Chapter 62 Tiring Day in Elyu
KIA
“Hon, wake up…” a voice whispered in my ear. “Hon? Hon, we need to go. You need to wake up…”
I opened my eyes and, as the blurriness slowly faded, I saw Ares laying beside me. I stared at his angelic face for more than a minute. He didn’t move. He just stayed here, looking at me and smiling. And just like that, the scenarios that happened last night hit me. I immediately sat down and looked away.
…Sh*t! I’m naked!...
I grabbed the blanket and used it to cover my naked body. I heard a giggle beside me.
…Is he laughing at me?!...
“I’ll wait for you outside. Just call me when you need me,” he said before leaving me.
I rushed towards my suitcase and immediately grabbed some clothes that I would wear today. This is our third day in La Union, or as they call it, Elyu. As part of the plan, we will be going to the Tangadan falls today. I rushed towards the bathroom and prepared myself. When I finished, I immediately went outside and looked for Ares.
“Are they not ready yet? Where are they?” I asked Ares.
“Oh, Dave said that an emergency happened and Miaree need to leave right away, I was about to wake you up when he offered that he will just be the one to take Miaree home. I agreed since you look so tired and need more rest.”
“Is that so…”
It's too bad that Miaree won't be able to make the most of this vacation with Dave.
…
When we got to San Gabriel, La Union's municipal building, where we met our guide for the trip to Tangadan Falls, it was already five in the morning. You read that correctly. There are waterfalls in La Union, and Tangadan is the one that is now attracting the most attention from tourists and millennials commenting on social media.
The registration would begin at 6:30 am, and due to the steep roads, it is forbidden to drive there when it's dark. As a result, we waited for more than an hour. To get to Tangadan Falls, it is advised to rent a jeep. Tangadan is a city surrounded by mountains and situated in the middle of a forest. It's fortunate that the local government was able to build a road leading there, perhaps because there are residents on that portion of the mountain.
But gosh, the road's swerve and steepness are astounding. A cliff on one side of the road that led to the jump-off point made it feel like a roller coaster. I mean, I could see why tourists would need to rent a jeep to drive there as the mountainous roads would be difficult for anything but a high-powered car to navigate.
The guide instructed us to take a habal-habal when our automobile was unable to proceed farther since driving was too risky. There can be two people per habal-habal. I must say that riding a habal-habal is an experience you should attempt, especially on this curvy and small route. It's possible to simultaneously feel thrill and excitement.
…Adventure at its finest!....
“There are two trails we can use to get to Tangadan Falls. The first is a long way, which consists of 2-3 hours of trekking with a river crossing and grassland scenery. The second is the easy way, which is 15-30 minutes of trekking composed of stairs and fields. So what do you want, Ma’am and Sir?” the tour guide asks.
I looked at Ares and noticed that he was looking at me too. Maybe he was waiting for me to answer. “We will go in an easy way. I am not that confident that I will survive the long way.”
“Easy way then,” Ares said.
The trail leading to Tangadan is more difficult than is often believed. We must have spent close to an hour strolling the trail and stopping to take pictures of each stunning location we came across. All of the effort paid off as we arrived at the falls. After an hour of walking, the water is soothing and can help your body relax. It will win your heart, I can tell. Looking at it will make you wonder how God could have created such a beautiful item. Cliff leaping is possible up to a height of 20 feet if you have the necessary courage.
…A little trivia for all of you! Tangadan is an Ilokano word that means “tingala” in tagalog or “to look up”...
We spent more minutes there, just sitting and enjoying the place until we decided to go back. The hike back is a lot tougher because most of the trail is going up.
“Ho–hon, water please…” I said as I gasped for air.
“Can we stop for a minute?” Ares asked the tour guide while helping me to drink water.
We made the decision to eat early lunch at a neighboring restaurant after we arrived in the town of San Gabriel. After the climb to Tangadan, we were both exhausted, so we decided to stop for food and relaxation before continuing to our next location.
...
Our next destination was supposed to be the Bahay na Bato and the Stone Hand Art gallery. Unfortunately, the Bahay na Bato was closed. So we went to the Gapuz Grapes Farm in Bauang, La Union. We parked along the highway. We arrived at ED's Grape Farm just in time.
“Hello, Ma’am and Sir! Welcome to the Gapuz Grapes Farm!” a lady said as we arrived at the farm.
About the abundance of grape farms in La Union, I've read a lot of things online. It goes without saying that I was certain that these farms existed in the province, but seeing and seeing them for oneself is a completely different matter.
“Bauang in La Union has been the home of numerous grape farms in the country. It all started in 1972 when the so-called "Grape King" Avelino Lomboy, started the Lomboy Farms. Then, over the years, more and more farms were built, like Gapuz Farms and ED's Farms.” the lady added.
Although it was not grape harvest season, we had planned to try grape harvesting. The staff informed me that it would still be months before harvest season after I sampled one, and I understand. Instead, they let us wander around for free and shoot pictures in their vineyard. They have grape wine for sale on the farm, and it's rather good.
We eventually made the decision to move on after over an hour of staying. We are on our way to the Macho temple when the sudden urge to urinate struck me so hard, that I thought I had been hit by lightning.
...Racing thoughts — what is that feeling I have in my lower body? Why does it seem like my bladder has shrunk down to the size of a walnut today when I am well aware that it is the size of an elephant?...
I could feel my muscles tensing up with each swerve off the road in an effort to hold on to what was unavoidably going to come out. In an effort to determine what had happened and what I might do to avoid shame, I started to scratch my head.
…Had I not gone before we left the hotel? Had I drunk too much water on our drive? Had my unhealthy habit of being a caffeine lover finally caught up with me?...
Minutes seemed to drag on and on while the road appeared to be getting only longer!
I finally got the courage to tell Ares that I really needed to go to the restroom, “Ho– Hon! Can we stop at the nearest gas station or any restaurant?”
“Why? Wait, why are you so pale? Do you feel sick?!” he asked, worriedly.
“I wanted to pee!” I screamed as I felt a weird sensation inside my urinary bladder.
He immediately understands what he needs to do. So I waited…and waited…and waited…until I was about to burst!
When suddenly…
…AHHHHHH…
Heaven appeared in the form of a restaurant that had a restroom!
Ares had to park quite a distance from the restaurant, so as soon as he got close enough to it without having to pull into a parking space, I got out of the car and made my way as quickly as I could to the closest stall.
SWEET RELIEF!
...
We got to Macho Temple in the late afternoon. This is approximately 70 feet above sea level; it is situated on a hill. The Chinese residents of San Fernando, La Union, built the Taoist temple known as the Macho Temple. All are welcome to visit the Taoist temple, despite the fact that it is private property. Everyone will enjoy and appreciate it because of its vibrant and detailed design. We toured the temple and spent almost an hour there.
We went back to the hotel to recuperate after a long and exhausting day. Ares' look tells me that he is really exhausted from everything we did today. He was sleeping when I drew him near to me and gave his back a little massage.
“Good night, hon…” I whispered.
