Mountain Woods Retreat

After our 50th Anniversary Dinner Banquets and Radio Rally at the Cuneta Astrodome, the managers treated our organization president and the rest of the staff to a much-deserved rest and recreation at the Mountain Woods Resort in Subic.

 

The office decided to rent a coaster (a small bus) to accommodate all 25 employees and Dr. Woodrow Kroll and Sam Grandjean, our two visitors from Back to the Bible – International based in Lincoln, Nebraska, USA.

 

 

The First Part of The Journey

 

It was a fun and leisurely ride via the North Expressway. The office had provided for our chicha which included some Boy Bawang, potato chips, Zesto juice drinks and bottled mineral water. Sam constantly took pictures of the staff as he interviewed each one of them. He later settled near my seat and we discussed, at great length, the features of his and Dr. Kroll’s Nikon D200 digital SLR. Maybe it was his sales pitch that got me convinced to invest in my own Nikon SLR.

 

 

Our first stop was at a roadside stall at the winding mountain trail heading up to Subic. Some of the staff bought mangos, patis (fish sauce) and melons. Dr. Kroll was more interested in the large river crabs. He bought several for our lunch.

 

A few minutes later, we took over Gerry’s Grill inside the former American naval base and ordered kare-kare, sisig, seafood and crispy pata. Kuya Clem assisted Dr. Kroll in asking the restaurant staff to prepare and cook the crabs he just bought. When the steamed crustaceans came out, I just had to take a bite. They were really fresh and juicy. A little grubby but the garlic and vinegar kind of cancelled it out.

 

 

Siesta at The Mountain

 

After eating to our heart’s delight, we just had to rest and find some place for siesta. Our coaster drove us up to Mountain Woods. Nestled on a hill that overlooks the lush forest of Subic, the resort hotel felt very intimate, restful and cozy. We realized that we were the only guests there since it was Monday (it’s usually filled up during Fridays and weekends). The place has a country-style architecture that provides a most conducive ambiance for relaxation. There are also impressive objects d’art that provide accent to the interiors.

 

 

We proceeded to our designated rooms. I was assigned with Kuya Rudy Ramirez and Kuya Mon Millon. Our guest room, like the rest of the other rooms, is equipped with cable TV, telephone, individual air-conditioning, refs with mini bar, toilet and bath with hot and cold shower. We found a bamboo ladder in our T&B — we still don’t know what it’s for. After taking a quick shower and raiding the mini ref, I dozed off — intent of shaking all the stress and fatigue from planning, preparing and executing our numerous 50th Anniversary activities.

 

 

Al Fresco Dinner

 

When I woke up at around 6:00 PM (I slept for five hours), we were all invited for an al fresco dinner. We had fish fillet, spinach and several other entrees — plus dessert. Dr. Kroll commented that he ate his whole month’s quota on rice in that one meal (about a cupful). Dinner was enjoyable because everybody was in a good, restful mood. There was even a moment I was made a butt of jokes because they took pictures and made a joke about my butt.

 

Two hours later, we all joined Dr. Kroll and Kuya Clem for an open forum in the function room. There was free-flowing brewed coffee and some biscuits to accompany our thanksgiving and prayer requests. The highlight of the evening was Dr. Kroll’s message and his swan song about this being the last time that he will be in the Philippines as president of Back to the Bible because he will be retiring in a few years. His revelation brought tears to some of the staff.

 

It was almost midnight when we finished our open forum. Some of the guys decided to play several rounds of pool and billiard before hitting the sack. I, on the other hand, couldn’t wait to watch cable TV and sleep.

 

 

Morning Meditation at The Gazebo

 

The following day, I decided to spend my morning devotion time at the resort’s gazebo. In that particular morning, you’ll really feel that Mountain Woods is a sanctuary for the soul. Serenely nestled on a hill, the hotel commands a breathtaking, unobstructed view of the well-preserved forest of Subic Bay. Whether reading your Bible or praying, the resort provides a solace from the hustle and bustle of city living.

 

After my morning devotion, I sat with Dr. Kroll and Ate Merlyn for a pinoy breakfast. Dr. Kroll chose longsilog and kapeng barako, while Ate Merlyn and I had tapsilog and that coffee from Batangas. Besides talking about work, I told Dr. Kroll the story of Dan (The Bicol Man) which was a tale of the paranoid Filipino TNT afraid of his own shadow.

 

 

Touring The Military Base

 

Next in our itinerary was a quick tour of the former American base. We hired the service of a guide who directed us to the important features of the once-military facility. We were very impressed with the camouflaged bunkers — you wouldn’t see them even if they were only a few meters away. We got to go inside one abandoned bunker and it was well-hidden and reinforced. We also got to look at the large and pricey mansions built for the APEC delegates.

 

We stopped over at a beach and near a bat roost (you won’t notice that they were bats unless you used a tele-photo lens or the bat moved). These fruit bats were large — like a flying fox or dog.

 

 

Later, we met up with the forest’s animated denizens — the monkeys. After being so accustomed to tourists, they have anticipated our every move. When the coaster arrived, they came in droves and sized-up our group — sensing perhaps if we brought food for them. Unfortunately, they quickly found out that we were from the “kuripot” clan and slowly dispersed back into the forest mouthing phrases like, “Repakols, olats tayo todits!” — or to that effect.

 

We got back to the resort, and packed up our things for home. We had another stop over at Subic’s duty-free shops. We bought tons of stuff as pasalubong back home.

 

Our experience at Mountain Woods was very restful, educational and fun. We will cherish that vacation for years to come — while our office pays for all the incurred expenses — for years to come!