Ok, obviously we’ve been tourists from the get go, but we did our first “here, take our money and lead us around like children. Tell us where to go and where to sit and provide us information – tidbits on history, culture, geology and ecology- and then also provide our food please”. And Salamat’po! Yes! Sweet tour living. Hahahaha!
We visited the Underground River and it really was spectacular. It’s insane to think how these caverns and rock formations were formed one hair breadth a year. Now they soar up a hundred feet with stalactites creating myriad formations in browns, grays, blacks and whites and bats by the hundreds clinging to surfaces and swooping around you. It was a hotbed of tour groups but I did appreciate their attempts to maintain the site: minimal noise (we were provided personal Walkman esque audio tours-super cheesy at times, but that’s sorta my style, and it was peppered with excellent information about the rocks and geology and ecology as well) and the boats were paddled by a guide who had the only light- and when that went out: Dark. The can’t-see-your-hand-in-front-of-your-face-dark. Pretty cool. So cool it was worth the intense guano smell. And we definitely kept our mouths shut when we looked up. Marion was particularly concerned about getting dirty water (I think she heard that more than the avoidance of bat excrement) in her mouth. She’s my health concerned babe. Let her tell you about mosquitoes 😆 Alys is also convinced she is not allergic to mosquito saliva like most people and so her bites don’t itch. I’m not convinced she just hasn’t had any bites. But maybe. Hope that’s the case.
Even just the boat ride across the bay felt like an amazing treat. Despite the sprinkles it was warm and refreshing and the bankas are really picturesque in their blues and whites with bamboo outrigger supports. The water is blue-green and the cliffs stripped and topped with jungle greens. Who doesn’t love a boat ride? I haven’t even gotten seasick yet! (Knock on wood). And I made it through the twisty turny drive without having to stop 🙂
The Adobo Hobos 