libot

Beautiful Magalawa Island in Zambales

2011-05-01T13:57:00.142+08:00

white sands and beautiful coral gardens to boot !!!

I first visited this island 5 years ago during holy week. Back then I just looked for an island on googlemaps, got the coordinates and let my GPS lead the way. I didn't get a very good impression then because the place was HOT, as in no winds at all. The waters were full of sea grass and I swam for hours without finding any corals or marine life at all. To be fair, the beach was very nice and there were sari-sari stores nearby where we easily got supplies.

(photo below: beautiful coral gardens of Magalawa Island!)

I decided to give it another shot recently and WOW!, I'm sure glad I did! Not only did I find the coral gardens so beautiful but I discovered it was not far at all from the shore! About 50meters or so from the campsite at the front of the island (facing N-NW). Another discovery is that it's pretty COOL at the front of the island afterall!!! (facing San Salvador island) as the winds blow constantly.

(photo below: camp site, right:Raymond with coral garden as background)

Beach-goers will find magalawa island to be a real treat as it has BOTH a sandy beach and some great coral gardens. PLUS there is a marine sanctuary between this island and the island called San Salvador where a much more beautiful coral garden can be found. Swimming around the beach front coral garden is free, no charge at all. However, visiting that marine sanctuary coral garden will set you back a couple of hundred pesos per head(plus you need prior permission so pls arrange beforehand).
Most of the locals on the island are quite friendly enough. There are some ready cooked meals you can purchase on the island for abt. 30 to 50pesos and camping grounds you can use if you have a tent. There are also some cottages for rent that can fit 6pax at 1000/night. If you bring your own tent then you just have to pay the minimal 100pesos entrance fee and the 2way boatride from/to the mainland.

What's new is that I noticed that some unscrupulous entities have built a resort on the island I've asked around among the villagers and apparently these people are not even natives of the island but just muscled their way in with neither papers nor permission from the natives nor the owner Madam L.Ruiz. These people led by a certain Grace and Boy Armada, who are essentially squatting on the island, have the GALL to setup a Facebook account and charge 1.8k/pax for their shoddy huts and pitiful fare they call food. (oh, they charge 1.6k if you BRING YOUR OWN TENT... crazy! --prices cited true when this blog was created and may have changed later...) They even demand down payments?(what the...) The beautiful resorts in Anilao,Mabini,Batangas offer 4 buffet meals, a decent bed and coffee all you can for less than that and none of them require a down payment. The resort that these people built, being mere squatters, are located at the back of the island near the mangroves and thus are devoid of any wind. I also heard that once, when the island's owner Madam L.Ruiz visited Magalawa, she ordered the "guests" of this Grace Armada NOT to pay and temporarily closed their resort. wow...

(photo below: Raymond with fresh catch of the day, sandy beaches on Magalawa Island)

There is, however, a very good camping ground located on the front of the island. This is near the small town where you can get supplies PLUS no danger of clashing with the locals as all of them are against this Grace and Boy Armada and their illegal squatting on their island.
My suggestion is that you call Raymond Tordillo at SUN#+639222688111 OR (02)983-0432 to help you coordinate your trip.
I suggest you only deal with and talk to the Tordillo Family, namely, Mily, Albert, Junior, Christian or Raymond. They are the only ones trustworthy. ESPECIALLY KEEP AWAY FROM THIS GRACE AND BOY ARMADA!!!

Respective fees are as follows

Entrance fee 100\pax overnight,
. (includes CR and maintenance fees)

Boatpick up (2 way)
. -- 100/pax-kung galing luan
. -- 200/pax-kung galing masinloc

Cottage 1000\night (up to 6pax)

tent rental (300?) not sure, please inquire
snorkel rental(100/2hrs) please inquire

bonfires permitted for a small fee.
Meals available at 100?/meal/pax (set 4meals and 5pax up only)
** starting Nov.,2011 the meal package has been adjusted so pls inquire nalang

Another great advantage going there is that the coconuts and mangoes found on this island and the island next to it called San Salvador island are definitely the SWEETEST and CREAMIEST I have tasted so far. Genuine Zambales mangoes! You must be there during (summer) mango season though...

Getting there is EASY! Just ride the Victory liner bus headed for Sta.Cruz and go down at either (PhP360+)Pangolingan,Veritas(before masinloc) or at (PhP380+)Masinloc town itself. I suggest Pangolingan because the boatride will be cheaper. Once at pangolingan just take a tricycle to Luan where you can arrange to meet Mily or Alberto Tordillo. If you go down at Masinloc, take a tricycle or walk the few hundred meters to the market where the port is found and arrange to meet Mily there.

Private Car: directions
UPDATE May 12, 2011:
SUBIC Base Gate 3 is NOW OPEN.

DIRECTIONS (private car)
From Manila take the NLEX then on to SCTEX. Exit at SUBIC NAVAL BASE and then exit the base via Gate 3 (For those who wish to use GATE2 towards Olongapo, please follow the map on the left).
<<<------------

Then, stay on the national road until you reach Pamulingan, Barangay Veritas.
Turn left towards Luan Port or you can also go straight to Masinloc town and park there. Thats your choice.

Please view the details (pros and cons) of both options below.

OPTION1: Turn left at Pangolingan(Pamolingan) Veritas and head towards Luan Port.
PROs: Boat pickup is cheaper (100/pax, no min pax count), boat ride is shorter (10mins lang)
CONs:Parking is expensive! (200/night), tryc ride also expensive 150/oneway/tryc

OPTION2: Turn left at MASINLOC TOWN PROPER and go to Masinloc Port.
PROs: you can walk the 500meters to the port or hire a tryc cheap!, parking is cheaper (100/night)
CONs: Boat ride a bit more expensive (200@ for the 2way trip, min 6pax), boat trip longer (30mins)

FINAL OPTION: You can hire a private VAN ! Call Raymond Tordillo now (09222688111 or <02>983 0432) to get an estimate for your particular group. For a group of 11pax, you can avail of their ALL-IN Magalawa Island overnight package for only PhP1,600 pesos/pax inclusive of...
1. Manila < > Zambales roundtrip
2. Boat Transfers
3. Entrance fee
4. Cottage accomodation (5-6 in 1 cottage)
5. Driver,Gas and Toll fees included
price also INCLUDES FOOD (4meals)
***starting Nov.2011 food package has gone up slightly so this may have changed a bit, pls inquire

Now THAT's a real bargain I think!

Visit the website of one of the locals HERE! R.Tordillo@angislako.blogspot.com

CAUTION:
As usual the sand was full of sandflies so I caution the beachgoers to bring the proper repellant. OFF lotion does not work at all on these small bloodsuckers. They sell sandfly repellant on the beach but in case you can't find any just bring some of your own. Its very simple to make. Just mix 1part baby oil, one part alcohol and one part lysol. Thats it. Shake and apply liberally to your skin.

FINAL CAUTION:
DO NOT GO DURING HOLY WEEK! As with all good beaches, the place gets pretty packed! Try to go before or after peak dates so you can really enjoy the experience.

For more information on Things to do, What to bring and TOURIST TRAPS please visit virtualtourist.magalawa.island !

UPDATE November 2, 2011

1. Good news! The Ruiz Resort in Magalawa Island is NOW OPEN for Amihan season 2011-2012!!! Please call Raymond Tordillo for reservations now!!! 0922 268 8111 or (02)983 0432

2. Parking at LUAN PORT in Pangolingan has been raised to a whopping 200pesos / night. However, there is now a guarded parking area in Masinloc Port, Town proper at only 100pesos/night. Please choose which option is right for your group.

3. GATE 3 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone is now OPEN ! (hooray!!!)

I took pictures of the current facilities at the campgrounds. ENJOY!

NEW COMMUNAL TOILETS at the campgrounds! (rightmost image: hooray!!!)

Nagsasa Cove, Zambales

2009-05-20T23:09:00.044+08:00

(photo by AllanBarredo, NIKON D50, May 16, 2009)

Nagsasa Cove (pronounced as NAG-SASA) is located further south of Anawangin Cove in Zambales. To date, this beautiful corner of Zambales is what Anawangin used to look like before they setup flags there and before the hoards of multitude invaded it resulting in bumper to bumper tents and overcrowded shores.

(photos: below left, google rendition, below right:NagsasaCove by AllanBarredo May 16, 2009)

This cove has a visible aeta community of around 7 families or roughly 30 people. Their leader or spokesman is who we refer to as Mang Ador, a wirey fellow in his late 30s who is married to an aeta woman. Mang Ador, with the help of good hearted visitors such as Mr.Ryan Guzman, has taken it upon himself to improve his corner of this cove so as to make it camper friendly. He lives on the NORTH side of the cove while the rest of the aeta community lives on the SOUTH side. Mang Ador is not an aeta himself but hails from La Union.

THE CAMPSITE:
One of Nagsasa's features is this lake with a superb view of the mountain range. One can enjoy this scenery while cooling off in the clear waters of the lake.

(photo below:NagsasaLake by AllanBarredo May 16, 2009)

Mang Ador has already setup 5 long tables along the shoreline for campers to use. He also setup a small bahay kubo with papag for visitors. There is a handpump at the back of the campsite as well as two toilets similar in construction to those in Anawangin. Mang Ador always sees to it that all toilets have water so since we were a group of about 40(the largest he has entertained so far), he never stopped fetching water from the pumps! (poor guy!) He does not charge any fees for these facilities (yet) so we took it upon ourselves to give 100pesos per head nalang. Other groups such as that of Ryan Guzman's make it a point to bring 2 extra canned food each to leave with Mang Ador.

(CAMPSITE photos by AllanBarredo May 16, 2009)

There was an abundance of fishcatch, mainly bangus(milkfish), while we were there (due to the recent storm) so they were selling it at 40pesos per fish. These fishes weighed approximately 1.5 kilos and were really FAT and delicious. You can ask Mang Ador if he or the others have any fresh fish, they usually do, and buy them to add to your meal. Nakatulong ka na, fresh at masarap pa yung kakainin mo.

(photo below:NagsasaLake by AllanBarredo May 16, 2009)

There are many pine trees where you can tie your hammock and/or clotheslines. Since there is absolutely NO CELLPHONE SIGNAL anywhere on this cove, I suggest you turn your cellphone OFF, lie down on your hammock and let the wind rock you to sleep while you listen to the soothing sound of the birds and the waves.

(photo below:HAMMOCK central by KitLava May 17, 2009)

THE BEACH:
The beach is composed of the same volcanic sand that covers the whole zambales shoreline stretch. It gets VERY HOT during noontime so take caution to don your footwear pls.

(photo below:NagsasaCove at 6AM, by AllanBarredo May 16, 2009)

Unlike in Anawangin, the waters are very calm since the cove is very big. Also, there is a very nice snorkling area about 100meters off the campsite shore with a depth of about 20feet. I noticed a lot of coral formations as well as abundant and colorful fishes there. I do hope dynamite fishers do not touch that area.

If you happen to witness dynamite fishing then don't be afraid to speak up! Get their attention and let them know that what they are doing is wrong. Take out that nice digicam and snap away! Report them and their vessel to the local barangay. Enough damage has been done by both these people and those who condone them by their silence! After all, we deserve the environment we help create diba.

THE FALLS:
One of Nagsasa Cove's special features is this beautiful cascading waterfalls that can be reached via a 30minute leasurely hike to the south of the campsite. You can ask Mang Ador or one of his fellows to guide you to the falls. Just give the guide a small tip (50pesos or so) afterwards. The waters are clean and clear due to the fact that settlers are forbidden to take residence upstream.

(photos courtesy of KitLava, May 16, 2009)
TIP: Go up just a bit higher along the cascading falls and sit in one of the larger crevices. You get to view the mountain range while cooling down as if you were in your own private INFINITY POOL.

HOW TO GET THERE:

(photo by Allan Barredo, May 16, 2009)

Its pretty much the same as going to Anawangin. Only the boat fare and distance from Pundaquit to Nagsasa cove is greater. We used our usual boatman Mang Vic. His boat is quite big so 10 of us were able to fit in it. Our gear, however, had to be loaded on a smaller boat. The big boat charge was 3k and the smaller boat charge was 1.2k so thats about 420pesos per head.
Mang Vic will soon be using his new boat which is big enough to hold 25 passengers so please call him if you have a large group. His number is still +639297170739. He can also buy mineral water for you and lend you containers for them.
We arrived in Pundaquit in the wee hours of Saturday morning, at 2AM, and were able to leave for Nagsasa at 3AM. Since it was such an ungodly hour, I'm really grateful that Mang Vic was so accomodating. I didn't hear a word of complaint from him!
You can apply the Anawangin sample itinerary and costings found in my old blogs for Nagsasa.

PARKING:
Numerous parking areas have sprung up in Pundaquit so parking should not be a problem. The normal parking fee charge there is 100pesos per night. Make sure your vehicles are secure and all parking lights are off when you leave it.

CAUTION1: SANDFLY ALERT!
The (rocky area)northern tip of Nagsasa beach has sandflies. If possible, avoid this area during sunrise and sunset. If you need to go to this rocky area during these time periods consider taking VitaminB first or putting some Citronella Oil as suggested in this site.

CAUTION2: CROWN OF THORNS
The coral area in Nagsasa has a number of C.O.T. starfishes. DO NOT TOUCH the thorns! It releases a neurotoxin that can cause a sharp stinging pain lasting hours, as well as nausea and vomiting. For more information on COTs please click here.
Divers who plan to go to Nagsasa please bring large thongs and sacks(or sodium bisulfate injections) and volunteer some of your time to remove a few of these and bury in the sand. During low tide, the COT locations are shallow enough to reach and extract safely without dive gear. DO NOT CUT OR DAMAGE them during extraction as this will (supposedly) cause them to release eggs thereby aggravating the situation even further. Thanks

Visit my friend's blog by clicking this link (AllanBarredo's LANTAW blog) to see more of his exemplary photographs of Nagsasa Cove and read his writeups.

TAMBOBONG ON MY MIND

2009-03-08T10:18:00.026+08:00

(photo: osmena beach front, just in front of barangay captain's house)

This place really has a stronghold not only on me but on all of us who have been there. What keeps us coming back? Maybe its the memory of all that fresh seafood? Or the simple life of the fisherfolk. Or the increadibly beautiful powdery-white sand and clear waters? Perhaps its the affable locals we have now come to regard as dear friends. Truly it is a blessing for us to meet such wonderful folk as Leon Bobis (contact# 09075183062) and family. It amazes me how they keep smiling through all their strife and even this last hardship of loosing their home to the most recent typhoon.

Our last foray into the sleepy town of Dasol was, of course, pleasantly relaxing. This time a friend of mine brought some of his photo-buddies from flickr and had a great time taking images of the place.

This time we went to Dasol via SLEX, Luisita Exit, then onto Alaminos then to Dasol. We were able to cut travel time by almost half because we were able to travel very fast on that road to Alaminos.

Also, we were able to sleep at one of the huts instead of our tents. It took away some of that "outdoor" experience but it did not diminish our enjoyment of Tambobong in the least. I slept like a baby on their cool bamboo floor.

We discovered something new in Tambobong this time.

A fresh water pool inside a hidden cave not far from the beach. According to the locals, this used to be a very famous source of fresh water for this area and the waters purportedly contain healing properties. I noticed that despite the evindence of people bathing here, the waters remain crystal clear. This means that the waters are constantly being renewed by a network of springs and canals.

I went back to Balinmanok Wreck and noticed an increase in marine life. I saw several hundreds of different types. There were even three huge ones, about 3-kilos each, but I failed to classify them. The waters were clear and cool so some of us can't help diving into the inviting waters from atop the wreck. I'm glad to see our companions enjoying themselves and taking a break from their picture taking.

One can go beach-hopping for days here and won't run out of beautiful venues. I'd love to stay at least a week in this peaceful place and sit on its beaches, just sipping cold beer and thinking of nothing in particular. Someday....

VISIT the blog of one of the locals >> TAMBOBONGBOY

Tambobong, Pangasinan! 4 months later!

2008-04-17T18:18:00.039+08:00

(photo: clear waters of Tambobong, Dasol, Pangasinan April 11, 2008)

We decided to go back and revisit Tambobong 4 months after our first foray into these parts. I'm really glad we did because we weren't disappointed. Our gracious host Mr.Leon Bobis, a local fisherman/mechanic, really took time to take us around the nearby islands and beaches.

We left Manila at 11pm and arrived in the town of Osmena, beside Tambobong, at 5:30am. For those who worry about road conditions, the last 18km or so is partly rough road but manageable even with our small rear-wheel drive, 600cc suzuki carry van.

(photo: hermana mayor island map, prime beach and airstrip images courtesy of TONET)

(photo below: hermana mayor island, NNE tip resort area)

Our host, Mr.Bobis, arranged our bangka and we were able to leave for Hermana Mayor Island at around 7am. I still know little about this so-called "private" island. A lot of rumors but little facts. What I do know is that there are deer and livestock injected into the island as well as leisure facilities constructed within it. When viewed via google earth, the island resembles a foot(and probably stinks as bad as its owners). Their lapdogs, literally stinky old men and obviously uneducated, were very rude and practically told us to just get lost.

BALAKI ISLAND, INFANTA, PANGASINAN
To cut the story short, we decided to visit the nearby Balaki Island near Infanta and spend the day there, then go back to Osmena to setup camp in the evening. It was a true blessing in disguise as we would not have been able to fully enjoy Tambobong, Osmena and Burgos otherwise!

(photos: on the way to balaki island, aerial shot of balaki island courtesy of TONET)

Balaki Island is about 6.5 kilometers away from Hermana Mayor Island and about 4 kilometers away from the Infanta port. There is a new facility built there which the locals call a "Resort". I was so tired from driving all night that I immediately fell asleep when my back hit the folding bed. My companions and some of the local fisherfolk went ahead and caught some fish for our lunch and BOY did they catch a bounty! The beach water was BEAUTIFUL and there was plenty of fish here. One of the students, Deo, was able to catch fish enough to feed all of us by himself. The rest of the fish was brought back to their respective families for dinner that evening.
We drank mangganog (lambanog+mangga) that evening while we feasted on a delicious moray eel and octopus we caught earlier.

(photos: nipa hut houses in burgos, strange coral beach, cool resting place, friendly folk in burgos)

TIMAPOG NA BATO, BURGOS, PANGASINAN
The next day we went to Timapog-na-bato which is a huge rock on a beach in Sitio Iliw-Iliw, Burgos. It is a barangay beside tambobong. The beach was a solid rock of coral or lime... The locals say that the sand comes and goes with the season. We brought only some mangoes and mangganog. We met a very friendly group there who shared their lunch with us and we shared our mangganog with them as well. Some in our group caught some more fish to add to lunch and we had a great time! There was a crisis when one of our boats ran out of gas and since nobody brought any money, we exchanged some lambanog for gasoline - to which the locals were just so happy to oblige! (siempre!)

(photos: on the way to balinmanok, balinmanok wreck, fresh fish for lunch!)

BALINMANOK, OSMENA, PANGASINAN
On our last day in Osmena, we visited the Balinmanok Wreck which, according to the stories, was a chinese smuggling vessel shipwrecked during the Estrada Presidency in 2000 carrying 600 kilos of shabu. The chinese were apprehended but somehow the shabu caught amounted to a mere 250kilos.

The wreck has been stripped of valuables and metals. It now acts as an artificial reef for small fish. According to our guide, the locals even dynamite this from time to time in desperation.

(photo: seagull in the eye of the crocodile!)

The surrounding waters around the wreck was cool and clear and we all enjoyed jumping from the bow of the ship into the crystal clear waters below. Our companions again caught some fish for us to lunch on and we all enjoyed our freetime after lunch just sleeping or playing frisbee and boomerang. The kids played in the waters all afternoon and got severe sunburns as a result.

(photo: waters around crocodile island, kabakungan cave, cave pool)

KABAKUNGAN, TAMBOBONG, PANGASINAN
We then proceeded to go to one of the secret hiding places in tambobong. The Kabakungan cave! At low tide the waters in this cave is a clear ,chest deep swimming pool ! PERFECT for spending hot summer days!

The unspoiled beauty of tambobong is there for those who know where to look. There is nothing so beautiful as lying on its beaches while you let the sound of the waves lull you to sleep. Eating freshly caught fish with a sip of cold mangganog or an ice cold beer in your hand. Ah! Philippine summer is simply THE BEST!

PLEASE Visit the blog of my friend Allan !
(he posted fantastic images of our trip)
>> balaki island
>> balinmanok wreck
>> timapog na bato
>> kabakungan cave

VISIT the blog of one of the locals >> TAMBOBONGBOY

Anawangin Cove, Zambales

2008-03-09T23:21:00.001+08:00

Anawangin Cove, Zambales Jan, 2008

Its been a while since I updated this travel blog. Not that I've stopped travelling but because I just can't find the time to organize both my thoughts and the images I took. Besides, things have been really crazy lately especially with my moving to a new house and the usual year-end schedules. I've been to a number of interesting places but I'll start with the most recent one since its what is most fresh in my mind. Anawangin cove.

(photo: Capones Island and Pundaquit shore)

I noticed this cove back in 2005 while looking for places to go. The cove looked promising even at low res then. It looked even better when they upgraded the image to hi-res! One could clearly see a couple of lakes and what clearly were not coconut trees.

Google Earth lists a different name for the cove, something like Galaguagin Cove?... but I can't recall it right now. The cove lies just a bit south of Pundaquit, Zambales.

(photo: Pundaquit resort tables where we slept while waiting for dawn. The boatman, Mang Vic, let us use it for free. Call him at +639297170739 to reserve. Also, there's parking available! see rightmost image, you can see a car parked at the back)

Unsure about parking, we decided to go there by bus. To get the most out of the weekend, we left manila on the 11pm Victory liner bus from Caloocan.

Our itinerary looked like this...

開始： 2008/01/12
終了： 2008/01/13
場所： Bgy. Pundaquit, San Antonio, Zambales
ITINERARY - ANAWANGIN and CAPONES ISLAND

Day 1 - January 11 Friday

1030 PM Assembly Victory Liner Caloocan
1130 PM ETD San Antonio, Zambales via Iba-bound Bus
http://www.victoryliner.com/tripschedules1.htm

Day 2 - January 12 Saturday

0230 ETA San Antonio, Zambales/ board trike to Bgy. Pundaquit
- eat some goto sa gotohan dun sa kanto
0330 ETA Pundaquit, Zambales, makitulog sa resort ni manong
0730 Board banca to Anawangin, side trip to Capones Island
- can't get to the lighthouse kasi low tide, balik ulit bukas
0900 Arrived at Anawangin Cove/ Set Camp, tulog ulit?
1230 LUNCH
1400 EXPLORATION / SWIM / FRISBEE / BOOMERANG / PICS
1900 DINNER and Socials

Day 3 - January 13 Sunday

0630 Wake Up/ Prepare Breakfast
0730 BREAKFAST
0800 Swimming Swimming Explore Explore
1300 Break Camp
1400 Board boat for Capones Island
- took pics of lighthouse
1530 Leave Capones for Bgy. Pundaquit
- get a tricyle to SanAntonio
1630 Get regular bus to Olongapo Victory Liner
1800 Depart for Manila (victory liner olongapo)
2130 Arrived at Balintawak

=NOTES=

1) Bring goggles and/or your snorkel set!
2) Bring a hammock, if you have one
3) Secure provisions before the trip. Remember, there's no electricity in
the area :)
4) There's a water source at the campsite that's good for cooking and
washing. Bring drinking water though.
5) The last bus at Victory Caloocan leaves at 11:30PM so DON'T BE LATE!!!
6) bring a thin blanket. VERY USEFUL sa bus and in the tent

=PROJECTED EXPENSES=

P219.00 x 2 = Bus from Pasay to San Antonio, Zambales and back
P40.00 x 2 = Tricycle from Bgy Pundaquit and back
P1800.00/5 people = Round trip boat fare plus 2 side trips to Capones
(360@pax)
P300.00 = Food and Provisions

Estimated Budget: 438 + 80 + 360 + 300 = P 1,178 pesos@pax

We arrived at San Antonio before 3am. Tricycle drivers IMMEDIATELY approached us and offered a ride to Pundaquit. DO NOT agree to their 100@tricycle offer and insist on 80pesos only. We were a group of 5 so we had to get two tricycles.

BUT FIRST... kain muna tayo ng GOTO!

Hindi masyadong malasa yung goto pero mainit naman. And remember, this was at 3am. Meron din fried rice and sisig so chibog muna kami lahat.

While eating, I found out that the market does not open until 7am. I was surprised and asked why since I am used to Balintawak Market which opens at 4am - ang sagot? "Eh wala ka naman sa Maynila eh!" - fine... mga tamad ang tao sa probinsiya. And I always thought these people woke up early... baka napupuyat din kaka DOTA? not...

Anyway, in a pinch, I agreed to giving the tricycle driver some money to get supplies for us while we take a little nap in pundaquit. I gave the guy 700 pesos to get a few kilos of pork, a 5 gallon mineral water, some rekados, charcoal, ice and kerosene. The chap was nice enough to lend us his icebox!

He brought us to Pundaquit and introduced us to our boatman Mang Vic(+639297170739). The regular small boats(1.2k balikan) could probably hold 4 small people with a few gear but not 5 huge guys with 2days worth of supplies and equipment. We settled on 1.8k for rental of his big boat with a trip to Capones Island on the side. Pretty good deal I think. It's certainly a lot cheaper than what those bancas in Anilao would charge.

As expected, the tricycle driver ran late and arrived past 7am already. We visited Capones Island but was not able to go the farside because of the low tide. We just walked around the shore and took some pictures before traversing the 6kilometers or so trip to Anawangin cove from there.

(photo: Capones Island, east side. Notice the strange rock formations, leftmost photo)

I was stunned by the beauty and tranquility of Anawangin cove. Not only was it cool because of the pine tree forest, the scenery was fantastic. The water, although painfully lacking in marine life and corals, was calm, clear and comfortable. PLUS your eyes are treated to this wonderful encompassing view of the hills and tree forrest.

(photo: setting up camp, checking supplies)

I setup my hammock, mixed a cold alcoholic drink and relaxed. No sound but the wind and the sea - THIS IS THE LIFE!

The next day we decided to go and find the water source at the base of the mountains. I thought it was about half a kilometer from the camp but in reality it was about 3 kilometers east of the campsite. Needless to say we gave up before we found this water source. The local Aeta we met, mang danny, was friendly enough to guide one of our lost companions to safety and confirm its existence. He also helped avert danger by bringing our attention to the numerous snakes that came across our way.

(photo: river ran through this, careful! Watch out for snakes ! -rightmost image)

(photo: nice toilet, friendly native, poso!)

Anawangin cove is unique in that it has both fresh water lake river and saltwater shore side by side. The small hills that surround are safe and ideal for climbing. The scenery it offers after the climb is often too much a reward for the effort.

We packed our stuff and headed to the lighthouse at Capones island for some quick pics. Then off we went back to our insignificant lives in Manila. All in all another excellent vacation!

(photo: capones island light house, gate and final farewell to pundaquit shores)

More images of Anawangin here ALLAN'S FLICKR
and more stories here ALLAN'S BLOG

Tambobong and Osmena beaches in Pangasinan

2008-03-01T22:45:00.023+08:00

UPDATE Dec, 2011:

Directions/Map: click this >> TAMBOBONGBOY
Things To Do! : click this >> TRAVEL GUIDE

sunset at Tambobong, Pangasinan Dec, 2007

The town of Tambobong lies in the western tip of Pangasinan. A quiet and sleepy town for the most part, it has beautiful powdery white sand and very clear waters. As is expected from fishing communities, overfishing has destroyed most of the corals. One can still see a few fishes and marine life here and there. In fact one of the kids, Christian, was able to catch a "pugita" (octopus).
(photo:rough road from Dasol, convoy, more rough roads ahead)

This town, small as it is, was divided further into two towns, namely, the town of Tambobong and Osmena. There is not much trade in this town and we even found it hard to get a couple of beers, if possible, bring enough supplies to last your stay.
(photo: Ui town, stop over, horsing around)

The current kapitana, Mrs. Arroyo, was really gracious and kind. She dispatched some barangay tanods to watch over our camp and keep us from probable harm. I suspect it was also partly to keep us from getting rowdy.
(photo: Tambobong at last, beach with powdery sand, local kids during dinner)

We setup camp on the beach and one of the locals was kind enough to lend us their poso(hand pump) and toilet. The locals are very friendly and their children often come to our camp to listen to our stories and tell us stories of their own.
(photo:breakfast the next day, camp wakes up, tranquil beach shore)

We hired a boat to take us to a nearby island called "Collabra Island" or otherwise called snake island. This island supposedly has lots of snakes which mostly come out at night. We made sure to visit early in the day so we did not see a single snake on the island or around in its waters. It was a beautiful island and we ate lunch and swam in its shores. I noticed that the waters in tambobong had better visibility than in this island though.
(photo: collabra island, snake island beach)

From the shores of snake island, one can see another bigger island. It was only later that I found out this was the famous Hermana Mayor Island.
I think we'll visit her next.
(photo: tambobong town, local kids playing)

Our route to tambobong took us up Subic base, then traversing the Zambales National Road, we slowly crept up to Pangasinan. When we reached Dasol, we took a left turn towards Tambobong by way of UI town(strange name for a town)

By public: Ride a bus from Manila to Sta.Cruz. You must arrive in the morning so take the 11pm bus in any of the Victory liner stations. The Caloocan Victory liner has the best schedule. Their last bus leaves at 12midnight (Php 384.00 one way)

CLICK HERE for VictoryLinerSchedules

From Sta.Cruz, ride a jeep or minibus going to Dasol (Php 35pesos approx.)

Then from Dasol market, ride a jeep going to Tambobong (Php 30pesos approx.)
The jeeps leave when they fill up with passengers so there is no particular schedule. However, you will get more chances of riding it in the morning rather than in the afternoon. Evening departures are rare.

A two way trip for 1 person will cost approximately Php 900 pesos.

VISIT the blog of one of the locals >> TAMBOBONGBOY

Cebu ! (Tarsiers, Nulusan Island, and Tabo-an dry fish market)

2008-02-25T11:04:00.004+08:00

tarsier reserve, Bohol Island Sept 2007

I went on a vacation trip to Cebu last September 18, 2007. Cebu is a lovely city with a deep cultural and religious background. The following are some excerpts from this trip to Cebu.

WATERFRONT HOTEL CEBU
We stayed at the Waterfront Hotel in Cebu. After you deplane, make sure you know which hotel youa re going to. One is in Mactan Island and one is in Cebu Island. Make sure you know where you are going and instruct the taxi driver properly.
(photos: rice all you can lady, quaint plates, sizzling food!)

Golden Cowrie
(delicious, affordable chinese/filipino food with rice all you can!)

Upon arriving in Mactan Internation Airport Cebu, don't ask for a taxi. Just go out of the airport and up that flight of stairs across the street. BIG price difference. We asked manong taxi driver for suggestions on good cebu food and Golden Cowrie Restaurant came up. So, after dumping our bags at our hotel, to Golden Cowrie we went(odd name for a restaurant).

Their blue marlin panga and shellfish in black bean was delicious! Plus its rice all you can kaya sulit talaga. Pretty reasonable prices too. Cheaper than gerry's grill.
(photos: pier4 air conditioned waiting area, weesam fastcraft, 1st class seats)

BOHOL
Cebu Pier4 waiting area for Weesam fast craft to Tagbilaran (350pesos one way 1st class, 300 for ordinary) Our target for this Bohol day trip was first the Tarsiers, then the Loboc River Lunch Cruise, and finally the majestic Chocolate hills in the center of Bohol.

TARSIER RESERVE
"Day-old monkey" has become a recent popular replacement for the "day-old chick", delicacy in the Philippines.

How to eat day-old monkies
1. Act like you care.............. 2. Look closely for pests............. 3. Pumili at Pitikin para mahilo

4. Then Bite!

5. and BITE!

(Joke lang: no animals were hurt in making this blog)

The tarsier reserve is truly concerned about the welfare and future of these small gently creatures. I have heard that some illegal setups have begun to pop up because of the popularity of these local fauna. The taxi drivers are in cahoots with local cafe and restaurants who illegally catch tarsiers and put them on display in their respective restaurants. The tarsiers often end up in a box either taken home by foreigners or because of death due to mishandling. To those going to Bohol, please report these establishments and help stop these shameful acts.
(photos: loboc river cruise boats, jofel seated, song and dance entertainment)

LOBOC RIVER CRUISE
After petting the monkies, we went rode on the wooden bangka to eat lunch while we cruise the river. The fee for this buffet lunch was 250 per head and consisted of bbq, fried veggies, rice and pansit. There was a new treat that did not used to be there a few years ago. Near the end of the river run you get to be serenaded by groups of singers along the river.
There are number of groups along the river and each have a different set of singers and dancers. I guess the boats dock according to preference of the boat owners. They both sing and dance and you are encouraged to make donations. The river cruise culminates near the small falls called Tontonan Falls. The whole trip takes around 1hour.
(photos: chocolate hills bohol)

CHOCOLATE HILLS
More than 1500 of these uniformly shaped mounds can be seen from on top of the view point. It is amazing to realize that there ARE NOT MANMADE as the task would be impossible and even harder than making the pyramids in Egypt. Moreover, these hills are composed of fossilized corals which means they were once submerged under the sea. Truly a breathtaking and amazing place to see.
(photos: Loboc church and museum, church front, Bohol tricycles)

LOBOC CHURCH and the MUSEO DE LOBOC
First established in dedication to San Pedro Apostol. The church, however, was badly destroyed by fire sometime in 1660. But the parishioners did not lose hope. In 1670, the present church was built from the ruins of the old church, and it was completed in 1734.Inside the church, remarkable native paintings on the ceilings and walls tell fascinating stories of the past. The Spanish coat of arms can also be found in the stone wall near the entrance of the convent. Snugly nestled in the compound of the ancient building of God is Museo de Loboc where the well-preserved historical artifacts and a few old statues of saints are kept.
(photos: huge crab, crab choices, waiting for our food)

ALAVARS RESTAURANT
Alavar's Restaurant in Salinas Drive Cebu reopened in October 2006 after a lull of 8 long years. I knew that their signature dishes involved prawns and crabs, both of which were in abundance in cebu. The high prices of these precious commodities in Manila was probably one of the reasons they closed their Manila franchise. The current managers of Alavar's Cebu, Mr. Allan Uy and Maritess Alavar were very accomodating. They personally attended to each one of their patrons and talked to us about the history of their restaurant. They even gave us a complimentary dish of their golden crispy crablets which were crisp and it was so delicious that we ended up ordering another dish. I especially liked their Prawn Alavar and Crab in Alavar Sauce. As expected, the bill was a bit hefty since crabs are priced per 100grams so we ended up paying 8k for 6pax... ouch!
(photo: long boardwalk to island, seafood buffet!, everyone's happy)

NALUSUAN ISLAND (KR travel & tours)
On the second day we left the hotel at 8am for our island hopping tour. We were picked up by service cars arranged by KR Travel. (We got a 7hour island hopping tour + lunch for PhP1,660 pesos from KR Travel&Tours)
Be advised that the boat trip from Cebu to the coral garden is both rough and very wet. Do not wear any electronic items as you will be thoroughly drenched at the end of the 45minute ride.

The coral garden was terrific. The waves were a bit rough but there are a lot of live corals and marine life to see. I saw a small school of gigantic trumpet fish, about 40 to 50 in all.
(photos:nalusuan island boardwalk, lunch at the island, volleyball game)

After that we headed straight to Nalusuan Island for lunch. We were served a buffet of crabs, tiger prawns, bbq chicken, bbq pork and mixed fruits dessert. Everyone had fun snorkelling and playing volleyball on the island. There was also a captive sea turtle in their pond (illegally?).

GRAND MAJESTIC (chinese restaurant)
This chinese restaurant on Archbishop Reyes Avenue is where we held our final banquet. It is just a few minutes walk from Waterfront Hotel Cebu. They serve good chinese food and the price was very reasonable. Our 7 course meal for 12people costed 4000 pesos only. Drinks are additional
(photos: TABO-AN mountains and baskets of dried fish!!!)

TABO-AN DRY FISH MARKET
Before going to the airport, we took some time to go to the famous TABO-AN dry fish market in downtown Tres de Abril, Cebu City. It took about 15minutes from our hotel(no traffic) and about 70pesos. This dry fish market had HUGE stockpiles of various dried fish! I have never seen anything like it before in my life. My suggestion is DON'T go there on your way to the airport as the smell of dry fish sticks to your clothes. The red fish you see in the pictures are Isdang Tocino and they taste great. The tinderas will cook samples of all the fish for you and even offer you some rice to go with your taste test - instant breakfast! sarap!

A good guide and list of establishments....
http://www.asiatravel.com/cebu/cebugui.html

Light house, Croc Farm, and Kamarikutan coffee house in Palawan

2008-02-24T10:17:00.019+08:00

KamarikutanCoffeeHousePalawanOctober8,2007

Palawan trip. Third day (farewell palawan!)
BancaoBancao Lighthouse
(photo:stairs to the beach, lighthouse, wall, eman atop the lighthouse)

Early the next day we decided to go to the lighthouse in barangay BancaoBancao. It's about 20mins ride by tricycle and the last part passes through some rough road overgrown with chest-high weeds. Apparently this is not a popular tourist spot - ... which is great! There was even a decrepit resort with big slides and pools. I found out later that it was closed a few years ago because, apparently, a child of one of its patrons died there. The BancaoBancao light house has been inoperative for the last few years now.
(photo:lighthouse solar power collector, balay inato restaurant tables, restaurant/hotel front)

Balay Inato (chicken inasal fast food resto)
An open-air fast-food style restaurant was all we had time for. The chicken inasal served in this restaurant was half cooked. Malas yata ako sa chicken inasal because that was strike 2 na. I won't even bother talking about strike 1. This restaurant has recently constructed rooms-for-rent fronting the dining tables. Its horribly apparent that no one will enjoy staying in those rooms because of the loud blaring music emanating from loudspeakers all over the place.
(photo: crocodile pen, baby croc petting session, largest crocodile found in palawan)

Crocodile Farm
After lunch we hastily made our way to the crocodile farm which is about 45minutes away. There were not too many crocodiles around because of recent events causing high death rates. Notice the HUGE crocodile skeleton above. Just imagine being assaulted by one of these monsters! A waist high croc that's more than twice (2x) the average height!!! WOW, gives me shivers! Alas we did not have much time to go around as we had to check in the airport for our flight back to Manila.
(photo:waiting for our coffee, pond, allan relaxing)

"Kamarikutan": coffee house
After we checked in our bags, we did manage to slip out and go to this beautiful coffee house called the Kamarikutan. The name roughly translates to "Wilderness Coffee Gallery" and is open from 8AM till 11PM and serves very good coffee (starbucks price nga lang!). The natural vegetation in its large garden creates a nice "wilderness" ambiance. The art on display is probably for sale because visitors are not allowed to take any pictures of it. Kamarikutan is on Rizal Avenue and is only about 100 meters from the main entrance to the airport.

If you need a good guide/ride around palawan I recommend ours! His name is Bogs (+639194638590)

Underground River, Mitra's Ranch and Baker's Hill in Palawan

2008-02-23T19:17:00.017+08:00

UndergroundRiverPalawanOctober7,2007

Palawan trip, Second day
St. Paul Underground River
The transport service of Topstar Travel Agency picked us up at about 7am. After a bumpy and winding but thoroughly enjoyable 3hr ride we reached the Sabang or port that is the jump off point for the underground river.
(photo: sabang where you board bangka to underground river, transport to site)

This amazing 15km long underground river is estimated to be 16 to 20 Million years old! It has been recently added to UNESCO's World Heritage site which attests to its deep natural and cultural value.
(photo:tour bangka, registration area and life vests)

Regular tourists like me are only allowed to go about 1.5 kilometers into the cave, special researchers may be granted an 8km exploration permit. However, only the few (and the wealthy?) are granted the full 15km permit. So far, only the large documentary stations like Discovery and NatGeo have been granted full access according to our guide. The St.Paul Underground River is now called the Puerto Princessa Subterranean River National Park.
(photo: underground river tour group, tip of 1.5km tour, cave fauna)

After our boat ride on the river, we headed back to Sabang to take our lunch. There are a few souvenir shops where one can get tshirts in case you got wet in the river.
(photo: sabang-walk on beach to lunch area, sabang beach, walk back to departure point)

The lunch area is a few minutes walk away from the sabang and along the beach. It was a simple meal of fresh buko, pipino, bbq and shell fish but there was plenty of it!
(photo: beautiful sabang beach, crab eating habbits, view point stop over)

On the way back don't forget to stop by the Buenavista Viewdeck (view point) where you can have a good vantage point of Ulugan Bay.
(photo: sta.monica heights main road, view from mitra's ranch, mitra's ranch house)

MITRA'S RANCH and BAKER'S HILL
Our tour guide was somehow in a hurry! We arrived back in Puerto Princessa before 4pm so we still had some time to kill. I called up our tricycle driver/guide Bogs and he brought us to Sta.Monica Heights where both Mitra's Ranch and the famous Baker's Hill is located. What you should actually do is buy food in Baker's Hill FIRST and then proceed to Mitra's Ranch where you can eat on his porch overlooking honda bay. Instead we proceeded to the ranch first where we enjoyed the scenery before proceeding to Baker's hill because we feared that the ranch would close first.
(photo:baker's hill mascot, eating area, cartoon figures)

Having stuffed ourselves full of the local patisserie, we decided to forgo dinner and just bought some beers ,isaw and balut. I was surprised to find out that balut is more expensive here in puerto princessa than manila. 12pesos! (sampu lang sa amin eh)
(photo:eman fooling around with the statues, plaza water fountain at 6pm)

Some interesting rock formations found in the underground river are the jurassic triceratops, puso ng saging and the Peking duck.
(photo: interesting rock formations - triceratops, puso ng saging, Peking duck)

Puerto Princessa and Honda Bay in Palawan

2008-02-23T10:59:00.022+08:00

SnakeIslandPalawanOctober6,2007

Palawan Trip, First day

PUERTO PRINCESSA
Palawan is a truly amazing place to go to not just because of its beautiful beaches but especially because of the diversity of marine life that seems to be ubiquitous in that area. I remember going on a 5 day live aboard dive on the Tubbataha Reefs and TO THIS DAY the memory of the hoards of marine life that mobbed us, as well as their extreme diversity stays fresh in my mind.
But thats for another blog... now its just the landlubber's adventure...
(photo: left to right, cebu pacific check in counter, PuertoPrincessa airport, welcome band)

The plane fare to Palawan costs anywhere from 3.2k to 5k depending on airline promotions. We were able to get a moderately cheap fare since this was October and not the peak season yet. When we arrived at the Puerto Princessa Airport in Palawan, we went to this row of tricycles and was lucky enough to get an all-in-one guide/tricycle driver. He agreed to both drive us around and be our guide for 300pesos a day. He was very friendly and informative so we decided to raise this to 400 inclusive of tip na.

(photo: Audissie pension room 1.2k for 2pax/night)

Upon his suggestion, we went to the TOPSTAR TRAVEL AGENCY and booked a trip to the underground river. It costed 1.2k per head inclusive of (heavy)buffet lunch by the beach. We then proceeded to our hotel called Audissie Pension House (don't ask about the name...) in the city and checked in. Afterwhich we immediately left for the amazing Honda Bay!
(photo:left to right-honda bay wharf with bogs in center, bangka transport, tindahan ni manang)

HONDA BAY
The name "Honda Bay" is not in any way connected to the japanese car maker. I can't remember the story or history now so if someone knows it please tell me.

The tricycle ride to Honda Bay Wharf took a mere 30 to 35minutes so we arrived at about 10:30am. Walang masyadong tao sa pier kasi hindi naman peak season. They have now organized boat rentals on the wharf. My friend said the going rate used to be around 800pesos per boat for the round trip beach hopping. However, we now ended up paying twice that for the same trip.

Before going onboard the bangka I suggest you buy some hopia and water from the nearby sari sari stores. The drinks on the various islands are quite expensive. We didn't bother stopping at Pandan Island but proceeded straight to the bigger Snake Island just in time for lunch.
(photo:weird looking room-like boat, pandan island)

It took about 20minutes to get to Snake Island from the wharf. On the island, we swam on the beach while waiting for our lunch to cook. You can buy fish from the lone establishment and they will cook it for you, rice included. Beware because though the fish is fresh its a bit pricey.
(photo: left to right- snake island dock, swimming area, long stretch of beach)

Little did I know when I stepped into the water that I would see something so amazing it left me breathless. While swimming around, our bankero brought my attention to a school of fish. What I saw was hundreds of these HUGE jacks about 3 to 5kilos each forming a huge wall! It was so amazing that I had to shout and motion for everyone to come and share this wonderful sight with me quickly. The wall of jacks kept going around us sometimes forming a huge ball into which I sometimes playfully penetrated with excitement.
Wow!.. only in palawan could this even be possible...
(photo: fishermen abode on snake island, walking on the beach with eman and allan)

After all the exercise we were really famished and feasted on fresh crabs and fish which was cooked and ready when we came ashore. Having eaten so much so fast we decided to walk around the long stretch of sand.

On the way back to the wharf we passed by an island full of bats aptly called Bat Island then made a brief stop at this floating house marking the Pambato Coral Reef. The corals that can be seen in this area are beautiful and diverse! Possible more beatiful than those in Anilao, Batangas! With hundreds of coral fishes as well as big trigger fish.
(photo:leaving snake island, Pambato Coral Reef guardhouse - pay 50/head)

This coral reef is located just in front of LuLi Island (Lubog-Litaw Island: An island that comes and goes with the tide).

(photo: Ka Louie's entrance, allanbarredo checking equipment, Ka Louie's front)

KA LOUIE'S
We finished early so we decided to go to Ka Louie's (a little after 5pm) just to make sure we get a table since we had no reservations. The place had great ambience but too many mosquitoes lang which ruined the culinary experience for me. They make you remove your slippers but the floor was not clean so you end up getting dirty feet.

2007-07-06T10:16:00.000+08:00

My Lakbayan grade is C+!

How much of the Philippines have you visited? Find out at Lakbayan!

Created by Eugene Villar.

With all my recent travels, I still have a long way to go! I guess this is typical for a manileno? I hope to do better this year (whats left of it anyway). Biyahe na

Cagbalete Island, Mauban, Quezon

2007-05-01T12:35:00.007+08:00

Cagbalete Island, Quezon Apr. 2007

Photo by Allan Barredo

It is frustrating that most posts on Cagbalete are reduced to meaningless pictures of people. Most filipinos probably take that "picture is worth a thousand words" thing too seriously - or just too lazy to make a proper informative entry. In any case, I hope this won't trun out to be one of those meaningless posts...

This is my first time to go to Mauban( GPS coordinates 14°11'17"N 121°43'50"E). It may look like a big city on GoogleEarth but its small and most streets barely fit two vehicles side by side. We took two cars and parked them in the garage of our host and owner of Villa Cleofas Mr. Tonet Reyeg.

Public transport leaves the Mauban port at 10am and then at 4pm (twice a day).

The fee is 30pesos per head. We brought about 100kilograms of gear with us. This includes food rations for 3 days, tents, cooking and eating paraphernalia, charcoal, gas lamp etc... and personal belongings.

There is no extra charge for bringing a lot of stuff but give the head port carrier a little something for loading it all into the banka.

It is only about 13kilometers from the Mauban port to the Cagbalete public transport drop off. However, since the banka has to go directly against the current (waves are large so prepare to get wet), the travel time from Mauban to Cagbalete totals approx. 50minutes. Whereas the travel time back to Mauban will only take about 30minutes.
Please understand that these estimates are valid only during the (RP)summer months when the wind blows from the East.

Disembarking from the boat on Cagbalete Island is similar to the way one disembarks from a banka on Boracay when there used to be a Station1,2 & 3. The public transport banka is huge and can carry about 50 people with ease. A boat this large cannot dock properly without a docking port and there is none on this island. Both the Neneng(bigger boat owned by Lito Durante) and the Arthur2 stop a distance from the shore and passengers must disembark onto a small dinghy and proceed towards the shore.

It is sad that the Cagbalete port is overrun by what can only be considered as "squatters". This is one of the best parts of the island because water recedes only slightly during the low tide thus making the shores an excellent swimming area.

The squatters have filled the shores with garbage and one even setup a pigpen (babuyan) right on the shoreline. What a waste of prime beachfront. What are the local government units doing about this I wonder? Locals must be taught not to indiscriminately throw garbage around.

As you can see from the map above (taken from Google Earth), one needs to hike about 1.4kilometers to reach the resort from the port of Cagbalete. We rented a small boat where we loaded all the gear for transport(300pesos one way but you can negotiate if you plan to arrange pickup from same boat) to the Villa Cleofas resort while the rest of the group proceeded on foot.

(photos below by AllanBarredo on NikonD50 April 28, 2007)

Sulit na yung 300 as you can see from the third image that the route from the port or sabang to villa cleofas totals approx. 10 kilometers as the boat has to go around the shallow portions.

(photos below by AllanBarredo on NikonD50 April 28, 2007)

As usual, low budget lang kami so we brought camping supplies like food and tents. It turns out they were renting a small open cottage good for 8 for only 900 pesos. They also had about 6 common toilet and bath on the resort. We rented one open cottage and setup our camp by the shore instead of opting to sleep in the cottage.
What I like about this resort is that the wind never stops blowing. In fact, I heard that studies have been done on the feasibility of erecting wind powered generators. Yes, the island is without power and relies on portable diesel generators which are shut down at about 12midnight.
Another plus is that the resort owners recognize the need for silence. Loud booming noises are not allowed after 10pm.

(photos below by AllanBarredo on NikonD50 April 28, 2007)

There are no corals to be seen around any of the resorts. One needs to take a banka to nearby locations to enjoy those. We did not do that this time so I cannot comment on whether or not they have good snorkling areas. The wide open space left by the low tide is great for playing soccer as some parts are pure sand with little or no rocks at all.

It would be a good idea to charter a banka to bring you further up the island. I have not tried this myself but there seems to be some good beaches over there.

(photos below by AllanBarredo on NikonD50 April 28, 2007)

The beachfront sand is very soft and "white" for the most part. One can take a long stroll along the beachline on a moonlit night as the sand, because of its good quality, is pretty much illuminated even by a quarter moon just like in Boracay.

(photos below by AllanBarredo on NikonD50 April 29, 2007)

Prices are about the same on both resorts I know. Ambiance is better at the Pansacola resort but it may get a bit hot in the evenings there as they are situated on the south-side of the island and the wind blows from the East. However, the Pansacola resort structures are all made of wood. Their big room is rented out at 2,500 (good for 20pax), medium rooms at 1000 to 1500 (good for 8 to 10pax) and small open sleeping ground at 500pesos(good for 4pax). All come with free tables and cooking area. Toilets are shared. The owners's name and contact numbers are found below
Rommel Pansacola
Cagbalete Island Beach Resort
LandLine#042-784-0158
cel# 0928-505-8633
(photos below by AllanBarredo on NikonD50 April 28, 2007)

Villa Cleofas accomodations may be seen here http://www.cagbalete.com/accommodations.htm
The host and hostess of villa cleofas are truly very kind and attentive to their guests. As I mentioned before, I really like their resort because the wind never stops blowing so its very nice and cool even when the sun is at its hottest. The only setback is that the water recedes half a kilometer from shore on both resorts during low tide.
Tonet/Tess T. Reyeg
Villa Cleofas
landline : Home (+632) 928-7934 Office: ( +632) 754-1063
mobile: (+63) 917-8140496 /(+63) 917-8143475
E-mail: Winston.Reyeg@pmintl.com
(photos below by AllanBarredo on NikonD50 April 28, 2007)

Directions to Mauban can be seen here http://www.cagbalete.com/howtogetthere.htm

Mt.Famy (really Mt.Romelo in Siniloan, not Famy), Laguna

2007-01-27T09:01:00.001+08:00

Aling Esther is dead. She has been dead for over 2 years now so you cannot register with her anymore. Registration is done at the shack accross the river. There is a 20peso fee per head and what used to be a "donation" is now a mandatory fee. The registration shack GPS COORDINATES are N 14°27'17.82" E121°28'09.36" Altitude 33.8meters. Campsite GPS LOCATION is N 14°27' 15.9 by E121°29' 24.3 Altitude 237.8meters. Most of the materials on the net indicate to hikers favoring late evening or early morning hikes. That way one gets more time to enjoy the river at the campsite and have time visiting the various waterfalls up and down the river.

What hikers refer to as Mt.Famy is actually Mt.Romelo and its in Siniloan and not in Famy. We decided to go on a friday evening but most of us had to work late so we ended up leaving UP Diliman at about 10:30pm. We reached the parking area at about 2am and started our hike at 2:30am. Even at this late hour we came accross a group of guys making their way to the campsite as well. The path is very muddy! Some areas have knee-high mud so wear the right hiking shoes or you will be sorry.

CAMP:Besides being an easy climb, there are 4 or 5 sarisari stores at the campsite selling food and drinks. There were about 20 tents propped up ,/approx 100people, when we went but during the summer months this number goes into the thousands of people so be warned. I heard the numbers exceed 2000 campers and so barangay tanods and police camp up here as well to keep the peace. Even with just this hundred or so campers we were not able to sleep because a group was singing and talking loudly the whole night so it felt like we were beside the market. If you want peace and quiet then you should establish camp well away from the stores and tables.

STORES:Canned goods, liquor, softdrink and bottled water prices are sold at almost 200% of the original price. (1.5liter coke is 50pesos, eggs are 7.50 each ) Most of the campers bring raw or half cooked meats and cooking utensils. That way there is less garbage generated. Remember that what you bring up, you MUST bring down with you.
(photo right: sari sari store, above: camp site with sari sari stores at the far end taken by FrancisAtendido on Panasonic FZ-20, Jan.20, 2007)

RIVER:There is little algae blooming on the rocks at the river beside the campsite. This is the top of buruwisan falls. The bottom of the falls, however, is a different story. Sobrang lumot sa mga bato. I guess the water is not as clean as it used to be. Buruwisan falls and Lansones falls are located downstream while BatyaBatya falls and Sampaloc falls lies upstream.

COOKING: Humidity is very high and it frequently rains. Thus its hard to gather dry wood. You'd best bring a portable burner or some charcoal to cook your food.

PEOPLE: Campers are very friendly. I think this is one of the attractions of the climb. I really enjoyed striking up conversation with the campers. Of course one must avoid the rowdy ones but those are scarce.
(photo right: friendly campers, taken by AllanBarredo on NikonD50, above: buruwisan falls taken by FrancisAtendido on Panasonic FZ-20, Jan.20, 2007)

HORSES: For those too lazy to climb, horses can be rented at 200pesos for one way trip. Another 200 pesos when you are fetched for your trip home
(photo left:boy on horse atop buruwisan falls, taken by AllanBarredo on NikonD50, below: Laguna lake at 5pm taken by FrancisAtendido on Panasonic FZ-20, Jan.21, 2007)

To get to Mt.Romelo BY CAR:you have to drive through Antipolo and around Laguna Lake towards Famy. At the Famy intersection (landmark: CALTEX) turn left towards Infanta, Quezon. You will pass by 2 check points. About 2kilometers from the intersection you will see a sign for "BURUWISAN FALLS" going to the right, and downwards. At the bottom you must turn left and actually drive over that small stream of water. Don't worry, its shallow. Further up the stream is a cemented road, take that road and drive straight. You will eventually intersect a bigger river. There is a good parkingspace just in front of that river at your left. You have to go inside through this makeshift gate and the area is pretty wide. There is space enough for about 20 cars. Its a community establishment that provides seedlings for treeplanting and its run by a Mr.Rodel De Guzman (cell# 0910-687-2617) . Wake someone up so they know who's parking there. You can ask for a guide there too if you need one. They charge 200pesos/guide so just get one guide.
PUBLIC TRANSPO: take the LRT2 to Legarda Station, When you go down Legarda St., walk 30meters or so towards the flyover. (opposite the side of the Arellano school) Board the RAYMUND BUS going to (Siniloan) FAMY, INFANTA RD. INTERSECTION. Buses leave every hour, 24hrs/day (alternate aircon and non-aircon) and the fee is PhP 96 pesos for non-aircon and a few pesos higher for aircon. When you reach the Famy/Infanta Intersecion (CALTEX), go down and ride one of the tricycles just beside the Caltex gas station. Just tell them you wish to go to "buruwisan falls" and they will take you to the jump-off point beside the wider river. The tricycle fee is 15pesos per head and they operate 24hrs a day too. Cross the river (there are stepping stones if you don't wish to get your feet wet), and walk along the path to the bamboo shed (you'll cross a tiny bridge). There is a house just in front of the shack, wake someone up and ask to be registered. Going back home: walk to the main road from the river and get a tricycle back to the Famy/Infanta Intersection (CALTEX). You can easily get a ride to Manila from there.

Laiya, San Juan, Batangas (LA LUZ LABAS)

2007-01-16T23:11:00.013+08:00

First of all Laiya is pronounced as "la-i-ya", otherwise no one will understand where you want to go when you ask for directions along the way. The beach waters in Laiya are relatively clean. The sand however, is littered with horse and dog manure. Laiya is composed of a 5kilometer stretch of white sand beach with "Laiya coco grove resort" on one end and "La Luz resort" on the other end. Laiya coco grove extends to almost half of this 5kilometer beach area. The sand in the Coco Grove area is generally finer. The sand in the La Luz area is not actually sand but small pebbles(similar to the surface of that decent from the peak of Mount Fuji, Japan). Thus its a bit harder to walk on since your feet sink deep into these small pebbles. Its also harder on the knees so if you have old folks with you, I recommend that you accompany them when they walk around La Luz.
The good thing about La Luz is that the owner does not allow booming noises especially from Karaoke machines! Its just so peaceful and quiet there that one can actually get some sleep out in their array of cabanas.
It is just so frustrating when after spending so much time, money and effort going to the beach, you end up with annoying karaoke noise as if you never left manila at all.
What I didn't expect was this foul weather.

(gas up! its 300km back&forth!)

Its mid January and the sun is supposed to be shamelessly exposing itself but instead it hides in all these clouds and often releases little spouts of rain as if undecided on its moods. Laiya coco grove has an area of more than 100hectares and is divided into three main parts. The main resort, the picnic area, and the white beach.
A guest would have to pay about 2k per head to stay at most of these Laiya resorts - at least that was my impression until I actually went there. In fact, we were almost tricked into staying at the Laiya coco grove camp site for 650 per head (you bring your own tents and food pa) plus you CAN NOT use any other facility except whats on the Camp site - which is nothing --- not even one tree standing on the camp site so I'm sorry for the unlucky group who pays 650 per head to bake on the sand. There was something resembling a toilet but it looked like two caskets standing up. Of course, if your willing to spend about 15k then you can stay in one of their nice tree houses and use the pool at the main resort. What a scam.

(eat up! Delifrance serves
GREAT coffee and the best
cheese&garlic bread!)

During this time of year(mid Jan), the waters surrounding Laiya beaches are clear but littered with green seeweeds. The worst part is that their waters are totally devoid of marine life. You can swim until you see only blue waters and n'er encounter a single fish. The waters in front of La Luz is better because although the corals are all dead, I've seen a good number of good-sized fishes. Its a very far cry from the waters surrounding the mabini area (anilao) of course.

FORGET staying at these 12k to 18k houses of La Luz! I have absolutely no idea why people would want to stay in this over hyped, over priced place. They have bad parking space (inaccessible), a terrible beach front and you can't eat what you want.
We stayed beside La Luz (La Luz Labas).

(aircon room on stilts
PhP 2500 only! good for 6
park your car under it)

I think this is where the day-trip crowd gathers. It has a cooking area, eating area and an array of cabanas. Fresh fish comes in at 6am and you can select from the day's catch at around 60 to 80 pesos per kilo depending on the quality and size of the fish. Another batch of fresh fish arrives at 6pm in the evening. Just ask Aling Ely or her partner to get you something if your too lazy to wake up in the morning. Local folks occupy the cabanas when there are no guests. This area is called "La Luz Labas" and the I think its managed by the same clan. NO NOISE POLLUTION HERE EITHER. The caretaker, Aling Ely, owns a compound at the back of the resort and most of those hanging around the resort during off-peak season is a relative of theirs. They have 4 newly constructed aircon rooms and these are rented out at 2,500 per room (good for 6).

(beside it is a huge lavatory
**sorry that only the wall and part
of the roof is visible but believe you me... its HUGE
separate for men and women
6showers and toilets each)

No private T&B so you have to use the common facility which is both spacious and clean anyway. PLUS you get to use the cooking area and one of the cabanas for free! When these aircon rooms are full, one can rent a small hut inside the caretaker's compound. The price of these huts are from 1k to 1.5k per hut and its good for 10people if you don't mind sleeping next to each other. These small huts have toilets attached to them. When all rooms are taken, you can always rent one of the rooms of the caretaker or her numerous relatives - I'm sure they'll come up with something for a reasonable price. What is great with La Luz Labas is that you can actually bring your car up to the front of your room or rooms. The alternative is this steep road to La Luz parking area proper that looks dangerous especially when its wet and more so when you are not using a 4x4.
The roads going to San Juan, Batangas from Manila are reasonably well paved. For directions to go there, I quote from the Laiya coco grove home page ...

"From Metro Manila, go via the South Luzon Expressway (SLE) going towards Santo Tomas, Batangas. About 7 kms. after the end of the SLE approaching Santo Tomas, you will see to the right – a clearly marked is a green sign to Batangas. Turn right – this road is the Star Expressway, a 20-km. stretch ending in Lipa City. Be careful as the terminal right-hand curve suddenly becomes a two-way road. At the end of the Star tollgate at the National Highway, follow the sign – turn right towards Lipa City proper.

Approaching Lipa City, you will see in the distance, a McDonald’s at a "Y" junction – bear right to the main road through Lipa City. You will see the Lipa Cathedral dome in the distance to the right of the road. To the left of the road, you’ll see a Jollibee sign. Just before the sign, a cross junction, turn right on P. Torres Street.

Proceed on the National Road to Padre Garcia. At the Padre Garcia junction, bear right towards Rosario. If you miss it, you will enter Padre Garcia proper - - - retrace. In Rosario, at a cross junction, turn left on the main road, Gualberto Avenue. You are now going through Rosario – just keep on the main road and you’ll end up in San Juan, about 25 kms. Entering the municipality of San Juan is clearly marked. Proceed till you see the Municipal Park on your left and the Municipal Government Building on your right. At the very corner of the Municipal Building, turn right. You are on your last leg to Laiya, just keep on the main road – all hard surface – except for the last 1 km rough road"
(la luz labas beach front)

It supposedly "only takes 2.5 hrs at easy driving" from manila. Its actually closer to 3.5hrs normal driving to get to San Juan, Batangas.
Call Aling Ely, the care taker of La Luz Labas at +639994657130 for reservations.
(left: taken from top of la luz rock by Mr.Allan Barredo on NikonD50, all other images courtesy of Mr.FrancisAtendido on Panasonic Fz20)

More images here ..............

>> Allan's Masterpieces

2009/04/07
UPDATE ! askcoocoo has the most recent pictures of La Luz Labas to date. Please Visit her blog to view the images HERE

2009/04/27
UPDATE ! I was just there yesterday and here are the updates.

(photo: long table with benches below the loft.)
ROAD CONDITIONS: The last leg to LAIYA which used to be rough roads is now almost fully cemented. HOWEVER, please be careful as some portions from ROSARIO are pocked with 1-way traffic. This is because some cemented portions have been left unfinished so only half the road is passable.

WEATHER: We have been having some weird (rainy) weather patterns this summer but it was generally sunny last weekend.

LODGING: Aling Ely still has some units for rent overlooking the beach. These are bamboo lofts with tables and a sink underneath. about 12 people can fit on these lofts and they provide you with cushions and electric fans. Malamig na rin kasi malakas ang hangin from the beach. Please be reminded that summer time is PEAK SEASON and thus there are A LOT of people. Loud karaoke music generally stops at about 10pm but people don't stop making noise around you. Staying in these loft cottages means you can STILL USE THE BIG CR+SHOWER in LaLuz so taking baths and toilet trips are no problem. The big loft cottage goes for 3.5k per night.

(photo:view of the beach from the loft)
BEACH: Wala akong masabi! The MARINE LIFE HAS IMPROVED GREATLY. I saw a lot of coral growth and there are now so much marine life that its really a pleasure to go snorkling ALL DAY. We even went fish feeding. I've never seen such big parrot fish even in anilao. If there is anything worth going there for its this beautiful snorkling site sa LaLuz house reef. THE BEST!

MASSAGE: LaLuz has invested a considerable amount of money (400k daw?) training locals to perform massages. Right now, according to hearsay, they have about 50 masseurs servicing all of the various resorts. The fee is 250 for a whole body massage. I tried it and it was, in my opinion, one of the better massages I experienced in my life. Very very relaxing. You can have your massage done in one of the cabanas of course.

WARNING: You will problably park with aling Ely. Please note that there is a whopping 100peso / night parking fee. TOO HIGH in my opinion but then again, its peak season.

Fireworks, PYROLYMPICS

2007-01-11T22:50:00.001+08:00

(above: fireworks resembling a christmas tree,
taken by francis atendido Panasonic FZ-20 2007/01/06 - SM Mall of Asia Esplanade area )

Fireworks big enough to brighten the night sky never fails to cheer me up. Seeing them up close and feeling the repercussions from their explosions are of course an added plus and really improves the experience. I hoped to capture some of that experience when I went to see the Pyrolympics - but of course, images or "sight" alone is a pale comparison to experiencing this with sight, sound and touch (feel). Saturday, Jan. 6, 2007 saw USA and Spain competing. The USA display was pathetic but SPAIN really managed to draw a lot of wows from the audience. Spain was supposed to start their fireworks at 9pm but, being the teacher of our cursed mañana habit, actually started at about 9:40pm.

(above: some of the various fireworks presented by SPAIN,
taken by francis atendido Panasonic FZ-20 2007/01/06 - SM Mall of Asia Esplanade area )

Notice the backs of the crowd gawking up at
the fireworks display. I like a little prespective
so one can see how big these fireworks seem to
the spectators. Of course, real fireworks are
much bigger as they have to be seen from far away.

(below: Spain's grand finale,
taken by francis atendido Panasonic FZ-20 2007/01/06 - SM Mall of Asia Esplanade area)

Baguio, quo vadis

2006-10-23T22:22:00.001+08:00

A city designed for 30,000 is now occupied by about 300,000 people. No wonder Baguio has lost most of its allure... at least in the eyes of the common bakasyonista. Fortunately I'm not one of those. Yes its full of smoke now and the scent of pine is not as readily experienced as before but it still has a few good spots. Its just too bad I couldn't go there later this year. I really wanted to go and pig out on strawberries.

We went there on a Saturday and stayed until Monday. We were lucky enough to get 3 whole days of good, no, excellent Baguio weather! Our day started at 4am when we all woke up to prepare for the long trip up to Baguio. Sadly, not everyone woke up as one of our designated drivers, si ELIAS "BADONG" CONDRILLON SANTOS JUNIOR got too drunk from the previous nights Oktoberfest and not even an intesity 7 earthquake could wake him up. What should have taken 30minutes to organize took us 1.5hrs and we ended up leaving the house at 5:30am. I had to ask my dad to drive and rearrange seating arrangments and supplies.

(photo, above: scene on the way to Asin Hot Springs in Tuba, Benguet. below: 5am at NLEX Balintawak. Taken by AllanBarredo on Olympus C4040Z 10/21/2006)

At last, off we went! Everyone was glad we were on our way. However, our enthusiasm was quickly dampened by a loooong bumper to bumper congestion along NLEX (apalit, pampanga). Cars were being diverted to the opposite lane --- AT 6AM !!! Upon getting closer, we saw that the people in charge of directing or redirecting traffic were all ASLEEP - galing talaga. They probably should have removed the diversion signs a few hours before but were literally sleeping on the job. bobo

Just before we hit Kenon road we chanced upon some folks selling what I first thought were birds because of their size. Upon closer inspection, I was aghast to find out they were not birds but HUGE PRAWNS!!! Some bigger than my hand! I had to stop and buy a few kilos. The blue crabs were very fresh too so I got some of those as well. I was able to get the freakishly large prawns for 300 a kilo but I doubt their scales are honest. We cooked them hilabos style but with a twist - i added lots of crushed garlic in butter and slowly sizzled it in the sauce until it was dry - delicioso! Dad forgot he had uric acid problems and pigged out on the prawns.

I've been reading about the ASIN HOT SPRINGS but never got around to actually visiting it because I really didn't know where it was. SO, after we checked in at Villa Al Pino , a cheap but extremely cozy apartment just above the stores in MinesViewPark, I checked google earth, got my GPS and sequestered one of the cars.
(photo, above right: Kenon Road Lions head. left: prawns on steroids - bigger than mom's hand! below* Scenes on the way down to AsinHotSprings, from left to right: rickety one-car bridge, hot spring pool, isa sa dalawang gabi [two cave-like tunnels on the way to the hot springs. Taken by AllanBarredo on Olympus C4040Z 10/21/2006)

ASIN HOT SPRINGS
The road to asin hot springs was not as easy as I thought. Basically, we went down session road then beside maharlika building. Take that road from the side of Maharlika building and just go straight. Stay on that road until you get to a department store building( forgot the name ). There is a street going down on its left, take that road and keep going down for about 45minutes. When we asked the locals how far it was to asin hot springs, they all give us this "hay naku!" face and say MALAYO PA! plus... "dadaan kayo sa dalawang gabi" ... what the heck does that mean? "dalawang gabi?" ??? The only DALAWANG GABI that I've ever seen is when I look into the nose of one of the students - hehe - you know who you are.

The hot spring pools abound here in Asin, Tuba, Benguet. Choose one that has no karaoke please!DON'T choose that one at the side of the street. Go down further on the rough road on your left until you reach the building that houses the pumps for the hydroelectric power plant. This facility has two pools, one hot spring pool and one regular pool. The hotspring pool water has a temperature ranging from 27degrees to about 35degrees at its hottest part (near the hot water spout) . Water here is so abundant that they never bother to close their showers. Its amazing. We all soaked up the hot spring water and cooled down in the big pool. It was very relaxing.
(photo, left : Hot spring pool sign. Notice what #1 says... ? Taken by AllanBarredo on Olympus C4040Z 10/21/2006)

We stop on the way back up to baguio to look at the local handicraft. They make those seats that are shaped like a hand as well as small to medium sized woodcraft here by bulk.

The next day, Sunday, we all decided to go up and check out that road to the Radar station.
(photo, below* Scenes taken from MinesView ViewPoint, from left to right: dawn, sunrise and early fog dissipation. Taken by AllanBarredo on Olympus C4040Z 10/22/2006)

RADAR
We took the Marcos Road and turned left where there was a sign saying "Radar", along the road going to GreenValleySubdivision. When I was in highschool, I vaguely remember hiking this trail all the way up to the radar one summer. All 150 of us kids attending summercamp left at 4am and was at the peak at 6am to watch the sunrise. I remember eating wildberries I found along the way. There were not many houses around then - back in the 80s, now there is electricity and even a school halfway up the mountain. Despite that, going up Mt.Santo Tomas peak where the radar is situated was a very good idea. The road was rough and there was fog everywhere and this at only 2pm! We had to go slowly as visibility dropped to about 10meters. Portions of the road were just wide enough for 1 vehicle so if you meet someone from the opposite direction, one of you have to backoff else be stuck there forever. We saw this toyota altis car on the way down and driven by a foreigner... now how the heck was he able to get that up there (looked like a rental)? Someparts of the road were at a 40degree incline! The road just before the reaching the Radar is particularly steep even for a 4x4. I suggest y'all park and walk the 50meters to the AFP gate that blocks entrance to the radar facility. The scenery was eerily beautiful. I'm sure its beautiful when you can see Pangasinan from this vantage point but having all this fog has a beauty of its own too.

(photo, below* Scenes on the way up to the RADAR, from left to right: eerie scene like something from silent hill, road to nowhere, radar station Taken by AllanBarredo on Olympus C4040Z 10/22/2006)

Time really flies when your having fun. Especially here in Baguio when all your systems simply want to shut down and you feel like going back to sleep within 5 minutes after you wake up! The weather is really excellent for resting. We did the obligatory tour of all the common "tourist" stops like JohnHay, Burnham, Wagwag, and the Market. We even went to the botanical gardens and let the local piranhas disguised as "old women in igorot attire", empty our pockets after they force their way into our picture taking.
(photo, below* Scenes on our last day, from left to right: view of the radar station from GoodShepherd, Botanical Garden with natives, BahayPawid Restaurant at the foot of Kenon Taken by AllanBarredo on Olympus C4040Z 10/23/2006)

Now its time to go back down and face the forces of evil --- actually, just back to reality. Going up Baguio, we noticed that the usual place where we eat lunch on the way home, RIVER VIEW, was closed. We found another place called BAHAY PAWID just after you decend Kenon and before you go onto the national road. They really had great food. Unlike the food in RiverView, the food here in BahayPawid had a very distinct and personal touch to it. The owners hail from QC but thought it wise to setup shop there 10 years ago. Ordinary filipino dishes that tasted extraordinarily delicious. I fully recommend that place.

take two, all together now!

2006-10-02T00:26:00.001+08:00

One would think I'd be wise enough NOT to attempt a second shot at going to the beach during the rainy season... well, attempt I did and I'm glad I went through with it. I wanted my family to feel and see, even for a few hours, what I experience when I go out on one of my trips. Experience it they did albeit a very "toned down" version. One cannot really expect my mom, creator of heaven and earth (and me on the side), to sleep in an room without airconditioning. After emailing everyone a very detailed agenda of activities and nagging all concerend to go view my previous blogs on the place, every family member turns to me on that day and blames me for "not telling them what to expect"... err... okay, maybe I should have made them kneel on rock salt or put a candle under their hands until they read every last word of both the agenda and the writeups. Short of that, I don't know how else to make them read what they should have. Anyway, the day started at 4am for everyone. I had a quick breakfast of tocino, eggs and rice. Of course, after insisting that my brother eat breakfast because of the long trip ahead, he refuses for some reason and blamed me later for not giving him breakfast.... 'hirap talaga maging kuya ha...
5am, all the essentials are packed into the two cars and we go fetch mom, dad, k.mel and sarah. On the way , turning right to get some ice in 7-11 my big fat brother obstructs all view of the right-side side-mirror as well as blocks out ALL view of the right windows (what can I say? he's titanic!). I motion him to give me a clear line of sight and he shouts something like "eh di mag ingat ka tanga!" and then goes into a hissifit complete with tears and a litany of woes... as I said, 'hirap talaga maging kuya ha... The things I put up with eh? We finally stop for ice so mel goes to the back to continue his bitching there while my youngest sister goes up front to be my co-pilot. (remaining 99.999% censored out)
So finally, with ice in the cooler, we convoy to Tignoan beach in Real, Quezon. Red and family ,had a nice little last-minute complication and could not convoy with us to the place. They decided to go find it by themselves and , of course, I then get blamed again for not warning them of the zigzag road that cuts through the sierra madre hills. Even though that detail was mentioned in my blog along with the name of the resort, contact numbers, contact person, DETAILED directions on how to get there and even time estimates and distances, I get the blame because, apparently, everyone suffers a lack of reading ability. One may conclude that reading instructions are strictly only for engineers. The rest of the world just looks at the pictures. My parents and siblings will probably view this blog and look at all the nice pictures without reading any of this. Thats why I think its safe to write anything and everything here, don't you worry (wink-wink). So, okay, I get blamed because my brother fails to read and follow instructions - everybody say it with me... once again with feeling ... 'HIRAP MAGING KUYA HA... amen, ramen, somen.
(photo, above: Balagbag falls after typhoon milenyo, below: Paul, mom and dad at the OceanBlueResort , all photos taken by FrancisAtendido with a Panasonic Lumix FZ20)

We arrived at the Ocean Blue Resort and settled into our respective rooms. They still did not have power in Quezon so Mrs.Celia, the manager, apologized and said the most they can do is run the generator at night to power some electric fans. Of course mom was in distress over this news but theres nothing we could do about it. Dad, Paul and I wen to the nearby talipapa to get a look at what was available. Unlike the last time I was here, fish was plentiful and much cheaper. We bought kilo after kilo of LapuLapu, Shrimps, Prawns, gigantic BlueCrabs, Blue Marlin, kitang or spade fish, fresh galunggong or round scad. The spade fish was particularly delicious. I didn't know about this fish until my father introduced me to it that day. Kitang, or "spade fish" is otherwise known to divers as "bat fish" because of their wide shape. I recall seeing a school of giants in one of my wreck dives with Gunter in Coron.

After putting everything on ice, we head back to the resort and unload all the stuff we bought. This time we brought cooking materials so I instruct the cook to make hilabos from the live prawns, spicy ginataan alimango out of the 5kilos of crabs, fry the kitang and cook some rice. I haul mom, dad, paul, k.mel and sarah into the car and we proceed to balagbag waterfalls.

(photo, above: yellowfin tuna at nearby talipapa, below right: Paul at Balagbag falls , all photos taken by FrancisAtendido with a Panasonic Lumix FZ20)

Now, I was impressed with this waterfall during my first visit but it was even more beautiful now! I force my mom to walk the 300+ meters or so to the falls (she's so lazy and abhors walking) because I knew she needed the exercise. She complained every inch of the way but actually thanked me later because she felt stronger and lighter from all that walking. Paul went bonkers and immediately explored the different parts of the falls. The water was much more abundant now oweing to the recent deluge from Typhoon Milenyo. This abundance of water made the falls look more majestic and certainly more fun. Its too bad we could only stay a short while as it was nearing noon and we had to start heading back to the resort (mom walks really slow).

Back at the resort, dad was so famished that he was incoherent. I had to constantly assure him we were eating in a few minutes so he'd settle down and keep still again. As usual he started his "tikim rounds" and was soon happily settled in one of the bamboo huts munching away at all that food. The huts are located close to the beach so we hear the waves pounding and feel the slight moist breeze from the ocean as we eat. I was surprised and very happy when my brother Red actually arrived at about 12:30pm and joined us for lunch. It was a good thing we cooked so much food! Mom was elated to see her grandchildren and was soon fussing over them. We all had a great time slowly eating the rest of the food while catching up and swapping stories on the trip to this place. (photo, above: mom in a hut beside the falls, below: Sancho and Chino enjoying the water , all photos taken by FrancisAtendido with a Panasonic Lumix FZ20)

After lunch, I again haul Red and his family into the car and the driver took them to the waterfalls where I joined them later. Me, mom and my brother went the opposite way to Real town proper. My mom wanted to sleep but, since there was no aircon in the rooms, went with us so she can stay cool in the car. I bought some more fish, some sasa lambanog and freshly baked spanish bread before going back to the falls to meet Red. This was my third time to go to the falls, twice this day na, but I am again awed and enticed by its beauty. I join my brother and his kids swimming in the lower pond while we eat all the delicious spanish bread. It was a very precious moment.

We head back to the resort at around 5:30pm as it was quickly becoming dark. Me and my brothers were just drinking some beer, fooling around while dinner was being prepared. The kids never tired of running around the pools and screaming their heads off - ah, to be young....

The only thing I didn't like about this trip was the sleeping arrangement. Everyone was afraid of getting dengue so they wanted the doors closed. It was freaking HOT in that room. I tried sleeping but finally could not stand it so at around 2am I opened all the doors and windows. Cool air at last! Unfortunately the occupants of the other two rooms thought it wise to keep their rooms closed and so had to endure the sauna-like sleeping conditions until morning.

On the way home we stopped at the newly constructed statue in honor of the brave soldiers who rebuild the city after the great mudslide of 2004. We left at about 10am and was in Valley Golf at noon for lunch. Its been a long time since I tasted garlic chicken and sizzling gambas! Delicious!

This has been another very successful trip. I truly hope everyone enjoyed it as much as I did. To Ate Beth and Liezl, lets plan something similar very soon okay?
(photo, right: Mel, Paul, Mom, Dad and Sarah pose infront of the statue commemorating the soldiers that helped rebuild the city , all photos taken by FrancisAtendido with a Panasonic Lumix FZ20)

Real, Quezon

2006-08-23T09:13:00.003+08:00

Going to the beach during the rainy season is risky because you go through all the planning and spending but end up indoors afterall. Pa swerte swerte lang diba? As it turned out, the gods smiled on our little adventure and we ended up getting a nice tan. "Fortune favors the brave..." and all that. I had second thoughts but then I read one of the blogs of suntoksabwan and made up my mind to go. He posted some really good pictures as well. If you'd like to read, please click on this half-life (photo: Left: New statue in honor of brave soldiers that rebuilt the city after the great landslide tragedy of 2004 photo by AllanBarredo Olympus Camedia C4040Z 2006/08/19)

Real, Quezon is only 65 kilometers from Quezon City as the bird flies but its actually a good 150 kilometers away because you have to go through a lot of mountains to get there. Of course I neither knew that nor how to get there at first so I had to fish out the old GPS and bring up the google earth map again. We all got up at 4:30am to start the journey because we had no idea how long it would take. I surmised that we had to pass through Antipolo, then Tanay and then find a way towards the shorelines from there. (photo: Above Right: Early morning breakfast, Below Right: Road to Tanay, Below Left: Allan in good spirits FrancisAtendido Panasonic Lumix FZ20 2006/08/19)

It seemed a good idea to go to Antipolo by way of Taytay so thats what we did. Once in Antipolo, we were surprised to see the locals motioning us to go a certain way. Everyone was doing it, man, woman, child, matanda, bata - just everyone! It was creepy, like some kind of conspiracy. We ended up in the church so we just took the narrow street in front of it to get to the road that would take us to Tanay. It was only later that I realized we did not have license plates yet as the car was new and this was probably why everyone thought we were going to Church at 6:30am -- to have the car blessed. When you reach Tanay, turn left at Jollibee, then an immediate right when you see the sign pointing to Laguna. Keep going until you reach Fami. Fami is the accessgate to Quezon so you must make a left in Fami. Keep left (there's a fork along the way, just keep left).

If you have any kids that get dizzy in the car, I suggest you put them up front as you will have to pass some very heavy zigzag roads. The scenery is beautiful though as you will see vast hectars of rice on the flatlands and beautiful trees and greens in the mountains.

We arrived in Tignoan Beach at a little before 9am. That means that it took us about 3.5hrs to travel the 150km at a very leasurely pace. We decided to stay at the Ocean Blue Resort because they had a good sized swimming pool in case we could not swim in the ocean. (as luck turns out, we were able to swim in a river, the sea and the pool later on) An airconditioned room costs 1,500 only and if your on a tight budget, you can fit 6 to 8 people there. No charge for the extra beds. There is an additional charge of 100 per head for the entrance fee but that includes use of the pool and the dining huts as well. The caretaker, Celia, is very accomodating and kind. Reservations can me made by calling her at 0921-363-4337(for updating) or their manila office at 725-1783(resort owner's name is DELY DELA CUESTA). They can offer to cook for you but it would cost an arm, a leg, and your next grandchild so I suggest you bring a portable cooking stove and cook your own meals. Being the stupid tourists that we were, we had our meals cooked by them and suffered the consequences later. (photo: Above Left: OceanBlueResort pool,rooms and hall , FrancisAtendido Olympus Camedia C4040Z 2006/08/19)

We went to the nearby talipapa after checking in and bought enough for lunch and dinner. I had the presence of mind to bring a couple of coolers, one full of ice and the other empty, so we stuffed all the fare in the empty cooler and filled it with ice. As expected, the price of fish here was really cheap and everything was FRESH! At the market, I was surprised, and saddened by the sight of two dead sharks. They were selling the fins at 9000pesos per kilo - and the meat at 80pesos per kilo. (photo: Above Right: Dead Sharks, AllanBarredo Olympus Camedia C4040Z 2006/08/19)

I turn around and examine the alimango and sugpo and when I look back, on of my friends was already carrying part of the shark. Well, at least this shark was consumed and not left to drown without its fins at the bottom of the ocean. (photo: left: talipapa, right:sugpo, AllanBarredo Olympus Camedia C4040Z 2006/08/19)

We left our cooler at the resort with instructions of how to cook them and headed towards the famous Balagbag falls. To get there, we had to backtrack the way we came for about 10 minutes then head left after the first bridge. The road is not paved so it was a bumpy ride to the falls. You must pay an entrance fee of 10pesos per head. I heard one of the local kids snicker when the lady said "10pesos per head". Apparently, the 10peso fee is only for tourists. (photo, left: heading to the falls, FrancisAtendido Panasonic Lumix FZ20, LowerRight: Balagbag falls, AllanBarredo Olympus Camedia C4040Z , LowerLeft: Dapitan brothers roleplay, FrancisAtendido Panasonic Lumix FZ20 all pictures taken on 2006/08/19)

Its a very short walk from there to the falls. This multilayered falls is really beautiful and the most intricate I've seen in the Philippines so far. Amazing. We took turns staying under the waterfall. Its a great feeling, like some strong hand massaging your back endlessly. some of the kids clambered up higher and just simply had a great time fooling around with all that water. After more than an hour of this it was time to head back and eat lunch at the resort. Everybody wanted just 5 minutes more, then 10 minutes more until I had to put my foot down and say we had to go.

Back at the resort, chose one of the dining huts and waited for the food to arrive. Some , including me, walked on the beach while we waited. The sand is very fine but brown. I find it curious that there are a lot of multicolored pebbles along the shore. Probably from some mineral rock formations nearby.

Lunch was great, but the peaceful slumber after that was even better. I wake up at 1:30pm and find everyone sleeping all over the place. Some at the homemade hammocks, some at the bamboo chairs near the beach and others still at the empty huts. I roused everyone at about 2pm so we could all go to Balute island and see whats there.

Balute island is about 10 kilometers from Tignoan Beach, again, as the bird flies. We had to head up north for about 12 kilometers and find a port that would take passengers to the Island. Its not actually an island as its really connected to the mainland. However, since its inaccessible by car, one must take the local boats or banka to get there. The boat ride starts from the shores of Real town proper and lasts for about 10minutes(2.5kilometers). The beach property on Balute island is supposedly owned by a Dr.Aranda. It has the same fine brown sand but no rocks or sea urchins. Whats more is that the water is much cleaner than that of the shores on the mainland. The boatride will set you back 250pesos and then you have to rent a table near the beach to avail of the facilities like shower and toilet. Apparently, all the fresh water used on the island is painstakingly lugged from the mainland. Thus, renting a table will cost you another 250pesos inclusive of the entrance fee. There were six of us so the prices I mentioned may be because of our number. If your party has more members then be prepared to shell out more. We stayed on the island for about 2 hours. Walking up along the shore, I noticed a portion with a lot of pebbles. This time the rocks were multicolored and very beautiful. There were so many shapes and colors that we spent most of our time picking them up and examining them. We chose the most notable ones for souvenirs. (photo: Above Left: 250peso boat ride for 6 to Balute Island, Above Right: Trees on Aranda estate and resort, Left: colorful pebbles along Balute island, all pics by AllanBarredo Olympus Camedia C4040Z 2006/08/19)

Back at the resort, we start to drown the crabs in beer so their meat would turn out softer after they are cooked. We call on the local cooks again and hand over the fares for that evening. Meanwhile we enjoy the pool and the nearby beach while dinner is readied. Owen even tried walking on water but he tripped and fell. Maybe he should concentrate more.... hehe. (photo: Right: Owen walks on water, AllanBarredo Olympus Camedia C4040Z 2006/08/19)

They had a karaoke room which we rented that evening. We had the food brought over and ate while we sang some old tunes. I wanted to taste some of the local lambanog we bought on the way home from Balute island. It was freaking STRONG ! I don't know how the local folk manage to drink glass after glass of this stuff. I was wasted after 3 pitifully small shots. Next thing I knew, it was morning.

We ate a hasty breakfast of eggs, bread and coffee from the local panideria. Incidentally, this panideria in front of the fish market is open 24hrs - galing no? After another round of "5mins more", "10mins more", I had gather everyone from the pool and the beach and all started getting ready for the trip home. Our fish supply was depleted so before we head home, we stop by the talipapa by the roadside again and buy more fish. My father loves fresh fish so I get all the fresh fish the coolers can hold. (photo: Right: Lazy morning on his GameBoy, FrancisAtendido Olympus Camedia C4040Z 2006/08/20)

On the way home I chanced upon some locals harvesting santol. I'm not sure if they could sell me some but we stopped anyway so I could get a taste. It turns out the santol was small but REALLY sweet so I somehow convince the harvesters to sell me some bags of the stuff. 22kilos for 100pesos - wow. I got two - 22kilo bags. The harvesters were so kind and chatty with stories about harvests and markets. They even gave us a few more kilos of santol for the road.

All in all I'd say this was another very successful adventure. There are so many thoughts and observations left unsaid but that can be done later. For now, just the facts. Cheers. (photo: Above Left: Santol, last harvest, Above Right: Slippery road home, AllanBarredo Olympus Camedia C4040Z 2006/08/20)

Anilao, Batangas

2006-06-13T12:52:00.001+08:00

I've been going to the Mabini area in Batangas since I first fell in love with diving in 1997. Its changed a lot since then, for the better at that. There are more marine life, more corals, less dead or dying reefs and definitely more people. Nowadays, tourists go there not only to dive now but to surf, snorkel and basically just enjoy the waters surrounding this amazing part of Batangas. My instructor, Mr.Jijo De Guzman, recently acquired a place there and he invited me over. Quite a cozy place really. The beach front is just a bit dirty but its a great place to relax and unwind.

PLUS its in the area where the wind is strongest, so its the best area for wind surfing. It aslo provides a great base for dives as its still in mabini and near the great dive spots. We went to Sepok wall and Arthur's on the first day and then to Saddle and finally to Cathedral on the second day for some fish feeding. The weather cooperated and stayed sunny until we finished our very last dive - awesome! Hisumi, our Japanese techie, went with me and enjoyed snorkling around while we dove and did our S.I.T.

(photos: TopRight:BeachBum resort front, TopLeft: Hisumi in front of rest area with upper deck, UpperRight:dive gear setup station, Right:sails and windsurfing equipmnt)

It takes about 3.5 to 4hours to get to Anilao from Quezon City. There is a (fairly) new expressway called the StarTollway built to bypass LIPA. So far, this is the quickest way to get to Anilao. Take the SLEX and exit at Calamba. Make a right towards Batangas and 7 kilometers later you will see the entrance to this Star Tollways. This bypass is about 20 kilometers from tip to tip and you'd want to go all the way to the other end.

Normal price for an overnight stay in Anilao for a non diver ranges from 2000pesos to 2,900 pesos, and about 3000 to 3900 pesos for a diver including 4 meals and 4 dives. If you plan to rent dive equipment or any watersports equipment then this will go higher of course.

(photos:UpperRight:Jijo taken by ReneDeGuzman on CanonIxus750 June 11, 2006, UpperLeft: Gary with fish swarm, taken by JijoDeGuzman on Sony P10 June 11, 2006)

cursed rains, blessed relief (Caliraya, Laguna)

2006-05-12T17:30:00.003+08:00

I've just checked on the progress of typhoon Caloy. It seems to be passing over Manila as I write this. Sadly, summer in the Philippines is almost over I guess. I hear its met with mixed feelings as it gives manilenos a respite from the heat even if all those last minute vacationers are forced to stay home and sit this weekend out. It looks like its going to rain here in Tokyo tomorrow as well. Cold weather with some rains remind me of that wonderful camp site in Caliraya Lake. I've been going there a lot these past few years. I know it always rains there and its always windy but I really like this camping ground called Eco Saddle. I've gotten to know the main caretaker Mr.Benz Abenonar. He's a stocky fellow whom I believe actually cares deeply for the environment. I'd like to take one of his eco tours where you hike up for 4hours or so up one of the mountains closeby. Of course, I'd have to get in good shape for this as we are to bring all the camping gear by foot to and from the campsite in these mountains. (photos taken from Eco Saddle, Caliraya Lake 2005/07/31 -- upper left: Takai and mom, right: Allan-dawn on the lake, lower left: man selling black bass, lower right: 7am and most are still asleep)

I like this campsite because even if the toilets really suck (hey, this is the outdoors right?) the sight and smell and sound of nature all around is really invigorating. Waking up to the sound of birds chirping is theraputic at the least. The constant rustling of leaves and this cool breeze on my face lets me forget all the stench and despair of manila. Here, you bring your cooler, sit and down a couple of beers, swim a little and cook some barbeque over some hot charcoals. You can request the staff to bring wood for a bonfire. They charge you 150 for the wood and they would even light it up for you at your desired time. The best time to go is definitely during summer. Early March is best as the wind is cool and the ground dry. The water also recedes much further during this time and so you have a greater area to walk around on or play with your family or friends. There is a whole lake you can dip into when you feel hot but for those who don't feel like walking around on the soft mud that makes up the lake floor, you can opt to take a shower in the shower stalls beside the toilets. We always bring our bikes so that some can go around the lake or visit the Japanese gardens if they wish. Kulang ulam niyo? No problem, just go out and buy some black bass or tilapiya from the many sari-sari stores that line up the road.

(photos taken by Francis Atendido in Eco-Saddle Caliraya lake using a Panasonic Lumix FZ-20 2005/07/31 left: morning mist - view from eco saddle)

Eco-Saddle in Caliraya lake truly is a great place to bring friends or family. Just respect other people's rights to a quiet weekend and stop using your car boombox in this camp. After all, we're all after some peace and quite here right?

Potipot Island, Zambales

2006-05-10T21:12:00.002+08:00

More endings, more changes... its true nothing is more constant than change. Trying to stop it is like trying to stop the tides. I'm sure everyone at some point has
tried building a ditch to stop the water from eroding your sand castle. Eventually the water just washes everything away with the tides. One season ends to begin another. Here in Tokyo spring will soon give way to summer. Days are becoming longer and warmer. Winds of change are blowing. Already I hear sporadic cicada songs which signal the coming of long hot summer days.

I can't wait to get back to Manila. Hopefully I can still catch the hastily waning summer sun before its completely lost to the fast approaching rainy season. I did enjoy a few days of sun and sand before going on this business trip to Tokyo. Me and some of the students went to an island in Zambales called Potipot Island. Owen was kind enough to drive so I could navigate. None of us have ever been there as I just saw it on google earth and just kept googling until I got what info was available on the topic. I brought my laptop, my trusty garmin gps and we headed off to the unknown. Thank god for google earth. It is such a nifty tool and I've been discovering so many places because of it. Just look around for a nice island with white sand bordering it and get on your car and go!

Its funny because one of the students actually had a friend who lived in Zambales.
More amazing was the fact that he lived in Masinloc which is really close to our target island. Without much adeu we kidnapped him, stuffed him in the already packed car and proceeded to look for a good place to park the car overnight. We brought camping gear you see and planned to camp on the island. Its a big risk because as none of us has ever been there, much less ever been in zambales, we didn't even know of what dangers await or if they even allow camping on that tiny island. The only thing I do know is that the sand is soft, white and water is clear and thats enough for me.
I got a kubo in this great resort called Isla Vista which is directly in front of Potipot Island. In my opinion, it's really the best among all the neighboring resorts in Candelaria. Don't ever go to Dawal and the 3 neighbor resorts - terrible noise and everything is cemented. Parang manila rin -sus naman?!
If you want to read more then visit Potipot Island Zambales Part1 and Part 2 to see more details and pictures there. I think what I like most about Potipot is that it was an unexpected pleasure. We all did some swimming at night. The water was so calm I thought I was in a pool. There was a time all of us just took deep breaths and lied down on the water - just floating there looking at a zillion trillion stars in silence. The moonlight washing our faces with its soft glow and throwing sharp reflections of random light on the sandy floor below. Thinking back on that now I believe those were one of those rare moments that commit themselves to one's memory - to be recalled during those times when nothing seems to be going right. Who would have known such a beautiful island existed here in Zambales? I overheard some of the visitors to the island say "still nicer in Bora". 'Was probably some spoiled kid on a temporary moment of frugality... I mean... holy crap man ?! You can bring your family down here and have a truly great beach experience for less than half what it would cost for one person to go to Boracay. Besides, I have this theory on the beaches I go to. They are like apples and oranges, both fruits but you really cannot compare them. Every place is different... best enjoyed for what they are.

(all photos taken by Francis Atendido, Potipot Island Zambales, 2006/04/8-9, Panasonic Lumix FZ-20, 1st pic:friend Joven from Masinloc at IslaVista kubo, 2nd pic: CD and boatman en route to Potipot, 3rd pic:George at Potipot twilight, 4th pic:camp the next day, 5th pic:J.R. and clear calm waters of Potipot beach april 9, 2006)

Stampang Bato (Wawa, Rizal)

2006-05-09T13:31:00.003+08:00

I've been aiming to chronicle another trip we had this summer. I should do so before the details slip my mind. The mind is a fickle thing. I remember my highschool teacher quoting "the palest ink is better than the most retentive memory" to me one time. Back then computers were for large companies who could spare "buildings" in which to house a machine equivalent to less than a Pentium I with 24kilobyte memory. Its really crazy how fast the industry has progressed.

(photo: road to kasili from pintong bokawe taken by FrancisAtendido Panasonic Lumix FZ-20 2006/04/22)

I was watching this lesson on rivers featuring one of our local veins somewhere in Mindanao. I commented on how beautiful and clean it was to which George said there was a river like that not far from manila. It turns out it was in Rizal. So a little google earth and some help with my garmin GPS and off we went with our camping gear.
With all the gear we packed it would be impossible to make the 3hr hike from wawa dam so I looked for a way to get to the site by car. Fortunately there was a new road from a little known town called Pintong Bokawe. I found this town's GPS coordinates via the net and made a beeline for it while the rest of the group hiked to the site. Looking at just my coordinates to see if I'm getting warmer or colder... I was led to a place called Timberland. It looked like a private housing development but I asked the guad if I could pass through it going to Pintong Bokawe.

Luckily, they just looked at my drivers license, logged me and let me pass. There is a rough road through Timberland to Pintong Bokawe after all. The rough road will terminate to a cemented road. Take this road for about 4 kilometers until you see a turn to the left (also cemented). Take this turn and just ask around for directions to Pintong Bokawe. The road from pintong bokawe to the river via Kasili town is rough but the scenery was awesome! Kudos to Capitan Danilo of Pintong Bokawe for his staunch efforts in creating that road.
We left the car beside the river and proceeded to hike the 1 kilometer or so upstream to stampang bato. Montalban river is fed by two veins. Unfortunately one of the veins (locally called pormos river) passess through a large piggery farm owned by another chinese conglomerate. Needless to say they've really been fouling it up. One must go upstream of the unpolluted vein to reach stampang bato. Once there, unsatisfied with the depth of the waters immediately infront of the famous stone (incidentally, its a stone where vague religous images appear to have formed in a circular stains on the stone) we headed a few hundred meters more upstream and found what we were looking for. Thankfully some kind soul erected a huge nipa shed in which we decided to establish camp. Apparently it was used for activities during the past holy week.
(above left: Neil testing the waters taken by FrancisAtendido , Right: Owen kamikaze jump taken by AllanBarredo , Lower Left: dusk taken by AllanBarredo Olympus Camedia C4040Z 2006/04/22)

We brought two 35liter coolers packed with ice but unfortunately one fell and displaced all its contents over the river. Too bad, we'd have to make do with one.

The water was clear! And it felt really good to dip in it especially with the hot summer sun over our heads. Another hundred meters upstream was an excellent 15 feet deep portion with huge rocks where you can jump from. It was awesome! Everybody took turns jumping into the clear waters from the surrounding rocks.We headed back towards our campsite at dusk.

One of the team brought his uncle along who expertly caught some small crabs(talangka) and fresh water fish which we cooked for dinner.
We talked with the family who made the shed we were using that night during dinner. We learned that this whole area was covered with huge narra and mulawin trees not long ago. Rampant logging reduced it to pitiful coverings of bamboo and small bushes. I also learned that this was still going on. People hire some kids in wawa to bring the logs downstream, a work that I surmise is very hard as they have little to eat, always wet so fungus grows on their feet, and always tired as they often have to lift some portions over the obstacles in the river.
(photos, upper right:fishes caught ready to be cleaned, upper left: me waiting for dinner while plucking a few songs, lower right: dinner's almost ready, all photos taken by FrancisAtendido 2006/04/22)

Besides being an illegal trade, these kids are taken advantage of and paid a pittance. It bothers me that just a week ago, according to our guest, a congressman with his ever present aides has just been there hunting deer. They had caught 2 and gave some of the meat away. All these people do is take take take from nature and never a thought to giving back. I find it good to learn all these things from people who actually see it. Often times I, like most of manila's work force, tend to see only whats in front of me like horses with covers beside their eyes. We awoke early the next day to a lot of birds chirping and diving around. Hundreds of them catching insects! The sight was truly majical, like a national geographic or a BBC documentary right before our eyes!
(photo, left: campsite at dawn, lower left:horsing around, taken by FrancisAtendido 2006/04/23)

Alas, It was time to packup and leave for manila. However, the waters enticed us to stay a bit longer than what our food supply allowed so thats just what we did and ate the leftover from breakfast and some fruits just to enjoy the waters for a bit longer. We brought snorkling gear and used it to watch the fish underwater. Everyone was enjoying themselves so much that time quickly passed and it was past noon before we could regain our senses and packup our stuff in preparation for the trek back to civilization. This adventure to Stampang Bato was definitely worth the effort. I will definitely go back there next summer. Hopefully we'll be better prepared to stay longer then.
(photos , upper right: George, Neil and Owen in a light moment taken by Francis Atendido 2006/04/22, left: road towards Kasili, then to Pintong Bokawe and home taken by AllanBarredo 2006/04/22)

sandflies(Magalawa Island, Masinloc, Zambales)

2006-05-08T05:28:00.015+08:00

This is an old accounting of my Magalawa Island Experiences, you might like to read the latest Magalawa Island experience here ! libot.blogspot.com/2011/05/beatiful-magalawa-island-in-zambales (May 5,2011)

Ever heard of them? Until a few weeks ago, I must confess that I haven't. We went to to spend the holy week in a place in Zambales called Magalawa Island. As usual all I brought to navigate to this hitherto unknown (to me) place is my gps and google earth on my laptop. Armed with what little info there was on the net, we set out to spend 3 days of sun, fun and sand on what we hoped was another worthwhile gamble. Its really fortunate that our new friend JC was available as he not only lives at the launch port which was Masinloc but he is also an excellent guitarist. Whats a camping activity without a good guitarist eh?

On the way there we passed by quite a number of people participating in the holy week practices. By the time we reached masinloc the car was splattered with blood all over the side doors and mirrors. I lived in Pampanga for a few years and went to highschool there to strengthen my lungs so I could lose my asthma. Its been quite a while since I last saw this spectacle. I'm surprised at how young some of these penitents are. What have they done to merit such drastic penitence anyway? (photos by FrancisAtendido Panasonic Lumix FZ-20, upper left:penitent youth on roads around SanAntonio Zambales, lower left: Magalawa Island south side beach area)
We finally reached Masinloc, parked the car, unloaded the camping gear and 2day supplies and loaded it onto the boat. Being the middle of April, the sun was tremendously hot. In-your-face hot. I have not felt the Philippine summer for about 5 years and it felt great. The boat ride cost a thousand pesos including pickup on Easter Sunday. Not bad realy considering the same distance would cost 2,800 in Anilao since the boat has to do 2 round trips.

There is a small community of fisherfolk on Magalawa Island. Some 200 odd families. Beer is available at 25 a bottle. There are fresh water pumps but only the ones in the village are saltfree. The ones used near the visitors area are so salty its like dipping in the ocean. (photos by FrancisAtendido: right: Magalawa island fisihing community - west side of the island, lower left: camp site on south side beach area 2006/04/14)

We setup camp somewhere on the south side of the island where it was much quiter. The east tip is where the good sandbar and swimming area is. Be careful when you land as the locals, any of them, come up to you and ask for a hefty port fee. We paid only 600 because JC had some distant relatives there.
We left manila at 6am and we were able to setup camp and start swimming by 1:30pm - not bad. The sand was not so bad either, real crushed corals with a slight mixture of common grey sand. There are no live corals to speak of but the waters are clear and there are thousands of starfish. Theres actually so much of them that they become a real nuisance to the beach goers. They have very sharp spines on their backs and stepping on them may prove to be very painful. So we found a lot of them just stacked on the beach either dead or dying. I believe they were purposefully put there by irate bathers or playful kids.
(photo taken by Francis Atendido, lower left: camp site -front view)
The west side of the island has a lot of mangroves, so the sand there is a bit silty, dead leaves are from the sea grass flourishing a few meters from the shore. At night we lit up our coleman, started cooking and lit up a bonfire. Small insects kept biting and at first I thought it was mosquitoes but they were too small and quick. I later found out that these were sandflies and boy do their bites itch!
All in all we really had a great time relaxing, bonding and singing on the top of our lungs (hey, its an island eh?). There were a whole bunch of visitors on the island that Saturday. Huge boats started landing at 7am with hoards of people of all ages. I even saw a few cows but I'm sure those didn't come from the boats. haha (photos by Francis Atendido Magalawa Island Zambales, 2006/04/14 to 2006/04/16 Panasonic Lumix FZ-20 , right: good friend, guide, and excellent guitarist JC)

Over all it was not a bad experience. I wouldn't mind going back