The Cave Explorers

The sleek, white pumpboat skidded effortlessly over blue-green waves as Pidro piloted it from Baybay to Camotes Island, thirty kilometers away. It was a trip he had taken hundreds of times, showing tourists his beautiful homeland. This time though, it was just him and four others: Marcella, Marco, Josie and Gemma.

The pumpboat was ten meters long and had two pontoons like a catamaran. A motor sat at the back of the boat, propelling it through the water.

Fastened into her rainbow-striped life jacket, Gemma sat next to Pidro and watched the pontoons cut through the water, spraying a fine mist on her face. As the pumpboat neared the island, the color of the water they turned from dark blue to sea green. Near the coast, children, took turns doing back flips off the bows of boats while schools of fish swarmed the water below.

"There are so many different kinds!" exclaimed Gemma

Pidro idled the boat through the shallow waters as it neared the reef. When he ran the boat ashore, everyone jumped out and tugged the pumpboat onto the beach.

"Gemma, would you rather go snorkeling or cave exploring?"

"Which one do you like best?" asked Gemma.

"I’ve never been hiking through these caves."

“Me, too.”

"Then cave exploring it is," said Gemma.

Pidro led everyone up a trail past fallen logs and boulders in their way. Deep into the lush green forest, bugs clicked and whistled all around them. Gemma waved her hands in front of her face, trying to shoo them away.

"Oh gosh, this hill is steep. Are we almost there?" said Gemma.

"Not much further," said Pidro.

"I hope not. My legs feel like rubber bands."

They rested for a few minutes as Pidro unpacked flashlights and sweatshirts while Marco shared his water canteen. The cold water refreshed Gemma as she took several large gulps.

"Save some for the trip back," said Marco.

"I’m sorry, but it’s so yummy."

Marco led the way into the cave. Gemma placed her shoe on a tree trunk and held out a hand to Marco. He helped everyone over the log. Now, it was time to go cave exploring.

"Hello!" Gemma’s voice echoed off the cavern walls.

"I can feel a cold breeze coming up from the cave," said Josie.

"You can have my jacket. It’ll get colder as we climb further down."

"What about me?" asked Gemma.

"Do you need a jacket, too?"

"No. I was just asking."

"Don’t worry, I packed a jacket for you., too."

As he descended further into the cave, Pidro’s flashlight shone on large columns of stone. Grotesque shadows danced across the cavern walls.

“Stalactites hang tight from the ceiling and stalagmites grew mightily from the bottom,” stated Pidro.

Gemma carefully chose each step as she stretched her arms outward to check her balance.

"Do you see where I’m shining my flashlight?" said Pidro.

"I don’t see anything," said Gemma.

"What’s that chirping sound?" asked Josie.

"That’s coming from a colony of fruit bats."

"Why are they making all that noise?" asked Gemma.

"Instead of using their eyes, bats use their ears. When the bats chirp, sound travels through the air and bounces off objects, just like waves in water. As the sound returns to their ears, it helps to locate objects in their way.

"Hello? Is anybody out there?" called Gemma. She carefully listened to her voice echo through the cave.

"I would make a terrible fruit bat," she said.

In places, large boulders stood in their way. Pidro climbed each boulder and stood on top to help the others. Josie jumped up and grabbed the rock ledge with her fingers. Her feet slipped on the smooth rock surface, but Pidro quickly grabbed Josie by the wrists and pulled her onto the boulder.

The tunnel narrowed in as they continued onward. When Pidro reached the top of a small ridge, he turned off his flashlight.

"Everyone turn your lights off for a second."

The cave went pitch black. With only the creek bubbling below, they could only tell the cave was vast and empty.

"Call out ‘Hello!’ now, Gemma."

"Hello!"

The cave echoed back with a hello of its own. As Pidro flashed on his light, a brilliant white beam shot across the cave that opened below them. It was hundreds of meters wide. The flashlight beam shone towards a large opening that extended into the depths of the cave.

"This part of the cave is called a grotto. It was formed by water and ice, cutting a hole in the earth. If you follow my flashlight, you can see how old this cave is."

He flashed his light against a massive stone column that extended from the ceiling to the floor.

"A long time ago, that was once just a stalactite. Over time, it grew toward the ground until it became one massive arm of stone."

"Are stalactites and stalagmites alive?" asked Gemma.

"No,” chuckled Pidro, “They are formed by mineral deposits in the water. Caves begin as small holes. Water cuts into the rock and breaks it into tiny pieces. As time passes, some of the minerals flow downstream, but others form on the rocks like wax hardens on a candle."

"How long does it take?"

"It can take hundreds or thousands of years."

Everyone peered into the heart of the cavern.

"How deep in the earth are we?"

"Not far at all," laughed Pidro.

Pidro flashed his light to the bottom of the cavern, where a small stream flowed from one end to the other.

"We came in down there by the stream, then we cut up into the other part of the cave."

They climbed down the path that curled around the edge of the grotto and over the stream again. Pidro stopped next to the stream and rinsed the sweat off his face. Gemma reached into the water. It was the coldest water she had ever felt.

As they crossed the stream and hiked the small steady slope to the entrance, the temperature began to increase. Gemma slipped on the gravel and she slid gently down the path.

"You need help?"

No, I got it," she answered.

Gemma paused, catching her feet in jags and spurs of rock. Step by step, she too made it up the slope.

"You made it all the way up without any help."

"It was no big deal," she gasped. All of the climbing wore her out, but she wasn’t about to admit it to Pidro.

Up ahead, a faint gray light showed them the way out. With a little more climbing, everyone was in daylight again.

Everyone quickly took off their jackets and sweatshirts in the hot and humid forest.

"I didn’t remember it being this hot," said Josie, “can we stop for a bite to eat?"

"I packed some rice and salted eel."

"That sounds good to me."

"Me too,” said Gemma.

“We’ll eat when we reach the pumpboat.”

They hiked down the same trail that had brought them to the cave, Pidro unpacked their lunches and they had a picnic on the boat. The rice bowl sat on top of the cooler and everyone took turns scooping out portions of rice with their hands.

"Have you had enough?" Pidro asked.

"I could do this all day," said Gemma.

"Well, it’s getting late."

"But I’m not ready to go..."

"You can come with me the next time I lead a cave tour. Would you like that?"

"I’d love to."

"Then we have a deal. Now let’s get home. I promised Mama I’d have you home in time for dinner."

Pidro drove the boat into the open sea. As Gemma looked toward Baybay, she thought about leading tours through the caves. She smiled the whole way back to the dive shop.

After they stored the gear in the boathouse, everyone went separate ways. Josie kissed Pidro and Gemma on the cheek and caught a Jeepney ride back to the city with Marcella and Marco. Pidro pushed his bike up the sand dune and onto the road. Gemma jumped on the back and away they went.

The motorcycle whizzed along the National Road, Gemma held on tightly to her older brother. She was happily exhausted as they rode home.

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