Our batch had long planned to visit an unexplored destination like Corregidor for some ghost-hunting madness but, fortunately for the panic-stricken killjoys like myself, we discovered about the adventure tour first before the overnight counterpart of the historical tour. How can you possibly say no? Admit it, there's something beyond heart-pumping about the reality show Amazing Race that, given the chance, you will jump at the opportunity to be in the show or anything close.
Although our day tour hardly deserved any sort of media coverage, I deem it necessary to equip myself with a long-staying red lippie like Revlon's Really Red. I'm sure somebody's watching!
Revlon's Really Red. Thanks, Google Images!Ok, I'm such a bad liar. Scratch out the previous paragraph. Truth is, I've been using this lipstick DAILY since its purchase 21 days ago. Some girls have to be consistent, yes? Besides, I had to endure at least 6 hours of Rest Day Over Time (RDOT) before heading to the bay terminal to meet up with my batchmates. The least that I can do is to conceal my pallor and direct people's gaze to my mouth. Aye?
Meet Lora the Explorer!
Could somebody remind Lora to zip her backpack? Please?
Off to the battlefield!
Briefing
Aside from this fierce lipstick, I brought casual clothes to change into upon arrival in the island. However, everything happened so rapidly that I set aside such plans after our group stretching and briefing. Forgive me for being in a skirt all throughout.
And we're off to the first challenge! 
Looking for clues!
And we found 'em!
Outside the [mental] hospital!
Mind games begin here!
Mind games dito, mind games doon!
Problem solved! Wee!
Duckwalk in the tunnel + ladder climb = one Superwoman in red lipstick!
Leaving the lighthouse!I'd hate to break the ambiguity of the challenges in the succeeding photos and paragraphs. But this competitive fool needs to justify how our party of 10 lost our approximately 10-minute lead. The first ballgame required the participants to form a circle, throw the ball to the person across them one after another until the basketful of balls had gone around. Mind you, in such a windy day when typhoon Quiel decided to make a landfall!
My turn to catch the ball from Cayin, our leader. Next off is Carmela, the girl standing next to Cayin.
Ball game by the ruins!
The opposing team about to break our lead! Damn! The second ballgame happened to be the last challenge. It reminded me of one of the games that we had during What is Your DNA? (Discover and Nurture your Abilities). Instead of PVC pipes and calamansi, we're supposed to make a plastic ball reach the basket a few feet away by making it roll through pieces of bamboo. We were THIS close to regain our lead but the ball fell down about thrice. We're left with no option but to swallow our frustration and go back to the starting line.
Almost there! Let's do this! 
Aaaaand we did it! 
Tell us, do we look like runners-up to you?
And we refuse to sulk! It's finally lunchtime!
Let's vault in, dirrrrty feet! Take us to the diner!I forgot to mention that some of us missed to have proper breakfast and we found the junk food being sold in the ferry's snack bar far from satisfying. In my case, my last meal was around 12 midnight when one of our team leaders treated us poor saps to let's-pretend-we're-not-working-on-a-weekend dinner followed by hot taho in CCP at 6:30 am. Shortly after I made my second ascend to the ladder, I recognized how dizziness slowly crept in and I pushed myself to lean in a nearby branch. Millie realized it's not my usual way of hugging a tree and probed what's wrong. "Gutom na ako," I murmured and MJ rushed to offer the freebie granola bar. I imagine how pale I've become. In a few minutes, I felt better. Thank God!
By lunchtime, my lips remain really red. The countours, that is.After lunch, we had an opportunity to linger in the coastal area to breathe in some fresh air and enjoy idle time. But, knowing us, we spent a large amount of that free time being in front of our digital cameras. Need evidence?
Change costume after the race? How unwitting!
Sino ang gumagawa ng music video?***Aside from the red lipstick and the battlefield clothes that I didn't get to wear during the actual amazing 2-hour race, I didn't really make any elaborate preparations for this challenge. That's when the instant confidence boost you get from red lipstick gets problematic. It's almost effortless to convince oneself that such time-pressured games do not really necessitate major workout sessions. Knee injury or knee injury, I'll survive it with a huge smile in my face. No anti-climactic finish in the hospital like this.
Always the last to arrive?
Guess who's lagging behind?Yes, I was always the last to make it and it was my name that consistently went with "Double time!". When I finally do, somebody or the entire group's almost done sweeping the place for clues. I really felt like a dead weight.
There was this one moment when I'm panting away at the back of the race and started asking myself why did I even agree to join this adventure to begin with. We apparently underestimated the challenges! Then they laughingly boomeranged the questions: "Who tagged us on Facebook about this deal, huh?" and "Whose idea is this, anyway?".
Gosh, it was my idea! It's all my fault that we're crying happy tears under the interchanging heavy rains and bright sunshine. It was the exact motivation that I needed to hear and I felt my spirits lift up. It felt as if I can do million jump shots as if I never ever broke my kneecap or something. Let me leave you with the proofs.
Photos grabbed from Abby, Tagz and Gary.
