One week ago today...Part 4

The following is taken from my journal of our experience in Tabuk, Kalinga province in the northern Philippines. Here are a few things you'll need to know:

Tabuk - a city in Kalinga province, northern Philippines, a few hours north of Manila

Bugnay - a remote tribal village in the mountains a few hours away from Tabuk

Sagada - a city in Mountain province that attracts international tourists

Achao & Georgia Macad - husband and wife who started a maternity clinic in Tabuk (Achao is from Bugnay)

Crystal Meeks - a midwife who started a maternity clinic in Bugnay, a remote village in the mountains

Sara & Fonda - friends from the clinic in Davao

Sagada – cave and town

July 10, 2012

We woke up in the cool mountain air of Sagada (still about 70°F inside). We made a breakfast of eggs and hot drinks. Around 9:00am we met Kuya Ligaya to take us to Sumaging Cave. We stopped in town to register as foreign tourists and pay a small fee. Then we picked up a guide recommended by the Ligayas. We stopped again so Jayson, our guide, could pick up his supplies, including a large gas lantern, which proved to be much better than using flashlights and headlamps (which we personally had with us).

Before getting to the cave, we stopped at a spot where we could see a few hanging coffins, something Sagada is known for. I'm not convinced they were genuine or originals. It seemed more like a ploy to get the attention of tourist (the real ones were somewhere nearby, but not visible from the road). So we continued on to the entrance of the cave.

The cave was great. I would definitely use the word 'spelunking' to describe it. I've been in caves before, Indian Echo Caverns for instance. But they had always had paved walkways, guard rails, stairs and permanent electric lighting. This cave had none of that. Well, there were some steps, but of natural rock. And they were very slippery at times. Jayson recommended using the butt technique for anyone not sure-footed. I stood, but needed to use my hands quite often on the slippery rocks. And we relied on the gas lantern as there was no other light. The only 'support' for your hands was one knotted rope you used to descend a small water fall.

Jayson was kind of quiet at first, focused mostly on safety. But once we got near some named formations, he started telling some corny jokes. And the more we laughed at them, the more fun he had with us. The best part was just climbing down through the cave without having a carved path to use. We simply climbed over every thing. And since there was water everywhere, we did most of it barefoot. At first I was not happy with the idea, but once we hit the wet parts, I realized it was in fact a wise decision. Our bare feet gripped the rocks really well, even with water pouring over them. Somehow I managed to stay dry the whole time. Christina was not so fortunate. One time she put her hand directly into a pile of bat guano. Not fun.

After the cave, we went back to the cottage to clean up. Then we walked back to town to find some lunch. We finally chose the Yoghurt House again, as we knew the food was good. Once we finished lunch, we continued exploring the town, despite a slight rain. We found many interesting crafts and souvenirs, but not much that was worth our money. Christina found a kitten in one store and quickly befriended it. I bought a necklace, Christina bought a woven bag and we bought a jar of strawberry preserves (locally grown and made).

Fonda wanted to find some pottery, so we walked to a place listed on our map. We walked back up to the center of town, then took the road leading up the mountain. And we walked up. And it started to drip again. And we walked up. And it drizzled, turning the road to puddles of mud. And we walked up. I enjoyed the view of the town. And we walked up. Eventually we found the place, but no one was there. Just some pottery waiting to be fired in the kiln. Later we learned that the local artists all use this place and they open it for tours on request.

So we walked back down the mountain to see if we could find pottery for sale. At the main building in town, where we had bought groceries, we found some pottery. Sara and Fonda each found some things they liked and bought. We all finished buying the things we wanted, then we headed to a restaurant for dinner.

We all enjoyed friendly fellowship over sandwiches. We laughed and had a great time until after dark. After 7:00 we finally walked back to the cottage with a slight rain. It was cold and dark when we arrived, but Sara made a fire for some warmth and to help dry some clothing. It seems we were more successful in smoking them than in drying them.

We had already eaten supper, so we agreed on a time to get up in the morning so we could make it to the 6:30am jeepney to Bontoc. We showered and packed up most of our stuff. In our room, we had to shut the door to keep out more smoke. I even opened the window to get some fresh air. There was no screen, so I was a little concerned about bugs and animals, but not as concerned as I was about the huge spider I had seen in our room earlier that night. I was not successful in killing it, but I hoped that I had scared it away. I did not know for sure, but I was still able to sleep.