McDick-HoChiMinh-Bananarama

Next Saturday's Xterra Race opens up part of the trails that winds through private farm property. The owner of the property allows bikers and hikers to use the HoChiMinh and Bananarama trails during the month of March. We want to take this opportunity to hike the three trails before they are closed until next year's race.
Handy, Cutie, Chops, Cowboy, Dora, Giggles, and Capt. Charlie gather at Tun Goru for the familiar trek down Talafofo Road to Egigi. Soon we turn off of Egigi and follow the small road until we come to a gated ranch. From there we start the McDick trail.

The Magnificent Seven (Handy is taking this picture) taking over the Talafofo Road.

The Hashers have left their trade mark trail ribbons: clean white toilet papers, serving both as trail markers and use for outdoor bathroom emergencies.

Amazing double twisting vines on McDick trail.

The bridge on McDick trail, sponsored by PIC. Note the sign on the other side of the bridge. Giggles is still admiring the well-constructed bridge.

We share the trail with a large number of bikers who are either practicing for next week's Xterra race, or simply doing the same thing we are doing: use the trails before they are closed. McDick is not in the farm property, so it is open all the time.

After coming out of McDick, we turn right, onto the farm. We are surprised at how much the farm has expanded and increased in the variety of vegetables it is growing. Here is part of the corn and chives. They look very healthy.

Beautiful red peppers. Also grown are tomatoes, bitter melons, kentucky beans, long beans, cilantro, etc.

Continuing on the HoChiMinh trail, skirting the farm.

In the distance, we notice a farm worker spraying the crop. Looks like the type of chemical sprayer canister. We decide that if we purchase these locally grown produce, we want to be sure to wash them well.

This is the termite infested bridge at Bananarama. We have been forewarned that we cross the bridge at our own risk, so we cross one at a time. Cutie hussles quickly while Handy watches.

Giggles and Chops making their way through the tall growth of banana trees. Most, if not all, the bananas are the cooking variety.

Everyone is ravishly hungry, so the tablecloth is laid down and out comes all sorts of goodies again to feed the "locusts" that descend upon them.

The end of Bananarama brings us back to Egigi. As we have spare time, we decide to step across the road to explore the ranch of the Sonodas. We find this very interesting "cave" that leads to a rock wall that bars the entrance/exit.

We stop at the pavilion and have our group photo taken.

Dora has a side stitch at the final segment of the hike. Cowboy comes to the rescue.

We do not remember to give this hike a sneaker rating. Since it is not a tough hike, but quite interesting, CC volunteers a Four Sneaker rating.



The Second Grotto

Having abandoned our original plan of hiking part of the Xterra race course, the option of finding the Second Grotto comes to mind. CC recruits the service of Rexplorer to lead the expedition. Although the secon grotto is reachable by car, but one has to go through private property and possible fees involved, and the more interesting way is how we have done it many, many years ago on a hash run, through Old Man by the Sea, or aka Profile Beach.
On this sunny Sunday morning, we change our starting time to 7 a.m., partly because we believe the trail is mostly shaded, and partly to accommodate two youngsters, Chloe and Justin, so they can get up and get ready. We are, of course, also quite happy to get a little extra sleep.
After picking up Chops, and rendevous with Jason and Celia, we head down Talafofo Road to the trail head to Old Man.  

The profile of a smiling old man gives this beach the name Old Man by the Sea, and/or Profile Beach. We also discover that the back side of the head shows two kissing faces!

The amount of debris, washed up over several storms, is quite impressive. This photo shows only a portion of all the "trash". Unfortunately, we are not able to find anything valuable other than two little plastic floaters.

The waves are quite strong, beating on the reefs. We turn left at the far end of the beach to start the hike toward the second grotto.

We have to climb over and through a series of large boulders. Some of them are slippery and require balancing skills. Our legs and arms are put to good use in warming up for what we know is the next part of the hike. We sense the excitement of the beginning of an adventure.

At the end of the rock garden, we are rewarded with the spctacular view of this craggy cliff face which we have never seen before.

Further inland, we reach the base of our own cliff to climb. While we assess the situation and decide on the best way to get everyone to the top, Justin and Chloe are already rearing to go.

Rexplorer is well prepared for this cliff. He has brought a rope to supplement the existing rope, or just in case, to substitute it if it is not in good condition. He climbs up first and declares that the rope is in good shape. He will use his rope to belay the rest of the hikers, one at a time.

CC goes next. After some hesitation, Chops agrees to go up, with the security of the belay. The Cowboy is down below making sure he is ready for any emergencies. All goes well.

Justin comes up so fast that CC doesn't have time to take his picture. He is temporarily dubbed the Monkey Boy. Chloe successfully comes up without much trouble. Celia and Cowboy both are also in great shape to conquer this cliff climb.

After another series of rock climbing, we come up to the plateau and temporarily lose our direction, as there are no trail markers. We spread out in search of any sign of a trail, and end up outside the fence of the people who own the land and the access road to the trail. From there the trail is clear. Here we are happy to finally face the Second Grotto and be awed by its size!

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The Second Grotto is huge and basically dry, with a gate at the far end opening to the Philippines Sea. Above that is a large window suspended between the floor above the gate and the roof of the grotto. On the ledge of the window is a human-like rock looking out into the sea, as if searching the horizon for sailing ships.

This is the crawl space to enter into the chamber and out onto the grotto floor. Cowboy is holding the rope while Rexplorer goes in first to check out the interior of the chamber. It is complete darkness inside. We have all brought flashlights with us, so we are able to, one at a time, rappel down a knotted rope and shine our light to see where the exit into the grotto is. At first only Rexplorer, Celia, and CC are in the chamber to make sure there is indeed an exit, and eventually find that the exit is right below the entrance. While inside the chamber, we see that we are able to hear Chops and Cowboy above a ledge that opens to the outside, hence we feel cool air inside. Chops and Cowboy have decided to stay above ground.

Another window, another rope. This is the final drop off and we are inside the grotto.

Celia dwarfed by the huge grotto. As she is most ready to tackle whatever is required to get to the ultimate destination, all with smiles and enthusiasm, I have thought of a hiking name for her: SPUNKY.

Justin and Chloe resting after exploring the grotto. They look pretty happy to be one of the very few people who have the opportunity to climb, crawl, descend over sharp coral, over giant boulders, into narrow tunnels, a dark and cavernous chamber, just to get into the bowel of the grotto. After leaving grotto, we decide to go out the San Ingnacio Road, rather than doubling back which would take many more hours. On the way out through the Camacho farm, we serenaded Chops with a loud Happy Birthday song. No cake though.  

We also decide to cool our heels at Jeffrey's Beach, aka Talafofo Beach. Finding the only shaded spot under a shallow cave, we spread out our usual snacks and relax a bit. Today's adventure lovers are: Chloe, Rexplorer, Cowboy, Celia (Spunky), Monkey Boy, Capt. Charlie, and Chops.

Dragging ourselves out from Jeffery's Beach, feeling pretty good about this FIVE-HOUR adventure. Just in time to clean up and grab lunch!

This hike is a resounding and definitive FIVE SNEAKERS! In fact, Spunky wants to rate it a Six Sneakers!

This coming Sunday, we will go ahead and hike the trails we abandoned last week.

Banaderu Trail - Not!

"The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry". How true that is for our Sunday hike. On this semi-dark Sunday morning, Lee (new recruit) and Capt. Charlie catch a ride with Peppy to the Last Command Post for the 6:15 starting time, and there, happy Jason and Celia, and Giggles are waiting. Obviously J & C have not been deterred by their very first introduction, a grueling 9.8 hot and mostly uphill hike last week. They are back for more, and we are very happy to have two more members to our "club". Two other new recruits are also waiting: Crystal and Jamika. That makes us an even eight. Our goal: Banaderu Trail to the top of Suicide Cliff.

Having warned all the new members that we often get lost on unfamiliar trails, we immediately find ourselves lost behind the Korean monument. Although we know that the red ribbons we see are not the right trail mark, we follow them anyway, up and up the rocky and loose-dirt slope.

Giggles on her hands and feet negotiating the steep slope with boulders, fallen branches and loose dirt., not quite knowing where she is heading to. Peppy and her troupe are further up the slope, determined to find either the real trail, or something even more interestng.

An old air tank hidden in the middle of the slope. One wonders what it has been used for.

At the top of the trail, we realize why the ribbons are placed on this tough incline, as Giggles and Jason discover this cave. They are anxious to explore this new find.   

Jason climbs up part way into the cave. It's quite large, but not connected to any other caves. Nothing significant is found inside the cave.

Peppy, Lee, and Giggles wait outside and decide what we should do next. We can go back down and try to find the Banaderu trail, or explore around this area some more.

Someone says there is another cave to the norh, so everyone heads that way.

Jason, Celia, Lee, and Giggles looking up at the high ceiling of this new cave. An upper cave that looks reachable by climbing up a narrow ledge against the rock face. No one volunteers for this adventure. Meanwhile, Peppy is waiting at the other cave area, Crystal and Jamika have gone off in a different direction looking for any signs of another trail.

Crystal and Jamika climbing up to the new cave, back from their exploration. They have not found any new trail, but are very excited about a large coconut crab they have encountered. We want to see this big crab, so everyone follow the two explorers, climbing over rocks and boulders, and reach the small crag where they have last seen the creature. Unfortunately, it must have been forewarned, and has gone and hidden somewhere further into the rocks.

We head downhill back to where we have started. On the way down, we see this fan shape mushroom.

Back on the foot path just south of Last Command Post. Of course it's snack time. An assortment of snacks and goodies are laid out for everyone to sample and enjoy. CC decides to go back into the boonies to find the trail marker. After climbing up to the left and finding a couple of red ribbons which are not going in the right direction, CC goes back down to take a group photo of: Celia, Peppy, Jason, Giggles, Lee, Jamika, Crystal and Capt. C.

 

It is obvious that we have not hiked enough. Different suggestions for our next move are offered. When it is discovered that Jason and Celia, after 14 years on Saipan, have not been to the Kalabera Cave, and the Serena statue which happens to be Jamika's family tour garden. We all pile into our cars and head to the Kalabera Cave first. The road from Bird Island to the Cave is terrible, full of giant potholes and deep gouges. Lee, Peepy, Crystal, and Jamika in awe of the dark and foreboding Kalabera cave that seems almost bottomless.

Jason is dwarfed by the size of the giant cave. Different adventurous people have ventured down to the base of the cave. It is definitely not for the faint-hearted.

From Kalabera, the hikers walk to The Serena statue on the Reyes property. It is open to the public to enjoy the scenery. The legend of Serena is available by Googling.

Jason takes a picture of eight "mermaids". There is a platform hanging over the cave for observation, but it is not currently usable. After sampling some sweet tangerines from one of the trees at the entrance to the garden, we head back to Kalabera Cave to pick up our cars and end our short hike.

Jason's new Hikers name: The Cowboy!

This is the first time the hikers are not able to reach their goal. Although the hike is quite short, we enjoy finding two new caves, and introduce new sights to Jason and Celia.  

For this coming Sunday, we are hiking the newly opened MacDick, Bananarama, and HoChiMin trails. These trails are open only once a year for the Xterra Race. We will park at Esco, or Tun Goru on Capitol Hill and go from there. It will be a medium length hike.