ICE-COLD SOOTHING WATERS OF THE

KALAYAAN TWIN FALLS

          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, Laguna.  In Baranggay San Juan, Kalayaan, Laguna is one of the best kept secrets-the Twin Falls of Kalayaan.  Because it is still not that much publicised, the throng is still at its controllable level and thus, the waters are still pristine, crystal clear, and ice cold!!!

          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.  There are a lot of Begonia species; Ferns of every niche, every growth form, every elevation preference; lichens abound in tree trunks suggesting that absolutely there is no pollution around since they will never grow in a polluted place ever!  Some older trees are already forming buttresses that add to their architectural machismo.  Aglaonemas also abound and one will get crazy counting them and trying to name them just like the Begonias and Ferns. 

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 landslides, and other catastrophes that have devastated portions of our country and caused national crises can all be traced to a common evil culprit: DEFORESTATION!!!!! 

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.