I Was Bitten

Chopseuy and Friends a.k.a Friends of Limatik Mountaineers

Raymond*Marj*Moi*Angelo*RC

We started trekking late because our first ride, a van bound for Laguna was caught and the driver had to negotiate with an officer for a few minutes. Our second ride, jeep going to UPLB broke down, it took another few minutes before we could transfer. When we got to UP, there was no jeep going to the College of Forestry so we had to walk. A jeep came past us, but we didn't take it because I thought we're almost there, so I guess that one's my fault. We had a briefing with Kuya Jojo, the forest guard, which is required before anybody can go hiking through the UPLB gate. We were given pamphlets, mine was destroyed, including my ropemanship handouts, the Makiling map I printed, the ticket that was given to us at the ranger station, and the flaglet I made, because I was sweating hard and my sweat must've seeped through my backpack. We also met researchers who made rodent traps and camped at Station 22 and set them throughout to gather specimens. Kuya Jojo cleared out some issues about MFR and private properties around Makiling and we also found out that MakTrav is not allowed in the LB side. We had buko breaks. Yum-yum! The furthest we got is Station 26. We decided not to continue the summit because we are losing daylight. It was hard enough going up during the day, a night trek down would've been perilous. We only have few pictures because when the limatiks started attacking us at Station 16, limatik was all I could think of. Almost got one in my mouth, that was the one that had me start my panicking. Tasted something tasteless but slimy on my lips then when I looked down... I started screaming and wiping it of frantically. I can't touch them so it had me pleading the others to take it off. Man, you can't feel them but they'll kill you in disgust. Ugh! I'd rather roll down the mountain like my "wreckage" climb than have those icky crawly critter creep on me and feast on my blood. We stopped at the Agila Base to eat and nurse our limatik bites. Luckily, I only had one bite near my ankle [and it's still itchy], Mond and RC also had bites. Angelo was bitten right on one of his veins and it took sometime before we stopped bleeding. Marj texted me about her bites when she got home. The locals were nice and friendly. We got back at the ranger station at past 7pm. We stopped there for wash up and fixed our things then head off home.



I haven't summitted this one but being just 4 stations away from the peak is good enough for me. I don't think I'll ever be coming back, not as long as limatiks exist there. I don't really think I'll ever go anywhere where limatik exist.

11.May.09
Make it, Makiling!
Mt. Makiling Forest Reserve

PS: Until I got home, before I fell asleep, I could still imagine. I was still worried that a limatik managed to cling in to one of my things, coming home with me. I was feeling paranoid. I imagine small movements anywhere near me to be a limatik. Waaaahh.