Sige pa, Todo na, Sagada! (Lumiang-Sumilang-Sumaguing Caves)

After twelve long hours (!!!) of travel, we finally made it to Sagada. Before the adventure commenced, we first settled to our abode for the next two days. We stayed in a place called "Ligaya's House and Cottages for Tourists". What I liked with the accommodation, aside from the gracious owner Ate Ligaya, was the cottage designed after a traditional Ifugao house. 

Quick description of the place: it had a receiving area with high-back, low-seat chairs and a fireplace, three sleeping areas, and three bathrooms. Here are the photos for more information:

You may choose to stay inside a cottage or a concrete house.

This is our view in the backyard of Ligaya's Cottage and Houses for Tourists.

The house mimics the traditional Ifugao dwelling place.

Here are the fireplace and chairs at the receiving area.

Even the door had intricate wood carvings.

We then proceeded to the first adventure of the trip: spelunking at the Lumiang-Sumilang-Sumaguing Caves. 

Point of clarification: Our guide mentioned the difference between caving and spelunking. While both involve caves, the former is done only by professionals in unexplored caves while the latter is done by ordinary people who enter caves that were formerly explored by professionals.

I've entered a small cave before, which doesn't really count for much because the Lumiang-Sumilang-Sumaging Caves are the deepest of their kind in the entire country (with the longest one in Palawan). I didn't really know what to expect inside the cave; all I had was a strong sense of adventure and a craving for climbing. Mind, that there were 18 of us who went spelunking, with little to no experience, along with six guides. 

We didn't know what was coming.

Pro-tip: Expect to hike, climb, and swim inside the cave. Make sure to wear comfortable footwear and waterproof all gadgets. Do not expect to wear helmets or use harnesses inside the cave.

There are many coffins at the opening of Lumiang Cave-the place where we started our adventure of the day. I won't give spoilers about the story behind those coffins, but it would help if one had an inquisitive mind and asked the guides about them.

The little "logs" that you see are actually coffins.

We then commenced with our hike to the cave. I did say that most of us barely had experience with outdoor activities, right? At the point where we asked if we were close to the exit of the cave, the guides answered that we haven't really started yet; it was just a warm-up hike. Yikes!

"Are we there yet?" --nope.

Pro-tip: This activity is NOT for the following people: with claustrophobia, with heart condition, with morbid obesity, with severe asthma (aside from the nature of the activity, the guides also smoked a lot) and with joint and bone problems (except if with precautionary measures, like my batchmate Roanne who spelunked despite her chondromalasia of the knee). It also helps to ask the guides on what to expect beforehand.

I cannot narrate every step of this adventure but there were highlights along the way:

• There were narrow passageways where we had to squeeze in to get through. When we asked the guides on what happened in case a larger-than-average person needed to pass, they answered that the passage somehow expanded. I don't know the accuracy of the statement but everyone in our group did pass all the narrow passageways, thin and not-so-thin alike.

Still smiling in spite of the squeezing in!

• At times, we had to step on the body parts of the guides (e.g. feet, hands, shoulders, and thighs) to facilitate climbing. I won't even begin to imagine what it would be like to enter the cave without the guides' assistance.

"The Elevator"
The guide used his shoulders to carry us up.
All EIGHTEEN of us, with our full weights on his shoulders!

• We were able to swim in ice cold water in some parts of the cave. Ah, the sense of relief and the shivering that followed!

Just keep swimming.

• One must expect passing through slippery slopes and huge rocks with sandpaper-texture. It helped to walk barefoot on those and to just. keep. moving. forward.
• We saw many rock formations inside the cave such as the old man's face, the rice granary formation, the vulva, two penises (haha, yeah, shrunken ones because of the cold waters-this, according to the guides!) There were many stalagmites and stalactites also.

Yup. It looks like something... #somature haha

The rice granary rock formation is the first of its kind inside the cave.

Did you know? The stalagmites "grow" from the cave floor and the stalactites "fall" from the cave ceiling. They take billions of years of reaching and falling to finally form a column in each other's arms. Sounds like love, eh?

After four hours, we finally made our way out of the cave. It was earlier than the guides' expected time of more than six hours (from 2:30 to 9:00 P.M.). Our exit was at the Sumaguing Cave. Each of us paid Php 450 for the spelunking and it was totally worth it.

These were our only sources of light inside the caves.

Over-all, the spelunking was an unforgettable experience for me and for the rest of us, I'm sure. It was a good thing to discover another outdoor activity. I couldn't be more thankful for the strength of my musculoskeletal system (among all other organ systems) in this spelunking!

We did it!!!

Until the next adventure,

Dena

Lakbay Pinas

Hi!

Just recently (September 19-24, 2015), my medschool batchmates and I went all the way from Cebu to Luzon for the long-awaited Banaue-Sagada-Baguio Trip. This has been a longstanding plan since our first year in medschool by a small group (their group name is Doce-loves, or something like that) in our batch. I was one of the friends of friends who got invited to come, too. So I did.

 

There were 20 people in this trip!

As much as traveling brings new experiences and adventure, the success of a trip depends on how smoothly the plans are realized. Otherwise, delays in schedule, unforeseen circumstances, and changes in itineraries would only lead to chaos and more stress. You wouldn't want that, especially if you're a medical student who just got out from the most difficult bimonthly period so far; or perhaps if you're a busy person in general who just wants nothing less of pure unadulterated fun in the mountainside.

This is where I talk about the value of having a travel agency to handle your trip from start to finish. Don't get me wrong, backpacking still has its benefits and I still am a backpacker by heart, but this trip made me appreciate our travel agency for taking us to great places in Banaue, Sagada, and Baguio. Our travel agency is called Lakbay Pinas Travels and Tours. You may click their name to view their Facebook page.

Stress-free travel means all smiles for the camera!

Disclaimer at this point (haha!): This is not, in any way, paid for by Lakbay Pinas Travels and Tours. This is, however, a recommendation post from one satisfied customer so that others may also experience the same kind of service that we experienced under their care. Here are the benefits that we enjoyed by paying for Lakbay Pinas' services at Php 4,500/pax.

Our van drivers Kuya Jopay and Kuya Lito in white shirts.

1. Punctuality. We were picked up from SM Mall of Asia at 10:00 P.M. sharp, as scheduled. The delays in our trip were mainly due to our prolonged picture-taking in certain places, but Kuya Chris made necessary adjustments so that we can still visit everything that was written on our itinerary.
2. Consultation. There were other extra places that we wanted to visit and Lakbay Pinas was willing to squeeze them in our jam-packed schedule. I liked how much they accommodated us with what we wanted for the entire trip.
3. Value for money. At Php 4,500/pax, we had two exclusive vans for three days and two nights. We were fetched from Manila to Sagada and vice versa, with the tours in between. The payment was also inclusive of accommodations in Sagada and in Baguio.
4. Service. Aside from Kuya Chris who made sure that everything happened according to plan, our van drivers Kuya Jopay and Kuya Lito were also accommodating and funny. I appreciate how they coordinated with their walkie talkies inside their respective vans and how they made sure that we arrived at our destinations safe and sound. They even made a bonfire for us in Sagada!
5. More traveling options. Lakbay Pinas offers tour packages nationwide. The next time you plan to travel somewhere, don't hesitate to contact Kuya Chris at 09163052235, or through their Facebook like page. Tell them that you learned about Lakbay Pinas from the medical students from Cebu :)

This is only the introduction of our Banaue-Sagada-Baguio trip. Stay tuned for more!

Until the next adventure,

Dena

This is Kuya Chris' back, not mine. Obviously. Haha.