Lumiang Cave (SAGADA).. buwis buhay adventure

A lot of people  has probably  gone to Sagada (Mt. province),  which has a reputation for being secluded and hard to reach. In a way, it is, if you count 5 hours driving from Manila. (through zig zag roads)

Sagada is enchanting for its raw beauty. the cool crisp air and the freshness of everything, very far from the noise of the city.

We did the usual,  of course like eating at Lemon Pie house (not the best I have eaten, honestly speaking). Yogurt house (superb! esp with the mountain honey)

What I would like to write on  is the Lumiang-Sumaging caving experience. I would consider myself fairly adventurous. I can hike several kilometers to go up mountains with no problems. So when we did Sagada, which I think is so raw that everything you do here is WITH EFFORT... I was open to anything.

Our guide (Apiit) told us we can really do the long course of the caves (lumiang-sumaging), which I though would mean a easy caving experience. Was I wrong!

It was a long way down to the entrance of the cave... at the mouth, you can see some hanging coffins that we cordoned off (maybe in case someone might try to steal them)

We were supposed to have a gas lamp, but somehow, our guide was having a hard time making it light. So we just made do with our cellphone lights.

deep recesses of the cave

The first part of the  hike, I was wondering how we could reach the bottom from where we were since it was a long long way down... with no sign of any path. When Apiit took us to a hole in the wall (Literally,     A      HOLE...... IN..... THE..... WALL.) my mind screamed..... whaaaaaaat?

the hole where you put your body

It was a good thing there were a couple of other people ahead of us (actually a big group) and their lamps were also helping us... basically, we tried to keep up with their group so we can have light.

There was one point (and here I don't have any pictures).. where Apiit said, "Mam, please move to the left when you pass through because at the right side is a crevasse. 😱". BUT WAIT.... there's more... ( you can see why I don't have picture since I have to hold on to the walls..). buhay muna bago picture   (life before picture taking)

When I crawled to the other side he then proceeded to tell me to cross a rock face wall using only my hands and feet while looking for hand holds (think Sly Stallone in cliffhanger).. Remember, we didn't have any lamps of our own... so basically, my husband had to shine a light on me while I try not to die! This is where hugging the wall and being/channeling spiderman works. I screamed at my guide.,.. why didn't you tell me it was like this inside?

So, you can tell I did make it out alive. (lol) I used my cellphone when I got to the other side to shine on my husband. whew!

We also had to navigate climbing up a wall. (rappelling/wall climbing)

swinging from one side to the next

and basically trying not to accidentally slip down anything sheer. like a 30 foot drop.

In the middle, there was a small pool and a huge stalactite . 

What kept running through my head was... good thing it was just us and I wasn't with the kids. I would have had a heart attack from worrying how they would get out.

We skipped going to the other pools in sumaging cave (there were bats there and everything was slippery...) and by that time, I was ready to come out.

the way out... climbing a rock wall

i see the light!

yes!!!!

The last picture is the entrance to Sumaging cave.... for us, the exit... They do not charge entrance fee for visitors, but in my opinion, they should and the fees in turn would be used to improve the facilities of the cave for the safety of the visitors.

Honestly, we weren't even given helmets! My husband's shoes kept slipping from the rocks (very very dangerous I tell you)

I guess you could say, that will be the last time I will do Lumiang. (won't recommend it to others either)

Flying like superman (or woman)

I'm BAAAACCCCK!!!! har har.. tired from all the fun.... but gotta go back to work as usual..

so many thing to blog about... I have to do it in increments...

ZIPLINE- Cagayan de oro City (south of Manila)

 First of all, I went on the 840 meter zipline. It was an hour drive from Cagayan de Oro city... the place was called Dahilayan. 

On the way there, we passed through the Del monte plantation.... pineapples as far as the eye could see....

Getting to the park, we signed up and waited for our turn. There were three lines you can try. a 150M one, a 320M one and the big momma... 840M!!
We decided to get the whole 3 lines for 600 pesos ($15) and since the lines at the shorter ones were quite long, we decided to take on the 840M one first.

You have to ride up to the top of the hill via a jeep they provided.
I don't know which was scarier, the jeep ride up or the zipline down.. the driver of the jeep that bought us up there was weaving around the dirt road like he wanted to throw me off.... hahahaa-- madman!

The platform looked like some kind of launchpad, or suicide drop, depending on your disposition. Even the walkway added to the drama of the zipline. (a hanging bridge? GULP!)
I got strapped on the line... and the place was a loooong way up... (was getting nervous) and watching other people screaming their way down was not helping.

As they let go of my harness, I was thinking about all the things the safety crew told me:
-- no jerky movements
--when reaching the bottom, tuck your head in
-- dont move your feet

I sure wasn't going to move.... bec I felt that if I did, I would fall off the harness that was holding me...

And then I was FLYING. The trees whizzed past me, the ground was a long way down. I was nervous, thrilled, contemplating what would happen if my harness broke all at the same time.

840 meters was quite long... about one minute from the top to the bottom.... that 1 minute, seems like forever.. by the halfway mark, I was feeling easier and could appreciate the beautiful scenery around me. WOW. When the line ended, you get a feeling that you wanted the last part to last longer.


THER 320M AND 150M LINES

After which we did the shorter ones. the 350 meters and the 120 meters.. by this time, it was a breeze... ( no screaming )... 840m was cooler BY FAR.

Cagayan de ORO

Summer is scorching!!!! 38-40C  .. if it gets any hotter.. I'll try to fry an egg on the hood of my car!
(sizzle sizzle)

Speaking of driving, I renewed my driver's license this week. I should have renewed it on my birthday but got too busy. Thankfully, the Land Transportation office has set up satellite offices in malls.. They have one near my office and it is airconditioned, no lines and very quick. I would have died if I had to go to the main office.. (with the heat, lines and all).. Surprisingly, they took a pretty decent picture this time around... hahahahaa.... got to live with that pic for 3 years you know!-- maybe the airconditioning helped.. being stressed doesn't a good picture make!


I am super excited by my upcoming trip to Cagayan de oro...... whitewater rafting and zipline.. wooo hoo..giddy with excitement!!!!

I have discovered a new website. (Although I booked my travel before I found the site) I  may book my succeeding trips thru them...

Here are some of the things in store for me.... photos taken from the website..

Their prices are pretty good and they have amazing packages... (they have trips to other destinations also..)

http://www.philippinesbudgettravel.com/category/domestic/cagayan-de-oro/

They also post updates in their facebook page: PhilippineBeaches.org  
I obviously became a fan.


here is the official "visit the philippines" video... I think it is one of the best they have made!

Pinatubo adventure

It was an early Saturday morning.... 5am to be exact- when we headed to the meeting point for the trekking tour pick up. My husband has been talking about going trekking in Mt. Pinatubo (the volcano that erupted in 1991) that I finally decided to research and book a tour.

The sky was still dark and the air was cold when the van  from phillippine adventures picked us up at 530am (me and my husband with our married couple friends-). The ride to pinatubo lasted about 2 1/2 hours. We went via Nlex (north luzon expressway) towards Sta Juliana, Capas Tarlac.  The highway was free and clear because it was so early and as the sun was beginning to rise, we saw the image of Mt Arayat to the right of us. Pinatubo is not visible on the highway (most of it was blasted to smithereens) By 7:30, we arrived at the "pinatubo spa" - the jumpoff point of all the tours.  The pinatubo area is covered by the airforce and you have to pass through a military outpost.
We were then asked to  transfer to a 4x4 land cruiser that would take us to the main trek. (at this point, the driver hands us our snack - 1 mars bar each, a choice of soda/water, boiled egg and sandwiches that is neatly packed in a cooler). We were thinking of riding the open top jeep.. you know, make it more thrilling.. but the guide said it would be better to ride the closed one. This reason would be quite obvious in a few minutes....we head off the the vast expanse of lahar.-- a desert of ash everywhere you look. Having no roads, the ride was bumpy and as the day wore on, dusty too. I could understand the sound advise of the guide asking us to choose the closed van. I saw some others in the open one, covering their faces from the dust and dirt that was flying all over. Aside form which, the rough road looked like it could bump you out of the vehicle at any minute. The temperature was quite cool and we were thankful that we did come at this time of the year. I couldn't imagine travelling during the summer heat...

They call the 30km expanse crow valley.... where the landscape suddenly changed to something out of DUNE. Mounds of ash, a few stray cows and the landscape was quite barren.  We were informed that we were travelling on a dry river bed.
By rainy season, the road would become a raging river. Last Aug 2009, a group of tourists got caught in a flash flood on that river and drowned. After 45 minutes of bumpy road, we noticed the landscape changing... grass, hills with grass and some foliage was showing up.

              We reached a small stream and the water seemed so clean that we decided to go down and take pictures

The picture of me in this stream, I still had my sunglasses... when we went back and rode the 4x4 jeep again, I noticed my sunglasses were gone.... we went back and tried to find them but  no luck... I guess it fell off when I was going over the rocks... somewhere, some native AETA is wearing raybans (violet rimmed ones)-- =(

We saw some of the other trekkers in front going through the same underbrush.. we felt as though we were traveling on some safari in Africa. We went up the mountain using the "skyway" a path they carved out of the mountain and after some time, we reached the jump off point of the trek.  There are options on the trek where you can opt for a longer hike. I even saw children walking on this hike. I was also told you can also camp at the crater but you have to get special permission from the military.

The guide said that the walk is not that hard-- (see sign), but I guess we were worst off than I thought. It took us 25 mins (a little worse than senior citizen capability) to reach the top. The trail was rocky and we had to be careful not to slip on something and sprain an ankle. 

We finally reached the clearing and saw the crater.... it was awesome!

the water was very very blue (blue green)... it was amazing to realize that a few years ago, this was the site of a very destructive force... the explosion equivalent to 20 million tons of SO2.. and it's the second largest terrestrial eruption in modern history.

from this....(destruction..) to this.... a peaceful tourist destination.

 The clearing had a great view of the crater lake and they already developed the area for tourists.. they had a shed where you can buy drinks and snacks, some basic facilities and boat rentals to go to the other side of the lake where there is a hot spring. We decided to explore the hot springs and rented a boat. It cost an extra P350/head (about $9). We walked down the manmade spiral steps leading us from the observation point to the "beach". It was already noon and we already consumed the sandwhiches that were packed for us.  We also quenched out thirst on the soda and water we also brought. 

The water was very clear and cool that I couldn't wait to swim. It actually felt like we were not in the same country at all. Surrounding the crater were hills of ash, and I could imagine them turning to molten lahar as the rains came. They look like cement. 

Viewing this scene, it almost felt like we were in the movie "Lord of the Rings" and I would see frodo come out from one of the rocks. (or Gollum... my preeciousss!!!!!) The boat ride was a good 25- 30 mins and we had a leisurely time joking with the boatman and taking pictures.

Reaching the other side, we saw steam coming off the sand. And a spot where they made a hole.. in this hole, you can see the water bubbling.. (hot!).. The hot spring that they said was nowhere.. (it was not an actual site).. the whole beach WAS the hot spring. some parts of the sand was hot and my friend actually jumped when she put her foot down. I had some water proof shoes (essential on this trek..I don't recommend any rubber shoes and socks.. it is better to wear sandals or one of those open sandals with straps.) and went for a swim. I had a lifevest on because the water was quite deep. and they said it was not recorded how deep the lake even went. I was wondering the whole time if I may see some kind of lochness monster come up from the depths and eat me.... hahahaa.

The water was very cold in some parts and suddenly, you can feel the warm water coming from the other side. I really wanted to swirl the water around to make the temperature more balanced. I had warm on the left and cold on the right....

After sometime, it was time to make the trip back... All of us were quite satisfied and happy to be able to reach this place. We plan to come back some time and look forward to more similar adventures. We reached the camp back at Tarlac (walked back down the trail, rode the 30km back in the 4x4) and had our lunch. - included in the package, a choice of Filipino or Korean food).. At the spa, you can opt to have a massage (1 hour) or hot volcanic sand pit (30 mins) at an extta P500 ($13) cost. The gift shop also had some sulfur products like soap, sulfur bath salts and the like. 

We left Tarlac at 4pm and reached Manila a little over 7pm. Overall, this was an awesome awesome trip!