Life’s rewards
Today, I went to Lynn Canyon and did a little nature trekking. It’s nothing spectacular; the climb is just as steep as the cemented steps from my grandma’s farm to the Talomo, less the danger.
The walk under tall pine trees was pleasant. It was such a beauty in itself. I can’t help but feel the awe when I standing next to the awe about the 30 feet pine trees. I felt little less mighty. Hehehe
Because it was a canyon, meaning, the landscape was actually dug out by the water, it’s dense air and high humidity makes the trek a little challenging.
At the starting point, I enjoyed basking in the 2:30pm sunlight where the temperature was relatively “warm”. As I descended the slope, I started to issue smoke through my mouth; my breath was catching the cold air and turning into a mist. It’s nothing new, of course, but the thing is, it wasn’t even a five (5) minute descent yet to the suspension bridge when i got “smoky” mouth.
While I was at the suspension bridge, which was 60-feet high, I realized that I have little fear of heights. Next to me was a Korean who couldn’t walk without holding at anything.
Wish I could show you the view from the suspension bridge. As usual, I lugged my camera with me. I was desperate to capture the feeling of dizziness when atop a high elevation while looking down below. I had to fumble my camera (from manual settings to automatic, and then back again). This was what the trip was all about–of learning how to compose good shots. The pleasant view was a reward, but really, the objective of my travel today was to learn a few things about photography. It’s learning by doing, right?
Pretty much, I “swanned” through the terrain, as I am used to it. Good thing I wore my soft rubber shoes, which protected my foot by providing extra pads when I land on the ground. I challenged myself by taking on the steep climb without a moment’s pause. I tried to pace my climb, as a technique I learned in swimming.
By half past three, I decided to head back to my starting point, as the air was getting more dense and I only had one hoodless jacket. I reckon that the temperature during my slow ascent to the hilltop was close to 2 degrees.
I had my hands buried in my pants while I was head down—looking at my worn and torn rubber shoes. I saw a small patch of snow along the pavement. Being a man from the tropics, it’s always a delight to step on those caked up ice. To my surprise, however, I heard loud crunches–like digging through a bowl of Cheerios–as my full weight crushes them on. At that, I felt mighty again. Hahaha, please don’t get me wrong, I am not power greedy—I just have this silly belief that man is equipped with the intellect and gifted with the intrinsic desire to wield whatever that comes his way.
The bus ride back to Lonsdale Quay brings mixed feeling. The actual ride gave me a sense of “returning”—for whatever that meant, I can’t quite explain. It’s the transcendent feeling of the first time traveler the moment s/he waves goodbye to his/her loved ones at the airport. The traveler is excited to hop into the plane to begin the journey, but anxious to leave his/her endeared behind.
I refuse to tag my weekend nature escapades as an “escape” from my daily routine. I would rather think that these are “rewards” that I owe to myself.
In a sense, it is actually “returning” to my daily ritual that is also a thing I like so that I have a reason to “reward” myself…
