Let's breathe at Malatan-og Falls, Don Salvador Benedicto🗻

Living in Bacolod, sometimes you just get exhausted of the noise, the crowd and the endless traffic. I didn't plan anything ahead of time. I just want a place where I can scream and be with nature, again. I just wanted air to breathe from toixic pollution, air that doesn't smell like exhaust and a place where my phone has no signal, literally. Coincidentally, my friends got the same situation where we all needed air, or should I say 'A little escape'. So we packed our stuff , brought our tumbler, and took a ride up to Don Salvador Benedicto — the Summer Capital of Negros.

The road to Don Salvador is already therapy by itself . Pine trees on both sides, cafés with breath-taking views, fog rolling over the mountains, and that cold wind that makes you feel the welcome of the place. As we hop at Don Salvador proper, you have to trek down to Malatan-og Falls. Yes, it is a trek and I'm telling you, It's not an easy walk. You'll walk through muddy trail, slippery roots, and a steep path that makes your knees shake and tremble. But as you hear the falls flowing long before you see it, and that sound would keep you going.

Malatan-og Falls is not the tallest, but it is wild and raw. The water drops straight into a deep, emerald pool. Yes it is surreal emerald sparkly water surrounded by mossy rocks and thick forest. It's not manmade, but a wonderful creation made by the Almighty. No cottages selling beer and no loud speakers. Just the roar of cold water and the subtle mist on your skin. I stood there for a few minutes, admiring the view and just breathing. It felt like the forest was washing away everything I brought from the city.

I dropped my things, dipped my feet in and embraced the breath of life with through this refreshing water. The water was freezing, the kind that wakes your soul up. I didn't swim yet, I just sat on a big rock, and watched how the water fell down like a stream of throughs that needs to be drained down. No notifications. No deadlines. For a moment, I was just a small person in front of a huge, breath-taking waterfall. I felt humbled and that was enough.

The way back up was a lot harder than going down. Two pm, the rain poured. We were laughing and enjoying the trek back. Mylegs were shaking and my shirt was wet with sweat and the poyring rain. But my mind was clear. Malatan-og reminded me that you don't need a lot of money or an expensive beach or a faraway place to reset and unwind, sometimes a little escape just a few hours from Bacolod City is all you need.

If you need a pause and a place to feel better, then go. The falls will be waiting and your mind will be detoxified.