All Things Bright and Beautiful

This hidden lagoon became famous after it was featured in Kapamilya Mo, Jessica Soho. It is nestled in Cortes, Surigao del Sur. It is a three-and-a-half-hour drive from Surigao City.

February 12, 2016 – 12:30 AM, we departed from Davao City with the team. My friend Cathy, the owner of Weekend Tour, managed to group two vans for that day. It was a long trip, and the weather wasn’t good because a low-pressure area had been forecast by NASA earlier that week. When we arrived in Surigao, the weather had worsened. It was a foggy morning; rain was falling hard, and strong winds were blowing.

We arrived at 7:00 AM at the site. The vans were lined up at the entrance. It was a rainy morning, so we decided to walk to the entrance instead. It was more or less a hundred meters to the mouth of the lagoon. The entrance fee was very affordable. I am not sure if it was ₱10–20 because Cathy paid for us (the entrance fee was already included in the amount we paid for that trip).

Entering the site, you could see and hear the raging waves—it was the perfect day to watch the waves “laswit.” We walked another hundred steps to reach the lagoon. “Wow!” I said repeatedly when I saw it. It was so unusual. The lagoon has a 20-foot rock barrier against the ocean waves. No wonder it is called Laswitan Lagoon. Every time the waves strike the barrier, they form a tidal splash that enters the lagoon.

The catch basin inside the lagoon is safe for swimming. You just need to hold tightly onto the rope. But for the crowd standing on the flat yet edgy rocks, there was danger—and we didn’t escape it. We were not ready when two waves suddenly splashed and washed over us. I was scared at that time. I couldn’t see anything since my eyes were closed. That moment made me reflect that it was Sunday—God’s time, not for personal getaways.

But I thank the Lord because we did not suffer any serious wounds. My knees were trembling when we stood up. My sunglasses and one slipper were washed away, along with my companions’ slippers (Rochie, Liza, and Dimple). I realized we were not the only ones injured at that moment. Other members of the group also suffered minor wounds. Almost ten of us were hurt from the strong laswit.

We did not stay at the front, so we decided to change clothes. On the other side of the lagoon was the wavy sea, and we could see the waves crashing hard against the rocks.

This adventure is totally wonderful. Nature's beauty is worth a wound. Lol! Seriously, a must-visit spot in Surigao. Plan your getaway. Just be careful of the laswits. :)

Below are some pictures. Check it out.

Ripped cover up o_o

After the waves washed us ^_^ hello achy bloody wounds ..

The clear green water with the green mountains in the background.

My best friend is taking a pose before getting wet. :-*

Playing in the sand.

The rocky formations. These are smaller than the other stones at the back.

the beautiful waves

My best friends with Flor's cousins (two girls from the right)

My dear cousins

Row row, our boat.

Rocky ♥

The jumping area!

HOW TO GET THERE:

From Babak Wharf
- Ride a motorcycle going to Canibad. It is about an hour trip, so you should brace yourself. The fare is ₱125 per head. If you need someone to fetch you, I can refer you to a friend of my mom. Just PM me for his contact details. I wasn’t able to include it here since I didn’t get his information from my mother, but I will surely help you—just comment or PM me.

Group picture before we climbed the waters behind us using a ladder. ^_^

Our trail up to the shower water falls.

A virgin forest

The large stones along the river.

The Shower Water Falls - the last waterfall we stopped by. The water was so cold it made us shiver.

A lushfull virgin forest

A pose together with my friend and our tour guide.

Brrrrr..

Dimpol with the boys.

Darl in her signature pose ^_^

Me and my bff ♥

Batch 1 - Approximately 140 climbers present at this event.

Last group picture we took was when we were already heading down the mountain. It was my first time to climb, and the struggles were real. We didn’t eat or drink a hot cup of coffee before heading to the foot of the mountain. We started walking at quarter to six. At first, it was an easy walk with not-so-steep paths, but later came the moderate and then the difficult phase of the trail. I was out of breath hours later, but thankfully, I survived. It was truly amazing to walk through a virgin forest—tall trees, exotic ferns and other flora, cute snakes and frogs we passed by, and even an iguana caught by our tour guide. These were just a few of what we saw during our 8 hours in the forest. The climb was hard, and so was the descent. The very steep paths, cliffs on both sides, thorny plants, and muddy soil made our walk difficult. But thanks to the guys, they helped us all the way down to the foot of the mountain. It was 2 PM when we arrived at the foot. We were all tired and thirsty. The experience was great—one of my most memorable firsts! Thank you to my best friend for convincing and accompanying me there. I love you. And most of all, thank You, Father God, for making my first climb a successful one. All glory and praise belong to You. Check out our video of climbing using the ladder on my Facebook. I apologize if you had to tilt your head to the left.