The mysterious rock wall of Sibale

MANANG Evie, our host, made the

mistake of telling us that exploring the

rock wall was inconvenient, that it

was a bit far, and that there was no

road going there and one had to wade in high tide.

Her warnings sounded like magic

to us.

The rocks had conspicuously

appeared on the shoreline as we

braved the pumpboat ride amid

strong winds and waves in going

to Zaragoza, the main village of

Sibale Island.

Sibale is one of the islands

northwest of Surigao City. On a

fine, waveless day, the ride to and

from the island takes only an hour

and 10 minutes.

But the walk to the rock wall was hardly a breeze--three

kilometers of foot trail and two kilometers of wading through

mangrove trees mired in mud and heavy with roots and rock

covers.

At times, swimming was an ideal option.

White sands abound but disfigured by rotting roots and black

water. A few psychic rewards can be had, however, like the

flock of wild ducks hovering and touching down at the clear and

tranquil lagoon.

The rock wall looked like an ancient Indian fortress--haunting

and, well, alien. Its dark color and shapes conjure up images of

doom and death, a forgotten graveyard. But surrounded with

mangroves and a foliage of wild hanging orchids and

fruit-bearing trees, it was a monument that never failed to amaze.

We carefully trudged the steep, pockmarked terrain, clambering

from one boulder to the next, reaching out to the spires and

pinning ourselves to tiny cracks and hollow chambers.

The sharp edges and corners were like traps in a maze of broken

mirrors.

At the top, the sight was astonishing. Could I be standing on

the back of a giant dinosaur?

The rocks were a mosaic of oddity and harmony. At the center

is a castle-shaped solid rock that, to the religious, could be an

altar.

Stretching from the shore to the sea, the wall is about 200 meters

long and 9-12 meters high.

Manong Neri, a village tanod and our guide, said some skeletal

remains of unknown people were buried or left behind in the

deep chambers.

He said there were stories of Japanese treasures hidden

somewhere although a number of barriofolk believed these were

a hoax.

The strange tales--man-made or natural--have become part of

the rock wall's mysteries.

We went back to Zaragoza's Tourism Park and its bermuda

grass on a hill overlooking the sea. As we rested, we fed the sea

turtles under the care of the municipal government nearby.

A foot trail leads to a white beach sprawl on the mountainside.

Sibale Island is indeed a home to one in search of the

extraordinary.

GETTING THERE

FROM PIER 2 in Surigao City, take the pumpboat to Zaragoza.

Fare is P15. The boat leaves every 1 p.m. daily, except Sundays.

In Zaragoza, one can stay at the Municipal Tourism house or

avail of its homestay program. Price is P100 per person. One can

also pitch tents at the Tourism lot.

Boats leave for Surigao City at 8:30 a.m., except Sundays.

A chartered trip costs at least P300.