SENIOR BYAHERO
I was actually excited and anxious when I received the invitation from Cavinti Tourism Sites Operators Association (CTSOA) to join a group of vloggers and influencers for a four-day tour to explore the eco-adventure destinations of the municipality of Cavinti. According to the invitation, “the tour is a tourism advocacy campaign by CTSOA and the Municipality of Cavinti headed by its mayor, Arrantlee Arroyo, and the municipal tourism office.”
The invitation included the list of attractions that the group will visit, and what caught my interest was the inclusion of Cavinti Underground River and Cave Complex. I’ve been wanting to explore the Cavinti Cave Complex since it was discovered in 2011 but never got the chance. That was many years ago when I was young and active. I am now a 61-year old retiree, and I wasn’t sure if I can still be able to keep up with a group of people half my age.
Enjoying the waterfalls inside the cave
I have done fair share of caving in my younger years. I have explored the caves of Cagayan many times, especially Callao, Sierra, and the challenging San Carlos where I had to crawl on a less than a meter tunnel half filled with soft mud. I also did cave connection in Sagada, where I had to descend from the underground cemetery, pass through very narrow passages, swim on a small chest-deep lagoon, before exiting from the popular Sumaguing Cave. I have also tried caves in Tanay, in Siquijor and even in Bohol.
Caving is not for severely claustrophobic people. Narrow and very tight passages can be truly psychologically draining. I used to be claustrophobic, but when I discovered that caving allows you to dive into the unknown and explore a completely unfamiliar ecosystem, I got hooked. I enjoyed getting down and dirty, squeezing through narrow passages and crawling though muddy surfaces. But those were the days when I was still flexible, and weighed half less as I am today.
Fountain of Youth
Cavinti Cave was discovered in 2011 by a local farmer collecting woods for charcoal. Upon discovery, the cave was explored by professional cavers, LGUs and DENR and they found many hidden chambers, secret passages, underground river and lagoons and waterfalls inside the caves, making the complex the second largest in the Philippines next to Puerto Princesa Underground River.
The cave is located at the foot of Sierra Madre Mountains, and when it was opened to tourists in 2013, getting there from the Cavinti-Lumban road was already a challenge. But nowadays, the road leading to the cave complex is now all-paved except for the few hundred meters where one has to walk on muddy trail. The Cavinti Tourism Office in Pueblo El Salvador is where one must register, sign waiver and attend briefing, and after completing our requirements take a 30-minute drive to the cave complex.
From where our vehicles were parked, we took a 15-minutes trek to the staging area, where we met our guide and received our helmets. While most of the young influencers in the group made themselves busy taking selfies, I asked the guide how long the cave is, and he replied “kilometers long,” then added that we are doing only the “basic” which we can cover in about two hours.
River crossing to cave mouth
Our explorations started with several river crossings, then a forest trail that leads to the mouth of a cave. The entrance is hidden by ancient stalactites where one has to squeeze his body through a tunnel about two meters high but knee deep in water. The tunnel leads to the first chamber where one can see the huge pumpkin formation, hundreds of stalactites and stalagmites that already formed into columns, and one giant stalactite drifting with water. “That’s the fountain of youth,” our guide announced. “You can drink from it!” I was a bit skeptical but there’s no harm in trying, so I scooped some water using my hands and drank.
It must have been the water from the fountain of youth that brought back the energy to continue the exploration of the succeeding chambers. Gone was the fear that I will not be able to keep up with the younger members. In fact, I started walking past them as I went ahead and crossed the chest-deep water to the “cathedral” chamber where a skylight coming from an opening at the top illuminates an altar-shaped crystal formation.
Skylight coming from opening
Our guide led us to the last stop called “waterfalls” with a natural pool. “You can bathe in here,” he pointed out. Without hesitation, I jumped into the pool and pushed my body under the waterfalls. Like a child, I started laughing out loud as I enjoyed the water flowing from this underground river.
Getting old is natural and that’s going to happen to all of us. I choose to find my fountain, to enjoy the simple pleasures that life brings to make me feel young at whatever age.
(The author is a senior who recently retired. His taste for adventure has not kept him from travelling, usually via not-so-usual routes.)