Trip Lang #14 - Valkyrie in Minalungao National Park

It's been a while since our last team building. The first quarter fund that we employees were supposed to be given at the end of the quarter was late. Second quarter was almost over when we were given the money. The good thing, we have more money to spend for our trip.

Destination? Minalungao National Park located in General Tinio, Nueva Ecija. Ella have seen an episode of Kapuso Mo, Jessica Sojo where the park was featured as one great summer destination. After checking the internet for pictures and ways on how to get here, the team agreed to visit this place. We decided to create a day trip itinerary because most of us don't have the luxury of time.

There were sixteen of us traveling. The current Valkyrie Team was complete. Me, Sugar, Melai, John, Jeiko, Uno, Nei, Ella, Renn, Abby, MC, Ryan plus some of our loved ones were also there to join us. Alvin, Bams, Bebang, GM and of course, Chase dog (Sugar's Chihuahua).

Our trip was scheduled June 11, 2014. The plan was to take off 12AM after shift so we will be at Papaya Market by dawn to buy our food. We met at Robinson's Market in Eastwood where our rented van was waiting.

Estimated travel time was 4-5 hours to get to the park's lobby. Everyone had decided to sleep the entire travel time in preparation for some activities we prepared. I personally slept like chicken to check the GPS from time to time to make sure we're on the right track.

It was around 4AM when we reached Papaya Market. Not a stall or store was open so we had to wait an hour for the meat and vegetable sellers to arrive. We busied ourselves drinking coffee and hot chocolate from a vending machine.

There was one vegetable stall near the coffee maker that opened so we started buying things we need like mangoes, spices, eggplant, okra etc...

Not too long after tricycles full of newly butchered pigs arrived. Pork barbecue baby! We bought about five kilos of liempo to go with the one liter Mama Sita's barbecue marinade that we purchased from Robinson's market. Then one by one, stalls started to open and the sun finally came out. We bought Tilapia, Bangus, and other things necessary for our day trip... Most of the food we purchased were the best for a day of swimming in the river.

The team waited for about thirty minutes more for the ice plant to open so we can buy some before continuing our journey to Minalungao Park. We busied ourselves with picture taking in the parking area on Papaya Market.

When finally the boys were able to secure a box of ice, we head directly to the park. It rained the night before so the road was slippery and muddy on some part.

We were stopped by a lady at a check point where we had to pay twenty pesos per person for the park's entrance fee and a parking fee of fifty pesos for our van. After settling our payment, we were off to "the lobby" of the park.

Honestly, we were a bit disappointed because the water was brownish-green, not the deep-green we saw in the internet. It was understandable though because it's natural for rivers to turn brown after a night of rain. Nevertheless, we occupied two nipa huts, put our things down and started preparing our food.

So much food on the table and we were all so excited about one thing... LIEMPO!!! hahaha.. Liempo as price for the winners of the activities awaits. Liempo as incentive for the most behave team. Liempo forever!!!

While some were cooking and grilling, we have the rest of the team preparing our team building activities. We have Egg Drop and Amazing Race The Valkyrie Edition.

The whole team were divided in to three groups. First, we've done the Egg Drop where in each team have to protect four eggs they were given from breaking or cracking. They were provided with straws, strings, tape and plastic.

Discussing strategies.

Each team were so proud of their own creation...

Ang basag na mga itlog!

We had so much fun with this activity and we laughed our hearts out. The strategies were all awesome. Yellow team wrapped their eggs with straws, secured it with tape and put it inside the plastic. Red team where supposed to build a nest around the egg (or at least that's what it looks like), secure it with tape and added the plastic as a blanket. Blue team was trying to be more creative and industrial by wrapping the eggs in a nest and making a parachute out of the plastic bag thinking it would prevent the whole thing to fall faster and eventually break. Hahahaha! Clever! But not quite as there was only one egg left without cracks. Nice try guys!

Next, Amazing Race The Valkyrie Edition. First, Leg Locked Relay.

And then, Retrieve and Survive

Retrieving balloons from a freezing cold river.

Next activity, The Thinker - Q&A

Videos

Each individual showed their competitive nature and fought for their team to be the first to finish. Nevertheless, after all the bruises, freezing water, running and shouting... Everyone was able to help build and complete the puzzle as a team.

When lunch time came, we stuffed ourselves with the sumptuous food that we cooked just before the activities started. Look... They're so yummy... ***droooling...

We were half way through eating our food when the rain started pouring down. Everyone hurried to secure what's on the table and made sure the food don't get wet.

When everything have been secured, we jumped in the water and enjoy the rest of our day. Our team also rented two bamboo raft to visit the rock formations.

The rest of the day involved eating, swimming, drinking, laughing, and more more fun. Happy... Bonded... For it was another day for us to enjoy each other's company.

This is how the river looks like on a sunny day, courtesy of www.pinasmuna.com.

Here's our simple itinerary of the trip and the expenses. (some amounts are estimated as we were not able to write everything down)

Until the next team building!!!