After a long break from traveling, exhausted from all the drama of the past few months, I decided to get back on the road. And so here I am carrying on, with new hopes and adventures for myself. Now that I realize where my happiness comes from, it lies there within the mountains, oceans, forests – nature.
So after a failed attempt to conquer Mt. Pinatubo with my new found friends from Spanish class, I decided to celebrate my birthday in Tanay Rizal. I really didn't know that there are some hidden treasures in the eastern province, so I went there to discover it myself. This was kind of a late decision because I didn't want to let my birthday pass without doing something crazy for myself.
I had 2 days of discovering this part of the Philippines. Luckily it is just two hours away from where I live. I really wanted to see Daraitan, this part of Tanay hidden in the mountains of Sierra Madre. However the jeepney driver convinced me that there was no way I could get there as it was already late in the afternoon. And of course you’ll hear the usual stuff from this guy, like scaring you about the NPAs or communists hiding in the mountains, and the conflicts between this group and the military. The funniest part of his interrogations was that he thought that I am really really crazy to be doing this alone, asking me why not just take a shower at the comfort of my own bathroom instead of organizing an outing for myself. It turned out that he was right about the transportation, there were really no available jeepneys or tricycles going to Daraitan anymore that afternoon. So I made a quick change of plan and decided to hit the waterfalls instead. I took the tricycle to Daranak, which is really not so far from the town (I could have walked or hitchhiked If I've known) but anyway I arrived in Daranak just in time when it was about to close. And the local guys working there were kind of shocked as I've looked like I've wanted to gate-crash their waterfalls.
They left and allowed me to stay there, there’s this one family who live near the waterfalls and they were so nice to accommodate me despite the fact that overnight stay is not allowed there anymore. And the two young girls made me stay and they showed me around Daranak. I found out that there’s another waterfall at the back of Daranak which is called “Batlag”, another hidden beauty. So I’ve got two waterfalls! There’s so much to explore here - the jungle, the “grotto” which consists of 200+ steps and the Calinawan Cave. I came as a freeloader unfortunately, as I failed to bring some food and stuff. I was really excited to sleep in the tent they provided me, but I was warned not sleep near the waterfalls as it’s not allowed by the government or something. I was about to camp near the river (bringing back the memories of camping beside the river in Laos), but alas! It rained. The rain didn't stop until next morning so they made me sleep inside the other hut with the girls.
I wanted to pay for the tent and the food but they didn't accept my money. Thank you would not be enough for the hospitality they showed to me. I just bought some food from their store, and of course the girls are always welcome in Manila if they come to visit me.
I learned so much from this family. The father told me the reasons they chose the simple life near the waterfalls. And they seemed happier here, away from the pollution and chaos of the city. Life would not be so good for them if they would choose to live in Manila. And I know why they would want to stay in Daranak, with all the natural beauty and simple living, life is perfect enough here.
I learned so much from this family. The father told me the reasons they chose the simple life near the waterfalls. And they seemed happier here, away from the pollution and chaos of the city. Life would not be so good for them if they would choose to live in Manila. And I know why they would want to stay in Daranak, with all the natural beauty and simple living, life is perfect enough here.
The youngest girl trek every day to reach her school, I think she is the most adventurous girl I've ever met. She’s so young and tough. She can go diving in the 30 ft. deep Daranak waterfall. All the three girls guided me everywhere. They do trekking on barefoot (they are used to this). I wanted to feel the earth as well, so for the first time I trekked on barefoot. We crossed the mountains and went to Calinawan Cave. We picked some papayas along the way, and I was introduced to some vegetables that I've never even heard of. Good thing I still managed to capture some photos, thanks to my faulty camera.
What I like about this place is that you have it all in one, waterfalls, river, mountains and cave. A weekend getaway for the local people of Rizal, and I hope this will remain unspoiled by tourists. I hope the town government would be stricter in protecting the cave and the waterfalls from vandalism and littering.
Most of all, I really had fun with the girls, and I won’t forget this wonderful family. I will always be thankful for letting me crash their place, and of course for the unforgettable life experience.
How to get there (As of March 13, 2012)
- Take any Jeepneys bound for Tanay Rizal (From Crossing or Edsa) (Around P53.00)
- From the town of Tanay (Where the Jeepney Terminals are) take a tricycle going to Daranak (P50) along with other passengers, special trip might cost you P100.00
- Daranak Waterfall entrance fee is around P20
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