Saturday, October 27, 2012

Exploring Philippines 93 - Montalban, Rizal (Post 1 - Wawa Dam)

It was July 2008 when I first set foot in Montalban, Rizal.  A friend accompanied me to explore Wawa dam because he happened to know the way and a bit of the place as well.  

We met at the town of Marikina and boarded a jeepney bound to the terminal in Montalban near the dam itself.  The trip was pleasant because it was a weekend and the weather was perfect for an outdoor activity.
By 9am, we arrived at the jeepney terminal in Montalban.  To our left, I noticed right away the river that is full of white large boulders of rocks.  And after a few minutes of walking, the famous Montalban landscape comes into a full view. 

During my elementary days, I used to read different folklores and one of them was the tale of Bernardo Carpio.  It never occurred in my mind that one day I will set foot in the setting of his story.  And there it is, the two mountains separated by a river in the middle which Bernardo Carpio tried to push them apart.

Aside from the folklore of Bernardo Carpio, I learned that there are so many real things about this place. This place is a favorite destination of excursionists during summer.  The abandoned dam was built in the early 1900’s by the Americans.  The caves on the side of the mountain were used by the Japanese as their hiding place during World War II and can now be explored by spelunkers.  The mountain itself is used as a training ground of people who love to climb the mountain and rappel.  And the upstream is used as a faster means of transportation and for transporting their goods as well.

There are several stalls on the foot of the mountain.  This place turned into a good commercial spot because both locals and tourists will pass this area either going up or coming down from the mountain.  Since it was July when we came here, there were only few visitors to this place.

Even if you are new to this place, you will not get lost.  There is only one trail that leads to the dam.  As we followed the trail, there are shanties on both sides of the path.  Along with the presence of shanties near the river come some concerns about sanitation and cleanliness.  Let us hope that the people who are living here will take good care of their place and the nearby environment because they are the ones who will benefit from the influx of tourists.  

Anyway, as we followed the path that leads to the dam, there are so many huge boulders within the river.  I guess these rocks were part of the mountains.  It is also a wonder that these rocks exhibit gray and white colors in contrast with the green environment.

On the other hand, the path that we were tracing was etched from the side of the mountain.  Large protruding rock formation can be seen along the way.  The trail is good enough for two persons with not much baggage with them.  But if someone is carrying a heavy load, like the one we saw earlier who carried three sacks of charcoal on his head and back, the other party must lean against the side of the mountain in order to let him pass first.  And the moment we reached the upper part of the trail, I could feel the rapid beating of my heart because we were several meters high and right down below us is the river.  What made me cautious and somewhat nervous was the open side of the path because one will readily fall to the cliff once pushed or lost his footing.

Aside from being open and dangerous, the path was wet also because of the dripping water coming from the mountain.  If there are appropriate signs for this place, they could be slippery when wet, dangerous curves, and high cliff below your feet.  I really took my sweet time walking on the side of the mountain and praying that it will be over soon.  Then we reached the bridge made of metal sheets  and my fear was intensified.  

Upon reaching the bridge, it was a funny move on my part because for a couple of steps I tried to test if the bridge is sturdy. My fear of heights got into me first without first realizing that the bridge is the only access of the people in and out of this place.  Somehow, with each careful step, I managed to cross the bridge and the full view of the dam greeted me afterwards.

It was unfortunate, though, that our exploration of the place was cut short due to some pressing matter. An old woman had lost her way and her mental condition was not right.  My friend, Christian, felt obliged to accompany her to the proper authorities in order to ensure her safety.  Since the barangay hall was closed that time, the police station is located in the town proper and it would take more than a couple of hours traveling back and forth. 

Well, there is always a next time.
















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