“So many people we never will meet So many hills we will never climb But i will be by you on your dead end street One more last chance, one more time Come with me, take my hand...” ——————————————————————— Translator, COME WITH ME
Why do we do the things we do? And what drives us? Perhaps I could summarize everything from what fellow Escapee Gary, a pioneer, texted me after a successful climb,“We do these things not to escape life, but to prevent life from escaping us - Anonymous."
For us Escapees, every trip is a pilgrimage, an almost religious ritual. To feel the soft cool wind brush our faces high up the mountain, to swim among the sea creatures and be mesmerized by the explosion of colors that surrounds us, to feel the power of a raging river or a waterfall, to behold the sublime sunset, to be with friends whom we share our passion with, these and more are some of the things that inspires us and fuel us to follow where our wanderlust takes us.
The story behind this group called Escape reads like a boring novel. It started from a puberty full of raging hormones, to adrenaline rushed young manhood, to near panic mid-life crisis (to a few, he, he). It started with a small group of high school classmates and ‘kapit-bahays’ (neighbors) almost twenty years ago in Sta. Cruz. We got bored from our tong-its and drinking sessions that we decide to try the outdoors instead, that is, to doour tong-its and drinking sessions. Times change and one trip led to another. Suddenly, we found ourselves caring for the environment and addicted to anything nature. As we fought for our place in the jungle called metropolis, we draw strength and inspirations from our travels to the natural world. From then on, we always heed the call of the sea and the mountains, beckoning us.
Ok, we admit. We are not what you may call 'hardcore mountaineers.' We do not climb a peak of a certain mountain by counting the hours, but rather, by the number of times we rested. We firmly believe in leisurely hike and appreciation sessions with nature (yeah, right, our leader is over weight!). But what we lack in strength and equipment, we try to compensate with courage and substance. The unique individuals that make up this club have their own area of expertise: churning out unbelievably gross humor, belting out lung-busting videoke songs, obnoxious laughter, cooking gourmet trail food, no qualm photography models, but yes, we are dreamers all.
In the course of our journey, we learned a great deal about how gifted our country is. We learned to respect different cultures and norms in each place we came to visit. We learned that all Filipinos, regardless of social status, are incurably hospitable people. We learned that in order for our natural resources to survive drastic changes, we have to work hand in hand to preserve what remains. We learned to share our blessings. We learned to appreciate simple things like a flowing stream, a ray of sunlight reflecting in the sea, or a boy climbing a tree. We learned to embrace the preciousness of time itself. We learned who our true friends are, those who can stand whatever malfunctions you have and accepts you for it. Most of all, we learn from each other.
So, what’s the future hold in store for this club? You can bet on it, we intend to learn more. And travel more.
Welcome to our world. This site is dedicated to our families (who never fails to worry, and yet, reluctantly gave their blessings in every trip), to the kind people who have helped us along the way, and to those people whose been with us in some of our trips. You know who you are. We will always be grateful.
We hope that we could inspire you to go and find your own adventure and learn from your experiences. As the cliché goes, “life is short.” It’s never too late though. Go on, we dare you!
Dreams never end.
Enjoy the ride!