A Little Adventure Called Sagada

Rest if you must but don't you quit.


--- Ally---

Spellbinding Spelunking!

I may have been into a few caves such as Palawan's Underground River but nothing like exploring a cave like a lizard. If you can grow claws days before your planned Sagada trip, I would truly recommend doing the cave connection of Lumiang and Sumaguing. If you can't, I would still recommend it for the fullness of experience. 

The plan was for me and Herb to simply do Sumaguing. Allegedly, it's just a 2 hour cave tour that I read was doable for most. But when a couple of friends we picked up in Banaue wanted to do the whole 4 hour cave connection, we immediately agreed. Perhaps deep inside there is this  desire to feed the children in us and to conquer our fears. At times, Herb and I are not the "most". We'd do it anyway regardless of our limitations. Herb's got phobia of roaches but he did manage to kill the roach in our room at Batad. That was something. And I have fears of the dark and heights but what the heck, I didn't travel this far not to see a whole new world.

The effect of going through our horrible trek in Batad is that it made me expect very little of the next things we were to explore. I have pre-conditioned myself that the cave thingy in Sagada would be agonizing as well. To my surprise, while it was both challenging and intimidating, it was likewise  fun and enriching. Thanks to Batad, I keep recalling my pain and nothing seems to compare.

The whole cave exploring activity entailed a lot of "Are you serious?!"; specially true if you do Lumiang cave. Expect to squeeze yourself into tiny entry and exit points, repel down vertical shafts, dangle on edges, hug huge rocks while blindly letting your foot find anchor, squirm, butt slide, crawl, get dirtied by guano, slip, slide and tango at the "dance hall". 

And spelunking begins...

 "Now, don't miss a step or the last face you ever see is mine."

Who's hands are those reaching for my butt?!

 Lara Croft ?

Ok, I did hate the fact that Herb made it look so easy while i
was in pain doing the same stunt. 

Cave exploring is not for the faint of heart. There are no safety equipment and we were guided only by a couple of humble gas lamps . Then again, I'm not saying I'm Lara Croft. The SAGGAS tour guides  know the caves quite well, they can predict your next move and how you are about to  miss a step that could send you rolling down purgatory. You have to listen to instructions and I remember repeating loudly what they say for Herb who happens to be the last person in our line. I was the first. The weakest link goes first so I could control everyone else's pace. har! har! I was their courage booster. If I could do it, everyone else in our group has no reason not to.

Trust me, your courage will be rewarded. The stalactites and stalagmites at Sumaguing that took thousands of years to form are indeed magnificent formations your eyes will feast on. You see genitals, a pregnant woman, a giant fudge and more. Only your imagination can set limits to it.

A dick?

Ice cold water!

To the first time spelunker, muster some guts to do the whole cave connection. Unless you have a physical handicap, it would be regretfully sad to allow this awesome experience pass you by. You were never is Sagada unless you do the caves. Sumaguing would be enough for most but for those who need extra adrenaline pumping, it's got to be the whole cave connection.

Shadow play

Time to listen for more instructions

Exit at Sumaguing Cave

How Much?

Cave Connection tour guide is P800 for 2 people.

Bring extra clothes as you will surely get wet and soiled.

Rubber slippers are the best footwear. You'd be removing them every now and then.  No need for Havaianas. Herb's locally made one did just fine!

--- Herb ---

The drive to Sagada was amazing, everywhere we looked we were greeted with a spectacular tree line of pine covered mountains while right below us was this river that was so clear and serene, they  all looked like something out of storybook. My words do no justice in trying to picture it so I urge you to experience it for yourself. Hold on to it for as long as you can, just like I did at that moment. I didn’t want the drive to end, I really wished it wouldn’t.

Serendipity brings would be friends together to Sagada

 Beauty in high places

Sagada is pretty small and quiet  with restaurants and inns lined up, you’d have everything you need as a traveler. When we first arrived at Sagada, we had a brief and terrifying misconception that the inn we were supposed stay in was dump; the horror in my eyes when I first thought that was the place and the relief on my face when we found out it wasn’t the place.  The rooms at Kanip-Aw Pines Lodge were excellent, the view from ours was spectacular and the hot water was ecstasy.

Our new companions were more than happy with Ally’s choice of accommodation. We had just met them on our way to Sagda and they seemed to be the adventurous type, just like us. We ate in a restaurant which was a bit overrated if you ask me, and the yoghurt was horrible, but neither that nor the cold night was enough to change our minds. Sagada was the place to be.

Ally's mornings at Sagada

Early next morning, Ally woke up to take pictures and for some reason she would wake me up every time she did, and I didn’t even like photography. That’s like asking Samson to get a haircut in the middle of a fight. Who does that? Sleep was what was precious to me and travelling with a photographer is a pain in the ass, they make you carry all their stuff and deprive you of sleep. 

And more reason for Ally to savor  the view from our room at Kanip-Aw Pines Lodge

I finally got out of bed and had the best breakfast ever, only because it was a relief to finally eat meat and not scrambled eggs plus noodles. Man, did I savior that meat! With breakfast done, the four of us were headed for a cave to explore and I wasn’t sure of what to expect as I’ve never done anything like it before.  I have admit I was not that excited about it until I did it. 

He who goes last ... is scared.

We had to go in an order, the weakest first and the strongest last, it was obvious who was going to go first and who last, and I wasn’t happy being the last, to be the only one left with one of those lighters with a flashlight, crouching in the dark while the others took their sweet time squeezing through narrow openings. It was pitch black and I kept thinking if I flashed the flashlight behind me, Samara the character from the ring would be right in my face or crawling towards me with inhuman speed, and what took the three an eternity to squeeze through the narrow openings and repel down with the help of a rope, only took me seconds. Fear can be a motivation. Putting my unhealthy imagination aside, the cave was both eerie and brilliant; from narrow openings to enormous chambers I honestly thought I’d meet Batman just around the corner. 

Oxygen break

The four of us had a great time, especially the two, who went swimming in the underground stream. I had to pass on the swimming; I never actually learned how to swim, so I settled for a cigarette instead. What took me a lot of effort not to get wet was spoiled in the Sumaging part of the cave, we had to go through an underground falls to see what they called was the King’s curtain. In no time, I was shivering due to the cold water and atmosphere. To be fair, it was something worth viewing, but I was too tired and hungry to absorb the sights people thought were amazing.

Bath time! 

Wasted and hungry, we finally dragged ourselves out of the cave; the fresh air was welcomed with eagerness as we had to hike through a suffocating guano area to get to the exit, I’m still surprised I didn’t go bat-shit crazy. If I were to describe the whole cave experience, it would be bitter-sweet, but don’t take my word for it, that just means you definitely have to do it when and if you ever decide to travel to Sagada. Live a little at the edge. Don’t go there for the cold climate or just so you could get your picture taken beside a pine tree. After all, Sagada is for backpackers, not sassy tourists.