Huayan Hall Small 华严殿

The Huayan Hall is the fifth and final hall in the Lingyin Temple grounds. There are normally five halls built in a temple and like the third and fourth hall this one was also built very recently. There is actually little to distinguish the Huanyan Hall from the preceeding halls as they are all very similar. The difference is in what the halls host. By this time I was already sick of the temple. This reminded me of the time I visited the Forbidden City in Beijing where it was just one hall after the other. This was is similar but on a much smaller scale.

Small Cave at the Base of the Huayan Hall 华严殿

My friend was again breezing past the hall as she was probably more sick of the temple than I was and to think it was her first time in China. I’m no history buff either and I do like to see old structures such as these but I probably already had enough temples for a next few years. The fact that it is a newly rebuilt hall also helps lesssen my interest level in this temple. My advice to visitors, if you are no history buff, go through the halls quickly or you get bored quickly.

Related Posts:

Huayan Hall 华严殿

Hall of Heavenly Blessing 天贶殿

The Hall of the Five Hundred Arhats 五百罗汉堂

Entrance to the Cave at the Wenjin Chamber 文津阁

It is amazing what just wandering about a place can bring you. I was walking along some path from where the ruins of the temple where when I ran into another interesting site. The Wenjin Chamber 文津阁 is one of the more well known places here in the Mountain Resort in Chengde. The Wejin Chamber was built in 1772 and is the collective term for this place which includes a pond, a cave and a hall.

Inside the Cave at Wenjin Chamber 文津阁

One of the structures you would notice here is a large piles of rock which form a cave where people can pass through. The rocks all have twisted shapes so that they can look as natural as possible. One of the most striking features of this cave is that there is a hole on the roof of the cave. When the sun shines through the hole, it creates a crescent shaped light that looks like a crescent moon. So it is said that the one can look up to see the sun and look down to see the moon.

Related Posts:

Wenjin Chamber 文津阁 Pond

Spelunking in Sumaguing Cave

Walking Up the Mountain in the Mountain Resort 避暑山庄

Viking Cave

Just around the corner outside the lagoon of Ko Phi Phi Leh, is a cave they call the Viking Cave. The cave itself is almost at sea level but it still looks much like a cave, albeit a very shallow one. The cave itself has paintings made hundreds of years ago of boats which looked like viking ships, so thus it was named Viking Cave. Our motorboat didn’t get close enough for us to see the paintings themselves though, such a shame.

Can You See the Fish?

The cave itself is also home to swallows which nest here. It seems like swallows like to nest in structures like these since Palawan also has caves which have swallows nesting in them. As usual, the swallows nest are harvested to be sold as bird’s nest soup. I wonder how the swallow would feel to find out that someone has been taking the nest which they have painstakingly built.

This Was as Close as We Could Get

While we were at the Viking Cave, I happened to look over the water and saw how clear the water was. On top of that, I could clearly see a school of fish just hanging out near out boat. It was probably my first time to see one from a boat. And these were no mere tiny fish but fish several inches long since I can clearly see them from the boat. It was just another one of the amazing things to see at Ko Phi Phi Leh.

Related Posts:

Going down Sumaguing Cave

Monkey Beach

Exploring Sumaguing Cave

Hinagdanan Cave

Now, that I am finally done with the interesting Church of Our Lady of the Assumption, I am off to my next destination. The thing is, I have absolutely no idea how to get there. I have already gotten the hang of the public transport system of Bohol Island and more or less know where certain places are but Panglao Island is another thing. Public transport isn’t as plentiful as it is in Bohol island. I asked around how I can get to my destination, but the suggestion was to hire a motorcylce taxi or habal-habal.

Hinagdanan Cave

The nice lady even called a habal-habal for me. Actually, it was more like she yelled out to a man by a motorcycle and asked if he was a habal-habal. We agreed on a price and I got on his motorcycle and we were off. Panglao Island is a deceptively large island. There roads on Panglao Island are surprisingly well kept. Along the way, my driver told me that there are plans of building an international airport in Panglao Island.

What is This?

I wasn’t sure if that is a good idea. A lot of tourists come to Panglao Island primarily for diving and most of them pass through either Cebu international Airport or the Tagbilaran domestic airport through Manila. If tourists can go to Panglao directly, there might be less business for the people on the way to Panglao. Then again, it would be immensely helpful and convenient if an airport were really built there since the Tagbilaran Airport is right smack in the middle of the city.

So This is Where the "Hagdan" Comes In

My destination is the town of Bingag in the northern end of Panglao island. My driver made a right turn at a road where no one seems to be travelling and got me a little anxious but I was relieved to see my actual destination, the Hinagdanan Cave. The name Hinagdanan come from the root word “hagdan” which means stairs. This made me wonder why they would call this place by that name. The entrance to the Hinagdanan Cave was right in front of us with a small shelter just beyond the rows of souvenir vendors. I was under the impression that the shelter was the entrance to the cave area which was still beyond it. However, to my surprise, there was a flight of stairs beneath the shelter where you go down to see the cave. So this is where the name comes from!

Path Down the Cave

The cave is accessed from this flight of stairs where there is a dark passageway below. As with all caves, the place is dark and damp. There are hand rails to help people with their footing though. The path down is lit by small fluorescent bulbs, which, in my opinion, do not give a nice light to the cave. Incandescent light would have been much better, anyway, who am I to complete, it is more energy efficient afterall. The cave has all the requisite stalactites and stalagmites but the star of the cave is the small pool at the end.

Crystal Clear Waters of the Cave

I can’t really see much of the pool since it was very dark. But I would assume the water is clean. A small dip revealed that the water is also cold. It is said that the waters of the pool have minerals which can heal the body. There cave is lit by a few holes from the top, and given the correct angle of the sun, it would have made an impressive sight, but alas, the sun was already too low and I would not be able to get my shot. There were a few young ladies swimming in the pool at that time, I didn’t have the time to swim myself since I have a schedule to keep.

Like A Bottomless Pit

For me, the Hinagdanan Caves were quite a letdown. The cave was small. It was not lit well enough. But I can’t really complain here since there was no entrance fee. I have been to much better caves in the country and this one doesn’t quite live up to the hype. Nevertheless, it would be an interesting change from all the church hopping that I have been doing all day.

Related Posts:

Exploring Sumaguing Cave

Going down Sumaguing Cave

Church of Saint Augustine in Panglao

Lumiang Burial Cave

I took a long breather from that exhilarating tour I had in Sumaguing Cave at the Sagada Cave Man where I bought some drinks. I actually got tired from walking back up. The challenges Ian gave me were pretty much okay and since it was quite cool inside I didn’t really sweat that much. Now, the climb back up to the main road was much more tiring, which is why I needed to take a break.

ian Stands Outside the Cave Entrance

Ian seemed like he didn’t break a sweat, he probably climbs these steps everyday, something like this probably is insignificant to him. He kept asking me if I was okay and whether we can continue to the next cave. Finally, I was ready and we walked back to town. Along the way, was an unmarked opening to an inconspicuous path. Apparently this was the way to the Lumiang Cave.

Stacks of Coffins Inside

It was really interested how the locals didn’t bother to mark these important sites. This is most probably to avoid outsiders from stumbling into the cave unaccompanied and desecrating the site. Another reason is to increase the demand for guides, if tourists do not know where the places are, then they will probably need guides.

A Skull Peeking From A Hole

The trail down the mountainside was quite steep and sometimes we needed to pass through thick layer of vegetation. If I would stumble into this path I probably would have given up here and went back. It seems that the cave has some natural protection. Along the way, I was admiring the karst scenery across the valley.

Guardian Lizard Carved on the Lid

Just like the entrance to Sumaguing Cave, the entrance to Lumiang Cave was quite some distance down into the valley. Finally, Ian stopped by the entrance and told me the nature of the caves. The most significant feature of these caves is man-made. There are hundreds of wooden coffins here where the ancestors of the people of Sagada lie buried. Their ancestors are Animists believing in the existences of spirits everywhere including plants and animals. This practice of Animism has waned when the people of Sagada were converted to Christianity. However, only a handful remain from the group who still believe in Animism and yes, they will be buried here when they die.

Every Nook and Cranny of the Cave is Filled

This is obviously a sacred place and only the privileged can be buried here. To get that privilege, 20 pigs and even more chicken are needed to be offered as sacrifice to the spirits. The idea is that the higher they are physically buried, the faster they will reach heaven. Upon closer inspection of the coffins, they are made from solid pieces of wood where the one to be buried carves it himself while still alive. The cover of the coffin is carved with a lizard like figure which is said to represent a guardian spirit for the dead. The coffins are traditionally sealed with wooden nails as a result some of them are falling apart. But now they use metal nails.

Countless Coffins in the Cave

Shockingly, there was an open coffin when a human skull can be seem staring back. It was said that the spirit wanted to come out but can only manage this far. There were stacks and stacks of these coffins in the cave and frankly quite eerie. I notice that the usually talkative Ian was standing quietly far beyond the entrance and was not keen on getting closer. I also didn’t really like the idea of disturbing the dead like that so I took my shots quickly and left them in peace.

Cave Explorers and Also Start Here

I’ve never seen so many coffins in my life before and would say that the experience has been quite sobering. Sagada is full of surprises and this is yet another one of them. I could probably have skipped this one but for people who want to see something different, this is definitely one of them. Just make sure that you respect the sacredness of the place when you visit.

Related Posts:

Going down Sumaguing Cave

Hanging Coffins of Sagada

Karst Landscape of Sagada

Finally Natural Light

Finally, Ian congratulated me for completing the “course” he had prepared for me. He did say that I should be able to handle whatever he had in store. I agreed, though with a little difficulty of course, since I didn’t really train nor prepare for anything like that. As a present of completing the cave tour he offered me a “cake”. I actually didn’t get it until he pointed it out to me. It was a small limestone formation right in front of us that looked like a cake.

Going Back Up

From here we retraced our steps back to the top of the stairs. As usual, I hate walking up stairs so I had to take frequent breaks in between. Ian said that the stairs on the other cave is even more steep than this one, and he would not recommend it for a beginner. Come to think of it, it was a good thing I do not have claustrophobia. I would know people would would have panicked inside the small chamber we went through.

Just A Little More

It was a great relief to see the light of day once again, I had to adjust a little since I got used to the dark while inside the cave. This tour was definitely worth it. Among all the caves I have been to, this is probably the most beautiful one I have seen. Yes, out of all those three caves I have been to, this is the most impressive one.

A Filled Up Well

Anyway, I’m sure that there are more impressive ones out there but seeing how the local people take extraordinary care of their caves, it would remain impressive for years to come. The activites inside the cave were a welcome addition to the usual tour. I am sure a lot of people would be glad to come a experience this very unique tour. And while you are at it, take the time to know your guide they will be more than will to share their culture with you.

Related Posts:

Going down Sumaguing Cave

Lumiang Burial Cave

Hinagdanan Cave

King's Curtain

Sumaguing Cave is really living up to its reputation as very interesting cave. The formations inside the cave were quite impressive. Ian, my guide, has been absolutely helpful in pointing out the more dangerous parts of the cave and also pointing out the more interesting parts.

Ian Going Inside a Small Chamber

At one point of the cave he asked me to remove my footwear, since it might be too slippery for normal footwear. I was wearing my trekking sandals and I didn’t think it would be slippery for this type of footwear. Anyway, he knows the place more than I do so we left our stuff at one side. I had a little more stuff since I have camera, we left the camera bag and other stuff in it hanging from a prominent stalactite for us to retrieve later.

Shells on the Cave Wall

I was a little wary of just leaving my stuff anywhere but this is a cave, who’s going to take it? From that point on, there was a lot more clambering down limestone formations. The more impressive one is dubbed the King’s Curtain for obvious reasons. It is a huge limestone formation where water drips from the top of the “curtain” and into the pools below. To go down one will have to shimmy down the two “curtains”. Now I understand why the need to leave the footwear behind.

Ian and the Lamp

In another part of the cave, we went through a small hole in the wall of the cave. Ian has to leave the lamp with me while he entered the chamber then I handed it to back to him before entering it myself. To enter the hole one needs to walk backwards through the hole to make sure you enter feet first. This is essential because there is a waist deep pool inside that small chamber. The chamber was dripping wet inside and there were tons of evil looking stalactites.

"Rice Terraces"

I was fearing for my camera because it was dripping wet inside, I still managed to take a few photos inside before handing the camera to Ian who probably has surer footing that I have. I kind of feel bad having to hand the camera to him since he was wading in almost chest deep water (he was shorter than I am), with both of his arms raised above the cold water, one holding the lamp and the other holding my camera.

Shimmy Down the King's Curtain Here

Fortunately, he didn’t trip, to my relief. He handed me back the camera for another challenge. There was another chamber where there are several pieces of thick rope hanging from the roof of the chamber. The challenge is to be able to move from rope to rope to the exit. Ian had to sacrifice his leg to serve as my stepping stone to the rope. I had to support myself against the wall of the cave chamber and moved from one rope to another. It was my first time to do something like that.

Someone Coming in the Distance

When I successfully conquered that challenge, we got out of that chamber and were back on the main trail and to the final challenge. This one has just a single piece of rope hanging from a rock on the cave wall. The challenge is to climb up the wall using that piece of rope. I braced my foot against the cave wall and started walking, I was thinking I would not be able to pull my own weight but I managed to climb up successfully too.

Hole To China

I felt really good having completed those series of challenges and I wasn’t really expecting something like that. I was thinking this would just be a simple tour around the cave. The addition of the wall climbing challenges surely made it much more interesting.

Related Posts:

Exploring Sumaguing Cave

Wenjin Chamber 文津阁

Going down Sumaguing Cave

A Crystal Clear Pool in Sumaguing Cave

The descent into the mouth of the cave took longer than I expected. I was expecting the mouth of the cave to be just right by the road, but we had to take a long flight of stairs before we were truly in the cave. As the last glimmer of sunlight faded from view, Ian, my guide turned on his kerosene lamp and instantly illuminated the entire cavern. He told me that the lamp lasts for a day, so if ever we get lost inside the cave we have a day to figure out how to get out, that’s really good to know.

A Woman's Private In Sumaguing Cave

Ian began another introduction into the basics of caving but this time focusing on being open minded and imaginative. I think I already know what he meant by that. The cavern itself isn’t really very big, in fact it was like a small lecture hall where the seats are all inclined. As I was taking photos another group of spelunkers passed by I guess I was too slow, any way I didn’t need to move fast since I was paying for this trip anyway.

Ian and the Lamp

The cave itself is wonderful since it has running water most of which come from condensation from the ceiling, these water pool below to further carve out wonderful images such as a “dinosaur’s footprint”, a snake and other imaginary structures. Ian started pointing out some interesting rock formations, this is where being open minded and imaginative comes in. There were portions of the rock where it was quite slippery so I need to be careful with my balance, most especially with my camera.

"Dinosaur's Footprint"

On the wall, you can see evidence that this place was previously underwater, shells and mollusks are embedded in the cave wall for all to see. It was an interesting revelation since Sagada is already so high up. It must be wonderful to have a scientist examine the prehistoric pieces of life. I have only been to a couple caves in my life and I must say this is quite an impressive place.

Related Posts:

Going down Sumaguing Cave

Spelunking in Sumaguing Cave

Hinagdanan Cave

Sagada Cave Man's House

After about half and hour of walking through some wonderful scenery, we arrived at a small two storey house with the words Sagada Cave Man proudly written on it. My guide, Ian, went in to get some some stuff while I prepare myself for what is going to happen next. Just across the Sagada Cave Man’s house is the entrance to the Big Cave or Sumaguing Cave.

Caving Rules

The only reason why I knew that the cave was here was that there was a big stone tablet with rules on exploring the cave. Come to think of it, there doesn’t seem to be too many signs here in Sagada. Although the place is small enough to explore, there are no directions for the uninitiated. There is, however, a small hand drawn map to assist some travelers, but it is mostly useless.

Going Down to the Mouth of the Cave

I believe this is all to help the guide industry. If visitors do not know where the places are, then they will probably need a guide. Which is good since going caving is not for the faint hearted, in fact there have been cases where foreign tourists have died while caving here in Sagada, which probably the reason why they strictly enforce the guide rule.

Can You See Ian?

As Ian finally got out of the Sagada Cave Man house, he gave me a brief introduction in caving being the beginner that I am. No littering and always go with a guide where the most important ones. From now on, he will be my lifeline. The entrance to the cave is still a long flight of stairs away and it seemed it was taking forever to get to the mouth of the cave itself. The cave goes down to the earth and it was an amazing sight to see the entrance of the cave with the stalactites hanging like a giant monster’s teeth. My cave adventure is on!

Related Posts:

Exploring Sumaguing Cave

Hiring a Guide in Sagada and Momma

Yoghurt House

Limestone Formations in Sagada

When I was doing my research on Sagada, I already knew what sort of stuff to expect here. However, one of the things I didn’t expect to see here was karst or limestone formations. The entire Sagada itself probably sits on top of a huge limestone deposit. I have been to numerous karst places in the Philippines and outside the country, and I must say that I am totally fascinated with them, but seeing it here in Sagada was totally unexpected.

Karst On a Mountainside

The village itself is built around the karst formations some of them have sadly been cut through to make way for a road or a house. I even saw a house built on top of a solid piece of limestone. I guess I should have put two and two together since Sagada has caves, it is only natural for them to have karst. Along the way to the cave, there were several more impressive limestone formations, although they weren’t as impressive as the karst of El Nido in Palawan or Yangshuo in China, it is always a wonder for me to see them.

On Closer Inspection There was a Hanging Coffin Beneath It

One of the more bizarre sights I saw along the way to the cave was some hanging coffins right below some limestone formations. Ian or Enzo, my guide had to point it out to me because it wasn’t obvious. The wooden coffins were supported by wooden stakes hammered into the limestone wall. For one of the coffins, the skull of the deceased was even up for display on top of the coffin. Bizarre as this tradition may be, but this is the real tradition in Sagada and is still being practiced to this day.

Related Posts:

Hanging Coffins of Sagada

Exploring Sagada

Lumiang Burial Cave