Through hyperthermia and hypothermia

WHEN traveling, one must embrace the essence of an adage - to focus on the journey and find joy in the activity, it's what really matters most.

Well, to get to this popular destination in Sagada, the dictum is "in your face" the truth. If your tour itinerary mentions of a visit to the Bomod-ok Falls with an option to go swimming, be prepared to trek for kilometers. So make the journey matter and don't forget your bathing gear.

Worry not, the long walk will afford you of a picturesque mountainside with the province's trademark terraced rice paddies. Passing through the charming barrio with smiling residents promise a pleasant trip ahead and having a frame of mind open to wonderful possibilities will help. (Chant this- "I have to immerse in the joy of the passage to fully appreciate the destination.")

And help can also come in the form of a cane and, believe or not, a camera. The cane to aid you on the zigzag descent along the (sad to say) dried up rice paddies that seemed to be abandoned and now serves as pathway to the falls, and the Kodak moments to take your minds off from the far away destination. You'll be welcoming the numerous photo-op breaks for sure.

Well, I did. It was a wonderful opportunity for a trigger-happy photo opportunist and it made the trip to the falls less arduous. The drawback, which I didn't mind at all, is it made the supposedly 11/2-hour trek longer with everyone wanting to have a perfect shot of the scenery with us in the frame.

The lengthy hike under the heat of the Sagada almost-noon sun made the destination truly sweet. The sight and sound of the rushing water of the Bomod-ok falls offered a very relaxing and cooling effect on us, and the pool it fills is just irresistible. This oasis is spectacular.

Judging from the shrieks of the few wet bodies among a multitude of visitors, we already knew the water was cold. After a long scorching trek, a dip in this waterhole in the middle of nowhere is what our hot (read: sun-burnt and perspiring) bodies needed.

Freezing was more like it. A quick plunge and a few seconds in the water did the trick. Our bodies got accustomed to the low temperature. We thought the rest would follow our trailblazing move. But no, it was too cold for them to handle.

So before we even experience hypothermia, we got out of the water. Feeling light-headed and smiling (blame the low temperature of the water, we're weed-free), we conditioned ourselves for the long walk back - across the terraces, ascending this time.

The cane, don't forget the cane!

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