Pinay Biyahera

Bayukbok limestone walls.

There are two segments of the cave that you can explore. The first one I described above for me is just a warm up. But if you want a real adventure like in movies finding treasure and chased by their enemies, you should try this one. Your guides will ask you if you want to have just one or both. According to our cave guides, this second one requires a lot of endurance and bravery! lol, it has lots of cliffs, smallest holes and openings compared to other caves. In this picture, this was the moment we saw the light  after sight of darkness from cave one.

Climbing up on this boulder.

This is one of the hardest part. You have to climb here carefully because of the cliff around you. Just a wrong step and die from falling from like a 5 storey building.

A very high cliff on our right!

There it is, a very high cliff on our right side and still stayed beautiful in this stressful moment.lol. Our cave guide said that this area is just like the seen from the "hidden treasure" movie. :)

Rock formations after the cliffy area.

Dock walking upon entering the cave again.

After long walk and putting ourselves on the smallest hole in the whole cave, we finally again saw light. :)

Then you will be at the "baging" or vine area. If you want, you can swing through that long vine and move like Tarzan. haha

Entered again on a very narrow passage.

After descending via vine, we took trail to another cave entering a forest-like area. During our walk, we saw two coal-makers along our way lifting their finished product. With one very huge sack of coal with both hands holding on it, I was amazed! I always tend to hold anything every time I feel uneasy on the ground, but them they're able to cross a tree trunk bridge without anything to hold with just rubber slippers on their feet!

Cave's ceiling and walls.

Compared to cave I, first cave explored, ceilings and walls were quite different. Here they're smoother and much brownish in color maybe because it's the uppermost part amongst caves where water drips down from the trees above, evident with the roots (right).

Getting out from the narrowest hole in the whole cave ever!

This is the narrowest and the hardest hole I ever entered among the caves. Its like about 12 inches in diameter. Weew, would you imagine how he able to get out from there? look at the evidence from his shirt and you will know.:D

After that cool hole, we were having a break. Our guide "Tatay Tunying", the one who's wearing orange was checking if that upward path is easier or can be used by that time. Well unfortunately, "kuya Mel" said that that area was too slippery that time (because of rains due to Typhoon Bebeng) so they decided to choose to another path. Oh by the way, see that beautiful Stalagminte pillar? It's like a...pillar. :)

Mineral formation along the way out.

Spider on the right side of our way.

We noticed this huge spider, about size of a hand, silently watching us from the corner. Also from here, we noticed a lot of snail shells all over the cave's floor. Wonder how it got there? Well, this is the proof that the whole Bulacan, Philippines was then submerged in water billions of years ago.

Success, finally out!

Due to kinda wet stones and floor, our guides look for a better way out. One suggested to climb to the adventurous wall of rocks but unfortunately it was slippery even if they'll put a rope to assist, so we tend to choose much safer path. Because we came from a higher part of the cave, we descended from a flight of rocks.

Bamboo area.

This is the last area where you have to dock underneath the bamboos and crawl under a gigantic rock. A piece of cake compared to what we did on the caves.

Huge rock blocking our way out.

After the last challenge of the huge rock, went off to the jumpoff and took our lunch. Going there isn't difficult, just follow the trail and you will reach the Madlum river and jumpoff safely.

July 29, 2011: I totally suggest Bayukbok caves if you are planning to visit Bulacan or hike mountains around the area like Mt. Gola and Mt. Manalmon. You will surely enjoy it. It is not just a simple cave where you can just walk through it, strike a pose then post it on your FB profile, it's a matter of endurance and strength of your arms to pull yourself up and make your self shrink to pass through holes you can't imagine how you went out of there. So if you are an adventurous person, you must try this! :)