Hidden Valley Springs, Hidden Valley Laguna

It was on one of those cloudy days in August when we had the family trip to Hidden Valley Springs in Laguna. Not expecting much along the way, we were blessed and surprised to see that the weather there when we arrived, though overcast, was cool and breezy.

The road to the resort was itself an adventure. Imagine traveling though lush vegetation on both sides, seeing a couple of locals on horseback picking lanzones and rambutan, while others harvesting coconut in the area. The sound of birds singing is clear and truely music to the ears.

As we enter the private resort amid the virgin forest, we were greeted with tall trees, giant ferns, vast green lawn, and the sound of cascading water. We registered ourselves were welcomed with refreshing drinks. Excited of what Hidden Valley Springs had to offer, we decided to trek its reknowned virgin forest and waterfalls first and dipping in various pools for relaxation afterwards.

My family entered the forest trail, the kids racing ahead, as I boast to them that I will be seeing my old "friend" again. I looked forward to see that giant, century old tree standing grand and tall again. I was a child of seven years when I first came to this place. My mouth gapped when I saw this humongous tree in front of me. It was so huge that I guess it'll take 10 or more grown men with interlocking hands to be able to hug this tree.

A sad sight beckon us as we reached this tree. Once a majestic giant, now fallen. The local I asked from said it was struck by lightning at the height of typhoon Pablo. Heavy rain and strong gusty wind pound the resort that time. The resort suffered heavy damages, from tree uprooting to blown roofs, washed away trails to trees falling on to the function room; even the pools were not spared by rocks that came from the mountain.

Though broken, the staff and the entrusted people of the resort didn't waiver. They build up each other and together, they restored the resort to its former beauty, and more. The highlight of the restoration was the way the locals made use of the fallen giant. Instead of cutting the tree to small pieces, the locals constructed a walkable route on the fallen tree. We got to walk on the tree and observe its massive trunk and branches. Since the fallen tree destroyed much of the trail to the falls, the locals converted the abounding bamboos into paths on stilts, making the experience quite fun for us as well as boasting rights that we walked ON a giant
tree.

The walk to the falls was another experience that was unforgettable. Upon reaching the end of the trail, we had to thread in the stream with knee-high water to be able to see the falls behind the mountain wall. The stream, having been lashed by the storm, experienced its own damages. Big boulders washed into its rocky bed, restraining the water from exiting the falls area. This, in a sense, created a cold pool of fresh water just by the falls. Swimming was not allowed, but if you did, get ready to experience extreme brain freeze!

Thinking back, as I watched and guided the kids wade through the cold stream, walked and reminisced with them the fallen giant old tree, and observed different kinds of insects and plants, seeing things in the eyes of children made me realized how great our Creator is. Though destruction struck, He made man overall seer over His creation. He provided change so nothing can boast of its greatness, and yet change for the benefit of others.

Contributed by Juanito Ng 2015.

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