Travel Stories: Lake Sebu - Still Waters Run Deep

Thursday night I was in my usual gloomy mood because the next day was going to be a non-working holiday for everyone else but me. So when my mom asked if I wanted to go to Lake Sebu for the [supposedly] long weekend, my stare could not be more vile.

Come Friday though, I realized, eh, what the hell. I've always asked for a weekend getaway anyway. The next thing I knew, I was in the backseat of our car with my two younger cousins, munching on cheese-flavored Sunchips and trying to keep our balance as my father swerved the curved roads to General Santos City.

We reached Gen. San. a little past 10AM, and decided that lunch will be at Marbel. Unfortunately, most of the eateries were closed for All Saints' Day, and we tensed at the thought that we might have to forgo lunch until Lake Sebu. 

To our relief, one Nadie's Chicken House was open as we drove through Tupi. I'm so glad we found Nadie's by accident. They served really good inasal chicken! So good that I gobbled up a cup of rice despite my oatmeal-or-nothing diet. Looks like this trip is off to a good start.

With bloated but satisfied tummies, we continued on the road towards Suralla. As we passed the very modern Suralla Terminal, we were already on the lookout for signages to Lake Sebu. A few minutes later, we saw one very unassuming billboard, directing us to take the left beside a Petron gas station.

Ma booked us at Mountain Lake Eco-Resort, which was maybe 5kms. farther from the cluster of more known resorts in the area. The place is at the other side of the lake, but that didn't make it any less ideal for a relaxing vacation. It was like we had the resort all to ourselves, allowing us to enjoy the place in all its tranquility.

The rooms were simple but neat. I was bummed to find they didn't have airconditioning, but later figured it wasn't necessary given the cool climate in the area. We rented one cottage for 3pax (at P1,200) and another for 2 pax (at P900), which included a very detoxifying view from the cottage veranda.

 

Being the hyper bunch that we are, we quickly inquired what activities we can do for the rest of the day, since it was only 2:30PM. The receptionist suggested we take the lake cruise, which was a 1-hour tour around the lake, exclusive to the resort. The cruise also included a merienda buffet...who would say no to that, right? :) They needed a minimum of 10 people though, and there were only 5 of us, with the slightest chance of additional guests arriving soon. So we had to pay the P2,000 (basically P200 per head for 10 pax) fee to avail the tour.

To be honest, I wasn't expecting to see much from Lake Sebu. It's a lake, for crying out loud. But as it turned out, Lake Sebu's appeal is far beyond the superficial. It has a native culture so rich and a history very well-preserved, they have passed it on even to this generation.

There was something pure about the locals of Lake Sebu. As members of the T'boli tribe, they take pride in who they are and what they do, and in some way want the rest of the world to see what they can offer. This was apparent in how they beamed when I was taking pictures and videos of their mini cultural performance during the cruise, and how the tour guide gently requested that I share them to my friends on Facebook and Twitter.

And to fulfill my promise....

I'll post the videos this weekend (or someday. lol). :)

Anyway, I got the same request from Mr. Ba-ay as well, when we visited his quaint T'boli Museum the next day. 

Mr. Ba-ay, owner of the T'boli Museum specializing in kulintangs (gongs), made great effort to explain the historic pieces on his display. While his tongue spoke fluent English, his heart clearly remained with his roots, which explains why he chose to still reside in the area even though his children are now working in Davao.

The best experience for me probably would be meeting Lang Dulay herself. Prior to this trip, I had no idea who she was or what she did. But reading through the articles as I searched for things to do/see in Lake Sebu, I was at awe that such a national treasure is just within reach, and that I could actually meet someone who carried history with her.

Lang Dulay had a small weaving center which served as a training ground for the younger T'boli to learn the art of traditional weaving. As I poked and fiddled the "machines" and abaca fibers, one of her trainees explained the tedious process to produce one roll of T'nalak cloth. They spend 4 months of weaving, dyeing, and ironing to produce a roll, evident in the intricate details in the cloth.

This is why we weren't surprised when they told us the T'nalak costs P600 per meter (could go higher depending on the width), given the meticulous and quite laborious procedure. Ma bought 3 meters to use as a table runner before we left, more to express our gratitude towards them than for anything else, really.

Our last activity and the highlight of this trip was our zipline adventure at the Seven Falls. This, my friends, YOU DO NOT WANT TO MISS. And I say that with utmost sincerity I could be placing my palm on my chest if I wasn't typing. We've been to a lot of ziplines before, but the view from this one is just magnificent. We were supposed to see a total of 5 falls while ziplining. I only saw 2 (lol), but they were enough to make this zipline the Grand Winner of all the ziplines I've experienced. I honestly forgot about the thrill of the ride and was entirely captivated by the view. The P300 fee was well worth it. 

For your appreciation....

There are a lot of things to love about Lake Sebu that I might have missed to mention here. But in the end, it boils down to experiencing the place yourself, and witnessing how the calmness you'll feel around the locals reflects the tranquil waters of the Lake itself.