Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Our Kidapawan City Adventure Part 2 "Lake Agco"



Finally we have arrived in Lake Agko. It was really a nice place to relax and enjoy. The trip was well worth it. This is the pool area with some cottages on the background. The water in the area is free flowing from a cold spring. Warm water is also present from a hot spring and is mixed with the cold for a comfortable and relaxing effect.

Some other small pools are present in the area... notice the picture above, you can see steam from the water rising up... And if you want to make some sweat, you are very much welcome to use their natural sauna...



You will really appreciate nature at its best...


The place is filled with vegetables, flowers, orchids, ferns and many other things that only nature can offer...



Interesting aspect: The picture below shows steam coming out from the ground. This is natural steam from underground so and so that a geothermal plant has been built to provide power to the people within the vicinity...

Well the best thing to do is to visit the place if you have the chance... Stay for a night and enjoy nature at its best... Everything stops... time passes by without you knowing it.. All you can hear and see is the cool nature.... So cool that you can even see a butterfly an and ant chatting about how beautiful the place is...



Well as head back to Davao City for our trip back to Cebu, I like to close this post with some borrowed lines...

GARBO NAKO NGA AKO NAKASUROY SA KIDAPAWAN CITY UG NA ABOT SA LAKE AGKO UG NAKATAN AW SA MT. APO....... DAGHANG SALAMAT TO OUR COORDINATORS!

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Our Kidapawan City Adventure

MT. APO from my point of view.....

I have conducted training in Kidapawan City. This is the very first time I have visited the place. Our coordinators in the area was kind enough to pick us up in Digos City. We traveled by night so I was not able to take a lot of pictures of the place. Anyway, I had the opportunity to take some pictures after our training. Its also a good opportunity for me to update this blog of mine......

Kidapawan City is about 2 hours drive from Davao City. Its already part of the province of North Cotabato. I know that many people especially upon hearing the word Cotabato would think twice going to the area due to peace and order concerns. But upon reaching the area, my perception of the place changed from fear to amazement.

Waking us up in the morning are the sound of birds, and at 6-7 am you can still feel the coldness of the morning and see some parts of the city covered with fog... something that you can no longer see in most city areas in our country.

This is the the City's main street taken at 6 in the evening....


Common mode of transportation in the City Area is the pedicab (tricycle). Jeepneys and buses are also available. But within the city area you can simply go your way around by means of the tricycle.

Prior to leaving Kidapawan City, our coordinators were kind enough to bring us to one of their recommended place to visit... "Lake Agko". The place is less than an hour drive from the city proper. Most of those who wanted to visit Mt. Apo usually proceed to Lake Agko as a starting point.

Heading towards the place, I saw this Rubber Tree Plantation. I think the city supplies the largest amount of rubber for our country.



If you take a closer look you would find these trees producing rubber. Each of them has this container that collects the sap that is processed for rubber making.

Heading further up, you can see this Banana Plantation. The fruit are being wrap to protect against insect and perhaps other animals.. A lot of other fruit bearing trees can be found in the area. From " Marang", "Durian, Mangosteen. No wonder why the fruits are so cheap in the area.




You can also see this plants. You will never missed them since they are abundant along the road. I'm sorry I forgot the name but noticed the the tips that looks like a fiber? If you clean the house most likely you can picture out and guess what you can make out of it... Yes, brooms. People make brooms out of these plants.


Finally we have arrived. What catch my attention are flowers in that were displayed in the site. People pick them up in the area and offer them for sale. From what I understand, they are very much abundant in the place. Well from flowers to fruits... this place has it all!



I guess that's all for now... Watch out for my next point and shoot post... This time the Lake Agko from the inside... See you soon!