Wednesday, May 21, 2008 The outdoor life By Jigs Arquiza
YOU would think that mountaineers and people interested in the outdoors would always be out trekking somewhere, climbing up a mountain or communing with nature. Well, most of the time they are, but occasionally they do hang out and have a drink or two with each other.
Along Juana Osmena St., near the corner where it intersects Ma. Cristina St., a hangout for mountaineers and nature lovers can be found. Called “Outdoor Perspective,” this store and bar in one caters to a lot of Cebu’s outdoorsmen (and women).
Walk through its doors and you’ll be greeted by a display of mountain climbing equipment and camp gear. Nylon rope, carabiners, canteens, camp stoves and various knick-knacks needed for an excursion to the outdoors adorn the shop’s walls. Photographs of various treks and outdoor events paper the remaining space, boasting the fact that its owners, Ricky Semilla and Joseph Cadorna, take mountaineering rather seriously.
A few meters into the shop, an open doorway leads to the “dining” area, although “dining” may be too definitive a word.
Rather, this particular area is where regulars hang out, and it also serves as sort of a common room where poetry readings and board games are held. A standing challenge faces chess lovers who go to Outdoor Perspective for the first time: beat Ricky in your first game of chess and he’ll spring for a bottle of beer. The last time I heard, he has yet to dole one out.
Being a place for outdoor people, no fancy drinks are served. It’s just beer and some hard drinks, like rum and whiskey with cola for those who need to chase it down. They also serve what they call “mountaineers’ coffee,” and while it’s definitely light years away from the Seattle-type coffees, this particular coffee is definitely worth a taste, if only to say that you’ve tried coffee made from corn.
Food choices are minimal: chicharon or deep-fried pork rinds, peanuts and pizza pan de sal are available, but first-time customers shouldn’t leave without tasting Outdoor Perspective’s kinilaw. Ricky and Joseph hasten to add that they are working on expanding their menu in order to serve their patrons better.
It’s neither the drinks nor the food that make customers go back to Outdoor Perspective’ though. It’s the camaraderie that the clientele experience at the shop that make regulars out of first-timers. Whether you’re a mountaineer looking for a hangout in the city, or a city dweller looking for a taste of the outdoors, Outdoor Perspective is a great destination to trek to.
