My Dalaguete Fun Run Adventures

The Summer Capital of Cebu, Dalaguete, celebrates its 300 years of grace and pride. In line with the event, sports competitions are conducted to showcase camaraderie and sportsmanship among 'Dalaguetnons'.

Yesterday, I received an invite from two bloggers to join them in covering one of the sports activities Dalaguete will be having. Of course, I affirmed to accompany them in the adventure.

February 5, 2011

Everything that I needed was prepared and I hurriedly filled my backpack with it. It was already 2:40pm and I was on my way to the University of the Philippines Cebu College to have a peek at what's happening at Otaku Fest 4.0. I only had a couple of minutes to stay inside the campus to meet and greet, take shots and observe cosplayers and anime fanatics roaming around. Twenty minutes after 3:00pm, I rode the taxi going to Cebu City Sports Complex (CCSC). I met a lot of runners and some people from the media.

Miss Juliet and Janice

Mark M., Me and Mark G.

There were two buses used for all of us to transport going to Dalaguete. Runners dominated the two buses as there were only less than 10 people who were media. My fellow bloggers sat beside me. Across our seat was the seat of Miss Juliet; the person who invited us to join the event and Janice; her close friend. The long ride began at 5:00pm and ended pass 8:00pm.

Touchdown: Maria's Batchoy & Restaurant

Dinner

After dropping the runners at Dalaguete's Municipal Hall, we went to a a nearby restaurant and took our late dinner. The name of the place is Maria's Batchoy & Restaurant.  The bloggers and newspaper writers got the chance to know each other. The food there is really good. I love the Chicken Curie and Chapsuey.

By 9:30pm, we all rode a service van to the town's sports complex where many of the locals trooped. Why? There was a basketball competition. Who were playing? Good question! The game spiced up because it was played by the Dalaguete Basketball Team and the PBA All Star Team. Yup! You read it right! The PBA All Star Team.

I captured short video clips during the event. Check it out below.

I felt so happy and excited when Miss Juliet told me that I can interview all the members of PBA All Stars. I didn't wasted time; I went out of the sports complex and took some papers and a ballpen in the van. I continued watching the game when I got back in the complex. A couple of minutes later, I felt so down because the driver of our service van wanted to rest already which means we have to go to the resort we will be staying over the night. We had no chance because the resort is quite far from the complex. We all had to go because nobody else can drive us to the place. We were not able to watch the last quarter of the game.

Before we arrived at Dalaguete, we already knew that the PBA All Stars were playing in the town and that they were staying in the same resort we were going to stay, but we also know that the stars won't be staying there all night. They were going to play a round of game and then go back to Cebu City to prepare for their flight back to Manila, tomorrow at 10am. Just when I thought that everything was over in meeting the stars, we knew that their bags and luggages were left inside our rooms at Jonadels Resort. I had hope. Haha. If the stars don't have assistants, it could be possible that they are the ones who'll carry their bags from the resort.

Slacking outside the resort

(L-R) Janice, Ms. Juliet, Me, Merlita

To make the very long story short, I met all the members of the PBA All Stars that night. I was able to sit in their van and check out their room. I took a lot of videos and pictures of them. I was so happy. Usually, in blogging, I keep on meeting artists and singers but I don't feel so excited to meet and greet them. Often times, I don't even hope to see them personally because I always dreamed to be a star someday. I know it- I believe it, so I think I don't need to take pictures with them. LOL. Yea. I dream big, alright.

A few of my pictures. I also have vids of them too!

I wasn't able to sleep right away after the incident. I was starstrucked! I had the stars in one roof with only me and a good friend who offered to be my photographer of the night. I was so happy! The stars invited me to come with them going to Cebu and have some dinner but I had an event to cover (The Fun Run-which is the main reason I went there). I felt no worries after refusing them. After all, I just met them. I don't have much trust in them.

Moving on, I was able to sleep at 2:00am which is the time the stars arrived at Waterfront Hotel (yea, I know :P they told me) I woke up at 3:00am. Oh wait! Did I mentioned that the room the guys stayed in is my room in the resort? Hahahahhaha!!

Dawn. I prepared all my stuff for the Fun Run and realized that I left my running shoes at home (Talisay) Yikes! Didn't saw that comin! But I didn't worry because I thought that I can always use my Fushu- but of course it will keep me slow in running so as for me to not wreck it.

February 6, 2010

Time check- 2:20am. The vampire in me was alive! I was still awake and wasn't sleepy at all. I settled myself on my bed and unconsiously fell asleep. Hurrah! My phone rang by 4:00am and goodness gracious- I hooked-up with sleeping. I wanted to sleep more but I have to move since the assembly time for the Fun Run is 5:00am.

After fixing myself, I called the boys outside their room which was just beside mine. And as I knew it, they were still sleeping. Haha. They woke up right away and hurriedly fixed themselves. We waited for our service van outside the gate of the resort and after a while, we joined the race. Mark M., Mark G., and I took 5k Track. The next parts of the story, will be told by my pictures.

The awarding followed right after the last racer crossed the finish line. I could tell, this adventure is for sure, one of my blogging events which I will never forget. It is so unique in so many ways. You can raise a good question to the previous line.. "How is the race in Dalaguete different from other fun runs?" Well, the town boosts well-known mountainous barangays where runners pass. Unlike other fun runs, in Dalaguete you won't be breathing gas exhaust and you won't be killing your seconds in crossing roads to give way to passing vehicles.

At exactly 10:00am, the runners and we, the media rode a big bus going back to our meeting place yesterday, CCSC. It was a very long ride. Since I live in Talisay, the bus driver dropped me at Gaisano Tabunok. Five minutes after, I was home alas! =) It seemed like I wasn't home for the last three days. Haha I was one long and awesome adventure!