Prior to my trip to Quirino, I have yet to hear anything about this land-locked province next to Aurora. Not a word, all I saw were photos. As the cliché goes, pictures paint a thousand words, but those words seem hollow, they had no experiences, no meaning.
Other than a friend I invited, I was traveling with complete strangers. I kept an open mind, as my adventurous side got the best of me; besides, where’s the fun in exploring a place you have not been to with a fixed itinerary and with people you already know?
Getting lost is part of the discovery
There is an element of surprise to any new thing one does, whether it is starting a new job or visiting a country for the first time. You make plans, envision things to do; but you get lost, look at the map multiple times, and still get lost.
Technology failed us on our trip to Quirino; Google Maps took us through verdant rice fields and nipa huts, as we got lost along the way. Our van went around the same farmlands twice before we returned to a main road, easily consuming almost an hour.
“This trip is off to quite a start,” I thought to myself.
The desultory lurching of the van, and the zigzagging, ascending and descending on rough then paved roads took us through a comely mountainrange. In the midst of the towering mountains, we finally saw houses.
There we were, a few hours off the itinerary, in one of the bucolic towns of Quirino.
Nature at its rawest
Our guide advised us to get straight to the day’s activities to avoid missing out, as there were attractions that will close after 5 p.m. There were few tourists, hardly any; I love the town already.
The Siitan River created a mellifluous tune, as the gentle waves turned strong as they coursed downstream or lapped against the shore. The scars of the earth towered over the waters, with their beaten and scratched faces taking on different shapes. Fetching in a way only nature can make something.
We were like children again, playing in the river, jumping off more than 15-foot-high cliffs, waiting for the tubes. Our water tubes arrived ready for our ride down the river. I had mixed feelings about the tubing experience, as the waters were calm in some parts and raging in others, but I was not complaining; I was in good company, and the surrounding rock formations were beautiful.
Our guide took us to a 15-foot-high cliff for some diving fun after a scenic boat ride. Everyone was hesitant at first, eagerly looking down to measure just how high we have to jump. Others were braver, taking the plunge as soon as they reached the cliff’s tongue. I had doubts about jumping. But after several failed attempts, I jumped; hands flailing, feet soaring.
Our group of strangers turned friends headed further up town to catch the sunset on Landingan View Deck. The short ride to the viewpoint took us to scenic locations around the municipality. The slow rise and fall, and labyrinthine turns of the road that hugged the mountains revealed a simple life of planting and farming. The rolling hills were different from the high-rise buildings that we were accustomed to.
The view deck gave us a spectacular, overlooking view as the river conflates with the mountains. Time stood still for a moment, vestiges of a simpler life were upon us as the fleeting rays of the sun descended.
Despite the mishaps, the day ended on a high note. I was eager to discover more of Quirino.
The next day was off to a quick start as we embarked early to visit the Aglipay Caves. The cave lies 10 kilometers from Cabarroguis, the capital of Quirino. Since its discovery in 1983, 37 cave chambers have been accounted for, eight of which fully explored and four open for tourists.
As we entered the cave, the stalactites and stalagmites’ sharp teeth were on full display. Prepare yourself to get dirty; the cave chambers widened and tightened as we made our way through muddy and dark environs. We had to duck, crawl and use our hands to get through to the other side.
There are times when we had to squeeze into a crack not even large enough for an average-sized person to fit into. It was the closest I felt to being reborn, fighting out of a womb, on my hands and knees, following the light.
Each chamber has unique rock formations; from a bride and groom waiting to be married to chandelier-like furniture hanging on the ceiling. We let our imagination wander as we discovered the cave.
From subterranean exploration, our group made its way to Governor’s Rapids for a boat ride and another cave. The ride took us through soaring rock formations, probably hundreds of years old, with nature’s hands wringing its body, scratching, pulling and molding until it formed its present yet evolving shape.
We reached another cave that was smaller than Aglipay’s but just as thrilling. We slithered through low passages and tight corners, until we found a small but cool waterfall. We thought the crawling through the entrance was difficult, getting out was an adventure in itself. We were chest-to-chest with the cave’s body as we tried to exit, with a steep drop on a makeshift ladder leading out to our boat.
Our last stop was a long and labyrinthine drive over the mountains, with a short trek through an idyllic town to Pensal Falls. The tricycle we rented for P400 round trip could not take the steep rising and falling of the mountain’s body and rugged terrain, as we had to make several stops to alight and push or walk, under the scorching heat of the sun.
Almost an hour went by with rough roads and verdant landscapes behind us, we arrived at Pensal Falls; I was disappointed as the falls were smaller than I expected.
“This is it?” I said to myself. Disappointment turned to relief, as we were told of a natural water slide right next to the falls. Our group took turns sliding down the waterfalls’ face, giddy, like children in a playground.
Day turned into night, as we clambered back to where our tricycles dropped us. We were hurrying back to the hotel for our return trip to Manila. Most of us were weekend warriors escaping the daily grind of a 9-to-5.
The mishaps, long and winding roads that transformed from paved to rough, the comely landscapes and small town feel made the (mis)adventures worth it.
Let the experiences walk in, make a mess, break things; let them cut your skin, bleed, leave a mark. Maybe you discover something, maybe not, but do not cage that child-like wonder, let it ramble, lost.
Joshua Berida & Rodrigo Acuzar Jr.