Mt. Parawagan: A Hike, a Lesson, and a Makeshift Tricycle
It’s been years since my last hike, so when a friend invited me to climb Mt. Parawagan, a beginner-friendly trail near Manila, I felt a fuck yes jolt out of my sacral chakra. As a generator, this is how my body communicates with me—my truth, free from external influence. We hit a few bumps right from the start. We didn’t know where the trailhead actually was. A drunk man approached us, claiming we needed to hire him to comply with government regulations. Scared and unsure, we just started walking. A hike less than six kilometers shouldn’t need a guide, we thought—we even read that online. But without internet in the mountains, Google, our trusted friend, was out of reach. Luckily, some kids along the way pointed us in the right direction. Once we were on the proper trail, we met three women. One of them was struggling right from the start. We swapped a few stories, and as we walked, one of the women clung to me. I felt the weight of what she was carrying. I gently removed her hand and...