Pagsanjan Falls

After the root canals, extractions, deep fillings, wisdom teeth problems, and emergencies, we had a free day to go on a trip - to Pagsanjan Falls. The Strouds had just gotten back the night before from assembling 250 student chair/desks for a school and told us about their amazing trip. As we traveled along and saw interesting things, I'd noted some of them to which Sister Stroud replied, "You don't get out much." Nope, but every three weeks there is a window of opportunity.
Getting to and from is an adventure all by itself but I'll just focus on the trip up the river to the falls.

Contemplation - peaceful river before we started up to the falls

Noted these canoes being hauled up the river by one motorized boat

We were all fitted out with helmets and life-preservers though our guides did not, nor did they wear shoes

Stewarts ready to go - I teamed up with them as Jeffrey had a bum knee this week

Two per canoe (except the Stewarts and I) with two guides each, as we got into the river our guides latched onto the boats being pulled up the river with the motorized canoe

This is the way to ride a canoe - someone else is paddling

The river narrowed and we found we were going upstream. The canyon walls just got narrower and narrower as the guides paddled the canoes along.

The guides paddled and pushed off the rocks with their feet and hands

Sometimes they pulled the canoe over the rocks and rapids, always pushing off with their legs and arms

Imagine being in an amusement ride that is powered by humans rather than motors

We would shoot along narrow channels and off large boulders as the guides would shove off rocks, jump in and out all without shoes or gloves

Every eddy of calm would round the corner to another set of rapids - 16 set in all we were told

Beautiful jungle ravines with black rocks, vegetation and fallen boulders

The guides lifted our canoe onto some heavy pipes in some places to facilitate travel over rocks

Lifting canoe over the pipes again

Hauling canoe up and over rapids

Disneyland doesn't have quite this much adventure on their rides - though I knew I was safe the thought did come that one slip up and I'd need my helmet

We came to a landing point and got out of the canoes (yes I have awkward disembark pictures that I'm not showing)

And there it was Pagsanjan Falls - with rafts going out to view the falls 

I did note the raft in front of us was submerged slightly in water and remembered the line in the brochure: Prepare to get wet.

Some different guides pulled our raft out and another raft in at the same time

Everyone on the other raft was soaked

That is when we noted the line went into the falls not behind the falls

To future travelers - YOU WILL GET WET

And what fun it is to have a torrential shower

Everyone lived and survived the falls

Trip back to the landing point

The Strouds (who planned this trip)  having survived the falls

Pagsanjan Falls

The trip back was quicker and of course more peaceful, so we looked at the beautiful scenery we may have missed on the way up.

Fabulous sights that could never be duplicated in a Disneyland ride

Riding in a canoe down from the falls

The guides hooked us on to the motorized boat until we reached the resort we started from

What a great, fun, adventurous day - and that doesn't even include the travel drama (but that is a different story.)