Vrksasana by the first level of Anghalo

With just a few hours from Manila, no doubt that Zambales is one of the sought-after alternative surfing spot to La Union or Siargao.When we say surfing in Zambales, the first thing that comes to mind is either Crystal Beach in San Narciso or Magic Left in San Antonio. During the recent years, however, tourists, foreigners and Filipinos alike, found their little surfing haven in San Felipe --- Liwliwa. Liwliwa has slowly making itself known to the surfing community in the Philippines. Though the waves here in Zambales, are beginner-friendly, they are seasonal. Don't fret yet. If the waves are too flat to surf, you can still swim in the friendly shores of Liwliwa, try paddle boarding and kayaking, OR it could be a perfect time to try something different. Grab some friends and go on a quick hike to Anghalo Falls! 

There weren't much narratives about this waterfall on the internet that's why we were so eager to go, before it gets commercialized. I first read about Anghalo Falls here in 2014. No pictures, just directions on how to go there, Curious-er and curious-er indeed. Finally, last summer we gave it a go. Just a heads up, not all locals are aware of this waterfall (or at least not aware what it is called) so make sure you really know where you're going.  Luckily for us, our Manong trike know about the waterfalls. Unfortunately, he refused to take us there. He said that the waterfall dries up during summer and that we should just go back on rainy season.

Second visit to Anghalo. This time with friends.

Fast forwarding to the rainy season and with all the thunderstorms that hit the province, its about time to pursue Anghalo once again. There are two trails to Anghalo, one is marked by a white flag on the way to the Groto, and the other one is by the stream along the road. We took the trail by the stream.   The trail by the white flag was more popular and according to the locals, its shorter, wider and easier.

We were not disappointed, well, almost. Having no idea that the falls was that popular already (at least to the locals), we confidently went on a saturday and much to our surprise, it was overcrowded. I did not even dare to take a picture of the falls. 

On out third attempt, we came on a weekday because, let's face it, it was quite a shame not to enjoy the scenery as it is. As soon as a heard the gushing waters, I was crossing my fingers and chanting to myself "I hope there weren't much people." I guess I chanted the phrase too much that we were the only ones there. Weee, unlimited photo ops! 

                                                                     

Here's how the first level looks like in real life, minus the long exposure.

In case you're wondering where Anghalo falls got its name, legend has it this three-leveled falls was formed when the giant Angalo (or Anghalo) stepped on it when he was searching for his wife, Aran. Perhaps this falls was one of the series of giant footprints scattered in the country  believed to have made by Angalo. 

The first level of Anghalo is one pretty dramatic waterfall with water gushing at one end and little streams lovely flowing over a boulder. It's pool was just right for its height. What surprised me though is that of all the waterfalls that I have seen, Anghalo has the warmest waters. Not even close to cold and I can't figure out why. Haha. Anyhow, the water's deep on both ends but shallow on the center. You can walk straight to the boulder. Like we did above. ↑↑↑

Second level of Anghalo Falls.

To reach the second level, you need to follow the trail found on the left side facing the waterfalls. It's narrow and a bit steep so be extra careful as is it just beside a cliff. Don't worry its just a short trail. Upon reaching the top of the first level, you need to do a short trek to the second waterfall. There's no definite trail here, just remember to stay on the sides. Trust your instincts, whatever would make the river trekking easier.

Although it doesn't show in the pictures, the second level is much higher than the first, has a stronger current and a narrower  but deeper pool. The water's less warm here, I must say. Haha. The second level is a diving spot. Climb the boulder on the left side facing the waterfall. Be cautious, though. The boulder's steep and slippery, I couldn't get high enough to dive. The locals said that there was a recent death here because of diving so be extra careful.

If you want to take a break from surfing or paddle boarding, or want to go on a simple weekend picnic with friends or family, or just tired of the usual swimming pool scenario, or just simple happen to be around the area, then I highly suggest you visit this beauty. Literally chill hike and voilà! 

We left a cairn for free spirited souls like ours, if its still there, hope you can add more. ☺
TIP BITS:

1. If you'll take the trail by the stream, don't forget to wear long sleeves to protect your skin from being scratched by the tall grasses and insect bites and be sure to have your own guide since this trail is a bit tricky. (Thank you Cousin Irma for guiding me and my friends. )

2. Two to three hours won't ever be enough to enjoy this beauty so better start exploring in the morning. :)

3. Swim/dive at your own risk. There are no life guards nor life vests for rent, no one to save you but yourself. 

4. Leave No Trace. The place is yet to be managed by the local tourist office so there are no entrance or environmental fees, no one to watch over the place and no one to take your garbage for you so please be responsible. ###

We are now in the era where everything is just within our reach. Within a click of a button, information dissemination has never been so easy. What most people don't know, though, is that with every click, comes a bit more of responsibility. 

With this post, I give you my thoughts on sharing photos and giving credits to photographers. 

Photos are products of the creative eyes and minds of every photographer. I'm not just referring to professional photographers but to anyone who takes photos. I have said this before but I will say it again, I am not a professional photographer, not even close to being one. Whoever said that amateurs and hobbyists don't have the right to rant, to be credited or cited, they're wrong!  Photos  take minutes and even hours to compose, to capture and to post process. One shouldn't just simply share photos without acknowledging their rightful owners. 

Owning the camera doesn't always makes you the owner of the photo. So, what makes a photo yours?

(1) You took the photo. By that I mean, you composed the frame,  set the necessary camera settings, and finally, pressed the shutter. If you used a tripod or timer and still did the aforementioned then, by all means, the photo is yours.

I adjusted the camera settings, even set it on an improvised tripod, but asked someone to press the shutter since I'm on the photo.

(2) Pressing the shutter, however, doesn't always make you the photographer. For all you know, you're just used as a human tripod. If you set the camera settings, composed the frame, but asked another person to press the shutter for you (because you're part of the photo), then the photo should be still credited to you. In other words, other than pressing the shutter, s/he has no other contribution to the framing and composition of the photo. Take the image above as an example. I made all the necessary details to make this photo possible. I even set the camera on an improvised tripod. This is considered as a modified version of a self-portrait. However, if in any case that person framed and composed the photo at his or her own will, then the photo is his or hers, even if you set all the necessary camera settings. 

This copycat situation's getting out of hand that I have no choice but to put watermarks on my works. 

Are you not allowed to share photos that are not yours? Well, you still are. After all, nobody can really stop you. Some photos needed permission before being shared but most photos are just Google-able and so easy to share. 

We get it, our captures are so awesome (kidding, but you get the gist) that you want to share or use the photos as your cover or profile picture in numerous social networking sites. BUUUT, using other's photos as your entry in a photography contest,  now that's just shameless. Someone did this to me and trust me, it's not the best feeling in the world. You could be sued, you know? I don't want to discuss all the details of copyright here, just simply give credits to the photographers whenever you use their photos. If you don't know how to properly credit them, then simply acknowledge that's not your photo/shot. Have the slightest decency, don't claim it.  Be responsible, have the balls to acknowledge that it's not your work.

Respect others, respect their work and creativity, but more importantly, respect your own creativity. Would you rather be known and praised for the works that (you knew) are not yours? I don't think so. Remember this the next time you click that "Save As" or "Copy". Think before you click. Give credits, don't be a copycat.

If you want to know more on how to give credit where credit is due, read this article by Chris Gampat , Sharing is Caring: The Proper Way to Credit Photographers. I swear this article made my day. I'm just a shutterbug but I can totally relate to him, well said and no filters, if you know what I mean. :)

###

 The original plan was Mt. Pundaquit - Anawangin traverse and a side trip to Pundaquit falls but since its summer the trail and falls were dry as hell. Also, we were an hour behind schedule so we just did a quickie hike to, as the locals call it, Mt. Dionisio. It seems to me though that the so called mountain is a part of Mt. Pundaquit. 

If you'll ask me, its more of  a hill than of a mountain but it's high enough to see most of Barangay Pundaquit. What made this hike exciting was the fact that there wasn't a real trail or path to follow. Just go up and onward, don't trip, don't fall.  We came across fallen trees, rocks and dried bushes. Be extra careful with the dried grasses, particularly the piled ones. They may look safe and fluffy but sometimes there are holes and huge rocks hiding underneath. Trust me.  I fell once or twice into a knee-deep hole, lost my balance, threw myself to another pile of dried grass for safety just to realize that its a huge sharp rock. Tadah! Instant bruises!

Anyhooow, like any other mountains, this hill has its own charm, too. Although our guides didn't take us to the summit,  the view from where we reached was just as picturesque. The view was a splash of color. Brown from the rocks and clay, blue from the sky and sea, and a mix of orange and greens from the grasses. Also, we hiked during the golden hour which added a nice warm tone to the view.

Cute little ridge, thought that perhaps this is the younger brother of Tarak Ridge in Mariveles, Bataan. I haven't been there but based on the pictures they somehow resemble each other. Or maybe not? :p

Unleashing the path finders in us, us girls trailed away from the boys as they obediently followed our guides. The others still in sight, we wandered off and looked for higher grounds. We're already by the cliff and piles of dried grasses got trickier and trickier by each step, we found this... 

...this lovely Batanes-like scenery. We were all awestruck. Lovely, just lovely. We took turns in taking pictures, relaxed by the cliff, waving to the boatmen and tourists from time to time. Haha. I bet they felt how triumphant we were.

Sunburn? What sunburn?  We couldn't care less. This was priceless. To be honest. I thought I've seen everything that Pundaquit and the coves can offer . Apparently, I haven't. As much as we want to stay a bit longer, our skins were already starting to hurt as well as our stomachs. They're screaming lunch! So we descended.

With a few beers for the boys, endless pusoy dos and some power naps for the girls , we got by until sunset. Living in a coastal town, sunset is something very familiar to us but it seems that we will never grew old of watching it. As for me, it has a soothing and comforting effect. Sooooo, that's just about it. From the humble morning hike to worth-the-wait sunset. Until next time. Hasta la próxima! 

(Thank you cousin Jenny for my awesome solo pictures and to Aunt Emy for our group pictures.)