Callao Cave is located in Penablanca which is about 45 minutes away from Tuguegarao City. Ito ang una naming dapat masolusyonan since at 3pm wala na kaming masasakyan palabas ng lugar na ito. Our plane arrived around 1230nn. We need to check in to a nearby hotel and then go straight to Penablanca but we still need to find a tricycle driver who's willing to wait for us until 6pm (we want to see the Bats).
Around 1pm, nasa labas na kami ng hotel and pumapara ng mga tricycle.... yes MGA TRICYCLE.. since i always do my research in advance i know that 500php will be ok. Walang gustong pumayag sa 500php.. most of them wants na one way lang ang kunin namin. Then at last, somebody agreed to take us sa Callao Cave and he will wait for us, but he wants us to pay 700php. I know it's a bit pricey but we do not have much time to look for another driver. So we took it.
In fairness naman kay Michael (tricycle driver), his very nice to us. He even joined us sa spelunking namin and naging photographer pa namin sya.
Going to Callao Cave napadaan kami sa Cagayan River.. Sira ang tulay so bumaba muna kami ng tricycle. Sabi ng mga locals dun, di na daw pinagawa kasi tuwing malakas ang ulan / baha /bagyo nasisira din naman. Kaya naman tuwing dadaan ka daw may mga naniningil ng TONG.
Medyo rough ang daan patungong callao cave. I think may mas magandang daan but our driver was not that familiar in the area. Around 2pm we already reach the Pinacanauan River. Here we met Kuya Gilbert (a good Samaritan) and a local of Cagayan. He arranged the boat for us and he also guided us to find the Callao Cave (again di familiar si Kuya Michael).
We paid 600php with a tour na yan to watch the Circadian flight of bats. Around 230pm natapos na kami sa registration, and NO GUIDES NO CAVING policy sila. So we get a guide named Kuya Willy. His very entertaining and knowledgeable sa history ng cave at lugar. Any amount na maabot ng kunsencya mo ay buong pusong tatangapin ni kuya Willy. There's an entrance fee of 20php each sa cave and the boat ride was about 10php each.
Bago ka makarating sa cave, you need to climb 184 steps to reached the entrance of the cave. Medyo nakakapagod kasi napaka sinsin ng mga steps na ito. Makakaramdam ka rin ng paglamig kapag malapit ka na sa cave. Sabi ko sa sarili ko, this should be worth it....
The cave got seven chambers, and each chambers have a unique formations of stalagmites and stalactites. Nakakaaliw kung paano mo lalaruin ang iyong mga isipan kung paano naging Noah's Ark, Simba, Ice cream at etc.. ang mga batong ito.
Sa loob ng cave merong isang maliit na chapel. Ang daan sa loob was slippery, sticky, maputik, madilim, at malamig. The Callao cave got many openings that allows the rays of the sun lighten up the cave. it was about 430pm ng matapos namin ang caving.
It was an awesome spelunking experienced for all of us. Ito na siguro ang pinaka malaking kwebang na explore ko. Then my question earlier was answered.. "YES, IT'S WORTH IT!!"
HAPPY TRAVEL!!!
