It took me 50km of riding to reach the meetup point. It was actually my first time to go beyond the Manila East - Sampaloc Road junction. Usually, I'd turn left to do the Reverse Sierra Loop. Unfortunately, I had to wait almost an hour for my companions to arrive because they rode their cars to Bulawan. The traffic was heavy in several points after Teresa. I guess people wanted to go either to the popular vacation spots in Rizal or to Quezon Province.
Shirley waiting in the gate of Bulawan Floating Restaurant
Eventually, Oz, Slim, Mo, and Miguel arrived and we proceeded to go on an easy ride to the tip of Jalajala. Oz was riding his new cyclocross bike and Slim, Mo, and Miguel rode their mountain bikes.
En route to Jalajala (Photo c/o Miguel's Instagram)
At the tip of Jalajala, overlooking the Laguna Lake (c/o Miguel's Instagram)
The ride to the tip of Jalajala was around 20km from our meetup point in Bulawan. The route was mostly flat and at several points, we were riding with other bikers as well. It was mid-day and the summer sun was shining brightly. Good thing it was quite windy, unfortunately the breeze will not stop me from getting a serious tan later on.
After riding back to our meetup point (another 20km ride), we looked for a place to eat lunch. The floating restaurant was filled with people so we found another restaurant (Stephanie's). After a brief break, I bid adieu to my companions as I resume my PATW back to Manila.
My friend Jet met up with me before going up Teresa. His company was short-lived because we eventually lost each other after reaching the town proper. But his company up the slopes of Teresa was well-appreciated.
Summer's heat was too much to bear and I needed a lot of hydration along the way. Good thing I had a healthy dose of free water refills c/o the Lakbay Alalay stations and some refreshing buko juice.
Eventually, after almost 6 hours of riding, I got back home. It was a 142km ride all in all, 18km shy of a century. Maybe next time, I'll push more mileage. For now, I'm just glad to be back on the saddle.
Awesome shot c/o Oz
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I know it's not really safe to listen to music while biking but it would be remiss to not mention how much I enjoyed listening to my indie OPM playlist during the long ride. The upbeat songs made the heat of the sun and the occasional steep climbs so much more bearable. I think it's safe to listen to music as long as the cyclist is aware of his surroundings (e.g. do the regular shoulder checks).
Below are some songs from my playlist.
