A Quiet Place: Sta. Lucia Falls

A Quiet Place: Sta. Lucia Falls

A Quiet Place

A Quiet Place? Why would I want that? Isn't that scary? No, of course. (Thanks to you Hollywood!) 

Spending a day of peace and quiet is such a rare thing. What's more difficult is finding a place where you can remain silent for a long time, not minding your emails, deadlines, bills and other stressors.

With the sudden spike of interest in travelling, it's almost impossible to find a single square inch of peace in supposedly "peaceful settings" like mountains, seashores or even a parks. 

Try to sit and meditate on the summit of mountains near Manila and you'll know what I'm talking about. I'll not be long into your meditation before some 'igers and FB travellers start invading your peace circle. 

Anyway, fret no more! 

We got your back on finding the best to finally unplug. Let me introduce you to Sta. Lucia Falls. 

The Team 

Team Palavern

Team Palavern namely, Memay, Dj Plywood, Denver the Dinosaur, Syrill Mariposa, JayCo and Pearlilooliloo and Ian (photographer). Travel date was July 8, 2018. 

How to get there

Sta. Lucia Falls is located in the town of Dolores in Quezon Province. It is about 80 kilometres south of Metro Manila.

1. Ride a bus going to Lucena, Quezon then alight at San Pablo Medical. If you're coming from Alabang, the fare is 98 pesos each.

2. From San Pablo Medical, ride a trike to the jeepney terminal plying to Dolores, Quezon. 10 pesos each. 

3. From Dolores Jeepney Terminal, ride a monster jeep going to Dolores, Quezon. Fare is 40 - 50 pesos each. Tell the driver to drop you off at Sta. Lucia trail head. 

The Trek

Upon getting off the jeepney, you will be greeted by a quaint talipapa. There, you will find stalls selling various amulets and even water jugs. Water jugs? It is said that the water from the falls has some miraculous healing properties. Locals and visitors alike fetch this miraculous water for different purposes. (Sorry no photos here!) Despite the stores, there are only few people present outside so we were not able to ask permission to snap some photos. 

From the talipapa, just continue walking straight until you see a cemented trail. This trail will cut through a community. This part of the trail last for about 10 - 15 minute walk. At the end of this path, you will find a stair leading down to the water below. 

Stair to Sta. Lucia Falls

The stair leading down is quite steep so be very careful. Compounded by moss, this descent from steep stair is a  recipe for a nasty tumble. 

Steep stairs to Sta. Lucia Falls

Sta. Lucia is a pilgrimage site first and a trekking destination second. Upon your descent, the first thing you will see is a grotto. Here, you can light a candle and offer a prayer for you and your team's safety. 

One of the many grottos in Sta. Lucia Falls

From the top of the stairs, you will take about 20 - 30-minutes before you reach the bottom. Halfway through, you can easily hear the flowing water below. 

There are many large boulders along the waters of Sta. Lucia Falls

This place has a very different vibe to it. Upon arriving on the falls, you will find the place almost devoid of human noises. The only thing you can hear is the flowing water, the rustling of leaves and the sound of wind. Going here will not give you an "outing" like experience but rather like going on a nature retreat.

We thought we had the entire place to ourselves until we stumble on several groups of pilgrims.

Religious statues and inscriptions are present along and above the flowing water. We opted not to snap any of it for two reasons. 1. There are people praying on them so we want to be respectful. 2. We just feel inappropriate to do so. This place is more of a sacred place first before a tourist spot.

Stone Cairn

This is, for me, one of the best place to meditate and reflect. The water was very cool, and refreshing. It was not very deep so instead of swimming, wading is more of a proper term on what you can do here. Aside from water wading, you can just sit on one of the many rocks and enjoy the view and the ambience. If you're the pious kind of person, Sta. Lucia Falls offers a sanctuary for prayers

Things to Remember

ONCE AGAIN, let me remind you of some things you have to consider if ever you want to visit Sta. Lucia Falls.

1. Practice Leave No Trail Principle. Despite the relative obscurity of Sta. Lucia Falls, it was not saved from the acts of vandals and litterers. Let's help in preserving the beauty of the location.
2. Be EXTRA silent. This is a sanctuary and a holy place.
3. There are no fees to enter the place. But this may change depending on season. E.i Holy Week. So check with the local officials for confirmation.
4. Check for weather forecast. Threats of slipping and possible flash flood can occur in times of heavy downpour.
5. Though named Sta. Lucia Falls, the actual cascade is not seen on the immediate vicinity. We were not able to find the source of the water but we reckon that the actual falls is just a few minutes upstream. Before doing so, please have a guide with you.

I hope you enjoyed our guide. Now, what are you waiting for? Pack your bags now and just go!

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Gallery

Team Palavern

Dj Plywood

Memay 

JCO

Sy Boss Manager

Pearlilooliloo

Denver The Last Dinosuar 

Iansky

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Tayak Hill: A DIY Guide to a Chill climb

Tayak Hill: A DIY Guide to a Chill Climb for Beginners

Mt. Cristobal peeking behind the clouds, as seen from the summit of Tayak Hill

Sometimes, the daily grind  just takes its toll on our body and mind that we need to unplug from time to time. However, what if you only have a day off and you don't want to batter yourself by doing the popular day hikes near the city? 

Then, Tayak Hills in Rizal, Laguna is the best for you. It has a very, as in, veeerrrry chill and safe trail. Aside from that, it has a particular serene aura and beautiful view of the surrounding towns of Laguna and the infamous Mt. Cristobal. 

Background

Jumpoff point: Brgy. Tala, Rizal, Laguna, in front of Rizal Elementary School

Trail Difficulty: 2/9
Height: 560+ MASL
Trail Class: 1
Beginner Friendly? Definitely!

Tayak Hill is situated between the towns of San Pablo and Rizal, Laguna - overlooking the Seven Lakes of San Pablo on one side and the mighty Mt. Cristobal on the other side. It is within Tayak Adventure Nature and Wildlife (TANAW). There is an entrance fee of P30 for Lagunense and P40 for non-Laguna residents.

Moreover, it is in the area of the protected landscape of Mt. Banahaw and Mt. Cristobal so abide the rules in order to avoid any inconvenience on your part.

Be guided accordingly

The Team

The newest hiphop sensation; Dj, Pearly, Venz and Ian

The date of the climb was January 27, 2018, Saturday. It was drizzling the entire day which added more thrill to our impromptu trip. 

How to get There

1. From Manila, ride a bus going to Lucena City. Ask the conductor if the bus will pass by San Pablo City. Travel time, 2-3 hours
2. Alight at San Pablo Medical, then ride a trike or a jeep going to Bayan
3. From Bayan, you have to walk a bit to find the jeepeneys going to Nagcarlan. Jeepneys going to Nagcarlan are parked in front of a Fire Station at Barleta Street so you will not really miss it. 
4. Ride a jeepney with Nagcarlan signboard. Ask the driver to drop you off at Rizal Elementary School. This will take you about 30 mins and 17 pesos per head. 

Fire Station

Barleta Street

The Trail

The trail starts in front of Rizal Elementary School. It is about a 6-km stretch, has a wide, cemented road, that cars, and even small trucks can pass through it. You can ride a tricycle going all the way up to the TANAW or you can choose to walk for a fuller experience. Take note that if you ride a trike, it will only take you at least 30 minutes to reach the summit. Meh. No more adventure. The tricycle ride will cost you about P40 per head. 

Google Map: Trail going to Tayak Hill

Cemented Road to Tayak

If you choose to walk instead, this will take you about 1.5 - 2 hours to complete. The trail is covered by trees, so you will not be sunburned. For everyone's safety, walk in single file and do not occupy the entire road if you are a group. There are quite a lot of blind spots here, that vehicles can be a hazard if you do not take precautions. 

The Michael Jacksons

There are almost no threats in getting lost in this trail. Three-fourths (3/4) along the way, you will find a forked road. Both are well-established with one going up with a sign saying "To Landingan." DO NOT GO THERE. It might look like the right way since it's going up but it's not. Go straight up ahead instead, to the road going down. Continue walking on for 10-15 minutes. Then, you will finally see the entrance to the Tayak Adventure Nature and Wildlife.

Do not follow the road sign

Inside TANAW

Tayak Adventure Nature and Wildlife (TANAW) is within the Mt. Banahaw- Mt. Cristobal Protected Landscape so rules shown above are strictly enforced. 

Tayak Adventure Nature and Wildlife

After paying the registration fee, you can immediately proceed to the summit which is only 30 - 45 minutes way. The trail going up is a stone stairs under a canopy of trees. You can feel the wind getting stronger as you go higher and higher.

The Hiphop Girls

As of the day of the writing of this blog (February 3, 2018), everyone is required to take a detour away from the stairs as a construction project is going on. According to the staff, the municipal government is planning to create a Noah's Ark-like viewing deck atop the Tayak Hill.

You will go right, midway to the summit into a dirt part. Here, you will walk on the side of the hill which incidentally makes the trip more thrilling. Strong wind and beautiful scenery make up for the lack of stairs which we did not mind.

The detour towards the summit

The Prairie and the Summit

Everyone were in even higher spirit when we finally reached the clearing. It looks like a prairie in the 90's TV show Heidi. We broke into a run - excited to reach the prairie. We spent about 30 mins, just letting our inner child play in the grass and take pictures.

Everybody loves Kung-Fu fighting, hooo!

I can show you the world (lalalalal)

After a while, we proceeded to the summit where the iconic stone cross is located. You have to take note that this is also a pilgrimage site so keep your noise at the minimum. Again, a five-minute-long stairway connects the prairie to the summit.

Mt. Cristobal at the background

We spent few quiet minutes atop the summit - just enjoying the scenery and have a few snaps taken. We had the entire summit to ourselves. Soon, the clouds started to descend obscuring much of the view, and lowering the temperature even more. After we had our fill of experience, we started the descent on the same path.

We took shelter on one of the three nipa huts on the prairie as the rain started to grow stronger. Tip: If you do not have a poncho or umbrella, you can use a garbage bag as an improvised poncho.

We backtracked our way down. There are some eateries near the registration area where you can have your lunch and even buy toiletries and wash up. But since it was cold, we decided to cap our activity on Tayak Hill. Yeah!!!

Looking for your next adventure?

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The BASURABAG TEAM, TEAM NO LIGO

Sidetrips

Our Laguna Trip was not yet over since there are many other things to do near Tayak Hill.

Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery and the Nagcarlan Museum

The only one of its kind in the Philippines - the Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery houses the remains of the notable people of Nagcarlan, Laguna.

Grounds of Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery

Nagcarlan Musuem

The Underground Cemetery and the Museum are free of charge. But I highly recommend to drop cash donations to their donation box for the upkeep of the place.

How to get here: In front of Rizal Elementary School, ride a jeepney going to Nagcarlan. Fare is P10 each, travel time: 10-15 minutes

Barleta Street Food Trip

Food Trip in Laguna

End your day with an energizing foodtrip at Barleta Street. Isaw, betamax, BBQ, helmet (chicken head), adidas (chicken feet), bulaklak, and many more.

TIPS and Things to Consider

1. Always, as in always practice, "Leave No Trace Principle." Taking care of the places we visit is part of our responsibilities. The Tayak Hill is a serene place but even it cannot escape the scourge of vandals. So please. 
2. Follow rules and regulations of the Protected Landscape and the museums. The best way to ruin your day is to be caught doing prohibited acts. You may be thrown out of the premise or worse, into jail.
3. Take note that you are not allowed to take photos inside the underground cemetery. You will not be accompanied so it is all up to you to follow it. Be a good citizen.
4. Bring big plastic bags, like garbage bags for your trash and improvised poncho if needed. 
5. Exercise! It may look easy but if you are not in shape, the chill trail of Tayak Hill will still be unforgiving.
6. Bring positive attitude. Positive attitude will keep you warm despite the setbacks and difficulties you are facing. We were under the constant rain almost the entire trip, but it was not enough to dampen our mood. 

So, now that we are here at the bottom, what are you waiting for? Grab your bags now and let's go!