There is a little place, just ten to fifteen minutes away from the boundaries of Baguio City, nestled in a valley where strawberries once grew, hidden from the judgmental eyes of mortals by a thick cover of pine trees old enough to have witnessed the headhunting days of my ancestors, a square piece of land called Aipotu. It is a genuine gay sanctuary available to those who seek refuge and who desire an experience of freedom, acceptance and understanding in a caring and carefree atmosphere.
It does not have the fame of Puerto Galera, and that is a conscious decision of its founders: three gay men who felt a call to serve their kind in a most unusual way.
Wild free sex is not its main attraction, although it is allowed. But those who have been there could attest that after the first night, wild sex becomes unnecessary. Inner freedom is more pleasurable.
The only qualification is attraction to the same sex. Labels such as bi, curious, discreet, effem or straightacting are immaterial. Looks while appreciated are not preferred. Even cleanliness and hygiene, though encouraged are not required. Nor decency. Definitely there is no dress code. An igorot g-string is available for those wish to wear it, while some guests prefer to be fully dressed up in black turtlenecks, a few prefer to go naked as the day they were born. Nudity though is discouraged at night as it might cause hypothermia.
There are no parties. Food is sublime, almost always a vegetarian fare, although meat and junk food are provided for those who require them. There is no canteen or store in the vicinity but an errand boy, a glorious looking man who used to be a masseur, volunteers to do the grocery every morning. But what is served is so fresh and delicious no one gets hungry.
There is no bar. The only drinks constantly available are homemade tapuy; the finest strawberry wines and a bottomless punchbowl that can knock one down to kingdom come if he underestimates its strength. But the mood is so intoxicating that alcohol becomes a redundant.
There are no organized activities, no sportsfests and pageants. No TV, internet, radio, viodeoke, darts, heck, not even play cards. The place operates on spontaneous combustion. After dinner, a camp fire warms the place and anything can happen after that: storytelling, poetry reading, singing, monologues, debates, performance arts or stargazing. Mostly the night ends with a prolonged silence to listen to the rare orchestra by forest dwelling creatures.
One hut serves as an art workshop, only for those who are interested. There are free materials for painting, maskmaking, wood carving, origami, and pottery. There are no books available but guests are encouraged to share reading materials, including rare pornographic ones.
Lovemaking can happen anytime. Be it in the privacy of the huts or in full view of an appreciative public. Tradition has it that everyone claps his hands after someone comes. In my time, a couple had multiple orgasms my hands ached from the repetitive rounds of applause.
The spirit of volunteerism permeates the running of the place. The small kitchen with an affable cook welcomes volunteers who love to be involved in the meal preparations. The small patches of vegetable and flower gardens are there for the green thumbs. As each hut is home to five individuals, its cleanliness depends on the mood of its occupants. When I felt lazy, I hanged a laminated card that said NEED HELP IN CLEANING, and voila, our hut looked as sterile as a hospital room courtesy of an obsessive-compulsive guest. Although one can prefer the card that said I LIKE MY BED DIRTY, and dirty it shall remain. There are no rules nor reminders written or posted on the board. The only reminder you can hear is the soft voice of the host saying JUST BE.
There are no hot waters, though guests are allowed to bring their own heaters. What is practiced though is to do group showers so that you can rub each other warm. I had my stay there last January, the coldest month in the mountain, so I took my shower at 11 in the morning with six other guys. Nobody noticed the cold waters.
The practice of faith and religion is highly recommended but not enforced. A guest who happened to be a priest said mass to us on a Sunday. There were two seminarians who always prayed vespers using their breviaries. Some conducted prayer meetings and bible sharing. A forty year old banker began the day by worshipping the sun while a 19 year old UP student kept on chanting to awaken his inner goddess. But guests would always say that the place itself already gave us a taste of the divine.
A counselor is on hand for those who require assistance in understanding their life history and working out their basic issues. A trained reflexologist provides free massage for tired bodies. But mostly, it is the life energies of the place that bring healing, accompanied by the harmonius friendship established in such a short time.
Payment operates on a Pay It Forward system. I was there because someone sponsored me, a previous guest. If one found the experience meaningful, he can recommend a friend for the next batch, but he has to sponsor his fee, a minimal amount of P250.00 per day to cover for his board and lodging. Only previous guests can contact and are entertained by the hosts.
Before departure, guests are invited, not compelled to join a commitment ritual, the central part of which is when they form a circle, in their birthday suit and masturbate together, their semen should fall on the ground. Fertile soils will cover the fluids then seeds are planted on them. No one explains the meaning of the ritual, it is assumed that meaning will reveal itself in the ripeness of time.
Aipotu is only open five days a month, around the time of the full moon. For what reason, nobody bothers to ask.
The rest of the month, the place lies fallow so that it can rest and heal from all the negative energies and pains poured down by its previous inhabitants. It seemed such a long time, but after hearing all the trauma and the tragedies of the people in my group, I wondered if three weeks is enough to heal the place.
But it does. And it is always fresh and ready for the next people who comes when the next full moon shines.
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