Monday 21/05 I followed my map towards two cave systems, the first one about 20 minutes away. Again, there are no signs so it's a bit of a struggle sometimes finding the sites. First a few more hanging coffins on the way and then arriving at the first cave, which is filled up with more coffins made out of pinewood. The coffins are small and this is not because these people are short but because they believe that when you burried in the fetal position, you will be re-born. There were far more coffins stacked up here but in an earthquake not too long ago, they fell down.

While I am there, Dutch/Filipino couple are just done with their tour and the guide asks me if I would like to go through the cave system. They are connected through an underground river. He says it's "very adventurous" and slippery and pretty tough. Why not? Thd guide fee is p800/€9,00 and after he fills up his gaslamp, we take off. What follows is a 3 hour, claustrophobic, dark and wet adventure indeed! The cave is sometimes only just as wide that my hips barely fit through, we go straight through underground waterfalls, wade up to my chest in cold river water, head first through dark openings, up and down ropes. At one point, my guide can not find the rope to continue, it seems to have been removed. We have just reachef a wet part of the cave and it feels as if it is raining there. We are forced to wait fir another group that luckily is not far behind us. They have a rope with them and so we can continue. We go through bad caves and see the most amazing rock formations and waterfalls. My guide takes some pics of me here deep underground and finally after 3 hours I see daylight in the distance!
I treat myself to an icecold beer and hitchike my way back to the hostel in the back of a passing pick-up truck. Great adventure! Dinner in the evening and to bed early, exhausted and muscle aches from yesterday too (waterfall hike).

Tuesday turns out to be a total relaxing day, read, surf the internet, nap and eat. Wednesday (today) I caught the 6:30 jeepney (extended jeeps that are used for public transport, they were left behind by the US army) to Bontoc and from there a mini van to Bandaue to the Unesco listed rice teraces. One of the eight wonders of the world. On the jeepney I meet a nice Danish couple, 3 months on their way through India, Thailand, Vietnam and here. Going home next week. Makes me realise again that my trip is also almost going into its last phase. 3 more days here, then 9 on Borneo and a couple of days Singapore. In two weeks I will be on my way home and this world trip will be over.

And then, I feel, it will have been enough. Always nice to go home, although things will never be the same again without my dad. I miss him every day and will probably even more so, once I am back home. I can feel him with me though and sometimes that's hard but sometimes it makes it all a bit better.