Category: Batanes

Birding in Basco

“Wanna tag along?”, invites my birder friend, Christian.  “Why not?”, I’ve never seen an owl before.  Not that I’d see it up close, I realized when we were trekking in the woods… at night, obviously, they’re nocturnal creatures.  Duh.  I’ll need binoculars and a strong light, which I am hoping Christian has.  Turns out we didn’t need them because it started to rain.  We took shelter in a house nearby and when it didn’t let up, we decided to call it a night.  Owl watching, day 1 – fail.

Basco is best known for its rolling hills.  It also is the capital of Batanes and where the airport is located.

Aside from the beautiful aerial view of its landscape, the first thing that greets you is its airport.  Small and unassuming but tastefully designed.  It has a charm of its own.  Given that the province is somewhat isolated from the mainland, making use of whatever is available has made the Ivatans quite resourceful.  They have, and I dare say, an eye for beauty… but who wouldn’t if you are surrounded with natural beauty all your life?

These ordinary bucket seats, made attractive with the play of colors, left a lasting impression.

Many accommodations are in Basco, to be close to the airport perhaps.  We stayed at Shanedel’s Inn and Café.  A simple family run inn named after its owner, Dely and her late husband Shane.  Its location plays a big factor in its popularity, particularly among regular visitors.  Even after Shane’s passing, Dely takes the role of excellent host, helping out however she can.

Shanedel’s, albeit on the tired side, still possesses captivating views.

From the veranda, on the right is Naidi Hills with the lighthouse standing tall from a distance.

On the left is the beach where locals play in the waves.

So used to it, the kids seemed unfazed but rather enjoyed the big waves.

Japanese Paradise Flycatcher.  That is what C hopes to see on this trip (outside of that owl).  We woke up early to join him on another birding expedition.

The guide brought us to a private lot just 10 minutes away from Shanedel’s.  We had our sights on a bird’s nest perched on a tree, hoping it is our bird’s nest.

Birding is not for me… there was a lot of waiting and this kept me company.

Patience is a virtue.  After an hour or so there they were, first the female and not too long after, the male appeared.

Credits:  Photo courtesy of A. Carag.
My shot sans the bird.  This was a different nest — closer for a shot in my camera.
I didn’t have this.  A preferred lens for birding.

Bird watching, day 2 – success.

And with that, we celebrated with the best organic burgers in Basco. Zantan’s is a small eatery right beside Shanedel’s.

And with the burgers, I had sweet potato fries on the side and finally, halo-halo for dessert.  Stunning landscapes and sceneries up next. Stay tuned.

Useful Info:

Shanedel’s Inn & Cafe
Mobile: +63 920-4470737 
Email:  Shanedels@yahoo.com
Contact: Dely Millan
Posted on by Jenn 12

Torongan Cave: Not To Miss in Itbayat

When asked about the places I have liked the most in my travels, high up there with Africa, my answer would always include Batanes. When I look back at the adventures I had in this northernmost province of the Philippines,

our trek to Torongan cave in Itbayat was a highlight for sure… the state of wonderment, unforgettable.

It was a 20-30 minute hike from a gate to the cave entrance, passing through a forest.

And from this spectacular cave entrance is a relatively easy walk down the large cavern leading to a wall that opens to the sea.

This opening is believed to be the entry point of the Austronesians from Taiwan to the island some 4000 years ago. An excavation done on Torongan cave in 2004 uncovered the oldest artifacts so far found in Batanes.

But it isn’t the cave per se that impressed me.  We exited the cave where we entered,

we walked further and found ourselves climbing up some boulders to a rocky pasture land,

revealing the coast, and Dinem Island in the distance, a view so jaw-dropping beautiful.

The dramatic change in scenery atop the cave was an experience stuck in my memory to this day.

We wandered around in awe.

The view majestic at every turn.

Walking back, we passed through several ancient burial grounds shaped like a boat, albeit hard to discern.

If you have limited time in Itbayat, make Torongan cave your first stop and be awed.

Posted on by Jenn 10

Itbayat: On a Hunt for Halo-Halo

It was the middle of May; the blistering heat was rapidly zapping my energy… I wanted halo-halo.  We knocked on Nanay Laura’s house as her canteen was closed.

A keepsake with Nanay Laura.

Her charming Larez Carinderia beside her house was a favorite back then.  Who can forget her cooking?

A retired municipal treasury officer, Nanay Laura is an exceptional cook.

In my opinion, she makes the best Turmeric (or Yellow) Rice  (a Batanes Specialty) in the whole of Batanes.

She whips up creative dishes with the limited ingredients Itbayat has to offer her.  In 2006 and again last May, we were witness to that.

She was in Raele that day and didn’t have halo-halo.  I asked to see the twins instead. I remembered them from 6 years ago and was curious to see how they have turned out.

Now in their “tweens”, they have become beautiful, confident young girls.  We asked where we might find some halo-halo; Eva Marie offered to bring us there.

Each store we went to would apologetically shake their heads.  Ok, what about some ice cream then?  No success in that area too, although there is a store that actually has a soft serve machine but they weren’t serving any that day.

It is, after all, the farthest inhabited island of the north. Supplies don’t come easily, and often, especially if the falowa from Basco don’t come.

This bell is used to tell the town if the boat from Basco has left or not.

In Mayan Centro, Itbayat’s town center, a few trucks would occasionally ply the streets as townsfolk use these as transport to other towns.

There are those also who would go around in bikes, but these are rare.  People walk everywhere, to other towns even, if trucks aren’t available.  Eva Marie mentioned that she walked all the way to Raele yesterday where there was a fiesta.  She said she walked for hours and was so tired and bored.  I asked her how many hours; she shrugged and replied, “hindi ko alam, basta matagal, I don’t know, all I know is it took a long time”.

School break means that the kids are free to play, if not helping out the family.

Some of us even joined (or shall I say disrupted) their game.

Eva Marie likes hanging out with us.

Walking around town, she provided nuggets of information about her town.  Six degrees of separation definitely apply here.  Everyone is an aunt, uncle or a cousin.

She has ten siblings (eight, six years ago). She has been to Basco but has never left Batanes even if her mother works in Manila.

Along with some of her siblings, she stays with her grandmother, Nanay Laura.

Mayan Centro holds its own appeal, set in a bowl between hills.

The town center from the PAGASA tower.

At the centro, a basketball court and an open field play center-stage.

It is perhaps the only form of leisure in Itbayat; children of all ages are often seen playing in the field.

Across Larez Carinderia is an Old Spanish church, Sta. Maria Immaculada and the school beside it.  On one side is the municipal office

and on the opposite end of the field is its guesthouse, where we previously stayed.

While the town has many traditional Ivatan houses with its cogon roofs, many opted to use galvanized roof.  Cheaper upkeep and it’s less prone to fire, says Nanay Cano.

But the Itbayats love their gardens.

An Arius Tree, indigenous to Batanes. 

No matter the type of house they may have, their gardens are always verdant, some are even quite creative.

We practically roamed the entire town center in search of something cold and alas, we found a heat-quenching treat in some ice candy.

Posted on by Jenn 12

Siayan

We scrambled through rocks, walked through pastureland until we reached a beautiful beach.

As with Y’ami, a shore entry wasn’t possible.

The boat took shelter at one side of the island, hidden by a cove of volcanic rocks; the boat is safe there for the night.

We, on the other hand, had only a tarp to shelter us for the night.

If it rains, we’re doomed.  And as thunder rumbled and lightning flashed through the night, deep sleep eluded me.

Siayan Island is about 1km in diameter.  It is 164m high and is considered an inactive volcano hence the rocky path to the beach.

Lying about 8 km north-northeast of Itbayat, it is just an hour away from the farthest inhabited island of Batanes.

Itbayat in the distance.

The water can become turbulent however and our guides took precaution and insisted we stay the night in Siayan.

When they said that the island has a water source, I had in my mind a stream tucked away in a forest somewhere.  Instead, it is more of a concrete rain catchment built on top of a hill.  The water stored there is only for bathing, not for drinking.  We took turns rinsing ourselves and I should add that the view on this hill is spectacular.  I meant to take a photo but unfortunately never got around to doing so because I don’t normally bring a camera with me when I take a bath, do you?  So I keep forgetting.

Dinner and bedtime was early because we were tired from the day’s excitement and there really wasn’t much to do after dark.

Breakfast Feast prepared by our guides.

The walk back after breakfast was another struggle – going down this time.

Definitely not a walk in the park.

A glimpse of our boat from the top.

Back in Paganaman port, we walked up steep steps (with our stuff) to the road where our truck will return for us.

Waiting for our ride.  Tired from the journey and the sleepless night.

A grueling trip worth all the experience.  Will I do it again?  Perhaps not back to Y’ami, but to other unexplored territories, hell yes.  As I always say, I’ll do (almost) anything at least once in my life.

Posted on by Jenn 12

A Trip to Y’ami: Philippine’s Northernmost Tip

A truck waits for us at the corner of Nanay Cano’s house.

It will be taking us to Paganaman Port where we will embark on a trip to Y’ami Island.   The northernmost island of Batanes, it is closer to Taiwan than it is to Aparri.  An idea I never really took seriously until an email came my way one day in March.  “He wasn’t joking”, I thought.

We had to trek down to the port with our drinking water and overnight kits.  It was a long way down.

There it was waiting for us at the landing.  The boat, also called a falowa that Nanay Cano arranged for us was unbelievably small.

Could it really bring us safely to Y’ami on treacherous waters?  The sea was calmest in May, which was why this expedition happened then.  So along with treacherous waters is scorching sun.  That boat has no cover whatsoever.  So I ask myself for the nth time, how far do I go really?  Is this so-called adventure worth the trouble?

No one spoke a word when we reached the landing.  One by one, we got on the boat with much effort.  The water was rough, making it difficult to mount.  It was the biggest fishing boat on the island, we were told, costing us a mere P6,000 for the 2-day journey.

Looking back at Itbayat.

Composed of 3 major inhabited islands, Batan, Sabtang and Itbayat, Batanes also has smaller uninhatbited islands.  These are Siayan, Di-nem, Dequey, North, Mavudis, and Y’ami (also called Mavulis by locals).  Y’ami being the farthest, we will pass all these islands on the way.

The plan was to drop off our stuff at Siayan, the island closest to Itbayat.  Because Y’ami has no water source, we will stay the night at Siayan before heading back to Itbayat the next day.

The water became quite rough at one point, I wanted to get off with our stuff in Siayan but as fate would have it, the captain (they actually call him piloto) decided that we were light enough to travel the long haul.  Stopping at Siayan would take up time (you’ll soon find out why) and he’d rather be out of the water before late afternoon. If truth be told, the rough sea exhibited how capable our captain was and that there was nothing to fear.  One of us noticed that they only have one engine.  “What happens if the engine breaks”, he asked.  They shrugged, “we will use the sail”.  Simple as that!

Am I glad there was no need for that.  Needless to say, the journey to Y’ami was grueling with me getting perhaps the lousiest seat – the middle seat with nothing to hold on to.  I slip and slide as the boat ride the waves.  The fiberglass boat is slippery when wet, leg room was limited, the sun scorching…

But the scenery along the way somewhat eased the uneasiness.

Three hours after we left Paganaman port, we see Y’ami in the distance. As we approach it, we realized that getting off was a problem.

The water was too rough for a shore entry so we anchored far from shore and waded to the island.

“This better be worth it”, my thought balloon goes.

Under those rocks we found shelter from the scorching heat of mid-day sun.
And there we had lunch.

Trekking to the other side of the hill where there is some sort of landing, albeit on sharp rocks.

The island is beautiful, pure, unspoiled.  Sadly though, we saw a baby shark with its fins cut off from a fishing boat.

Except for some fishermen (including the corrupted ones) taking a break from fishing, hardly anyone sets foot in this uninhabited island.  It is, after all, a long way from home.

Posted on by Jenn 41

Nanay Cano and Coconut Crabs

Faustina Cano, Tina or simply “Nanay” is the woman to call when you’re headed to Itbayat.  She can arrange almost anything.  We needed a boat to take us to the farthest island of Batanes – an idea out of the ordinary that turned to fruition through Nanay’s help.   A retired teacher, Nanay is now the tourism officer of the island and is perfect for her role.  You’ll soon find out why.

Flying was not always possible for this northernmost inhabited island.  When there was still no airport or when it recently went for a refurbishment, one has no choice but to take a grueling 4-hour boat ride.

Because it is a giant uplifted coral reef as research claims, it does not have a shoreline to land on.  When the water is rough (which is almost always), getting oneself to the port is a challenge.

Chinalopiran Port, Itbayat

One has to time the boat and jump as it levels with the landing.  Whew!  Glad I never had to do this although it would have been an interesting trip if ever.

The motley crew on a mission.

Arriving on an 8-seater plane, we landed at the Itbayat Airport only 12 minutes after we took off from Basco.  The airport is far from town and when I first came in 2007, a truck picked us up and took us to town on bumpy, unpaved roads.  This time, we hitched a ride with the ambulance that was going back after bringing an old woman to the airport.

Road conditions had improved with some roads paved along the way.  Classified as a community airport, it provides one pick-up to take passengers to and from the airport.

Needless to say, we booked our rooms at Nanay Cano’s Homestay.  Our home for the next few days had 5 beds, one bathroom and several fans to keep us cool although it is rendered useless after midnight when the power goes off till 6 the following morning.  On hot summer’s nights in May, we miserably sweltered through the night, truth to tell.  How far do I go for adventure, I often ask myself.

Nanay Cano is an excellent host, she knows the history of the place, and she explains it with so much gusto too.  As soon as we got settled, she called us together to explain the following day’s agenda, the islands we are visiting and its logistics etc.   It is not going to be easy, and again I ask, how far do I go for adventure?

Coconut crabs.  A delicacy and found most in this island.  Walking around town waiting for lunch to be served at Nanay Cano’s, we came across some fishermen selling these crabs and a delicious dinner it made.

The crab is said to climb coconut trees and husks coconuts with their powerful claws hence the name.  It is however not a significant part of their diet.

When cooked, the claws are hard and needs a good bashing to break, the meat sweet and firm.  Although I still prefer Alimango (mud crabs) and Alimasag (blue crabs), Coconut crabs is a priced delicacy and is widely hunted, its population dwindling.  The IUCN has classified them on the red list of threatened species.  This means (as I understand it) that they can only be consumed locally and is not to be sold outside of the island.  Or am I just justifying for having a scrumptious meal?   😉

Aside from the coconut crabs, Itbayat produces garlic, a lot of them.  Nanay explains that the different varieties are a result of bartering with Taiwan, who has an extensive production of garlic as well.

Between some of us, we brought home a total of 12 kilo worth – Nanay arranged to have it shipped to Basco lest we go over the weight limit.  These are good garlic, folks.  If you find your way to this corner of the globe, do get yourself some of these.  I am loving it and will miss it once I run out.

With that lovely dinner, we were off to bed early… before the fan shuts down.  A long, challenging day awaits us tomorrow.

Useful Info:

Nanay Faustina Cano: +63 919 300-4787
Air Republique Booking Office: +63 908 120-2548
Posted on by Jenn 4

Batanes

Located more than 860 km from Manila, you can see Taiwan on a clear day.  The island looks more like the Scottish Highland.  Typhoons are common, hitting the archipelago between July and November.  The sheer isolation and location, in the middle of typhoon alley, keeps mass tourism at bay.

My journeys to Batanes have been a series of milestones.  I first set foot on this northernmost part of the Philippines, the home of the Ivatans, in 1997.  That trip started it all.  It catapulted my zeal for adventure.  I found myself back nine years after, this time to explore the farthest inhabited island of Batanes called Itbayat.  And very recently, another dream brought us back to this pretty corner of the world.  A new milestone to achieve.

Batanes continue to enchant despite commercialization.  More frequent flights fetch more tourists albeit still miniscule compared to other destinations.  The size of the plane allowed to land at the Batanes airport prevents mass tourism from flocking in still.  With its rolling hills, ancient cultures, traditional stone houses, and breathtaking landscapes, Batanes is worth exploring again and again.  Let this post be a prelude to an ultimate adventure.  Stay tuned.

Posted on by Jenn 5

Reminiscing Batanes

mwtsquare

The first time I became aware of this group of islands called Batanes was when I saw this Filipino film –  “Hihintayin Kita sa Langit” which catapulted to stardom two established actors in my side of the world (and it just dated me too). Since then I became obsessed in stepping foot on this islands of the Ivatans.  In 1997, that obsession came to fruition.  It was my first taste of rugged travels.  I feel privileged to have witnessed the Batanes of before… before its commercialization to a certain degree, that is.  At that time, there was only one jeep going around the island of Batan.  So we walked almost everywhere, even climbed an idjang – a pre-hispanic mountain fortress where the locals sought refuge during tribal conflicts. There were only a few places to lodge; we stayed at Mama Lily’s.  It was clean and comfortable albeit spartan.  And because there were hardly any restaurants then, we’d have home cooked meals courtesy of our host.  Fortunately, she cooks and cooks well.

Getting to Sabtang is an adventure of its own.  The only way to get there is by boat or what they call falowa.  If the sea gets a bit rough, expect your inside to turn topsy turvy as well.  Expect to take the trip with chickens, goats and sometimes a cow… yes a cow!  We’d hike the whole island, spending the night camping in a school gym at Sumnanga; halfway around the island, then we’d walk back the next day to catch the falowa back to the main island, Batan.  Those were the days.

batanes-circa-97Credit: Paper – Joyful Hear Designs Plain Jane – Olive; Alpha – PDuncan Carnival Alpha; Element – Hoyfyl Heart Designs – Plain Jane Tape

Nine years after my first Batanes encounter, I found myself back in 2006. There were evident changes – vehicles, more than one and more than one kind were now all over the island.  There were a lot more lodges and inns, some restaurants, even a pizza place but despite all this, it is still the Batanes I reveled in almost a decade ago.  Mama Lily has long migrated to the US and when I passed her house, fond memories (of her food actually) came flashing by.

batanes1Credits:  Alpha – Asman; Papers – KPertiet Cotton Easter – red; KPertiet King Me Paper; KPertiet Graph Note Paper; Overlay – KPertiet Graphic Sun Prints OV; Tag – KPertiet Stick Pon2 Red Tag; Template – JSprage 4 square template; Frame- JSprague Grunge Frame 1

Sabtang, my favorite island of Batanes, has not progressed as much as Basco has.  The only way there is still by falowa (and still taking on both humans and animals).  Sabtang still leaves me breathless.  It makes you feel like you’re in another world.  Although you can now arrange for a vehicle to take you around the island, walking is still the main means especially among the locals.  Truth to tell, you get see more of the island by foot so if you can, take the vehicle up to a certain point (probably Chavayan) and hike the rest of the island.  Still no inns and only a few stores that offer food in the island, our contact in Basco, had someone cook dinner for us.  The food was great but we were so stirred by their warm reception.  Their pride was so evident as they talk about their island and simple cuisine (which consisted of a lot of root crops, turmeric and seafood, particularly lobster, crabs et al). Camping days are likewise over, the School of fisheries in Centro has dormitory rooms, albeit few and basic, indoors nevertheless.  I heard that there now exists a Sabtang Lodge, which I have yet to verify and see for myself.

chavayan_0828

It is now possible to fly to Itbayat when the only way to get there before was by falowa – four hours of rough sea.  Sheer torture, I’m sure.  Itbayat, the farthest northern inhabited island, can be considered the Philippine’s last frontier.  Its rocky island is a great place for trekking.  We barely scratched the surface as we only did an overnight.  We visited a cave that led to a rocky hilltop overlooking the sea.  It was awesome and quite different from islands of Batan and Sabtang.  This needed going back to and we decided that this year would be a good time to go… well we tried.

itbayat-islandCredits: Paper – DJE PP3, Joyful Heart Designs Plain Jane-Seafoam, Scarlet Heels Media Carnival PP1; Frames – JSprague Flurish Frame, KPertiet Snap Frames; Element – Jack n Me Alpha blank

Needless to say, plans didn’t pull through. Why? You ask.  First, we found out that the airport where the planes takes off to Itbayat is currently under construction and there is still no solid plan as to its resumption.  And to my dismay, but to my friend, S‘s delight… you see, she had to back out of this trip because of this thing called work.  But I digress.  So to my dismay, when some (I wasn’t about to cancel) went to cancel their flights with Zest Air (formerly Asian Spirit), they found out that flights in February were still up in the air (no pun intended).  They revealed that their entire January flights were canceled due to aircraft shortage.  Unbelievable!  We didn’t have a sure flight to Batanes after all?  And we weren’t informed about it until someone went to cancel?  By that time SeaAir (the other Airline that flies to Batanes) was fully booked.  Hmmph!!  But it’s only February, you may wonder.  Well, we could if we really want to push it and go in March or April but I just love it there during the cool, breezy months.  It’s really the best time to go.  After summer comes typhoon, and you don’t want to be there at that time, believe you me! So perhaps next year and perhaps not with Zest Air.   😉

And that’s “the not so sad” tale of my recent Batanes trip that never was.   😕

This has been my entry to That’s My World Tuesday.  Go visit to see more.

 

Posted on by Jenn 13