Labor Day Adventure Part 1: Daranak Falls

It was 5:30 AM, May 1, 2013. I had a lot of plans for that day. Needless to say, none of them materialized but was I going to let this stop me? Nah. So I called up my dad. He said he is in a poultry farm in Tanay Rizal.Perfect! Daranak Falls is in Tanay, Rizal! So I dragged my sister off her bed and prepared to go to Tanay.

We were in the Pasay area so we boarded the MRT and got off at the Shaw Blvd Station. We walked on the EDSA Shang side of the MRT to the direction of the Boni Station until we reached EDSA Central. It is a mall with call centers on the second floor. We walked a little further south and made a left turn on United St. Then, we saw an old barrel like building. We headed towards that building because behind that is the parking lot where the jeeps and FX's bound to Tanay are parked.

Because it was a hot hot day. We opted to ride the air-conditioned FX. Fare to Tanay was P70 per person.

After almost two hours of travel, we arrived at the Tanay town proper, hopped on Dad's van and headed to Daranak Falls.

The place was jampacked. The nearest parking was not near at all! We had to rent a trike for P20 each which we haggled for P50 for the 3 of us.

Entrance fee to the falls and river was P20 for adults and P15 for children. You can opt to rent a cottage for P300 or a table for P150. We chose not to rent either. What is more exciting than eating your lunch sitting on the huge rocks by the river?

After paying the entrance fee, we passed through this bridge to the cottages area.

From the bridge, you can see the the downstream part of the river. To our disappointment, the water is a bit murky. Maybe due to the fact that a lot of people bathed there that day.

Below the bridge, we found these amazing rock balancing sculptures.

After eating our lunch (grilled tilapia stuffed with onions and tomatoes) by the river, we headed to the falls and we were astounded by the number of people there!

 

Minus the people, the false was still beautiful. The water is a nice shade of green (despite the number of bodies soaked in it at that time). Probably the best time to visit this place is sometime February or December.

I will definitely come back. I am looking forward to seeing this place without the people, with only the sound of the falls to hear, with only the leaves swimming in the water and with only the huge river stones to keep me company.


After taking a few pictures, at around 2PM, we left the place. Since it was so hot and the van lacks air-conditioning, it was virtually impossible to drive around without having a heat stroke. So we went to one of the farms my dad is supervising. We rested for a good hour and headed to our next destination: Panguil River Ecopark.

Bottled-up Negativities

It's been over a month since I last posted a blog entry. Busy or maybe I'm just too tired to write. So many things were hapening all at the same time and I can't seem to get a grip of what's happening, it's like everything I'm holding onto is slippang past my fingertips. During that time, a realization dawned on me. I need to write. I need to write to release all these negativites and to share to the world my joys, my happiness. So, prepare yourslef for a month's worth of bottled-up emotions.

I am in a place I have decided to leave as soon as I stepped in. But I'm still here because it's very hard to look for some place else when you can't leave the place you're at. I'm torn between trying to find that place I like, that place where I belong and staying just to prove my worth, to ensure that I will be missed when I'm gone. I'm torn because I know the people I love needs me to stay here just for the sustenance it provides and I can't fail them. All these years, I have been waiting for this time when I can give back to them, when I can take care of them like they took care of me. Once again I remind myself: Be careful what you wish for cause you just might get it.

"I best tidy up my head I'm the only one in love." I'll write another blog entry on this. But the gist is "He never really loved me." It hurts. It hurts that I spent so many nights and days thinking and sometimes crying about him only to find out that he never really did care. All these years I was holding on to the thought that maybe he was just tightlipped; that he loves me but because I avoid him, he got discouraged. I was so stupid because all along, I was the only one living on this love story.

I'm constatly having that feeling of wanting to own that universal undo button and I hate it because I tell my friends everytime, " Pinili mo yan. Panindigan mo." It sure is easier said than done.

I have this feeling that my brain is deteriorating. I often feel as in there is a haze covering my brain. It's like it's clouded of some sort. I am having difficulty focusing sometimes and I occasionally forget things that were said to me like 5 miutes ago. I also experience difficulty doing spontaneous calculations and I can't get seem to get the hang of playing a bass drum. It may sound perfectly normal to some but I really am not like that before. I can feel the difference. And I'm afraid. I'm only 21 so I don't think this has anything to do with ageing. I'm scared.

Negativities are bad for your health. It's better if you release them. And ask for positive energies from the Maker of it all.

Dear God,
I know haven't been speaking much to you lately. Inspite of that, you still take time to guide me and give solutions to my problems. Thank you for that. You don't know how much that means to me. After everyone has gone, I know you will still be there. Sorry for the times I stray away from the lessons you teach me.  Please, guide me in this journey. I won't last a second here without you. I am powerless. I am nothing without You.

Myka Danila: Naughty or NIce?

At least! May pag-asa pang igrant ni Santa ang wish ko for Christmas!