Isang Sakay Lang: Daranak and Batlag Falls

I've never seen a waterfall until two Saturdays ago. "Isang sakay lang"(just one ride) was all it takes for Airine ( a friend from the QA team) and I to agree on packing our bags on the way to Tanay, Rizal.

Our wandering feet threaded the deadly pedestrian lane where a recent accident happened to get to the waiting spot for jeepneys going to Tanay, Rizal.  Honestly, I did not consult my geography book nor google maps to see how far the town of Tanay is from Rockwel Business Center in Ortigas Avenue. I was holding on to Kimmee's words "Isang sakay lang".  At the end of the journey, Kimmee did keep her word. It was indeed just one ride from Ortigas to Tanay, Rizal.  It's just that it was some two hours of butt-numbing jeepney ride! 

Rizal is a mountainous province perched on the western slopes of the southern portion of the Sierra Madre mountain range. We've passed through Cainta, Antipolo, Teresa, Morong and Baras before finally reaching the town of Tanay. The view on the way to Tanay was really great!  After Antipolo, where the city seems to be busy, the road became less congested and we've seen more of nature's beauty.  We've passed through the curves along the mountains of Rizal.  We've seen a great view of the vast green land down the hills.  It was also cold and the breeze was refreshing. It cleanses the lungs from the pollutants of the city. 

We had lunch at Chowking in Tanay Market.  It was a hearty lunch after a very long drive.  On the other hand the weather wasn't  really cooperative. A shower rinsed the dusty road that made the air thick and humid. After filling our empty tummy, we crossed the street to have a quick look at a factory outlet. Since we were not really that prepared for this one-ride impromptu kind of trip, I bought myself a pair of slippers and pants. After a quick shopping spree at the factory outlet we headed out to Save More for bottled water and some chips.

From Tanay Market, one has to hire a tricycle to get to the entrance of the state-managed Daranak Falls. Since Kimmee was the one who brought us to Tanay with her "isang sakay lang" pitch, we have her do the negotiation. She sealed the deal at Php 50.00/person (x4).  She also had the driver pick us up at around 4 or 5 in the afternoon. According to Kimmee, it was already a good deal because the going rate is at Php 200 per trip.  The driver's initial asking price was Php 300. The other choice was to take a jeep and drop off at the big sign that says "To Daranak Falls" and take a 2.5 Km walk/hike. Hence, the Php 200  deal was all good for the four of us.

The tricycle ride was in itself a feature/highlight of the trip. Just imagine the four of us fitting into a tricycle.  What made it more of a challenge is the non-stop rain keeping the temperature cool. The wet feeling made it colder.

Kimmee and the backpacking geek

Just imagine fitting the four of us in this tricycle!

Weekend wanderlust: Taal, a glimpse of history

I was taught that Taal is the smallest active volcano when I was learning my geography via Sibika at Kultura.  When I was studying Heograpiya, Kasaysayan at Sibika (HeKaSi), I learned that Taal is a volcano inside a volcano.  According to my teachers, the lake surrounding the existing volcano is the original crater. Now that I am working, I discovered the town called Taal in the province of Batangas.

Photo from Free-Extras.com

It was a supposed to be a Saturday trip but the good o'l weather went bad.  It rained so hard that I had to rethink my plans to satisfy my wanderlust. The thinking process wore me out.  I woke up the following morning and looked at the sky. A hint of a golden sun rays were beginning to illuminate the horizon.  I took a bath and packed Nikkie, iPpie and Serge.  

Bohol: Communing with History and Nature

I woke up early the next morning after a tiring tour of Tagbilaran on foot. I was happy to  hear the quiet hum of the air conditioning unit rather than the honks of impatient drivers in the busy streets of Makati. It was a refreshing morning. I took a shower to get ready to tour the countryside of the famed island. 

A call from the receptionist came to inform me that the driver has arrived and we'll be off for an early start. I took the stairs to the ground floor to meet my driver-Oscar and his white Hyundai Accent. He was fixing his car plate when I met him. He introduced himself and opened the door for me. 

Oscar made a brief introduction while we were heading out in the city proper. He told me that Tagbilaran is really a small city. I couldn't agree more because I was able to go around the city the day before. We passed by a sort of rotunda. It's a small circular park. It's also called Rizal Park. The traditional colonial Spanish set up, The San Jose Cathedral is facing the park. Oscar mentioned that Saint Joseph is the city's patron saint.

As we inch away from the center of civilization I noticed the beauty of the shoreline. Oscar was very proud to say that their shorelines are one of the most clean beaches around the country. The water's calm and brilliantly blue and turquoise. It was a beauty!

SANDUGO



Blood Compact Site



Sandugo is a visayan word which means "one blood". Sandugo is a blood compact between the Spanish Miguel Lopez de Legaspi and Bohol's Datu Sikatuna in 1565 signifying the bond of friendship between the two tribes. This event in history is considered as the first treaty between the Filipinos and the Spaniards. 

"In his report to Philip II, López de Legazpi wrote:

It is observed in the following manner: one from each party draws two or three drops of blood from his own arm or breast and mixes them in the same cup, with water or wine. Then the mixture must be divided equally between two cups and neither person may depart until both cups are alike drained."--Wikipedia

Exploring Tagbilaran City



Boarding Pass: Seat 28F. Window seat pa rin :)



After my first leisure travel experience in Cebu last March, I have grown the habit of visiting the local budget airline sites such as that of Airphil Express, Cebu Pacific and Zest Air. The story of how I got the trip to Bohol is here.

There was tropical depression somewhere around the western region of the country on August 20.  I could not even see the sun when I punched OUT of the office to NAIA Terminal 3. It was a gloomy Saturday morning.  I took the cab (Php 140) to T3 and it only took me about 20 minutes to reach the departure bay of the airport.  It's no longer new to me because I used the facility back in March when I went to Cebu.  More than being excited for this trip, I was early because of my desire to get a window seat.  I was looking for the check-in counter for my flight bound for Tagbilaran but could not find it.  Apparently, there were a couple more counters at the back that I missed.  Hence, I got seat 28F which was almost at the tail end of the aircraft.  As a consolation, 28F is a window seat with a clear view of the right wing. Based from my past experience with Airphil Express, boarding time is never on time.  Surprisingly, the first boarding call for my flight was a minute ahead of schedule! A sign of a good start. We landed perfectly at Tagbilaran City Airport 17 minutes ahead of schedule.  It was amazing! Manila's gloomy mood dramatically changed to a sunny Bohol!




Boarding at NAIA T3

I am a light traveler so I did not check-in my luggage.  I only carried my Serge backpack and a camera bag for my Nikkie. I was surprised with the size of the airport.  It barely resembles one except for the big sign and the control tower.  Other than that, it looks like any other buildings.

I met the driver from Taver's Pension House at the waiting area outside the airport.  I've arranged an airport transfer when I called for reservation which, by the way is free as long as it's arranged early for them to fix their driver's schedule.