The Grand Bucas Grande

What a shame. My father was from Surigao del Norte--a mere hour from the beautiful islands of Socorro. I had been going to and from Bad-as where my Lola lived. But when my sister asked me about Socorro, my mind was blank. I really hadn't heard of the place until I saw Maey B. and Betong jump albeit reluctantly at the diving cove in Sojoton. And I thought, 'Goodness me. How did this place escape my notice?' I then decided I need to go there.

So, finally, May 3, 2013 saw the fulfillment of that decision. My sister, my niece, my nephew and I went to Bad-as in time for the town fiesta. It was a better occasion--I got to see more of my relatives and I got to experience the magic of Bucas Grande.

The next day, the group more than double, courtesy of my cousins. We were going to Socorro. My cousin Bing had contacted another cousin in Socorro who also happened to be a Municipal councilor. (Cuz Mero, thanks again for making our outing easier.)

Our problem was the transportation which was yet unsettled. Cousin Rex helped us with that. Come morning, however, it was still a bit of a problem. The driver was still somewhere else. We were supposed to be in Hayanggabon at 6:00 a.m. I hadn't been able to sleep enough the night before because of excitement. We were all awake at 4:00, but the transportation came at almost 6:00. Cuz Mero, (the councilor) sent a text message saying the boat was already at the Hayanggabon Port. And we were still in Bad-as!

Out of courtesy (and fear that the boat might leave without us) we called the boatman and told him to wait. So off we moved. We drove (our driver drove, that is) as fast as was allowable, and then, plak! We heard an explosion. Actually, it was more like a loud pop. It was our rear tire. At least there was a spare. Changing tires held us for another 5 minutes. Our trip was supposed to go smooth after that until we heard another blag! That was the spare tire that fell from the roof of the jeep when we did a sharp turn.

We finally arrived at Hayangabon one hour and thirty minutes late. We didn't waste any more time. Some twenty minutes later, I could see the mysterious islands of Sojoton. Another twenty minutes and we were at the reception area. I could see several groups ahead of us. The receptionist told us that there were so many guests that day (it was Saturday, after all, so I was kind of expecting it). He further told us they did not have life vests available, so we had to really be careful and listen to the guides. It really didn't bother me. (What are the odds that we might drown?)

We waited a bit for our smaller pump boat to take us to the Sojoton cove. When the receptionist finally told us our boat was there, we excitedly boarded and braced ourselves for an awe inspiring experience.

The guide gave each of us a helmet, which intrigued me more. When we neared the 'gate' of the cove, I understood why.

Cave entrance to Sohoton Cove

I was so excited. From the things I had read about the place, I thought I was prepared for whatever was in store for us. But no amount of reading and picture viewing was  enough to prepare me for the serenely enchanting scene beyond the dark confining rocky entrance.

Our first stop, Hagukan Cave (Snoring Cave), which was so named because it allegedly snores during high tide. The guide warned us that we might need to hold our breath for at least one minute and swim through a half-submerged opening to the cave. Of course, this got me and my companions nervous. But when we got there, another group was there ahead of us, and their guide said there was still a foot clearance, so we still had room to breathe. What a relief. So, all we had to do was relax and lie on the water and practically put ourselves in the hands of our guides.

entrance to Hagukan cave

It was an eerie experience. Inside the cave was very dark except for the flashes of my underwater camera. Since we did not have life vests, and only two of my companions could really swim, we just crowded in one portion of the cave where there was a boulder that we could step on. Five minutes was enough stay in the place. And off we went to our next destination.

Magkukuob Cave. Another challenging feat. Another dark and rough destination. We went inside the cave single pile as there were obstacles beneath the surface of the water. I was delicately navigating the way, but I still scraped my knees with the rock. After about five minutes of tortuous climb along the dark and complicated maze to the cave's exit, we finally found light.

Whew! What a climb!

 But relief turned to anxiety when I saw the distance of the water below where our boat was. We needed to jump into the water at least five feet high or go back to the dark labyrinth we came from. Add the pressure of people coming and the threat of the high tide. So, jump I did. And my spirit jumped out of me for a second there.

It's easier to just look than to actually jump.

That then concluded our Sohoton experience.

Off we went to our next destination. But first, we had to stop at the reception cottage to wait for our ride to our next destination -- the Jelly fish sanctuary. Since motorboats were not allowed in the habitat, we paddled our way there. It was an anticlimax. I had so looked forward to swimming with the jellyfish, but our guide said it was prohibited since it may disturb these sea creatures. But then, the experience of holding the jellyfish was exceptional in itself.

It's really soft, shiny and smooth. Just the way a jelly should be.

We were then off to the receiving area where our big boat was waiting to take us to a cottage owned by a cousin, Mero. It was a great beach. Reminded me of my Lola's polvoron, except that the sand felt finer. 

Polvoron-like sand

We had our lunch there and then we were off to our next stop: The Fortuna lagoon. It was an intriguing journey. Our guide lead us through a semi-forested area. It was a five-minute walk until serenity. It was an area isolated from the rest of the world. Very quiet. At the time, though, the silence was broken by my group's excited screams and shrieks and jumps into the still water. I would have loved to stay there the whole day, but knowing our time was limited, I regretfully followed the group when it was time to leave. 

Peaceful stillness

Our next stop was the Crystal cave. Hearing its name, I had every bright imagination twinkling in my head. But when we reached the reception area, we were each given a flashlight that got me wondering what kind of crystal we were going to see in the cave. Or was it just a name? It was indeed dark inside, and the flashlights proved useful. Inside the cave, there were walls and poles of stalactites and stalagmites that twinkled in the rays of our flashlights. It was a wonder, indeed. We went deeper into the cave, until we reached some kind of an endless hollow, which really made me feel queasy. On our way  out, we noticed another small opening that intrigued us. The guide told us that there was a really small space in there that has small pebbles. It is where its name got--Bolitas Cave. Challenged, we proceeded into the cave. It was such a feat. We could not stand up. We crawled and twisted and wounded and bruised ourselves in the process.  There was a breathing space inside that was enough for one person to stretch. The way back out was more challenging as I seemed to have used up all the oxygen in my body. But I got out--whole and alive!

Bahala nagkalisod basta smile lang jud. Pagawas sa Bolitas Cave. 

After that twisting and twirling and flexing, we badly needed relaxation. So our guide took us to Cinnamon beach where we washed the mud and blood  off our  drained bodies.

Goofing around at Cinnamon beach.

At around 4:30 pm, we had to leave because we still had to travel to Surigao City.
It was one fantastic day. One I wouldn't mind repeating.