Torn

Holy week is just about the hottest, longest and gloomiest week of the year so I usually just stay home to avoid the mad rush of people going out of Manila for a vacay.  But the lure of going to a surfing beach for the first time, watching a bikini open on a holy week and trekking to reach one of the most fabulous waterfalls I've seen in pictures, got the best of me, so I broke my long held tradition and hit the highway with friends early morning of Holy Thursday!

Major fail!  It took us 12 grueling hours to get to San Juan, La Union which is otherwise just a 4-hour drive!

The massive build-up that almost made me want to turn back.

Please don't try this at home!

Local-grown grapes sold in the streets.  Texture and taste closer to  olives.

Afraid they might already have animate things inside!

Despite the very wrong start, the 3-day 2-night vacation turned out to be an interesting one.  Endured a whole lot of things for the hope of finally seeing the waterfall I saw in my friend's Facebook.

The steep descend, start of the hour-and-a-half penitence on foot...

across fields...

thirsty earth...

natural stone floors...

less than grand but equally amazing canyons...

doing balancing acts and...

death-defying stunts...

all just too see this uniquely beautiful work of God's hands!

Now, I am a little torn whether to wish for this waterfall to become famous so local government funding will flow for its improvement and maintenance, or for it to remain in obscurity to keep it from man's destructive nature.