One of the great rewards of traveling
is its many surprises. Along the way, we
get blessed with discoveries that only those who dare get to enjoy.
In our recent trip to Nagtipunan, organized by my group TREK
or TRails to Empower Kids, we got to discover more about this municipality that
is also considered the tourism capital of Quirino. Thanks to a somewhat open
itinerary and co-volunteers that are as spontaneous.
TREK Nagtipunan was part of TRails to Empower Kids’ 10th
Anniversary program, celebrated by going back to ten of our partner
communities. Due to recent news of rebel
fighting in the area, we decided to just hold the handover program at the foot
of the mountain where our beneficiaries live, leaving us with more time to
explore.
Initially, we only had Bimmapor,
a rock formation resembling a sunken ship, as part of our itinerary. It lies beside Siitan River, which is part of Cagayan River.
The name Nagtipunan was actually derived from the word tipon, which means convergence, in reference to the several major tributaries of this river, Siitan being one of them.
Bimmapor and Siitan River were also our side trips
during our first outreach in this municipality.
It was a celebration of the previous day’s successful outreach, with
volunteers either enjoying a swim or just capturing images.
I usually opt for more
quiet time during travels, especially when it is as tiring as TREK. Our outreach activities are really energy
draining and a lot of times, emotionally demanding.
But, Nagtipunan is just a place that begs to be discovered.
The municipality is home to other wonders that are as equally stunning as Bimmapor and Siitan River.
The drive itself to Nagtipunan from Aurora Province is
already a breathtaking experience. The
scenic drive lets travelers enjoy awesome vistas – mountains, hills, and
rivers.
Who knows what else lies
there and what else we can discover if we had more time? But, as it is,
with only a day and a half for our side trips, we got already our fill of
amazement.
We visited the Diamond Cave and Junuan Falls.
The Diamond Cave ground was actually where our group held
our handover ceremonies. We were already
there so we might as well.
I really didn’t have much expectation. The sales pitch of our hosts also didn’t
excite me much. Maybe I was tired, and I would rather go to our lodging and
sleep. But, I am also not the one who
would say pass to an opportunity for discovery.
So, to the cave, we went.
The first part of our tour inside
the cave was really not that exhilarating. There were a few interesting stalactites and
stalagmites formation, but nothing great.
My mind actually wandered to the rest of the group who opted
to just wait for us. Who knows? They may
already be enjoying the river outside with beer.
I just continued moving. But, lo and behold, the cave got
its own surprise.
Midway, the cave changed personality. We started making our way into a narrow
passage, with our feet submerged in a subterranean river and began to
understand why it was called Diamond Cave.
That part of the cave is stunning. I wouldn’t dare to compare it to other caves
I have seen before because it has a charm of its own, the fairy tale kind. It
is also massive, but we opted to take the shortcut
as it was already late and we still need to prepare our dinner.
The cave is located in Sitio Gibien, Barangay
Landingan. Guides are required, and there is a registration fee. Not sure now how much, as our hosts took care
of this. We just gave our guides
tips. There is also a short trek to get
to the jump-off point.
The other site we visited was Junuan Falls.
It is located on the road to Aurora, quite near Dinadiawan
Beach. If not for our local hosts, we
would not have known about these beautiful cascades of cool water. There was no signage or any sign of tourism
activities, except for local stores, where we had our coffee and snacks.
It is an easy, sometimes slippery, walk to get to the second
cascade from the highway, which is also a good place for picnics.
This waterfall may not have that one unique feature that
will land it to the world’s (or probably Philippines’) best list, but I find
its rawness very appealing. Not much
human intervention on the site (and we all know what we have the tendency to do
to natural wonders).
We had the falls all to ourselves, and it was the perfect activity to cap our weekend in Nagtipunan. The kind storeowners allowed us to wash up in
their comfort rooms after. Then, we left
Nagtipunan with the feeling of wanting for more adventure in this lovely, yet
unassuming, municipality.
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