ICE-COLD SOOTHING
WATERS OF THE
Abundant sunshine, lush
and young forests, cold waters from some seven to ten falls flowing endlessly are
features hard to find in one place. But
yes I and my Binangonan pioneering Jesus Finest Generation Choir Members (the
royal blooded ones) found it!
Three and a half hours from Angono,
Rizal is the town of Kalayaan
The highest falls might be around 500
feet from the entrance, and the entrance is tucked secretly away in a winding
dirt road high up from the main highway.
It is a MUST that you have a guide or somebody who has been there and
better not commute since it will really be a long way. Anyway, I think you won’t be able to commute
since public transportation is very rare and the surrounding towns seem to be
satisfied with their everyday lives to be infatuated in seeking the famous
resorts just around them.
I counted around six to eight
waterfalls some originating from the highest falls that visitors can reach and others
from the higher ravines and mountain slopes.
Some of the royal bloods with me are having influenza prior to our
journey to Kalayaan Twin Falls but when they bathed all of those flu just
disappeared miraculously! Another
interesting thing is that we all seem to become whiter after bathing from 8:30
am until 5:00 pm!
The ice cold waters coming from the
young forests are surely good for the health.
Many of us tried the needle-sharp pelting “shiatsu massage” of the
waterfalls tumbling down to the pools.
It’s like somebody’s hitting you hard on the head, trying to soothe the
bad cold trapped in the body, and somewhat trying to shove you away after it
has taken all the burdens taxing your body.
If you get out of the waters to eat,
rest, or do something, once you return the cold will bite your flesh! You’ll shiver in cold and your skin and lips
might just turn white. Even if your
out-of-water agenda will only take a few minutes, the waters will be more than
happy to jolt you with its coldness!
That’s one unforgettable experience we had there.
The centre of human activity is the
avocado-shaped man-made pool situated amidst the various falls-four or five
waterfalls if I’m not mistaken. This
large pool has various depths running from five feet to 10 deep. One who doesn’t know how to swim could hire a
rubber life saver for Php 75.00 per three hours. Instantly you’re a pro who can venture to the
middle of the pool which seems to be the deepest part without the slightest
fear! Unlike other swimming pools, the
waters of this man-made pool is being replenished every nanosecond by the
surrounding waterfalls and therefore, is fresh, clean and not stinky. That might be one factor contributing to the
“therapeutic” & “bleaching” effects even of that unnatural pool. Try all the swimming strokes you know here
even diving if you dare! But guaranteed
no harm done if you’ll just be careful.
Nature lovers of all classes and
preferences will greatly revel seeing and experiencing the young forests
protecting the Twin Falls
We also saw a neon black-and-yellow coloured spider
with a leg span of some 10 inches. Its
web is yellow-green, an unusual colour for a spider’s web which might be caused
by algae, mosses, lichens, even bacteria that might also be using the web for
their own ends. Several of us touched
the web and it is resilient to our touch.
It doesn’t break easily like the web of a house spider or one seen in
habited places.
There were also moths of red-orange and gold
colouration but hard to take pictures since they rapidly flutters from place to
place.
The sunlit boulders in the waters harbour rust-and-orange
coloured mosses.
Transacting the waterfalls and the forests means
being sure footed as the whole place is slippery with the water that constantly
touches them in one way or another. I
did had cramps going after some plants to take pictures of them since God has
chosen me to be one of the most passionate horto-botanical lovers, ardent conservationists,
and staunch environmentalists.
Here, one can understand the essence of an
intact forest: when rains pour out, the
excess waters are absorbed by the forest trees’ roots like a sponge and
gradually release these waters over a period of time gently providing steady
supply of purified water. Landslides and
rock falls are prevented since the adventitious roots especially of the large
trees embrace the boulders and hold the soil together. Even young plants growing near the rock-hewn
staircase can already hold the soil in their own capacities and absorb excess
water that would have made the staircase more slippery.
What added to my cramps is a warning from my
second younger brother that there was a snake he heard while I was trying to
take a picture of the unusual flowering shrub in the stone-cut stairway leading
to the higher waterfalls. I ran as fast
as I could following my brother back to the safety of the crowd but half-way I
changed my mind since this is a rare chance
of a lifetime and going back to this God-loved place might take a long while
again. When I climbed back, my senses
returned to normal and at last I realised I already made a far descent so
gasping, I returned again to take that picture!! The cramps were with me until the next two
days! I’ll never run again, I better
face any snakes if there really were!
New pairs of slippers with a lot of sole
designs for friction are of great help.
They ensured that the sole of my feet won’t be hurt by the precipitous
boulders and that I will not slip down and get hurt. Of course one must also be careful and heed
to where he plants his feet-look, feel, place your feet, and use your hands and
arms as additional support balancing your equilibrium. Although a lot of nooks and crannies at the
Kalayaan Twin Falls are picturesque and scenic, they might not just be easily
accessible so settle for the next more secured place for that memorable
souvenir shot you have wanted to tease your friends and families with!
This haven is also very affordable at Php 40.00
for the entrance fee for day visitors and Php 100.00 for overnighters. Cottages could be rented for Php 300.00 and
you can cook, grill, sleep, and take a rest here. Bring your own cooking gadgets and
utensils! There are also rooms for hire
for those intending to stay overnight. Shower rooms and comfort rooms are
well-provided for and are clean because of the abundant water supply toiletries
not included so bring your own!
Eating is strictly prohibited near the waters
and although Filipinos are recalcitrant just like the Italians, there is
remarkable discipline among the visitors since they observe this rule.
One can sing his or her lungs out for only Php
5.00 per song dropped to the videoke machine.
Filipinos just love singing and the air is never quiet. All God’s creation seems to take these things
as part of their everyday life.
PLEASE!!! Don’t leave any
rubbish/garbage on the waters let us preserve the cleanliness of this amazing
God-given wonder. We can’t make one like
it but we can preserve it for all future generations to enjoy. Once we adulterate and blaspheme nature, it
will turn back on us.
Flash floods, siltation, erosion,
contamination, dispersal and extinction of wildlife, eutrophication, then the
rise of epidemics, and eventually the death of humankind shall be the
consequences of our own wrongdoings. Bear
in mind that Ondoy, Sendong, Ormoc, Baguio
There is so much more to gain from preserving
what God has given us-Mother Nature, and so less to benefit from her
destruction. Let us not incur the wrath
of God. Let us make this world a better
place to live in. Respect life!
Kalayaan Twin Waterfalls will continually be a
clean, refreshing, pristine, ice-cold, and “therapeutic” haven as long as its
forests are protected, conserved, and respected.
