Monday, July 09, 2007

3RD EXTREME CAVING

SAMAR ISLAND GUIDE: EXPLORER JONI A. BONIFACIO TEL: 055-2512301
CELL:09192943865 / 09053233572

WEBSITE: www.bonifaciojoni.blogspot.com

3RD EXTREME CAVING
LANGUN-GOBINGOB CAVE
CALBIGA,SAMAR
MAY 22-23,2007


PARTICIPANTS:

1.JONI A. BONIFACIO - TREXPLORE GUIDE - CATBALOGAN CITY
2.SHERWIN S. ORBETA - TREXPLORE GUIDE - GANDARA,SAMAR
3.MARIA ANGELMAE P. ROLDAN - SFC - CATBALOGAN CITY


BEYOND LIMITS
by: Angelmae Roldan

People are amazing because of the differences it bears. By nature, God made us to be unique and distinct from one another. We have personal identification which becomes a mark of our personality. But what is amazing is our desire of going beyond our limits; of being highly extreme which makes up a one of a kind personality.
Most often, we are the one who put limit into our capability as a human being. We easily put a wall into something we don’t usually do or we feel that we cannot make. But, we never realize how this can be beneficial to us.
I am Maria Angelmae Pegarido Roldan; an ordinary government project worker; 25 yrs old; four feet and eleven inches in high and not that physically fit conquered the Langun-Gobingob Caves 2nd Largest in East Asia Karsts Formation.
It was May 22, 2007 when I get the chance of joining the 3rd Extreme Caving in Langun-Gobingob Cave of Calbiga organized by Trexplore headed by Joni Bonifacio and Sherwin Orbeta a friend of mine. Unfortunately I was the only participant who happens to come to the invitation. But fortunately it was an advantage because I got the chance to have with me two wonderful persons who patiently guided me throughout the activity. I called them The Hunks! And it’s a must for you to meet this two exciting people.
I started the day with a very wonderful morning praying to God for guidance and a safe adventure. I had mixed emotions because I was thinking of my expectations and outcome with the exploration I am going to. But facing with two brave and joyful people was truly inspiring. You will never have a dull moment with them.
It was also my first time riding on a habal-habal ( a single motorcycle ) being in front of the driver. God! It was the start of my adventure because it almost turned my entrails upside down. But the trekking was fun because you’ve got to feel the real excitement. You will be figuring out how gorgeous would be the cave paving the very long and hilly road of Barangay Panayuran. But the viewing deck is a thirst quencher for it truly pays the long walk and the liters of sweat it produces. It was a perfect site to see the whole entrance of Gobingob Cave. You will be amazed how God formed this creation with a perfect arc. You’ll going to thank Him for the long walk you had
But the most awaited and exciting portion was the chance of being inside the cave. There was a throng of limestone formations. It was a never ending moment of great appreciation and thanksgivings for you’ve got to witness God’s own lineage of stalactites, stalagmites and flowstones formations. It was a long walk of figuring out how it was formed and how great it was having the chance of being united with these creations.
When twilight comes, I got the chance to see the birds coming out from the cave. It was a perfect moment having the time of your life below the cave and watching them flying around as if they are feasting for a good weather and good harvest. It was indeed a relaxing and pressured breaking moment. It was also the time for us to fix our campsite and regain some energy for another exploration, The Langun cave.
One of my greatest fears in life is an acquaintance with a snake. It causes gas pain in my stomach every time I think of a snake coming into my way. But I have to condition my mind because a minute after might be the best time of conquering that fear. We have to pass on an opening wherein you really have to crawl by means of your shoulder and it is called The Snake room for there is a snake watching on the corner as if he is the guardian of the chamber. But fortunately the snake might be on hunting for some food to eat that he was not present on his throne. But still my eyes were as vigilant like a predator watching out for a prey. Bursting out your body from the hole was like a new formed butterfly ready to fly on the garden of great expectation. The chamber was like another dimension of life. For on this chamber you will experience a variety of adventure from rock climbing to underground swimming. It was my first time seeing a blind fish for real. I am lucky for I had a long moment watching it and take picture for documentation. For this moment I got the chance of being left behind on a corner for The Hunks would be exploring the other side of the cave which could be hazardous for me. I should feel to be frightened by the darkness and the idea of being alone but it turned out to be another conquering of fear. I managed to be alone in the corner and just sing songs of praises for the moment of going beyond my set limit to myself.
But what is great was the wonderful waking moment of my life. I am with two wonderful people whom I shared the same passion in life; the wonderful view above plus the free air-conditioned room we have inside the Langun cave and the wonderful music the birds produces flying back and forth inside the chamber.
Going back to civilization was another challenge for me. It was again another going beyond my limit moment for we will be climbing a mountain like of those skyscraper buildings in Makati. Whew! Praise God for there are stop over’s and patient gentlemen waiting for me. Plus the wonderful sceneries you’ve got to came across with. But the only fear I got in my mind was the idea of preserving the wonderful resources of Calbiga upon seeing the logging area. Would that be a beginning of destruction? Was it a responsible logging operation? Could the local government of Calbiga implement laws on the preservation and protection? Could the wild life be restored or destroyed? It might be a nightmare for the people living in the area. Bearing the fear that in near future could I still see or share the wonderful experience I have, was the heaviest load I’m carrying upon walking to Brgy Mapaso. Hoping and praying that one day I could bring along with me my loved ones to witness the great experience I had.
And you know the prize of that great adventure? A relaxing cleaning-up on a cool spring ; a bowl of rice; a palatable native viand from a local carenderia in the town of Calbiga and a sleep on a very old house feeling safe under the rainy evening.
Personally, going beyond is a great opportunity for me to taste another level or dimension of life. It helps to know myself more and experience unexpected moments of life. It is a manifestation that I should not treat myself as mediocre because God has is his ways of pouring His boundless blessings. What we should bear in mind is the idea that God wants us to enjoy those blessings. Going beyond our limit is not bad, nor it is ironic, but it is a gift. It is not just a gift but a blessing from God.
Every time we go beyond our limits, we give ourselves the chance to grow and to inspire other people to take another step in their lives. And what is most important is our pure intention and it fulfills our soul having the feeling of a genuine joy.