What an old man said to me while lazing around Linamon beach was still fresh on my mind as our vehicle wended its way through the tree-lined uphill road to Marawi City; he says that the people of Luzon are afraid to go to Mindanao, while the people of Mindanao are in turn afraid to go to Marawi City.

And yet, there we were, my companions from Iligan City’s Waterfalling Adventure Tour, finally exhausted of trekking across the city’s many waterfalls decided to pay a brief visit to one of the most feared places in Mindanao. Being a neophyte Mindanao traveler, I did have my misgivings about the trip, to say the least.