After our stop at Tierra Alta, per recommendation from the motorbike driver- We headed to the waterfall called Pulangbato, (Which translated into English means, 'Red Rock'. This waterfall and sulfur springs are situated in Ocoy Valley in the town of Valencia which is approximately 25 minutes away from Tierra Alta. If you are coming from Dumaguete proper, it would take at least an hour.
A few months ago I was reading an article about how the Philippines is now taking over as the BPO center of the world, which was previously held by India. If I had to guess, it would be because of the English accent, and a fairly comparable salary range.
Heading towards the falls and hot springs, my head was on a swivel. Everywhere here was so lusciously green and clean. The air wasn't so thick as it is in Cebu City, and the people everywhere seem much more friendly and eager to help with directions. I guess when one lives in an environment that is free from traffic and pollution, as well as crowds in every shop and restaurant- It is easier to live happily, free from the stresses that come with the city life. And this is why my dream is to own a country house, with a few acres of land- Not terribly far from a major city, but distant enough to see more animals than people :)
After about 10 minutes into our trip, our driver tapped me on the leg to point to the right side of the road, where there was a big cliff that was smoking. I yelled excitedly to ask him to stop, as I never saw something like this before. At first, I thought it was the clouds- Or maybe even mist from a local waterfall. Actually, this steam comes from the springs in the area. Unlike the hot springs we were going to, this area had a strong sulfuric smell; Which if you aren't familiar, smells quite a bit like rotten eggs! According to our driver, there was a small volcanic eruption about four years ago but the destroyed fence that you can see in the photo was due to the recent typhoon.
The first waterfall was named 'Pulangbato Falls', and although it wasn't massive, it is a beautiful display of nature. I always wonder how this water continues to fall, 24/7 365 without running dry. I realize it comes from the rain in the mountains, but still- Wow! The water here was clean enough to drink but too cold to enjoy swimming in :). When I say cold, I would only guess that it was 70 degrees or so, but for us Filipinos, this may as well be Antarctica. (The average temperature here is about 85 degrees, and 90% humidity).
The entrance fee to see the falls up close, and to swim in it was just 50 Pesos ($1 USD). I never mind paying fees to visit state parks, as I know there is a lot of upkeep and security to pay. A lot of these funds go directly to the individual sites, which allows them to be preserved for many generations to come.
