Camping Chronicles: A Night to Remember at Lake Veloso

First times are a universal part of our lives that we all go through, and as an enthusiast of novel experiences, I'm driven to embrace and amplify the excitement that comes with them. I firmly believe that these kind of moments are the most enduring, allowing me to uncover new discoveries, connect with new people, and gain valuable life insights.

And now, let me take you to my first-ever outdoor camping experience with people, half of whom I had just met.

WHERE TO GO?

During the last week of July, @mariasalve asked me and @katiemeow if we wanted to join their camping trip on the 12th and 13th of August at Lake Veloso, San Fernando. Without hesitation, we immediately said yes. Since it was our first time participating in such an activity, we had numerous questions, such as the distance, the duration of the walk to the lake, the cost of transportation, the food arrangements, what items to bring, and more. I hope she wasn't irritated. Thank you for your patience, @mariasalve . Hahahaha

Moving forward to August 12th, I had all my things ready. Our meeting place was at the South Bus Terminal at 1pm. Due to heavy rain, we got stranded for awhile. Heavy traffic added to our delay, and we finally arrived in Naga at 5pm. From there, we hopped on motorbikes and had a 20-minute hike before we reached Lake Veloso. Setting up our tents was a bit tricky as we weren't sure where to pitch because of the cow pats.

As we started preparing our food, some more of @mariasalve 's friends arrived. At first, I felt a bit shy since it was my first time meeting them, but they turned out to be welcoming and outgoing, making it easy for me to blend in. Our food preparation took quite a while and was quite amusing. We didn't have a proper knife, which resulted in my friend, Spencer, accidentally cutting his finger. The burners were broken, so we had to continue cooking over a wood fire, and the guys had to search for wood in the dark. Once everything was ready, we set up everything in the center of our tents, where the social gathering also took place.

The Socials...

Photo from Bon

We had dinner and enjoyed a few drinks with laughter in between. They asked us, the newbies, to introduce ourselves. After a while, @iamcjestrada appeared with a cake, and everyone sang a "Happy Birthday" song. I joined in singing, even though I didn't know whose birthdays we were celebrating. It turned out to be a double birthday celebration for Kuya Junji and @ybanezkim26 . We continued talking about silly things and sharing scary stories, unaware that @katiemeow was silently scared at the time. She only told me about it when we were inside the tent before going to sleep. HAHAHAHAHA

The night grew darker, and everyone decided to rest, retreating to their tents. @katiemeow and I shared a tent, so once inside, we had a chat and, you know, some 'chismis' time (chismis means gossip). I thought everyone was going to sleep, but moments later, someone started talking again behind our tent. They continued their 'chismis,' and later on, I heard them discussing some scientific explanations for certain things. Hahahahah

MORNING AT THE LAKE

As the sunrise painted the sky, two sleepy newbies remained inside their tent (that's me and @katiemeow ), while everyone else bustled outside, preparing breakfast, taking pictures, gathering firewood, and simply enjoying the morning view. I had a restful night's sleep, and I'm sure @katiemeow did too (as you can see in the picture hahaha). After freshening up, I headed to Ate Salve and Kuya James, who were busy cooking. I grabbed a cup of coffee and then returned to our tent to wake up Ate Kim. We had our breakfast a little later.

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We snapped solo pictures, and I even used my empty mug as a prop, pretending to savor coffee while soaking in the view (all for the sake of Instagram hehe). We also created some TikTok videos; Gento dance and Dati-rati dance. When the motorbike drivers arrived, we kindly asked one of them to capture a group photo of us before leaving the place.

Leaving the lakeside after a night of joyful camping was a wistful moment. I will cherish the memories of laughter by the serene lake, both with the people I just met and those who were already close to me. It was a short but sweet escape, leaving us eager for future one or more-night camping adventures by the water's edge.

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I'm bursting with excitement about what lies ahead! The anticipation is mounting, and I'm genuinely looking forward to sharing every moment of my next adventures with all of you.

Thank you for reading, Hiveans!