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.

[Read the rest of this entry »]

IT’S tough enough participating in an “Amazing Race”-like competition, but how about making your way through those challenges while sending real-time updates via your mobile phone (or, in this case, your BlackBerry)?

“Team Leader Leo, cash holder, decides anew not to buy water even after requests from teammates. Just one more hour & we can eat, drink free (Editor’s note: Actual Twitter post has no period due to 140-character limit.).”

This is the latest in the almost blow-by-blow account at twitter.com/talesofthenomad of the Acer Media Challenge 2008 now ongoing in Cagayan de Oro, sent from the field by one of the race participants, INQUIRER.net executive editor Leo Magno, using his BlackBerry.

As you can see, you can also follow the action via the Twitter badge we have here at Tales of the Nomad.

[Read the rest of this entry »]

By Pam Pastor
Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines–The adventure starts way before you hit the water.

When people start warning you about the dangers, when you hear about how hard you have to paddle, when you ask yourself if you’re really ready to hit the rapids.

But you push those thoughts away and only start entertaining them again when you see the brightly colored jeepney pulling up in front of your hotel, with two big red rafts secured to its roof.

[Read the rest of this entry »]