Sohoton River Cruise To Mabini

I went on a "river cruise" to Brgy. Mabini, a far, hinterland community in Basey (Western) Samar. This was not for fun & frolic, nor any touristic activity. I went for some "work-related work" as I always say! However, the views on the hour-long (one-way) trip were so wonderful, I want to share them with you!

The trip starts near what people call the "Wespal Bridge" (am not sure if that is the official name of the bridge), going upstream, along, and to a far end (an hour away), or "tributary start-point" of what many call the "Sohoton River" (I am not sure too, if that is the official name of this picturesque river system).

What I do know is, this is at Brgy. Guirang, Basey Samar, near the jump-off point to Sohoton Caves.

Over at that right-end of this bridge is Brgy. Guirang proper, and onwards is Balantak Falls. To the left, at the other end of this bridge (almost above my head as I took that picture), is the "Sohoton Visitor's Center and Eco-Lodge", which, as said above, is the jump-off point going to the Sohoton Cave System.

Look, those boats are docked at "Sohoton Visitor's Center and Eco-Lodge" (hidden behind the trees)

Behind the camera is the bridge. Don't be excited about that eco-lodge, we'll drop by that place later!

Even as the boat ride just started out from the bridge.., the views were already breathtaking!

However, as this was noontime, the sun was about to face my phone's camera, so pics are a bit dark :(

But don't worry, I tried my best to get brighter photos of this maka-buntung-hininga trip!

The waters here are clear and placid, but the boat's engine noise disturbs the serenity! :(

Both sides are awash with fallen small, medium, big and gigantic chunks of earth. Kulba!

Where the greens are not present, these amazing rock formations reveal themselves..,

Where no trees nor white limestone formations are available.., these eerie hollows greet you.., duu!

Some of these fallen chunks of earth are so big they block half (or even more) of the river..,

On some parts, water is very shallow at low tide that boatmen literally push or drag the boats!

Oh, did you know? Local government even allows the 'general public' (and some companies) to gather gravel/pebbles from the river bed so that it is somehow "dredged", so boats can pass during low tide!

Behind these limestone walls are hollows that already make up the Sohoton Cave System..,

And if you have eagle-sharp eyes, you should see a kind of an interesting pathway up and behind that foliage! Don't fret if you can't see it though! I got good pics on the way back, I'll show you later/below.

Ah, this high and dangerous-looking cliff-wall was on our left side as we cruised along..,

Some of those gigantic slabs of earth looked like they were about to fall, jusko gino-o ko, huwag po!

That meant I wasn't able to take a photo (on my right side) of the Sohoton Cave entrance that is also the jump-off point for the kayak ride going to the natural bridge park area. But no worries, I am going there soon, and with friends! I know it'll be fun, but am not sure if I'll have time to take pictures, hehe!

Anyway, this point onwards you won't anymore see, if you are just going to the natural bridge area...

Only those who go to Mabini will ever have a chance at seeing these parts of the rather long river. And this, by the way, is (was) not even halfway there. A very remote community - in the middle of a jungle!

There were times the boat engine would be shut-off as we negotiated very shallow areas..,

During those deafeningly quiet instances, all I could hear were the myriad sounds of birds and insects - well, probably those of wild animals too - who knows hehe, I am not familiar (yet) with jungle sounds.

Anyway, make the long story short, we arrived at my destination.., Barangay Mabini, Basey, Samar!

Wait, I said I'd just describe the way to/from Mabini, right? There's nothing 'touristic' here anyway! K?!

But and well, if you insist on knowing more.., that part of the river where our boat docked, is not really the barangay proper yet. Our ride could only go up to that point because.., low-tide has started na! We had to walk some 500 meters (or was that more?) to the community's central area! Dry land, at least!

I was told that, when the ebb tide is at its lowest, passengers need to walk ON the river at shin-deep to calf-deep water - helping push or pull the boat - to reach that point (in the pic above) where we got off!

But our walk was lovely enough with farm sceneries like this...

Trivia: I was not trying to capture the 'karabaw'! I was taking a picture of those three kids! See them?!

Part of that lovely lively walk to the center of the barangay was on this kind of road...

That's the widest any road (street) in this barangay could be. About 2 meters wide (maybe even less).

At another point during the walk going towards the 'center of town', I saw this...

Yes, that's a mother-and-child tandem, doing their laundry on the very same river where boats come in or depart from. Fresh clean water anyway, right? Of course I remembered you my friends (and family) who are mothers. I know how you do your laundry - if at all you still do! Oh yes I also remembered that many kids today only know "Home Washing Laundry Game" from App Store. Or the Android version!

Anyway..,

We passed by a number of houses that had this kind of root crop outside their abodes..,

I was just about to exclaim that they have a lot of "gabi" in this place, when my driver told me "Talyan ito sir". Da! Nabuang na! It looks like "gabi" to me, and I don't even know how that differs with "butig"!

My murky brain was made even murkier by this "Talyan". Oh Mana Talya ano ba yan?!

My companion, a civil engineer who is also a lawyer and who is also one of the best party caterers in the region educated me that this root crop (yes, Talyan) is the one that's made into Binagol or Arasip.

Huuu wow! New things learned! Especially the story of how much this root crop costs 'here-and-now' versus how much it would be out in Basey's market or even how much per kilo further out in Tacloban. Middlemen always make a killing. They buy it here (reason why they're laid out on the yard), brought to Basey proper or Tacloban, sold at ridiculously high prices, versus how much they purchased it here.

At the barangay proper, I was glad to see there is even a "carinderia" in this remote a village!

Look at where the blue arrow points. Those are ready-to-eat home-cooked dishes for sale! And I got a little bit curious on who really would be the customers, of an eatery in a remote village, where virtually all that you see around are the residents themselves? Ah, they educated me, and I learned, that many of their customers are farmer families, that do not anymore have time to cook, because, both parents tend to their farms, while children are at school all day. Plus, teachers who come from other places.

Another thing I learned is that object where the red arrow points to. It is called a "tapstand". Ito yun o!

It's nothing but a "gripo" (faucet). But a very important "infrastructure" at remote rural villages like this one. It is (usually) their only source of safe potable water. That means, their houses have none at all.

See?! If I did not embark on this "trip", I wouldn't have known about those things. Travel is education!

Alright, as we walked going towards their elementary school, I saw this - officially the "village port"!

This was at the height of low tide, so none of the boats were moving. They could not, in the first place! Trace the river with your eyes, until you can't see water any more. Our boat is waiting for us out there!

We walked onwards on this newly concreted path that seemed ascending forever and ever hehe!

That's a road intersection up ahead, in front of the sari-sari store - where we headed left to the school.

And, speaking of "sari-sari store".., there's already one above, and here's a row of four or five more!

I didn't have to ask why stores were here, where no residential houses can be seen. It is because, just across them (inside white fence) is the elementary school! See that skyblue container? Ice Candy yan!

Hmm, eto ang kwento...

Somewhere beyond.., on that same road.., walking distance lang.., there is supposedly someone that has been dead many many years ago, but whose body (allegedly) does not and would not decompose until now. To the extent that people have considered it a miraculous phenomenon. Kababalaghan! Du!

We were told it is open for public viewing, and that, it had even been featured on national TV!

Do you know what happened next? We went there walking on that same desolate road you see above. But, when we reached that very house, I chickened hehehe. I did not go inside, but my companion did! And, no pictures too, btw, as we were told beforehand that it was not allowed, that some unfortunate thing might happen to you, or anyone who attempted to take photos or videos. So I did not. Takot ako!

Okay.., enough na.., let's go home!

Back where our boat was "parked", we stumbled upon it already floating on knee-deep of water. Yey!

Look at the red arrow. That is our boatman pushing his craft towards the guy at right, so we could hop aboard without anymore getting our feet wet like when we arrived. After making the boat turn around!

I did have the "presence of mind" taking one last shot of this 'parking area' before I boarded. Yey!

Red arrow points to the "village port" where I stood for that shot I took earlier (4 pictures up). The blue arrow points to where we were headed, on another 1-hour ride via this beautiful river, back to Guirang.

Not far from where we departed (above), we already encountered "traffic" of the maritime kind!

Look closely, the manong boatman is single-handedly (or is that single-bodily) pushing his cargo-filled boat upriver, as our young frontman looks on. In fairness, our deckhand (that young boy) attempted to help, but he had our very own boat to shove to the side so that manong's cargo boat could pass thru!

And we passed under the 'bridge over the river warai' hehehe. But picturesque nonetheless, right?!

I asked this boy where that road comes from and where it leads to. His reply was a magnanimous and eloquently informative shrug hahaha! Eh he is only some 13 or 14 years old yata. Nag-tanong pa kasi!

How would you feel seeing such big boulders on the side, and, fully aware where they just fell from?

And.., in just a few minutes.., along the same leisurely route.., you encounter this...

Hahaha, I am not that religious, but this time.., I silently prayed "Lord, 'wag po sana maulit ngayon"! We needed to negotiate our way through what remains a passable space spared by this avalanche at left.

Here! Yes, this is the only remaining space for boats or anything else to be able to pass through!

Note, those big boulders dropped via a landslide from the right. What if this cliff at left also caves in?!

Young 'navigator' expertly manually steered us thru! And we emerged on the other side seeing this...

A boatload of passengers going the opposite direction, waiting for their turn to negotiate the "crevice"!

On with more breathtaking views along our downriver run...

With the sun cooperating very well! This was probably about 3PM, or some time 'there arounds'.

Here's another 'instagrammable' corner. Yes, this is a Y-intersection of two rivers merging into one...

There are many such confluences along the hour-long ride to/from Mabini. My first time passing river junctions that are equally big in all directions! I wonder if they have different names, like streets do?!

Incidentally and by the way, my boat was coming from the north (behind the camera), going south (to the upper-right of photo), while left side of this same picture (left of the white limestone cliffs) is the tributary coming from the east (where the natural bridge park is located). This is a very wide "corner"!

Another photo-op area. The river turns right, after that humungous overhang at right..,

Ah, notice too, a little bit forward and to the left of the boy's head.., there is another fallen boulder that apparently (may have) dropped from the right side wall of this river. Let us hope no one is, has been or will be hurt with all these gigantic blocks of earth crashing down to this river from time to time. Kulba!

Here is one of my pictures as we turned right below that big white limestone overhang..,

If you are artistic-imaginative-creative a.k.a. 'childish dreamer' like me, the dark holes and hollows on the sides of these cliffs do look like evil monsters wanting to swallow or devour you, right? Diba? Du!

Ah, this one is interesting! Do you see something red and something blue on this picture?

They are kayaks! And this is the entrance to Sohoton Caves (above the yellow and blue kayaks) !

Here's even more of the kayaks! There are many of them floating around, just waiting for you!

Now now now.., calm down as this might be a puzzling palaisipan if you don't know yet hehe! Do you ride kayaks inside or into the Sohoton Caves? No! But why are there these plethora of colorful kayaks floating around? And where really are the caves anyway? Why does this look more of just a riverbank?

It's like this my friend kaibigan sangkay ko...
That area with a small boulder, is indeed the boat landing point for folks visiting Sohoton Caves. You disembark from the boat and walk (actually climb) just a few steps to where the guides and park staff greet you for a short briefing, the ceremonial crowning (with helmets hehe), plus a live local singer & even refreshments (fresh coconut water), if arranged earlier. Then you tour the caves c/o your guide!

After touring the darkness of the caves, you go out and down to the landing area. But no, you are not boarding your boat just yet. Because this is usually included in fees you already paid, you will then be given paddles and asked to hop on those colorful kayaks! Note: two people to one kayak is best (and the maximum anyway), but you can ride alone if you really want to. To the natural bridge park you go!

It's a fun kayak ride, it's not far - but it is not near if you were paddling alone and half-a-century young. Ganun yun! Pictorial to da max is the norm, but is your cam waterproof? You are kayaking, remember? After the fun and frolic (or when your guide thinks you have been there for centuries hehe), you paddle back to the landing area. THUS, the kayak! Then you hop back unto your boat that'll return to Guirang!

That's it pusit!

But wait wait wait! Let's go back to my river cruise from Mabini, shall we? We're not done yet! Let's go back to the last photo above, where the green kayak is. Rightmost edge of that picture connects to...

This! The previous and original well-appointed docking/landing area for Sohoton Caves visitors!

Blue arrow points to what was the reception area - no less already part of, and under the shelter of the cave system itself. Red arrow points to what once was a terrific, sturdy, steel-made external walkway.

Here's a closer look at the remnants of that previous cave entrance (left) and the external walkway..,

Oops sorry, my bad! The arrows should be pointing leftwards - as that was the visitors' exit route, after touring the insides of the cave system. Start point was way in there, behind that reception area at left.

That steel-made external walkway of yesteryears is/was not just a short and simple haphazard thing.

This was an amazing walkway amidst trees and shrubs that grew out of the limestone crevices (like a canopy walk), way above and with fantastic views of the river and the surrounding forest. And sturdy.

Just imagine, after touring the dark and maze-like insides of the cave system, you exit unto that "walk cum view-deck cum lover's lane (somewhere to the right edge of that picture above). And make your way on a foresty walk, going to the left and down to the "lobby" (reception area), and exit to your boat!

Whatever happened? Why has this area been abandoned? Hmmm... your guess is as good as mine!

Let's move on.., here's a sample closer look of the base of that limestone wall above..,

Ironically, as of the moment, nothing in this closed-off area seem to be erroding or "landsliding". Wala!

Ironically too, a few turns more going downstream, you'll again see chunks that fell from above...

Many of these fallen boulders are bigger than normal Filipino houses. And almost all are "photogenic"!

But many of these limestones remain intact in their mesmerizingly photographable state..,

Our young boat frontman jokingly pointed to me that that is a blue palace. Not hard to imagine, right?

When our boat got nearer, I had a chance to take another photo of the same limestone formation..,

What can i say.., it really does look like a blue palace myteriously tucked in a forested lakefront. Di ba?

Okay, enough of the imaginative fantasy, lest I become a fiction novelist! We were nearing Guirang..,

It remains looking so magical everywhere I look! Maybe because I am not used to these sights? Since I'm not used to rivers, because I love the sea, I'm a son-of-a-beach, maybe I'll change my mind, maybe!

Here's a compilation of some video clips I took along the way..,


So, there it is.., final destination.., of this lovely once-in-a-lifetime river cruise!

As I said at the start of this article, above those boats is the Sohoton Visitor's Center and Eco-Lodge. But my boat was not going to dock there.., I was not on a tourist boat.., I was not on tour hehe.

Also as mentioned (above), I departed from an area after that bridge at left. So, my boat returned me to that same spot. But don't ya worry, from that "non-tourist" dock, I walked to the 'Wespal Bridge' that you see in the picture above.., other side of the road is Sohoton Visitor's Center and Eco-Lodge..,

...which, is my next story.., coming up shortly!

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