Maria Marauder: Mindanao Adventure Day 4 Group 1: Tinago Falls, Iligan

Group 1 had to set off early. They had a four-hour trip ahead of them. (Note: Since I was not there with this group, I asked them to give me some anecdotes on what they recall about their trip. At heto ang kwento nila!)

Osang: On the way there we even stopped for a breakfast break...

Photo by TCHashiba

...tapos we saw this trike naaliw kami so super pictorial ulit! Sa province pala di wifi zone, kundi paipai zone!

Photo by AAMaruyama

Photo by AAMaruyama

Osang: Yung mga binaon namin for lunch on the way to the falls were just bought along the sidestreet, lechon, 3 kinds of fish, seaweeds, chicharon, kanin na nakabalot parang suman (Note to Osang: It's called 'puso')...

At last, they reached their destination: Tinago Falls, Iligan.

Photo by AAMaruyama

Tinago Falls is located in a deep ravine that plunges 240 feet (73 m) hight from a cliff. Tinago in Filipino, means "hidden", aptly named because one has to trek approximately 500 steps built in a winding staircase.

Photos by TCHashiba

Midette: Going down the steps was easy. But going up...??

But of course, it was all worth it!

Photo by AAMaruyama

Photo by RLEncarnacion

Let me share you the Legend of Tinago Falls:

A long time ago, there lived a certain Sultan Agok and his wife who were appointed as king and queen by the people in the village. They later on became selfish and too proud of themselves.

Photo by AAMaruyama

It happened that they wished to have a child that would inherit their wealth, and soon, the Sultan's wife became pregnant.

Photo by AAMaruyama

One day, an old beggar, who was really a disguised enchantress, came to them for help. The couple ignored and rejected her. The enchantress got angry and cursed them that their baby will be as ugly as their character.

Photo by AAMaruyama

And so it became true that their baby was born very ugly. The couple, remembering the beggar's curse, became sad. They hid the baby in a cave to keep her from the prying eyes of the people. They named her Tin-ag, which means "hidden face".

When Tin-ag became older, she tried to go out the cave and saw the beauty of the outside world. However, she saw a person outside her cave, and she immediately hid from her. Little did she know that it was the enchantress she saw. Out of pity, the enchantress told her not to despair and offered her a chance to be turned into something of great beauty and splendor. Tin-ag chose to be a waterfall since she always wept alone in the cave. The enchantress granted her wish--Tin-ag is now the amazing Tinago Falls we see today--The Hidden Beauty.

Photo by AAMaruyama

Baby: Basta ako ang natatandaan ko nun time na yun, marami akong PA sa puzzle kong bathing suit....dun na rin ako sa falls naghubad,nakitaan at nag suot ng bathing suit...in other words galit na ang director at ang mga PA! Hahaha!"

Anesa: Wala lang kasing gunting eh... Guguntingin na din sana ni Osang!

Osang: Ay ayan yung bathing suit ni Baby Mina na di nya alam paano suotin! 48 years tayo dyan ha! Sabi ko nga, pack up na!! Pahirap ang costume ng supporting actress!

Photos by AAMAruyama

Photo by AAMaruyama

Teresa: Pagdating sa baba kainan muna bago maligo!! Sarap!

Photo by AAMaruyama

Osang: We had lunch facing the falls, sayang talaga kasi tamang madali kami! Di ko tuloy nanguya nang husto ang kinain ko te!

Photo by AAMaruyama

Grace: Ang tamis ng pinya pero si Anne, nangangasim. Hahaha!

Photo by AAMaruyama

Osang:...just by paying 10pesos each we got to go nearer the falls using a bamboo raft...

Midette: Amazing yun, when we we were on a  bamboo raft, with the help of locals who took us near the falls... as what they say it was majestic..the place was really peaceful.

Photo by AAMaruyama

Midette: You can really stay there the whole day without noticing the time..

Photo by AAMaruyama

Dorie: Si Baby bumawi nung nasa tubig kami--after tayo pahirapan ng bathing suit nya! Hahaha

Photo by AAMaruyama

Midette: It's deep mga 65 feet lang naman! You can go diving...we we're amazed dahil yung guide namin can go up the rocks and dive...I sometimes wonder, sana I tried diving too...

Midette: We took a bath and dressed up in less than 5 min each, parang girl scout..

Anesa: Ang ligo namin di ligo buhos lang... tulo tulo pa ang buhok amazing race talaga!

Osang: ...'yung papanhik ang matindi, sis...pagod kami and even if the adrenalin was high because we were rushing to the airport, ang mga katawang lupa na namin ang umaangal..."

Teresa: Pag akyat sa hagdan, nangangatog mga tuhod.. Hahahahah at hingal na hingal:))

Anne: I remember telling the lady who was in the reception sa falls, na i-insist nila na delikado sa mga may heart problem ang paakyat. Talagang hihingalin ka, I had my head spinning. Tapos sinabihan ko rin sya na gawan nila ng paraan na alisin agad yung punong nakaharang sa stairs kase pwedeng magkaaksidente doon. Ay ang taray no?

Midette: On our way to the airport--tulog uli kami...pagod at busog...

Osang: Roughly about 2 hrs travel time from Tinago Falls to Laguindingan airport....Galit galit na kami, te! Kanya kanya na kaming tulugan. Actually I saw Tere in that condition so tawang tawa ako pero naawa naman ako kung kukunan ko ng stolen shots ng nag iisa sya--so dinamayan ko, te!