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| Sigua Falls on a dry day. When it rains, it is 10x the amount of water. |
I almost feel like showing you this picture is a lie. Why? Because today, Sigua Falls was 10x this size!
This is the story of our hike to Sigua Falls.
The night before the trek
Cousin Danny: Do you guys have plans tomorrow?
Me: No. I don't think so. Why?
Cousin Danny: Because I was thinking about showing you Sigua Falls tomorrow.
Me: Cool! Yes! Please do it!
Cousin Danny: What's your waist size?
Me: I don't know?
*Both of us stand up and get next to each other to measure our waists*
Cousin Danny: I have a pair of pants that will fit you. They were my old fire fighter pants.
The morning of the trek
Weather: Cloudy
Me: *wearing Danny's pants* Are you ready to go?
Cousin Danny: I think we'll go around 8:30 or 9.
Time: 8:30 am
Daddy comes back from gassing up the car
Me: Are you ready to go?
Daddy: Yeah sure. Where's everyone?
An hour later...
Me and everyone else waits in the car for Daddy to come out of the bathroom
Cousin Danny: *knocks on car window*
Mom: *rolls window down*
Cousin Danny: Is he at the other house?
Mom: Yeah
Cousin Danny: I'll go get him.
15 min later...
It was a cloudy, wet day when the two cars set off from Agana Heights, Guam. They traveled down the puddle ridden street and turned left into the "Le Rosa Resort" and finally ended the journey by pulling off on the side of the road.
Everyone is out of the car
It is raining
Everyone is soaked before their shoes hit the grass
Half an hour later...
Cousins Danny and Wally are leading the way with Kapson and Selencia on their tails, Roswena, Cc, and Me in the middle and Mom and Dad bringing up the rear.
Terrain: Mud---NO wet clay that sinks in with every step
Ground level: Puddles, and a few hills
Weather: Raining and windy---so windy that it feels like you're on a roller coaster in the rain
During the hike, the terrain goes from moderate hilly to severe steepness. Up and down. Up and down. If that's not enough challenge for your balance, then add a strong wind, rain, and you get a hiking trail equal to a slip and slide. At one hill Danny points out one of the falls to us (the one in the picture) and he exclaims, "Oh wow! The last time I was here, the falls had 10x less water.
An hour later...
The rain has stopped but we've now reached the last leg of our hike before the falls. I look down into the endless chasm of rock, rain, and clay.
The way is steep. You have to get on your butt, use your hands to steady you and crab walk down the "steeper than a ladder set almost vertically against the house" trail. Thankfully, half way down, ropes appear. If not for the ropes, I know I would have rolled to my death. Although, at one place, I almost do fall to my death when I slide for several feet (I was holding on to a piece of rope and managed to steady myself on another tree). Further down, not only are there ropes among the steep rocks and wet clay, there are also trees! Hallelujah! You can now use the trees to fall onto and help you slide down the trail.
15 min later...
At one point I thought I was going to perish, but by God's grace I made it! I thank Him again for my life as I step on steady ground. I feel like kissing the ground which is littered with coconut leaves, a few bottles, and the ever present dirt. Kapson, Selencia and the cousins are already in the clay red water. I look up and what I thought was rain is actually the waterfall being blown down stream and into my face. When I finally decide to jump in (pants and all) oh it feels so good! Its not like the weather was hot or anything, but oh the relief from the clay that has fallen into EVERYTHING! Pockets and----ahem----other areas. We swim around at the bottom of the falls and the current is really strong. The boys try to build a dam but fail and I climb up the falls a bit. Oh the shower feels amazing! ---and then its time to go.
The trek back...
The rain has stopped and so its less slippery, but still, the last leg of the trek (which is now the first leg) is the hardest because we are now climbing up the wet rocks and slippery clay trying to grip the loose rope that is wet. Many times we have to stop and wait for Mom and Dad to catch up. Many times I feel like at any moment I will slip and tumble to my death. Well peoples of the internet, I did not die because I am here. Enough said.
Things I learned...
1) Hiking is an adventure
2) Hiking in the wet, steep, slippery clay, terrain of Guam is a BIGGER adventure
3) Whenever you think you might not be able to do something, DO IT! You'll always learn something new, get a few cuts from sword grass, and get closer to whoever you experience these adventures with.
So the end to this blog. Tomorrow is another adventure on this small island!
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