February 27: Pagsanjan Falls

We had an awesome day exploring Pagsanjan Falls.  We were up by 4:00 am and on the road by 5.  The driver did a solid job getting us there by about 7:00 am and we were on the river by 7:30.

What a spectacular ride up the river as two guides/drivers skillfully managed the 16 rapids.  We were in a skinny canoe that had the tendency to tip.  But, these skilled outdoorsmen made sure we didn’t get wet.  Breathtaking and peaceful are just a couple of the words that come to mind when describing this two and a half hour adventure.  The mood changed to powerful when we finally reached the pinnacle falls. The short bamboo ride was exhilarating and I was allowed to swim near the falls, which was amazing 

The ride back was equally as entertaining as we flew down the rapids and headed back to base camp.  During the journey, we found out that we were overcharged 1000 pesos (1850 pesos/person instead of 1350 pesos/person).  It turns out our driver had concocted this plan unbeknownst to the lady at the hotel who arranged the trip. I flew off the handle and screamed at the driver.  We got our money back and I immediately gave our boat drivers a big tip of 500 pesos.

After getting back to the hotel and showering, we had lunch at an amazing Korean restaurant. The food was delicious and we met three very friendly Korean men.  Kimchi was in heaven— delicious Korean food and conversation in her native tongue with some good looking men.