Mt. Arayat: Duke Of Edinburgh Expedition

For those of you who are unaware of what the Duke Of Edinburgh is, it's a youth awards programme founded in the United Kingdom by Prince Phillip (the Duke of Edinburgh). This programme allows you to go on expeditions and see the world in a different perspective. To know more about it, you can visit their website here: http://www.dofe.org/default.aspx

Recently, I went on a 1 night expedition up mount Arayat in Pampanga along with with the rest of my adventure-seeking friends. After the grueling 6 hour hike up the 3,336 foot extinct volcano, we were rewarded with a stunning view of the never ending city below. Upon completing setting up our tents, we watched down the sun, roasted marshmallows by the campfire and stargazed to complete the eventful day. An early morning the next day lead us to a spine-chilling slip n' slide downhill where we tried not to get injured. I would say that this expedition was a gratifying and profitable journey with lots of lessons to be taken away. However, my favourite part was seeing the city at night, all the lights turned on, getting confused between the stars in the sky and down below.