pagnapagna: "DINANGKING"

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"Went back to barangay Shilan in the municipality of La Trinidad to see

Dinangking which they (Barangay officials of Shilan) told me"

-pagnapagna

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Please let us practice the "LEAVE NO TRACE" outdoor ethics.

Let us not vandalize, write and etch on its natural surfaces.

Manage our waste products properly. Don't litter. Take your garbage with you

when there is no proper disposal area.

Respect "nature" and local culture.

Most of all, KEEP SAFE!

-my pagnapagna-

(June 09, 2018 a Saturday)

I still do not know the terminal area of the jeepneys bound for Acop in Baguio City. So, I just took a jeep bound for La Trinidad then waited there for the jeeps bound for Acop. That's much easier for me to do.

These jeeps bound for Acop passes the Barangay of Shilan which is just along the Halsema Highway. Shilan is one of the northernmost Barangays of La Trinidad before the next town of Tublay and Acop is somewhere after Shilan.

Rode the jeep and alighted at an eatery or should I say a restaurant at Barangay Shilan.

I've been to this restaurant before (my second time around in this particular place) and I dropped-by to have breakfast.

On a cold and rainy morning, I went here to have breakfast.

Waiting for my ordered food, looking around, I saw paintings on the wall and recognized it as paintings of our co-artists Ms. Eden Cawang.

Paintings of my co-artists in LU Timpuyog Artes ti Ilocandia and a Tam-awan Village Artist Ms. Eden Cawang

I ordered one of the cheapest meat dish on the menu.. "Lechon Rice". It does not look like it.
It's because they serve it with vegetables.

After eating, I went to the Barangay Hall of Shilan but unfortunately it was Saturday and the Barangay Hall was closed.

I kept walking towards the junction to where the "garrage" (taxi) were. It is near the Tacdian Elementary School.

Rode a "garrage" and said that I will be going to "Dinangking".

It was raining along the way.

After some few minutes, I alighted at a turning point. There were some three people who were waiting for a ride. I got some directions from them before they rode the "garrage".

With an umbrella, I kept on walking that descending one-lane road. Not too far, along the way, I saw a gardener tilling the soil.

He looked at me and so I asked, "Good morning, datuy ba dyay mapan dinangking? (Good morning, is this the way to dinangking?)".

"Wen diretso ka lang. Surotem datoy dalan. Ket ni nairanam met nga nagtudo. (Yes, just go straight and follow the road)", he answered back and added "Apay papanam ediay? ada balitok ba idiay? (Why are you going there? Is there gold there?)".

I smiled and answered, "Awan, apan la ag-picture (None, I'll just go take a picture)".

After talking for a while, I thanked him and continued walking.

Few minutes of walking and I reached another turning point area (for vehicles), the river below can be seen and there was a trail that goes off-road at the right side.

at the trailhead going down to the river

I went to the trail and halfway along it I went back for I was not that sure. I doubted.

Back on the road, I continued going down and it terminated to a vegetable garden. There was a small house at the edge, the river can be seen below but there seemed to be no visible trail going down and nobody was around to get directions.

A dog was barking at me as I left the area and went back at the turning point and decided to go on with the trail that I previously walked on.

Still raining, along the trail, I got small cuts from the blades of plants that had leaned towards the trail. Putting pressure on the cuts to stop the bleeding.

Yes, the trail led me down to the river but there seemed to be no significant cascade around. Carefully crossing the river to avoid deep areas, I went upstream to see if there was something there.

A little bit frustrating as I did not see any significant one. I went back and decided to go downstream.

Few meters downstream and there it was, the Dinangking Falls.

DINANGKING FALLS

It is a small waterfall of around 8 to 12 feet drop. It has a natural pool area wide enough for swimming.

The Dinangking Falls

It was just unfortunate that it was the beginning of the rainy season and the river was just in the process of cleansing. Surface run-offs from the rain collect loose soil making their way to the river giving its milky brown color.

It kept on drizzling.

After taking photographs, videos and mandatory selfies, I left the area.

I walked back to the road.

Uphill walk along the road (rough road) and I was back at where I met the gardener and he was still there.

"Apay aramiden da ba nga tourist spot dayta? (Are they going to make that a tourist spot?)", he asked me.

"Hanko ammo, Baka siguro (I don't know. Maybe. I'm not sure)", I answered.

"Ibagbaga da ngem kasta met dayta dalan (They were saying that but the road is like this)", he added pertaining about the bad condition of the road.

We talked about the other waterfalls in the area such as the much popular "Binanga Falls".

"Adda pay idiay ngem baka Tublay en sa (There is one there but perhaps in Tublay area)", he said as he pointed at the distant mountains towards the northwest and added, "Nagsasabatan gamin diyay ti karayan. Adda metla agsagsagat ti gold ediay (It is the merging of the tributaries. There are gold panners there).

"Ammom ba nagan na diyay? (Do you know the name of that one?)", I asked.

"Hanko ammo ya (I don't know)", he answered and said a name but he was not that sure.

I thanked him and as I slow walked uphill I asked, "Anya ngay imulam dita? (What are you going to plant there?).

"Hanko ammo pay ya. Basta dyay nangina (I still don't know. Anything that will be expensive)", he answered back as I went farther away from him.

I kept on walking.

Walked and walked until I reached Halsema Highway.

At the highway, I rode a jeep bound for Baguio City where I rode a bus going back for Home Sweet Home.

-end of pagnapagna-

For other posts:

Binanga Falls

Payogpog Falls

Payaspas falls