090979 Tagaytay: Coupling Nature and Technology

I burst out of the car when we had arrived at the site, breathed in the cool crisp mountain air of Tagaytay and took in the scene of nature at its best, happy memories of my childhood flooded back into my brain. I cast a fleeting glance across the landscape and realized with a start that almost nothing had changed since my younger days. True, the trees had grown and its impossible that the leaves I had stepped on were the same ones from my youth, but the calm, serene and natural ambiance of past road trips and family vacations was still there. Once we were outside the stuffy car, my cousins, my sisters and I just stood there, drew out the reminiscences of blissful, carefree days when getting down, and dirty was never a problem; the time when our parents had brought us to the mountaintop to feel the cold wind biting into our faces.

A bright sunny day, the sun shone down on my back, a cool breeze blew against my face, whisked my hair into frenzy, and the thick fabric of my shirt was just enough to keep me warm against the cold. There, right in front of me was a terrain of momentous beauty, it just astounded me and made me yearn to capture it in its splendor, and yet I did not want to ruin the moment by taking out the camera. It was as if the panorama would just disappear once I opened my bag, instead, I stood there and took in the picturesque view. Trees of all shapes, sizes and varieties lined the soft earth, tall and healthy; each gave off a different resin aroma. Fallen twigs and leaves snapped and crunched as I strolled through the grass, cut to such a length that it just carpets the ground with its soft shoots. The smattering of picnic tables and pavilions, painted with earthy colors, scattered complemented the natural atmosphere. They blended and harmonized, rather than counteracted, the elements of nature. Moss and dust were seen almost everywhere in the internal décor of the gazebos and gave me the distinct memory of hiking and sleeping under the stars.

The newest attraction of the Tagaytay Picnic Grove, the cable cars and zip line, seemed to have hundreds of people milling around the vicinity more than ever. I looked up as a scream; whether of fright or happiness, I would never know, cut through the continuous hum of mirth and chatter. I looked up and saw a stranger flew past above me, screaming at the top of her lungs to a pitch and decibel that would probably have been unbearable if I had listened any longer. Another person, grinning all the way and shouting something like “Darnaaaaaaaa!” zoomed by on the harness. I had excitedly run up the steps to the ticket booth and had chosen to try the much operated doubles harness with my sister, who was a coward, which made the ride going to the other side all the more enjoyable. I watched the reactions of the other riders; some were smiling and laughing the whole way, while others screamed and dared not to look down, while still others were merely quiet and didn’t move, probably from fear of falling. I was one of those from the first category of reactions and loved every minute of it. The harnesses were red and black, made of sturdy cloth and reeked of old mothballs and detergent soap. The harness enabled the riders to choose between going by oneself or going with another, and whether the passenger prefers sitting down or lying on your stomach. I chose to lie on my stomach since I had already experienced the zip line while sitting down, and because I felt that the experience was better, where I had seen the real depth and height of the drop, all hundred fifty meters or so down, as I was flying above. The trees and plants all looked so miniscule and impossibly low on the ground as I zoomed by, ecstatically enjoying the air rushing past me and the wind on my jovial face. The personnel who operated the machines said that Mr. Manggilaw, owner and proprietor of the zip line and cable car idea, insisted that the harnesses be washed every night and the cables repaired and oiled every week, ensuring the utmost safety and protection of their patrons.

I cringed away from the strong wind that made my eyes water and my hair resembling something like a rat’s nest. I admit, I was nervous that something might happen to me and my family while we were up there. After all, we went really fast on a single cable with nothing but a cloth harness strapped to my upper body against the biting wind. However, the employees assured me that their main concern is just the possibility of heavy rain, when they had to stop all the activities for fear that something might happen to their riders. On the other hand, strong wind was not much of a problem, since it, according to one of the staff, “adds to the thrill”. The prices were not so atrociously expensive that I would not want to return either. They were just right for someone who would pay reasonable amounts for the right degree of family fun and excitement. On weekdays, the single journey costs one hundred pesos (Php 100) per person, while the two-way journey costs two hundred pesos (Php 200); while on weekends, one way would be two hundred pesos (Php 200) and two-way is three hundred pesos (Php 300) per person. Of course, there really is not a value for the bonding and exuberant experience of spending time with family and strengthening of ties. So if you are game for some clean wacky fun; try out the Tagaytay Zip line. There is nothing like the feeling of zooming past trees to make one feel like flying. Overall, it is an excellent place for those who love the outdoors and the silence of rural zones; although more often than a moment of silence is, laughter and delighted shrieks pierced the air.