Jaq suggested the “Extreme Samal” resort which has earned fame these days for they have something new to offer. That is, the zip line… but it's not just your usual zip line. The catch? You'll drop yourself into the 50-feet-deep waters of Kaputian.

Since the zippers couldn't get enough thrill with this zipping thing, once again I browsed through the net (as if there's no tomorrow) delving into the details of this resort. The pictures made us extremely thrilled so down to the wire, we packed once again to an extreme trip - come hell or high water. Extreme … that's more like it, the word that would greatly describe our jaunt.

What makes it extreme? We had an extreme time waiting for Palbros 2 to be fully packed with passengers, extreme screaming as we approach the extremely deep waters of Extreme Samal, we had extremely salty foods shared over at lunch, had extreme hours of talking amidst the extremely scorching heat of the sun, all of which rewarded us with extreme fun.

 

After the two-hour-backbreaking drive from Davao City, we were welcomed by a muddy, uphill trail to Camp Sabros (coined term for “Sacdalan Brothers”) because it was raining cats and dogs days prior to our trip. This was our first stop. We were still halfway to our trail but I was already catching my breath. Only the fog and the pine trees up ahead kept me motivated to keep going. More steep climb and there we were. By the time we arrived, we went straight to the cashier to pay and get our priority numbers then had our breakfast at the deli. After a sumptuous meal, we tried to strike some poses atop a hill with a good view of Davao's pride, Mt. Apo. Then it was our time to zip. I chickened out for a moment or two, thus, I had to muster enough courage to convince myself to zip. The hefty amount spent on this trip, all the packing up and waking up on the wee hours of the morning --- were enough motivation to compel myself to zip. Finally, there I was… one zip ride of my life! Whew! After reaching the other end of the zip line, we rode the cable lift back to the jump off point, that's when I realized I just could've zipped my way back. The owner would intentionally stop the lift in the middle of the ride. After the zip, we took pictures as much as we can. More pictures…some more pictures and off to our next stop… the majestic, marvelous, amazing, astounding, remarkable, mind-blowing (etc. hehehe) TUDAYA Falls.

Come 10 A.M., we went down to where the motorcycles will fetch us and drive us down to Tudaya Falls. This time, it's more like a helter-skelter ride for a fall, full of extremely steep twists and turns. After the “long and winding” motorcycle ride, it was time to hike. We scrambled down to the muddy, narrow, winding-up-and-down trail. Apparently, one wrong step would cost you bruises & fractures --- if not YOUR LIFE. Half of me wanted to retreat and the other half thought of the opportunity at hand. I stopped once in a while just gazing at the trail "cause I"m at my wits end to know how to go about it. What was more hilarious though, the kids whom we paid to accompany us, aside from the drivers, would just run through the trails. My best bud and I would just laugh at the thought of it because they would just run past through me while I was having the time of my life figuring out what to grip and where to set my foot on. I had to sort the trail bit by bit. I firmly tried to hinge upon my cross-training shoes so I can get a good grip of the slippery trail. Halfway to the elusive falls, the rain started to trickle but we continued trekking, nonchalant of the drizzles.

Eventually, I was wondering if this trail has an end. I could already hear the gushes of the falls but the trek seemed endless. We were almost there when we were welcomed by an exhilarating view of “one of the tallest falls in the Philippines”. Indeed it was… 150 feet lang naman. Again, we tried to strike a pose. More poses, more and more poses… and we continued to trek until we reached the base of the falls. I can daresay I was physically drained. Perhaps, mentally as well because just thinking what my complete name was, would only mean further exhaustion. I just ogled at the falls for a while before I tried to move a muscle. All of us were trying to catch our breath when I remembered my best bud jesting, “Naay banyo sa balay, nganong diri gyud mangaligo? Nangita gyud ug lisod”…Hahaha… Bitaw noh?!

Anyhow, after my numb muscles have relaxed, I tried to dip into the ice-cold waters of the falls' basin but it seemed I couldn't last a minute or two. Instead, I just captured my unguarded moments with friends and had lunch with them. When we decided to head back to where we left the cycles, the thought of going through the same trail again made me taken aback for a while. Was there any other option? Like zip my way back? Perhaps, be lifted by a cable car again? I wouldn't mind if the lift would stop once in a while as long as I won't have to go through that winding trail again. Unfortunately, there was no other way but to hike back up the hill. This time, it's more like wall climbing though. Working my way up, I decided to goof around and sing (David Cook's songs) at the top of my lungs so as not to mind how many steps were left to reach the top. I had nearly reached my breaking point --- physically. At long last, we were able to surmount the trail. I drank and drank and drank liquids as much as I can consume.

After which, we set off to the Agong House, our final stop, creatively designed by no less than --- Kublai. It also meant more uphill climb and that's when I thought I didn't pack enough energy for this trip. There, we captured pictures to every nook and cranny of the place, making the most out of it. After our last destination, I can't hardly wait to freshen up, hork down whatever I can, get a whole body massage and doze myself off.

One of the things I realized from this trip? Kapatagan was not that “patag” at all. There were few hoops to jump through and bumpier m-cycle riding & hiking up and down than I could ever imagine. Breaking it down in percentage, our trip was like 30% road trip, 30% hiking, 20% adventure and 20% picture taking. After one particular gruesome day, what were the PRIZES of the entire trip? Worn-out shoes with flapping soles, mud-spattered hands, excruciating muscle pains, burned calories, exhilarating sights, immeasurable fun, innumerable captured poses, and priceless memories I will ALWAYS tag along with me.