For our second day in Bataan, my family and I went to see the 00KM marker of the Bataan Death March, which is located nearby the NPC Village, before heading to the Dambana ng Kagitingan. I wanted my little nephews and nieces to see the marker for their Philippine history studies.
Then we're off to Mt. Samat! Remember, it was a stormy day but there were a lot of local tourists going up to the mountain, like us. We saw a lot of teens and some mid-20s peeps hiking to the Dambana ng Kagitingan but every now and then, heavy rains would disrupt their journey. Well, there are no public transportation to the Dambana ng Kagitingan so you either hike or drive. But man, Mt. Samat is little eerie since the mountain is pretty dense. Nonetheless, the roads are in good condition, except for some fallen leaves and branches here and there.
The weather was really wonky.
See the thick clouds obscuring the top of the cross.
And this is a colossal marble edifice.
The stained glass is just divine.
To get into the cross itself, you may use the stone-paved, ascending zig-zag walkway, or better yet, drive a little further up. I am semi-afraid of heights and the only way to go down from the cross back to the entrance, if you didn't drive going there, is through the stone-paved, zigzag walkway. It's slippery when wet, and if you're a klutz like me, you'll probably have a hard time descending.
Now, to get inside the cross, you have to ride a very small and narrow elevator. Since it was a holiday, there were a lot of tourists and the storm didn't deter any of us to visit the Dambana ng Kagitingan. Lots of tourists mean you have to wait for your turn to use the elevator and go up to the viewing area which is the horizontal part of the cross. It couldn't accommodate much, the elevator and the viewing area both. In our case, we didn't wait that long. And we learned the reason why once we got to the viewing area. The winds were freaking scary! They were whistling! And you'll feel the cross swaying! It was pretty fun, though, to have the winds and drizzle slap on your face. And the view is amazing, and so is the viewing deck itself! You're literally in the clouds, too! Anyway, there's nothing to worry about since there are guides and some will go up and down with the tourists in the elevator in case it halts for whatever reason.
The viewing area has a goth-like, vampire's lair vibe.
The best way to scare yourself, err, I mean, to listen to the howling of the winds?
Open all the windows, of course, and sway with the force!
This is what the earth looks like from up above the clouds.
I uttered a short thanks to the Lord for this magnificent view.
And I even said to myself that Bataan is so gorgeous that I wouldn't mind living there.
No, this isn't from a horror movie.
I'm just messing up your mind and made it look creepy.
If the elevator bogs down, which happens at times, this is your way up and down.
It'll be your escape route, too.
Really, the cross is so imposing and amazing.
This is probably the best photo I took of anything, ever.
If you want to know more about the Dambana ng Kagitingan (Shrine of Valor), you may visit the official website of the Province of Bataan, here:
http://www.bataan.gov.ph/index.php/DAMBANA-NG-KAGITINGAN.html
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