Joie de Vivre!

Summer is the time for us to take a break from whatever is keeping us busy the whole year and to see and take delight the little things we've been missing. It's certainly the time to have the best adventure for the year:  exploring unexplored places, setting off for long road trips and feeling the cool air against our faces as we enjoy the view passing by in a fast blur, getting lost and ending up asking the locals for directions on how and where to go, sinking our feet on the sands, immersing ourselves in the cool and pristine fresh or salty waters, watching the sky splashing with so many colors from sunrise to sundown, taking pictures of the beautiful sceneries and being at our vainest by filling up our cameras with selfies here and there, exposing the bodies we've been working so hard to keep fit for the past months (hahaha!), eating the local foods and delicacies offered by the residents at our hearts' content, sharing good stories and laughing our hearts out while trying to achieve (or avoid) having tanned and bronze skin, and doing all these things with the people dearest to our hearts.

It's the time where we can unleash our young and wild and free souls, going out in the sun whenever and wherever we can and feeling more alive than we've ever been these past months. And it's also the perfect timing to make sunny and playful memories we can always look back to when the day comes that our souls aren't as young, wild and free anymore. Yes, summer is that time of the year where we can be at our happiest, brightest and most carefree selves. 

And since it's summer today, my friends and I definitely did not bum around at our own houses and bore ourselves to death. Of course, young and wild and free we are, we took off on an adventure at the beautiful Southern Cebu! For the first time ever, I and my best of best friends traveled together this far to Barili, Cebu and went on to discover their beautiful falls and white sand beaches. The locals were so accommodating and the weather was on our side, all the more making our trip our best-est ever yet. :)

We met up on a Saturday morning at 7-8 am and when we were all gathered, we went straight to the bus terminal. When we were inside the bus, we immediately had ourselves and our backpacks settled. It was already scorching hot inside even if the sun hasn't fully risen yet! We took selfies instead to shake the summer heat away.

Then the bus dropped us off two and a half hours later at Barili terminal. We took a tricycle to get to our first stop of the day: Mantayupan Falls. Our anticipation was brimming now, and when we arrived, we couldn't hold our extreme excitement.

We went inside and pay the necessary fees. As we went inside further, we couldn't help but stare in awe at at the view that welcomed us. It was so ravishing and alluring. We haven't seen so much greenery for ages.

And we finally arrived at the falls, we were just captivated. I fell for it at the first sight. It was just so beautiful.

After putting our belongings on our chosen spot and preparing the foods on our assigned table, we then took our cameras and headed straight to the falls. We dared not miss the perfect sunshine for our picture-taking.

I have grown fond of jumpshots lately. ;)

We ate our lunch, then we soaked ourselves to the super cold waters of the famous Mantayupan falls. In just an hour (or two?), we were freezing! I have to get off the waters from time to time so I can regain my own body heat. Hahaha! It gets deeper as we go nearer the falls, so we borrowed two lifejackets so we can at least float 10 meters away from where the water falls.

At 2:30 in the afternoon, we left Mantayupan falls. It was time to go on our next stop: Sayaw Beach Resort. We rode a habal-habal (motorcycle for rent) and a tricycle for us to get there.

Then, we finally arrived at our last stop. Sayaw Beach has close-to-white sands, and the salt waters were so clear we can see through the weeds and corals and fishes even if we are knee-deep in the water. Again, we settled our picnic blankets and things on the seashore quickly and took pictures at the beautiful beach and of ourselves. (Really, when you're with friends, you can't help but be infected with their oozing vanity, right?)

We were having the time of our lives. Even when we're not posing for the camera, we were still beaming from ear to ear. The whole experience was just so amazing.

    

I wanted a super wacky post with my boyfriend, so I jumped to his back for a piggyback ride. I was surprised when he was able to carry me! He can't before, and he hasn't given me a piggyback ride for the longest time. I think his newfound 'strength' has something to do with the beach. Hahaha!

And he bridal-carried me too! Yay!

Here I go again with my jumpshots. Excuse me for this fascination of mine. ;)

We dipped in the water for a while. Then, it was almost sunset, so we got out of the water and took a shower. As soon as we were done bathing, the sun was setting down. So we immediately put on our clothes and prepare our things so we can take pictures of the beautiful sunset. And of ourselves, of course. :D

As much as we wish this day would not end, we have to remind ourselves that it has to. It was getting dark now, so we walked to the main road and rode a bus to take us home. I was so dead tired that I drifted to sleep a few minutes after the bus took off. My friends stayed awake a bit longer, but they got drowsy too moments later. I remember having an aching feeling in my gut as wind flew past my face on our ride home. I'll surely miss this place.

We may have left the greenery, the falls, and the beach, but we brought home with us the wonderful memories that we created there. We look forward to visiting and traversing more beautiful spots here in Cebu in the near future.

And to you, I hope that you'll have a great time wanderlusting and making your own awesome adventures. Seize the summer! Soak in the sun! Be at your happiest, and rejoice life with people you love spending beautiful times with. 

Joie de vivre!