Excavating the earth's belly in Philippines' Subterranean River National Park

Some people prefer the mountains, others revere the sea. Turns out that I’m definitely a cave person. So at Palawan in the Philippines, when I hear of a Subterranean River National Park rich with karst caves, I drive 76 km from Puerto Princesa to get there. Even though I’m no stranger to cave exploration, navigating these dark caverns by boat, in an underground river, has me biting my nails in excitement. That it’s also one of the longest navigable river-traversed tunnels in the world, is added incentive.

The boat journey to the caves from the Sabang pier, past rocks and boulders that appear forged out of some deep subconscious, provides rapture for my peso. We land like Robinson Crusoe upon a pristine beach. From here, it’s a ten-minute walk to the entrance of the caves. Friendly monkeys adorning themselves in pilfered toilet paper and nonchalant monitor lizards accustomed to watching travellers wield their cameras, are among the first acquaintances we make on either side of the wooden path.

Monitor lizard on the walkway to the cave

The appearance of the river is as sudden as it is beautiful. It reflects our excitement–jumping fish and branches of trees pointing ominous fingers to the sky. We don protective helmets to safeguard against bat droppings and water leaks, and hop aboard boats built for twelve. These little boats are dwarfed by the immensity of the cave we’re about enter, offering us a flash of insight into humility and the impermanence of things. Five minutes later, the cave wraps us in its limited palette–velvet black and odd greys, proof that we’d left the world of connectivity, shopping malls and selfies, far behind. I’m engulfed by bat song and peace that only the dark can bring. The isolation is such an experience that I’m instantly sorry that we can only explore 1.5 km of this subterranean river, which is over 8 km-long. Researchers who had the permission and perseverance to make the more comprehensive journey, discovered the million-year old remains of a fossilized sea cow on part of the cave wall, crystal and egg-shaped rock formations and a bat burial site.

The knights of King Arthur

Any illumination in these dark caverns, with soaring stalactites and stalagmites, reaps instant rewards. Now more than ever, with the light from the guide's torch giving ghostly clarity to shapes its falling on, does the cave resemble a cathedral. It’s easy to see why all combinations of the verb 'to adore' are thrown about to describe the interiors. Even without the Subterranean River National Park being listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site and as one of the new 7-wonders of nature, you can see what the hype is all about. "Look", the guide says, pointing to one set of formations–"Pegasus". And it’s usually true that whatever he points at and describes, we instantly see–King Arthur and his knights, Madonna with the child, a hornbill.

Boats take you back to the mainland

Outside once more, it seems like God, after he created the dark womb of the cave, went crazy with a box of paints. There’s a burst of primary colours, golden sands of a beach, the bright blue sky and butterflies of every hue. The boat driver who ferries us back to the Sabang pier, talks of a bearded pig, the endangered bearcat and a variety of birds he saw around these parts. But now, it’s the feeling of being engulfed by dark peace in the earth’s belly, that I most miss.