Beep….. wake up call....
Way back in August 2005, I wrote about the plans that I wished to do and one of those is to go back to those places I’ve been to and relive the good memories (if God permits). NiN Nine Nine long years have passed and luckily I had the chance to revisit those places at random times though I was not able to write about them. It was because I lost interest in writing so all I did was just to immerse myself in each moment, lock them inside my head then later on reminisce them all for myself. But then my memory sometimes fails me that I tend to forget some details of those happy moments. So when I read again about my other plans to "get back at those activities I want to indulge in (if my time allows it)" I really felt the eagerness to resume my passion for writing and photography, so that’s what I did this year. That serves me three purposes, one is to indulge in my favorite pastime , the other is to take into account each special place that I revisited and of course to teach my kids how to be more appreciative of nature.
Also, it has been too long since I last had the chance to go out with my closest kin, it is always a great time to spend time with them. We all took advantage of the long weekend to break free from city life and pay a visit to dad. “Mommy, we want to visit the riverside.” asked my daughter. She was referring to the river I once told them that my cousins, my siblings and I enjoyed when we were kids. It has been more than two decades since I last swam in that river and I was really shocked how different it has been from twenty years ago. It was stripped of its natural beauty that it can be likened to a dirty canal than a river.
I remember that in the later part of the 80s and early 90s, quarrying was prevalent in the area that explains why clay loam was established in all directions thus the water has that brownish texture since there were no more sand, rock and limestone to purify the water. Soil erosion is very much evident as there were no more natural barriers to protect the river bank.
We used to catch fish and shrimp here... :-(
The kids went home a bit heartbroken since there was no chance they will be allowed to swim in murky waters. I too felt saddened for one precious moment that my children missed.
It seems to be a luxury for city-grown dwellers to enjoy the natural beauty of this earth. It always seem like my kids’ “megaminds” are so preoccupied with Facebook’s Farmville, or that online gaming of Counterstrike and the like. Their waking hours if not in school is spent mostly on the internet where they socialize with either real or fictional people and get involved in activities where only their brain, eyes and fingers were working. I wanted my children to live through the same enriching experience I had and treat themselves on a different adventure and at the same time teach them to nurture nature in a fun and inspiring way. So with prodding from the kids and the rest of the family, we all agreed to visit Daranak Falls.
Daranak Falls in Tanay, Rizal is only about fifty kilometres from Manila. This is the nearest place north of Manila to visit when you want to experience the countryside (though of course a bit altered due to human activity but still relaxing and beautiful).
Did the kids enjoy their visit there? I am very certain about that. It was an experience that Farmville, Farmtown and the likes can never replicate and provide. Did the children learn anything from that experience? Definitely! We were like playing 'spot the difference' with the shots we took from the river back at the barrio and the one we took in Daranak Falls. After seeing one river destructed by human activity and learning how difficult it is for life forms to survive in there and the one that they experienced in Daranak Falls, they now know that people need to live in harmony with all the living and non-living beings in this earth. And, that it is very essential that we conserve and protect our precious planet so that the generation next to them will also enjoy what they experience now.
