I was literally freaking out yesterday. My three year relationship with my phone almost ended when I found out that it can no longer take good photos. My friends kept joking that maybe it was probably the right time to buy a new one. But I can’t adhere to such fate. It has been with me through ups and downs. Literally and figuratively. It has survived the harsh weather condition of Apo and sank into the water while we’re islandhopping, and then for no apparent reason, it suddenly broke. My stingy-self screams “unacceptable”. So I busied myself scrolling over some memorable photos that I had taken during some trips. Then, I saw these photos of Lulugayan Falls.
Lulugayan Falls was a suicide trip. I know I had to catch the last boat trip back to Cebu but it was too beautiful to miss. So even if we were dead tired and short of time after that three days and two nights of camping inside the Philippines’ biggest caving system, we still pushed for that Lulugayan Falls trip.
And we’re glad we did.
The memories of Lulugayan Falls felt fresh in my head. The one hour bumpy habal-habal ride. The beautiful landscapes passed along the way. And the magnificence of such wide cascades. And I can’t help but wonder: for something so beautiful, why didn’t I take so much photos? There were only six photos of Lulugayan Falls saved on my phone. Why?
Because Lulugayan Falls was too beautiful to miss. When we saw Lulugayan Falls, we all just stood there in awe, totally captivated by its splendor. It was later that we realized that, oh, we’re bloggers, we have to take mandatory photos of this place. HAHA.
For someone who has very poor memory, it’s ironic how I can vividly recall all those moments in Lulugayan Falls. Probably it’s true that if you really want to remember a moment, you have to stop taking numerous photos of it. Many of us think that photos allow us to keep memories frozen in time. But when we devote too much time taking selfies and perfecting those angles, we also overlook the fact that we have to allow our other senses to experience the moment. The attention becomes limited; hence, instead of remembering, we are harming our memories. This is one of the many traps of photography. And I hope you won’t fall for it. I hope that when you look at your photos of the mountains, you also reminisce the chirping of the birds, the anger of the wind smashing your tent, and the laughter of friends during socials. When you marvel at your beach photos, I hope you recollect the salty smell of the sea, the stinging heat of the sun, and the sound of waves calming your impulsive soul. I hope your photos evoke some feelings, bother some memories. Because if they don’t, what’s the purpose of photography then?
Maybe it’s about time you donate to me your cameras to me. HAHA. Kidding. Thanks to the great Theory of Junji chismiz-ed by Idas, I was able to fix the camera of my phone. Perhaps we are meant to take more crazy photographs together.
PS. Sincerest gratitude to Sir Joni of Trexplore for this wonderful opportunity of visiting Calbiga cave system and Lulugayan Falls. For legit and safe canyoning and caving adventures, feel free to contact them here.
How to get to Luluyan Falls?
Have you been to Lulugayan Falls in Samar? How was the trip? For those who have plans to visit this waterfalls, please be reminded of the following:
- from Calbiga town proper you can charter a habal-habal in going back and forth to Lulugayan falls;
- registration and guide fee of P500 per 10 people is required by management; and
- observe the Leave No Trace principles upon visiting the place.
Hope to exchange photo stories with you on trails soon, see you!
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Dakilanglaagan 