K’laja-Conel, General Santos City

           

             We are supposed to assemble at 5’am at dawn of October 09, 2010. The MOTARG-Criminology Interns were the early birds. Many were already there before I came. I arrived at 5:40 am, everyone was there. The trucks that were supposed to bring us to Conel did not show up and so, the JESS volunteers arranged jeepney rides for everyone. At exactly 7:17 am, we left RMMC and three jeepneys conquered the highway to Conel, along with the crim-intern riders.

            We were assembled at a covered court in Brgy. Conel. There, the turnover of coconut seedlings was done. After the ceremony, we were instructed about where the coco-seedlings will be planted. After a few instructions, we went out the covered area and took our brunch, getting ready to conquer the long awaited trail hike. We rode on three trucks(2 Brgy.Olympog’s, Brgy. Conel’s Dumptruck) again. With each hump and muddy trail the truck has hurdled, the people are shouting excitedly. 

              

We made our first stop at the K’laja dispatch area. There, we planted a few seedlings and were debriefed on how to track the trails and were reminded to always follow the guide’s lead. Everyone took their lunch while we’re watching (we ate all our ba-on na kasi). Soon after we were dispersed in groups, we started walking the cause, and everyone is handful of coco-seedlings. The saplings were collected by Conel civilian volunteers. After lunch, we started our K’laja waterfall trekking. Everyone was again excited, ignoring the guide’s caution that we will be tracking an 8-kilometer hilly-walk. 

             On with the trail, of the first few kilometers, everyone was still frenzied. For a kilometer more, some are breathing heavily, including me of course. We made frequent stops until we went uphill. I stopped and felt like I'm going to faint. Because we were tracking the trail on a single pile, where I was stuck in the middle, the people who were following were not able to pass through, it was like a caution board, "you can't detour, heavy equipment blocking the roadway" (lol). I climbed to the cornfield a bit, and gradually, the others walked through me. Bunsai who patiently waited till I come back to my senses, was all worried (maybe she worries how she could handle my bulky size). 

                We fin'lly made it to the third grand-waterfall. It was then that I remember how beautiful our very own waterfalls(Nalus) in Kiamba was.