Untold Miles - Chapter 3 - Hati Hati! Chasing Waterfalls in North Sulawesi
"Good morning, Manado!"
The alarm went off at 6:00 AM.
Not because we were eager to start the day...
Okay, maybe a little.
But the real motivation was the complimentary breakfast downstairs.
Anyone who knows us knows that hotel breakfast is an event, not just a meal. We happily headed to the second floor, loaded our plates with everything that looked interesting, and, like responsible food bloggers, took photos before taking our first bite.
Priorities. 😄
Little did we know, the adventure had already arrived.
Our Ride for the Day
While we were finishing breakfast, I received a message.
"The bike is here."
Perfect timing.
We rushed downstairs and met the rental guy waiting patiently at the reception.
A few signatures, a quick explanation, and the keys were in my hand.
I did a small practice ride around the hotel.
Brakes?
Good.
Mirrors?
Perfect.
Fuel?
Enough to begin.
Adventure?
Definitely.
There was just one unfinished task left.
The SIM card.
Before heading towards the mountains, we stopped at the Telkomsel office. About twenty minutes later, paperwork was complete, the SIM was activated, and Google Maps officially became our third travel companion.
Now nothing could stop us.
Or so we thought.
The Road to Kali Waterfall
The first destination of the day was Kali Waterfall, nearly 50 kilometres away.
The moment we left the city behind, North Sulawesi began showing us why we had travelled all this way.
The roads were fantastic.
Smooth curves.
Fresh mountain air.
Tiny villages.
Beautiful churches.
Rice fields.
Flowers blooming along the roadside.
Every few kilometers the scenery seemed to change.
Sometimes we'd slow down just to admire the view.
This wasn't just a ride.
It was part of the destination.
About 45 kilometers into the journey, Google Maps told us to turn towards the waterfall.
The wide roads suddenly became narrow.
The climb became steeper.
Sharp bends appeared one after another.
And just when everything was going perfectly...
The rain joined us again.
Apparently, it had become our travel companion too.
We pulled over under a small shelter and waited for the rain to calm down.
Google Maps showed we had arrived.
Reality disagreed.
There were no signboards.
No ticket counter.
No waterfall.
Just a few houses.
Lost... But Never Alone
A family sitting outside their house noticed two confused travellers staring at their phones.
Although English wasn't their strongest language, smiles turned out to be the universal language.
After a mix of hand gestures, broken English and pointing at the map, they understood where we wanted to go.
The moment they realized we were from India, their faces lit up.
"Shah Rukh Khan!"
"Kajol!"
Bollywood had reached North Sulawesi long before we did.
We all laughed together.
Without a second thought, one of the family members volunteered to walk with us all the way to the waterfall.
That simple gesture said everything about the kindness of the people here.
Hospitality doesn't always come from hotels.
Sometimes it comes from complete strangers.
"Hati Hati!"
As we entered the forest, our guide kept repeating one phrase.
"Hati Hati!"
"Hati Hati!"
"Hati Hati!"
At first we nodded politely.
A few minutes later we finally understood.
It means...
"Be careful, slippery"
The narrow trail was slippery after the rain, with tree roots, loose rocks and muddy patches everywhere.
From that moment onwards, "Hati Hati" became the official slogan of our Sulawesi trip.
And trust me...
We would hear it many more times during the coming days.
Mother Nature at Her Best
After about a kilometer of walking through lush rainforest, we heard something.
Water.
Lots of it.
The sound grew louder with every step.
Then suddenly...
There it was.
Kali Waterfall.
Towering above us.
Powerful.
Untouched.
Completely surrounded by thick green forest.
And the best part?
We had the entire place to ourselves.
No queues.
No crowds.
No selfie sticks.
Just us and one incredible waterfall.
The closer we walked, the stronger the mist became.
Within minutes we were completely soaked.
Not because of the rain.
Because the waterfall had other plans.
Trying to photograph it was another challenge altogether.
Every time I cleaned the camera lens...
Splash!
Another layer of water landed on it.
I somehow managed to capture a few photos, but honestly...
No camera can truly capture what it feels like standing in front of something so magnificent.
Sometimes the best memories never make it into photographs.
We simply stood there for a while, listening to the sound of the water.
No talking.
No phones.
Just appreciating what nature had given us.
Before leaving, we silently thanked Mother Nature for allowing us to experience such a beautiful place.
Then came the downhill walk.
"Hati Hati!"
Our guide reminded us once again.
We smiled.
At this point, it had become part of the journey.
Hospitality We'll Never Forget
Back at the village, we thanked the family for helping two complete strangers.
They never expected anything in return.
Just a smile.
Moments like these stay with you much longer than famous tourist attractions.
It's easy to remember beautiful places.
It's unforgettable when beautiful people become part of the journey.
Next Stop... Hot Springs!
We climbed back onto our scooter and started riding towards our next destination.
The weather had cleared.
The roads were calling.
And somewhere ahead, hidden among the countryside, a natural hot spring was waiting for us.
After an unforgettable morning, we couldn't help but wonder...
How could this day possibly get any better?
As it turned out...
It absolutely could.
To be continued...