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| On the way to Mabinay |
I've always been fascinated with caves, because there’s something about going underground and discovering a world entirely different from the one we’re used to. In the darkness of caves I find the most fascinating formations – from stalactites and stalagmites to drapery and columns to various crystalline formations to the occasional sleeping bat hanging from the cave “ceiling.” Mabinay is known for housing the second longest cave system in the Philippines, and being the overeager explorers that we were, we just couldn’t miss out on a Mabinay trip.
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| Bulwang Visitor Center in Mabinay |
We
left at around 6:30 AM and drove 87 kilometers northwest of Dumaguete
City, in a 2-hour scenic journey that took us to the mountains of
Negros Oriental. The road going uphill gave us a spectacular view of
our surroundings, from the sea to the hills to the lush vegetation to
the clear blue sky. We arrived in Mabinay at around 8:30 AM, more than
ready for the beginner’s course that would take us to three caves.
C R Y S T A L C A V E
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| Crystal Cave |
The
first cave we explored was the Crystal Cave in Brgy. Bulwang. From
the Bulwang visitor center we trekked under the heat of the sun until we
arrived at the Crystal Cave entrance. The Crystal Cave, which is 209
meters long, is called such because of the many stalactites and
stalagmites inside it. Most of these formations are alive and are characterized by a crystalline sheen or
glow which pictures couldn’t capture. It was truly
breathtaking.
P A N L I G A W A N C A V E
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| Entering Panligawan Cave |
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| The part of the cave that collapsed |
We trekked
back to the visitor’s center and from there we drove a short distance
to Brgy. Lamdas, where the Panligawan Cave is found. The Panligawan
Cave is a totally different sight from the Crystal Cave. A long time
ago, a portion of the ground collapsed and exposed the cave to
sunlight, which killed all the stalactite and stalagmite formations. This is why none of them looked like the ones we saw in Crystal Cave. But
Panligawan Cave was breathtaking in a different sort of way.
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| Feeling so small inside the Panligawan Cave |
To get to
the cave itself we had to descend a long flight of stone steps. The
cave had a huge gaping hole in the entrance, and the inside is just
enormous, with various rock formations and gigantic boulders. It’s the
kind of place that makes you feel so tiny and helpless against the
majestic hugeness of nature. By the way, the early locals who lived
around the area used the Panligawan cave as an integral part of their
culture. This is where the men took their prospective wives to court
them, hence the name.
P A N D A L I H A N C A V E
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| Entering Pandalihan Cave |
After courting them in the Panligawan Cave, our ancestors must have trekked the same steps we trekked and made their way to the cave where they would marry the women they just courted. They called this cave the Pandalihan Cave.
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| Fetus-shaped cave formation |
Unlike the other two caves that we first explored, this one was totally devoid of light. We had to bring our own light source in order to see the formations inside. The cave was also muddier than the first two, but
the rock formations were just as fascinating. There was even a
fetus-shaped one, which was really eerie in the darkness but fascinating
all the same.
E X T R E M E C A V I N G P L A N S
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| Mabinay Spring |
We
finished at around noon time and made a little side trip to the Mabinay
Spring. We enjoyed our spelunking experience so much that we vowed
to come back for the extreme caves. There’s always a next time.
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