We have a strong determination in our pursuit of weekend adventures. Unexpectedly, on our trips, different valuable learnings were absorbed in silence that is truly beneficial to our whole being. Thus on weekends, we are unstoppable.
There are many beautiful spots here in Tabogon, Cebu that I haven't discovered yet. It is always my aspiration to be exploring to the different wonders here in our place. We are situated in the upper land of Tabogon and we planned to have an outdoor activity, at Somosa Cave, and absolutely we were excited to find out the goodness that this has brought to us.
We had risen earlier in the morning so we can embark too soon. We still had a long way to go. Together with RM my travel buddy, we packed up all the stuff needed, and off we went on a ride with the aid of our motorcycle. The overflowing joy was reflected on my child's face because, like me, this will be her first underground exploration.
This trip is perilous for me who doesn't know much about the road. It is too far from our residency and we passed five barangays before reaching our destination. Other than that, I really had a hard time on some portions of the road that the government is still working on because it is very slippery and I have to be cautious for our safety.
Due to my unwavering persistence, I surpassed the bumpy roads that we met along the way. Upon our arrival at the place where we planned to meet, we waited for 5 minutes for our local tourist guide who will fetch us. The value of patience was practiced and this is needed for us to be successful in our journey.
With the previous adventures that we have had, I started to learn some techniques and strategies to be used in journeys like these. My endurance leveled up and my stamina started to become tremendous. I become stiffer and RM becomes more energetic in immersing herself in nature.
We walked to where the cave is located. It's not as far as I was expecting. The green scene offered calmness to my emotions and the fresh air that touched our skin was so refreshing and relaxing. It seemed that we were in paradise. The place is free from pollution and far from car noise. Everything there is extraordinary. Positive energies were instantly magnetized which is needed for my body due to the loss of it on busy weekdays.
We had an informative walk. Our local tourist who used to be our co-teacher, shared pieces of information regarding the place. He talked about some of the experiences that he had been thru when he was still a student. The cave that we will about to explore was one of their best hide-outs. During those times when there were strong typhoons, the residents nearby took refuge in the said cave. I was in total amusement upon hearing it from him.
Why he has a bolo with him? Well, this was used to cut the weeds that interfered with our way of going to the cave. The path cannot be seen anymore. According to him, some elders used to maintain the cleanliness of the area before, however, they already passed away. So, it has never been cleaned and teenagers nowadays are no longer interested to visit because gadgets were already been their preference.
The last visit of Sir Kim to the cave was during his high school years, thus we got lost at first. So we will not be bored, he had picked some native sweet guavas for us to eat. The fruit reminded me of my younger years. I never used to eat junk food before, instead, I went to the field to look for native fruits to be eaten during snack time. These fresh and organic fruits are rich in Vitamin A.
Wow! Look at this small hole made by nature. This magical gateway was shrouded with wonders. It appeared to be creepy and we don't know what was waiting for us. This is the right path leading to the cave. We have to bend down as we walked to avoid injury caused by the tree branches that blocked the surface of the path. Our persistence and our unwavering determination were tested again in this trek.
Finally, we reached the small opening of the cave that serves as the entrance. For the first time, I smelled the underground soil. I was mesmerized and I cannot explain how I sensed it. The entrance was guarded by this black millipede that was resting in silence above the opening. Will you dare get in? And, I did it! RM was able to get inside successfully too.
I was totally amused seeing the inside of the cave. It is hollow, the structures that are naturally carved by nature are truly incredible. It is too dark, and we need to have a flashlight to illumine our path. With this, my child learned the value of light in one's life.
We can hear the dripping of the water amid the deafening silence. The never-ending WOW was all in my mind. The shining, shimmering stalagmites that are rising allured our attention. I cannot resist not taking a photo opportunity of them because of their incredible charms.
The stunning stalactites tugged me to move closer and touched its pointed structure. I was able to hold the tip, which appeared to be hard and a lil bit rough in texture. Its firmness is one-of-a-kind and I was able to feel the cold water that dripped slowly.
The feeling of being inside the cave brought me to a realization that sometimes in life, we need to be isolated. In the outside world, there are unwanted things that we need to stay away from. The unique and warmhearted experience inside the cave led me to reflect that fear should not have given value in our life too so we can explore the goodness that life had offered same as the cave.
This caving taught us different values that are good for ourselves. We learned to conquer fear, trust ourselves, have confidence, and be persistent to be triumphant. This exploration was remarkable due to the life-changing learnings that we experienced while we immersed ourselves in nature.