-Sylvia Plath
Traveling to this place was like being transported to another dimension of the world, from the bustles and fast-paced city life to the tranquil lush greenery of the mountains. In this blog, let me take you to a tour in a place where the majestic wonders of nature coexists with the most hospitable people.
PNOC2, Murcia City, Negros Occidental
How to get here? It mostly depends on the specific place that you're going to. The common mode of transportation is through a bus from Bacolod City and it will drop you off at the last spot which is the Mambukal Resort. However, if you want to go somewhere else, you can jump off before it. In our trip, we dropped by at the bakery of our friend @blip-blop and beside their shop is a street going up to Graceland Resort, D'Aroma, Nabukid, and Uncle Bok's Camping Sites.
We stopped here to wait for the others and the service vehicle that will fetch us from that point to PNOC2. When we are already complete, we set off going up to the location. Some roads up there aren't complete and one-way, so it takes a skilled driver to handle that kind of road and deliver the passengers safely.
Welcome to Jaunts and Journeys!
This is a rest-house which my friend is working, and the rate here per head if we are going to stay for an overnight, ranges from Php 300 - 500, but he lent it to us for free.
If you can recall, this isn't my first trip here. I also have shared it here before in my previous blog, "Exciting Explorations at Minoyan, Murcia". Our initial trip here was unexpected and unplanned, which we explored and swam in the fresh streams, and enjoyed the fresh air at the abandoned helipad nearby. This time, we came prepared for this trip and have plans to go beyond the rivers and discover some of the wonders hidden in these exquisite mountains.
These beautiful landscapes of flowers and the picturesque view will greet you here. A swarm of crisp air will instantly caress your face and blow your hair away, swinging along with the different hues of the trees, blue skies, and the mountains around the area. The call of the abundant spring waters running freely from each households' showers and the current of the streams in the distance plays a never-ending tune that soothes the mind and weary souls as soon as we have settled down in the house.
It's at the middle of the day when we arrived, didn't have a breakfast yet, and certainly starving from an hour duration of the trip combined with the waiting time as well. In a span of minutes, our group have already lit the stove and started grilling the fish and the meat, one of my friends also cooked the rice. On the other side, there was me who was occupied taking photos for this blog. Pardon me, but I'm not that knowledgeable in the kitchen. I'm afraid to cause a huge fire than to be more of a help.
A little while later, when we're done eating, we changed into our swim wears and hopped in to the van and drove to the next destination.
We're back at the Russian Resort.
It is this very place where we first enjoyed swimming in its cold streams. Seeing it once again, I couldn't help but to point out the differences from before and its current changes. They have improved its beautification. Right now, they added bridges to easily traverse on the other side, fishes on ponds and water lily.
It's just sad that the strong current where we had difficulty crossing back then was now dried up. The place has improved a lot but the waters don't look more lively than before, instead, it looked stagnant, unnatural. The one portion on the other side have been dug deeper, rails and pathways are added to improve the trails. Even so, the waters were still the same, cold and fresh from the springs and the falls at the higher altitude.
The Majestic 7th Falls of Murcia!
From that point, there is a local trail to access the 7th Falls faster. Going there is actually prohibited since the previous typhoons that came destroyed the trails from Mambukal Resort where it was blocked by erosions due to heavy downpours. However, our friend assured us that it's fine as long as there is a local that is with us to guide us up there and orient us with the dos and don'ts of the place.
Concrete trails beside the rivers were added this time also, making it more safe to hit the trails. Most of the parts were groomed by the locals, and the trails were more visible. Signboards were put up asking for donations for the maintenance of the place since they are not asking for entrance fees from the visitors.
Walking through the bamboos, jumping on the rocks, going down the slopes and crossing two bamboo bridges; it was quite a fun adventure to traverse from a point to another and we're like marking out every landmarks on a map before finding the hidden treasure. Being extra careful is needed, the terrain is slopy and rocky, if not cautious, you might slip and fall on the rocks everywhere.
At the end of our quest, here is our reward!
The waters below the falls are not that deep, and the current falling isn't that strong, but it is twice as cold as the rivers below. Instant shivers crawls through your entire being as soon as you dip your feet in its waters. It will come off later on when your body have adjusted to the temperature, though. It's the best time to enjoy, and let the falls give you a back massage.
Honestly, I was awestruck by its beauty. It was my first time seeing a waterfall personally. I've lived my life mostly on the countryside but it was all plains and plantations. Witnessing such a wonder for the first time was a feast to my soul and one thing that have enriched my colorful imaginations. And oh, finally, I've checked something in my bucket list.
Here, let me end my blog on finding wild sunflowers nearby. May your day be as bright as this sunflower while you're reading this. Thanks for taking time to read this blog and I hope you have enjoyed my little tour!
