An official entry to the Iligan Blogging Contest 2012
Photo of Tinago Falls
“I can’t die without having to experience the majestic Iligan City,” a 50-something-year-old friend exclaimed during our meeting. We were planning for our 4-day Mindanao escapade. Long silence followed. It was as if everyone was loading a large file into their system. “Perfect! Iligan it is!” another friend said.
Being a former student of MSU-IIT and having to experience what Iligan has to offer, I was confident my friends wouldn’t be disappointed to put Iligan on top of the list. On the last day of our trip, we visited Iligan!
It was dusk when we arrived in a little villa we rented for an overnight stay – little yet cozy and pocket-friendly. Right after we’ve checked in, we rushed back on the street to commute to our first destination in Iligan –Timoga. Our Iligan spree wouldn’t be complete without experiencing the cold springs of Timoga. I’ve been there a few times before but every time I visit Timoga, it’s always like love at first sight. Love becomes more bountiful when you share it to others. So, I have to share it to my friends.
Photo of Mimbalot Falls
For the first 3 days, we’ve been under the sun, riding and hopping on the different places in Mindanao. We enjoyed every bit of it but of course it was also exhausting. A few hours swimming in the freezing pools of Timoga and our weary muscles were vanquished. It was really invigorating. It felt like we’ve been recharged to do more just sleep that night. So, we roamed around the city until 3 in the morning.
Barely after two hours of nap, we’re ready for another adventure. Next on our list was Mimbalot falls, one of the 23 lavish waterfalls of Iligan. It is located in Barangay Buru-un, a few minutes travel from the city. From Tibanga, where we were staying, we traveled to the location on a public vehicle. After negotiating for our ride, which was easy because there were 18 of us, again we went on a road trip smoothly and affordably. Time flies when you’re having fun. If not for our growling stomach, we wouldn’t have noticed that we’ve spent almost an hour being awestruck by the beauty of the place. Aside from the luscious crystal water flowing from the cliff, the gigantic rock structures nearby were my favorite. It’s enchanting!
From Mimbalot, we went to another paradise hidden behind the precipice covered with tall trees – Tinago Falls. And that’s how it got its name, by the way. Tinago is a local word which means hidden. Like everything else hidden, finding Tinago Falls was a little bit of a challenge for us. We needed to go trekking down the ravine on winding staircases with, as far as I could remember, more than 400 steps. The driver we hired was also our guide, who we later realized wasn’t familiar of the trail going to the place. Thankfully, 3 residents we met along the way were so kind. They volunteered to usher us to the place. And they did not even demand for anything!
As soon as we heard the stumping sound of the water from the distance, we ran towards the direction and in chorus, we cried “Woooooooow.” Hungry, still? Everyone seemed to forget about it. For almost three hours, we rode the bamboo raft towards the pouring water and into the small cave, climbed on the cliffs like it was our playground then jumped into the cold water, swam into the deep blue lagoon and of course took pictures from every direction. We just couldn’t get enough of it.
Next stop – Maria Christina Falls! “Oh my God, I have Goosebumps!” a friend said. “I couldn’t believe that the famous Maria Christina, I thought I would only see in books is finally right in front of my eyes.” I smiled to myself because even though I’ve been in the place, I’ve never seen it before looking like the way it looks on photos. If only we could stay there longer…. But we needed to rush back for our scheduled flight at 1PM in CDO to Cebu.
Words may not be enough to impart how fascinated we are with what we’ve experienced in Iligan even for a while. If given the chance, I would go back there and spend some time with the remaining 20 waterfalls we haven’t visited.
If you find the pictures here captivating, then you have to see them in person to know what it really means to be captivated by the grandeur of Iligan. Next time, you and your friends plan for a trip, put Iligan on top of your list. You have to visit & experience Iligan yourself!
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