I think April Fools’ Day falling on the same day as Easter Sunday made me a bit warier than usual of things that were happening around me. So, yeah, I consciously avoided going on any social media platform that day, afraid that my gullibility would be my downfall. Better safe than sorry, eh? But we’re in the clear now, so let me just do a throwback post, to that time I revisited Tangadan Falls in San Gabriel, La Union.
In case you haven’t read it yet and are interested, you can check out my account of the first time I visited Tangadan Falls in this blog entry. Also, in case you’re wondering about the continuation of my South Korea posts, they’ll continue. I just need to shake things up a bit every now and then.
On my own, a return hike to Tangadan Falls would not be a priority. After all, I think there are still a lot of places locally that I’d want to check out. But when my colleagues hatched the plan to go, I totally didn’t mind revisiting the place. Who wouldn’t, if it’s a place as beautiful as Tangadan Falls?
Creating New Memories On The Same Path
There is a certain comfort to be had when you return to one place and encounter the familiar, even if it’s just a slight one. That’s probably why people will always have soft spots for their hometowns, no matter how far and how long they’ve gone and stayed away.
That’s the beauty of making revisits. It’s not so much the reminiscence of that time in the past when you were there once, but more the opportunity to go the same route again, see the same things, probably even take the same steps and have the same slips… but you get to still make new memories, all while keeping the old ones fresh.
Yes, there were changes, and probably the one that struck me the most were the improved trails and paths. Oh, and the regulation we finally saw in place, since all visitors are required to sign in or register at the local town hall, hire an accredited tour guide, then stick to the path that the guide directs you to.
FYI, we did none of those during our first visit, because no rules were set in place just yet.
We left Baguio City before 5am, stopped by the town hall to register and secure our guide for the day, then proceeded to make last-minute purchases for food at the local public market, then proceeded to the jump-off point. It was exactly 7:55 when we started walking.
I think what made my second time in Tangadan seem like the first time was the fact that I was in the company of people who haven’t been there yet. So it was like I was seeing the place (and experiencing the hike) through fresh eyes.
Because, you see, at times when you feel like going, “wait, this isn’t the way it was before”, then someone else would go, “wow, that’s neat!” then your initial dismay would somewhat be mollified, and you’d take a second look at it, this time in a more favorable light.
There was this spot past the halfway point where the more adventurous ones can take turns jumping from the low cliff down into the water. The authorities took action to avoid any untoward accidents, putting rope bridges to make it easier for the more gung-ho ones to cross to the other side. Just look at the crowd already gathered there, and it was barely 9 in the morning!
The day was particularly hot, and the sun was bearing down on us, and it wasn’t even close to midday, so us from the boondocks were sweating like crazy. But the sound of the running water, and the cold feel of it rushing through our feet as we crossed the river a couple of times.
Was it safe, you ask? Crossing the river was no walk in the park, and that fact remains on both visits. But this is where the guides really prove themselves indispensable, as they help you navigate the churning waters without slipping. Much.
There Is A Kind of Beauty That Never Fades…
Our very leisurely pace meant that we reached the waterfalls area after an hour and a half. And there were already quite a number of people who got there earlier than us.
But no matter, because there were still a lot of space for us.
And all thoughts sank into the background when I saw her again.
She hasn’t changed one bit. She’s still so very beautiful.
This again reinforced what I knew in my heart to be the truth: I will always love seeing a waterfall, big or small, low or tall.
There were rafts that you can ride (for a minimal fee) and they will take you closer to the waterfall itself. This seems to be an activity seen in most of the visited waterfalls in the country. Not that I blame them, because the locals definitely need to make a living, and this gives the non-swimmers the opportunity to get close.
Another thing that definitely made the place more tourist-friendly: they now rent out life vests. Which we did, so that we can feel more comfortable to get into the water. If I remember correctly, rental for one vest is Php50.00, regardless of how long you’d stay there. I’m not sure if that rate still holds true at present, though.
Thanks to the vests and the help of the strong swimmers among us, we were able to go beneath the curtain of the waterfall, and lounge there for a bit.
I find it quite relaxing, feeling the somewhat strong drops and sprays hitting you from all sides, nothing but the sound of the falling water to hear. You’d have to shout in order to be heard even if you’re sitting right next to the person you’re talking to.
I swear I can stay there forever. That’d probably be risking turning into a prune, but hey. Maybe it’ll be worth it.
I didn’t, though. There comes a point when you have to move on from something, no matter how wonderful it is. (You can take that how ever way you want it, by the way.)
I think we hung out underneath the rock for a good 20 minutes or so, then decided to check out the upper portion of Tangadan, as per our guides’ suggestion.
Sometimes, It’s OK to Jump
It was a short climb up a flight of stone stairs to get to the area above the waterfall. We also climbed up here the last time, and took photos as close to the edge as we could stomach. Mainly “as our knees would hold us up”, really.
That time, we saw some kids jumping off a high ledge over at the far end, but thought nothing about going over there. This time, however, I don’t know what got into us. We saw some people jumping off, and decided to take a closer look.
I wouldn’t call it being reckless, because we would not have made the attempt to jump if we knew it was dangerous. And to a certain extent this is dangerous. However, our guides were encouraging, although not overly pushy. If we were afraid, they’d go, “that’s all right if you don’t jump”.
But someone somewhere (or was it in my head) was telling me, “you’ve come this far, are you gonna turn back, then forever wonder how it’d feel if you’d taken the jump?”
Again, it definitely made a difference that I was with kindred spirits at that moment. We were all a bundle of nerves, but we were all also excited to do it. Never mind the false starts and the seemingly endless waiting as we prep ourselves while standing on that ledge, in the end, we did it.
And boy, was I glad I did. XDD Those of us that jumped all thought and felt the same, methinks.
Worth The Second Look
Except for the fact that I knew how the place looked, this visit felt like it was the first time. Which is definitely saying something about the place and the experience as a whole.
Increasingly, this place is becoming popular among out-of-towners, and the easier access is largely responsible for that. Several other groups arrived after us, so that while we were having our lunch, we were all right with leaving the place to the others. We’ve had our turn, after all.
At a little past 1 PM, we started the hike back, and managed to take a shower at the houses close to the jump-off point.
P.S.: A Side Trip
From San Gabriel, we made that uneventful drive to San Fernando purposely to go to Halo Halo de Iloko. Let me justify that with the fact that we from the highlands are still feeling too hot in the lowlands, haha!
On the way home, we dropped by one of the grape farms by the highway. It’s mostly out of curiosity, since it seemed that many people we knew were going to these vineyards that became really popular recently in La Union.
So where we went to is Ed’s Farm, one of those grape farms that offer “pick and pay” to customers.
By “pick and pay”, we mean you get to go inside the grape farm and wander among the grapes set up in a trellis-like structure overhead. Essentially the grape bunches will be hanging above you. The staff will give you a small basket and a pair of gardening shears, then you can walk around.
I confess to having slipped a few of the grapes I picked into my mouth when no one (among the staff, that is) was looking. But hey, I did buy some grapes to bring home. And a couple of bottles of grape wine.
What sets this apart is definitely the experience of picking grapes. But I admit it was not what I expected, having a clear memory of watching (and loving) the Keanu Reeves starrer A Walk in the Clouds when I was younger. I expected walking through rows and rows of grape vines; having to crane my head up and sustaining pain on my neck definitely wasn’t it.
Still, it was a fun experience, and mainly because of how I got to eat fresh grapes, straight after they were plucked. #sorrynotsorry
Things have been quite hectic at work lately, we were wondering when we would be able to go on a similar trip again. But we do take pleasure in remembering that day by looking at the photos and videos we took. Until then, we’d have to hope we find a new place to visit, and have free day for everyone. Yup, crossing these fingers.
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