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?

Mountain Biking in Ipo Dam to Bitbit Norzagaray, Bulacan

It was Saturday again (October 11, 2008) we're joined by one of our office mate Sir Toti on our usual weekend bike run. At first, the plan is to find Ipo dam in Norzagaray then the Angat Dam also in Norzagaray then to have lunch in Nina's Itikan in Pandi believing that it is a short ride only but it's not. It took many hours of uphill pedaling until we reached the Ipo dam and it's sad to say that we can't enter so we just took some pictures and decided to continue our bike run to find the Angat dam.

We asked directions in the locals to point us to Angat dam. Following their directions we end-up in the highest point they called Hilltop. We refuelled ourselves there with softdrinks and some breads. We continue biking after having some rest and talks. Following the road heading to Bitbit, you need to passed the long downhill which is around 6 to 10 curves and you will end up in the bridge to Barangay San Lorenzo.


Here is the terrain map provided by Google:



View Larger Map
We came from Paso de Blas area and the destination is Norzagaray. Just follow the main road from SM Fairview heading to San Jose del Monte Bulacan (Quirino Avenue Extension) then to Norzagaray Bulacan. It took us 82 kms back and forth of travel via bike.


Here are some of the pictures of our captured moments:



Sidetrip to Pinagrealan cave. It is one of the historical cave in Bulacan. It is about 350 meters of rough road from the paved road heading to Ipo dam. Visiting the place has no entrance fee but they give a ticket which cost 10 pesos per head. Maybe that is their way for Income Generation for the maintenance of the place.

















The cave men from L-R: Owen, Ely, and George. Do we look like Katipuneros?

















The lost Katipunero and a mountain biker.






















Pinagrealan Cave Sineage.

















George at the unending uphill to Ipo dam.






















George at the gate of Ipo dam.

















The Ipo dam view from Hilltop.


















The "EKSTRIM ROS RIDER". LR: Toti, Ely, George, Owen, and Allan (taking the picture).

















EKSTRIM ROS RIDER in the bridge of San Lorenzo and Bitbit. I don't know the reason why they called it "bitbit". For us as a mountain biker, it is called "bitbit" because going uphill, you need to carry or push your bike.

















Solo pic of George at Bitbit-San Lorenzo bridge.

















The sineage of San Lorenzo bridge.

















The view on the left of the bridge.

















The view on the right side of the bridge. Nice picnic and camping site. Can you spot the mountain biker?

















George on his rig.

















Photo session of George.






















My lonely bike.






















Cover pic of our bike run.

















Another one.

















Some cottages on the camping site.

















Human-tree (Taong puno).

Mountain Biking in Bayabas-Matictic-Norzagaray, Bulacan

It was Saturday (October 4, 2008) and it was our first time to ride in Bulacan trail. As Whoopi of PMTB invited us in Norzagaray, we just say yes.

I sent a message to Ka Leo, one of the mountain bike addict and oldies but goodies hehehe to wait for us in Jollibee Tungko to bring us in meeting point in Norzagaray rotonda. He said, "Ok lets meet by 6 Jollibee Tungko" so we decided to wake by 3 in the morning. Took a heavy breakfast before pedaled ourselves to Tungko around 4 in the morning.

Here are some of the pictures took while enjoying the trail for the first time.



The early bird L-R: Ely, Ka Leo, George, Sir Allan at Norzagaray rotonda.

















The Norzagaray River, still clean.

















While waiting for other group.

















The group is getting bigger.

















Start of the trail, below the bridge.

















First rest stop. All are still fresh and strong.

















Owen took the camera for a shot. I joined the group picture.

















The second rest stop. The halimaws (beast) joined us.

















Shot for me.

















Another.

















First push push of bikes hehehe.

















Another rest stop after someone crashes.

















Another one.

















The one who endo. Still smiling.

















PMTB Adrenalin.






















PMTB aebarredo.

















Ice drop seller.

















Some took their bath in the river. Its refreshing.

















In the store where we ate our lunch.

The trail begin with some small portion of technical uphill then downhill. Then there is a paved road, I think that heads toward the mining area. In one of the store there, there is a single track in the left downhill and a little bit technical then there is a heavy technical downhill that I chose to carry my bike because I am not that good in handling downhill trails. Following the trail, you will end up in the river in your left and paved road in front. The road in your left heads to DRT and the road in the right heads to Barangay Bayabas.

We follow the road in the right and took our lunch in one of the store there. Around 1 in the afternoon, we rolled our bikes again. There are two steep uphill there and another two small portion of uphill, then a muddy trail where you need to push your bike, some nice bikeable downhill until you reached a paved road. That paved road is a long nice downhill experienced which is connected to a small portion of downhill then another downhill until ending in the bridge of Norzagaray again.

All in all it was a nice biking experience. More to come in the Bulacan.

Mountain Biking with Bulacan Riders

It was October 1, 2008 celebrating the Eidl’l Fitr or the last day of Ramadan as declared by President Arroyo in her Presidential Proclamation 1625 declaring the day as holiday. Since it was a Wednesday, Ely and I decided to go on short ride biking but we end up riding around 102 kilometers.

It was one of the nice ride I have. I rode with Baldo (one of the Hakone Boys), Whoopi, Tito Bob, Ka Leo, Bryan (Pangasinan riders), Mang Rey, Doc, Joey (PMTB Libag), and many more (sorry forgot their names). We ate our delicious lunch in Nina's Itikan then pedal ourself to home.

Here are some pictures:



Posed in SM Marilao, Bulacan.

















Early birds, early rain shower, early talks, early dirt.

















Talking about the single speed bikes of Baldo, one of the Hakone Boys.

















The group is getting bigger.

















Breakfast in Lugawan in Pinagkuwartelan with Tokwa't Baboy.

















Tito Bob remaining strong with his bike.

















Doc and Mang Rey.

















Pitstop.

















The order taker.

















Coke zero.

















While waiting for the itik to be caught and cooked.

















Talking and sharing.

















Eating the delicious Itik.






















Pekeng duck.

















Doc.

















Bryan representing the Pangasinan riders.