Forest Bathing

I chanced upon the term in one of those facebook links and it stuck.  To me it describes in full what being in the woods mean than the word “trekking” does.  The latter pertains merely to the “physical exercise” and somewhat does not fully capture the real essence of the entire experience.  

It’s been seven years since I’ve last been on a mountain.  I’ve had a chance to do a short trek in Cambodia last year and I’ve been wanting a repeat since.  Also, I wanted to introduce the kids to trekking already.  Both Tatay and I are very much into it so we would want to at least show them why it means so much to us. Hopefully, they’d be sharing the same passion. 

Rod had a stint at mountain climbing at Samal’s highest peak when he turned 7 last year.  It was the highlight of his “Turning-of-Age-Manhood-Ceremony.”  It was a father and son thingy.  I had to remind myself that it was Rod’s day to keep myself from tagging along.  So we never really had a chance to do any forest bathing as a family. 

A month ago, I chanced upon a promo for staying in a mountain resort here.  At Php 1300 for a room of 4, it was actually quite a steal.  The package included plated breakfast with an upgrade to buffet with only 50 bucks additional.  Not bad at all.  Since it was also Mama’s 65^th birthday the following day, we grabbed at the chance to turn it into a family celebration as well. 

The night before the trek, I was already tingling with anticipation.  There’s something about initiating the kids into something that you love that’s quite exciting.  It’s like opening my heart in another way and introducing them to another aspect of my personality.  This one, a far cry from my ‘a-bit-rigid,’ OC self who is all about “defining boundaries.”:P (I can go on and on about parenthood and setting boundaries but that’s another entry altogether)

I was tickled pink while I readied the kids’ shoes, particularly that of Forest’s.  It looked so small lined up next to ours.  She’s got a good pair (Vertical Limits) that’s really engineered for active use. I remember feeling the same way when it was just Rod and we were on a trip in Bantayan Island.  I got amused when I lined up his very small Nike shoes next to Tatay’s hiking boots.  Indeed, our brood is growing.  But then, I digress again :)

Morning came so soon. As it was a Sunday, we dressed up for the early Mass.  Before we knew it, we were back in our cottage and getting ready for the morning trek.

The Trail. The resort’s mountain trail starts close to the vista cottages, a good 200 meters away from our own.  We decided to just pick up the part of the trail closest to us.  The good thing about it is that it’s right next to a hanging bridge which is a good start for the kids. The hanging bridge somewhat underlined how adventurous the whole thing is.

We followed an established trail, a portion of it, of a concrete pathway.  The moss that covered the path was an indication that it was rarely used, if at all, recently.  It was a bit tricky, being slippery and all but we managed it fine.  The trail then cuts across an area filled with several-year-old fruit trees.  They were towering over us, littering the path with rotten marangs which made us all the more careful.  There were signs and info boards in some points, telling us of our progress, where we are and sharing trivia bits about trees and nature.

There were man-made concrete and bamboo bridges littered along the way.   Some of them were broken, with telling signs that they’ve been hit by fallen trees.  The recent occurrence of torrential rains in Davao came to mind. Those must have been responsible for that and for altering some portions of the trail.  Once or twice we came across fallen bamboo trees that block the passage altogether.  There were fallen logs as well. 

At one point we had to crawl and remind the kids to close their eyes because of protruding pin-like branches.  The whole time it had been like that, either Tatay or I telling them what to do on certain parts of the trail.  Tatay acted like the real guide he was, educating them about trail rules and signs.  I stifled a smile when Tatay lectured them about “taking nothing but pictures, killing nothing but time and leaving nothing but footprints.” 

The muddy parts of the trail are what proved to be a challenge. They were slippery and most of the time, there were drops right next to the trail.  One look at the boulders below was enough to give one the jitters.  I had to remind the kids about taking side steps on muddy, downward inclines.  It was funny to hear Forest in her cute, little voice chanting, “side step, side, side, side.” I had to remind myself she is only three years old.

Personality Test.  The other thing I looked forward to in trekking with the kids is that I know I’d get to know their personalities better from the experience.  Indeed, trekking (esp. a long and difficult one) can serve as a true test of character.  In my case, when I first got into it, I discovered a lot of things about myself: the extent of my endurance and patience; how I love challenges and testing my limits; what my perfect stride and pace is, etc.  It also re-affirmed what I already know – that I’m a totally cerebral person.  Despite the “physical-ness” of it all, I found myself constantly thinking, rejoicing in and processing in my mind the entire experience. 

And I was right.  After around 200m or so into the trek, Rod’s impatience was already very telling.  At one point he nearly slipped.  His reaction was immediate: he let out a cry of frustration, turned on his heel and muttered he’s going back to where we started.  Since it was an incline he was on, despite repeated attempts, he barely moved an inch. There he was stuck on the same spot like running on a treadmill.  It was funny to watch but I could tell he was getting exasperated by the second and getting angrier for every failed attempt. Laughing (at the situation and not necessarily at him) would have launched World War III.  

When Rod finally managed to get pass the spot, true enough, he stomped off toward the direction of where we took off.  At that point we have covered 3/4s of the trail and neither his Tatay nor I was very much eager about retracing our steps and not completing the trek. We called out to him telling him it’s much farther going back than going forward but it took some prodding before he retraced his steps back to us, complaining loudly all the way.  I could tell Tatay was beginning to lose his patience and I had to remind him about how tired Rod must be. 

Forest was the opposite.  She showed every potential of a real outdoorsy person (And yup, definitely living up to her name).  She was ever patient and very mindful of her companions.  A cousin, her Tito Nonon, came along for the trek.  He is differently-abled but managed the trail fine.  He slipped at one point though and since then, Forest would always say, “Ingat, Tatay Nonon” or would inquire after him if he lags behind.  It was very sweet of her and I greatly appreciated her for being that way.  She also listens intently to the instruction her Tatay gives and I could tell that she takes them to heart.  Not to compare, Rod is the more stubborn and strong-willed (very much like his Tatay :P).  Although, God bless him, when he got over his frustration, he was all the more driven.  He was walking steadily with his Tatay who was in the lead and even ran ahead and had his Tatay doubling up to catch up with him. 

Soaking in and Drinking Up.  It was pretty much that way towards the end of the trek.  Being in the middle of the pack, I was often left on my own.  Tatay, the kids and a teenage niece were on the lead.  I was in the middle because I was waiting for Nonon to catch up.  He often was just a bend or two behind and I had to wait for a bit.  We were already in the midst of the pine trail then, that part of the nature park that’s filled with different varieties of pine trees.  I got amused noting that instead of the large leaves and rotting durian or marang, the forest floor was littered with fine, pine needles.  The scent was heavenly too and so I found myself wallowing in the experience and drinking up the energy of the place.  Gulping several mouthfuls was more like it.  I did not realize until then just how hungry I was for being back in the woods.  It was truly a forest bathing experience and I definitely would want a repeat, soon!