A WALK TO REMEMBER

I was not really itching out to go with this adventure. But this idea was pre-planned by our group already. At first, I was hesitant to go and after a long talk and few convincing words from Sarya, Me an, Philip, Yna and Andrea, I suddenly gave in! ahaha! And so with Allen, he then has no choice but to just say yes! LOL! That’s what friends are for. WE were in for an experience of a lifetime! With our bags all packed for CERVANTES, ILOCOS SUR, there was a prick of reality on how far can we go.

February 4, 2012 @ exactly 4:30 A.M. I woke up and then started to cook for breakfast while having a cup of coffee on the other hand; I fried “Maling” too for the filling of our sandwich. It happened that it turned out to be one of our menus for lunch on that day. Okay the story begins! Last Saturday, my friends and I went out on a trip to just nip up GAMBA FALLS and so with what we’ve heard in the mainstream, their hot spring. We fervently hope that it will be soon developed. We did manage 1 great day out. Hired a van and rode through town out onto zigzag roads in less than two hours and then we went up to the nearby designated parking area. There we dumped the van and had a lovely walk through dense stunted woodland. We straddled down on a hanging bridge, then passed through the trees with a narrow flattened pleat and were covered in hanging mosses which was catching the sunlight in a magical way. There were soft rock and we did some technical moves in an awkward leaning groove that gets more sustained the higher you get. The sun did warm us but we disregarded the heat and carried on with the trek. I saw each faces, and the excitement was clearly built in everyone in the group. I know I was not really into shape to just go into scrambling and only then did I get into climbing again. We were not really geared up that day, without cliffs and harness to share; we went through it all along. The link through all these was the desire to explore new places, to have an adventure and challenge myself. It was almost an hour when we have reached the place. After what seemed like an endless walking and climbing rocks, we finally saw a glimpse of the place we desired to visit. It was such a relief! To my surprise, I fell in love with the nature. I was fascinated with the perfection of Gamba Falls. I had this profound bliss that lingered down through my veins. It impressed me with its serenity and simplicity. We also arrived to an absolutely amazing site: lush, green grass and over us against a beautiful blue sky looming. What a stark contrast when we were there!

After chatting while resting and generally enjoying the view, the time came to start our descent. We decided to take a bath and swim under the falls. The water was damn cold; it was like we were plunged in an ice cold beer. So with that, we decided to have a couple of brandy shots as anti – freeze ^_^. So the fun went on. We ended up staying there for almost 3 hours. So before the sun went down, we began to walk and climbed the rocks again, passed through lengthy yet narrow way back, another pilgrimage indeed. Right before I was able to surpass it, I was slipped and because of that, I got bruises and cuts. Mountaineering is a risky undertaking. So the next time we will embark on any trip like this, there are a few lessons I’ve learned from it:

1. SUNSCREEN. I will not take this lightly anymore. I will bring it the next time we’ll have another escapade.

2. Proper attire. I will wear right clothing. Well, I stripped down to shorts and a t-shirt so that I could hike faster and remain comfortable. But next time I will wear light-weight clothing that covers more skin. And a hat that will protect my neck and face from the sun.

3. PLAN and not to rush. I will give myself plenty of time to make the trip at a safe pace.

The escapade was really amazing! It was somehow a milestone for me. If you are looking for a tourist destination that combines affordability, friendly local people, and some of the most amazing natural splendor, CERVANTES is the place to go! My group is looking forward to hiking to SAGADA! And that sounds splendid! I’M SO EXCITED AND I JUST CAN’T HIDE IT!

-dyoyzee-