I'm leaving Wednesday morning for Bohol and hubby is not coming with me. Boo hoo. I'm attending the KO Marketing Team Building at this lovely resort. Most of my colleagues are extending thier stay for a few more days but I'm flying back to Manila Friday afternoon. My family and I will drive up north to cool Baguio City for some R&R. Will be back Tuesday afternoon.
My camera will be very busy!
Watch out for the story and photos!
.jpg)
Monday, June 16, 2008
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Happy Independence Day!
I've been living in Kawit, Cavite for the last 4 years and I haven't been INSIDE the Aguinaldo Shrine. In fact, last time I was there was about 20 years ago, during a field trip while in grade school. Anyway, I was stuck in traffic last Saturday so I took out my camera and snapped some photos of this historic site. Quite timely, too, since it is all prepped up for the June 12 Independence day. Too bad I wasn't able to get a good angle. By the time I was in perfect position, traffic started moving really fast and since I was driving, I had no choice but to move along. I was tempted to stop one second but the long line of drivers behind me might whack me for causing further delays. Anyway, happy INDEPENDENCE DAY!
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Off to Laing Paradise
Prelude:
I almost bailed out of this trip. Why shouldn't I? All the "signs" said we shouldn't go.
Day 0.
The decision to go to Donsol was finalized last January. After that, I searched the net to see our options - where to stay, what to do, what to see. By February, I got in touch with Donsol Ecotours, c/o Jessica Noelle Wong. I emailed in the morning and got a reply within the day. Since then, we exchanged LOTS of emails finalizing our itinerary. You see, Ariel and I don't like being idle on our vacations. We want activity-packed days to maximize our stay in a new destination. While Donsol is famous for the whale shark interactions, we also found out that there are other activities we can do like firefly watching and river kayaking. I asked about island hopping and was told that we can do that as well. Also, we wanted to get as close as possible to Mayon volcano so we arranged a trek while we are in Legaspi. Jessica arranged everything. I asked her to arrange our flights and hotel accommodations as well. We were very happy with the way she helped us with this vacation. Even when I told her that our vacation might not push through (after a hundred email exchanges finalizing our itinerary), she never showed dismay or frustration but instead kept a positive attitude and encouraged me to hope for the best. Love her!
Anyway, it was my first time to take a long bus trip - 10 hours total including 2 30-minute stops. We took the Elite bus of Cagsawa Travel (P900 each). We boarded our bus on schedule at 6:30 pm, April 14th, 2008. Before leaving, Ariel bought sandwiches, chips and bottled water. We were famished, having spent a very busy day at work, rushing things so we could finish our job before we leave for our vacation. Our bus left promptly at 7pm. We were already warned that it will be very cold so we came prepared. However, it was still a bit uncomfortable in the bus. My seat was defective. I would recline it but after a few minutes, it would be upright again. Oh well. We had two stop overs. The first at around 11pm in Tiaong, Quezon, the second, well, I don't know what time it was but we were already in Pili, Bicol. In both instances, Ariel and I got off the bus to eat (other passengers just slept!). In Tiaong, I got myself a bowl of mami and a stick of bbq. Ariel opted for rice, eggplant omelette and bbq. In Pili, we shared a bowl of lugaw and Ariel got a stick of hotdog. Happy tummy!
April 15, Day 1.
Our first day officially started. I already shared that we weren't able to get off at Legaspi. So, we checked in at Vista Al Mayon around 7pm instead of 5:30am. We lost 1.5 hours of sleep!!! We just slept all morning. We got up at 11am as Diane and her hubby were picking us up at 11:30am.
We had lunch at Jun and Diane's place. They prepared a feast for us. Pork Adobo - the Bicolanos do it differently. Love it! Ariel loved it. Sarap!!! Bicol express. Diane's mom cooked it and that set the bar so high for our Bicol trip. We ordered Bicol Express about 2 or 3 times during our trip and they paled in comparison to Diane's mom's version. (We even had a big pack of take home!) Pangat (Taro leaves with coconut milk). They bought the pangat in two versions - spicy and non-spicy. I like the spicy one of course and even asked Diane to buy some for us to take home. Pork Sinigang (one of Ariel's fave dishes). We were so full!!! In fact, we enjoyed the food so much we forgot to take photos! Diane and Jun were so generous for sharing with us their time and their home!
Had the chance to see Diane's gorgeous layouts. By the way, I met Diane through our scrapbooking e-group. It was only my second time to see her face to face (the first one in last year's Scrapfest) but she treated us like long time friends! Thanks Diane and Jun!
After lunch, we visited some of the nearby tourist spots.
We had dinner at Alibar's - sisig and gambas for Ariel and me, mango shake and tuna sandwich for Diane, sizzling pork chop for Jun and cafe latter for me. Their cafe latte is maybe 95% milk and 5% coffee. Actually, it tasted like 100% milk and it was white. :D
Had to sleep early as we were supposed to start our Mayon trek at 6:30 am the next day.
Here are some fave photos for the day.
April 16, Day 2.
We woke up at 5:30 to get ready for our trek. Our guide, Mang Bem, arrived at 6:30am. We also met Rico from Donsol Ecotours who introduced us to Mang Bem and Mang Kano (short for Mariano), our driver. We went to Lidong, Sto. Domingo, Albay which is the drop off point for the trek. There we were joined by Arnold who guided us along with Mang Bem. We had with us 2 liters of Powerade and 1 Liter of Viva, 2 bananas, rekking poles lent to us by my friend Karen, a small hand towel, and a hat (baseball cap for Ariel). We thought it was going to be a "leisurely" trek. Oh, it was far from leisurely!
We started shortly after 7am. To a serious mountaineer, it may be easy, but we faced several challenges during our trek. First off, there was no clean trail. For the most part, we found ourselves walking through a thick growth of talahib. Worse, there were thorny bushes along the way. I was wearing cropped pants so the 4 inches of exposed legs were badly scratched. Mang Bem lent me a pair of arm protectors. They were quite smelly (think dried sweat, I doubt if they were ever washed!) but I am in no position to complain. They protected my arms from serious scratches, though I did get a few on my hands. Ariel suffered some cuts on his arms but they were nowhere near what I got on my legs.
Anyway, there were some stretches of steep "climb" but that wasn't the reason why this was a challenging trek. Our main challenge was the heat of the sun. Combine that with hours of walking through thick and tall grasses that cut through skin. At some point, it started drizzling and it felt really good to feel rain on my skin. Unfortunately, it was a short respite from the sun. We were probably the slowest couple that Mang Bem ever guided! We made frequent stops and in more than one occasion, I asked Ariel, Mang Bem and Arnold to just leave me there, go to Camp 1 and just come back for me. I was not walking another inch. Good thing they kept encouraging me until we finally made it to camp 1 after four and a half hours.
Alby: Iwan nyo na lang ako dito. Matutulog lang ako. Pagbalik nyo, nandito pa ako. (Just leave me here. I will just take a nap. When you get back, I'd still be here.)
Mang Bem: Mam, may ahas po dito. (Mam, there are snakes here.)
Alby: Wala akong pakialam. Ayoko na maglakad. Di ko na kaya. (I don't care. I dont' want to walk anymore. I can't do it anymore.)
Mang Bem: Kaya nyo yan mam. Malapit na lang. Mga 30 minutes na lang. (You can do it mam. We're very close. Another 30 minutes.)
That went on a couple of times as we take short breaks. Anyway, we made it and we were rewarded with a spectacular view of the towns below, and a closer view of Mayon's now imperfect cone tip.
We've already used up 1.5 liters of Powerade and about half a liter of Viva. Ariel got water from the spring (our guides said they were tested and found potable) just in case we ran out of drinks. We rested for about an hour before descending.
It was half past four when we got back to civilization. We were famished! We dropped by Jollibee before heading off to Donsol.
The trip to Donsol took about two hours via Mang Kano's Nissan Frontier pick up. We got there around 7pm and checked into our room at Amor Resort. The first thing I checked was whether there is hot water. Negative. Ariel's first comment was that there was no tv. I went out to check if there are rooms with better amenities. Apparently, we checked into the best room available. P1,500 a night. Not bad at all. There's a double bed, a table, a bench. Towels were provided for, as well as a small bar of soap. No closet for our clothes though. We just dumped our clothes on the bench.
We had dinner first. With lunch at Diane's still fresh in our minds, we ordered Bicol Express again, as well as chicken adobo. The food satisfied our hunger but it did not delight us. C'est la vie!
Exhausted from the day's activities, we retired early. Day 3 is whaleshark watching day.
Here are my fave photos for the day.
April 17, Day 3.
We woke up early in anticipation of today's activities. We were scheduled to have our first whaleshark interaction. We ordered breakfast - longsilog for me (pork sausage, fried rice and fried egg) and tocilog for Ariel (cured sweet pork, fried rice and fried egg). We had instant coffee with that. Not bad for P100 per meal, coffee included.
We were required to sign up at the Tourism center where all whaleshark interactions are regulated. There were rules that we have to follow. We watched a video about whaleshark conservation as well as the other eco-tourism activities in the Sorsogon area. We started at around 8:30am. We shared the boat with an Australian couple. As required by the local tourism office, each group was led by a BIO or a Butanding Interaction Officer. Each boat has a spotter - a person perched on top of the pole to watch out for whalesharks. Once a whaleshark is spotted, the BIO will signal the group and jump into the water. We were allowed to go no closer than 3 meters to the bidy of the whaleshark and 5 meters to the tail. There were a lot of boats already circling the area where Butandings were expected to show up. It was cloudy which is bad because spotters look for shadows in the water to determine the presence of the whalesharks. With an overcast sky, shadows are difficult to spot. The water was a bit rough too so I was a bit worried. I am not a strong swimmer and my endurance is worse when the waters are choppy. I opted not to wear a lifejacket for speed and maneuverability. It took us an hour before our spotter spotted a whaleshark. We struggled to catch up and in the end, I didn't see anything. Our Australian friends thought they saw a fin or something. We got into the boat again and waited. At some point it started raining. After several minutes, we jumped into the water again. I got so tired, and again I didn't see anything. This went on for a couple of hours until we decided to call it a day at around 12:30pm. Waaah!!! No whalesharks!!!
We were a bit down when we had lunch. Good thing the tinola and fried fish over veggies were good.
Took a nap as we were both tired from all the swimming. Or maybe, we were too disappointed that we didn't see what we came to Donsol for.
At 3pm, we went out to go kayaking by the river. It was a long way from were we were staying to the mouth of the river. Good thing there were sand bars along the way. We stopped to rest and explore the sand bar. The sand in Donsol is mostly black. It felt a bit strange, having been used to white sand beaches.
After 30 minutes of rowing (we were slow, and we rested frequently), we finally entered the river. Lots of boats lined up one side of the river and we came across some kids playing near their homes, by the riverbank. We took some photos using our point and shoot in its waterproof casing. We decided not to bring the DSLR for fear that we might drop it into the water. After a few minutes, the sky darkened and we decided to head back before it started raining.
After 1.5 hours of kayaking, we got really hungry and we ordered merienda - pancit guisado with toasted bread. Quite good actually.
At 6:30, we boarded a small outrigger for our firefly watching tour. We went to the river, much farther than where we ventured into earlier that afternoon. It was a sight to behold. Thousands, or millions, of fireflies illuminating the trees by the river. I haven't seen fireflies since I was a kid. Beautiful.
We were back by 8:30, ready to face food again. LOL! We had fried chicken and kununot. It's my second time to taste kinunot, the 1st one was in Bantayan Island in Cebu last year. Kinunot is a fish dish (wow, rhyming pa!), cut up in bite sized fishes and cooked in coconut milk and some veggie - int his case malunggay. Sarap! But I liked the Cebu version better.
Big day tomorrow. Our anniversary and whale shark watching take two. We just wouldn't give up that easily! We have to get what we came here (and paid) for?
Here are some fave pics.
April 18, Day 4.
Big day. Our 7th anniversary as husband and wife. Our second chance to swim with the butanding. Longsilog and tinapasilog for breakfast. Brewed coffee this time, with an additional P25.
What a wonderful anniversary gift. We had 9 encounters within the span of 1.5 hours. We were blessed with a great weather (clear skies, calm seas - perfect conditions for spotting a whaleshark), a great spotter (Andy) and a very friendly BIO, Henry. We shared the boat with an old Englishman (who had been staying at our resort for a couple of weeks!!!) and two international students based in Hongkong who were in Donsol for one day only just to see the Butandings (an American and a Norwegian - lucky girls!). Henry made sure that I was able to keep up. When I was too tired to swim, he would hold my hands and drag me so I could swim with the butandings! Ariel, on the other hand, was our designated photographer and videographer. He was able to capture great images!
For lunch, we had laing, pork chop, calamares, Coke zero and Mango shake. It felt like a feast having just experienced the adventure of a lifetime.
We took a nap for a little bit, just to recover from the strenuous swimming. At 4pm, we decided to venture out on the road and take some pictures. We walked to the Tourism office, which was empty that time of the day. We took some pictures before heading back. Lingered a bit by the beach and was able to capture the spectacular sunset.
For dinner, we headed off to Baracuda, a quaint bar owned by a well-traveled lady named Juliet. She is the owner, bar tender and waitress, very eloquent, very friendly, and a great cook, too! We hired a tricycle to take us to Baracuda and asked him to pick us up at 8pm. We agreed to pay P120 upon pick up - he was too shy to give us a price but did mention that 8pm is very late already. When we got there, only one other table was occupied (foreigners). We wanted to have dinner but Juliet suggested we have some drinks first and maybe she sensed we were hungry, so she offered her chilled squid salad as appetizer. We happily relented and were rewarded by the most delicious squid salad I've ever tasted. Ariel and I don't like raw onions and bellpeppers but her dressing was so good we ate everything on our plate - onions and bellpeppers and every little morsel of edible goodness. I had mango daiquiri while Ariel opted for San Mig Light to go with our salad. By the way, there were no menus there. The offering depended on what were the main catch for the day. Juliet came to us with a basin filled with an assortment of seafood. We opted for the Red Snapper and two big prawns. She said she'd grill the prawns and fry the snapper. I asked what we can pair with them and she offered rice, pasta, or potatoes. I picked pasta while Ariel decided to go for the potatoes. By this time, the sun had set and the sky was completely dark. The place glowed with the perfectly positioned string of light around the perimeter, and votive candles on the table. Soft music played on Juliet's Ipod, setting the mood for the night. We waited for about 30 minutes before the main course was served. It was well worth the wait. The pasta was so good - tomatoes, onions, rosemary. Very flavorful. The potatoes where delicious - sauteed in onions. The prawns were grilled to perfection, sprinkled with garlic and cracked pepper. The fried fish had crisp skin and tender meat. I had white wine while Ariel ordered a second bottle of beer. It was the perfect anniversary dinner. After dinner, I asked for a shot of Bailey's to satisfy my sweet craving. Upon learning that it was our anniversary, Juliet served us two shots of brandy, on the house. A perfect ending to our memorable day. I've never had too much alcohol in one day! We were afraid to get the bill since we had no idea how much the food and drinks cost. Care to take a guess? Total bill was P1,335. We felt like we had won the lottery.
I was already tipsy when we got into the tricycle. I was asleep in bed by 8:30pm!
Here are the choice shots for the day.
April 19, Day 5.
I woke up at around 3am with a terrible sore throat. I was also a bit feverish. I immediately took some medication and gargled with Bactidol. I wasn't ready to get sick as we had a full day planned. Fortunately, I woke up hours later feeling much better, though my tummy was acting up a bit - maybe from too much alcohol the previous night.
We started the day early, around 6am, and had breakfast (burgers - quite good!) on the boat, packed by Amor resort. After about an hour, we were greeted by white sand beaches along a group of small islands. Our boat couldn't get too close so we just kayaked our way to the shore. We enjoyed a few minutes of snorkeling on shallow waters and then the unthinkable happened. Won't elaborate here but it involved a big rock, a little digging and wet wipes (wink!).
Another hour or so, we reached Ticao Island in Masbate. We were amazed at the beautiful waterfalls that awaited us. Ariel and I were afraid to dive into the water at first (think Anaconda and Lochness monster!) but after one of our boat men dived in, we immediately followed suit. The water was cool but soothing. We even swam under the falls, though I didn't stay long as the water pressure was really strong. It was a very serene area, the only sound was that of the waterfalls. The weather was perfect - partly cloudy with just a bit of sun peeking out.
We had lunch in the boat, packed for us by Amor resort. We enjoyed fried chicken, fried fish and some veggies with rice. After lunch, we rested a few minutes and jumped into the water again for a final dip before heading back to Donsol.
On the way back, we spotted a group of dolphins swimming by. I got so excited I forgot to take pictures! It also rained a couple of times (not just drizzles, but downpour) though the sea remained calm. When we arrived at the resort, there was no electricity - maybe due to the strong rains. We just showered and packed our stuff and we're off to Legaspi on board Mang Kano's pick up.
I dozed off most of the trip and it was already dark when we checked into Vista Al Mayon again. We didn't have the energy to go out or roam around so we just had dinner at the hotel. We packed and then slept the night away.
Here are the day's snapshots:
April 20, Day 6.
Had a simple breakfast at the hotel (they had nothing fancy to offer).
Diane and Jun came over to drop by our pasalubong which they neatly packed in a box (thanks Jun and Diane!!!) with a bottle of Diane's mom's Bicol express! Yahoo!
Checked in early and had to wait a bit before our flight (yup no more long bus ride!) - very crowded airport. Bicol had indeed become a summer destination. I just hope that the conservation efforts in Donsol will be sustained. It was a bit crowded when we went. Several boats circling the Butanding area, not at all in line with the WWF guidelines I read about.
Before we knew it, our vacation was over.
But I have this blog and the pictures to remind me of this wonderful adventure. For the complete set of photos, head over to flickr and check my Bicol Album.
Oh, and before I end, here's the list of our contacts:
Jessica Noelle Wong
info@donsolecotours.com
+63 917-5063554
Vista Al Mayon, Legaspi City
+63 52 4810308
Amor Farm Beach Resort
Dancalan, Donsol, Sorsogon
Mrs. Sylvia Amor
+63 910 4586140
lyn_amor0122@yahoo.com
Pacific Blue Dive Center
Amor Farm Beach Resort
Mr. Rodel Lita
+63 921 9293811
rodel_lita@yahoo.com
BARacuda Bar & Grill
Juliet dela Cruz
+63 926 6400863
+63 906 9016852
Rodel Lita
Thanks for reading!
I almost bailed out of this trip. Why shouldn't I? All the "signs" said we shouldn't go.
- My leave was not approved INITIALLY, I got my approval a week before our target date
- Because of the late approval, all flights to Legaspi were already booked - we decided to take the 10-hour bus ride to Legaspi and take a flight back
- On the day of our departure, a typhoon hit the country - thankfully, Bicol wasn't on the direct path, but I was informed by my Bicol-based friend Diane that it has been raining really hard in Legaspi
- I called for a cab to pick me up at 5pm but the cab arrived early and the driver got impatient so he left. I had to wait another 30 minute to get a new cab.
- We missed our Legaspi stop!!! Yes, we missed our stop. We were waiting for the driver to say "Legaspi" but instead he said "Satellite". So we ignored him until there were few passengers left. We went all the way to Tabaco!
Day 0.
The decision to go to Donsol was finalized last January. After that, I searched the net to see our options - where to stay, what to do, what to see. By February, I got in touch with Donsol Ecotours, c/o Jessica Noelle Wong. I emailed in the morning and got a reply within the day. Since then, we exchanged LOTS of emails finalizing our itinerary. You see, Ariel and I don't like being idle on our vacations. We want activity-packed days to maximize our stay in a new destination. While Donsol is famous for the whale shark interactions, we also found out that there are other activities we can do like firefly watching and river kayaking. I asked about island hopping and was told that we can do that as well. Also, we wanted to get as close as possible to Mayon volcano so we arranged a trek while we are in Legaspi. Jessica arranged everything. I asked her to arrange our flights and hotel accommodations as well. We were very happy with the way she helped us with this vacation. Even when I told her that our vacation might not push through (after a hundred email exchanges finalizing our itinerary), she never showed dismay or frustration but instead kept a positive attitude and encouraged me to hope for the best. Love her!
Anyway, it was my first time to take a long bus trip - 10 hours total including 2 30-minute stops. We took the Elite bus of Cagsawa Travel (P900 each). We boarded our bus on schedule at 6:30 pm, April 14th, 2008. Before leaving, Ariel bought sandwiches, chips and bottled water. We were famished, having spent a very busy day at work, rushing things so we could finish our job before we leave for our vacation. Our bus left promptly at 7pm. We were already warned that it will be very cold so we came prepared. However, it was still a bit uncomfortable in the bus. My seat was defective. I would recline it but after a few minutes, it would be upright again. Oh well. We had two stop overs. The first at around 11pm in Tiaong, Quezon, the second, well, I don't know what time it was but we were already in Pili, Bicol. In both instances, Ariel and I got off the bus to eat (other passengers just slept!). In Tiaong, I got myself a bowl of mami and a stick of bbq. Ariel opted for rice, eggplant omelette and bbq. In Pili, we shared a bowl of lugaw and Ariel got a stick of hotdog. Happy tummy!
April 15, Day 1.
Our first day officially started. I already shared that we weren't able to get off at Legaspi. So, we checked in at Vista Al Mayon around 7pm instead of 5:30am. We lost 1.5 hours of sleep!!! We just slept all morning. We got up at 11am as Diane and her hubby were picking us up at 11:30am.
We had lunch at Jun and Diane's place. They prepared a feast for us. Pork Adobo - the Bicolanos do it differently. Love it! Ariel loved it. Sarap!!! Bicol express. Diane's mom cooked it and that set the bar so high for our Bicol trip. We ordered Bicol Express about 2 or 3 times during our trip and they paled in comparison to Diane's mom's version. (We even had a big pack of take home!) Pangat (Taro leaves with coconut milk). They bought the pangat in two versions - spicy and non-spicy. I like the spicy one of course and even asked Diane to buy some for us to take home. Pork Sinigang (one of Ariel's fave dishes). We were so full!!! In fact, we enjoyed the food so much we forgot to take photos! Diane and Jun were so generous for sharing with us their time and their home!
Had the chance to see Diane's gorgeous layouts. By the way, I met Diane through our scrapbooking e-group. It was only my second time to see her face to face (the first one in last year's Scrapfest) but she treated us like long time friends! Thanks Diane and Jun!
After lunch, we visited some of the nearby tourist spots.
- Mayon Resthouse - Beautiful spot overlooking the city. It was a bit cloudy and we were soon covered in thick fog but we were able to take nice shots.
- Camalig Church - Diane showed us the church where she and Jun tied the knot.
- Daraga Church - Picture perfect! Nice weathered architecture.
- Cagsawa ruins - One of the major tourist spots in Legaspi, a bit crowded when we visited but beautiful nonetheless.
- Gaisano Mall - I know, I know. This doesn't qualify as a tourist spot but it was here that I was able to get a shot of the near-perfect cone shaped Mayon volcano. Actually, Mayon is very visible from Diane's kitchen window. Beautiful. But scary considering it is an active volcano.
We had dinner at Alibar's - sisig and gambas for Ariel and me, mango shake and tuna sandwich for Diane, sizzling pork chop for Jun and cafe latter for me. Their cafe latte is maybe 95% milk and 5% coffee. Actually, it tasted like 100% milk and it was white. :D
Had to sleep early as we were supposed to start our Mayon trek at 6:30 am the next day.
Here are some fave photos for the day.
April 16, Day 2.
We woke up at 5:30 to get ready for our trek. Our guide, Mang Bem, arrived at 6:30am. We also met Rico from Donsol Ecotours who introduced us to Mang Bem and Mang Kano (short for Mariano), our driver. We went to Lidong, Sto. Domingo, Albay which is the drop off point for the trek. There we were joined by Arnold who guided us along with Mang Bem. We had with us 2 liters of Powerade and 1 Liter of Viva, 2 bananas, rekking poles lent to us by my friend Karen, a small hand towel, and a hat (baseball cap for Ariel). We thought it was going to be a "leisurely" trek. Oh, it was far from leisurely!
We started shortly after 7am. To a serious mountaineer, it may be easy, but we faced several challenges during our trek. First off, there was no clean trail. For the most part, we found ourselves walking through a thick growth of talahib. Worse, there were thorny bushes along the way. I was wearing cropped pants so the 4 inches of exposed legs were badly scratched. Mang Bem lent me a pair of arm protectors. They were quite smelly (think dried sweat, I doubt if they were ever washed!) but I am in no position to complain. They protected my arms from serious scratches, though I did get a few on my hands. Ariel suffered some cuts on his arms but they were nowhere near what I got on my legs.
Anyway, there were some stretches of steep "climb" but that wasn't the reason why this was a challenging trek. Our main challenge was the heat of the sun. Combine that with hours of walking through thick and tall grasses that cut through skin. At some point, it started drizzling and it felt really good to feel rain on my skin. Unfortunately, it was a short respite from the sun. We were probably the slowest couple that Mang Bem ever guided! We made frequent stops and in more than one occasion, I asked Ariel, Mang Bem and Arnold to just leave me there, go to Camp 1 and just come back for me. I was not walking another inch. Good thing they kept encouraging me until we finally made it to camp 1 after four and a half hours.
Alby: Iwan nyo na lang ako dito. Matutulog lang ako. Pagbalik nyo, nandito pa ako. (Just leave me here. I will just take a nap. When you get back, I'd still be here.)
Mang Bem: Mam, may ahas po dito. (Mam, there are snakes here.)
Alby: Wala akong pakialam. Ayoko na maglakad. Di ko na kaya. (I don't care. I dont' want to walk anymore. I can't do it anymore.)
Mang Bem: Kaya nyo yan mam. Malapit na lang. Mga 30 minutes na lang. (You can do it mam. We're very close. Another 30 minutes.)
That went on a couple of times as we take short breaks. Anyway, we made it and we were rewarded with a spectacular view of the towns below, and a closer view of Mayon's now imperfect cone tip.
We've already used up 1.5 liters of Powerade and about half a liter of Viva. Ariel got water from the spring (our guides said they were tested and found potable) just in case we ran out of drinks. We rested for about an hour before descending.
It was half past four when we got back to civilization. We were famished! We dropped by Jollibee before heading off to Donsol.
The trip to Donsol took about two hours via Mang Kano's Nissan Frontier pick up. We got there around 7pm and checked into our room at Amor Resort. The first thing I checked was whether there is hot water. Negative. Ariel's first comment was that there was no tv. I went out to check if there are rooms with better amenities. Apparently, we checked into the best room available. P1,500 a night. Not bad at all. There's a double bed, a table, a bench. Towels were provided for, as well as a small bar of soap. No closet for our clothes though. We just dumped our clothes on the bench.
We had dinner first. With lunch at Diane's still fresh in our minds, we ordered Bicol Express again, as well as chicken adobo. The food satisfied our hunger but it did not delight us. C'est la vie!
Exhausted from the day's activities, we retired early. Day 3 is whaleshark watching day.
Here are my fave photos for the day.
April 17, Day 3.
We woke up early in anticipation of today's activities. We were scheduled to have our first whaleshark interaction. We ordered breakfast - longsilog for me (pork sausage, fried rice and fried egg) and tocilog for Ariel (cured sweet pork, fried rice and fried egg). We had instant coffee with that. Not bad for P100 per meal, coffee included.
We were required to sign up at the Tourism center where all whaleshark interactions are regulated. There were rules that we have to follow. We watched a video about whaleshark conservation as well as the other eco-tourism activities in the Sorsogon area. We started at around 8:30am. We shared the boat with an Australian couple. As required by the local tourism office, each group was led by a BIO or a Butanding Interaction Officer. Each boat has a spotter - a person perched on top of the pole to watch out for whalesharks. Once a whaleshark is spotted, the BIO will signal the group and jump into the water. We were allowed to go no closer than 3 meters to the bidy of the whaleshark and 5 meters to the tail. There were a lot of boats already circling the area where Butandings were expected to show up. It was cloudy which is bad because spotters look for shadows in the water to determine the presence of the whalesharks. With an overcast sky, shadows are difficult to spot. The water was a bit rough too so I was a bit worried. I am not a strong swimmer and my endurance is worse when the waters are choppy. I opted not to wear a lifejacket for speed and maneuverability. It took us an hour before our spotter spotted a whaleshark. We struggled to catch up and in the end, I didn't see anything. Our Australian friends thought they saw a fin or something. We got into the boat again and waited. At some point it started raining. After several minutes, we jumped into the water again. I got so tired, and again I didn't see anything. This went on for a couple of hours until we decided to call it a day at around 12:30pm. Waaah!!! No whalesharks!!!
We were a bit down when we had lunch. Good thing the tinola and fried fish over veggies were good.
Took a nap as we were both tired from all the swimming. Or maybe, we were too disappointed that we didn't see what we came to Donsol for.
At 3pm, we went out to go kayaking by the river. It was a long way from were we were staying to the mouth of the river. Good thing there were sand bars along the way. We stopped to rest and explore the sand bar. The sand in Donsol is mostly black. It felt a bit strange, having been used to white sand beaches.
After 30 minutes of rowing (we were slow, and we rested frequently), we finally entered the river. Lots of boats lined up one side of the river and we came across some kids playing near their homes, by the riverbank. We took some photos using our point and shoot in its waterproof casing. We decided not to bring the DSLR for fear that we might drop it into the water. After a few minutes, the sky darkened and we decided to head back before it started raining.
After 1.5 hours of kayaking, we got really hungry and we ordered merienda - pancit guisado with toasted bread. Quite good actually.
At 6:30, we boarded a small outrigger for our firefly watching tour. We went to the river, much farther than where we ventured into earlier that afternoon. It was a sight to behold. Thousands, or millions, of fireflies illuminating the trees by the river. I haven't seen fireflies since I was a kid. Beautiful.
We were back by 8:30, ready to face food again. LOL! We had fried chicken and kununot. It's my second time to taste kinunot, the 1st one was in Bantayan Island in Cebu last year. Kinunot is a fish dish (wow, rhyming pa!), cut up in bite sized fishes and cooked in coconut milk and some veggie - int his case malunggay. Sarap! But I liked the Cebu version better.
Big day tomorrow. Our anniversary and whale shark watching take two. We just wouldn't give up that easily! We have to get what we came here (and paid) for?
Here are some fave pics.
April 18, Day 4.
Big day. Our 7th anniversary as husband and wife. Our second chance to swim with the butanding. Longsilog and tinapasilog for breakfast. Brewed coffee this time, with an additional P25.
What a wonderful anniversary gift. We had 9 encounters within the span of 1.5 hours. We were blessed with a great weather (clear skies, calm seas - perfect conditions for spotting a whaleshark), a great spotter (Andy) and a very friendly BIO, Henry. We shared the boat with an old Englishman (who had been staying at our resort for a couple of weeks!!!) and two international students based in Hongkong who were in Donsol for one day only just to see the Butandings (an American and a Norwegian - lucky girls!). Henry made sure that I was able to keep up. When I was too tired to swim, he would hold my hands and drag me so I could swim with the butandings! Ariel, on the other hand, was our designated photographer and videographer. He was able to capture great images!
For lunch, we had laing, pork chop, calamares, Coke zero and Mango shake. It felt like a feast having just experienced the adventure of a lifetime.
We took a nap for a little bit, just to recover from the strenuous swimming. At 4pm, we decided to venture out on the road and take some pictures. We walked to the Tourism office, which was empty that time of the day. We took some pictures before heading back. Lingered a bit by the beach and was able to capture the spectacular sunset.
For dinner, we headed off to Baracuda, a quaint bar owned by a well-traveled lady named Juliet. She is the owner, bar tender and waitress, very eloquent, very friendly, and a great cook, too! We hired a tricycle to take us to Baracuda and asked him to pick us up at 8pm. We agreed to pay P120 upon pick up - he was too shy to give us a price but did mention that 8pm is very late already. When we got there, only one other table was occupied (foreigners). We wanted to have dinner but Juliet suggested we have some drinks first and maybe she sensed we were hungry, so she offered her chilled squid salad as appetizer. We happily relented and were rewarded by the most delicious squid salad I've ever tasted. Ariel and I don't like raw onions and bellpeppers but her dressing was so good we ate everything on our plate - onions and bellpeppers and every little morsel of edible goodness. I had mango daiquiri while Ariel opted for San Mig Light to go with our salad. By the way, there were no menus there. The offering depended on what were the main catch for the day. Juliet came to us with a basin filled with an assortment of seafood. We opted for the Red Snapper and two big prawns. She said she'd grill the prawns and fry the snapper. I asked what we can pair with them and she offered rice, pasta, or potatoes. I picked pasta while Ariel decided to go for the potatoes. By this time, the sun had set and the sky was completely dark. The place glowed with the perfectly positioned string of light around the perimeter, and votive candles on the table. Soft music played on Juliet's Ipod, setting the mood for the night. We waited for about 30 minutes before the main course was served. It was well worth the wait. The pasta was so good - tomatoes, onions, rosemary. Very flavorful. The potatoes where delicious - sauteed in onions. The prawns were grilled to perfection, sprinkled with garlic and cracked pepper. The fried fish had crisp skin and tender meat. I had white wine while Ariel ordered a second bottle of beer. It was the perfect anniversary dinner. After dinner, I asked for a shot of Bailey's to satisfy my sweet craving. Upon learning that it was our anniversary, Juliet served us two shots of brandy, on the house. A perfect ending to our memorable day. I've never had too much alcohol in one day! We were afraid to get the bill since we had no idea how much the food and drinks cost. Care to take a guess? Total bill was P1,335. We felt like we had won the lottery.
I was already tipsy when we got into the tricycle. I was asleep in bed by 8:30pm!
Here are the choice shots for the day.
April 19, Day 5.
I woke up at around 3am with a terrible sore throat. I was also a bit feverish. I immediately took some medication and gargled with Bactidol. I wasn't ready to get sick as we had a full day planned. Fortunately, I woke up hours later feeling much better, though my tummy was acting up a bit - maybe from too much alcohol the previous night.
We started the day early, around 6am, and had breakfast (burgers - quite good!) on the boat, packed by Amor resort. After about an hour, we were greeted by white sand beaches along a group of small islands. Our boat couldn't get too close so we just kayaked our way to the shore. We enjoyed a few minutes of snorkeling on shallow waters and then the unthinkable happened. Won't elaborate here but it involved a big rock, a little digging and wet wipes (wink!).
Another hour or so, we reached Ticao Island in Masbate. We were amazed at the beautiful waterfalls that awaited us. Ariel and I were afraid to dive into the water at first (think Anaconda and Lochness monster!) but after one of our boat men dived in, we immediately followed suit. The water was cool but soothing. We even swam under the falls, though I didn't stay long as the water pressure was really strong. It was a very serene area, the only sound was that of the waterfalls. The weather was perfect - partly cloudy with just a bit of sun peeking out.
We had lunch in the boat, packed for us by Amor resort. We enjoyed fried chicken, fried fish and some veggies with rice. After lunch, we rested a few minutes and jumped into the water again for a final dip before heading back to Donsol.
On the way back, we spotted a group of dolphins swimming by. I got so excited I forgot to take pictures! It also rained a couple of times (not just drizzles, but downpour) though the sea remained calm. When we arrived at the resort, there was no electricity - maybe due to the strong rains. We just showered and packed our stuff and we're off to Legaspi on board Mang Kano's pick up.
I dozed off most of the trip and it was already dark when we checked into Vista Al Mayon again. We didn't have the energy to go out or roam around so we just had dinner at the hotel. We packed and then slept the night away.
Here are the day's snapshots:
April 20, Day 6.
Had a simple breakfast at the hotel (they had nothing fancy to offer).
Diane and Jun came over to drop by our pasalubong which they neatly packed in a box (thanks Jun and Diane!!!) with a bottle of Diane's mom's Bicol express! Yahoo!
Checked in early and had to wait a bit before our flight (yup no more long bus ride!) - very crowded airport. Bicol had indeed become a summer destination. I just hope that the conservation efforts in Donsol will be sustained. It was a bit crowded when we went. Several boats circling the Butanding area, not at all in line with the WWF guidelines I read about.
Before we knew it, our vacation was over.
But I have this blog and the pictures to remind me of this wonderful adventure. For the complete set of photos, head over to flickr and check my Bicol Album.
Oh, and before I end, here's the list of our contacts:
Jessica Noelle Wong
info@donsolecotours.com
+63 917-5063554
Vista Al Mayon, Legaspi City
+63 52 4810308
Amor Farm Beach Resort
Dancalan, Donsol, Sorsogon
Mrs. Sylvia Amor
+63 910 4586140
lyn_amor0122@yahoo.com
Pacific Blue Dive Center
Amor Farm Beach Resort
Mr. Rodel Lita
+63 921 9293811
rodel_lita@yahoo.com
BARacuda Bar & Grill
Juliet dela Cruz
+63 926 6400863
+63 906 9016852
Rodel Lita
Thanks for reading!
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Off we go!
To Donsol, Sorsogon! That's our adventure trip this summer. Since we got married seven years ago, we make it a point to take at least a week off from work to enjoy an extended anniversary celebration in a beautiful island destination.
On April 18th, we are celebrating our seventh wedding anniversary. Can't believe it's been seven years!!! Parang ang bilis masyado. Does that mean we are having fun? I definitely believe so.
Anyway, I am so excited for this trip. My leave just got approved last week so we only got to check flights then and unfortunately, all Legaspi-bound flights are full. We have no choice but to take a long bus ride. I'm kinda excited because it's the first time I'll be taking a long road trip in a public transport. We're leaving monday night at 7:30pm. Here's our itinerary:
Day 1 - (Tuesday) Roam around Legaspi; meet with fellow scrapper Diane for some photo op
Day 2 - Trek to Mt. Mayon, drive to Donsol in the afternoon
Day 3 - Whaleshark interaction, River Kayaking
Day 4 - Island hopping, Firefly watching
Day 5 - City Tour in Sorsogon
Day 6 - Fly back to Manila (no more bus ride for us!)
So excited!!! I even made a travel journal for this trip.
We'll be bringing along two cameras - my brand new Canon 40D, and my 4-year old Canon Powershot A95. We're bringing the latter for the underwater shots since I have an underwater casing for it.
Will provide a full account of our trip when we get back.
On April 18th, we are celebrating our seventh wedding anniversary. Can't believe it's been seven years!!! Parang ang bilis masyado. Does that mean we are having fun? I definitely believe so.
Anyway, I am so excited for this trip. My leave just got approved last week so we only got to check flights then and unfortunately, all Legaspi-bound flights are full. We have no choice but to take a long bus ride. I'm kinda excited because it's the first time I'll be taking a long road trip in a public transport. We're leaving monday night at 7:30pm. Here's our itinerary:
Day 1 - (Tuesday) Roam around Legaspi; meet with fellow scrapper Diane for some photo op
Day 2 - Trek to Mt. Mayon, drive to Donsol in the afternoon
Day 3 - Whaleshark interaction, River Kayaking
Day 4 - Island hopping, Firefly watching
Day 5 - City Tour in Sorsogon
Day 6 - Fly back to Manila (no more bus ride for us!)
So excited!!! I even made a travel journal for this trip.
We'll be bringing along two cameras - my brand new Canon 40D, and my 4-year old Canon Powershot A95. We're bringing the latter for the underwater shots since I have an underwater casing for it.
Will provide a full account of our trip when we get back.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Kanin anyone?
I saw this post in my drafts folder. I wrote this December last year but never got around to publishing it because I didn't have the pictures then. Now that I have the photos, you can read all about it.
----------------
Who doesn’t like rice? The fragrant, perfectly white, sticky kind. The one that’s perfect with savory, fork-tender, slightly spicy, a bit oily, pork adobo. A must for every true blue Filipino dish – think laing, kare-kare, kaldereta, menudo. How can you not have rice with these dishes?
I thought Kanin Club was aptly named given that the dishes served in this restaurant are best enjoyed with steaming white rice. It was a bright Monday morning when Karen, Aileen, Ian and I drove to Sta. Rosa for a sumptuous lunch at Kanin Club. We were going to attend a wedding in Tagaytay and Paseo De Sta. Rosa was along the way. We just spent an hour or so in a Makati salon for hair and make up and we were already wearing our evening dresses when we trooped to Kanin Club. It was Aileen’s first time and my second. For Karen and Ian, well, let’s just say they are veterans. We ordered the bestsellers – Crispy Pork binagoongan, Crispy Pork liempo, Sigarillas express (cooked in coconut milk), binukadkad na plapla, mango salad, and a bowl of fully loaded rice. Just hearing the names of the dishes is enough to make our mouths water in anticipation. Not even the fear of blotting out our lipstick could stop us from enjoying our lunch.
Here are the mouth-watering dishes we enjoyed at Kanin Club (photo courtesy of Ian Reyes):
Binukadkad na plapla
Crispy liempo
Crispy pork binagoongan
Sigarillas express
Dips
We didn’t have time (nor tummy space) for dessert but I’ve tried some of their sweet endings before. The turon (sweet banana roll) is a must-try. Aside from the usual banana, it also has langka (jackfruit), ube (purple yam) and other yummy ingredients stuffed inside - reminds me of halo-halo. Try the turon ala mode if you want a scoop of ice cream. The fusion of warm turon and cool ice cream provides a uniquely delightful sensory experience. And you must try my personal favorite – banana fritters. A bite into the crisp coating and the sweet banana smell bring back fond childhood memories.
Kanin Club is located at Paseo de Sta. Rosa and is open daily from 11am – 2pm and from 5pm – 8pm.
----------------
Who doesn’t like rice? The fragrant, perfectly white, sticky kind. The one that’s perfect with savory, fork-tender, slightly spicy, a bit oily, pork adobo. A must for every true blue Filipino dish – think laing, kare-kare, kaldereta, menudo. How can you not have rice with these dishes?
I thought Kanin Club was aptly named given that the dishes served in this restaurant are best enjoyed with steaming white rice. It was a bright Monday morning when Karen, Aileen, Ian and I drove to Sta. Rosa for a sumptuous lunch at Kanin Club. We were going to attend a wedding in Tagaytay and Paseo De Sta. Rosa was along the way. We just spent an hour or so in a Makati salon for hair and make up and we were already wearing our evening dresses when we trooped to Kanin Club. It was Aileen’s first time and my second. For Karen and Ian, well, let’s just say they are veterans. We ordered the bestsellers – Crispy Pork binagoongan, Crispy Pork liempo, Sigarillas express (cooked in coconut milk), binukadkad na plapla, mango salad, and a bowl of fully loaded rice. Just hearing the names of the dishes is enough to make our mouths water in anticipation. Not even the fear of blotting out our lipstick could stop us from enjoying our lunch.
Here are the mouth-watering dishes we enjoyed at Kanin Club (photo courtesy of Ian Reyes):
Binukadkad na plapla
Crispy liempo
Crispy pork binagoongan
Sigarillas express
DipsWe didn’t have time (nor tummy space) for dessert but I’ve tried some of their sweet endings before. The turon (sweet banana roll) is a must-try. Aside from the usual banana, it also has langka (jackfruit), ube (purple yam) and other yummy ingredients stuffed inside - reminds me of halo-halo. Try the turon ala mode if you want a scoop of ice cream. The fusion of warm turon and cool ice cream provides a uniquely delightful sensory experience. And you must try my personal favorite – banana fritters. A bite into the crisp coating and the sweet banana smell bring back fond childhood memories.
Kanin Club is located at Paseo de Sta. Rosa and is open daily from 11am – 2pm and from 5pm – 8pm.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Summer 2008
Can't wait for April!
It will be our 7th year as husband and wife. Time really flies when you're having fun!
We're swimming with the whale sharks, watching the fireflies and kayaking at the river. Yup, we're off to Donsol, Sorsogon! We hope to see Mayon volcano up close, too! This is perhaps the closest I can get to my dream of becoming a wildlife photographer for National Geographic or Discovery. I hope I already have my DSLR by this time.
Back up plan is to go to Camotes Island and Moalboal in Cebu. Actually, we've been wanting to go there since last year. It's just that we can only cover two islands with our limited vacation leave. Since Cebu is easier to go to, we decided to prioritize Donsol this year. After all, we haven't been to Bicol together. I've been to Legaspi a few years back and had a magnificent view of Mayon. However, as with all my travels without my hubby, it wasn't as exciting and I hardly took photos. So here's our chace. And I can't wait to taste the authentic Bicol Express again!
Now, if I can only survive our planning season...
It will be our 7th year as husband and wife. Time really flies when you're having fun!
We're swimming with the whale sharks, watching the fireflies and kayaking at the river. Yup, we're off to Donsol, Sorsogon! We hope to see Mayon volcano up close, too! This is perhaps the closest I can get to my dream of becoming a wildlife photographer for National Geographic or Discovery. I hope I already have my DSLR by this time.
Back up plan is to go to Camotes Island and Moalboal in Cebu. Actually, we've been wanting to go there since last year. It's just that we can only cover two islands with our limited vacation leave. Since Cebu is easier to go to, we decided to prioritize Donsol this year. After all, we haven't been to Bicol together. I've been to Legaspi a few years back and had a magnificent view of Mayon. However, as with all my travels without my hubby, it wasn't as exciting and I hardly took photos. So here's our chace. And I can't wait to taste the authentic Bicol Express again!
Now, if I can only survive our planning season...
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Breathtaking Batanes - Part 2
Day 3, Wednesday
On this day, we went to the fishing village along with the Geigers. We met some of the locals and saw their stock of food saved for the rainy season. They dry their Dorado fishes and save sacks of sweet potatoes (Camote). I asked if I can buy some dried fish because I wanted to try their version of tuyo or daing. I was told that they are not for sale because they are saved for the community since they have a very short fishing season. Whatever extra a fishing family has is shared with a non-fishing neighbor in exchange for salt. I've never seen such a strong sense of community!
We trekked to the Spring of Youth. It took us about 30 minutes of uphill walking before we got to the place. Our German companions were out of breath and were very tired by the time we got to the spring. The spring itself was nothing spectacular, just a bit of trickling natural spring water that is fit for drinking. What I didn't like about it is that the locals attached pipes so the water can be easily harvested. It killed the "natural" beauty of the spring. What I liked is the view from the top. We could see the fishing village below. For that, I think the trek was worth it.
On the way down, we were able to catch the fishermen with their fresh catch of the day - some Dorado, and a couple of flying fishes which are abundant around Batanes. They looked like regular fishes up close and the wings looked like extra long fins. Nothing at all like the "hummingbird" features I imagined when I saw them flying along our boat.
Next up, we visited one of the light houses. Ariel and I were able to climb to the top. The Geigers stayed below as it was a steep climb. From the top, we could see the fishing village again.
We went to see the windmills. The construction of these windmills significantly reduced the island's consumption of fuel to generate electricity. Because of these, Batan Island is now able to enjoy 24 hours of electricity unlike its less populated neighbors with only 12 hours of electricity.
Our next stop was the Tukon Radar Station. This station spots typhoons before they enter the Philippine's area of responsibility. For this reason, our weather forecasts always refer to Batanes when it comes to the typhoon's location (e.g. 100 km. north of Batanes). From the radar station, we could see our next destination - the Abad residence.
The Abad family is perhaps the most prominent family in Batanes. The Abads are a family of politicians with generations serving in the Congress, and/or the local government. One family member who opted not to go into politics is world-renowned artist Pacita Abad. I never heard of her until I went to Batanes and visited her home which became a museum after her death in 2004. She had a magnificent home with a breathtaking view of the Pacific Ocean and the beautiful Batanes Hills. We were able to read about her life in the museum, and see some of her works. One project that struck me was the Alkaff Bridge in Singapore which she painted while battling cancer. She died shortly after completing this wonderful work of art. We had so much fun going around her home, also completed shortly before she succumbed to cancer.
We proceeded to the home of then Education Secretary Florencio Abad. It was beautiful! While the house itself was closed to tourists, we were able to go around the lush garden and we took lots of photos! As we admire the Abads' garden, I couldn't help but dream of having one as beautiful as this someday.
After that, we stopped by Boulder Beach. The reason for the name was quite obvious. Instead of a sandy shore, we found...you guessed it...boulders! The big boulders cost a fortune in Manila. I had to pay a few thousand bucks for a handful of these rocks to adorn our garden. In Batanes, all I would need is a municipal permit and I could fill my entire yard with these heavy garden ornaments. Of course, how I would get them out of Batanes is another issue altogether.
Hmm... I dont' remember where and at what point we actually had lunch. I'm sure it was a good one. :)
Our next stop was the beautiful Vayang hills. Acres of green, rolling hills, quite a feast for the eyes. I couldn't believe I was still in the Philippines. This is just what Batanes is so famous for.
Last stop is another lighthouse. I was trying to get a nice angle of the lighthouse so I decided to go around it. Surprise, surprise. A couple making out in the back! I didn't know who was more embarrassed. Haha!
That ended Day 3. At this point, we already heard about Batanes' biggest but least inhabited island, Itbayat. We were told it is the only island in Batanes that is completely surrounded by cliffs. That got us really interested so we booked a flight for the following day with plans of spending just one night. Before I write about that very adventurous trip, here are some photos from Day 3. Enjoy!
Day 4 - Thursday
We got up early and packed our stuff. From this day onwards, we are completely on our own. No definite itinerary. No hotel booking for Day 5 onwards. Our plan was to spend a night at Itbayat. We were given a name to look for in Itbayat. No phone number, no address. We didn't know what to expect, where to go, and what to do. All we knew was we wanted to see Itbayat.
At the airport, we were both excited and anxious. We were excited at the prospect of a totally spontaneous adventure. Anxious because this is a totally new experience for us. We were used to a well-planned vacation with comfortable facilities. Oh, did I tell you the flight was through a 6-seater plane? The alternatives were a 4-seater flight or a 4-hour boat ride in one of the country's roughest seas. Of course the safest choice for us was the 6-seater flight. It was nothing new for me. I already took an 8-seater flight from Manila to Coron, Palawan. How different could this be? After all, the flight would only take 10 minutes?
A few minutes into the flight and I could already see Itbayat. I was looking for the long landing strip but didn't see any. Apparently, the airport is a few meters of rough road in the middle of nowhere. There was no passenger terminal. Passengers wait under the tree for their flight. We were so shocked! How in the world will we find our contact person (forgot his name!)? Upon landing, we saw the backpacker couple we met going to Sabtang. They took the 4-seater flight and we heard them asking how to go to the municipal office. That's one key learning for us. When in a new place and no itinerary, look for the municipal office! Anyway, since everybody seems to be boarding a truck, we decided to board as well. In the truck, somebody must have asked us where we're going - I don't really remember - because next thing I know, someody was telling us that the person we were supposed to see was waiting a few meters away in the municipal ambulance. We immediately went to see him and ended up taking the ambulance on the way to the town proper.
We found out that the only lodging in Itbayat are homes with spare rooms rented out to tourists for P150 per person per night. Meals can be arranged at the local cooperative for a very affordable fee. Our contact person turned out to be one of the families renting a room. It was a nice room with a comfortable bed and its own toilet. Electricity is available from 12 noon to 12 midnight.
We finally met the backpacker couple - Jojo and Gina Antonio. We paid the tourist fee - can't remember how much. Our "tour guide" who also hosted Jojo and Gina offered to take us to mount Riposed. Expenses in Batanes are usually minimal. However, in Itbayat, transportation can be very expensive. There were only a handful of motor vehicles - most of them government owned (like the ambulance we rode in going to the town proper). As such, we had to pay a big amount to rent one for our afternoon tour of Mt. Riposed. Good thing there we have another couple to share the expenses with. Anyway, our guide was an older local lady. We went uphill to the tip of Mt. Riposed. I was panting by the time I got to the top, way behind our guide who seemed to be taking just a leisurely stroll. The top offered us a view of the small neighboring islands. According to our guide, these islands have beautiful beaches and are uninhabited. On the way back to town, we stopped by the new RORO (roll-on, roll-off) pier being built for Itbayat. This new pier would allow for bigger sea vessels to land in Itbayat and hopefully improve their living conditions with more supplies coming in. At that time, they had a small port where most of the supplies are brought in from Batan.
On the way back, we were told that we may have to take a courtesy call with the town mayor. Jojo, ever the clown, told our guide that he didn't bring his barong for this momentous occasion, and that the mayor should not be offended if he showed up in a t-shirt. :) Our guide also invited us to attend a local wedding and we obliged. The reception was held at the bride's residence. At the entrance, there were large cooking vessels (talyasi) where the food was kept. Each guest was given 2 layers of gigantic leaves where food was served. We had the option to eat the food or fold up the leaves to take the food home. We sampled the dishes before folding up the leaves. We gave them to our guide to take home to her family. The locals were quite delighted to see some "tourists" at the wedding reception. We were told that once dancing started, some of the old folks may come up and ask us to dance. We can dance with them or take a bow to decline and just give the couple some money (at least P50) as a gift. In a few minutes time, an elderly man came up to me and I politely declined, giving the couple a crisp P50 bill.
At that point, Jojo and Gina managed to convince us to stay another night so we could join them for a full day trek of the Itbayat hills. Since we weren't going back to Manila until two days later, we decided to stay. We went to the airline office to cancel our flights and told our host that we will be staying another night. That night, I saw Ariel get drunk for the very first time since we became a couple. Jojo loves to drink beer specially during a camping trip.
Day 5 - Friday
We woke up early to prepare our stuff for the trek. The local cooperative prepared our packed lunch. Jojo carried our food in his big back pack, while Ariel and I only had a small bag for our drinks. We didn't expect we would be trekking so we didn't bring any gear. We trekked all day from 7am up to 7 pm guided by Mang Ponce, a local farm and part-time guide. We went up hills and through forests. We met a snake along the way. We trod on mud (my new pair of Merrel shoes were barely recognizable at the end of the day!). We got a bit soaked in the rain. We marveled at the beautiful sceneries. Our guide said the Batan hills are normally likened to New Zealand. Itbayat hills are likened to the Scottish and Irish Highlands. I haven't been to those places but someday, I'll go there and I will proudly say that Batanes is just as, if not more, beautiful. As we trek through the hills, our guide constantly shared stories about Batanes and specifically Itbayat. He said that Itbayat just grew out from the sea, maybe through underwater volcanic erruptions. That's the reason why there are corals on top of the mountains. True enough, we saw lots of rough coral-like formations on the mountains. We also passed by an area where there were meters of man-made stonewalls. According to Mang Ponce, these were made by their ancestors to protect their land from invaders. Some parts of the wall were already gone but there were portions where the wall would cross our path and we had to go over them. It had been raining intermittently the whole day. At one point, we stayed under the Anito Shelter. It was a big rock protruding from the ground that forms a shelter. It is believed to be inhabited by spirits or anito, hence the name Anito shelter. We also saw a huge slab of rock which sounded like a bell when struck by a smaller rock. It is called a "stonebell". Again, our guide told stories of how the stonebell was used by their ancestors to warn the locals of Spanish invaders landing on the Itbayat perimeter. Now, the rock is being used by local shepherds to call on their goats and cattle. The trickiest part of the trek was going over Rafang cliff. I was on all fours trying to go over the giant rocks, with a lot of help from Ariel and Mang Ponce. Finally, we visited Saroccan cave. The Antonios lent us extra sets of headlamps so we could see our way through the cave. Getting down into the cave was easy. Getting back up and out was tough. Mang Ponce had to pull me from above while Ariel pushed me from below.
Early in the afternoon in the middle of our trek, we got a message that all flights the following day were canceled due to mechanical problems. No airline will be flying the next day. Uh oh! While we were so exhausted upon getting back from our trek, we had to find a way to get back to Batan Island by Saturday as we were supposed to fly back to Manila by Sunday. We had two options - take the 4-hour falowa (boat) ride to Batan. Or extend another day hoping that the flights will resume Sunday morning. We couldn't take the risk so we decided to take the boat. And so with some trepidation, our exhausted mind and body drifted off to sleep.
Day 6 - Saturday
This was to be the ADVENTURE of all our adventures. As we neared the port, I prayed fervently for God's protection. Our Sabtang trip had been rough and it was just a 30 minute ride. We had to endure the Batanes waters for 4 hours this time. First off, we were thankful that the boat only had people for passengers at that time. Other days, they'd take in pigs or cattle. Actually, the boats were really designed to carry supplies into the island. They weren't designed for passengers. So, they would just put wooden planks across the boat for people to sit in, with their feet dangling below. That's why we were thankful to be seated in front, at the side of the boat so we had lots of fresh air and we could rest our feet on a flat surface. This was very important because minutes into the trip, people started throwing up due to sea-sickness. Now, Ariel and I don't get seasick. However, the stench of vomit made us want to throw up too. Good thing our little tummies held on. After a while, a lady had seizures due to sheer fright. She passed out and the other folks carried her so she could lie down on the front portion of the boat. When she came to, she started throwing up right in front of us! At this point I could see that Ariel was seconds from emptying his stomach contents into the boat. So we inched closer to the side to get more fresh air. Thank God we got to Batan safely, and without puking all over our clothes. The only set back was that our ears were buzzing for some time because we were seated very close to the loud engine.
Here are the photos of our entire stay at Itbayat.
We were fortunate to get a room at the Ivatan Lodge, another government run lodging in Batanes. It's an old building which looked like a hospital from the outside. A bit creepy actually, but beggars can't be choosers. All other hotels were fully booked. Anyway, our room had airconditioning and hot water so it was comfortable. We just rested for most of the day and just went out for a stroll late in the afternoon to look for a place to eat. This was our last day in this beautiful island.
Day 7 - Sunday
Nothing much. We flew back to Manila via Tuguegarao. This was one of our best vacations ever!!!
A few more photos...
I actually stitched two photos to come up with this one. Ariel and I were walking back to Batanes Resort (day 3) and we didn't have a tripod. So I took a solo of him on the right side of the sign and he took a photo of me on the left side. Then I stitched the two photos together. Cool huh?!
I stiched 3 photos to come up with this panoramic view of the hills. Beautiful ( I mean the hills, the photo didn't turn out so great)!
Thanks for your patience reading through our adventure. Ariel and I enjoyed this trip so much we are planning to go back - maybe in 2009.
Finally, here are some basic facts about Batanes, courtesy of the internet:
Basic Facts about Batanes
• It’s smallest province in the Philippines in terms of population and land area.
• It consists of ten tiny islands and islets located about 162 kms. north of the Luzon mainland
• The largest and most economically important of the Batanes islands are Itbayat, Batan and Sabtang – the three islands we explored during our trip.
• Batan island, with a land area of 35sq. kms., is generally mountainous on the north and southeast. It has a basin in the interior. Itbayat Island, which has a total area of 95 sq. kms., slopes gradually to the west, being mountainous and hilly along its northern, eastern coast. The entire island of Itbayat is surrounded by cliffs. As for Sabtang, mountains cover the central part of its 41 sq. km. area, making the island slope outward to the coast.
• The islands are situated between the vast expanse of the waters of Bashi Channel and Balintang Channel, where the Pacific Ocean, merges with the China Sea. The area is a sealane between the Philippines and Japan, China, Hongkong and Taiwan. It is rich with marine resources, including the rarest sea corals in the world.
• These islands have been compared to New Zealand, Ireland and the Scottish Highlands. They are not typically tropical. For some, they are a little too laid back, a little too unpredictable. The best laid travel plans have a way of going awry on these islands. So, you must make time for the Batanes. An Ivatan once said: "When you're on the Batanes, enjoy the Batanes. Don't worry about getting home". These islands grow on you, but you must wait and watch for your rewards - not a bad lesson for those of us who are sure we are the center of the universe. Once touched, you learn to enjoy the timelessness of these islands. For you, life can never be the same again. You know you'll return someday.
Land Area
• The total area of Batanes is estimated at 23,000 hectares (230 square kilometers), a size that is only a third of that Metro Manila. Batan, Itbayat, and Sabtang islands make up 90 percent of the province's land area.
Topography
• The province is hilly and mountainous, with only 1,631.50 hectares or 7.10% of its area level to undulating and 78.20% or 17,994.40 hectares varying in terms from rolling to steep and very steep. Forty two percent (42%) or 9,734.40 hectares are steep to very steep land.
• Because of the terrain of the province, drainage is good and prolonged flooding is non-existent. The main island of Batan has the largest share of level and nearly level lands, followed by Itbayat and Sabtang, respectively. Itbayat has gently rolling hills and nearly level areas on semi-plateaus surrounded by continuous massive cliffs rising from 20-70 meters above sea level, with no shorelines. Sabtang on the other hand, has its small flat areas spread sporadically on its coasts, while its interior is dominated by steep mountains and deep canyons. Batan Island and Sabtang have intermittent stretches of sandy beaches and rocky shorelines.
Climate
• The province is constantly swept by wind and rain, but the notion that it is battered by typhoons is wrong. If Batanes is always mentioned in connection with weather disturbances, it is because its capital, Basco, holds the last weather station in the north. It is a reference point for all typhoons that enter the Philippine area of responsibility. It has no pronounced wet or dry season. It is almost always raining, from the minimum of eight days to a maximum of 21 days a month. It enjoys practically four seasons, the best ones being summer (April-June) and winter (December-February), when the temperature dips as low as seven degrees centigrade.
• The best time to visit is mid-March to June. An Indian summer supposedly takes place in September. Sometimes, the weather is nice as early as February and as late as July. North or east winds bring in cooler air. They also bring in weather fronts and cloud build-ups that could cause flight cancellations. An indian summer supposedly takes place around September. Cool weather - a phenomenon Ivatans like to call winter - prevails from December to February. When dealing with Batanes, always remember that, on these islands, the weather often changes suddenly. Just be ready for whatever follows your way.
Typhoons
• Batanes lies in a typhoon path. It has been observed that typhoons could occur in any month, although they are most regular and frequent in June to September, with October to November sometimes experiencing extended stormy weather. In 1991, a total of 13 typhoons passed Batanes, 12 occuring from June to September and one in March. Seven of these occurred in August. These tropical storms blow in the general direction of Northwest and North Northwest from the Pacific Ocean to Taiwan and Japan and occur due to tropical cyclones that originate from the Pacific Ocean.
• While typhoons can occur in any month, the data points to their clustering is August. Thus, the notion that the islands are completely inaccessible due to typhoons for six months should be corrected.
People
• The natives of Batanes, the Ivatans, a sturdy, self-sufficient people with a very strong sense of community. These people trace their roots to prehistoric Formosan immigrants and latter-day Spanish conquistadors. Being out off from Luzon mainland, the Ivatan is of comparatively purer stock. They bear the features of their ancients; the Spaniards aquiline nose and the Formosan's almond eyes. The Ivatan lie in communities of stone houses laid out along narrow streets that follow the contour of the land. Completely impregnable, these houses can withstand the wind velocity that on bad days could beat the barometers mark.
• There are no movie houses, no markets, and no shopping centers. Newspaper is available only on flight days.
Food
• Ivatan dishes use ingredients that are rich and unusual. During the off season, however, fresh food can be scarce and hot meals can be expensive. If you plan to visit during these months, and are not part of a package tour, bring alone some basic canned goods. Cows and goats are grazed extensively on the islands. Garlic is a leading export, second the cattle. Root crops such as camote (sweet potato) gabi and a unique variety of white ube, are raised for local consumpsion - especially in the lean months. Sugar cane is cultivated to produce the heady Ivatan brew, palek. From March to May, fish and seafood are available. Dorado (arayo) and Spanish mackerel (tanigi) are favorite summer catches. They are eaten fresh or salted for consumption during the typhoon months. Flying fish (dibang) is also a local specialty. Coconut crab (tatus), spiny lobster (payi), helmet urchins (unot), that can be enjoyed when available. Salads and vegetables dishes are made from fern fronds (pak o), heart of banana or dips with your food - bring your own, Batanes food is simple food. Unless you have brought your own food or are ready to help in the kitchen, don't expect to be served gourmet meals.
On this day, we went to the fishing village along with the Geigers. We met some of the locals and saw their stock of food saved for the rainy season. They dry their Dorado fishes and save sacks of sweet potatoes (Camote). I asked if I can buy some dried fish because I wanted to try their version of tuyo or daing. I was told that they are not for sale because they are saved for the community since they have a very short fishing season. Whatever extra a fishing family has is shared with a non-fishing neighbor in exchange for salt. I've never seen such a strong sense of community!
We trekked to the Spring of Youth. It took us about 30 minutes of uphill walking before we got to the place. Our German companions were out of breath and were very tired by the time we got to the spring. The spring itself was nothing spectacular, just a bit of trickling natural spring water that is fit for drinking. What I didn't like about it is that the locals attached pipes so the water can be easily harvested. It killed the "natural" beauty of the spring. What I liked is the view from the top. We could see the fishing village below. For that, I think the trek was worth it.
On the way down, we were able to catch the fishermen with their fresh catch of the day - some Dorado, and a couple of flying fishes which are abundant around Batanes. They looked like regular fishes up close and the wings looked like extra long fins. Nothing at all like the "hummingbird" features I imagined when I saw them flying along our boat.
Next up, we visited one of the light houses. Ariel and I were able to climb to the top. The Geigers stayed below as it was a steep climb. From the top, we could see the fishing village again.
We went to see the windmills. The construction of these windmills significantly reduced the island's consumption of fuel to generate electricity. Because of these, Batan Island is now able to enjoy 24 hours of electricity unlike its less populated neighbors with only 12 hours of electricity.
Our next stop was the Tukon Radar Station. This station spots typhoons before they enter the Philippine's area of responsibility. For this reason, our weather forecasts always refer to Batanes when it comes to the typhoon's location (e.g. 100 km. north of Batanes). From the radar station, we could see our next destination - the Abad residence.
The Abad family is perhaps the most prominent family in Batanes. The Abads are a family of politicians with generations serving in the Congress, and/or the local government. One family member who opted not to go into politics is world-renowned artist Pacita Abad. I never heard of her until I went to Batanes and visited her home which became a museum after her death in 2004. She had a magnificent home with a breathtaking view of the Pacific Ocean and the beautiful Batanes Hills. We were able to read about her life in the museum, and see some of her works. One project that struck me was the Alkaff Bridge in Singapore which she painted while battling cancer. She died shortly after completing this wonderful work of art. We had so much fun going around her home, also completed shortly before she succumbed to cancer.
We proceeded to the home of then Education Secretary Florencio Abad. It was beautiful! While the house itself was closed to tourists, we were able to go around the lush garden and we took lots of photos! As we admire the Abads' garden, I couldn't help but dream of having one as beautiful as this someday.
After that, we stopped by Boulder Beach. The reason for the name was quite obvious. Instead of a sandy shore, we found...you guessed it...boulders! The big boulders cost a fortune in Manila. I had to pay a few thousand bucks for a handful of these rocks to adorn our garden. In Batanes, all I would need is a municipal permit and I could fill my entire yard with these heavy garden ornaments. Of course, how I would get them out of Batanes is another issue altogether.
Hmm... I dont' remember where and at what point we actually had lunch. I'm sure it was a good one. :)
Our next stop was the beautiful Vayang hills. Acres of green, rolling hills, quite a feast for the eyes. I couldn't believe I was still in the Philippines. This is just what Batanes is so famous for.
Last stop is another lighthouse. I was trying to get a nice angle of the lighthouse so I decided to go around it. Surprise, surprise. A couple making out in the back! I didn't know who was more embarrassed. Haha!
That ended Day 3. At this point, we already heard about Batanes' biggest but least inhabited island, Itbayat. We were told it is the only island in Batanes that is completely surrounded by cliffs. That got us really interested so we booked a flight for the following day with plans of spending just one night. Before I write about that very adventurous trip, here are some photos from Day 3. Enjoy!
Day 4 - Thursday
We got up early and packed our stuff. From this day onwards, we are completely on our own. No definite itinerary. No hotel booking for Day 5 onwards. Our plan was to spend a night at Itbayat. We were given a name to look for in Itbayat. No phone number, no address. We didn't know what to expect, where to go, and what to do. All we knew was we wanted to see Itbayat.
At the airport, we were both excited and anxious. We were excited at the prospect of a totally spontaneous adventure. Anxious because this is a totally new experience for us. We were used to a well-planned vacation with comfortable facilities. Oh, did I tell you the flight was through a 6-seater plane? The alternatives were a 4-seater flight or a 4-hour boat ride in one of the country's roughest seas. Of course the safest choice for us was the 6-seater flight. It was nothing new for me. I already took an 8-seater flight from Manila to Coron, Palawan. How different could this be? After all, the flight would only take 10 minutes?
A few minutes into the flight and I could already see Itbayat. I was looking for the long landing strip but didn't see any. Apparently, the airport is a few meters of rough road in the middle of nowhere. There was no passenger terminal. Passengers wait under the tree for their flight. We were so shocked! How in the world will we find our contact person (forgot his name!)? Upon landing, we saw the backpacker couple we met going to Sabtang. They took the 4-seater flight and we heard them asking how to go to the municipal office. That's one key learning for us. When in a new place and no itinerary, look for the municipal office! Anyway, since everybody seems to be boarding a truck, we decided to board as well. In the truck, somebody must have asked us where we're going - I don't really remember - because next thing I know, someody was telling us that the person we were supposed to see was waiting a few meters away in the municipal ambulance. We immediately went to see him and ended up taking the ambulance on the way to the town proper.
We found out that the only lodging in Itbayat are homes with spare rooms rented out to tourists for P150 per person per night. Meals can be arranged at the local cooperative for a very affordable fee. Our contact person turned out to be one of the families renting a room. It was a nice room with a comfortable bed and its own toilet. Electricity is available from 12 noon to 12 midnight.
We finally met the backpacker couple - Jojo and Gina Antonio. We paid the tourist fee - can't remember how much. Our "tour guide" who also hosted Jojo and Gina offered to take us to mount Riposed. Expenses in Batanes are usually minimal. However, in Itbayat, transportation can be very expensive. There were only a handful of motor vehicles - most of them government owned (like the ambulance we rode in going to the town proper). As such, we had to pay a big amount to rent one for our afternoon tour of Mt. Riposed. Good thing there we have another couple to share the expenses with. Anyway, our guide was an older local lady. We went uphill to the tip of Mt. Riposed. I was panting by the time I got to the top, way behind our guide who seemed to be taking just a leisurely stroll. The top offered us a view of the small neighboring islands. According to our guide, these islands have beautiful beaches and are uninhabited. On the way back to town, we stopped by the new RORO (roll-on, roll-off) pier being built for Itbayat. This new pier would allow for bigger sea vessels to land in Itbayat and hopefully improve their living conditions with more supplies coming in. At that time, they had a small port where most of the supplies are brought in from Batan.
On the way back, we were told that we may have to take a courtesy call with the town mayor. Jojo, ever the clown, told our guide that he didn't bring his barong for this momentous occasion, and that the mayor should not be offended if he showed up in a t-shirt. :) Our guide also invited us to attend a local wedding and we obliged. The reception was held at the bride's residence. At the entrance, there were large cooking vessels (talyasi) where the food was kept. Each guest was given 2 layers of gigantic leaves where food was served. We had the option to eat the food or fold up the leaves to take the food home. We sampled the dishes before folding up the leaves. We gave them to our guide to take home to her family. The locals were quite delighted to see some "tourists" at the wedding reception. We were told that once dancing started, some of the old folks may come up and ask us to dance. We can dance with them or take a bow to decline and just give the couple some money (at least P50) as a gift. In a few minutes time, an elderly man came up to me and I politely declined, giving the couple a crisp P50 bill.
At that point, Jojo and Gina managed to convince us to stay another night so we could join them for a full day trek of the Itbayat hills. Since we weren't going back to Manila until two days later, we decided to stay. We went to the airline office to cancel our flights and told our host that we will be staying another night. That night, I saw Ariel get drunk for the very first time since we became a couple. Jojo loves to drink beer specially during a camping trip.
Day 5 - Friday
We woke up early to prepare our stuff for the trek. The local cooperative prepared our packed lunch. Jojo carried our food in his big back pack, while Ariel and I only had a small bag for our drinks. We didn't expect we would be trekking so we didn't bring any gear. We trekked all day from 7am up to 7 pm guided by Mang Ponce, a local farm and part-time guide. We went up hills and through forests. We met a snake along the way. We trod on mud (my new pair of Merrel shoes were barely recognizable at the end of the day!). We got a bit soaked in the rain. We marveled at the beautiful sceneries. Our guide said the Batan hills are normally likened to New Zealand. Itbayat hills are likened to the Scottish and Irish Highlands. I haven't been to those places but someday, I'll go there and I will proudly say that Batanes is just as, if not more, beautiful. As we trek through the hills, our guide constantly shared stories about Batanes and specifically Itbayat. He said that Itbayat just grew out from the sea, maybe through underwater volcanic erruptions. That's the reason why there are corals on top of the mountains. True enough, we saw lots of rough coral-like formations on the mountains. We also passed by an area where there were meters of man-made stonewalls. According to Mang Ponce, these were made by their ancestors to protect their land from invaders. Some parts of the wall were already gone but there were portions where the wall would cross our path and we had to go over them. It had been raining intermittently the whole day. At one point, we stayed under the Anito Shelter. It was a big rock protruding from the ground that forms a shelter. It is believed to be inhabited by spirits or anito, hence the name Anito shelter. We also saw a huge slab of rock which sounded like a bell when struck by a smaller rock. It is called a "stonebell". Again, our guide told stories of how the stonebell was used by their ancestors to warn the locals of Spanish invaders landing on the Itbayat perimeter. Now, the rock is being used by local shepherds to call on their goats and cattle. The trickiest part of the trek was going over Rafang cliff. I was on all fours trying to go over the giant rocks, with a lot of help from Ariel and Mang Ponce. Finally, we visited Saroccan cave. The Antonios lent us extra sets of headlamps so we could see our way through the cave. Getting down into the cave was easy. Getting back up and out was tough. Mang Ponce had to pull me from above while Ariel pushed me from below.
Early in the afternoon in the middle of our trek, we got a message that all flights the following day were canceled due to mechanical problems. No airline will be flying the next day. Uh oh! While we were so exhausted upon getting back from our trek, we had to find a way to get back to Batan Island by Saturday as we were supposed to fly back to Manila by Sunday. We had two options - take the 4-hour falowa (boat) ride to Batan. Or extend another day hoping that the flights will resume Sunday morning. We couldn't take the risk so we decided to take the boat. And so with some trepidation, our exhausted mind and body drifted off to sleep.
Day 6 - Saturday
This was to be the ADVENTURE of all our adventures. As we neared the port, I prayed fervently for God's protection. Our Sabtang trip had been rough and it was just a 30 minute ride. We had to endure the Batanes waters for 4 hours this time. First off, we were thankful that the boat only had people for passengers at that time. Other days, they'd take in pigs or cattle. Actually, the boats were really designed to carry supplies into the island. They weren't designed for passengers. So, they would just put wooden planks across the boat for people to sit in, with their feet dangling below. That's why we were thankful to be seated in front, at the side of the boat so we had lots of fresh air and we could rest our feet on a flat surface. This was very important because minutes into the trip, people started throwing up due to sea-sickness. Now, Ariel and I don't get seasick. However, the stench of vomit made us want to throw up too. Good thing our little tummies held on. After a while, a lady had seizures due to sheer fright. She passed out and the other folks carried her so she could lie down on the front portion of the boat. When she came to, she started throwing up right in front of us! At this point I could see that Ariel was seconds from emptying his stomach contents into the boat. So we inched closer to the side to get more fresh air. Thank God we got to Batan safely, and without puking all over our clothes. The only set back was that our ears were buzzing for some time because we were seated very close to the loud engine.
Here are the photos of our entire stay at Itbayat.
We were fortunate to get a room at the Ivatan Lodge, another government run lodging in Batanes. It's an old building which looked like a hospital from the outside. A bit creepy actually, but beggars can't be choosers. All other hotels were fully booked. Anyway, our room had airconditioning and hot water so it was comfortable. We just rested for most of the day and just went out for a stroll late in the afternoon to look for a place to eat. This was our last day in this beautiful island.
Day 7 - Sunday
Nothing much. We flew back to Manila via Tuguegarao. This was one of our best vacations ever!!!
A few more photos...
The airport at Basco, Batanes
The arrival area
Arrival of the Asian Spirit flight
I actually stitched two photos to come up with this one. Ariel and I were walking back to Batanes Resort (day 3) and we didn't have a tripod. So I took a solo of him on the right side of the sign and he took a photo of me on the left side. Then I stitched the two photos together. Cool huh?!
I stiched 3 photos to come up with this panoramic view of the hills. Beautiful ( I mean the hills, the photo didn't turn out so great)!
Thanks for your patience reading through our adventure. Ariel and I enjoyed this trip so much we are planning to go back - maybe in 2009.
Finally, here are some basic facts about Batanes, courtesy of the internet:
Basic Facts about Batanes
• It’s smallest province in the Philippines in terms of population and land area.
• It consists of ten tiny islands and islets located about 162 kms. north of the Luzon mainland
• The largest and most economically important of the Batanes islands are Itbayat, Batan and Sabtang – the three islands we explored during our trip.
• Batan island, with a land area of 35sq. kms., is generally mountainous on the north and southeast. It has a basin in the interior. Itbayat Island, which has a total area of 95 sq. kms., slopes gradually to the west, being mountainous and hilly along its northern, eastern coast. The entire island of Itbayat is surrounded by cliffs. As for Sabtang, mountains cover the central part of its 41 sq. km. area, making the island slope outward to the coast.
• The islands are situated between the vast expanse of the waters of Bashi Channel and Balintang Channel, where the Pacific Ocean, merges with the China Sea. The area is a sealane between the Philippines and Japan, China, Hongkong and Taiwan. It is rich with marine resources, including the rarest sea corals in the world.
• These islands have been compared to New Zealand, Ireland and the Scottish Highlands. They are not typically tropical. For some, they are a little too laid back, a little too unpredictable. The best laid travel plans have a way of going awry on these islands. So, you must make time for the Batanes. An Ivatan once said: "When you're on the Batanes, enjoy the Batanes. Don't worry about getting home". These islands grow on you, but you must wait and watch for your rewards - not a bad lesson for those of us who are sure we are the center of the universe. Once touched, you learn to enjoy the timelessness of these islands. For you, life can never be the same again. You know you'll return someday.
Land Area
• The total area of Batanes is estimated at 23,000 hectares (230 square kilometers), a size that is only a third of that Metro Manila. Batan, Itbayat, and Sabtang islands make up 90 percent of the province's land area.
Topography
• The province is hilly and mountainous, with only 1,631.50 hectares or 7.10% of its area level to undulating and 78.20% or 17,994.40 hectares varying in terms from rolling to steep and very steep. Forty two percent (42%) or 9,734.40 hectares are steep to very steep land.
• Because of the terrain of the province, drainage is good and prolonged flooding is non-existent. The main island of Batan has the largest share of level and nearly level lands, followed by Itbayat and Sabtang, respectively. Itbayat has gently rolling hills and nearly level areas on semi-plateaus surrounded by continuous massive cliffs rising from 20-70 meters above sea level, with no shorelines. Sabtang on the other hand, has its small flat areas spread sporadically on its coasts, while its interior is dominated by steep mountains and deep canyons. Batan Island and Sabtang have intermittent stretches of sandy beaches and rocky shorelines.
Climate
• The province is constantly swept by wind and rain, but the notion that it is battered by typhoons is wrong. If Batanes is always mentioned in connection with weather disturbances, it is because its capital, Basco, holds the last weather station in the north. It is a reference point for all typhoons that enter the Philippine area of responsibility. It has no pronounced wet or dry season. It is almost always raining, from the minimum of eight days to a maximum of 21 days a month. It enjoys practically four seasons, the best ones being summer (April-June) and winter (December-February), when the temperature dips as low as seven degrees centigrade.
• The best time to visit is mid-March to June. An Indian summer supposedly takes place in September. Sometimes, the weather is nice as early as February and as late as July. North or east winds bring in cooler air. They also bring in weather fronts and cloud build-ups that could cause flight cancellations. An indian summer supposedly takes place around September. Cool weather - a phenomenon Ivatans like to call winter - prevails from December to February. When dealing with Batanes, always remember that, on these islands, the weather often changes suddenly. Just be ready for whatever follows your way.
Typhoons
• Batanes lies in a typhoon path. It has been observed that typhoons could occur in any month, although they are most regular and frequent in June to September, with October to November sometimes experiencing extended stormy weather. In 1991, a total of 13 typhoons passed Batanes, 12 occuring from June to September and one in March. Seven of these occurred in August. These tropical storms blow in the general direction of Northwest and North Northwest from the Pacific Ocean to Taiwan and Japan and occur due to tropical cyclones that originate from the Pacific Ocean.
• While typhoons can occur in any month, the data points to their clustering is August. Thus, the notion that the islands are completely inaccessible due to typhoons for six months should be corrected.
People
• The natives of Batanes, the Ivatans, a sturdy, self-sufficient people with a very strong sense of community. These people trace their roots to prehistoric Formosan immigrants and latter-day Spanish conquistadors. Being out off from Luzon mainland, the Ivatan is of comparatively purer stock. They bear the features of their ancients; the Spaniards aquiline nose and the Formosan's almond eyes. The Ivatan lie in communities of stone houses laid out along narrow streets that follow the contour of the land. Completely impregnable, these houses can withstand the wind velocity that on bad days could beat the barometers mark.
• There are no movie houses, no markets, and no shopping centers. Newspaper is available only on flight days.
Food
• Ivatan dishes use ingredients that are rich and unusual. During the off season, however, fresh food can be scarce and hot meals can be expensive. If you plan to visit during these months, and are not part of a package tour, bring alone some basic canned goods. Cows and goats are grazed extensively on the islands. Garlic is a leading export, second the cattle. Root crops such as camote (sweet potato) gabi and a unique variety of white ube, are raised for local consumpsion - especially in the lean months. Sugar cane is cultivated to produce the heady Ivatan brew, palek. From March to May, fish and seafood are available. Dorado (arayo) and Spanish mackerel (tanigi) are favorite summer catches. They are eaten fresh or salted for consumption during the typhoon months. Flying fish (dibang) is also a local specialty. Coconut crab (tatus), spiny lobster (payi), helmet urchins (unot), that can be enjoyed when available. Salads and vegetables dishes are made from fern fronds (pak o), heart of banana or dips with your food - bring your own, Batanes food is simple food. Unless you have brought your own food or are ready to help in the kitchen, don't expect to be served gourmet meals.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)