Back from Batanes

Just got home this afternoon from my very brief but adventure-filled stay in Beautiful Batanes. I'm still catching up on another blog post so I'll probably write about in the next few days or so. Hehehe! Can't resist telling you about it though.

Me and a friend stayed there for 3 days and 2 nights and during that short stay, we were able to tour a bit of Batan and Sabtang island. These are two of the three major islands of Batanes. We missed Itbayat which is 4 hours away from Batan by a hellish boat ride (according to a local I spoke with), so a return trip is in order. Hehehe!

Basco, the capital of Batanes located in Batan island is quite different from what I've read due to the developments in the area. There's cellphone signal, several computer shops and 24 hours electricity, which is actually for the good of people living there. What's particularly charming about it are the landscape and the people. Here, you won't see huge signboards or stone markers boasting projects of a certain local governmanet official or so (saw several national government billboards though) . We were told that everyone here is equal. That no one is above anyone else. Everyone just treats you as you are which is quite a change from the city that we are used to and I think it's something that we can learn from them. We even met some big shots vacationing in Batanes - a business magnate and a guy from a prominent political clan but they acted just like everybody else which was quite refreshing. I'm just fed up with people acting as if they're the most important thing. Those people should go to Batanes and have themselves trained in morals and good conduct. I fell inlove with Batanes and now, I'm wondering if something else can top this experience. But then, it's only June. I still have 6 other months to go.

We came to Batanes with no bookings for any hostels. Our budget was also very limited. For two days, we slept inside the homes of local people who are so accomodating and trusting. We spent most parts just trekking the towns and speaking to a lot of people - travelers and Ivatans. We met a lot of cool people which includes Lola Florestida, the owner of the oldest stone house located in the town of Ivana, the owner of Honesty Cafe (that cafe which no one mans, you just buy and leave your payment inside a drop box), the owners of Casa Napoli, the yummiest pizza place in Batanes and a whole lot more.

How I wish I can go back to Batanes frequently and just stare at its landscapes. I was truly blinded by its awesomeness (pahiram ng catchphrase Milmar ah..hehehe) - so surreal from anything I've seen. Going around the country, I've seen a lot of beautiful places, but nothing has topped what I've seen in Batanes. And if you ask me about the most amazing landscape I've seen in my three day stay, it has to be the cliff in Chamantad-Tinyan sitio in Sabtang Island. Here you can see a jaw-dropping view of the Pacific Ocean. I'll post a picture once I downloaded it.

By the way, here's a favorite shot of mine. There's more great pictures but this one's a favorite because I had to balance myself from falling off a ravine just to get a shot of it.


This one's called the Basco Lighthouse. To get there, we had to hike up the Naidi hills with a terrain similar to the summit of Gulugod Baboy in Batangas, only this one has better views.

Anyway, gottta go for now. I'll share more stories next time I go online. :)

Enjoy the rest of the weekend everyone.

Past adventures

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