Nabca Cave

It was a bliss when you can sum up work and pleasure at the same time. 

one lucky day for me

Pagudpud is known for its pristine beaches, they have both pinkish/ivory sand in Saud and the white one in Balaoi, they also have waterfalls, famous bridge structure and newest addition to the attraction the Nabca cave . The purpose of this trip is to explore Nabca Cave in preparation for the Nabca Cave Management Plan conference a joint project of the Local Government Unit of Pagudpud and Department of Environment & Natural Resources (where i belong). Although Nabca cave is known to locals of Pagudpud there is no concrete promotions and guidelines for cave visitation meaning to say you'll not pay any entrance fee and this is exactly the purpose of the management plan. So together with the personnel from DENR Region 1 Engr. Ronie, Engr. Cora, Manong Jo other staff, plus the group from LGU unit headed by the MENRO Sir Peps Morata, Mam Kleng Sales, Mam Shella Calvan and the rest of the group I, with Nana Tessie (CENRO-1 PAWB) gathered together at Pagudpud Municipal hall for the instruction of the cave assessment. At around 2:30 in the afternoon with scattered rain shower and dark gray sky complement of Typhoon signal #3 Labuyo we loaded up a government vehicle to Barangay Saguigui approximately 10 mins. ride from the hall where we would be meeting the Barangay officials which will serve as our guides. Since we are passing along National road it was an effortless drive until we arrived at Barangay Saguigui just after the Barangay Hall it was a muddy and rocky pavement then reaching a dead end our car has to cross a half knee deep river and finally we reach the Saguigui Cooperative the jump of site for a 30-45 (mins) walking trail. 

trekking going up 

my faithful shoes before the trek

Approximately after 40 mins including rest, photo op and chitchat along the way we reach the cave. Seeing it outside one won't realize that it is actually a passageway to the cave. 

Lies a Balete tree as if it stood as a courageous guard of the cave. 

One must get through the Balete roots to enter the cave's gate.

The entrance.

It was my first time to do a caving, the guides warned us that most of the course we have to crab walk and crawl. Yes, the passage are small that even with my height I have to do a crab walk and I did crawl. 

A temporary gate made of steel  is such a sore in the eye, it does destroy the beauty of the cave and disturb the bats smooth sailing flight towards and out of the cave.

Inside the cave, I saw species like spider and bats but according to the locals, during rainy season and when water accumulate in a certain area inside the cave they find some kipi (a small edible crab).

The 1st chamber from the gate. I can still stand but not on a full height.

After a few step we are surprised by colonies of bats. Our fellow DENR representative kept on reminding everyone not to make noise and use flash from camera so not to disturb the dwellers.

Engr. Cora assessing the cave.

The chamber that leads us to a funnel shaped path that as we go on the path becomes narrower until we arrived at the climax of this spelunking-the crab crawling. Ladies from LGU were second timer in this cave and they told us that there would be a water during crawling that we have to submerge our face so we can pass through but we are lucky enough that during our visit it was completely dry. So there begins the crawling. Engr. Cora comes first, an local teenager and then I. It was more or less 50 meters of crawling on an around 1- 1/2 foot hole. It was dark and I can't crawl efficiently because I purposely brought my phone inside that I have to hold it in one of my hands but my technique doesn't seem to work it just slowed me down that I had a bright idea of just biting my phone covered its case so i can use both arms in crawling. After the course comes an area when every one can stand. Stalagmites and Stalactites are not as amazing as what I expected but rock formation are beautiful as if it was handmade to a perfect shaped like of grotto. 

columns

Rock Formation

Guides

The experience is a trilling and it urges us to arrived at the best management plan everyone can think about. 

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yay! I crawled.

Heading down is another grasping story. Rainshower, slippery, muddy trail and a not so comfortable rubber shoes made it harder to go down the steep path. It's almost 5:00 pm when we reached the jump of point and the reward....

tadahhhh! Diket. Sticky rice cooked in coconut milk and sugar topped with latik and paired with ice cold softdrink.

Florida passenger amazed of how dirty I am.

Going home riding in a passenger bus and everyone is staring at me. Sited at the middle portion of the bus passengers can't kept on looking at me that even the driver seemed to think that i was out of my mind that he never let me pay the 100php. Tehee it pays to be dirty. :)

Thoughts to Ponder: Walk, breath, enjoy, appreciate and good vibes will follow.