Month: May 2025

A Day in Niagara Cave (Minnesota)

GOOD FOR: those seeking a quick adventure close to Fillmore County in Minnesota. It will only take you an hour going in and out of the cave.

BECAUSE: it is a cave in the middle of farm fields. Like hectares/acres of corn and soybean fields.

I MEAN: I was working in a small town in Iowa that was an hour away, and there wasn’t much to do for the weekend in that place. So, I was like, why not search for a mini adventure?

AND I FOUND: Niagara Cave in Minnesota.

IT’S COOL: Literally, because it was a constant 48F all throughout the year inside the cave (make sure to wear a hoodie before entering the cave), and the entrance was like the door of the fridge, and figuratively, because it was underground and was discovered through the three little pigs (I will not spoil and let you know the story when you visit the place).

ENTRANCE FEE: was 28.77 (year 2025). And only guided tour is allowed. You need to book an appointment, but if it is not a busy season I guess you can just do walk-in. We did book our tour on the day itself but there’s still a couple of slots available when we reached the place.

MY FAVORITE PARTS: are relearning stalactites and stalagmites and when they meet they form the column. Our guide was a senior high school student, but he was really good at explaining the stuff. It was my first time seeing fluorescent stalactites, and they are fascinating when you point your UV light on them, and it’s like you are a wizard from Harry Potter. Lastly, you will experience a complete darkness at the end of the tour where your eyes really won’t adjust and see anything.

BUT PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH THE CAVE FORMATION: this lady kept touching the formation despite the tour guide telling our group not to, because it disrupts the formation of stalactites and stalagmites. Please respect any place you are visiting and follow the rules.

NOT IDEAL IF: you are coming all the way from the other side of the world and have a week or two in the US. Do not get me wrong. It was a unique and mesmerizing underground cave, but one day is enough to get around here, and then you will need to travel a distance to get to another touristy spot.

How do I say goodbye?

I was driving and listening to the random songs the radio plays and I heard this song the first time. I didn’t know it at all. The lyrics were sung with clarity and emotion. It hit me. And, I realized tears were rolling down my cheeks, and the road became blurry, so I had to pull over.

It was the grief I had been delaying from a loss I will never recover. The song was beautiful, but each word was like a cruel premonition I was glad not to hear before the bad news came to me.

It was the nightmare I would wake up due to wetness on my face. I never wanted it to happen.

The song is from Dean Lewis, entitled, HOW DO I SAY GOODBYE. And it goes like this (with my remarks for each line)…

Early morning there’s a message on my phone (It was 4am CDT when I received the message)
It’s my mother saying, “Darling, please come home” (It was my kuya saying, tatay is gone, could you come home?)
I fear the worst, but how could you leave us all behind? (My worst fear is now reality)
There’s so much to say but there’s so little time (There are so many things I dreamt for him, but little time to turn them into life)

So how do I say goodbye (How do I really say goodbye?)
To someone who’s been with me for my whole damn life? (From birth until 2021, I was with him)
You gave me my name and the color of your eyes (Literally, he gave me my name cos my mom was still unconscious from the C-section)
I see your face when I look at mine (I see your nose when I look mine, an insecurity that I learned to embrace)
So how do I, how do I, how do I say goodbye? (How do I?)

When I couldn’t, you always saw the best in me (He was my number 1 cheerleader)
Right or wrong, you were always on my side (When I doubt myself, he was there to lift me up)
But I’m scared of what life without you’s like (I couldn’t imagine my life without you, but then it’s my life now)
And I saw the way she looked into your eyes (I saw the way you looked into us, to live our lives and not worry about you anymore)
And I promise if you go, I will make sure she’s alright (I could say that nanay looks alright)

So how do I say goodbye (I still can’t)
To someone who’s been with me for my whole damn life? (You can’t expect me to. It was 3 decades of my life you were with me, loving me unconditionally)
You gave me my name and the color of your eyes (Luzviminda, dark brown eyes – all came from you)
I see your face when I look at mine (I see the love you gave when I don’t desperately crave for another guy’s attention)
So how do I, how do I, how do I say goodbye? (In time)

And there’s no way you could ever let me down (You left, but you fought a good fight)
Gonna steal some time and start again (No time to steal, but will start again without you)
You’ll always be my closest friend (The first man who showed me how love should look like)
And someday we are gonna make it out (I will try to make it out of this life for you)
Just hold the light, just hold the light (You’d always be that star shining the brightest to light me up when life is getting dark)

So how do I say goodbye
To someone who’s been with me for my whole damn life?
You gave me my name and the color of your eyes
I see your face when I look at mine
So how do I, how do I, how do I say goodbye?
So how do I, how do I, how do I say goodbye?