…

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You started your day with nature, so why not end it with the same? Panimahawa Ridge turns into a magical place from being the rich greenery sight to a time-stopping-majestic view. Don’t you want to lay beneath these stars while embracing the crisp and cold Bukidnon weather? I could just stay here forever and write poems of both beauty and misery.

Come and See my Daily View

I have mentioned this in my previous post but I will say it again. Most often than not, we are too engulfed chasing the world’s best destinations that we forget to see the beauty lying in front of our very nose.

So, this serves as a reminder for myself that I have such a wonderful province and I should not stop appreciating what others could not even get to enjoy. So, here is my daily view and the reason why I am always a lighthearted one.

These are my daily view at work:

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Great post, welcome to Steemit

Not as a criticism, but as an observation, it is common when people talk about their "local culture" to show a bunch of folks dancing around in some type of legacy "native dress".

Everyone does the same. USA, Europeans, Canadians, etc.

But that isn't really local culture. Local culture is:

  • does your society tolerate thugs and hoodlums
  • what is the level of crime you have? what level of crime do you tolerate? Do you respect the first responders who you put on the front line?
  • what level of corruption does your society tolerate?
  • do you believe in rule of law, or do you believe in crony capitalism?
  • do you have an honest press that reports the facts? or do you have fake news agencies who do puff pieces and dont focus on the facts

Those are the types of questions to answer, to define your local culture

Hi @davebrewer! Wow, that's a whole new learning for me. I will surely remember your points the next time I talk about my local culture. Thank you!

Have a great day ahead!

I never knew such places exist!

It's always the lesser known places that offers the more beautiful experiences. And wow your hometown does sound like it has alot to offer!

Personally I've just visited Sabah Borneo (I'm from Sarawak, just southwes of sabah) and I've totally fallen in love with the place.

Are you into sand beaches, turtle Islands, fireflies and sunset by the sea? Or are you the more waterfalls, fresh mountain air, morning dew and stunning mountain view in the morning kind of person?

I love the idea of fireflies and sunsets by the sea but I have learned to love my waterfalls and mountains. Haha! If I can have all of them, I would. But nahh.. we have to choose our sides. Im keeping my usuals.

I hope you can visit me here!

😂😂😂😂

I totally understand how you feel.

Well, if there is a Steem related event, I definitely won't mind buying a flight to go there!

Hey there @valerie15!
Saw your post mentioned in Curie's author showcase post. You totally deserve it for this awesome and detailed post!
Great work! :)

Hello @yesaye! Thank you for taking the time to check this post out. I try to make quality posts and knowing that people like you are here to support all of them is such a great motivation.

Enjoy the rest of the day!

That's great! Wish you success in your Steemit journey!
Hope you have a great day too!

I loved the drone footage, looks like a really fun bike ride! This was such a well formatted and conceived post, the "dawn to dusk" format was a great structure to hang the meat of the post on and I am impressed with some of your photography as well.

This post was nominated by a @curie curator to be featured in an upcoming Author Showcase post on the @curie blog. If you agree to be featured in this way, please reply and:

  • Let us know if we can quote text and/or feature images from your post.
  • If you would like to provide a brief statement about your posting, your life or anything else to be included in the article, you can do so in reply here or look me up on Discord chat (@gnashster#6522 ) or even (last resort) email, same username as here with ye olde gmail appended.

You can check out the previous week's Author Showcase to get an idea of what we are doing with these posts.

Cheers - Carl (@curie curator)

Good day @carlgnash! Thank you so much for the kind words. Believe me, hearing all these from you is such an honor. With this, I am more inspired to work and do more with my craft. Thank you for the inspiration!

Of course, you are allowed to use this entire article including the photos for Author Showcase. It would be a privilege. Also, I am leaving the decision to you and to your team whether to include the statement below. Thank you!

Working as a government employee and a freelance writer while going to Law School is not a walk in the park. This platform has really showed me that we can be so many things at the same time while not losing grip with life and its intricacies. Thank you all for the continued support!

Thank you so much @carlgnash! This is like the best birthday gift ever!!!!

i've never been to bukidnon. all i knew about it before your post was that it was somehow linked to pineapples. thanks for sharing your hometown with us! sana i can visit it in the future :)

Hahaha! Hi @lexidala, thank you for taking the time to read my post. There are a lot of things that Bukidnon can offer. In fact, I have only discussed 2 out 22 places in Bukidnon. You should come and visit! If you love adventures, this is definitely the place for you. You can also find the Asia's second longest zip line at Dahilayan Adventure Park in Bukidnon.

Feel free to ping me whenever you visit here. Thanks again!

Never been to burkidnon. Infact I rarely leave metro Manila. As a foreign student here in the Philippines I hope to explore more

Hi @justiceweje! You should make the most of your stay here in the Philippines. Yep, you should explore more as Philippines is full of surprises.

Thanks for dropping by and enjoy the rest of the day!

Hi @valerie, thank you for sharing this. Sobrang ganda talaga ng Pinas. Sana soon makapunta ka rin ako dyan sa lugar nyo.

Hi @josephbuarao! True, maganda ang Pilipinas. Also.. once you visit Bukidnon.. pm mo ko para ma tour kita;) cheers!

I visited Bukidnon once , the place is nice ... Plus medjo malamig heheheh

Yes, it is! Thank you so much @tonie. Let me know when you'll get the chance to be here again. I would really love to meet you in person.

Sure! Wanna show your place to my hubby hehhehe

Yey! The two of you are both welcome in Bukidnon!

YEAh yeah yeah get out of your shell guys!!
its sooooooooo fun to travel around

@rovel1996 I agree! Travelling is like a therapy for me. Come and visit Bukidnon Rovel!

Thanks for dropping by! Enjoy the rest of your day!

its not to far from my hometown, can you suggest an area for mounting climbing with a beautiful seen at the top :D

Hi, I believe Mt. Kitanglad is one exciting mountain climbing spot. I really wanted to try it but I still don't have the courage to do so. Lol

Wow you live in such a beautiful place. Even your view at work looks calming :)

Yes, I feel so lucky being here. Come and visit!

I would love too 😍 maybe next year 😃

Let me know so I could tour you around my town!

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