More caves!

On the way home after our trip to Quezon, we went to the Tabon caves. A lovely boat ride took us out to the peninsular where all the caves are and then a beautiful walk around the peninsular going through six caves of different sizes.

There are over 200 caves in total, with continuous archaeological work going on, as many very old human remains have been found in the caves, plus other evidence that some of the first settlers on Palawan lived in the caves.

It was a fascinating little trip in a beautiful place. A good path has been built around all the cliffs and steep hills, but I have no idea how the first people to live there got into the high caves or found them... I guess by sea as some of the caves go down to the water. Click on the pic to see an album of more photos.

Remote village Quezon... awesome

I'm back from a three-day trip to the south of our island, to a remote village in the mountains called Quezon. We went to visit some missionaries working for New tribes Mission. There are other villages higher in the mountains where they work as well - and there are still others that have never been reached and know nothing of life beyond the mountains... but we didn't have time to go and see them. But it was fantastic to see this village where they now have a school and church.

In the higher mountain villages they have never heard of school and don't understand it, but the missionaries are teaching some of them to read their native Pawawano language so they can at least read the bible.

All of the guys from the team went on the trip. It was long, very bumpy journey until the roads run out, and then keep going on a rough track... then a long, smaller track going towards the mountains. At that point we could go no further in our small coach and took trikes (motorbike with side car) up towards the mountains, crossing a river at a beautiful ford. Eventually there was an even smaller footpath through the jungle and the last part of the journey had to be walked (although on our way back we rode a water buffalo and cart!).

The village was made of beautiful, native-style houses, and staying in one was a lovely experience. They are very comfortable and feel safe because they are up off the ground away from the worst of the jungle animals and snakes. 

The people were very friendly and let us see their houses and we watched them demonstrate things like beating rice. It was awesome to see what they do and meeting the people. I talked a little about my relationship with God at a meeting and enjoyed seeing everything and walking in the jungle. There wasn't any actual physical work for us to do, but it was lovely just to watch and see how the people live, and learn what these missionaries do. At some point, I would love to visit the remote villages because this one does know a bit about the world outside the jungle. They know there are schools - they are just to far away - and there is a generator for a few houses, so it wasn't the full jungle hut experience... but it was still great.

Click on the pic to see an album of photos I shot during the trip.