Itbayat, Batanes
-July, 2010-
Gerardo, our constant companion, picked us up before 6am. We were quite groggy from lack of sleep. We barely caught the boat ride heading to Itbayat, the port of which stood at the back of our lodge. They were that early. The ride was one hell of a roller coaster ride. The sea was restless, wave after huge wave came at us. We had to bear the boat's ups and downs for 3 1/2 hours. I don't know how I survived that trip. I threw up twice and I couldn't even move from where I was sitting for fear of puking more. It didn't matter that the water was soaking my clothes. I sat still. I was feeling nauseous and sick. Abrea, on the other hand, threw up once when she suddenly sat up. A girl at my back kept throwing up the whole trip and children did the same. It smelled of salt and puke as we sailed on.
I was glad to see land again when we finally reached their port. That was around 10am. Their port resembled a cliff. We had to jump from where we were to get to land as the waves lashed at our boat continuously. As depicted on the picture below you'd find out why we have to jump instead of merely walk. Boat men assisted those who would jump to ensure that they get there safely. Even our baggage were thrown to land by the boat men. Back on land everything was still moving. I suffered from a brief vertigo.
Gerardo, our constant companion, picked us up before 6am. We were quite groggy from lack of sleep. We barely caught the boat ride heading to Itbayat, the port of which stood at the back of our lodge. They were that early. The ride was one hell of a roller coaster ride. The sea was restless, wave after huge wave came at us. We had to bear the boat's ups and downs for 3 1/2 hours. I don't know how I survived that trip. I threw up twice and I couldn't even move from where I was sitting for fear of puking more. It didn't matter that the water was soaking my clothes. I sat still. I was feeling nauseous and sick. Abrea, on the other hand, threw up once when she suddenly sat up. A girl at my back kept throwing up the whole trip and children did the same. It smelled of salt and puke as we sailed on.
I was glad to see land again when we finally reached their port. That was around 10am. Their port resembled a cliff. We had to jump from where we were to get to land as the waves lashed at our boat continuously. As depicted on the picture below you'd find out why we have to jump instead of merely walk. Boat men assisted those who would jump to ensure that they get there safely. Even our baggage were thrown to land by the boat men. Back on land everything was still moving. I suffered from a brief vertigo.
As arranged by Uncle Deo, we were fetched by a policeman who sent us to Mrs. Cano's where we would be staying for the night. There were few lodging spaces at Itbayat. It was a far away and detached province. Not a lot of visitors drop by. With the traumatic experience I had during the boat ride, that was of no surprise. It should be made more accessible in the future. Mrs. Cano's Lodge was one of the most popular lodge around we paid P200 for our stay there. Our room had two single beds with a fan. The owner, Mrs. Cano herself, was a nice old woman. She gave a brief history of Itbayat and showed us the map of the province before we rested. I washed myself clean after. Lunch followed at a nearby hut, which Mrs. Cano arranged for us. We had fish sinigang and coconut crabs (Batanes is popular for this dish, it tasted like regular crabs). I ate a little still feeling sick. The buko juice was real nice though. Back at Mrs. Cano's, our truck, which would tour us around, was ready. We paid P1,000 for the whole tour and they would be sending us back to port by tomorrow.
Our first stop was Torongan Cave. We had to walk 2 1/2 km to get there passing streams, trees and forests. A green snake even appeared from nowhere as we were walking which startled Gerardo. Nothing to fear though, the snake was devoid of venom. All the walking was worth it, the cave was something to wow about. It was an open space with jagged rocks. The cave was used as a living space for the Ivatan ancestors with their king. Bits and pieces of their existence were still evident such as the presence of their altar and the rock formations they built. At the end of the cave there was a great view of the sea. It was beautiful.
We passed by a different route on our way back. The path we took didn't have any shade. The sun was burning. The path housed the burial stones where the Ivatan ancestors were buried under. Some burial sites took the shape of a boat. They indeed have a queer culture. There was also a clearing with a picturesque view.
Back on the road in our truck, we headed for Mt. Karooban. It rained the previous day, the tires of our truck got stuck in the mud and wasn't able to take us all the way up. After the walk we had, I was dreading another bout. Left without a choice we walked towards the viewing deck (200 meters), which is also Itbayat's highest point. It was cool up there. I wished we could have stayed longer. It reminded me of Tagaytay's breeze. At the deck we were able to spot the Siayan, Mavudis and Dinem Islands. Farther away we were able to see the Pacific Ocean and the China Sea too.
On our way back to our truck we saw this beheaded snake. Creepy.
Last stop was the Port of Paganaman where we were expecting to witness firsthand the so-called bayanihan of the boat men as they carried each others boats back to land. Only, no boats went to fish due to the strong waves. We waited for the sun to set before leaving.
For dinner we had chicken and coconut crabs. This time I enjoyed my meal. I ate a lot due to sheer tiredness after all the day's activities. Abrea and I retired early. I was woken up by the brown out come midnight and it took me another two hours to get back to bed.
Come the morrow we woke up early. After breakfast we paid for the 3 meals we had. The cost was P1,800 or P600/head. Just as when we thought we had it cheap for the lodging and the tour we were taken aback by the pricing of the food. Even Gerardo was surprised. We paid for his food too. We packed up from there and visited the airport which was still under construction. If air crafts were already available I would have chosen the ride than bear the sea's wrath. The airport's construction was taking long though because the raw materials needed for the building takes a longer time to get to Itbayat brought about by its inaccessibility.
Come the morrow we woke up early. After breakfast we paid for the 3 meals we had. The cost was P1,800 or P600/head. Just as when we thought we had it cheap for the lodging and the tour we were taken aback by the pricing of the food. Even Gerardo was surprised. We paid for his food too. We packed up from there and visited the airport which was still under construction. If air crafts were already available I would have chosen the ride than bear the sea's wrath. The airport's construction was taking long though because the raw materials needed for the building takes a longer time to get to Itbayat brought about by its inaccessibility.
We were supposed to visit their lake but due to roads not passable, we failed to go there. See below how the soft earth made our slippers and the truck's tire stuck.
Back to the port in a matter of minutes, Abrea and I were dreading our boat ride. We took sea sick pills just to be sure. We waited for two hours before loading the boat because the boat men had trouble bringing their cargo down due to the strong waves. All our frets were washed away because this time, the ride was smoother. We didn't have puking spells. In fact, I fell asleep the whole ride.
Back at Basco by 4pm, we checked in at Seaside Lodge, our second hotel in the area. We slept from 7pm till 5am the next day. We were both that tired. It was the longest and most peaceful sleep I had had since getting to Batanes.
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Other 2010 Travels:
> Hong Kong
- Disneyland
- Ocean Park
- Peak Tower
- HK Night Life
> Macau, China
> Cagayan de Oro, Mindanao
- CDO
- CDO Night Life
- Bigby's Cafe
> Camiguin, Mindanao
> Bukidnon, Mindanao
> Batanes
- Northern Batan
- Sabtang
- Southern Batan
- Basco
> Bohol
- City Tour
- Island Hop
- Panglao
> Tree Top Adventure, Subic
> Singapore
- SG at Night
- City Tour
- Chijmes
- Singapore Zoo
- Universal Studios Singapore (USS)
- Sentosa
> Bali, Indonesia
- Cultural Visits
- Temples
- Tourist Spot
- Menjangan Island
- Menduk Waterfall
> Tagaytay, South Luzon
> Pueblo Por la Playa, Pagbilao Quezon
- The Wedding
- Morning After
> Hundred Islands
- Islands
- Maxine's Restaurant
> Anawagin Cove, Zambales
> Cebu
- Shangri-La, Mactan
- The City
> Hong Kong
- Disneyland
- Ocean Park
- Peak Tower
- HK Night Life
> Macau, China
> Cagayan de Oro, Mindanao
- CDO
- CDO Night Life
- Bigby's Cafe
> Camiguin, Mindanao
> Bukidnon, Mindanao
> Batanes
- Northern Batan
- Sabtang
- Southern Batan
- Basco
> Bohol
- City Tour
- Island Hop
- Panglao
> Tree Top Adventure, Subic
> Singapore
- SG at Night
- City Tour
- Chijmes
- Singapore Zoo
- Universal Studios Singapore (USS)
- Sentosa
> Bali, Indonesia
- Cultural Visits
- Temples
- Tourist Spot
- Menjangan Island
- Menduk Waterfall
> Tagaytay, South Luzon
> Pueblo Por la Playa, Pagbilao Quezon
- The Wedding
- Morning After
> Hundred Islands
- Islands
- Maxine's Restaurant
> Anawagin Cove, Zambales
> Cebu
- Shangri-La, Mactan
- The City