Laurel Adventure: Escaping from the Real World, Finding Paradise

September 29, 2012. A rainy day but it was a great experience for me and my friends. We went to Laurel, Batangas to visit the town fiesta and make our projects. The original plan was to finalize the concept for our exhibit in Philosophy of Education but the plan turned out to be an adventure through Malagaslas Falls and another falls which is not yet known to people.

It all started out at 11:00 AM. We rode a truck that delivers fresh fish in some parts of Cavite and Manila. It is owned by my classmate’s family. The ride took 15 minutes from the town of Laurel. The truck ride was such an experience for all of us especially for me because it has been a very long time since I last rode one.

Truck ride

The 15-minute ride did not bring us straight to our destination. We have to walk along a muddy terrain and cross rivers just to get to Malagaslas Falls. We even had stop-overs to buy some snacks and take pictures, so the supposed-to-be 40-minute walk lasted for more than an hour.

First stop is the Malagaslas Falls. It is located at the heart of San Gabriel, Laurel, Batangas. The falls was a small one but the water is so clear and freezing cold. This is my first time to see natural falls but I can say that it belongs to one of the most beautiful miniature natural falls. The water rushes down from a 6-7 meters high pile of rocks. The water is so clear that you would want to just dive onto the water but you cannot because the catch-basin is too shallow for one to dive. Cherishing the beauty of nature and the coldness of water, we took a lot of pictures here. Unfortunately, some of us were not prepared to wet themselves on the falls but we all did because of the inviting splash and coldness of the clear water.

After the Malagaslas Falls, we planned to visit the Simbahang Bato which is also an attraction in Laurel. But we didn’t find our way there; instead, we found a huge falls which we do not know the name. Before we got inside the hidden falls, we need to pass through a waist-deep river and cross over a huge rock which serves as the gate to the falls. When we passed the gate (that’s how I call it), it was PARADISE. The rocks are so beautiful and are placed almost perfectly alongside of the rock walls. The falls is on one side. It is like a cave but the difference is just that this cave has no roof.  

The falls was 10-15 meters high. The upper falls was, I guess, 8 meters high splits into two smaller falls. The splash of the water from the top falls gives drizzles of water that wets the sand and rock inside. Since it had just rained when we got to the unnamed falls, the water was brownish but we still enjoyed there. We enjoyed the beauty of the scenery surrounding the hidden unnamed falls. It was surrounded by a huge rock formation which is covered by moss and topped with trees forming a half circle. The green and mossy surroundings gave a cool and soothing ambience, perfect for relaxing one’s mind.

We need to say goodbye to the falls. It’s almost 3:00 PM and we have not yet eaten lunch. We have decided to go back to our classmate’s home, but this time, we had to walk our way to the town of Laurel because the truck cannot fetch us. We walked across rivers and the muddy terrain, passing the Malagslas Falls and through other two barangays. We were home by 4:00 PM.

My favorite shot. :)

It was such an experience. Adventure-packed. Worth-remembering. Worth-repeating. I will definitely go back.

Carpe diem!