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Lashae and I were invited to go on a hike through Santa Emilia Municipal Park (Parque Municipal Natural Santa Emilia) one Saturday with an adult English class from Belén de Umbría. The park is located about 20 minutes from Belén. It has a nature trail through a dense forest that leads to a few waterfalls.
The Lodge
We met in Belén in the morning and hopped on motorcycles to drive to the park. The group ended up being 14 in total. After signing in at registration at the lodge, we met our guide for the day who showed us a map and explained some details of the hike. He said it would be about 2 ½ to 3 hours each way.
The Hike
We began the hike on the trail along a stream. It was slight uphill for about an hour. Along the way, the guide found a maracuyá tree (passion fruit) and picked a few for the hikers.
The next hour was a difficult but rewarding hour uphill. I was exhausted and had to stop a few times for some long breaks. After that was a half hour of difficult downhill. The path was a bit deteriorated with fallen trees and some slippery spots. It got a little dangerous at some points. The guide was using his machete to clear away some of the vegetation along the way.
Waterfalls
We found a small waterfall and stopped there for lunch. The water was freezing cold and it felt good to wash my face. We were able to drink the water as well.
We continued on for another half hour to the main waterfall. We had to climb 10m up a rope at one point.
When we finally reached the waterfall, it was very tall but not what I expected. I think the waterfall at our lunch spot was nicer. We weren’t finished – we still had to climb up to the waterfall.
Unfortunately, the path up to the other levels of the waterfall wasn’t a path at all. We had to climb up a very muddy hill holding onto trees and rocks tightly or risk falling. We had to make a human chain at times to prevent each other from slipping and falling onto the rocks below.
At the end, we stopped for a group picture in front of the waterfall, had a rest, and made our way back to the lodge.
I went ahead of most of the group and hiked back to the lodge on my own. I was able to enjoy some of the nature along the way, such as exotic flowers and plants.
The End
Once back at the lodge, I laid down and waited for the rest of the group to arrive. We all rode back to Belén on the motorcycles. I got bit by a stray dog while riding back and ended up having to get rabies shots. That was a nice souvenir to remember my day at Parque Santa Emilia.
