Abra de Ilog Occidental Mindoro | The Raging Encounter Towards Agbalala Waterfalls (Part 2)

It was head over heels crashing the cold boring week when we traveled to  the sleepy town of Abra de Ilog, a town in Occidental Mindoro that is home to more than a dozen of waterfalls. 

Agbalala Waterfalls is the nearest attraction in town that can be reached in less than 30 minutes via combination of tricycle ride and a little trekking or walk along the beach.

At the jump-off point in Brgy. Wawa, we had two options to reach Agbalala waterfalls, one is traversing the mountain side and the other is walking along the pebble beach of Casay. We chose the latter.

The Casay beach looks ordinary in an instant look and but taking a stroll on its medium, you will be awed with the jade, orange and some transparent crystals littered among the pebbles of the beach.

The pebble beach has different shapes and sizes of shale rock formations and some even resemble the male genetalia that became the source of laughter among the group.

You are Simply Rockin'

As we ramble forward along the rocky shore, we were amazed with the formations of caves, carved naturally by the waves. The sedimentary rocks that have formed for millions of years was beautiful and gently sculpted by nature.

Reaching the Bantay Dagat station, we were amazed by the small rocky plateau similar to the famous scene of my childhood favourite cartoon, Daimos.

It was even made appear magnificent by the huge rock opening below where the turquoise seawater ragingly splashes in and out.

I am Falling, WaterFalling, in Love with Agbalala

Passing this little seaside landmark, we walked inward to the forest leading to the site of Agbalala. It was a revelation to see the sought after water body which was comparable to some well noted waterfalls like Pagsanjan in Laguna and Cathedral Falls in Iligan; only Agbalala is well secluded and its unspoiled condition have been well maintained. That day was salvaged from total disappointment during our recent visit at Bisay Waterfalls in Brgy. Lumang Bayan. There was a flaring feeling of celebration.

The rushing  115 feet water drop in Agbalala was damn freezing cold which put everyone hesitant to jump into the blue water pool. And instead  of just killing our time staring blank at the beautiful waterfalls, as majority were coward to get wet, we decided to eat our lunch under the drizzling rain that made our wet body shiver more tremendously and can only be mended by a shot of alcohol.

Beautiful Agbalala Waterfalls in Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro

Though I had the hesitations on my mind, I bravely plunged into the cool water just to have a taste and piece of this beauty. The picturesque beauty of this waterfall was simply enchanting that even the hydrophobic people would be charmed to dive into the crystal water of the pool. I guess getting a cold by swimming into the seemed blue lagoon of Agbalala was all worth it and it was like a nature's therapy that my shivering muscles gradually dropped and my body eventually equalized with the ambient temperature. This reminded me of the chilling waterfall of BUDA in Mindanao. Wow,I  never thought that getting a shower or a dip in a waterfall could be that traumatic.

We Beat the Things that Have Almost Gone Wrong!

After an hour of nature tripping in Agbalala, we traced our path back by crossing again the seaside of Wawa. But we have never expected that the waves have gone higher and stronger as the incoming low pressure area (LPA) intensified; making it difficult for us the escape the raging waves hitting the wall stones where we sided. Seems like none among us have monitored the weather forecast, bummer!

It was a risky decision for all of us to cross the breast high water seaside  that have almost gone wrong after huge waves suddenly rushed up hammering us all against the solid rocky walls. We can only be thankful that we survived and had only few scratches and bruises but what worried us most was our dear friend Weng who incurred a head bump after getting bashed against the rocks. It was a lesson learned never to cross a shore during a storm. I will surely remember that.

But the fun never stopped as we made a visit to the small waterfall of Apyas before heading for the beach to have a rest and to stir down our recent trauma. The small waterfall wasn't as gigantic as Agbalala but enough  for us to cool down for a picnic with friends and family. We did not stay long and we immediately hit the beach for a wash.

While sitting on the beach and trying to pick up ourselves after the almost death defying stunt , we were entertained by the local Mangyan kids who boastfully flexed some acrobatic routines by doing a dozen of non-stop back flip tumbling on the sand. It was a jaw dropping act!  AMAZING!

Together with the talented Mangyan children of Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro

I was truly impressed and could only say WOW for what I have just witnessed from the indigenous children of Mindoro. I have never thought they could also do some stunts that mostly can be executed by trained athletes and street dancers. To compensate  their eye catching gimmick we gave them some treats that put a smile on their face. The joy from their faces really did emanate from their hearts and their eyes truly speak of deep appreciation from the simple act of goodness given to them. 

It isn't Goodbye After All

The day satisfied our adventure seeking mind and body. It was just a sad fact that among the fifteen waterfalls we have only visited three. Well, those remaining 13 drops are surely a must when we return to this tourism promising town.

The next morning we woke up with uneasy feeling with a hanging thrill in our hearts from this less traveled place in Mindoro as we reached the conclusion of our trip. As much as we wanted to stay, we needed to hurry  to the port of Abra de Ilog to catch the 2 pm RORO bound for Batangas port.

Finding solace at the port of Abra de Ilog

While waiting at the pier, we decided to wander around the coastal area  just below the port. We never expected that the plain view would be that mind blowing as the simplicity of the beach with a mountain on the background and some small boats parked on the shore was way picturesque to look at compared to other ports I have seen in Luzon.

We savored the high noon delight under the bridge to take shelter from the scorching heat of the sun until we saw the under rated beauty hidden under the port's bridge. The beams that hold the bridge look so classic with the strong waves hitting the steels that hold the ramp.

Leaning back on one of the beams gave me a cold sensation, as if there was small voltage of electricity that have run over my body. I could say that the cool hideaway beneath the port was a perfect refuge to find solace at the moment of distress or sadness. Eureka for me as I have finally discovered another place where I could reflect and just be ME where I could work my imagination especially when a writer's block attack. Viva Viva! But oppps, the ferry suddenly blew it's alarm for departure and we needed to run towards the deck and headed on a comfortable spot and waited for 4 hours until we safely reached the port of Batangas.

Our trip to Abra de Ilog was another unforgettable experience and I would like to give my sincerest thanks to Manong Unyol, Mommy Weng, Albert the Backpacker, JC, Ka Freddie, King and Kaye for the warmest welcome and company. More adventures to us in the future! SALAMAT!

Schedule of RORO to Abra de Ilog from Batangas Port and Vice Versa

Batangas to Abra de Ilog	Abra de Ilog to Batangas
2:00 am	6:00 am
10:00 am	2:00 pm
6:30 pm

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