going down under

*This is my second to the last paper for feature writing class

We entered the cave.

 

Our measly little light punctured the inky gloom to reveal walls of crystalline limestone. Towering pillars of rock jutted up from the dark water to meet those which pointed down from the roof. Bats hung from the roof above us, while cave swallows swooped after insects around us. The only sound we heard was the "swish" of our little boat as it moved up the river.

My dad and I had the best seats in the boat; I was at the very front while he held the light from his position behind me. My mother, sister, uncle, aunt, and cousin sat in the middle. Our tour guide/boatman was at the back of the boat, pushing us along while giving colorful commentary about what we saw before us.

The boatman pointed out to the seven of us in that little banca the different rock formations in the cave. In a huge open space called "The Cathedral", we saw rocks which looked like Virgin Mary. Another looked like the Three Kings. Still another looked like a man being followed by a dog. In the center of the Cathedral was a lone, tall spire called "The Melting Candle".

The cavernous dome of the Cathedral soon narrowed down to a gallery which was full of rocks in the shape of vegetables. To the left was one which reminded us of a carrot. To the right was a cluster of mushrooms, beside which was one that looked like a cucumber. A large formation which looked almost exactly like a puso ng saging appeared towards the end of the gallery.

We moved on; our banca glided over the calm water. More rock formations appeared out of the gloom. Once we even saw what appeared to be (or what we imagined to be) a small vein of gold.

Our boatman was not contented with just telling us about the cave and the river, he also livened up the tour with his own little comedy show. He kept cracking jokes about this or that rock formation and about some of the people who explored the cave in the past. At one point he told my dad to point the light to the left and then he declared "yan naman, bankang puno ng tao", when the light revealed not a rock formation, but another, real, boat full of tourists!

We were laughing all throughout the 45-minute tour, which covered only a small fraction of the cave system.

That was in April of 2006. Today, Palawan's Underground River is one of the top contenders for a spot among the New Seven Wonders of Nature - it currently holds the fifth place. Mayon Volcano, the Chocolate Hills, and Tubbataha Reef are the other sites in the Philippines which could be immortalized as natural wonders.

The 8.2 kilometer-long Underground River, or more properly the St. Paul Underground River, is one of the longest navigable subterranean rivers in the world.

Found in Puerto Princesa City (yes, it is within the city boundaries; Puerto Princesa is the largest city in terms of area in the Philippines), the Underground River is the main attraction of the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park. The river cuts through a limestone mountain range before draining into the South China Sea.

The national park, which is also considered a UNESCO world heritage site, encompasses part of a mountain range and a tropical forest. It plays host to a wide variety of animals, and, according to the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development, is a great place for bird-watching as some rare birds can be found there.

How do you get there? There are two ways of reaching the national park; by land or by sea. The land route will take you through the jungle. You will have to walk through what the locals call "the monkey trail" thanks to the dozens upon dozens of monkeys you will see on the way. If you go by this route, as one of the people we talked to back then said, you have to be prepared for a long hike – the better part of a day must be set aside for this.

The sea route is a whole lot quicker and more convenient. A ride from the wharf to the park area on large motorized bancas takes a little over 30 minutes. You also get a wonderful view of limestone cliffs and of the mountains. No one here at home can remember what that trip cost, but one blogger who also went there put it at 700 pesos for six people.

Both routes start at the town of Sabang - "the gateway to the Underground River", as the signs in town gleefully point out - which is a 2-3 hour drive from downtown Puerto Princesa. You can try to ride the jeepneys which irregularly ply that route or you can charter a van to get you there.

Be advised though; that 2-3 hour trip will be a very bumpy one. We had the dubious fortune of getting a free ride on a van which had a driver that probably dreamt of flying supersonic fighter jets. At first, the going was smooth. But once we left the paved highway, we were treated to a spine-jarring, bone-crushing, nausea-inducing ride on a "road" which really stretched the definition of the term. The experience was made even worse by the driver's insistence at maintaining a break-neck speed even though scattered rocks and potholes were making life miserable for us poor passengers. I don't know if the "road" to Sabang has already been fixed. I sure hope that they at least smooth it out. If not, I would advise that you bring a lot of cushions with you.

Anyway, inconveniences aside, that 2-3 hour trip will take you from Puerto Princesa City proper through a more rural area. You will pass many beautiful mountains and limestone formations which will, for a few moments at least, make you forget about your broken bones.

The town of Sabang is your typical beach-side small town. There is a wharf where the ferry boats going to and from the Underground River load and unload passengers. There is a little beach where kids play. There are also a lot of eating places there – the seafood dishes are the best.

There is also an information center there with a map of the entire Underground River cave system and the general area. Try to look at it to get an idea of the size of the cave system.

Let's recap. From Puerto Princesa City ride a jeepney or a chartered van to Sabang. From Sabang take a ferry boat or hike through the jungle on the "monkey trail".

Once you land on the other shore or reach the end of the "monkey trail" take the time to explore the area before going to the Underground River itself. Since we took the ferry, we landed at a beautiful grayish-sand beach. It's nice to look at, and it's nice to play in the sand, but swimming is out of the question as below the huge waves is a steep slope which could be very dangerous as unwary swimmers could be pulled under by the powerful tide. Or maybe I'm just being paranoid.

Expect to get wet though. My mom and my sister were swamped by the huge waves when they tried to get off the boat.

Anyway, a trail from the beach leads into the forest. Be prepared to see monitor lizards and monkeys aplenty. You might even get lucky and see a peacock or two among the bushes.

The trail ends at a small group of little sheds where you could sit down and rest and eat. There are tour guides there who will readily answer any question you have.

Beyond the sheds is a beautiful blue-green lagoon. This is the entrance to the Underground River itself. Tall mangrove trees provide shade along the shore. Across the lagoon is a tall cliff; look at the bottom and you will see the opening of the Underground River.

One final reminder: time your arrival carefully. We got to the lagoon just in time for lunch, so we had to wait for more than an hour before the boatmen resumed giving their tour of the Underground River.

For us –well for me, at least - the experience was well worth all the inconvenience and the occasional "bump in the road" (and I mean that literally).

I felt giddy all over even when I was only just stepping into our boat. I had been suffering from asthma the day before we went there and I was coughing all the way from Puerto Princesa. The Underground River and its surroundings were so breathtakingly beautiful that I forgot all about my illness.

While it was the highlight of our trip, the Underground River is not the only thing to see in Palawan. A week there was not enough for me and my family to explore everything the island had to offer.

I would like to share everything else that I experienced over there –from the islands in Honda Bay to Puerto Princesa itself- but it would be better if you went to Palawan and experienced it all for yourself.

I still remember moving slowly across the lagoon towards the cave entrance. It looked dark and forbidding, like the open mouth of a giant just waiting to chomp on us.

We entered the cave.