There and Back Again

"Take the stairs. It's good for you."

~~~

The giants that once roamed this land were certainly a healthy people. From the viewpoint, massive stairs of green, carved along the mountains, surrounded the valley below. Pictures hardly did justice to sights such as this, and walking on those steps where farmers planted rice to carpet the giants' feet would show me just how right I was.

We made our descent at a leisurely pace, following a straight line, a wall of mountain to our left and a drop of cliff to our right. It was fortunate that the steps were wide enough to be comfortable even to my big feet. Going farther down the mountains, the trail would change from rocky pebbles to slightly mushy ground from yesterday's rains. Sadly, I only had a pair of dying Chucks at the time. Not exactly the best equipment for trekking, especially for someone with flat feet.

The sun was reaching its peak. Up close, the Batad Rice Terraces seemed smaller somehow, and the rice paddies were not as green because it was not the season for harvesting or planting. They looked the same as any other paddy field you could find in the many rice plantations scattered across the country. The view down at the valley was not as breathtaking as those of the other peaks we would later visit. Yet, taking away the air of majesty captured in photographs only heightened the reality of the adventure.

Tappiya Falls welcomed me with the same sense of realness as the Terraces. It was not enchanting, but I could not deny its simple beauty. We shared the rice and canned goods we packed with us while soaking in the cool waters. It was a quick affair, for the afternoon was growing late, and soon we would lose daylight.

The sun was hidden by the mountains, but the muted colors of the sky complemented the rocky trail as we neared the steps back to the viewpoint. Light was fading faster than we could climb. Soon we were trapped in complete darkness and there were still dozens of steps to go. We proceeded in groups of four, one hand on the shoulder of the person in front, while the one in the lead attempted to light the way with the torch from his cell phone.

I was the lead of the group at the front, my torch giving off just enough light to show me the next three steps. We moved together. One step. Pause. One step. Pause.

I could not tell how many minutes had passed, but then I heard voices. I saw the faint glow of lights up ahead, and I could finally make out the last few steps.