Planning Indochina

I realized na hindi ko na pala na-blog ang Bangkok ko, at hindi ko pa natapos ang Visayan road trip ko. Tsk tsk... And yet, I'm planning another road trip: Indochina! And, bente kami! As in 20! Grabe, ang dami. Gusto ko ata maging tour guide e. Anyway, it's still in August, but the plans are laid out as follows with a few minor changes nalang :P

Date	Time	Itinerary	Cost	Comments
Aug 20	1830	Meet up at McDo Resort's World	KKB	Group bus or taxi to NAIA 3
	1950	Check in at NAIA 3	PhP 450 + 1620	Terminal Fee + International Tax
	2250	ETD Manila via Cebupac
Aug 21 Aug 22	0020	ETA Ho Chi Minh via Cebupac	250+25 USD/grp	Pick up by bus (Vietnam Tours)
	0530	Sunrise at Black Virgin Mountain Cao Dai Temple	162000 Free	Breakfast in the area
	0900	Cu Chi Tunnel (Ben Dinh and Ben Duoc)	80000 VND/pax	Average time: 1-2 hours; included tour guide
	1300	Check in at Mai Guesthouse	230 USD/grp	5 rooms x 2 double beds
		Notre Dame Cathedral, Post Office  – Free entry Reunification Palace (sunset) – 30000 VND War Remnants – 15000 VND Hotel de Ville (People’s Committee Hall)	KKB
		Shopping: Ben Thanh, Saigon Central	KKB	Walking distance; TNF, here we come
		Nightlife in Vietnam: Pub, Dancing	KKB
Aug 23	0600	ETD Bus for Phnom Penh (Mac Boi border)	40000 VND/pax	2-3 hours travel; via Sapaco Bus
	0800	ETA Mac Boi Border	170 USD/grp	Pick up by Angkor Guide Sarak
	1300	ETA Phnom Penh	50 USD/grp	Transportation around Phnom Penh
		Cheong EK Memorial (Killing Fields) – 5USD Toul Sleng Genocide Museum – 2USD Royal Palace (6.50), National Museum (5)	5 USD/pax 2 USD/pax	City Tour via coaster
	1700	Sunset river cruise at the Mekong River	50 USD/grp	Blue River Cruise; may bring food on board
	1900	Dinner? Shop at Russian Market, Central Market (?)	KKB	Tambay lang
	2230	ETD Phnom Penh to Siem Reap	230 USD/grp	6 hours via private coaster
Aug 24	0430	ETA Siem Reap	75 USD/grp	Transpo around Angkor temples
		Angkor: Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Bayon, Baphuon, Elephant terrace, Ta Prohm & Preah Khan Alt sunset: Phnom Bakneng, Pre-Rup, Bakheng Hill	20 USD/pax
	1900	Check in at Angkor Spirit Palace (1, 2)
Aug 25	0700	Check-out at Angkor Spirit Palace	150 USD/grp	Free breakfast
	1000	ETD Poipet – Aranyaprathet Border	400 THB/pax	Cross immigrations
	1500	ETA Bangkok. Check-in	THB 4000/van?	Van to (Chatuchak?) to BKK
		Chatuchak Weekend – up to 6 pm? (Outside) temple at night
	PM	Patpong Night Life	KKB
Aug 26	Plan A	Pattaya Bungy Jumping + Beach + Nong Nooch Garden	Est 3000 THB	2050/bungy + 2000/taxi + 450/Nong Nooch
	Plan B	Floating Market + elephant & crocodile show	830 THB	Transpo and lunch included
Aug 27	AM	Last-Minute Shopping
	1900	ETD Bangkok to the airport	No travel tax	8 pm - check in
	2340	ETD Bangkok via Cebupac
Aug 28	0344	ETA Clark via Cebupac		Rent a jeep back to Manila?

Grabe, I can't believe I'm this organized. I was able to do most of the planning in a week's time! Haha Tapos minor tweaks nalang ang iba, grabe.

These are the list of hotels that we would be staying at:

Hotel	Price (est.)	Amenities	Facilities	Comments
HCM: Mai Guest House* Pham Ngu Lao St., District 1	PhP 510 (2 nights) – 10USD	20 sqm TV, Desk	Free tea, coffee Computers	Trip Advisor 5 of 505 B&Bs and Inns Booking and Agoda
SR: Angkor Spirit Palace*** Phneachey Village, Psa Krom Market	PhP 323 (1 night) – 7.50 USD	55 sqm TV, View, Ref	Free breakfast Swimming pool	15-min drive to Angkor Wat and 10-min drive to market; Trip Advisor 52 of 195 Hotels Booking (3
BKK: Born Free Hostel Khao San Road	PhP 480 or 600 (2 nights) – 320 or 400 THB	12 aircon dorm 8 fan dorm		10-min walk to KSR; 5-min to bus stop Newly renovated; 3-months pa lang Hostel Bookers: 98.5%

And our working budget is...

Tour and Entrance fee - PhP 1700 (excluding Bangkok tours because we all have different plans)

Transportation - PhP 2800 (excluding Bangkok tours)

Accommodations - PhP 1250 to 1430

Total: PhP 6000 (excluding shopping and souvenirs, and Bangkok Tours)

Tada!

Remembering Biki

Is this really it?

Can I accept that Biki is gone? A part of me still refuses to believe it. A part of me still think I must have been dreaming (or having a nightmare) that a friend has gone missing for the last couple of weeks. Even after going and climbing Maculot for 4 days, seeing the autopsy, being there during the cremation. I still can't believe it. I find its surreal that I cannot talk to Biki anymore. That I don't see his posts regarding his climbs.The pictures taken from his climbs.

But I have to wake up. It has been 3 weeks. He's gone. There's a body found. Confirmed by dental (which I don't really have much faith on, anyway, but still confirmed.)

I cannot believe that a friend of mine died. Though I must admit that I first met Biki on our Manalmon climb last August 2011 (my first official climb with BU), I have only grown to know him and be friends with him sometime maybe on August or September 2012. I climbed with them at Mt. Daguldol (I remember telling myself I would have to stop climbing because um, my previous reason for climbing was gone and residency training was starting haha). Weirdly, a nice circle of trust formed and I've bonded with these people since then. Well, maybe it was because of the karaoke post-climb too...

After Daguldol, I wasn't planning on going on any more mountains, particularly Kanlaon or Apo because of residency. But I wanted to exercise, so I joined their Diagnostic Runs. It's because of these diagnostic runs (and post-runs), I met more people from the future: my travel companions. I got so into it and so affected... I decided to join them haha (I know that basically one has to be 100% pure heart in entering residency training, or else I will be unhappy and will quit it before the 3 years is over.)

Climbing Kanlaon was hard because one has to go up and down several times (especially on the second day) amidst the rain and the mud. Since I will be gone for a long time from work (I was scheduled to return after the Maskarra Festival, which was more than a week-long vacation actually), I've been on several straight days of duty, so during the first day of our climb, I was really really tired. So much that I just wanted to stop for a moment and just sleep literally while waiting for the other half to come. (Thank you, Cesar for insisting that you stay with me while waiting for the rest of them to climb.) And that's how we became extra members of the Fellowship, consisting of AJ, Troy, Leo, Marlon, and Biki. Since then, we've been climbing with their pace. (That's the first climb that I don't feel pressured climbing actually... It was great!)

After Kanlaon, it was generally only me, Biki, Shee, and Cesar... and Leo sometimes. I think this is really where our friendship solidified: Dumaguete Roadtrip. Planning our itinerary and our activities, and having a successful day was really something. We were all spontaneous, easy-going people and it was a lot of fun. At first, I was shy around Biki (especially when I thought that he had another friend) and I don't know if I would travel with him or with Deo (Deo was going to visit his cousins so, no way as much as possible). I was able to invite Shee so I know that I would be more comfortable traveling with them. Spontaneously, Cesar also extended his stay haha Even JM and Sharlene went with us to sightsee for a day in Dumaguete. Then on our second to the last day in Dumaguete, Shee had to leave, but Mariel and Rey-An came. Their one day stay in Dumaguete was filled with activities (visiting the Twin Lakes, Casaroro Falls and Dauin Beach) in one day. Even if we are all tired, Biki was insistent telling us that we could do it. Finish all these three activities in one day. During the Maskarra, we didn't meet Deo anymore. (Not like he did an effort as well.) We met up with Troy and Julius (whom we also met at the Kanlaon climb), Biki's friends from high school or something. It was one of the best road trips I've done, hands down! :)

Less than a month after, it was our Apo adventure. It was during this time that I really felt Biki's personality. And I'm so thankful for him in this climb. I was literally melting under the sun in the boulder part of the mountain, which was the hardest part for me. (The trail was nothing compared to Kanlaon via Wasay trail.) So much that the guide took my pack, keeps on offering me water and chocolate, saying that I look really pale. The group after us was overtaking us, too. (Well, maybe because we also went the wrong path.) No, the thought of not being able to do it and finish this boulder part did not cross my mind. I know I could do it, no matter how slow I was. I also know that after this boulder part, it's already the lake and the camp site. We're already camping out once we're in the site, and it's still freakin' noon! So I wasn't in a real hurry. I just really wanted to lay in the shade for a really long while, maybe take a nap, then just tackle the boulders at 3 pm. What's the hurry anyway? Well, that was one of my trains of thought which was I was so slow. I just want to be the sweeper so the others could go on before me, no pressure on me, because I just really want to be slow. But Biki was insistent. He didn't leave me behind. If ever, he would walk a few meters ahead of me then take pictures of me. I was thankful for his support and his insistence. It made me feel less alone. (Though I know it was a personal decision to be the sweeper.)

On our January adventure, I volunteered to organize their trip to Oslob. Because the team leader wouldn't change their itinerary for the Osmena Peak Climb and he was being unreasonable . It was maybe another thing that bonded us together: irritation for a leader that was being unreasonable. So we made our own itinerary. We went to Siquijor (I really wanted to do this ever since our Dumaguete trip), had a short stay in Dumaguete (our karaoke night was one of the funnest because it was really too funny to fit 11 people in a room for 5, with some sleeping on the laid out sleeping bag and some working with their laptops haha), swam with the whale sharks in Oslob (something that Biki wanted to do), could have done a dayhike in Osmena Peak (but we just went straight to the Kawasan Falls), and just in time for the Sinulog Festival in Cebu. It was a success!!

I miss Biki. I cannot believe he's not here anymore.

How about our trail run in Mt. Pulag? I thought that we were due for a rematch going down the Ambangeg trail. How about our climb in Mt. Mayon? I've been requesting him to organize one. Or even our revenge climb to Mt. Kanlaon? (I agree with him, saying it can just be done Guintobdan backtrail, because we already did Wasay. It's just the clearing of the peak that has to be successful.)

Knowing that most of his climbs were every weekend (as he said, there's no idle weekend for him since the start of January), I constantly reminded him about our pictures in our sidetrips in Dumaguete and in Davao. Ever since October, I told him I would set his picture in Casaroro Fall my profile picture. It has been 6 months already and I have yet to see that picture! It was a good thing, he was able to process and finish the Apo pictures last February. (Maybe since I was consistently reminding him hehe I told him I needed the pictures for the voucher which was due last March.) I'm not even sure if he saw my profile pic, the one that I changed the week after we arrived from Thailand, the week that he went to Romblon, a few days before he was reported missing. I told him I couldn't pick which picture of his I would take, so it took a while and just changed it recently.

I remember the night before he went missing, I asked him how was Mt. Guiting-Guiting. It was a mountain I never would dream to climb, aside that it's a level-9 mountain, I saw that there was a wall-climbing part without any harness and with a full pack. Nope, I'm not suicidal so I'm not going to climb that one. But he told me that I could do it. I could climb G2. It was even more beautiful than our Apo climb, especially when there's a clearing because you will see the ridges, that is similar to Batulao. I was excited to see their pictures. How could it top our Apo climb? But I never saw it, because it was never posted. Never seen by anyone again.

I really cannot believe it.

I will always see Biki as an adventurer. A photographer. An artist. (A lot of people do.) He would go on lengths just to get that certain angle so you can have a nice perfect shot, which you can make your profile picture. He would mentor you on how to pose ... Albeit, sometimes his patience thins out (as Troy would say haha) so you learn to discipline yourself and learn how to pose seriously or haughtily. The Victor School of Modeling, something I know that I wouldn't graduate anymore.

He's a supportive friend, always saying "Kaya yan!" even when the situation doesn't seem to permit it (remembering our last day in Dumaguete and our very busy itinerary in Cebu Roadtrip). He would not leave you even if you insist he goes ahead and volunteers to be the sweeper (remembering Apo).

Always on the go. Always making the most of a place where he is. Giving the place priority over eating and sleeping. Trying to travel as cheap as possible (remembering our 6-hour stay in Dumaguete where we just stayed in a Karaoke Bar instead of sleeping). (Similar to my principles in traveling, but he takes that one to the next level.)

He knows what he wants and he goes after it. (As a lot of people say, he's stubborn.) If it's a group activity, he convinces other people through logic (remembering Cebu) or through bullying (which he denies haha remembering our last lunch in Kanlaon).

I cannot believe he's gone.

Finding Biki: Autopsy

Autopsy confirmed it was him only through dental records. The clothes could just be added right? Especially when other personal items was not found, particularly one shoe, camera, wallet, cellphone, gloves and the things that he wears even while asleep and during bathing: ring that he cannot remove, baller bracelets, rosary... Logically, even 1 set of brief was missing. Face and body was beyond recognition. It was irritating to see that news channels were confirming this in the morning especially when the dentist only reached Crame at lunchtime. Which was also the time when I had successfully sent the pictures. Hmm, seems like pnp came up with a conclusion all on their own. Though their answer is just based on autopsy. Autopsy of a cadaver, with hardly a skin and muscle or eyeball in the first place. Of course their conclusion will be based on the remains which was bones and therefore death due to fall because of the numerous fractures seen.

Other weird things noticed:
1. The picture from the body on site and the actual cadaver seen on the body bag in autopsy was very different. Only 10 hrs in th3 body bag, no air, with moist, with maggots accelerated the decomposition! Was it intentional? Does the people know how to put on formalin to preserve the body?? Who put them there anyway without formalin? The pulis?? Makes me think it was intentional though I think maybe it was just not normal protocol for them. They forgot the 10-hr retrieval.
2. There really was no ring on the finger. No jedi hair. Though the hair may have fallen from a rotting corpse.
3. There was no underwear on the autopsy. The boys claim that kind of pants is itchy, it's an essential to wear underwear or cycling pants. Plus the balls wouldn't feel supported.

Because of these things, we still don't think it was Victor. I wanted to get some hair samples to do some DNA testing but the pathologist say it is best done through femur. When the dentist came, he confirmed it was him, I still cannot believe it. That was biki? I still can't.

I was there in the autopsy, the cremation, during the wake but I still can't believe Victor is dead.

Two days after, while in duty, I still can't. Things they say about engkanto deceiving our eyes and giving a body that's not really him is something I believed more than the pnp's foregone conclusion that there was no foul play involved before the body fell... Hello, the location pa lang was already something of a foul play.

So we want, have to go back to the scene where they found the body. If it's true that it takes 5-6 hrs, it means that we have to camp overnight to do it.

Finding Biki: Unknown Body Found

I got a call from Ange a little before lunch, who said that Biki's mom called, crying that they found his body. Panic, panic mode! I was hungry but I didn't have appetite because we were too anxious. People were texting us, saying that the local channels were confirming that there's a body found, and that they're thinking that it's Biki, because of the clothes. So there we were, waiting anxiously in base camp, present, but no equipment, not ready and cannot help even bring supplies.

JM who is constantly on night duty was awake, so he's the best one to tell the story:

3:45 to around 4:00 AM, a SUV arrived including 4-6 people na naka orange. found out that these are the members of TV 5. then another SUV arrived. THe locals are there (ung mga nakakita sa katawan ni Biki) then 2 motorcycles arrived as well, including 2 another locals na kasama sa operation.

around 4:15 locals start to inform us na "positive" nga. then i asked kung saan ung picture ng nakuha, sabi it would be tomorrow pa daw na pede na ipakita/makita namin. then the story started. 

one of the locals (the injured one) sabi nila na hindi daw tlaga makikita ung dahil nde daw ganuon kalakas ung alingasaw ng katawan (questionable) kaya baka nde daw nakita lahat. they are claiming that the team who went down did not reached that area an based on the discription, impossible na doon daw babagsak si biki. 

then i asked kung paano nga nila nakita ung body. bumaba sila sa 1500 steps and nag boat after that nag climb sila ng around 3.5 hours and dapat daw according to the locals on that barangay e 5 hours daw. sabi ng guide (and i quote: mabilis lang naman namin nakita ung katawan, madaling nakita) which i would think na contradicting kasi later pagka kwento nya is meron silang map dahil hindi nila kabisado ung lugar so they walked and meron silang naamoy na smell (hindi malakas) they followed it until nawala.. naghanap parin sila and around 30 mins meron ulit nangamoy which is a "sign" daw na gusto na daw makita si biki. then nag light sila ng lighter to determine which way the wind would blow. "sa baba pre!" sabi. tapos nag split pa rin sila to determine. then parang naligaw sila.... 

not to mention na ang lugar e mushy, madaling malaglag ung mga rocks and limited lang daw ang person na pede pumunta kasi baka gumuho at nalalaglag dahan dahan ung body. then nung naligaw sila, nde nila napansin/nalaman agad na andon na sila sa site na merong amoy. so hence, nakita nila ung katawan ni biki.. 

we were able to take a look at the pictures. confirmed that the watch, shoes (missing ung isa), pants, damit ay ke biki

So we saw the pictures taken by the locals.  For privacy and human dignity, pictures were deleted after viewing them. We just want to see if it really was Victor. Our observations:

1. We gasped when we saw the red shoe, because it was certainly familiar!
2. The position of the body was twisted and tattered. The head was covered in a pile of rocks (as if it was intentionally put on there). The body was faced upward (?), with the brown shirt worn way up (I'm not sure if it even reached the armhole or just the neck). The body was facing downward, with the pants Pittman Outdoors seen on the pocket. The position of the hands were spread, while those of the feet was close together. The shoe was found about 1 meter away from the body. There was no camera bag, no other shoe, no hat found around the area. (Or did they really look?)
3. First, you would expect a dead person to be pale and cold, with blue-purple on the bottom where the blood would pull to gravitate. But instead, his skin was orange... with grey to black scorches. It even has a seemingly-looking blister on the right upper arm. It looks like balat ng lechon... My conclusion, the body was burned. My friends also noticed the black scorch particularly on both ankles, like he was tied.
4. Second, there was an open bone there. It wasn't a fracture, it was an exposed left shoulder joint. Now, who would think that the bone would be clean, if the fall was made while the body was alive, wouldn't there be blood and gore? And it won't be that easy to separate the tissues from the bone? The picture seemed to show that his whole left arm was completely detached from the joint. If this is a live body prior to falling, it won't detach that easily.
5. We saw some wounds and scratches which he could get from falling, but it doesn't seem to bleed much. Post-mortem wounds, maybe?
6. Two weeks, at this time, wouldn't it smell? Or have maggots and insects in them?

Now let's talk about the missing items and generally just weird items...

7. There was a watch, which he wore on the right hand (which according to Ange, he only wears on the left hand.) Surprisingly, the watch doesn't seem to have a drop of blood. Also, the way it was attached, it wasn't attached securely and the watch face was turned towards the ventral side of the body, which is usually on the dorsal side.
8. We know that he wears gloves EVERY where, but there wasn't any on the body.
9. We know that he has bracelets on his wrist, but there wasn't any at all.
10. Angelyn know that he has a ring, that he never removes. It cannot be easily feel from the body.
11. Surprise, surprise! There was no camera bag in the crime scene. Along with the cellphone of course.
12. One shoe was found 1 meter from the fall. But if one falls, does the hiking shoes really separate from the shoes? Maybe if it's loose right? But the socks looks looser...
13. Socks are usually positioned in such a way that the heel and the toe will fit exactly with that of the sock. But the socks seems to be disarranged, like it was just put on.

How about the location?
14. The body was found in the Rockies, a place where Maricris fell two decades ago. So it was combed, rapelled 3x at least! And yet they didn't found anything? There was even a dog then, and it wasn't able to sniff anything!
15. From the Rockies, it was another descent going down, spiraling until you reach the covered area. Weird thing is, you kind of have to curved a bit to get to the part where they say they found the body. Else, it would have been a straight descent.

16. Actually, the crime scene doesn't seem to bleed that much. Hmm... Actually, I would look at where he fell from the Rockies and follow that line going down. See the blood splatter...

So um, yes, we can confirm that the clothes and the shoes may belong to Victor. But the body? I'm not sure. I still believe that Biki is NOT that body; that body also died from torture and burn, and was pushed (or dropped) afterwards.

Sigh... Only the autopsy will confirm anything... Actually, the DNA test will confirm it. I just hope the parents agree.

Finding Biki: Part 2

Engkanto, in Wikipedia means "are environmental spirits that have the ability to appear in human form". They lead travelers astray, unless you have agimat or anting-anting. In some movies, they can also cause human madness, fevers, and unexplained sickness. Do you believe in them?

I don't know, but I believe that there are things in this world that cannot be explained, cannot be seen or experienced by the five senses. I believe that there are other dimensions currently presiding but maybe in a different plane. I know that the easiest and most logical explanation would be those that can be seen. And sometimes, it usually is the answer. But when our senses are exhausted, and our logic seems far-fetched, we believe that other reasons are possible.

Could this be what happened to Biki? Statements pertaining to this kind of angle:

1. Another mountaineer got lost in the Maculot for 2 days. He experienced it first hand, what it means to be played on by the engkanto. He was found in the Ligaw na Daan part of Mt. Maculot. (Deo said they searched this part but it was a dead end.)

2. The locals claim that there were several incidents of people missing in the forest. One man, found after several weeks, looking at a tree, naked, holding a picture of his girlfriend. "Na-engkanto daw." I don't know what happened to him afterwards.

3. There was a trail found by the psychics in the Ligaw na Daan, which was claimed by the locals to be a dead end with a wall of solid rock at the end (and Deo did confirm that). But when they get there, they claimed that there was a hole, where a person can pass, and a trail. They wanted to push and see what's on the other side, but the locals said they need a rope. (I think that they're thinking it to be a portal at this point.) and it was a little before 6 pm, so it was also getting dark.

The locals claim this wasn't supposed to be here before

This is supposed to be a dead-end. One big wall of rock.

4. There appears to be engkanto because there were reported incidents of spontaneous combusting fire that happened in Cuenca last year, as I have researched in the news. This was eventually solved by another psychic... Whom I am still researching about and trying to contact but cannot get the details.

5. According to another psychic in Palawan, Biki is being held by engkanto. And what do we do so he can be returned? We will know on Friday what needs to be done. Why Friday? I don't know. Is it a full moon? Maybe it's a ritual? Maybe as they say, Friday has a greater signal for this psychic connections. Or maybe it's the day before Biki's birthday? Maybe the engkanto will convene and decide what they want in exchange for Biki? Grabe, kung telenobela ito, ito na ang weekend at kailangan maghintay after 2 days kung ano ang gusto ng engkanto.

6. I don't know if this is related or not, but since I'm just writing my thoughts and trying to organize them and remember them all, I'm gonna write it anyway. The father of the ex-barangay kagawad (who was the guide for BU in Del Pilar) has been missing for several years and was never found. But my cousin told me that he "visits" his home. The family would claim that they saw the slippers at night, but in the morning it would be gone. I don't know if that means it's a ghost or as I said previously, simultaneous people living life in different dimensions or plane.

7. Biki's parents went to Dolores, Quezon to another manggagamot, saying that Biki was indeed na-engkanto. These psychics keep on telling us to pray. Apparently, our being prayer-fulness doesn't seem to be enough. But then again, I've been with this group of people, and I admit that they don't really pray much. I seem to be the only one who is concerned on making it to Sunday mass after a climb. And Biki climbed a mountain instead of observing the usual traditions during Holy Week. Is this really telling us something? Or is this just another coincidence?

Do I believe? I don't know. I just want to talk to those people who said that they found the rock to be open... But I don't know what to ask them. Or see the picture of the rock and the trail.

Though I must say, I don't know which I believe more: the foul play or the engkanto angle. This just doesn't seem to be reality anymore. It's... surreal, actually.

UPDATE: Okay, they checked the place where the rock was supposed to be solid, but according to them, it was opened like that. Like, it wasn't really closed according to other locals. That was confusing. Dahil diyan, tanggaling na ang statement 3.