Timubo Cave, Camotes Islands, the Philippines: want to go swimming in a cavern?

Where in the world can you have the unique experience of swimming in the crystal clear waters of a cavern?  I don't know of any other places, but if you live in or travel to the Philippines, Timubo Cave on Camotes Islands  is the place to go for this one-of-a-kind and refreshing adventure.   The Camotes Islands are located in the Camotes Sea, east of the island of Cebu and southwest of Leyte Island, very "laid back", picturesque, and peaceful, non-touristy, and very accessible to residents of or tourists in Cebu City.  We drove northeast from Cebu City about an hour to the ferry in the town of Danao (passing along the way Papa Kit's Marina and Fishing Lagoon),  then took the ferry, which can carry cars, to the dock on the western-most of the Camotes Islands (San Francisco Island).  I'll write more about our trip to Camotes in later posts, but for now I'll focus on Timubo Cave.

Timubo Cave is located in/near Sonog town on San Francisco Island, Camotes.  I wouldn't know how to tell you how to get there on the island, because my sister-in-law's friend's son graciously drove us there, but I am certain that the place is quite well-known as a local tourist attraction or landmark, enough so that almost any resident of the island could tell you how to get there.   When we arrived, we paid the entrance fee, which I believe was 15 pesos per person (about 35 cents US at the time)  -- a real bargain for being able to stay there and enjoy swimming in the cave as long as you want during their hours of operation.  I've always loved swimming and being in the water, and our daughter inherited those genes, so we knew that we would be here for quite some time and would certainly "get our 15 peso's worth"!

We then proceeded to the mouth of the cave, accessed by steps going down and some interesting signage telling about how the waters of the cave have long been used as a source of drinking water for the locals of Sonog.

Our daughter at the entrance to Timubo Cave

Once we entered the mouth of the cave, we continued maybe another 50 yards into the cavern following the stairs and downward-sloping path that leads to the pool of water at the bottom.  Although the cave is dark, the path was lit well enough with lights that you do not need to carry a flashlight.  The path was relatively safe but slippers, so you have to be careful especially if wearing "flip-flop" sandals (which are commonly referred to as "slippers" in the Philippines).  My wife slipped and fell on the path (between-the-toes part of her slippers popped out), but fortunately she was fine with no injuries, and landed on her behind.   So if you do visit here,  be sure to hold the handrail.  And check out the stalagmites and stalactites.

Descending into the jaws of the cave - stalagmites and stalactites

Hold on to that hand rail... a word to the wise!

There's a kind of an "eye of the needle" type of passage right before you get to the bottom level, where you cross a little underground stream...

Constricting point along the path - the cave mud on my white shirt is from when my wife fell

Then finally we got to the bottom, where the pool where you can swim was waiting for us.  There's a little landing with rocks that serves as a "beach" where you can put your towels and shoes etc., and on the right side there is a small grotto with a shrine for the Virgin Mary and several "no smoking" signs. 

Grotto shrine with Virgin Mary statue, Timubo Cave

Take a guess who was the first one into the water...

Chillin' in the cool waters of Timubo Cave

Since this is in the Philippines in the tropics, the air temperature in this cavern was not nearly as cold as the ones in the U.S. or Europe etc., which are about a constant 56 degrees F (13 degrees C) -- this one was probably around 78 degrees F (26 degrees F).  The water temperature was refreshing, but not cold - just a little cooler than the cave's ambient air temperature.  And it was crystal clear, with no signs of algae or any visible fish, crabs or other creatures in it... didn't see any bats either, although there are some very dark areas of the cave that I couldn't access well.  

My wife and daughter fleeing the "Creature from the Black Lagoon" rising up behind them

Enjoying the water

Mermaid in Timubo Cave

This photo doesn't do justice to the clarity of the water

Without camera flash shows better the darkness (even with lighting) of the cave

Looking back toward "the beach" - my sister-in-law's friend's son with a rider on back

Piggyback rider

Mommy near the grotto

While this is fresh water and not salt water connected to the sea, there must be some kind of an air interlock to the sea that exerts a piston effect with the moon's pulling of the tides on the ocean, because there is a high tide and a low tide, as indicated by the sign.  You can go pretty far back into the cave, but the part that is lighted is not extensive (see the first pic below, which shows the dark and narrow passages).  The water is generally quite shallow (5 feet at deepest in low tide, and 6 feet at high tide), so it's quite suitable with appropriate adult supervision for children who are unafraid of the water and confident/decent swimmers... very close supervision of course for small children.  For about half of the time we were down there (we stayed quite a long time), we had the whole cave to ourselves, which was kind of cool.

This is looking down the darkest part of the cave, where it really starts to get narrow

Looking back to the "beach" on the shore

Family pic in Timubo Cave

Beautiful clear water

My sister-in-law and my wife "sunbathing" at the beach, Timubo Cave

This is another chamber of the cavern farther from the shore

Finally, when we were ready to leave, our daughter wanted to say hello to the goat which was tied near the parking lot.  I told her that he would probably try to butt his head into her legs or belly, which he did, although gently.  So before we left, she spent a little bit of time making friends with this cute little guy.

A little head-butting action from the friendly goat at Timubo Cave

We had a great time at Timubo Cave; it's a family-friendly attraction and a unique natural asset where you can partake in a refreshing swim in an unusual environment... all for P15 per head!  I would highly recommend it for any tourists and visitors to Camotes Island.  I hope to post more on Camotes soon, thanks for reading and please stay posted!

Mandaue City wet market - our tour today

It's been awhile since I've posted --  we've all been really busy tying up all the loose ends and making preparations for our family trip to the Philippines. This time, I am happy to report that I am posting almost "in real time" from the Philippines and that we're enjoying some much-needed vacation time.  

While I love all the famous tourist spots and natural beauty and beaches, historical sites, etc. of the Philippines, I also enjoy getting out and experiencing the typical, everyday "real" Philippines.  I like to go beyond the typical tourist experience, get out and mix and mingle with the people, and visit the places that are typical of everyday life in the Philippines... farms, blacksmith shops, sari-sari stores, malls, docks and piers, etc.  Like any place, I think it is important and interesting to see the many facets and diverse walks of life of the people, to get a sense of the sights, sounds and smells that are commonplace and normal for the inhabitants, but exotic for the tourists.   A short while ago this morning, we went to the Mandaue City (a suburb of Cebu) wet market, which was a great experience for me.  I've been to some smaller wet markets before, including the one in Boracay, so I knew what to expect to some extent and was really excited about going there. But I've never been to a wet market of this size and scale, so I was in for a very pleasant surprise that did not disappoint.   

The Mandaue City wet market has tons of vendor stalls with a diverse selection of all kinds of goods, including a beautiful selection of fresh fruits and vegetables of all colors (many of which cannot be found in the U.S.), eggs, rice, dry goods, some clothing and electronics, and, of course -- what makes a wet market wet -- fresh fish, seafood, and meats.  It is an indoor market in a large building and covered from the elements, although the sides of the building are open to provide ventilation.  To foreign tourists from the U.S.,  Europe, Australia, etc., a trip to a wet market in the Philippines will be quite different from what he or she has experienced in everyday life in the supermarkets in their homeland, which resemble the SM hypermarkets in the Philippines.   We have farm markets in the U.S. with farm-fresh produce, we have traditional butcher shops and fish cleaning shops, and there are wet seafood markets in the larger cities, especially in the coastal cities, but these are all quite different from the Philippine wet markets.  Many of the foods would be seen as very exotic by Westerners -- such as chicken feet ("Adidas") or rooster heads etc. -- and have been featured on some of the Food Network shows like the American celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain's show "No Reservations".  I saw Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations" episode about exotic foods to be found in the Philippines (this can easily be found in its entirety on YouTube if you are interested), and I was impressed with his great attitude, open-mindedness, and very respectful treatment of Filipinos and their culture. 

For all these reasons, I think that a trip to a large (or even small) wet market in the Philippines is a gem of an experience, and something truly not to be missed.   Getting there by way of jeepney, multicab, or pedicab, as opposed to taking an air-conditioned taxi, should also be a part of the experience.  One last tip - the seafood part of the wet market is not the place to wear your "Sunday best"... dress casually and wear sandals or shoes that can be washed afterwards, unless you want your nice leather dress business shoes to smell like a fish market!    

I was the only foreigner/tourist to my knowledge there at the time, which is a shame, because I really had fun and was treated with the well-known gracious Filipino hospitality.  I'd highly recommend going there to anyone who wants to check it out -- you'll love it!  Not to mention, there are some great deals to be had there on all kinds of fresh fruit, veggies, fish, seafood, meat, baked goods, etc. 

Eggs for sale at the Mandaue City wet market

View down an aisle of vendor stalls 

Bananas, mangoes, watermelon etc. at Mandaue City wet market

Both smiling, one shy - vendors with lots of calamansi (limes) 

Circular center of the Mandaue City wet market (this part is open-air to let in air ventilation and light)

This young egg vendor was happy to give me a cheerful smile for the camera

Eva's Banana and Fruit Retailer, Mandaue City wet market... I was surprised to see the owner's husband's authentic Pittsburgh Steelers jersey (Troy Polamalu #43)! 

Proud vegetable stall vendor, Mandaue City wet market -- humongous carrots!

Bebie Boy & An-An Meat Shop, Mandaue City wet market

"Adidas" (chicken feet) and rooster's heads... cock's combs, anyone?

Fish section at Mandaue City wet market.  Note the baskets hanging above -- these are the cash registers where vendors keep their money and make change. 

Galunggong fish at Mandaue City wet market

Butcher shop area of Mandaue City wet market. 

Segments of jackfruit pre-cut and ready to go

Poultry section at Mandaue City wet market

Jumbo prawns (shrimp) at Mandaue City wet market - these are awesome!

Eva's Banana and Fruit Retailer, Mandaue City wet market... I was surprised to see the owner's husband's authentic Pittsburgh Steelers (Troy Polamalu) jersey! 

Tata & Mia's Fresh Dressed Chicken, Mandaue City wet market

Snapshot of the action at the Mandaue City wet market

Proud vegetable stall vendor, Mandaue City wet market -- humongous carrots are about 3 times larger than the ones I've seen in the U.S. and Europe!

Cool photographs from Cebu City, Philippines - the perspective of an 8-year old photographer

During our last trip to the Philippines in July and August 2011, my wife and daughter and I stayed for a large part of the time at my wife's parents' place in a subdivision in Cebu.  While staying at her Lolo and Lola's house, our daughter (almost 8 years old at the time) developed a real bond with her Lolo and Lola's helper.  We had been to the Philippines in 2008 when our daughter was almost 5 and she also had the opportunity to meet this young lady back then, but I doubt her memories from that trip are so distinct and lasting.  This time, she became a true buddy with her Lolo and Lola's helper, and referred to her as "Ate" (pronounced "Ah-teh"), which is the Filipino word for older sister. 

Our daughter and her Ate had a mid-morning ritual of walking a few blocks together down to a sari-sari to get a little treat.  A sari sari is a small shop selling various foods and convenience items that in most cases is usually open-air and quite accessible from the street or sidewalk.  Sari-saris can be found anywhere in the Philippines,  from rural to urban to suburban settings, and are found in residential areas just as frequently (or perhaps even more often) as in commercial settings.   During these walks, her Ate would bring along an umbrella to shield themselves from the sun, and the two of them would have great fun walking together and smiling and giggling,  stopping sometimes to meet and talk to friends of her Ate (who were usually other helpers).  They truly had fun together.  These were unique experiences for our daughter, because in the States we don't have sari-sari stores (we have some similar but not exactly like this), we don't typically use an umbrella unless it rains, we don't have helpers, and the architecture of houses and the plants/trees are quite different from back home.  And then there is the much different selection of treats and goodies available at a Philippine sari-sari!  Our daughter tried a variety of Magnolia ice cream drumsticks, some Mentos different than the ones we have in the U.S., etc.

One one or maybe more occasions, our daughter brought her camera along on these walks, and took some really interesting photos from the perspective of an almost 8-year-old Filipina-American who was developing an appreciation of both the fascinating differences and similarities between her own familiar world back in the states and those within this little microcosm of a small subdivision of Cebu.   Armed with a camera and a smile, and free from her parents for a short while with the gracious help and interpretation of the Visayan language of her Ate, she had some experiences that  truly made an impression on her and for which she'll have lasting memories.  The photographs speak volumes about the pure wonder and innocence of a child, her physical height above sidewalk/street level, her interests and things that she deemed important or fantastic or notable.   And the photographs show the love and kindness of her Ate who, although not a blood relative, took care of her just like a little sister, both of them communicating and enjoying each other's company despite   more than a few barriers and challenges in the dialogue between English and Visayan. 

Here are some samples of the (many) photos our daughter took from their walks together; only one was not taken by our daughter:

One of Ate's friends in Cebu City

"Ate" in her Joe Cool Snoopy shirt

"Ate" upholding the shade

"Ate" with some of her friends in Cebu

In the sari-sari (the only picture not taken by our daughter, but by her "Ate")

Garbage dumping fine:  500 pesos

Philippine papayas

Fridges inside the sari-sari (I'll take the one on the left, please)

Lonely trike (Cebu City)

A mama (or maybe a helper) shielding the baby with an umbrella (Cebu City)

Bananas hangin' high

Sweet wrought iron gate design pattern (note the bubbles)! (Cebu City)

The infamous "business end" of a dog (Cebu City)

Another interesting gate design (Cebu City)

House and truck - cool roofing tiles! (Cebu City)

Fat-bottomed tree (Cebu City)

Multicab pickup truck (Cebu City)

Pedicab driver with gloves and biking sleeves (Cebu City)

Pedicab driver picking up passengers (Cebu City)

Taxi cab driver hangin' out (Cebu City)

Trike trekkers carrying a load (Cebu City)

Camansi fruits on tree in Cebu

Gate and wall around a house (Cebu City)- hey, isn't that those trike guys down the street?

Water storage tower in Cebu