Nicco and I talked about pursuing dreams. He shared about his food business. He was a Grab driver before the pandemic. During the pandemic that obviously ended. He and his wife were forced to switch to food business: cheese cakes mainly but other stuff too. Business was going well at the beginning of the pandemic, but after the lockdowns eased up, sales dropped as people started going back to restaurants instead of eating at home. Food Panda drivers were affected as well. They moved from Lala Move to Food Panda when online food deliveries were such a trend at the start of the pandemic but went back to Lala Move after online food sales dropped. Nicco is currently selling insurance aside from selling food. But it is still a struggle.
We reached Aguila base. One can really see that the trail ends abruptly different. With the recent rains, the soil is really soft and muddy. While there, it was as if Mt. Makiling is making you feel afraid. The mountain is intensely canopied. There is not a single ridgeline. You are inside Makiling’s world, under her enchantment, until you find your way back. There was a store at the base. Mami was served there, my companions told me. Now it is still closed.
There were hungry dogs. A mother who had surprisingly relatively healthy puppies approached us, wagging her tail, hoping to get some food. Another dog with lots of scabies, wounds open with some blood was roaming around us cautiously. Embi fed the dogs with all of his food. “Di ko na kakainin ito. May pagkain naman tayo eh. Itong mga to wala talaga.” Such a good man.
We made our way back and reached the mami store we passed by a while ago. We stopped and ate mami. The beef was good. The price was right. The noodles could’ve been better but the soup was enough for me to ignore the flaw. The soup had egg in it like lomi. It was thick. And the heat lasted longer. We ate under the open space, sky above us, no rain. It was good.
During this walk, I learned that our feet remembers. They know where best to land. They are cautious. There are two parts to this hike: the hike on concrete road to Aguila base and the hike on muddy, slippery trail to mudspring. The experience of each are obviously startkingly different. I like walking on concrete or dirt roads when I want to practice a wide range of mindfulness. I switch from one view to the next, one sensation to the next. I am comfortable so I am more open to philosophizing, thinking, and being.
Walking on muddy and slippery trails require focus. It transports you to your body and environment—immediate environment—sometimes, just the trail itself. Then there is an unusual relationship between your feet and the path that emerges. Everything else is shut down. Plants, twigs, leaves, and everything around us serves a utilitarian purpose. They are not objects to observe. They help you get past the trail. It is extremely immersive. You forget yourself. No walker, just walking. And you have no choice because your safety depends on it. I love both experiences.