Baler is a place of mystery and adventure. I stepped my right foot in between two rocks, not visible to my eyes as the raging water covered everything underneath my feet. After walking through a narrow pebbled pathway and crossed three flimsy bamboo bridges, we came to a point when land was no more in sight and we had to wade through the river as we continued our trek towards the Mother Falls of Ditumabo in San Luis, Baler in Aurora, a province at the eastern part of Luzon in the Philippines.
I got hold of the rope tied by our guides and made sure I walk at the side of the river. I took another step, trying to test the depth and the stability of the rocks below. There were some points when the bedrock suddenly goes deep, while there are others that were covered with moss it became too slippery to step onto.
Then we climbed another bamboo ladder and walked through a concrete ramp, which was reminiscent of the Temple Run game I used to play on my phone. A few minutes of walk on this concrete path led us to the mouth of the falls.
It was raining hard the previous days so the water gushing from above was in great force that the water was splashing all over, getting us wet as we stood at the side of its natural pool.
Here are some things you need to bear in mind if you want to visit the falls. Since we weren’t able to park at the entrance of the falls, we had to leave the van near the highway (with parking cost of P50.00) and had to take the tricycle to and from the entrance. It was costly as they charged P50.00 per head one way. We could have walked, although it was a long one, because the road was full of rocks and we had to endure a bumpy ride. Also, there were two bamboo bridges at the middle of the trek where an old man charges P20.00 per head.
Apart from the falls, we also went to Digisit Beach with the rock formations as its landmark. We were supposed to go to the private beach at the Dicasalarin Cove but the gates were closed and we had to retrace our route and make a stopover at the Digisit Beach. Note also the P20.00 entrance per head and the P50.00 parking fee.
The water at the Digisit Beach was shallow because of the rocks at its bed. The sand is white but not so smooth as it is filled with crushed shells and corals. I even found a boot-shaped coral along the shore, which I took a photo and left it where it was lying before.
We ended the tour with a climb to Ermita Hill. It is known as a sacred haven for religious activities by devotees of Mother Mary. There was even some youth practising dance steps at the hill.
Aside from being a spiritual landmark, Ermita Hill is also a historical spot. Right at the base of the hill, along the highway, is a sculpture of a wave and several people climbing the slope. Called the Tromba Marina, it represented the families who sought refuge at the hill when a tidal wave hit Baler on December 27, 1735.
It was a steep climb to the hill from Tromba Marina. But once we got there, we were greeted by the beautiful view of the bay and the Baler Fish Port.
There were still so many spots to visit, such as the museum, the church, and other attractions around town. But we decided to enjoy the rest of the day dipping into the enticing pool at Costa Pacifica and listen to the crashing of the waves at the beach.