I am almost done with my Surigao obsession. I have been to the top Surigao destinations a couple of times and in some cases watched with horror as some of those I’ve visited turned from an exclusive natural territory to a human infested local tourist trap. It’s the way of progress I guess but still watching everything unravel can sometimes be gut-wrenching.

It seems only yesterday when I first discovered the enchanted river in Hinatuan along with a couple of mates. We braved going to where the river is on a habal-habal fearing that our knees would be no more if we figure in a horrible spill should our driver lose control. But some things are worth tempting fate over.

We spent hours jumping from the river bank to the blue water that was supposed to be enchanted. We saw children climb the highest trees and jump fearlessly into the river. We tasted the almost sweet water that’s naturally cleaned every time the tide comes in.

When I went back a couple of months later, I was almost blinded by the neon orange life savers that visitors wear to swim on the river. Lots of them neon orange things. Several structures have already been built near the bank of the river and while the structures make swimming safer for the visitors, the trade off is that its natural beauty is almost gone. The enchanted river has made a turn towards commercialized tourism and there’s no going back.

This December I’ll make one final journey around the entire Surigao province and then focus my energies towards another near province that is Davao. While I believe that I’ll never be able to find the same things I experienced in Surigao, I’m hopeful that Davao will present a different level of enjoyment, and that can only make things more interesting.

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Going To Sohoton Cove

And I thought I’m through with Surigao, turns out I still have a million reasons, nay, a million jellyfishes to return to. After my Siargao adventure, I told myself that it’s time to head north, to explore the other parts of Palawan, the so-called Final Frontier. Sohoton was supposed to be one of my destinations in Surigao, but I thought it’s just another cove, another body of water. You know, like been there, done that.

I didn’t know what possessed me, it maybe the fear of missing out on something that prompted me to search for pictures of Sohoton. And boy was I glad I did.

True, Sohoton is just another cove to the uninformed, but these massive number of jellyfishes (not sure if this is the correct plural term for jellyfish, but I’m sure you get what I mean) would surely beg to disagree.

From what I’ve read, Between the months of January – September, these non-sting jellyfishes would congregate in the Sohoton cove and one could actually swim with them. I could imagine that it must feel like swimming in a bowl of jelly. But since I haven’t done it, I have to experience it firsthand.

So to Sohoton I shall go. But since I’m going there during my Christmas break, I just hope that they somehow deviate from their pattern and stay in the area until the christmas season.

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ooOoo

Photo from gadgetcrave.com

On a sidetone, I am really looking forward to Christmas. My treasurer, the significant other has declared that my christmas present under the christmas tree will contain no less than a DSLR. Oh joy! I’ll finally graduate from my trustee ol’ point-and-shoot cam to a more sophisticated one. I was supposed to buy a second hand Canon 450D DSLR but the SO wouldn’t have any of it. She wants me to have a camera that nobody has ever touched yet. Awww.

Now I’m really, really excited. Christmas can’t come fast enough. I wonder what Canon model she’ll get me? A Canon 7D perhaps? Too expensive I know, but you know what, far stranger things have happened.
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Related Posts:

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• Sohoton Cove and Bucas Grande in Caraga declared protected areas … – Sohoton Cove and Bucas Grande in Caraga declared protected areas.

After some idle time, I decided to cut short my account on Hinatuan’s Enchanted River. Perhaps its just boredom or maybe its the lure of another spot waiting for me to set foot on. Right now I’m salivating on the thought of going to Tinuy-an Falls somewhere in Bislig, Surigao Del Sur. I know, I’ve been focusing on this part of Mindanao but I don’t fault myself for it. Surigao has awesome spots that are just waiting to be discovered and broken in. Too bad that they’re not so accessible but who knows? Maybe in the future when things turn for the better, this part of the Philippines will be the next great destination. I just have to do my little share of opening it up so that others can see what they’ve long refused to see.
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#2  An old woman that we spoke to during our visit said that if you have a video camera, you will be able to capture ‘unearthly’ beings in the background.  She said this matter of factly that I just had to try taking a video of some kids jumping from the riverside trees down to the river. Nothing out of the ordinary appeared.

#3  One tale that’s oft repeated is about a few guys who left fine meshed nets in the deeper part of the river for three days (the local fishing term is “namukot”). This is a fishing lure that almost always guarantees lots of catch. When the fisher folks returned after three days, their fishing nets were hanging on the trees by the river bank.

#4 It is said that no matter how hard you fish in the enchanted river, you won’t be able to catch one. There was the case of the famous spear fisher who spent an hour and a half underwater only to come up with nothing. He can clearly see the fishes but he can’t hit them with his spear gun. Another was told of some folks from Mangagoy who brought with them their fancy fishing rods with the reels and all. One man in particular spent half a day fishing and didn’t catch a thing.

#5 The old woman in #2 said that you can catch fish in the river. You only have to “ask” for it.

#6 Frustration seeping in, some folks allegedly resorted to dinamite fishing just to get to the very big fishes that you can clearly see from the top. At first they thought they caught a lot because lots of dead fishes were floating around when they detonated their dinamites (the morons). But when they hauled their catch, there were only five fishes. The rest of the dead floating fish disappeared, just like that.

#7 At the very head of the enchanted river is a cave that’s accessible when the tide is low. Some foreigners were able to gain access and came to the end where there’s no water and they actually walked. The end of the cave was a small low ceilinged room where there’s a table made of limestone and a few limestone chairs as well. Apparently they took a picture of it but it wasn’t with the river caretaker when he told us this story.

After swimming for a while. We had to do some dangerous stuff. Jumping off from the river cliff. It’s not that high mind you but when you think about where you’re going to be jumping, looking down at that blue, blue, bottomless water, it makes you think twice. But we jumped anyway. Heck, you only live once.

When it was my turn, I summoned all my courage, closed my eyes and took the leap. I thought my eardrums would pop. I felt a stinging sensation in the inside of my arms (maybe because I was flailing too much) but I felt deep satisfaction for having jumped.

I’m not so sure if I will be able to return to this river again. I’m just glad that for once in my life I was able to see it with my own eyes. Not many Filipinos can say they did.
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Instead of an overnight visit, we made a daytrip out of our Cagwait adventure.  A downpour early in the afternoon got us all drenched and cold and wanting to go home badly.  Nothing like the weather to start raining in your parade.  But I’m getting ahead of myself.
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My Cagwait adventure started with dark skies.  Dark, like this.[ad#link468]

Because it was still night.  I was  up way ahead of everyone and already plotting out the rest of the day.

From San Francisco, Agusan Del Sur, we have to go through Barobo, Surigao Del Sur, traverse slippery, unpaved, potholed, muddy roads before we can even hope of reaching our destination.  In short we have one hell of a road trip in front of us and I’m liking it already.

The naysayers did not disappoint, there were roads where we have to move at a snail’s pace just so we don’t get stuck in mud.  Our car’s underchassis is sure going to need a thorough washing after the ordeal.  And yet these are the same roads that have already been declared completed and operational (is this true? I hope not).  But just look at this (trust me, this one is tame, we had to go through roads that are a lot worse than this).  The scenery however is superb.  You get green forests, vegetations, and people trying to destroy mountains.

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We also stopped over beach resorts that folks say have good beaches.  So we passed by Pugad Beach Resort.  This one’s in Lianga I think.  Erm, no failed to impress.  It didn’t help that it was high tide as well which somehow hid the beach.  Still, it’s just a shade above the ordinary.

Then we went to Cansilag Beach Resort.  Again it’s just along the way but we stopped there nonetheless bouyed by another friend’s suggestion that the food there is terrific.  But at P500/kilo for crabs?  I don’t think so I don’t have to travel south of Manila to get that price.  The resort has some potential though.  The owners clearly put in some serious money to lure people to go there.  It’s alright, but if you’re really into beaches, like me, this might not be your cup of tea.  But still this one is seriously way better than Pugad.

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It was the mountains after that and roads that would make the lighthearted seriously consider going home.  But again we’ve had scenery that would have inspired the great Fernado Amorsolo to paint so it was alright.  We’ve also had stretches of paved roads from San Agustin to Marihatag that were pure joy.  Enough to somehow blunt the edges of those nasty mudcakes they call roads here.

After almost three hours of interesting driving, we hit paydirt– Cagwait at last!  Of course there should be a little lawbreaking to commemorate the occasion.  Our little posse of kids and their old folks managed to overlook the keep off the grass sign and gamely posed for posterity.

Cagwait, as mentioned by PAL’s Mabuhay Magazine was referred to as the Waikiki of the South.  Where they got the notion I have no idea.  I would be no less baffled had they referred to it as YKK the zipper instead of Waikiki.  It is no Boracay you can be sure of that.  And to call it a ‘white beach’ well you’ll have to excuse our penchant for hyperbole and exaggeration.  It’s no white beach or even an ochre beach or mother of pearl beach.  Sorry for pointing it out but it’s not.  It’s closer to light brown but when the sand is completely sun dried, there are some angles that would make you consider calling it white.

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Is it any lesser then because it’s not white?  Of course not.  Cagwait may not be the “Waikiki of the South” but it has it’s own charm.  For example, the sand is superfine.  One only has to look at it and notice that it is so.  The water is also perfectly fine.  It’s clear and warm and doesn’t have those sudden drops that are so hazardous for beach lovers.  It’s also very clean.  In short Cagwait is perfectly made for swimming and frolicking.  I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the beach to families.  Even to barkadas or corporate folks who want to have out of town seminars.  The resort has a convention center (sort of) where corporate types can hold seminars and all that.

While there are concrete structures on the resort, I wouldn’t venture as to say that it is already commercialized.  I didn’t see any bar or watering hole in the area.  This is ok for local tourism but if the local government wants to attract tourists from other parts of the country, watering holes can be persuasive.

After a half day of frolicking under the sun, the weather suddenly changed and we were driven off the beach by a torrential downpour.  After the rain the tide receded and low tide set in, exposing some of Cagwait Beach’s secrets…

Going Home

Sadly, we had to say goodbye to the place.  But the journey didn’t stop there.  Along the way, we stopped over at Wakat where there’s a cave where people say that if you go through it, you can walk all the way through Baba.  The only thing is nobody has done it before.  Not sure about this but that’s what I’ve been told anyway.  There is a river flowing through this cave and people love taking a dip here.  See below.  This cave is just along the Barobo – San Francisco road so it’s a can’t miss spot.  Just look for the pictured signage.

The End – Dude, Where’s My Car? Lol.

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