The Jurrasic Blog

 A few
days before our field trip, we had an orientation about where we’ll be going,
what things to bring, and what we’ll be doing. In one of the pictures, it
showed a group that was covered with mud from head to toe. We thought we
wouldn’t have to go through that, but we were wrong. So here goes my story…

 Upon
arriving at the place, we did a few stretching exercises, while the others went
to the bathroom. After a few minutes of waiting, we were finally off for an
adventure. We reached a river that was about knee-high deep and most of us were
hesitant to cross it. However, we had to and my poor rubber shoes sank into the
river. That was just the first step in going to the first cave. The walk to the
first cave took us 20 minutes and the trail to get there was slippery and
muddy. The cave was underground and we had to go a long way down. We reached a
spot in the cave that had a circle in the middle and it was like a dried lake.
Our educator recited a prayer and after the prayer, he told us to sing along
with him. But the song was made-up, and we sang along like a bunch of crazy
people. The exit to the first cave was very hard and it was the longest too.

 The
second cave was known as the hospital cave and it was not that long, but it was
the place where the Katipuneros kept the injured Katipuneros. There’s nothing
much to talk about this cave, but the next cave is my favorite!

 The
third cave is my favorite because it’s where they store the food and supplies.
The place was huge and it is like our canteen, but way bigger. The ground was
steep on the way down and I accomplished one thing: I did a split! It was a
hard experience. I also named this cave the “Dancing Cave.” It’s like you’re
dancing when you walk because of the slippery mud; it is also like skating in
the mud. So our educator recited a prayer again.

 The
next cave is known as the place where the Katipuneros accepted new members.
There I learned their 3 passwords, which were names of famous heroes. Again,
our educator recited a prayer. But this time, Ma’am Baben also recited a prayer
and afterwards, we prayed the “Lord’s Prayer” in Chinese. So next in our
schedule is Lunch Time!!!

 We
ate in the bus and we shared each other’s lunch. After we ate, we got ready to
visit 2 more caves—the Aguinaldo cave and the bat cave. To get to the bat cave,
we had to cross a river that was up to our hips, the water was cold, and Sir
Casey was waiting to soak us. The way to the bat cave was full of big
centipedes and when we arrived there, the place was packed with bats. On the
way back, we saw the biggest tree in the Philippines. It’s so big and high and
also the lookout place to watch for the Spaniards. You can’t bring it down with
a chainsaw, or bullets, because of its thick trunk. What’s more, some of my
friends went rappelling. Too bad for me, I left my waiver at the fridge. On our
way back, we had to cross the river again and we had so much fun there. We
soaked each other wet, including the teachers, and it was really fun.

 Our last stop was the Aguinaldo cave. It was the office of General
Aguinaldo and it was also his resting place. The water in the cave was deep. It
reached somewhere up to my shoulders. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see his
office because you have to dive to see it. The current there was strong and the
water was freezing cold. After that, it was time to leave. We let the girls
change in the bus. While we, the gentlemen, changed in the streets. Our
educator changed in the middle of the road.

 I am a survivor because I was able to finish the race. I mean, the trip.
I endured the mud, the freezing water, and darkness of the caves, the insects,
the rain and the heat of the day. I had to squat, kneel, and crawl. I also did
a split. Some gave up in the beginning, some in the middle, but still, I kept
on going for the prize. So I deserve to be called a “SURIVOR.” If God didn’t
give me His strength, protection and, most of all, His guidance throughout the
trip, you will never be able to call me a “Survivor.”