With a rich environment, Kairukan
Waterfall was perfectly situated at the heart of the woods. Surrounded by
towering trees, it was a two and a half hour trek from the jump-off. Who
wouldn't dare to dive to its alluring pool like basin?
⁻⁻👉📆👈⁻⁻
I almost missed this experience. I
remember it was Sunday, I woke up late, approximately about 10 minutes before
our call time. My friends went to Morong, Bataan without me because they still
need to hit the market to buy some necessities as we planned to take our lunch
there. Luckily, I was able to catch up to them.
We proceeded to Sitio Kanawan, Bgy.
Binaritan, a community of which majority are Aetas. There was a hanging bridge
that serves as the only way to Sitio Kanawan. We spent almost an hour taking turns
on photo opp at the bridge (sounds crazy but that's how greedy we are of
pictures, #CamWhores)
We asked permission from the head of
their Barangay and he gave us some lectures before finally assigning his son to
guide us there. He reminded us to be respectful of the environment. He also
informed us about their appeal in Morong, Bataan's Local Government Unit
regarding with some locals from the lowlands who are trying to build Kubo
(Nippa hut) near the waterfall. Some changes are honestly not necessary. The Aetas are very much dedicated to keep the
place as natural as it was (I second the motion, #Fight!).
As we go further and deeper into the
woods, we all know, danger comes from all fronts, especially to those you’d
least suspect so we took our time on trekking, carefully and attentively.
Beware of snakes! There are numerous reported incidents of snake sighting. We
thought that it would be an easy climb, but we were wrong (#VeryWrong). There are lots of assaults and fallen trees blocking the way. Most of
us didn’t prepare much for the trek. No pre-hiking workouts, stretching and
adequate sleep, which leads to exhaustion and never ending complaints. Anyways,
I did enjoy the rich forest encounter. Towering trees are everywhere, different
kinds of trees and orchids can be seen, forgive me but I cannot name all
exactly. The gushing wind helped a lot
So let’s proceed as to why we pushed despite
going through such troubles. I still get excited remembering that moment when we
can already hear the sound of the falling water from a tremendous height, the
first glimpse from afar, being at its foot, and the first dipped into its pool
like basin. Everything was so refreshing, the ambiance, the breeze, and
especially the cold water, which took our exhaustion and relieved our aching
muscles. Oh, how I wish I could live near a place like this so whenever I’m
stressed, I can just go there and let nature work its magic. Been out again into the wilderness once again opened my senses to new perspectives. Taking a break without spending too much was flawless. Somehow, for a
brief moment, I felt the happiness that I cannot express exactly into words. The
fulfillment of having a wonderful adventure with my friends made that day worth remembering.
And I almost forgot, we did have an encounter with a snake, a
green snake. Truly, not all green is good, for as of that moment, we are exposed
to a possible danger. The snake measures around 4 spans in length. It was
sleeping on a rock on the basin of the falls. Imagine, we’ve been swimming and
playing on the basin for almost an hour before I noticed something green, coiled
on a stone. I tried to get a closer look to confirm what exactly it is, and
when the thought that it was a snake finally sunk in, I yelled, “A snake! There
is a snake!” (Bes may ahas, Bessssss!). We tried to take a good picture of it,
but we are wary that the camera might fall into the water so we used an IP68
certified smartphone and zoomed it in without attempting to get anymore closer
as we might awaken it for it might jump right into the water, as we all know, snakes
are good swimmers.
All in all, it was definitely a one of a
kind adventure that others must try. If you are looking for a great wilderness experience, this one's for you, especially if you are anywhere near Bataan.
“Always pay respect and leave everything undisturbed
to avoid possible uncertainty.”
Here’s a picture slideshow with some video clips of our adventure. Hope you'll like it. For more information regarding Kairukan Waterfall such as, how to get there, sample expenses and itenerary please visit this blog owned by a friend of mine “Journey to Kairukan Waterfall” or just simply notify me.
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