Since I was eager to explore popular tourist attractions closer to Tagbilaran City, RJane (Kiva Coordinator at CEVI) and I arranged for a little trip to the Hinagdanan Cave and Bohol Bee Farm one sunny Saturday.
The Hinagdanan Cave is located in Dauis, Bohol on Panglao Island. We were greeted by Ray, one of the cave tour guides (who also happens to be a camera expert!) who led us into the 1600 year old cavern. It took me a few moments to get acclimated – it was pitch black, hot and very humid. I tried my best to quell my paranoia about being surrounded by bats – the sound of flapping wings drumming in my ears. Ray, sensing that RJane and I were convinced we’d get attacked by bats reassured us that there were no bats in the cave, only sparrows (who’s nests are highly sought after to be used in bird’s nest soup – a delicacy).
The next 45 minutes included a mini-hike/photo shoot over stalagmites and under stalactites. As Ray led us through the cave, he would direct us to prime photo spots, having us pose in the darkness while he fidgeted with our cameras to get the perfect shot. He made it up the limestone rocks so effortlessly, leaving RJane and myself feeling like we should’ve come better prepared with our sneakers.
As we made it deeper into the cave, we noticed shafts of natural light from openings atop - swallows swooping in and out of the openings. The deep lagoon at the center of the cave where visitors commonly swim was empty, save the little fish we would occasionally see pop to the surface.
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| After we explored the Hinagdanan Cave we learned that it's filled with various contaminants. We hope we didn't cause any permanent damage to ourselves! |
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| With our fabulous tour guide, Ray. |
The Bohol Bee Farm is a little haven for those who enjoy being surrounded by nature and eating organic food. We took a guided tour through the organic farm, learned more than we ever wanted to know about the mating patterns of bees, and enjoyed a wonderful lunch overlooking the ocean.
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