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

Extra Rice in Banaue

The air is now thinner and colder. Our ears are popping and our bodies are a bit sore from the long hours of sitting. The "welcome to Banaue" sign signifies that we are almost there.

First stop: Banaue Rice Terraces

Artista with real-time Facebook updates! Haha. #RexAppeal

The Hagdan-hagdang Palayan or the Banaue Rice Terraces is one of the most iconic views in the Philippines. It is a testament of the hard work of the Ifugao through the years. The main purpose of terrace farming is to reduce surface runoff and erosion and to support the irrigation of crops, such as rice.

I could vividly remember that the Banaue Rice Terraces was one of the earliest learning from my Civics class in elementary. It was one of the World Heritage Sites and is considered by Filipinos as the "eighth wonder of the world". It served as mountainside farmland for more than two thousand years now.

Hues of green all-around!

However, the "was" part is worth emphasizing, as the terraces now has signs of degradation. There are concrete houses sporadically located amidst the terraces and this ruined some of the view of the Banaue Rice Terraces. At least there is still a viewing deck where we can have a good view of the terraces. It is the part seen at the back of the 1000-peso Philippine bill.

I want to write good things about the places that I visit as much as I can. Yet, I cannot sugarcoat things to appease the false "Filipino pride". If the locals of Benguet, in cooperation with the government, do not aggressively implement programs for the preservation of this heritage site, then I can imagine the glorious Banaue Rice Terraces in ruins right before our very eyes.

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.

Katkat sa OsKaTrav

The day after our OPeak camping in Dalaguete, we proceeded to do the traverse trek to Kawasan Falls in Badian, dubbed as the "OsKaTrav". "Katkat" is the Bisaya term for climb.

The blue line shows the traverse hike route. Otherwise,
we'd have to take a 9-hour bus trip to go all around the tip.

At the foot of OPeak before commencing the climb.

We started our trek from Osmena Peak at around 7 AM, right after we ate our breakfast, washed our face, and brushed our teeth. The ultimate reward of the entire trek was the cold water of Kawasan Falls.

Pro-tip: DO NOT expect to take a bath in Osmena Peak for many reasons; (1) clean water there is expensive (Php 15/gallon), (2) it's cold up there, and (3) there is no proper latrine ("one with nature" style. haha)

Mantalongon, Dalaguete is dubbed as the vegetable basket of Cebu. The scenery of the trek consisted of trees, greenery, and vegetables of sorts. It was a feast for the eyes! Trivia: one huge basket of vegetables there costs only Php 80 (veggie salad for daysss). The summer sun was up in its full glory which made the trek challenging but not impossible.

Pro-tip: You may ask for a few pieces of vegetables from the farmers as you pass by. Instant chop suey!

My brother posed with the 80-peso basket of cabbages.

We asked for some bellpeppers from the farmer.

It was green all around on most parts of our hike.

The trek itself to Kawasan was moderate in difficulty (3/9), consisting mostly of downhill slopes in the mountainside. The thing with downhill trekking is that one had to use more often the small muscles of the lower limbs and the knees. Conversely, uphill trekking would mainly involve the glutes and hamstrings. We were able to pick up a rapid pace early in the trek, with short rest periods in between. There is a sole freshwater source found midway to Kawasan Falls where we freshened up a bit. The caveat here, however, was the long duration of the entire trek, especially in our case because we somehow got lost in spite of our guide's familiarity of the place. By the time we reached Brgy. Candiis, two of our companions rode a habal-habal (fare: Php 25) all the way to Kawasan Falls. The rest of us had to spend a grueling two more hours of trekking to our destination. The predicted four-hour trek was extended into six hours! 

Resting at the freshwater spring found along the trail.

Pro-tip: Bring at least a liter of drinking water per person. Also make sure to bring trail foods (e.g. power bar, chocolate, banana) as energy source. Also, wear the proper footwear (hiking shoes and thick socks) to avoid blisters and foot swelling.

We passed by the Bulan-bulan trail, which was said to be a treacherous path for beginners. It did seem treacherous from a distance due to the lack of trees and the loose rocks on the path which were slippery when stepped on. However, the trail turned out to be one-foot wide and relatively safer than expected. We also passed by an asphalt road that reflected 30% of the scorching heat; a torture for the weary body, if you asked me. 

We're small dots walking on the Bulan-bulan Trail.

Staying strong! Banzai!

After six grueling hours of trekking, we finally heard the sound of flowing water from Kawasan Falls. We entered Kawasan through its highest level (level 3) of the waterfalls. The cold water of Kawasan Falls soothed my shaking and aching feet. This, of course, after resting for at least 30 minutes. The waterfalls massage was really amazing! All we paid for this whole trek was Php 300 for the cottage in Kawasan Falls (optional expense, since there are many available shaded areas in Kawasan). We cooked what was left of our canned goods and rice from camping using our burner. Further trek downhill would allow one to appreciate the other levels of Kawasan Falls, the ones with rafts and more people. Exit from the place is an adventure in itself, as we had to pass by slippery rocks amidst the flowing river.

Here's the inviting cold waters of Kwasan.

One may jump to the water from a pseudo-cliff

Even the dam is beautiful

People rode a raft for waterfalls massage

Calming view of the water at Kawasan

On the way out of Kawasan Falls

All tired but happy!

The view as we waited for the bus back to the city.

Until the next adventure,

Dena

All smiles after surviving the whole trek!

Osmen-yeah Peak

Read my previous experiences in Cebu's highest peak here and here.

"Live mighty, live righteously. Takin' it easy"

Aside from the more common route to OPeak via the bus to Dalaguete (Php 84 fare, with student discount) followed by habal-habal ride (Php 50 fare) to Mantalongon Market, there is a direct bus to Mantalongon Market. Apparently, this would mean less expenses since you won't be needing the habal-habal ride anymore. The Dalaguete Bus Terminal is located in the lone Caltex gas station in the Carbon Market area (consult Google Map for details). A bus is scheduled to leave every two hours (9 AM, 11 AM, 1 PM, 3 PM, 5 PM). However, for this trip, we had to take the more common route previously mentioned because two Dalaguete bus drivers had to skip work to attend a town fiesta.

Pro-tip: Bring your student ID and present it to the bus conductor upon paying for your student discount.

The trip from Cebu City to Dalaguete lasted for around 2 hours (11 AM to 1 PM). We took a habal-habal from the highway to Mantalongon Market. There was a 30-minute delay on the way to Mantalongon Market because of an on-going road-clearing operation. 

The "motorcade" right after the road was opened.

Pro-tip: The habal-habal ride depends mainly on the balancing act of the driver and his passengers. It would be easier to balance if the heaviest passenger sat right behind the driver. One passenger may also be asked to sit right in front of the driver.

I took the frontseat of the habal-habal! Haha, awkwaaard.

(For comments regarding the trek to the peak, please refer to previous blogs with links posted above)

We called these landforms as "nipple mountains". LOL

The third time's the charm with Osmena Peak. The weather was favorable in the afternoon until early evening. It rained hard that night but our tents were able to protect us from the rain (whew, fortunately!). We selected the perfect spot to pitch our tents and proceeded to the peak to appreciate the sunset. My, was it a sight to behold!

Our spot had an overlooking view!

#nofilter for this beauty

My brother and I

The sunset was really beautiful!

Dusk. Notice how the cloud looked like an eagle.

Nighttime came and the sky showed another lovely view with the moon and stars. Taking a photo of the night sky would not do it any justice; it's better to see it for yourself. It made me feel so little yet so grateful to be able to witness such beauty. 

Pro-tips: 

-For a minimal service fee (Php 20 or more), you can ask children to fetch clean water for your group. We paid Php 60 for 4 gallons of water. 

These kids will offer their services to you on your way to OPeak.

-You may have a small bonfire there also, although it's quite challenging to make one - emphasis on "small" since large bonfires are prohibited in the area. 

-You may also cook your own food using a butane-powered burner. Otherwise, you'd have to bring your own cooked food for the camping.

Most welcome warmth from the bonfire

High altitude means low temperature, so it would help to bring warm company with you. Hmm... OK, OK, an alternative would be to bring some booze with you; not too much to get you drunk but enough to make your insides warm. Best paired with stories for entertainment, since there is no internet or television in the mountain. 

There were seven of us plus one guide for the trek and camping.

It can get really cold at dawn so make sure to bring sweaters, socks, cap, gloves, and anything else that can keep you warm. The sunrise is difficult to see because of the thick fog in the area. Wake up early and break camp so that the trek down won't be so hot.

*Photos by Marian Ave Ibon and Ruel Olaso

Until the next adventure,

Dena

Highest praise to the Creator of all!