There is a presence, grand and mystic, that lurks in caves. History harkens the images of men seeking shelter in caves as they made the first paintings of the beasts they’ve encountered. Moving away from the caves marked a monumental change in our psyche for we became individuals who were out to conquer the vast open spaces of land out there. But once in a while, we go back to the caves, to confront our primeval beginnings. This pilgrimage also involves a communion with Nature and leaving behind one’s comfort zone to confront things that are not familiar to us.
High up in the mountainous terrain of Sagada, the Sumaguing Cave opens its mouth with a graceful curvature, to welcome visitors for a temporal communion between man and nature. Here, the Self gets left behind.
You can already feel the drop in temperature as you descend. Your breath begins to thicken into cupfuls of cold air. Navigating the rocky terrain, the shadows that are casted move according to the bearer of the gaslight. The darkness now surrounds you, and you don’t seem to mind.
Farther out into the cave, you’ll see formations of rocks. Sculpted by time, these stalactites and stalagmites are natural art exhibits whose shapes range from animals to naughty body parts. The Sumaguing also serves as the headquarters of that dreaded figure of the night—the bat, and there’s a lot of them here.
Then as you maneuver through the rocks, it could get a little difficult, so you will be asked to take off your footwear. Dip in your feet and feel the cold and sometimes exfoliating sensation that the stones give. Prepare for a rappelling session that will test your resolve on holding on. If not, a leap of faith amongst the rocks does not look like a good idea. Don’t worry, for the trusty local guide will always be willing to lend a hand just in case things get a little hard.
After nearly an hour’s worth of journeying into the cave, it is now time to head back. You will once again crawl, slither, and take small steps back out into the light. It takes time for your eyes to adjust to the light of the sun. As you look back to where you’ve come from, you remember the voices (of other visitors who were in awe or scared), and it included your voice too. It is just an entertaining thought to think that these snippets of conversations and exclamations have now fused themselves with the stones. The cave remembers and you reunite with the Self you’ve left behind.
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