It was our last day of stay in Baguio City. As we planned, our last stop is to have a Mines Tour in Itogon, Benguet.
We had an arrangement to a taxi driver to ride us there. We agreed to pay him Php400.00. Going to Itogon, we understand, why the transportation to Balatoc is quite expensive, road going there is a combination of winding roads and bumpy rides at times. Wide and thick greenery covering the mountainside along the snaking road going to Balatoc Mines will entertain you.
The Balatoc Mines is found in Itogon Benguet which is about an hour travel from Green Valley, Baguio City. What caught us by surprise is the path going to Balatoc Mines. A word of caution, the driver has to be fully awake and very careful while traversing the road to Balatoc Mines.
At last we reached our destination; you would not know that it has a mining tour.
We proceeded to the area where the tours are arranged. We paid Php250.00 for each adult guest. We were lucky, because we were only the first guest in the area. Since it is Monday, it is a normal day, and most people are in their work. There is a small museum where you can see stuff found inside Balatoc Mines.
Our tour guide gave us a short talk and told us a brief history and things to expect inside the Balatoc Mines. They also asked us about our expectation which was good because it showed that the tour guides were interested on our initial perception of the tour.
Finally the tour guide warned us about the Anaconda. I would like to share the story of the Anaconda but I would be spoiling the fun if I did. So I leave it up to the person reading this blog and considering Balatoc Mines as a destination to discover the story behind the Anaconda.
Technically, there are no restrooms inside the Balatoc mines so better take a leak before starting the tour. Bring a hat if you have one and wear comfortable footwear because you’d be walking along a railway which can sometimes become slippery especially inside the tunnel.
We saw different machinery used inside the mines. We saw a river where people can pan gold. We also saw the toilet car that’s why I said technically there is a restroom but I dare you if you have the guts to use it.
It was the trip inside the tunnel that we enjoyed the most - First because of the eerie feeling that you’re inside a damp dark tunnel where the temperature goes down as one walks deeper inside the hole. One can hear water droplets falling from the stalactites and the path ahead is a little muddy.
The tour guide described the parts of the tunnel and demonstrated how dynamite works. This was new information for me and I really appreciated it a lot. The anaconda was introduced to us in the most surprising way causing us to run to the nearest man-hole.
We had a taste of holding a drill and seeing the dog hole where miners had to crawl day in and day out as they go deep into the mines.
The climax of the tour is when dynamite exploded which surely got everyone’s attention. You can actually feel the intensity of the blast. It was a great learning experience indeed.
Finally, our cart arrived and we traveled the same route as we entered but this time inside a cart. Everybody was tired from the heat and walk and so the cart was a perfect way to go back.
Definitely recommend this tour to families because it’s a great bonding experience. There were lots of things to learn about the plight of the miners here in the Philippines and as to why gold is a precious metal. I now have renewed respect for all the miners in the world and what they have to endure to be able to get the gold to make the ring wrapped around my finger right now.
***THE END***
No comments:
Post a Comment