andelyn

[andelyn]

🍃 Coco Beach

[andelyn]

I like sunset's beauty.

[andelyn]

It's November 1. Happy all Saints day everyone! 💕

[andelyn]

Having a good day with this lady, Merasol. ❤️

[andelyn]

Olarte Cave Gaming

12.20.19

Olarte Before Christmas

Early in the morning, me and my BA ELS II family took a motorcycle ride from General Santos City’s public Market to Brgy. Conel. It was a long travel, roughly 1 hour and 5 minutes and rather back-aching. this was due to a very close-spaced tricycle we got on. But, all these things weren’t a problem though as my classmates and I had fun inside our little vehicle. Merasol and Paolo brought laughter to our mouths as we journey towards Olarte Cave.

along the road, we saw things very common to me, as I am originally from GenSan, but as for Wayne and Alex, everything was new to them.

“Look! Baby Baste’s house!” Our very own die-hard kapuso fan classmate Wayne gasped. He was just like Baste when he exclaimed with all those jittering  and clapping motions. He waved good-bye to Baste’s tarpaulin plastered on their house’s gate as when passed it (as if Baste was really there). We all had a good laugh at him.

We laughed at Wayne again a few minutes later after he spotted Robinson's place. It's because he told us that in the two and a half years he's been in GenSan, he's never stepped foot inside a Robinson's mall in his life. Despite the fact that he was depressed, his reaction was hilarious.

We traveled a very long road. We lost our excitement as it was nearing noon. Percival’s stomach rumbled, he said. We then saw a plantation of bananas after he said that to us, so he exclaimed “I think I have to pick some here even though it’s illegal. I think I could eat a whole bunch of bananas!”

After that, Paolo overlapped saying “Yeah, ‘cause you’re boots. And you look like him, too!” I bursted out laughing while we felt series of bumps of the road.We laughed even harder when I hit my head on the tricycle's glass window.

At last, we finally reached Brgy.Conel. We hopped out of the trike, paid the driver and then he left.

“Good bye kuya! we will miss you. Merasol said in a flirty way. Alex slapped Merasol in the face since she sounded like a prostitute at the moment.

“So, where’s the cave? I want to swim now.” I asked them.When I looked around, all I saw were motorcycles and drivers waiting for us to approach them.

“Abnormal!” “It's still a long way from here!” Merasol exclaimed. We must still ride a motorcycle. At the very least, it'll be a 5-minute drive." She went on.

I was taken aback. We'll have to travel once more. However, before we could board a trycycle, we had to wait for at least an hour for Merasol's camera to be charged because it had run out of battery. That was something she hadn't anticipated.

“What a foolish little b*tch,”   Patricia yelled at her. Our mouths were full of chuckles. Merasol, on the other hand, appears to be unprepared for anything. I feel sorry for her.

We finally hopped on a motorcycle after all of the waiting and toiling and headed our way to Olarte Cave. We finally arrived at another stop after about 5 minutes.

“So, where’s the cave?!” I hastily asked.

“So, where’s your payment for the driver?” Alex asked me.

I was caught off guard. I neglected to pay the driver, who was still waiting for me in the back because of my enthusiasm. (Oh, how foolish I was!)

“Tanga!” They said chorus on my face.

“We still have to walk up there,”  Our personal tour guide, Merasol, informed us.

I was stunned because I had not anticipated that we would continue walking for another half hour! I was exhausted, but I was determined.

“I've come this far, and I'm not going back.” I made a joke at their expense.

“These are merely the ups and downs of life.” Paolo made a point of saying.

We began our climb. During the journey. We were not as fatigued as I had anticipated. We were completely absorbed in nature. This, I believed, was my first close encounter with Mother Earth.

With Ivy, Goldie and I walked slowly together. Wayne and Paolo were in front of us, and the rest followed behind. Along the journey, we spoke and joked a lot.

We had to cross a river about halfway to the Cave. Paolo warned us to be cautious because there were ‘engkantos' guarding it, but that we would be secure because they recognized me as one. I focused my gaze on him right away, but my classmates burst out laughing.

The small river was peaceful and wonderful. It was rocky, though, and I found it difficult to walk because I was wearing doll shoes. I had to remove them or else the whole thing would be wrecked.

We spotted arrows written on a tarpaulin pointing in a specific direction a few meters from the river.

“We are almost there! do you see that?” Merasol broke our silence.

I quickly realized that the pointing arrows are signals informing tourists like us (Char, tourists) that we are almost there. I was almost there, and A almost leaped for joy!

“Sa wakas!” I happily gasped.

We observed few little cottages and a few individuals sitting not far away.

“Is that it?” Wayne asked Merasol.

She just nodded.

And we were amazed at the sight. Stunning. Beautiful. Astounding. 

Despite the fact that the cave was clearly man-made, it manages to captivate our attention. Its water was the same color as the sky.

“Is it your first time to come here?” The personnel asked us.

“Yes, most of us.” Wayne replied to her while collecting our entrance fees.

“I see. Well, you have to be careful. Okay? The water there is very deep. It’s 90 feet deep. You do want to get out here alive and not drowned, right? the personnel jokingly told us.

Even though he knew how to swim, Wayne rented a life jacket as soon as we entered. He said he gets foot cramps all the time while he's in the water. As a result, he rented one for his own safety.

Here is a picture of him and Paolo in the water like children:

After that, all of us went into the water.

I discovered it was extremely chilly, as if masses of ice had been placed inside! I swerved! But I was at relaxed.

Here's a picture of us in the cave (please note that I'm always the one shooting photographs, which is why I'm seldom visible in photos). What a pity!):

All throughout the day, we enjoyed, had some fun and had lots of food! I am really glad that I am with these guys. I am really happy that we had our fambam just before Christmas.

Overall, the trip to this cave was long and exhausting, but it was well worth it. I want to visit here again soon. Thanks!