Sabang To The Underground River
After an hour and 40 minutes of waiting (but never boring) in and around the Sabang Boat Terminal, it was finally our turn to hop on a boat, going to the Puerto Princesa Underground River in Palawan. Yey!
A gloomy noontime. At 11:33AM, the skies looked dark. But it wasn't a show-stopper. Exciting, in fact!
Good that our tour guides were able to get a boat big enough to carry the group (we came in two vans, remember?). It was merrier, just like in yesterday's Honda Bay Island Hopping. The banter was louder!
As soon as we pushed back from the wharf, and as our "pambot" (pump boat) cruised the waters with a very loud engine noise, both our tour guides started telling us facts, stories and histories of the area - such as: this is/was the West Philippine Sea that our boat was traversing on! Questions were raised!
Ears opened wide! ..."about a hundred kilometers to our left are the myriad of shoals, banks, islets and islands of the "Kalayaan Group of Islands" (sometimes called "Kalayaan Archipelago") which is a town with a population of about 100 give or take 10 haha, under the jurisdiction of the Province of Palawan. Their mayor holds office in Puerto Princesa, and yes, those islands are also called the "Spraty Islands."
Wow, just 100kms from Palawan, while it is a very far 1,100kms away from China, 你聽到了嗎？
Anyway, as before, the green ragged mainland Palawan (right flank of the boat) never fails to amaze..,
Looking at that shoreline, I imagined (with envy, of course) who owns (if any) that white sandy strip of paradise. I would be honored to "befriend" them hehe. Kahit yung caretaker lang! And I also wondered if (at all) there is already any kind of road going to that beach in the midst of a (still) virgin wilderness!
Those vertical limestone cliffs must have not been explored yet. They look mesmerizingly awesome!
Oh, this is part of the national park (a protected area) so there must be no humanistic nor modernistic development happening in this area (I suppose). Thus, what we see in photos like above, will probably remain so, for a long time and worth being tagged by UNESCO as having Outstanding Universal Value.
This next 'formation' is a "landmark" as this is where boats turn to approach the underground river.
I think (and our tour guides tend to agree), that this could be the most photographed rock formation in all of Puerto Princesa! Eh it is at the very corner where boats turn-right, as if welcoming us to the area! And as before, I could see on passing boats, anyone who has a camera takes a good aim at that rock!
And after our boat made a right-turn at that rock.., we could already see our destination..,
Yep, that's another strip of fine white sandy beach. However, in that picture, anything white you see on shore, from this distance, is not a beach. Those are all tourists' boats! A whole armada of them haha!
Here here.., perchance it be clearer.., I cut that picture above to retain only the supposed shoreline..,
Yes, those are ALL boats! You would wonder how many people they have cumulatively already carried to that beach strip so far, eh it was only 11:42AM. Hmm, only 1,200 visitors per day? I'll say, duda ako!
Anyway.., look as our boat arrived at the beach. No worries, there's ample space naman pala after all!
Here is something cute: one of our guides told me, although not (yet) strictly followed, boat operators here are supposed to have a certain protocol on unloading-parking-loading to avoid 'boat traffic jams'!
Me ganun? How's that? Ganito.., do you see that boat at left? Front of that is where visitors enter, thus, boats are supposed to unload there, or at least as close as possible to that spot - for visitors' comfort and convenience. The area at right is off limits to 'boat parking' being a popular pictorial spot, like this!
After 'passenger disembarkation', boats must push back and stay offshore or move to the leftmost in a row of boats by the beach. The boat that can only be waiting in front of that entrance should be the one expected to depart next (meaning it arrived earliest, therefore expected to be next boat to leave)!
Okay now, we have arrived.., so this is it? Where's the cave? Where is the underground river?
Oops, teka sandali lang, ちょっとまってください, just a moment, 잠시만, don't be so atat hahaha! We were not there yet! Having arrived at this beach does not really actually mean you already reached the underground river. You still need to 'enter' the jungle with a bit of walking! Don't worry or panic, it's just about 300 meters of an informative walk on flat ground, and fun with free-roaming wildlife around. Du!
This is the entrance to your little walk, which, also seems to be the fave photo-op spot of tour guides!
I saw that every group entering that narrow boardwalk (including mine), had to pose for a group photo on that very spot, as suggested by their/our respective tour guides. I could not guess the significance!
Maybe because of that big "Underground River" signage.
I said informative walk, right? Here's our tour guide explaining the whats and whys about this place..,
Note that the board says St. Paul Limestone Formation National Geological Monument. Don't let that confuse you. As I remember it from years ago, "St. Paul" is the "original", and probably still the "official" name of many things here. It has just been downplayed lately, probably to highlight "Puerto Princesa".
Examples? Well, I have known the underground river as St. Paul Cave And Underground River (the "St." sometimes being fully spelled as "Saint"). At other times, it was St. Paul Cave And Subterranean River.
In the early '80s I've read news and references that say St. Paul Subterranean National Park. Lately, we even seldom hear references to the cave, right? All that we read in the various media and government publications are PPUR for Puerto Princesa Underground River, and PPSRNP, which, as we said earlier means Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park. Ay abaw linti! Basta, Underground River ah!
Here are names/references that (I think) have not been changed whether officially or unofficially:
Mt. St. Paul (or Mount Saint Paul) - the mountain that has this underground river.
St. Paul Mountain Range - the chain of mountains that contains or is contained in this national park.
St. Paul Bay - the body of water where the underground river empties to.
St. Paul Cave - the cave that contains the underground river.
AND, you will notice later, St. Paul Cave IS actually THE main attraction of this TOUR, because, there is nothing significant that will be pointed to you in this river as your boat floats around on this tour! Thus, and technically therefore, it is but a cave tour while you float on a river inside it! I had to ask around on my own, for more specific details about the underground river. Fun and informative tour just the same.
Anyway and but.., are we there yet? NO, hahaha!
I also said this is a fun walk, right? Here's what makes you giggle (since many are afraid of them)..,
It's a fairly regular monkey, like what you would see in many parts of the Philippines. He is bigger than the others (an alpha-male, I guess). That seated height is about the height of my knee - medyo malaki.
It has no qualms looking you directly in the eye with very quick glances to things you are carrying, as if about ready to grab them, violently and fiercely if need be, from your possession. That 'stance' freaked some of our (young and old) companions that they shrieked and hid behind, between, among us hehe!
Oh yes.., like all monkeys in this wilderness, it is free-roaming - meaning it's not enclosed in any barrier whatsoever, not tied, not caged. This particular monkey in the photo seemed capable and really intent on pouncing at anything that gets in his way! It kept looking at people's things then direct in their eyes!
To be not apprehensive (at the very least) would make you either ignorant or just faking it! And it's fun watching people's actions or reactions as they pass by monkeys and/or as these primates pass them. But do hush a bit, don't be obvious when you laugh. Many folks don't find these encounters fun, at all!
There are many of them just scattered in the area (monkeying) around, by the way, hehe! As you walk, or talk to your companions, or look at something, or listen to your guide explaining things, you'll never know.., some of the 'pesky snatchers' may already be behind you, about to grab what's on your hands!
Here is a kiosk that sells water. Well yes, there are more structures in the area now than 10 years ago!
I was facing this kiosk because there was a 'youngish' monkey (I say that because it was smaller than the one pictured above). A woman came to drop a plastic bag (sando bag) containing an empty water bottle. I easily knew her noble act - she couldn't find a trash bin so she gave it to the staff for disposal.
However, the staff who received that rubbish placed it (temporarily) at the window ledge at right (near the blue bag), as he had to help his colleague give bottled water to a customer who bought 20 bottles. Yep, I knew it was exactly 20 bottles, eh kasamahan ko ang bumili eh - for 18 of us and 2 tour guides!
And then.., nang walang anu-ano.., sa isang iglap.., as fast as lightning.., the monkey I was watching in front of the store kind of 'flew' to grab the plastic bag (with the empty bottle in it) and ran away swiftly!
That made me and 2 other companions start laughing out loud at the monkey's stupid act of robbery! I think I even shouted at it saying "ang bobo mo, walang laman yan, tanga"! It quickly twisted-open the cap of the "empty" water bottle (marunong!) and attempted to drink the few drops that still remained.
Although it grabbed and ran away with an empty "trash", we were amazed at how stealthily quick that monkey could run and hop distances compared to its size. AND, it knows how to twist-open a bottle!
Can you see that "snatcher monkey"? Look at the top of the roof in the photo above. Andun sya!
Here is a very useful infoboard about those monkeys, how they behave, and how to deal with them..,
It says:
Also freely-roaming (but more docile than monkeys), here's another 'permanent resident' of the area!
No no no, not the man in blue! He is our tour guide. I mean the lizard, can't you see it?! Look below..,
I think they call that a "monitor lizard" in English. In Bisaya, that's the "halo". It's either very shy, or does not like humans, or both. It was trying to scamper away as we tried taking a picture - that's why Richie stood there so it would stop from running that way and up into the jungle. So it instead ran elsewhere!
Yeah, it walked on the human pathway, before running to another part of the jungle, away from us!
I noticed the lizards we saw this time were smaller - just about 2 feet (or less) - than those I have seen years ago in this same spot. Our guides explained that bigger adults prefer to stay away from crowds.
Look here.., our tour guide describing animals found in this area and why they should be left alone..,
The most exemplary thing about this was, she was the only guide doing so, and just to us (her group), that I observed even members of other groups would stop to listen-in! I asked, and she told me they're not obliged to do extensive describing-explaining type of annotation since most of the infoboards are self explanatory anyway, but she exerts extra effort esp. when there are youngsters in her tour group!
Weren't we just lucky today? Both guides were busy explaining things even as we walked the path!
Well, if I may answer my question above.., we were probably not very very lucky. Because? It rained at this juncture while we were merrily walking and intently listening to the annotations of our guides. Ah!
Takbooo! Argh! So we reached the jump-off point to entering the cave - yes, the underground river!
But WE WERE NOT THERE YET huhuhu hahaha! We had to line up for our turn to get on a boat..,
It's like a game of musical chairs here. You keep hopping from seat to seat, until you reach the front of the line, wherein it becomes your turn to hop on a paddle boat going into the cave. This waiting area is a tent, but useless when it rains, since it is torn with many holes on many parts. You ALL still get wet!
There is also a limit on the number of boats inside, thus the long wait.., and when it rains.., OMG!
Just look at that crowd of waiting tourists. All these people would actually be dispersed, checking out this and that by this river bank (this is the mouth of the river emptying out to sea) if it were not raining.
But under a heavy downpour like we experienced, everybody 'attempts' to get under the cover of those tents, and the order of the day becomes, an impatient 'is it our turn yet? where are those damn boats'?
"Where the hell is that cave, can we at least enter it so we can take cover from the rain?" asked one of my companions hehe! I answered that with "ayun sa tapat o", but you still need a boat to go there, and you can't stand nor sit there, it is all river and slippery darkness with whatever eerie creatures in there!
See the two red arrows in the picture above? That is the cave's entrance. Too near, yet too far!
By the way, from the time it rained, until we returned back to Sabang, we were all drenching very wet!
At least we already somehow reached our tour destination's entrance (1218H). All that remained was for us to finally enter the cave, yes the "underground river". But let's do that "final act" in my next story!
Good that our tour guides were able to get a boat big enough to carry the group (we came in two vans, remember?). It was merrier, just like in yesterday's Honda Bay Island Hopping. The banter was louder!
As soon as we pushed back from the wharf, and as our "pambot" (pump boat) cruised the waters with a very loud engine noise, both our tour guides started telling us facts, stories and histories of the area - such as: this is/was the West Philippine Sea that our boat was traversing on! Questions were raised!
Ears opened wide! ..."about a hundred kilometers to our left are the myriad of shoals, banks, islets and islands of the "Kalayaan Group of Islands" (sometimes called "Kalayaan Archipelago") which is a town with a population of about 100 give or take 10 haha, under the jurisdiction of the Province of Palawan. Their mayor holds office in Puerto Princesa, and yes, those islands are also called the "Spraty Islands."
Wow, just 100kms from Palawan, while it is a very far 1,100kms away from China, 你聽到了嗎？
Anyway, as before, the green ragged mainland Palawan (right flank of the boat) never fails to amaze..,
Those vertical limestone cliffs must have not been explored yet. They look mesmerizingly awesome!
This next 'formation' is a "landmark" as this is where boats turn to approach the underground river.
And after our boat made a right-turn at that rock.., we could already see our destination..,
Here here.., perchance it be clearer.., I cut that picture above to retain only the supposed shoreline..,
Anyway.., look as our boat arrived at the beach. No worries, there's ample space naman pala after all!
Me ganun? How's that? Ganito.., do you see that boat at left? Front of that is where visitors enter, thus, boats are supposed to unload there, or at least as close as possible to that spot - for visitors' comfort and convenience. The area at right is off limits to 'boat parking' being a popular pictorial spot, like this!
Okay now, we have arrived.., so this is it? Where's the cave? Where is the underground river?
Oops, teka sandali lang, ちょっとまってください, just a moment, 잠시만, don't be so atat hahaha! We were not there yet! Having arrived at this beach does not really actually mean you already reached the underground river. You still need to 'enter' the jungle with a bit of walking! Don't worry or panic, it's just about 300 meters of an informative walk on flat ground, and fun with free-roaming wildlife around. Du!
This is the entrance to your little walk, which, also seems to be the fave photo-op spot of tour guides!
Maybe because of that big "Underground River" signage.
I said informative walk, right? Here's our tour guide explaining the whats and whys about this place..,
Examples? Well, I have known the underground river as St. Paul Cave And Underground River (the "St." sometimes being fully spelled as "Saint"). At other times, it was St. Paul Cave And Subterranean River.
In the early '80s I've read news and references that say St. Paul Subterranean National Park. Lately, we even seldom hear references to the cave, right? All that we read in the various media and government publications are PPUR for Puerto Princesa Underground River, and PPSRNP, which, as we said earlier means Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park. Ay abaw linti! Basta, Underground River ah!
Here are names/references that (I think) have not been changed whether officially or unofficially:
Mt. St. Paul (or Mount Saint Paul) - the mountain that has this underground river.
St. Paul Mountain Range - the chain of mountains that contains or is contained in this national park.
St. Paul Bay - the body of water where the underground river empties to.
St. Paul Cave - the cave that contains the underground river.
AND, you will notice later, St. Paul Cave IS actually THE main attraction of this TOUR, because, there is nothing significant that will be pointed to you in this river as your boat floats around on this tour! Thus, and technically therefore, it is but a cave tour while you float on a river inside it! I had to ask around on my own, for more specific details about the underground river. Fun and informative tour just the same.
Anyway and but.., are we there yet? NO, hahaha!
I also said this is a fun walk, right? Here's what makes you giggle (since many are afraid of them)..,
It has no qualms looking you directly in the eye with very quick glances to things you are carrying, as if about ready to grab them, violently and fiercely if need be, from your possession. That 'stance' freaked some of our (young and old) companions that they shrieked and hid behind, between, among us hehe!
Oh yes.., like all monkeys in this wilderness, it is free-roaming - meaning it's not enclosed in any barrier whatsoever, not tied, not caged. This particular monkey in the photo seemed capable and really intent on pouncing at anything that gets in his way! It kept looking at people's things then direct in their eyes!
To be not apprehensive (at the very least) would make you either ignorant or just faking it! And it's fun watching people's actions or reactions as they pass by monkeys and/or as these primates pass them. But do hush a bit, don't be obvious when you laugh. Many folks don't find these encounters fun, at all!
There are many of them just scattered in the area (monkeying) around, by the way, hehe! As you walk, or talk to your companions, or look at something, or listen to your guide explaining things, you'll never know.., some of the 'pesky snatchers' may already be behind you, about to grab what's on your hands!
Here is a kiosk that sells water. Well yes, there are more structures in the area now than 10 years ago!
However, the staff who received that rubbish placed it (temporarily) at the window ledge at right (near the blue bag), as he had to help his colleague give bottled water to a customer who bought 20 bottles. Yep, I knew it was exactly 20 bottles, eh kasamahan ko ang bumili eh - for 18 of us and 2 tour guides!
And then.., nang walang anu-ano.., sa isang iglap.., as fast as lightning.., the monkey I was watching in front of the store kind of 'flew' to grab the plastic bag (with the empty bottle in it) and ran away swiftly!
That made me and 2 other companions start laughing out loud at the monkey's stupid act of robbery! I think I even shouted at it saying "ang bobo mo, walang laman yan, tanga"! It quickly twisted-open the cap of the "empty" water bottle (marunong!) and attempted to drink the few drops that still remained.
Although it grabbed and ran away with an empty "trash", we were amazed at how stealthily quick that monkey could run and hop distances compared to its size. AND, it knows how to twist-open a bottle!
Can you see that "snatcher monkey"? Look at the top of the roof in the photo above. Andun sya!
Here is a very useful infoboard about those monkeys, how they behave, and how to deal with them..,
ATTENTION ALL VISITORS.
The monkey or macaques in the park normally depend on the forest for food, but now they are used to being fed by visitors which has affected their natural habits and contributes to their aggressive behavior. In order to bring them back to their natural behavior, we are trying our best to keep a distance between the macaques and the people.
No feeding. Because of people feeding the macaques despite [being] prohibited from doing so, they have increasingly become dependent and have the tendency to grab food from people.
No teasing or touching. These macaques are not domesticated and in fact are part of the wildlife. So please do not tease, touch or get close to them. Any of these actions may cause personal injuries.
Also freely-roaming (but more docile than monkeys), here's another 'permanent resident' of the area!
Yeah, it walked on the human pathway, before running to another part of the jungle, away from us!
Look here.., our tour guide describing animals found in this area and why they should be left alone..,
Weren't we just lucky today? Both guides were busy explaining things even as we walked the path!
Takbooo! Argh! So we reached the jump-off point to entering the cave - yes, the underground river!
But WE WERE NOT THERE YET huhuhu hahaha! We had to line up for our turn to get on a boat..,
There is also a limit on the number of boats inside, thus the long wait.., and when it rains.., OMG!
But under a heavy downpour like we experienced, everybody 'attempts' to get under the cover of those tents, and the order of the day becomes, an impatient 'is it our turn yet? where are those damn boats'?
"Where the hell is that cave, can we at least enter it so we can take cover from the rain?" asked one of my companions hehe! I answered that with "ayun sa tapat o", but you still need a boat to go there, and you can't stand nor sit there, it is all river and slippery darkness with whatever eerie creatures in there!
See the two red arrows in the picture above? That is the cave's entrance. Too near, yet too far!
By the way, from the time it rained, until we returned back to Sabang, we were all drenching very wet!
At least we already somehow reached our tour destination's entrance (1218H). All that remained was for us to finally enter the cave, yes the "underground river". But let's do that "final act" in my next story!
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