Saturday, July 4, 2009

The Malagonlong Bridge, Brgy. Mateuna, Tayabas, Quezon

















Being a lone traveller and a woman has it's pros and cons. And going to Malagonlong Bridge creeps me some chills over my bone. I am kinda eccentric. Being an Aquarian, one is born in the sign of water and the albatross and the whales they are my brothers- goes the Little River Band's "Cool Change". I said no to myself and if one is in a certain place, one must try to accomplish and achieve it. Taking the 600 steps of ascending and descending the Kamay ni Hesus for instance.

If one is a Harry Potter fanatic, you will see the Hogwarts train passing on the Waterloo Bridge.
The Malagonlong Bridge is similar to the Ponte Nalfonso in Galicia and Aspendos Bridge in Turkey. Malagonlong Bridge is located in Brgy. Mataute, Tayabas, Quezon Province which is one of the few surviving arch type bridges built during the Spanish colonial period. Located about 2.4 km southeast of Tayabas, it forms part of the provincial road going to Pagbilao. About 230m after this bridge is the junction going to Mauban. One can reach this historical bridge through Mauban or by tricycle.

It is amazing that our ancestors could build bridges along with the supervision of the Spanish priest which could last centuries long even without using reinforcing steel frames or modern technology. A modern girder type bridge is seen built on the upstream side to replace the old one. Today, the bridge is only passable to people.

According to some locals, a couple has died on that bridge.

I may say that I have been lucky that the tricycle driver took me to Malagonlong Bridge around 11:00 and took the pics for me.

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