The Backpack Adventures

Located at Burgos Street in the town of San Juan in Batangas, San Juan Nepomuceno Church is a Spanish-colonial era church named after Saint John of Nepomuk who the Catholics refer to as the martyr of the confessional and patron saint of Czechoslovakia.  San Juan Nepomuceno Church San Juan Nepomuceno Church History The original church structure of San Juan Nepomuceno was constructed in 1843 in a town called San Juan de Bocboc which is presently called Barangay Pinagbayanan. The original church was built using light materials like bamboo, nipa, and palm which were very abundant in the area. San Juan Nepomuceno Church - San Juan, Batangas San Juan Nepomuceno Church facade I'm quite sure that's San Juan Nepomuceno In 1855, the church underwent its first major renovation when stones were used to replace its original materials. However, the church was destroyed by a strong flood in 1883. To avoid any similar incidents in the future, the church was transferred to

Our adventure today takes us to Sto. Tomas in the province of Batangas to hike one of the major peaks of the Mt. Malinpuyo range - Mt. Manabu .  Mt. Manabu Mt. Manabu Details: The name Manabu came from the abbreviated word, " MA taas NA BU ndok" which means tall mountain. However, according to our guide, the mountain once had no official name and was referred to by locals as "Paligawan" or a place where grazing cows get lost. The name Manabu was coined by hikers who first "discovered" the mountain as a new mountaineering destination and since then the name stuck.  The "Rosary Trail" of Mt. Manabu Mt. Manabu is famous for what I dub the "rosary trail" (you can check out the photo above to find out why) or the loop trail. This trail is relatively straightforward and is mostly covered by a tree canopy. There are eight stations along the way. These stations serve as trail markers and some as rest areas. Here's what you'd se

Our mountaineering adventure today takes us back to Nasugbu in the province of Batangas. After conquering Mt. Batulao a few weeks back, we're back to the province to conquer its sister mountain - Mt. Talamitam . Mt. Talamitam Mt. Talamitam Details: According to our guide, Mt. Talamitam got its name from the talamitam trees that once grew at its slopes. Sadly,  these trees were cut down long ago leaving the mountain bald as it is today. Although there are plans to rehabilitate the peak, it still remains a plan to this day.   Registration area at Barangay Kayrilaw, Nasugbu Batangas Start hike Bye cemented road! That's Mt. Talamitam as seen from a distance Mt. Talamitam stands 630 meters above sea level (MASL) and is considered a minor climb. This made the mountain a favorite hiking destination of many, particularly beginners and weekend hikers. However, the mountain was closed for a few months in 2018 until early 2019 due to jurisdiction issues. It was r