The Food Trip sa Tag-init series will be shelved for at least a few days to give way to some summer adventure entries, I thought of doing this at least before the month ends but because of the pestery weather here in the Philippines (wherein summer becomes storm season) I decided otherwise.
Shall we begin?
Bakas is a well-known spot in Barangay Matictic, Norzagaray, Bulacan, it boasts of lush green scenery with fresh air and cool, clean and calm flowing currents. But it is (more) famous for the markings and footprints that the legendary Bernardo Carpio has left behind. The name of the place was taken from the said legend, as bakas is a Filipino word meaning imprints.
Bakas is a splendid getaway for those who are tight on the budget and for those who are looking for means to enjoy summer without going far away from the metro. I would love to give you the whole geography thingy, the directions, turns and landmarks but as I cannot even master left and right, I would have to decline the opportunity *grins*.
The place is open to the public without any entrance fees but there are makeshift cottages in the area and to be able to use one, you have to shed a hundred bucks.
There is a makeshift changing area, a nipa hut toilet for girls and boys which you can use for a fee - five or ten pesos depending on what you're gonna do (a pail and water dipper is available) and there is a mini-store where you can buy charcoal and other stuff.
Three men man the area, one of them serves as a tourist guide of sorts - he will help you maneuver through the deep parts of the water and through the heavy currents with the use of an inflatable tire. If you successfully cross the waters, you can now hike up in the boulders and do a somersault or any freehand diving. Be careful though, I don't think that activity is for everyone.
If you would climb higher the boulders and deeper into the bushes, you would find small cave openings (refer to the photo above). If you can fit in the hole and you would like to have some underground adventure, the guide could accompany you inside the cave. When you hire the tourist guide be sure to mention your cave-hoping agenda to him, so he can bring candles (which you're gonna pay *smiles*), we didn't know that there are caves in the area so we came unprepared.
If you're not a fan of caves, darkness and insects, you can altogether sans the idea and go straight to the gigantic footprints of the legend and folklore protagonist Bernardo Carpio. In photo is one of the said footprints together with hubby's foot (done for the sake of comparison), the guide told us that it was the right foot but now that I'm intently looking at the photo, it sure looks like a left to me. What do you think?
And if all those ideas still does not catch your fancy, well, you can just think of the obtrusive heat and how you can combat it with the help of clear, clean and cold flowing water in the company of friends and loved ones. Do I need to say more *smiles*?
