Viahe Vlogs | The Diarist Wanders

Before the Holy Week, I headed up north to Sagada with CouchSurfers and newfound friends to go spelunking in the Cave Connection, Bomod-ok falls trekking and swimming, and hanging coffins hunting.

The Viahera Vlog feature I’m including here is the one for the Bomod-ok Falls trek we did on our Day 2 in Sagada. There are 11 of us, 5 CouchSurfers, 5 jeepmates, and Larry the tourist, from the topload ride from Banaue to Sagada.

Total time for the Bomod-ok Falls trek is supposedly at 1-hour descending and 1-hour ascending. The thing is, with a group of 11 picture crazy people, I’d say that 3 hours would be a good estimate. Hihihi

Oh well. We still got there anyway. And enjoyed the Bomod-ok falls in its full glory. I even checked something off my bucket list once we were already in Bomod-ok—to jump off a cliff! Ok, I know it’s not really a “cliff” in open waters or something but hey, it’s still high! The 8-minute video of climbing to the jump-off point and taking the plunge into the waterfalls’ freezing pool is not included in this video playlist coz it deserves another entry! Seriously, buwis buhay (daredevil) mode!

For now, enjoy the Viahera Vlogs I took during our trek and I hope that one day, you’ll get to trek through the beautiful Sagada rice terraces and experience the thrill and chill of Bomod-ok Falls.

The most iconic monument of Hyderabad in Andra Pradesh (south India), Charminar is said to have been built between 1589 to 1592 BC (dates are not still debatable). It was supposed to be a monument to commemorate the founding of a new capital and the end of a plague. Charminar was commissioned by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, the 5th ruler of the Golconda Sultanate. Learn more about Chaminar at Wikipedia.

Exploring Hyderabad: Charminar and Mecca Masjid

Beside Charminar is the Mecca Masjid (Makkah Masjid), one of the oldest mosques in India. It is called Mecca Masjid as Qutb Shah ordered the soil from Mecca to be made into bricks that were used in building the Masjid. Learn more about Mecca Masjid at Wikipedia.

Reminder: Women going inside the Charminar are not permitted alone, for some reasons I did not understand, nor explained. My CouchSurfing host Bhavesh for my Hyderabad/Secunderabad trip also was not able to explain. However, a dark secret was shared while we were on top: it’s a suicidal area, much like the famous bridges where people jump! Scary! This is also why visitors were limited to only the “first landing” area of the Charminar, which by the way is about six-floors high! So get ready! (I wasn’t as I was still carrying my weekender pack with additional sarees I just bought!)

Charminar: View from the top

The view from the top of Charminar lets you see the other major landmarks of Hyderabad like the High Court and Patel Market (garments and pearls) on one side, Laad Bazaar (bangles market) on another, then the Makkah Masjid area, and a former palace turned into a college and hospital. Hyderabad, actually, is called the City of Palaces, among its other monikers!