Puray Falls, The Second Time Around

It was November 1 yet we still chose to go on mountain biking and conquer again the Puray falls for the second time. Another day is another story, another experience to cherished.

We posted an invitation in PMTB if they want to join us and here it was came to be a very exciting ride with Doc Mel, Al, Ed, Ka Cesar, Jeremy, and of course with my co-riders: Ely, Sir Allan, and Raymond.

Here are some of the pictures which worth a million smiles.




The group at the meeting place.
















Going to up to Kasiglahan Village.

















Kasiglahan Village.

















Pit stop at the bridge of Mascap.
















Group pic. L-R: Ka Cesar(adrenalin), Jeremy(terminator), Ely(elysantos23), George(gentleman), Ed(eadejesus), Doc Mel(melmd), Al(alminsaj) - not in the picture, and Sir Allan(aebarredo) - the photographer.
















Another group pic.
















Pumping my pedal hard, that was an uphill.

















River crossing.
















Another river crossing.

















Another river crossing -- action shot. Thanks to sir Allan.
















Lunch at the falls.






















Cover pic before leaving the falls. Hope we can come back again.
















In the crib of Ka Cesar, he offer some merienda.

The search for Puray Falls (a.k.a. Tungtong Falls)

The destination: Puray Falls a.k.a. Tungtong Falls which can be found in Sitio Mabolo Brgy. Puray Montalban, Rizal. (Post processing courtesy of Allan Barredo)


























It was Saturday again (October 25, 2008) and the destination: Puray Falls. Since we don't have any knowledge of how far and how long will it take to Puray Falls and back home, we left the house around 5:00 AM. We pursue to be in the destination before lunch to manage the time of going back home.

From zigzag road from Payatas (Litex) to Montalban, we follow the road which bring us to Brgy. San Isidro. From San Isidro we just follow the road which heads to Brgy. Mascap. From Mascap proper, we follow the road on the right to which we think the right way going to Puray and yes it was correct BUT it was the hardest way to Puray and the locals called it Macupoy. The road user of Macupoy are only tricycles owned by the locals which cannot crossed the river.

Yes there is an easier way to Puray and that is via the river. And it is more fun than climbing the rolling mountains (not rolling hills).



Here are some of the pictures I can share:



Early in the morning picture. Picture taken in the zigzag road in the boundary of Quezon City and Rizal after the Payatas.
















It was a nice weather. A little bit cloudy.
















A corporal lecturing us of his own doctrine against communist.
















My bestfriend in one of the peak before Mascap proper.
















I taking some pictures in the bridge of Mascap.
















Start of struggle in uphills of Sitio Macupoy.
I think the word Macupoy evolve from the Visayan term "makapoy" which means tiring.
















One of the landmark in Macupoy.






















Some samples of the trail going to Puray.













































Some of the downhill.
















George of the Jungle and the horse.













































Thinking how far is needed to go to Puray.
















At last we reached Sitio Mabolo where the Puray falls is located.
I playing in the river crossing.
















Owen and I carrying our bikes to Puray falls even the locals warned us the difficulty if we bring our bikes. It is really difficult, and I personally recommend to left your bikes to some trusted locals upon reaching Sitio Mabolo because first of all, you can't ride your bikes and you need to carry your bikes unto the falls.






















The shoes.
















And after with slippers.

















The strugglers who carry their bikes to the falls.
















Eating our packed lunch.
















Going back to the Sitio Mabolo proper.
















The 11 river crossings between the two barangay of Mascap and Puray.













































Last captured moment in one of the river crossings we took.

A New Skin Whitening Solution Is Found

I just want to share this humor narrated by my older sister about her daughter.

One evening, Kuya Toto, one of my big brother (I am the youngest among the siblings of my parents) which happens to have a dark complexion visits in the house of Ate Nora. Suddenly my niece Mesica came with cotton saturated with alcohol in her left hand and applied it to the skin of Kuya Toto. Kuya Toto is amazed, so he asked "Bakit Se?" (Why Se?). "Kasi nakita ko po kanina. Nang matapon ang alcohol sa lamesa, pumuti" (Because I saw it lately. When the alcohol spilled in the table, it goes white) she replied.

Finding the Bakas Ni Bernardo Carpio (Footh prints of Bernardo Carpio)

October 18, 2008, it was Saturday again and of course our usual weekend addiction of going off-road places to seek the excitement in mountain biking. Now Sir Allan and I are changing our view of mountain biking, our objective is to go on places while biking and take some pictures of the trails and portraits of ourselves.

It is unusual for us to go alone, also our friends in PMTB invited us to join in the rides in Licao licao, our most favorite trail but there is something in my mind dictates me to go in Bakas Ni Bernardo Carpio (foothprints of Bernardo Carpio) which you can find in Matictic Norzagaray, Bulacan.

My Saturday becomes one of the exciting ride I had thinking that the ride is to be a discovery ride. We woke around 3 in the morning, ate our usual heavy breakfast, packed our packed lunch, and pedaled ourselves on the road around 5 in the morning.

It was still rain-showering when we left home, but it cannot stop us from going to trails. Ely and Owen separated their way to the meeting point of the group going to Licao licao while Sir Allan and I continue our way to Norzagaray. We hit the Norzagaray Rotonda around 7:30 and refuel ourselves there before starting our journey of finding the Bakas.

Here is the simple trail sketch I can share:
1. From Norzagaray rotonda, follow the road heading to the Market until you see a road fork.
2. Follow the left road, that road heads to the market.
3. Right turn on the last street before hitting the market.
4. Count 3 street before turning left, that is the beginning of off-road experience. That road is not paved, and there is a bridge made of wood.
5. Just follow that road and your just few meters away from the river of Norzagaray until you hit the slightly paved road.
6. Left turn and follow again that rough road and around 1 km you will see a big rock formation in the middle of the river in your left. The footprints of Bernardo Carpio is hidden in the middle of that formation. The road is dead end in a community called Kanyakan Matictic Norzagaray, Bulacan.
7. If you want to take some pictures then left turn on that road.

Since we are exploring trails, we asked the locals if there is a way going to the place where the Holcim cement factory is located and their answers are "Wala daan dyan", some says "Meron kaya lang daanan lang ng tao" and from that answer we got the courage to hit the trail which is only passable by walking.

In the that trail we experienced climbing a fence made of bamboo and woods which in the first place I am puzzled how to cross that but we end up climbing it. In that trail, we hit a green spread of rice plantation and follow the trail of locals unto the high way.

We ate our lunch in one of the store there in the community they called Gulod Matictic Norzagaray, Bulacan.


Here are some of the pictures I can share.



The trail heading to Bakas.

















I am in Bakas.
















Other side of Bakas.
















Scenery of river and a mountain biker.
















My lonely bike.
















Scenery in the end of the road, deep river.






















Yes it was really deep river. I'm afraid to that place when I posed for the picture.
















Deadstones of cows.
















Single track while trying to cross the trail passable by walking and climbing.






















Greenfields and a mountain biker.






















The Holcim cement factory in Gulod.
















Im going home. Where this road is heading?