Callao Caves and Palaui Island

It’s been a week already since we returned from our weekend trip to Cagayan Valley where, among other things, we visited caves, jumped into a river, traveled to a remote island to hike up a hill,  pitched tents and spent the night in pitch black darkness (by the faint light of a bonfire though) next to a very, very spooky, abandoned lighthouse (in which, we later on learned upon returning home safe to Manila, that 78 people lost their lives in the vicinity of that light house due to unspecified reasons…*shiver!*)

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Because my memory is less than spectacular, I want to remember highlights of the trip:

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(Disclaimer: this blog entry is going to be really, really long and will contain lots of pictures and my senseless ramblings for the most part but I’m too lazy to edit and see if it makes sense to anyone reading this …so… what the hell …here goes…=)

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The Bus Ride going there

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We spent about 10 hours on the bus from Manila to Tuguegarao. The 10 hours seriously seemed like forever. Why, it seemed like 10 nights instead of just 10 hours! It was crazy! =]  I prayed we wouldn’t fall into the ravine/cliff/wherever we were coz I was sure we were zigzagging right on the edge, high up on the sides of the Sierra mountains or something! =] … anyways, everyone else seemed super comfortable on the bus, they were all sound asleep! Can I just say that it was so weird being on a bus with people having small towels and handkerchiefs to cover their faces as they slept? Some were even wearing sunglasses in the dark. It was weird and scary to me because I wasn’t used to such a sight with their faces covered up like that…. but they were sleeping so lucky them!  I remember being so frustrated asking myself why couldn’t I just sleep like everyone else? =( Well, I did manage to doze off every minute or so, but I just kept waking up all the time! I must have woken up a hundred times from those momentary little naps only to realize I was still on the bus and it was still dark outside and the bus was still swaying from side to side as it has been doing for so many hours already. The bus ride was like a video loop that was never going to end =] …It was like a never-ending roller coaster from purgatory (I said purgatory, not hell…hell is how I would describe our bus trip going back) …

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Finally! Sunrise!

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It was SO good to be able to see that the sky was lightening up outside the bus window and to see that we were no longer on the edge of a mountain, but on a flat road with vast ricefields zooming past us (or we were zooming past it, whatever =) …

We finally reached the Tuguegarao bus terminal where Chin’s dad picked us up. We girls got to ride on Chin’s van, while the boys followed behind on little tiny tricycles. We reached Chin’s home a few minutes later where we were greeted by a path of pretty pink flowers by the garage =) Chin’s mom, their pet dog and many of their roosters and chickens welcomed us as well (oh yeah, roosters are chickens too, don’t mind me, I’m just rambling here) .

We watched the sunrise and gobbled up as many yummy longganizas as we could for breakfast =) Then Chin’s dad invited us outside to try out some target shooting. He showed us how to load a rifle with pellets and how to properly aim on the target paper marker that was posted on a tree. I managed to hit bull’s eye on the first try (maybe being a photographer helped me aim well? =), on the second try, I managed to hit the pin that pinned the paper on the tree, therefore, un-pinning the paper from the tree =) 

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Callao Caves

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First on the itinerary was Callao Caves. After climbing like 500 steps (maybe I’m exaggerating a bit but I was sleep-deprived!), we made it to the entrance of the caves. The first chamber of the 7 chambers that make up the Callao Caves contains a chapel/shrine that is illuminated from above by sunlight. It is so beautiful and peaceful in there and I wish I had been able to stop and pray and say my 3 wishes but being a photographer, you know how it is. Before I knew it, most of the people I went inside with had already gone ahead and it was just me and u-know-who-u-are, plus another couple taking pictures in that chamber. …Anyways, soon enough, our group came back and they were done seeing all the chambers. Erp. I think we only got to see the first 3 chambers because I spent too much time getting the timing of the sun beams just right and setting the timer on the camera for the longest time to include ourselves in the frame =) (Hey, u-know-who-you-are, thanks for staying with me even though you probably wanted to explore the other hidden chambers with the rest of the group too…sorry I took so long, and happy 2 years and 8 months to us by the way ;)

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The other caves we missed

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Well, there was another system of caves after the Callao Cave series but seeing that it was going to be a little challenging for me and my un-broken-but-formerly-broken arm, we decided to not go with the group =(  … We just shared a refreshing glass of halo-halo outside instead. Bummer right? =]

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Swimming in the Pinacanauan de Tuguegarao River

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After a nice little lunch on the huts outside the cave, we went down on a flight of stairs by the mountain and got onto a little banca and enjoyed the sights and splendor of passing through the flowing river between the corridors of the Sierra Madre mountains.

High up, we could see holes at the sides of the moutains – bat caves, we were told. We would watch the circadian flight of bats later at dusk but first, we were going swimming by the river =)

It was my first time to swim in a river and what a wonderful time we had! I am used to the strong sting of chlorine in swimming pools or the salty taste of sea water all the time so swimming in tasteless, fresh water was so new to me!

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At first, we stayed at the sides only but soon, I wanted to see if I could actually “swim” across to that little tall boulder over there where the others were….so I did and I made it! Us girls were actually merrily swimming and having the time of our lives….but the boys, well, the boys did not know how to swim and they were content being on the shallow (safe) side, just keeping their feet wet… they said they were our “lifeguards on duty”. Right. Ok guys, we believe you =)

Soon, the girls started climbing up the little tall boulder that we were clinging on to. And then they all started to dive into the river from the top of the little tall boulder. It looked like so much fun and I wish I could do it too. I wanted to but  I wasn’t sure that I could actually climb and not injure my unbroken/fragile arm in the process. Anyways, after seeing all the girls do it, I decided to just do it too! Carefully I started my little awkward climb, fearful that I might slip, lose my grip and scrape my legs or fracture my arm or just fall off or something but I tried to focus really well and had the other girls to thank for lending me a hand when I needed it and I finally made it to the top and jumped! It was so fun! And I climbed and jumped into the water many more times after that! =) 

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After a few hours, I decided to dry up and make some little rock formations by piling up one little stone over another…then it was time to ride the boat again and go….we kinda missed the circadian flight of bats because they were going to come out at a later time =/ bummer =/ 

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After a sumptuous dinner of lechon kawali, pancit and mangoes, we were dead-tired and we all fell asleep right away =) thank god we were going to sleep in comfort that night....  I was able to sleep soundly but gosh, those roosters are such early risers! They  really start crowing and flapping their wings so early! Sheesh! ;)

Day 2…we’re going camping tonight in Cape Engano, Palaui Island.

So it’s 8 am and we just had a lovely breakfast and everyone just finished their turns showering and doing their morning stuff. We get dropped off at a terminal where we hire a van that will bring us to the super north end of the Philippines. After 3-hours on the van and passing through a port where luxury vehicles are sneaked into the country and where a secret casino called the East Hawaii Casino operates, we finally get to the pier where we get a boat that will take us to beautiful Palaui island.

Finally we see Palaui Island.

There it is, the Cape Engano Lighthouse on top of the hill. We’re going to spend the night there.

But we’re going to have lunch under a tree first.

Then we went through the forest to find the mystic waterfalls.

Then we go back where we came from to start our way up the trails leading up to the lighthouse.

The view is beautiful. I am frustrated that my pictures don’t do justice.

Oh finally, the lighthouse. This is it. It is scary. Are we really going to camp out here tonight?

Our sunset shot.

Ok, so the sun went down already and I had earlier imagined that the light house, being what it is, would somehow shine on us. But boy oh boy, only the light of the moon and stars shined on us that night. The lighthouse, though abandoned a century ago, still works (by solar power I think?) …yes it works but only by blinking every minute or so. We don’t even get to see the light blinking at the top unless we crane our necks from an angle and then we see it.

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Oh and of course there is no fresh water so we were sticky and salty from a whole day’s worth of travelling 3 hours by van, an hour by boat, lunch under a tree, swimming in the cove, hiking up the hill… but who cares about being sticky and salty when we all need to pee and there is nothing but pitch black darkness and the howling winds surrounding us right? …Us girls got to bond by picking a spot, doing our thing and sharing fem-sprays and baby wipes at the side of the lighthouse…sweet huh? =)

So what do we do in the dark? we decided to do some light painting to amuse ourselves after. Then we had dinner in the dark, by the light of our flashlights. Then we finally started a bonfire and told stories but we avoided telling ghost stories for our own sanity.

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In the dark, by the light of the bonfire, I saw a dark figure standing in the corner of the lighthouse. I know what I saw. I told this to the group and they all freaked out. U-know-who-u-are gently hushed me and told me to stop looking around. He started shining his flashlight on the junkfood in front of me to distract my wandering eyes. I am getting scared and I miss my grandma, grandpa, aunt, Martin and the comforts of home…. I want to go home na =]

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It is getting late, the lambanog that they were drinking had been finished and we finished all the junkfood as well. The bonfire was dimming and there was nothing else to do but go to sleep. The wind was howling and the remaining rusty parts of the lighthouse were screeching and squeaking. It was like someone was dragging furniture from one place to another but there was no furniture. I am scared shit inside the tent and everyone else has gone off to sleep. I want to cry and wake up u-know-who-u-are so he can stay awake with me…I actually begged him to not sleep yet and I know he tried his best to keep me company but he still fell asleep, I can’t blame him =] I am wide awake and hearing all the sounds and letting my imagination run wild. Maybe I should have just gotten drunk so I wouldn’t have to torture myself being so wide awake and hearing all these things right? =/

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Finally, sunrise!  Thank God! We made it through the night!!! I am sleep deprived, once again, but I am so glad just to be able to see! The sun is my friend!

Day 3: Last day of the trip, we head back to Manila tonight

After breakfast at the lighthouse, we pack up, clean up, leave nothing behind and head down the trail. We say goodbye to the island and talk about last night. U-know-who-u-are tells me that he also saw the dark figure that I saw in the corner last night but decided to ignore and downplay it so that we wouldn’t panic. I stare at him increduously and ask him how he was still able to sleep so soundly right away while I was wide awake and scared shit! =/

Anyways, we are going to Anguib island today. The ocean is so inviting with its crystal clear waters. I just love the ocean, don’t you?

We are finally in Anguib island. It is so beautiful here. And best of all, there is a toilet! Thank God for the little small things we take for granted everyday! Everyone is so happy about the toilet and take turns introducing themselves to the island through that little tiny toilet! =P

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After a yummy pasta lunch (Thank you bby for cooking lunch for everyone …have I told you that you make the best lasagna in the world? But that’s another story =),  Anyways, as I was saying, after a yummy pasta lunch that my bby cooked, we dip into the crystal clear waters of Anguib beach and I find out that my bby actually knows how to swim after all! … I am so happy seeing him happily snorkelling and frolicking underwater like a little baby dugong, err, I mean, dolphin….we took pictures underwater but I haven’t had my disposable underwater cam developed yet =)

Anguib island is so beautiful because of its white powdery sand and its crystal clear waters. We wished we could spend more time but we had to go back in order to be able to catch the 8pm bus trip to Manila (since we still had to go back to the main island and then travel 3 hours by van to Tuguegarao)

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Going back to the main island, we are still sticky and salty from the combination of yesterday’s activities and today’s. I pay P50 to a lady at the main island pier so that she could sell me a pail of fresh water so I can lock and take a bath in the public bathroom =)

We pass by the Calvary Hills on our way back to Tuguegarao. Calvary Hills has bigger-than-life-size statues of the Stations of the Cross. It is a nice place to visit and the nice thing about it is that it is free of charge for anyone to enjoy the place. If it were in Manila, we would have to pay an entrance fee for sure. But there are so many nice free places to visit and Calvary Hills is one of them =)

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By around 5pm, we are back in Tuguegarao to rest for awhile, fix our things, freshen up, have dinner and be at the bus station to take the bus to Manila by 8pm.

The Bus Ride going back

The ride going back to Manila proved more unbearable than the ride going to Tuguegarao two nights ago because tonight’s bus driver seemed from hell. He would speed up and then step on the breaks unexpectedly to pick up passengers from the road or from other terminals! Our bus ride two nights ago was an “express” trip all the way which meant it did not stop to pick up passengers nor to have bathroom breaks (because it had its own built-in bathroom-in-a-bus). But tonight’s ride picked up passengers from other bus stops/terminals all night long! And all night long, David Pomeranz’ videoke songs played forever and ever on the bus’s tv screen and over the speakers! I wanted to scream! I wish I brought some valium with me!

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Back in Manila, it is good to be home. But it was such a great trip and lots of new first-times for me. First time to ride a bus overnight, twice at that. First time to swim in freshwater and to crawl up and jump from a rock. First time to camp out on a scary, very remote island with no lights and no freshwater.

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Thank you to u-know-who-u-are for taking such good care of me during the trip =) … For organizing and packing our stuff so that we just had to bring one big bag for the 2 of us (so I wouldn’t have to carry anything but just my camera and koochy stuff =] … for repacking everything patiently whenever I took something out of our bag and everything else would go with it…for bringing our own plastic plates and silverware so we didn’t have to eat from paper plates…for enjoying the dishwashing that goes with it after each meal (it would have been so much easier to eat from paper plates but you insisted)…for handing me that small clean towel poured with fresh bottled water out of nowhere so I can have a sponge bath while everyone else including you was sticky during camp night…For knowing what I needed, when I needed it…. I didn’t expect those little comforts so thank you for thinking of those little things ahead of time…even if you fell asleep before I did and didn’t keep me company while I was awake and scared shit in Cape Engano, it’s ok  bby, I forgive you…you are wonderful… thanks bby =)

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Thanks to  Amor, Yas,  Neil, Les, Mel, Jonald, and Basti the adorable puppy, for being part of our great weekend! =) Thanks to Chin and Mr. & Mrs. Cabrido for your wonderful, wonderful hospitality!

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More Cave photos here

and More Palaui Island photos here

Next stop: Battad and Banaue Rice Terraces! =)