By Izah Morales
INQUIRER.net

WOULD you cross a 120-meter long bridge hanging 180 feet above the ground? Would you take the risk of sliding for 14 seconds across a zipline?

Never did it cross my mind that I would be doing an extreme adventure of a lifetime which I only get to watch on reality TV shows such as “Fear Factor,” “Survivor,” and “Amazing Race.” Until Acer Philippines brought different media organizations together for its Acer Media Summer Power Fest 2008: The Extreme South Expedition.

On May 23 at around 1:20 p.m. we left the Centennial Domestic Airport. Stratus, cumulus and cirrus clouds took away my one hour and twenty minutes of boredom as they formed different animals that decorated the blue sky. A signage with these words, “Welcome to the City of Friendship: Cagayan de Oro,” greeted us as we arrived at the Lumbia Airport in Cagayan de Oro.

Here’s a photo of our team, Team Aspire Blue.

The real race began the day after we arrived. Not only physical strength was needed but mental abilities as well. The preliminary challenge was to solve an equation in order to open a vault containing the clue. Back in school, I remembered the MDAS technique wherein you multiply first, then divide, add, then subtract. With only ten minutes to solve the equation, we were under time pressure. This reminded me that the basics should not be forgotten. Fundamental math is still essential even if you have already left school.

The arts should not be taken for granted as well. The next challenge was to design a T-shirt and make a statement. After creating a rainbow-colored shirt, we ran as a team from the clubhouse of Ridgeview Chalets towards its gate. We faced a dilemma on whether to take a cab or a jeepney. Taking a cab would mean a big slash in our given budget of P1, 950. In order to save money to gain points, we took the jeepney for our next destination, the Gaston Park.

However, the jeepney stops every now and then because of the other passengers. Nonetheless, we arrived at the park and the next tasks were given.

Good interpersonal communication skills was the key to the task. One of the tasks was to ask a Cagayanon to translate an English poem in their dialect. Luckily, they didn’t hesitate to help us accomplish the task.

Bargaining with cab drivers was also a challenge. Due to time constraints, we agreed to a P400 fee for the two cabs to take us to the Malasag Eco-Tourism Village. One of the tasks was to name all the animals that can be found in the aviary. Naming the animals was somehow easy but going to the aviary made it difficult because of the sloping terrain in the area.

After finishing the tasks in 10 minutes, when they were supposed to take 30 minutes, we proceeded to our next destination, the Columbia Store. The task was to play Sudoku. Sharp and focused eyes and minds were the keys to accomplishing the task.

After the Sudoku game, we made our way to Macahambus Cave, where jumbled words were hidden. Crawling inside the dark cave, cracking the codes and arranging the jumbled words into sentences made me feel like “The Da Vinci Code’s” Sophie Neveu. As we finished the task, we went out of the cave from the other side as the historical Macahambus Cave is a through-cave, with two entrances/exits.

Then we ran toward the next pitstop, the skybridge and zipline. If you have a fear of heights, you may faint while crossing the skybridge, which is 120 meters long and hanging 180 feet above the ground. With all the courage I could muster, I crossed the bridge and seized the moment with one hand holding the camera while the other was holding on to the rope as I followed my teammates.

Then, before my turn to slide along the zipline, I asked Mang Toto about his experiences in assisting tourists in the Slide for Life. He related that no one falls from the slide, except the slippers of the tourists. He then made me ready as I took my turn at an exhilarating slide of life. I did not let the chance pass me by to capture the adrenaline rush moment for about 14 seconds. Tip: Scream as loud as you can to take away your fear.

When my feet landed on the ground, I felt the thumping of my heart and noticed my knees shaking. It was unbelievable for a non-athletic person to conquer an extreme adventure.

The last pitstop was the white water rafting race. On our way to the starting point of the river, the rain began to pour already making us wet.

Nonetheless, the race continued. It was a test of endurance, strength, speed, strategy, and teamwork. The team paddled and hurdled rocks and currents along the 18-kilometer stretch of the Cagayan de Oro river for two-and-a-half hours.

As dangerous as it may seem, it was such a thrilling ride, bumping into rocks and getting splashed by waves. Everyone was competitive in paddling toward the finish line. But in a competition, it is not about who wins or loses. It is about the experience learned along the way.

It may take days before aching arm muscles heal, but the experience will forever be etched in memory.