"It was carved inside a space of time from another dimension of civilization even far from the dawn of Christianity..."

Undecipherable, there is no accurate tool to decode and interpret the ancient markings etched on the surface of a boulder situated on a promontory. However, there are theories and legends. Carbon dating has calculated the age of these petroglyphs. They have been carved sometime not earlier than 1500 B.C. So that would be 3000+ years old.

Alab Petroglyphs: ancient carvings of Alab Oriente

Then I started getting goosebumps, not that it is creepy but because I am stepping on an ancient rock with carvings made by early inhabitants 1500 years before the birth of my idol Jesus Christ. It was carved inside a space of time from another dimension of civilization even far from the dawn of Christianity and those times wherein Trojan Horse didn't evolve yet as a computer virus.

There's no amazing limestone formation, no majestic , no breathtaking rock formation and everything I can see around is a typical landscape. Nothing is unique, nothing is grandiose but there is one thing that is special, very special.

Mt. Data: home of the Alab Petroglyphs

At the second part of this series, I narrated in detail how I climbed Mt. Gotong and Mt. Data and the photo above is a view you'll have to see before reaching the Alab petroglyphs.

It could be somehow tiring, yes, that's one of the consequences of this search but the award at the end of the trail outweighs the hardships we have to experience.

This huge rock formation is believed to contain the ancient fertility rites of the natives. Our guide said, the ancient natives carved lines and shapes on this stone interpreted now as organs for copulation. From here, there is a great question why carvings of sexual organs were placed. It is mind-boggling. It is mysterious.

A chunk of female sexual organ? Could you decipher?

Many v*ginas? I hope I captured the right group.

Aside from the petroglyphs, there are also other carvings. Guess what? They are the modern type called vandals. Yes, some climbers have added other markings here confusing premature archaeologists and some curious onlookers.

Aside from sexual organs, there are also markings believed to be bows and arrows etched on this stone. These bows and arrows have been related to a legend concerning the mass death of natives during those times.

Bows and arrows? Never mind.

After examining the etchings, I asked my guide to take some photos of me. That would be a selfie type as a remembrance. I walked away from this boulder both satisfied and horrified (because of the vandalism and 'alien' marks).

This area has been declared in 1975 as a national cultural treasure and under the UNESCO World Heritage Site tentative list (for the pertoglyphs and petroglaphs of the Philippines). Wow! National Cultural Treasure, that is. How about National Cultural Treasure Protection to that effect?

Right now, it is not clear, if there are efforts being done to preserve these treasures. Maybe it is just me, unaware of the agencies that protect it. Poor me, it is either I am ignorant or I just don't know. I would want to know, if ever, on how the protection is done. I would be glad if it is done in actual, because I hate written forms of declaration. The latter only declare protection, but usually, there is no action, a form of malnutrition in execution and legislation. How would the judiciary rule that eh?

With my brother stepping onto an ancient huge stone

Selfie with the Alab petroglyphs underneath my shoes

The guide started to tell me the details of the legend from those bows and arrows. That sometime during time immemorial, there has been a group of mountain dwellers (believed to be warriors) with their bows and arrows who stayed on this huge rock. They played a game and that is to throw an arrow the farthest possible distance from where they were situated.

Unknown to them, there was a pregnant woman on the rice terraces below tilling the laddered rice fields. This woman has been hit by an arrow. Some people believe that this woman was a spirit, a paranormal entity.

The rice terraces below, veiled by these pine trees

At first, nothing happened to these mountain dwellers. In fact, they took a nap on this promontory. Waking up, they saw inviting foods around that they just can't resist to partake.

They have no idea where this food came from. But they believe it was like a gift from the spirits or just prepared by some members of the group. Out from their knowledge, these foods have been prepared by the paranormal being they hit below. These foods contained poison.

They descended from the mountain and brought the food with them. It was like a party but unknown to them, this will be their last party because everyone who will eat these inviting foods will surely die. After that huge meal, everyone who consumed the food died. It was a revenge from the innocent spirit they hit with an arrow.

The guide said their bodies have been placed to several shallow caves, called Ganga Caves, of the mountains of Alab Oriente. Our guide stopped telling the story of the legend and prompted me if I am ready for the next destination. We are going to see the burial grounds of these warriors who died due to hitting, unwittingly, a spirit.

Ganga Cave marker

So how do these caves look like? How do their coffins look like? How are the coffins of this mass grave are arranged? How many coffins are there? And she said "caves." That would be plural. Hmmm... more than one cave? How would be the trail? I know it will never be easy again.

A lot of question clings in my mind. I just can't wait to trek again and look for these graves. It is a great medicine to heal the blistering skin of curiosity.

Second human encounter in this exploration

As we continue the investigation, we met these people. They offered me food. Will I eat that? I became a bit paranoid due to the story I just heard.

This is my second encounter of humans in this adventure. At this point of time, it is a group. Uh, I don't want to be trapped and what are they doing here? Will I ever see the mass grave of the warriors starred in the legend? And who are these people? /To be continued...