Thursday 19th May
Got a trike up to the highway and had to wait just half an hour for the orange bus to Tuguegarao to come down the road. I flagged it down and got on; the bus was full and the aisle was lined with bags. They got me to put my bag behind the back seat then moved a small kid onto his Grandma's lap so I could sit down. Of course, everybody looks at the white man and kind of watches as you struggle to get by and deal with your bag, but if you just smile, they smile back and it's ok.
Arrived in Tuguegarao mid-afternoon and after realising I had missed the last jeepney, I had to get a tricycle out here to Callao. It's more remote than I realised and we went along some bumpy roads. Staying at a 'resort', it's probably 2-star but its comfortable and near the river, but no food, just a lady down the road selling hamburgers from her kitchen. And a lady by the river selling 'halo halo' which is a drink with mixed fruit, ice and Carnation cream - very tasty. The only other people staying here are in a large bible group singing and reading and camping.
Anyway, with 6 Filipina nurses and one guy from Miami, I took a bangka (long narrow wooden boat) along the Pinacanauan river to the Bat Cave. Every evening thousands of bats pour out of the cave above the river. well, not this evening. We sat there until it was dark and no bats appeared. On the way back we saw about a dozen fly out of another cave, and that was it; quite disappointing.
On the way back I popped into the resort office and chatted to the five security guards/staff. They gave me some of their brandy and chips. We talked about Angelina Jolie, their World Champion boxer Manny Pacquiao, pollution, India and football (Beckham is the only player they know, except for their national team, known as the 'Askals'?)
Back at my room there was a large spider on the bed. I took a photo of it and took the picture to show the security guards, who assured me it is harmless.
Friday 20th May
Awoken at 5:39am by the Bible group singing their praises to the Lord; more pop song than hymns, in English as well as Filipino. Got up at 7 and got my egg and bread breakfast from the lady down the road. Then crossed the river by bangka to the Callao Caves. That early, I was the only tourist there, and I hired a volunteer guide, a school kid on holidays. There are 7 chambers and the entrance to the first one is huge, and you can see into the next chamber where they have church services; there is a stone altar and some seats for the congregation, and they have weddings there, in the church. My guide gave me a refresher course about stalignites and staligtites which are made from limestone and can join to form a temple. But this cave is 'dead' meaning there is no longer water dripping, because of 'vandalim; the trees would normally absorb the water and pass it through to the caves, but the trees and have been destroyed so the process has stopped. That's what he said, anyway....There was a human-skeleton rock formation, and a lion-king one too.
My target for the day was to then make it from Callao caves all the way to Banaue and the rice teraces, if possible. A few people, without ulterior motives, told me it was not possible and that I would have to stop for the night somewhere along the way, but I wasn't convinced....
.....and by means of six different vehicles, I did make it! First I took a tricycle from Callao to Tuguegarao (45 minutes) and from there (after some lively discussion with the bus staff and randoms) I got the bus to Santiago City (6 hours). The scenery was good, lots of green fields and hills. At Santiago, a tricycle took me to a minibus which had one seat left, and off we went to Bagabag (one hour). At Bagabag we could see there was a storm coming, but the jeepney came just before the rain and off we went to Lagawe, in the torrential rain. (1 hour). Had to wait for a while at the bus stop then got the final jeepney to Banaue, arriving at 7pm in the dark. Phew! A long day, but had a hot shower and a great veggie curry dinner.
Today,at one of the bus stations, as well the normal types selling fruit and nuts and water to people on the bus, there was a guy from Dunkin Donuts selling, well, dounts, in big white boxes; maybe MacDonald's will be next....I also noticed a couple of gun shops today. And I have seen a few 'no guns' signs around, like at the Marco's museum.
Fell asleep with the sound of the river rushing past below the hostel.
Got a trike up to the highway and had to wait just half an hour for the orange bus to Tuguegarao to come down the road. I flagged it down and got on; the bus was full and the aisle was lined with bags. They got me to put my bag behind the back seat then moved a small kid onto his Grandma's lap so I could sit down. Of course, everybody looks at the white man and kind of watches as you struggle to get by and deal with your bag, but if you just smile, they smile back and it's ok.
Arrived in Tuguegarao mid-afternoon and after realising I had missed the last jeepney, I had to get a tricycle out here to Callao. It's more remote than I realised and we went along some bumpy roads. Staying at a 'resort', it's probably 2-star but its comfortable and near the river, but no food, just a lady down the road selling hamburgers from her kitchen. And a lady by the river selling 'halo halo' which is a drink with mixed fruit, ice and Carnation cream - very tasty. The only other people staying here are in a large bible group singing and reading and camping.
Anyway, with 6 Filipina nurses and one guy from Miami, I took a bangka (long narrow wooden boat) along the Pinacanauan river to the Bat Cave. Every evening thousands of bats pour out of the cave above the river. well, not this evening. We sat there until it was dark and no bats appeared. On the way back we saw about a dozen fly out of another cave, and that was it; quite disappointing.
On the way back I popped into the resort office and chatted to the five security guards/staff. They gave me some of their brandy and chips. We talked about Angelina Jolie, their World Champion boxer Manny Pacquiao, pollution, India and football (Beckham is the only player they know, except for their national team, known as the 'Askals'?)
Back at my room there was a large spider on the bed. I took a photo of it and took the picture to show the security guards, who assured me it is harmless.
Friday 20th May
Awoken at 5:39am by the Bible group singing their praises to the Lord; more pop song than hymns, in English as well as Filipino. Got up at 7 and got my egg and bread breakfast from the lady down the road. Then crossed the river by bangka to the Callao Caves. That early, I was the only tourist there, and I hired a volunteer guide, a school kid on holidays. There are 7 chambers and the entrance to the first one is huge, and you can see into the next chamber where they have church services; there is a stone altar and some seats for the congregation, and they have weddings there, in the church. My guide gave me a refresher course about stalignites and staligtites which are made from limestone and can join to form a temple. But this cave is 'dead' meaning there is no longer water dripping, because of 'vandalim; the trees would normally absorb the water and pass it through to the caves, but the trees and have been destroyed so the process has stopped. That's what he said, anyway....There was a human-skeleton rock formation, and a lion-king one too.
My target for the day was to then make it from Callao caves all the way to Banaue and the rice teraces, if possible. A few people, without ulterior motives, told me it was not possible and that I would have to stop for the night somewhere along the way, but I wasn't convinced....
.....and by means of six different vehicles, I did make it! First I took a tricycle from Callao to Tuguegarao (45 minutes) and from there (after some lively discussion with the bus staff and randoms) I got the bus to Santiago City (6 hours). The scenery was good, lots of green fields and hills. At Santiago, a tricycle took me to a minibus which had one seat left, and off we went to Bagabag (one hour). At Bagabag we could see there was a storm coming, but the jeepney came just before the rain and off we went to Lagawe, in the torrential rain. (1 hour). Had to wait for a while at the bus stop then got the final jeepney to Banaue, arriving at 7pm in the dark. Phew! A long day, but had a hot shower and a great veggie curry dinner.
Today,at one of the bus stations, as well the normal types selling fruit and nuts and water to people on the bus, there was a guy from Dunkin Donuts selling, well, dounts, in big white boxes; maybe MacDonald's will be next....I also noticed a couple of gun shops today. And I have seen a few 'no guns' signs around, like at the Marco's museum.
Fell asleep with the sound of the river rushing past below the hostel.
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