For: Rick Enrique’s
Travel Guide
Date: April 29 - May 06, 2005
Pototan Cave one of Bicols’s many wonders
Unlike the other caves of Bicol, Pototan Cave in the forests
of Batan Island in Albay province is reportedly the only
one that remained unexplored for various reasons, among
these is accessibility. Pototan Cave used to be accessible
only by five to seven hours of mountain climbing and trekking
from the main Batan Island and six to eight hours more to
explore its entrance and different zones. The coal rich
Batan Island is sandwiched by two other islands, Cagraray
and Rapu-Rapu, and lies east of Legazpi City. Travel from
Legazpi port to Batan takes about one and one-half hours
by motorized boat. But nowadays, tourists no longer have
to go to the main Batan Island to reach the cave. A road
has been built from Barangay Sula in Sto. Domingo town going
to Barangay Misibis in Cagraray. At barangay Misibis, one
can take the boat, which is less than an hour trip. By road,
visitors can go through Barangay Mosboron, and it takes
only 40 minutes to reach the cave.
It took us only 20 minutes
via motorized boat from Misibis Resort to reach the Pototan
Cave. The cave has huge entrance and one can wade half a
kilometer in water, after which I was told that only scuba
divers can proceed because the water was at least six meters
deep. Had I been properly garbed I could have explored the
cave. My guide, who was also not even prepared for the adventure,
did not even have a flashlight or torch to light our way
to the cave, which inside was pitch black.
I had explored a cave in
Palawan, which has an underground river. We went in by boat
with a huge torch, and the guide provided us with coat to
protect us from the cool temperature inside, and other protective
gears, like helmets and boots.
I was told however, that
wading in the dark would enable us to see the splendor of
a balcony-like structure of stalactites and towering chamber.
From the chamber’s top, my guide told me, water flows
from a stream. The cave also teems with terraces of waterfall-like
contours that were formed by water spilling from a cauliflower-shaped
structure of stalactites, which has vertical potholes through
which crystal-clear water flows.
During the rainy season,
my guide told me, the cave's entrance area is rocky and
water accumulates up to two meters deep, building up waves
that can become turbulent. Moreover, the water inside the
cave reaches up to eight meters during the raining season.
My guide told me wild and
exotic animals such as bats, cray fish, crabs, shrimps and
pythons are found inside the cave. Normally, my guide said,
pythons are seen at the entrance zone, but fortunately,
we did not encounter any at the time. The pythons come out
during the dry season but the presence of hunters according
to him, somehow threatens them. No python attacks have been
reported so far, according to him.
A pier is being built in
the area that leads to a flight of concrete stair zigzagging
into the mouth of the cave. On the topmost of the stair,
is a good view of the ocean and the surrounding islands.
We stayed there for a little while to enjoy the beautiful
sight, before proceeding back to the Sula Channel. Our driver
was already waiting for us at the pier, said to have been
built during the American occupation of Legaspi.
At the time of this writing, I am back in the Philippines,
exploring more destinations that I could recommend to world
travelers and to you my readers. For any comments or inquiry
about any of the articles in this column please email me
at Rick@travelinternational.net I would like to hear from
you. for all your travel needs, air, hotels, resorts, spa's
in the Philippines call 310-327-5143,or visit us on the
web at www.travelinternational.net.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
©
2004 Travelinternational.net All
rights reserved.
Phone: +1 310.327.5143;
E-mail:
info@Travelinternational.net
Travel International Group is a proud
member of AFTA.
Association of Filipino Travel Agents of Southern California.
