Its summer.

A time to relax and time to be by the beach again. To be there is relaxing. Even just for a while, connecting in nature will be a great way to go back to your senses. The gentle breeze of the sea calms a wounded soul. The wide clear horizon relieves a tired body. That beautiful sunset and display of colored sky awaken the inner peace which was lost in the hustle and bustle of the city.

But since we are here in Antipolo, a city in the mountains, to be at the nearest beach will mean a long travel, back and forth. It seems that the time consumed only in traveling is a wasted time considering that it is just a few days vacation. Mabibitin ka lang, as we usually say it. The effort will just be misspent.

No worries then. I have a special place to share with you which can offer you that same ambiance in a beach but you will never have to travel that far. This place is just at Antipolo City. Oh yes! It is in the city. A place to connect with nature with a gentle breeze, a stunning horizon and a beautiful sunset.

This place is called Bunsuran Falls. Aside from Taktak Falls, this is another existing clean falls in Antipolo City. Bunsuran Falls is located at Brgy Calawis Antipolo City. It is only 30mins drive away from the town proper also 30mins drive away from SM Masinag. This place was featured a few times on television.

How to get there

How I wish I can really tell you guys how to get here by commuting, but honestly I am not surely accurate about it, however, I will try to give some tips. I and my friends went here by the aid of motorcycles. From our place, Sitio Monteberde which is near the town proper, we travel down to Brgy Calawis at 6 am in the morning.

(yours truly at the backride)

We arrive 6:30 am in the Calawis Public Market where we buy foods to eat and water to drink.

I suggest that you should not carry a lot of foods because there are cheap items found in the market. You can also buy water there in containers/gallons. For those who will commute from Cubao terminal, ride Cubao-Padilla or Cubao-Cogeo jeep. Tell them to drop you at gate two. The fare is less than 50pesos. From there ride another jeep that will pass by Calawis Market ( can be Paenaan, or Calawis ) and tell them to drop you the Calawis Market. I am not sure how much but I think it is less than 20pesos. From the market, ride a tricycle going to Bunsuran Falls. The fare is 60pesos divided by 4 to 5 person per tricycle.

The Ride

You will surely enjoy the travel. There are a lot of sights to see. Antipolo is a city but part of it is still like a province life. You will still see farm animals and nipa huts along the way.The breeze is so cold which reminds you the breeze of "ber months" or the City of Baguio. You will really love the atmosphere. It so fresh no traces of pollution. Of course, there is no traffic. You can still hear the chirping of birds. So free, so calm that you will forget you are in the city and a few minutes away from the metro.

We arrive at the entrance of Bunsuran Falls. But a friend said that we are still not yet there. We still have to do some trekking towards the Falls itself. She told us to take breakfast first. So we ate at a "carinderia" there at a very very low price. The bowl of "sopas" costs only 10pesos and a plate of "pansit" is only 15pesos. It was really a hearty delicious dish that will make you remember your Lola's home cook meals.

The Trail

To witness the beauty of this soon to be famous site, one must follow a trail. So went on a trekking which seriously challenges my physique. I almost quit but my friends keep on cheering that I can do it. The path was slippery and steep but I am so blessed to have my friends with me who accompanies me every step of the way. They were so patient and careful over me. After a decade of being bedridden, I was really grateful to have friends like them who want to show me the world. They even wanted to carry me but I insisted to walk so can I experience what it is to trek. It was exhausting for me and my solace aside my friends' comfort was the picturesque view of the place. It is as if the memories of my childhood went back.

Back in the good old days when Antipolo was still a municipality filled with farms and covered clean fresh air. Never mind the mud. Never mind the rocks. Never mind the steep. After those dark years of life, I never knew I will make a comeback and will encounter a happening like this. The path I took reminded me of the rough years I had as I battle with my disease. I am not yet in the falls but I am already enjoying the experience.

The trail is not that long but it is slippery and steep. So don't carry a lot of stuff. Just carry clothes to wear after bathing. We didn't carry food paraphernalia aside from the pot and pan we borrow from a local there.

Glory felt upon arrival

I was shouting and shouting after the steepest part of the trail. All of my pain simply melted away when I witness the awesome view of Bunsuran Falls. The breeze that slowly touching my skin was unexplainable. It was mixed emotions. I want to cry for I have successfully finished the tiring trail, however, I also want to rejoice for I have seen the place I sought after.

Beauty Unravelled

Its been so long since I felt this way again. After the long tedious walk, I rest myself on the rocks and delightfully watch my friends relishing the waters. The local who guided us informed us that water will soon rise at noontime and the current will get stronger. We arrive at around 9am and we are the only group there so we grab the chance of shouting and roaming around.

The water is cold as well as the breeze. The sun shines so well and the weather is fair. You will really love to plunge into the water because of it's refreshing characteristic. Nature conspired with us to have a relaxing escapade. The water also has a sweet taste for I accidentally swallow some, haha. The water is crystal clear that you can even see small fishes swimming by.

Unlike in a beach or pool where the water is evenly distributed until it gets deep, the surface of the Bunsuran's water is uneven. There are shallow parts, however, there are deep parts and there are still very deep parts. The surface was unpredictable so one must be cautious.
But as I said, the water has sweet taste compared to the salty waters of the sea and the chlorinized water of the pool.

As I lay in a shallow part, I can hear the chirping of the birds and the wide sky so blue and white clouds. You will appreciate the place even more if you will close your eyes. Let the moment stop for awhile and get close to nature. You will realize that our God is the best landscape artist and the greatest painter. Everything was in harmony. It was a perfect time to release all the tensions and all the hurts of the past. Being prison in my room for a decade makes me long for this precious time of my life. I thought I will never experience this. But life is still full of surprises. Who knows that despite my disability I will end up in this paradise.

For lunch, we gather dry pieces of woods. Made it into a bonfire. Using the pot and pan we cooked rice and eggs and hotdogs respectively. Then we used fresh banana leaves which we cleansed in the waters. We ate only using our hands. It's was an irreplaceable experience. After the fulfilling lunch, we just started discussing and reminiscing the times when we were still young. A very few moments to be treasured.

Farewell Bunsuran Falls

This spot is still not known by many people. There is still even no precise information about it in google. Before we decided to go, we gather all our trashes and brought it with us. Bunsuran Falls is part of the Marikina watershed. If you will decide to go here consider to help in conserving the place.

As we all know good things comes to an end. Before we were able to witness the rise of the current, we bid goodbye to this sanctuary. We carry on with the trail again. But there is this happiness that I possess inside of me. I know I will be leaving the place so soon but the memory and feeling will forever be in my heart and memorized by my mind. It was a marvelous experience made more valuable as it was spent with this caring friends. My dream journey became my sweetest escape.

Follow me on my next blog :) Thank you, everyone. Happy Steeming :)