Team Building At Caliraya

Year end is fast approaching and the team realized that we haven't had a team building activity yet.Thanks to Zoi, he was able to make arrangements with Caliraya Resort Club in Laguna. I heard about the place a couple of times already and I know its been there for a while but have not actually gone there.

Good thing I was working from home the day, or should I say the night before and since I'm from the south, I asked the team to pick me up since I'm on route anyway going to Laguna.The supposedly leisurely 1.5 hour trip to Caliraya turned to almost 3 hours because of traffic. We were relieved when we arrived at the dock where a 1 - 2 minute boat ride will bring you to Caliraya (literally why didn't they just build a bridge).

Once we got to Caliraya, we waited for the resort jeep to take us to the main building for check-in and of course our buffet lunch. Food was OK, don't expect too much (the premise of quantity over quality), but it was appreciated as we were already hungry.

I guess a good tip is to be early during buffet time so that the food will still be hot and you'll have first dibs on the food.

After our meal, we headed out to our room at Villa A. Don't be misled by the term Villa. The building reminded me of a dormitory with open air hallways. When we entered the rooms, it was really a dormitory, bunk beds, 2 shower stalls and 2 water closets. It was really meant for big groups and families.

Our first activity was the zip line. It was fun because one by one, everyone from the team participated and enjoyed the adrenaline rush. 

My co-worker took a funny picture of me. I got confused whether I was climbing a coconut tree or going zip lining.Talk about right timing.

    

After the zipline, next was the Earth ball. Its like volleyball, same rules, just with an over-sized ball. I think the activity should be done by atleast 10 people each team but since it was just the 8 of us, 4 people was just isn't enough. It was very tiring but a lot of fun, all we did was laugh.

After the earth ball, we also played some volleyball and table tennis. Before we knew it, it was already time for dinner. Dinner was good, and I thoroughly enjoyed the caldereta, it was yummy!

Since all of us were tired since we still had to work the night before, it was just 8PM and we were already ready to hit the sack. But since some of us were still awake and wanted to bond more, so we decided to order room service (as if we weren't full yet from the buffet dinner) and ordered fries, kikiam and squid balls that were piping hot as they were delivered (no menu's and there's no room phone so you have to use your celphone and call the main reception for details).

What team building wouldn't be complete without sharing some scary stories, right? We're in a dormitory building at night, sharing scary stories and all that's missing is a pyscho, and its kinda like a movie almost. 

The next day, we woke up early to make the most of our stay. After a hearty breakfast, again no high expectations, half of the team decided to get a 2 on 2 match of table tennis while the rest of us wanted to explore and do more activities.

We went to the hanging bridge that spans a small pond.

But the main event was riding the Sky Bicycle. It was exciting and at the same time very nerve wracking since its gonna be a looooong bike ride.

It was scary at first but once I was in the middle I felt a little more relaxed. It was just a little scary when the wind picked and you'll start to wobble a little. Overall it was an awesome experience and definitely a must try.

After our bike ride, Raquel, Nico and I decided to try out wall climbing. Quel was awesome that she was able to finish and reach the top. I was soooo close however my body cannot do anymore climbing (literally my arms and legs were shaking already) and I decided to call it quits. Next time I can definitely reach the top. 

I've reached my quota for adrenaline rush activities already. Zip line: Check, Sky Bicycle: Check, Wall climbing: Check.

    

After a tiring climb, time for a well deserved dip in the pool. They have 2 pools, a wave pool (manually operated with a big buoy in the middle and you have to ride it to create waves) and a regular pool.

Be reminded though that the deepest part of the pool is 15 feet so be careful especially for the non-swimmers there.

We spent the last 2 hours of our stay just enjoying the cool water and talking which was a nice break from all the strenuous activities that we've been doing.

Although it was just a few of us that joined and it seems that an overnight stay was not enough, it was a very enjoyable weekend.

I've got to experience new things as well as bond with my team mates.Til' our next team building!

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