Wow, is all I can say (anyone that knows me, knows that that is not true… so here we go). There have been many experiences on this trip that could only be experience if a local privied you to the information, this was definitely one of them. Julian and I prepared for our trip to Lope De Vega and the waterfalls not knowing what to expect, but we prepared anyways. Much like any day in Catarman that I decide to go outside, it was raining. Unlike any other day in Catarman, I was told that I was to be the one transporting Julian and Diana to the mountains (luckily I had a motorbike). This was the second (see previous post) time that this has occurred. But I was up for a challenge… in the rain… with three people on a motorbike (two of which are a bit over-sized for a motorbike).
The ride was quite fun and I had a good time driving. It took about an hour and twenty minutes, but it was totally worth it. While we waited for our other companions to arrive, we mingled with Diana’s relatives. I ate chicken intestine and Julian played basketball. I stick with the food… Julian sticks with the athletics. Once the crew arrived we were off!
Our tour guides (Diana’s cousins) were very nice and they charged a nominal amount (they didn’t charge anything, but I bought them some cigarettes) for a great journey. The first part of the trek involved a 20 foot decent down about a 45 degree mud hill… I made it about halfway before my Caucasian feet gave way and I slid the rest of the way… it was kind of like skiing without skis… it was great! The rest of the trek was pretty similar, trekking up and down hills, fording rivers… barefoot… all to enjoy the amenities at the end… the waterfall!
The waterfall was about 25 feet tall and had a pool about 20 feet wide… it was great! The food we had packed had made the trek better than me and Julian and was delicious. The Loan Officers we were with had prepared fried fish, bebe (clams) and green beans, rice, chicken and chicken intestines for our journey. It was delicious and great after I performed two “graceful” jumps off of the cliff into the water. One thing that should have been brought was mosquito repellant. I think I probably got at least 20 mosquito bites while we ate (only about 10 minutes). I only got it half as bad as Donna (loan officer) did. I think she had that many on one leg. It was really fun and our tour guides were great.
There is a saying “As sure-footed as a mountain goat” which I am changing to “as sure footed as a Filipino”. It was impressive, they would trek from here to there with no problem, while Julian and I would carefully place our feet in every step and still ended up falling about 15 times on the way there. The way back was much the same, but not quite as bad.
The drive back, however, was an adventure in itself. I was employed to drive back (obviously), but it was turning to dusk and I was a bit weary about driving at night… especially when your headlight doesn’t work! It was okay though, I am typing this to you today!
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