Hello from Jeju! I’ve been here a couple of days now and I have to say this reaffirmed my earlier contention that Jeju-do is one of my happy places. It’s pretty much got everything I’d want to see in a vacation place and, this early, I’m declaring my intention to come back for my third round. But before that, let me talk about another place in another small island back home: the Tuasan Falls.
We were doing quite a shoddy job of creating a solid itinerary, and the not-so-good weather threw us off a bit further, so we were somehow at a loss where to go or what to do. Good thing our driver/guide J was there to, well, guide us and make suggestions.
Amid our disorganized discussion on where we should go, he suggested Tuasan Falls, which is a bit further away from Mambajao, but what the heck, it’s a waterfall, so we had to go.
We’re quite used to having a bit of a walk or a trek before we can get to a waterfall. (For reference, check out my other forays or visits under the waterfalls tag.) So it came as a surprise when we arrived at Tuasan Falls.
You see, our minicab came to a stop in front of several stores selling some local delicacies and souvenirs, and they just pointed to a gate with a path beyond it. We crossed the gate, walked the path, turned the bend…. and saw her.
It certainly wasn’t the tallest, biggest or grandest waterfalls we’ve seen, but at that time, we were simply BLOWN AWAY. There was no other way to describe it. We just felt suddenly excited at the thought of going close to the water, we had to stow our stuff in a partially shaded area and wade in.
And yes, at this point, it was still mildly drizzling.
But we completely forgot about it, what with Tuasan Falls looming right in front of us.
The nice thing about this waterfall is that the basin where the drop is is not so deep. It’s just knee-deep, which means you can go close. Of course it gets a bit deeper as you go closer, and that was not something we wanted to test. (There was a guy keeping watch by the gate, signalling us to be careful and not to get too close to the waterfall.)
Yep, so any thought of standing under the waterfall was thrown away. We’re obedient like that.
I bet it would’ve hurt though, if we tried to stand there. I mean, we were still a good distance away, but the spray was incredible, pelting at us, but not in a painful way. Maybe if we stepped closer, it would’ve stung. As it were, we were content to just bask in the spray.
And the water was hella cold, you guys, but once you’ve already dipped in, and I mean really dip right in, the cold just doesn’t seem relevant anymore. You’re just there to savor the feeling of standing right next to a waterfall, and enjoying every second of it!
If it weren’t for the cold (and yes, it was still raining a bit), we’d have stayed longer. But other visitors were also coming now, although not all of them were brave (or foolish) enough to frolic in the water.
So after around 20 minutes (we were shivering at that point), we left with some hesitation, but still looking back every few steps or so to take some more photos.
Next on our list is the Sto. Nino Cold Springs, where we are to have our lunch. (It was also a suggestion by our guide/driver).
But here’s a bonus.
On an uphill drive away from Tuasan Falls, Kuya J stopped the minicab, and suggested we step out to take photos in the middle of the road.
Because the backdrop is the Tres Marias, which is basically a trio of hills in the distance. See those three peaks?
Kuya J relayed a local folk tale about the Tres Marias, which is the norm when it comes to places like these. But if we are to ignore the romance of local lore, it’d suffice to say that the Tres Marias Hills are actually flank domes of Mount Hibok-Hibok.
In short, they are parasitic cones, starting out as fissure vents on the flank of the volcano Mount Hibok-Hibok. So, technically, they are considered part of the bigger volcano.
According to Kuya J, if we had more time, there is an even more beautiful waterfalls over by the Tres Marias, but it requires a few more hours of hiking.
We went crazy with doing some jump shots, and failing most of the time, only moving to the side when a vehicle passes by. XDDD
All that jumping warmed us right up, though, and made us realize that we are starting to get hungry, which is perfect, since we are on our way to our lunch stop. See ya then!!!!
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