Chill. Despite the title, nobody did au naturel.
We were trekking upstream through the rocky river banks of Hutungan Hidden Paradise when a big rock caught Ran’s attention. He wanted to go to the top of a rock which lies across the water, and we were separated from it by the part of the river where the current was way too strong, reminiscent of the currents of Governor’s Rapids in Quirino. He then found a wood in the water, and by the looks of it, the wood seemed to be the improvised bridge being used to cross to that rock, except that it has fallen out of place. Determined as he was, he went down to the water and carefully tried to manipulate the wood so we may cross.
I let him be. In fact, at some point, I was even teasing him for his determination over the wood. After a while though, I was already on my feet, stunned in shock as I did not know what to do next.
Nawala si Ran sa paningin ko! Nahulog s’ya sa rumaragasang agos ng ilog!
This photo was inadvertently taken just before I dropped the phone when I rushed to Ran after he fell into the water.
It took a few seconds before my mind was able to process what was going on. By the time I reached the banks, Ran was already thankfully taken by the current to the corner of rocks where the water was shallow. He managed to emerge to the surface, then I pulled him up.
I was really nervous, and he was visibly scared as well, having dodged certain danger. He diffused the situation though by asking me, just as soon as he got out of the water, if I caught everything on video. Of course I did not! Figuring out what to do in such a situation was my priority, of course! So he asked me what I could have done. I told him that I would have jumped to the water myself. I rather drown with him than explain when I get back home.
Bigla s’yang napagnilay.
Mr. wet pants with the wood in the background.
Kunwaring hindi kinabahan.
So there, I am again with a very wet person, very much like what happened in Karugo Falls when we visited Rizal, though that one did not involve a fear for a life-and-death situation. Honestly though, I worried so much that I checked on Ran before deciding to proceed with the trek along the riverbanks. When things have already settled down and the goof has returned, we resumed our walk upstream.
Setting aside the horror of what could have happened if things really turned ugly, Hutungan Hidden Paradise is a beauty to behold.
Renegade Junctures 
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