Philippines | Discovering Tinacla-an River

After so many years, I finally came back to where my childhood had set about. And now I’m giving myself a time to explore what my province has to offer when it comes to travel. Never could have I imagined that there’s a beautiful river secretly located in the heart of Tinacla-an, Clarin Misamis Occidental. Suddenly I asked myself, why I have not discovered this place when I was still a child. Hmmm.

For someone who works in the big city of Manila and sleeps the earliest at 1AM, I had a hard time sleeping last night because in our province everyone is already sleeping at 9PM and the only noises you would hear are the sound of crickets and the howling of dogs. Consequently, I am also the last person to wake up but today, my cutest nephew stirred me up so early at 6AM because he is bringing me to a magical river he is proudly talking about since I arrived.

With us are my sister (Recca), cousin (Princess) and aunt (Danette) who were also dragged by my nephew, Austin. Everyone is set for a short walk but my sister is a bit hesitant because the sky is quite gloomy and she’s afraid we might be caught in rain but we say, let’s just go and be ready for an adventure!

The path to the river is just one block away from our house but the hiking will take probably 15-20 minutes before reaching the destination. We went through a man-made bridge, slimy muds and uphill landscapes. Yes, it’s dirty and tiring but it is also the fun side of this adventure.

“Whoah!” – That’s my first reaction when I saw the river. It’s very peaceful and serene. I don’t mind staying here for a bit because the smell and the view are so relaxing and above all, it’s pollution-free! Definitely, that's something I can never find in Manila.

Even if I’m still sleepy, I have to thank my nephew for bringing me to this magical river. I guess he has a very special taste when it comes to exploring. Good job Austin! :-)

Now, I’m excited for more adventures! #TinaclaanTravel