Make Room for Rech

WHAT: Karaoke Night with Team Trace

WHERE: Music 88, Blue Wave, Pasay City

WHO: Farmers, Mitch, Popsie, Jhuriz, Ba J.J., Shindie, Zerry, & Tracey

WHAT TO EXPECT: Foodtrip, Laughtrip, Ah-ah-ah-alcohol, Wina's Sing & Dance Karaoke Showdown, Team Bonding, & Class Picture =)

WHAT: Farmers' Backpacking Island Adventure

WHERE: Coron and its Minor Outlying Islands, Palawan

SPOTS TO VISIT: Mt. Tapyas, Calauit Safari, Black Island, Maquinit Hotspring, Siete Pecados, Kalachuchi, Kayangan Lake, Barracuda Lake, Twin Lagoon, CYC Island, Agkawayan Beach, Beach 91, Skeleton Wreck, Twin Lagoon, Culion Town - Land of the Living Dead, Museum, Church, Culion Pulang Lupa Trip, Lusong Wreck, Lusong Coral Garden, Malcapuya Island, Banana Island

WHEN: September 13-17, 2009

WHO: Me, Henilyn Langbayan Marinate, Winalyn Beto Snorkeling, and Thonielyn Robles Spooning-Forking-Knifing

WHAT TO EXPECT: The Super Sparkling Clear Water Beaches, Nature Adventure by land and boat, Seafood, Bonding, Bloopers, The Road, Island Hoppin, Snokeling, Corals and lots of Fishes, Ship Wrecks, Wildlife, Two Peice Swimwear + Thonie's Corporate Beach Attire, Relax mode, Picture Picture, lots of Mosquito repellant and SPF60, Expect the Unexpected and more... Sightseeing

DAY 1 Travel by Air / Land to Coron

Meeting at NAIA Manila Domestic Terminal 7:45AM. It’s been raining hard in Manila, fortunately there were no flight problems nor delays. Our flight Z2547 was scheduled to depart from MNL at 9:40 AM.

We opted to fly with Zest Airways since they had the earliest flight out to Busuanga, Palawan.

Definitely we had a Fresh Experience with Asia’s Most Refreshing Airline. Zest Airways, formerly Asian Spirit, is known for its unsafe plane landing. =o

And since lately, there were no bad news about their flights, we slightly did not mind the history of the airline.

Aboard their single aisle Airbus A320, we got seats right across from each other.

Our flight cost was only P488/pax (one way ticket). Super mura ng fare ng zest air, super sulit. May free Zest-O pa. hehe =)

The plane is small, but the interior is looks fresh, and new.

At 10:40 AM, we overshot the runway, with knees trembling and hands a bit shaky. And good God! We landed safely at Busuanga’s Fransisco Reyes Airport, (no injuries, walang labis, walang kulang).

And the best of the best news ever! It was a very bright shinning shimmering splendid sunny day! Here we are with smiles on our faces (mga ngiti ng anak ng dagat!) We picked up our check-in bags, which was manually or mano-mano distributed by kargadors.

I didn’t see any public transportation ( i.e jeepney, bus, taxi, etc… ) at the airport, so I guess there really wasn’t any. Good thing we have arranged our shared shuttle transfers with our resort before we left MNL. Upon exiting the airport we saw one of the resort reps holding a plackcard with my name on it.

Travel time is one hour from the Airport to the resort. Province na province talaga ang dating. There were cattle across the street, monkeys, mountains, trees, it was all green. It was a long unpaved, paved, unpaved, paved again, unpaved and finally paved road we took.

Finally12:00PM we arrived at Princess of Coron Austrian (POC), Resort & Lodging House.. We were pretty amazed by the landscapes and felt somehow relieved that the resort actually looked even better than the pictures posted in their website.

As we approached the resorts reception, these monkeys were the first to welcome us. For unexplainable reason they seem very interested when they saw Thonielyn. =)

While waiting for the key for our villa we already felt at home at the reception.. Quenched our thirsts with the free cold welcome drinks… Here we sealed the deal with our tour guide,.

Villa Nony is the largest of the 3 apartments. It is about 50 square meters and offers the exclusive bed-and bathroom.

Includes A/C, Fan, Cable TV, I Double bed + Additional Two Single Rollaway Beds

Also, it has a living room and office area. Outside there is a terrace with seating area and views of the pool and the garden.

And the most awaited Exclusive Bathroom… Mumumu..mah… Actually this is the sole reason why we have chosen this resort… It has hot/cold shower, toilet, futuristic switches, mirrors and lighting,.

Mumumu..mah… and it’s as if “Lady Gaga was here” was written all over the place.

Food was a fun experience for us. Since were working on a budget, we opted for turo-turo near the public market. It was already past lunch time… and we were all starved, but of course hindi kami obvious. (Below is an example of a traditional Filipino nipa hut in Rizal Street, there are more of these in Coron Town.)

As we were walking along the main road, ay wait! Correction! As we were strutting and striking poses along the main road… while picture taking of course, we found this cool place with good food...Lolo Nonoys Food Station. They served breakfast, lunch and dinner at very affordable and oh so reasonable prices. P50 per meal. And you get to eat under a mini kubo.

Pera pera muna,. Slightly worried (of course hindi kami nagpapa halata) dahil short ang mga lola mo sa moolah,. (at bakit short na kami kaagad? Dahilan sa cute kami at halos lahat eh hindi nakapag withdraw bago umalis ng Manila) We hired a Tricycle (the local taxi in Coron worth P8.00 per pax per way) and searched the town for any available Bank or ATM machine.

There were actually two banks we have come across Allied Bank which was offline, and Land Bank. Super relieved when we found Landbank’s ATM Online. At shempre di pwedeng walang picture dito… Eto ang ebidensiya… habang nagwiwithdraw si Win…

Around 3:00PM we went back to POC for Siesta / Spooning time…

TOURIST DESTINATION: Mt. Tapyas
The most kikay way to conquer a Mountain =) … By Stairs. Getting there, we took a tricycle ride to the (P8.00/pax). The way to Mt. Tapyas is situated just beside a community basketball court. The trail to its summit consists of 750+ steps but was safe and comfortable enough since it was paved and concrete.

Also, there are handrails along the trail to help you pull yourself up the mountain and there are plenty of rest stops scattered along the trail where you may stop and take a rest.

The climb to it’s the peak will take you less than an hour but may also vary depending on your physical condition. Hmmm.. (Thonielyn: “Girls, pwede bang mag pahabaan nalang tayo ng legs?!!”)

After a long, tiring trek, a huge steel cross greeted us as we reached the peak of Mt. Tapyas...

There is also a spacious view deck with cemented benches on the summit of the mountain where tourists can see the spectacular panoramic view of Coron town together with the rest of the Calamianes group of islands. Breathtaking view talaga! (Literal ito..)

And there was light! The cross was even awesome at night. The light bulbs planted on the cross, when lit, made it look like it was on fire.

After enjoying the amazing view from the deck, we left the place at around 7 p.m. and began with our trek back down to the foot of Mt. Tapyas. It was getting darker and darker as we descended the mountain. We could hardly see our path since there was not much light given by the lamp posts. Good thing Win has a flashlight with a built in cell phone. =)

Once in a while, we stopped to take pictures and rest (at oo, secondary lang talaga yung rest), until we finally reached the foot of the mountain at around 8.00 p.m.

Dinner at Sea Dive Resort’s Seafront Restaurant and Bar which is located on a pier in Coron Town. Food here was pricey, but not worth the pay. The only thing I enjoyed here was the location; the restaurant is on the bay with the very relaxing view of the water, nice ambiance.


Back at the POC Resort, we chilled out at the balcony, while Thonielyn amused herself watching the neighbor boylets swim in the pool.

DAY 2: Calauit Island Safari by Sea

We woke up early, got ready and then left POC at around 5am. Dahil sa sobrang kamamadali I mistakenly left the battery of my camera at the resort, so Henie, a.k.a. Darna, went back to find it. While we were all worried waiting at the pier here we took pictures para ma de-stress. Feeling that we were just in Hollywood.

Finally we are able to leave around 6am. We decided to travel by boat since we planned to do some island hopping after the trip. En route to Calauit, we mazed our way through Busuanga River. The trip took us about 3 to 4-hours boat ride from Coron Pier. Mahabahabang biyahe ito at Iisa lang ibig sabihin nito. Isa pang picture. Isa pa. Isa pa. at walang katapusang… isa pa.


TOURIST DESTINATION: Calauit Safari Park.
More than twenty years ago, President Marcos had decided after a meeting with Kenyan President Moi, to relocate endangered African animals here. The first 120 animals felt quickly at home and have now increased their herd to 600 animals.. mostly giraffes, antelopes, water buffalos and zebras. An African beach, which is commonly found Calauit.

Picnic breakfast at Calauit’s mini kubo,. Teka galit galit muna ha,.

After the meal, we were amazed by this herd of zebras gathering around the bushes nibbling on the grass. Here we are trying to take a decent picture as the striped animals go sneaking away out of the background.

Fully loaded and our energy is up again. Aboard the Safari’s Range Rover Truck. =)

Giraffes (aka Melman) are considered to be the tallest of all land-living animal species. Its coat is made up of large, irregular patches of yellow to black fur separated by white, off-white, or dark yellowish brown background. They usually stand about 13 to 18 feet tall with long neck and long legs.

Meet Athena, one of the female giraffes, single and ready to mingle. =) she was the very first to approach us and was ultimately friendly, followed by her son Beethoven.

Pwede ba namang wala kaming class picture with the Athena and Beethoven…

Calamian Deer, also known as the “Calamian Hog Deer,” is a specie of deer which can be found only in the Calamian Group of Islands of Palawan in the Philippines. It is one of three species of deer native to the Philippines.

Zebras (aka Marty)are best known for their distinctive white and black stripes. Their bellies have a large white blotch for camouflage purposes. Their stripes come in different patterns unique to each individual. Finally we got a slightly decent shot of their asses this time.

Palawan Bearcat is an endangered species and is one of the biggest land mammals in mainland Palawan. It looks like a half-bear and a half-cat and has a coarse and thick black-brown fur. The time we visited was not so suitable for the sleepy big Bearcat he as up on the tree yawning and resting. Single but not ready to mingle.

Porcupines are the third largest of the rodents with a coat of sharp spines that defend them from predators. They come in various shades of brown, grey, and the unusual white.

Crocs, need I say more? Marami nito sa Manila. Sa ilalim ng tulay.

Wild Boar, also called as wild hog, is specie of pig in the biological family Suidae and the wild ancestor of the domestic pig. Its body is compact, with large head and relatively short legs. Its fur consists of stiff bristles, which usually varies from dark grey to black or brown.

Yellow Stripped Nose Turtles

Only in the Philippines. Banato Camouflage Tree. Can you spot Thonie?

When the tour ended, we headed to the dock and found Manong Robin, Winalyn’s Calauit fling, who was selling various kinds of Crabs… namely, Babae, Lalaki and Baklang Crabs,. Amazed with how big they are we bought ourselves 1.5 kilo of Balkang Crabs worth P200. After buying we e all thanked the staff of Calauit Safari left the park at around 2:00 p.m.,, and then headed to Black Island to eat Lunch.

Sobrang hunger na nga. We had Buffet lunch on the boat, which was prepared by our boatman. Catch of the day: fish, chicken and vegetables. =) And of course we had the best view available…

TOURIST DESTINATION : Black Island commonly known as Malajon. A large volcanic rock island. It offers a long sandy beach, walk-in caves, and lots of scenic views.

Cast away? While walking/ striking poses on the sandy coast… we came across this stranded vessel. A ship wreck, so as they call it the Black Island Wreck, which is located just off the beach front. Research has shown that the origin of this 150 ft coastal vessel is still not known. It sits upright but most of its body is buried down under the sandy slope with its remains showing about 10inches above the sand.

We headed out to trek into the Black island’s Swim-able Cave located up the mountain. Which we did not dare to swim. =P

Snorkeling Point: Lusong Coral Garden. Located a few meters northwest of Calis Point, the south point of Coron Island. The water here is not that deep; you can already reach for the corals at arm length. Still Manong Edmond, our boatman, instructed us not to go too near them especially since there are lots of sea urchins.

Sneak peak: This is how it looks like down underneath the water… Two words. Spectacular! Spectacular! Lots of corals! Actually those were the biggest and most colorful corals I have ever seen!! We immediately felt in love with the place. Win even decided to convert her last name to Snorkeling.

I can’t describe the experience of going underwater, and seeing all the stuff we saw. It was like a giant aquarium but with 1Million times the things inside. We fed some fishes and right away we were surrounded by the bluest fish I’d ever seen. They didn’t hesitate to bite us and it hurt a bit! And they would sometimes nibble on your feet. Here applies the saying “Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.”

You don’t need to learn scuba diving to see a sunken shipwreck! Located at the Southeast corner of Lusong Island, beneath the shallow waters… lays the wreck of the Gunboat / Submarine Hunter which was used by the Japanese in World War II; same as the coral garden, corals are just arm length away from the surface.

This is equally a great spot for snorkeling and underwater photography. The wreck has been salvaged and the entire top has gone. It is nicely covered with sponges and soft corals, and has many fishes and sea cucumbers.

When you first go under water, you lose all your hearing senses and all you feel is like you’re trapped in a vacuum box with sounds coming from somewhere yet they were inaudible. And I just focused on seeing coral after coral, fish after fish. I remember telling myself to take a mental picture of this experience because this was something I was going to remember for the rest of my life.

TOURIST DESTINATION : Maquinit Hotspring; Therapeutic and Natural Spa.
It was a 30-minute tricycle ride from the POC Resort. A man-made pool with free-flowing hot mineral salt water. There were two mini pools adjacent to the spring, both cascading water down into the larger pool. At the far end of the large pool, between the mangrove forests, the water flows directly into the sea.

Marinating 101. The water was hot and salty and was very much needed after hours of snorkeling and flipping around and all that modeling stunts earlier. To tell the truth this was my first time ever to dip into a hot spring. I must say very relaxing talaga ang feeling ng pinapakuluan..

Remember the “Baklang Crabs” we bought earlier at the Calauit? We have requested the POC resort to cook the dish for us.(150 paluto fee). Yumyum. And we were all solved for dinner.

DAY 3 : Buhay ng Anak Dagat
Spooning in the morning

Snorkeling Point: Siete Pecados (Seven Islands) Marine Park Myth suggests that seven kids swam from the main island to escape it and follow their parents. They all drowned and the place where they drowned is where the islands are now present.
Here we are after eating breakfast and getting ready to snorkel.

Have you ever experienced snorkeling while holding hands? Very sweet noh! First time ni Thonielyn to snorkel in the water, and due to insistent demand. We have finally convinced her to try it. Here we are getting ready….

This is one of the best sites to snorkel in Coron. And here I saw the biggest black and white striped fish swimming with us, and other tropical fish id never seen before. Fishes here are bigger (larger than both hands combined) and they are a bit more aggressive compared to those at Lusong Garden. The water here was so deep yet I could still see the sea bed.

TOURIST DESTINATION : Kalachucci Cove, named rightly so after all the kalachucci flowers spread all over the beach.

TOURIST DESTINATION : Kayangan Lake.
Meet Mr. Edmond Decena, our tour guide, while he shows us where we are located in this big GPS.

Going to the lake, we had to hike about 50 steps up the mountain.

At the top, we went over the cave and took a glimpse of the Blue Lagoon. This view is the most photographed area in Palawan. At naging best view pa ito nung napasama ko sa pic. =)

Then after trekking down about 30 steps, you’ll now see the lake, which then left us in awe with such a view like setting staring back at us as if it was saying “welcome to paradise”.

The Lake The water here is deep, you need a life vest, and snorkeling gear to be able to enjoy your swim in it's crystal clear water. The lake water is a mixture of salt and fresh water.

Synchronized swimming...

Rafting ala Amazona. Finally we got the whole lake to ourselves.And since we had life vests we were brave enough to row into the center.

Lunch Buffet was also included as part of our tour. Our boatmen prepared our lunch for us; they grilled fish, pork and chicken on the boat, and to top that they also have vegetables. Talk about a complete meal. SOLVED!

TOURIST DESTINATION : Barracuda Lake
Hidden beneath a collection of stone walls, just like the entrance to Kayangan, this lake is accessible by trekking above the hill. They said its about 15-20 minutes until you arrive at the lake. Since it was low tide our bangka was not able to dock so we just took a picture of the main entrance.

TOURIST DESTINATION : Twin Lagoon
Two lagoons connected by a small tunnel underneath a rock formation. It is dangerous entrance added the appeal and challenge to tourists who dares to go to both lagoons.

During high tide guests who wanted to enter had to dive below avoiding the jagged edges of the limestone cliffs. Good thing we arrived when it was still low tide; thus, made it easier to swim through the entrance.

Spoiled by our tour guide, we took the raft to enter the lagoon. And also brought him in with us so he can take pictures while we are swimming. =)

TOURIST DESTINATION : Atwayan Beach seaweed beach. nothing much to see here. This island has several huts where friends and family can picnic, chill out and relax.

TOURIST DESTINATION : Beach 91 is just one of the many white sand beaches you can find on the island of Coron, Palawan. It is a small, cozy beach with small huts

Grooving groovy.. Hindi pwedeng walang Cheerleading Expedition

Snorkeling Point: Skeleton Wreck. Located in Coron Island, near Beach 91 and Atuayan Beach. It has one of the shallowest shipwreck sites in Coron and the wreck was however not that visible, only a ghostly appearance of the wreck can be seen from the surface due to its murky water.

TOURIST DESTINATION : CYC - Coron Youth Club Beach locals said this used to be a nice beach but now full of garbage. The sand in the beach has been depleted also. Off-shore, they say is a good spot for snorkeling because of the abundant corals, but we weren't able to check it out.

Dinner at Coron village Lodge Bar and Resto

Day4 :DESTINATION Culion Town

We left the resort around 8:00am and arrived in Culion Island after about two hours of traveling south of Coron Town by banca. Culion made this a really fascinating day. Later I'll tell you why..

Culion Island is seen from afar with small houses and buildings. But its red church was the most striking structure perched on the top most part of the island.

Also a giant Philippine medical emblem on Agila hill above Culion.

DESTINATION Culion Pulang Lupa View Deck
From the boat dock we took the rough rocky road aboard the full size van could fit about 50 passengers, and of course we had the truck to ourselves, which was provided by the town municipality for us to get to the top of the mountain. =)

When we reached the top of the mountain we trekked our way through (5) five pit stops which all offered a spectacular view of Culion.

Tremendous views from up here! We cant help but dance!

The discovery of Disney, Culion Island, Philippines

Culion Museum & Archives Walking Tour
Culion is part of the Calamianes Group of Islands and includes 41 surrounding islands. But it is best known as The Island of the Living Dead and the Largest Leprosarium in the World.

Leprosy has been greatly feared before because of its visible disfiguring ability and was believed incurable and contagious in the middle ages. In Culion, a colony of lepers has been isolated from the rest of the world by government policy. The government even issued separate coins and cash notes for this colony.

Also, the island was known as a Mecca of scientists and people who were interested in the cure of the disease. There was one remedy which has been very generally recognized for many years as of value in leprosy, namely, Chaulmoogra Oil, which was prepared on Culion.

Nowadays you cannot see those people already because of advance system, good medicine. It’s all cured and now. =) The museum is also a testament of their effort to preserve the rich Culion culture and heritage and had come a long way since it opened in 1997. Below is our class picture with our tour guide, Pastor Villanueva.

Our Lady of Concepcion Church
This historical 300 year old church was built by the Jesuit Missionaries and houses the body of the Spanish Jesuit parish priest.

Culion Church Fortress
Fort Culion was constructed as a defense measure against the Moro raiders. The fortress is made with walls of solid coral rocks; which had a tower where artilleries were strategically placed.

Disco Pub ala Culion (background music playing... ♫♪ Keep it cool, what’s the name of this club? I can’t remember but it’s alright, a-alright, Just dance.♫♪)=)

Upon exiting the Town, Here lies the Borderline, which then, served as a divider between the towns of the leper colony and the non leper colony. Here Thonie had to say her goodbye’s as she parted her way from Pastor Villanueva.

WHAT: Simulan na ang Pagkakalat

WHERE: The North-Western tip of Cebu, Philippines

WHEN: June 02-06, 2009

WHO: Me, Henilyn, Wenie, and Thonie

WHAT TO EXPECT: The Sparkling Clear Beach Water, Adventure, The Summer Heat, Seafood, Bonding, Bloopers, The Road, Beach Hoppin, Two Peice Swimwear, Picture Picture, Old churches, "Artipakks", The Cebu City Tour, and more... sightseeing, attractions around Cebu City.

Day 1: : Travel via Air/ Taxi/ Bus/ Ferry/ Van (ilabas na yang bonamin!!)

Meeting time is 3AM at the Airport NAIA Terminal 3.

Depart from MNL to CEB 4:30AM .

Celebrity camera man namin... si Doc HK.

Mukhang kylangan na ngang magkape... Here's the 3-in-1 coffee for Php50.

Arrival at CEB Mactan International Airport

While wating for our check-in bags... Ano pa nga bang dapat gawin??...

We taxied our way to the North Bus Terminal as soon as we arrived from the airport. This is the Marcelo Fernan Bridge... connecting Lapulapu to Mandaue, if you look at the aerial photo of the city, you'd notice that there are two bridges connecting Lapulapu city and Mandaue, so this is the Marcelo Fernan Bridge is the one we used going to Mandaue. P50 per person - 15-20 mins

We ate breakfast at the North bus terminal so we could catch an early trip of the bus going to Hagnaya Wharf in San Remigio.

According to the people at the terminal buses are coming and going at 15-30 minutes interval. The bus fare is Php 80 per pax.

Not intimidated by the 3-4 hour trip from the North bus terminal to Hagnaya, you won’t really feel it especially if you're sleeping during the trip anyways =) and besides we did enjoy the nice scenery along the way, from the beaches and ports that we passed along it will then turn into view of mountains then fields so its really like sight-seeing.

We arrived at Hagnaya Wharf in San Remigio at 10AM and bought our tickets for the Super Shuttle Ferry which is about to leave at 10:30AM.

The ferry fee is Php 120 per head, with port terminal fee of Php 10 per person. Nothing much to show what's inside the roro ferry, I guess you all know that most of these roros are old but still we were comfortable in our seats. It is an hour and a half ride from Hagnaya wharf to Port of Sta. Fe. Hmmmm… what to do what to do???. We took pictures the whole one hour & a half on the ferry.

At last we arrived at Port of Sta. Fe, Bantayan Island! As soon as the boat hit the dock, there are kargadors waiting for passengers and asking if you want you baggage carried by them. Shempre, nagtitipid kami kya kanya kanyang na munang buhat ng bagahe.

The pathway from the dock to the port's main entrance is kinda’ long, I think the walk was about 5-10 minutes I’m not really sure if it’s that far or if it was just that our bags are heavy and it seems that it took forever to reach the end of this walkway.

We have confirmed our reservation at Kota Beach Resort when we were at the ferry; we informed the front desk, Rona, of our time of arrival so that their driver would know what time to pick us up. Kota has free transfers to & from the Pier.

Finally at the end of the exit, we saw our sundo, Mang Dodong, holding a welcome note from Kota Beach, is already waiting for us and ushered us to the van. Mang dodong was actually friendly and he already asked us what we plan to do at Bantayan Island. We said we wanted to go on island hopping and explore Bantayan Island and he immediately offered us a discounted boat rental that we can use for island hopping. We immediately accepted his offer and since we want to start early we agreed for a 7-8AM time.

We actually in awe and was delighted when we saw our ocean front cottage, which will be our home for 3 days Ain’t this cottage so cute we reserved this air-conditioned cottage which is Php1,200 per night (includes 1 double bed + 1 single bed + 1 additional mattress). Not bad na diba? The cottage is simple and very basic, simple yet functional... the only downside is they don’t have hot shower in their cottages and rooms. Hirap pa naman maligo pag di mainit ang tubig, sigh!

We ordered a late lunch at Kota Beach's restaurant, we are already famished since we ate breakfast 5 hours ago. We did check out the cook-to-order meals at the Kota beach sand bar and resto.

While w8ng for our lunch… hmmmm… what to do what to do this time???

Syempre pikytur taking muna

After the 30 minute wait . . . that seemed like an hour or more.. we had a very late lunch…

Walk that glorious beach / Go resort hopping
We went to other beach resorts to check out their areas and see who has best view of the ocean. The beach at dusk was almost surreal. Of course we took lots of pictures!

Heto na!!! But of course were gonna’ be testing the waters… pero bago yan...
"One photos muna..." - Thonie

After testing the water and taking some photos. Sarap naman magpahinga. Masarap talaga matulog… diba Win??

Day 2: Swimming / Island Hopping / Explore the Island

The sunrise at Bantayan island
So how do you distinguish sunsets from sunrises? All I know is that I am to greet this beautiful sun a good morning!!! Besides the peace & quiet of Bantayan Island's natural beauty, I've always been moved by the dynamic and serene scenic beauty of the sunrise & sunset here; my favorite time of each day... the sunrise view at Kota beach's famous landmark.

Breakfast at Burger Junction

Island hopping? Go to The Virgin Island, off Bantayan Island / Snorkeling
We hired this bangka, about Php1300 for unlimited time the price includes 4 snorkeling gears, 4 life-vests and the bangka parking fee on the island. Our boatman was ready whenever we were... This is us walking to the boat dock...

I wasn’t able to take much photos while we were boating from Bantayan island to this beautiful Virgin island because the current is strong and I cant take out my camera for fear it'll get wet. The bangka ride took about 15-20 minutes to this island, very private; we almost had the island all to ourselves. Nice small white sand beach, uber-duper clear waters.

The place is a privately owned island, by the mayor of Madridejos, Bantayan Island, called Virgin Island. Beautiful, small island off the northeast part of Bantayan Island.

While Thonie was de-virginizing the island…

We stayed for several hours at this island, took lots of pix...

I’m not really sure why they call this island virgin, some say that this is how Boracay looked before it became commercialized, or maybe its because there isn’t really much establishment here, just a few houses of the caretakers of the island.

There are no Hotel/Resort accommodation on Virgin Island, but for a wonderful afternoon trip it's hard to beat - and there are small, shaded picnic tables available on the beach for small groups of people to enjoy.

If you don't know how to swim well, you can already see small fishes in its ankle high waters.

Then we met this gigantic jelly fish, which actually looks like a floating big platic bag.

After a few hours, we did snorkel while the bangkero (boatman) watched out for the echoserong jelly fish.

Virgin.... and it is beautiful, the water here is oh so clear and its just simply beautiful. The bangka ride was well worth!

Biking / Exploring the island
We opted to rent mountain bikes (Php150 for the whole day already) so we can pedal our way to the Ogtong cave, we were all excited since it's been a while since we all had rode a bike.

Still smiling even under the strong sun, hahaha adik talga sa pictures kahit habang nagbi-bike picture taking pa rin LOL

Next stop is at Ogtong Cave… which is inside Santa Fe Beach Club - Ogtong Resort

This is so posh! The resort is big. It has a wide area with a well manicured garden… lots and lots of good angles to take pix with. It’s also an ocean front property but their beach area still seems to be under construction [they seem to be widening their beach area].

The cave is actually small so don't expect much out of it. It’s just nice to take a dip inside the cave even though the water was cold (just for the heck of it).

You'd have to pay a fee though if you're not staying in Ogtong Beach Resort. The Php120 fee covers your entry to the resort and the swimming in the cave. If you opt not to swim, its entrance is only Php50.

Good thing they’ve got this outdoor heated swimming pool. The pool has several areas which are really deep; you have to take a look first at the signage and think twice before you take that plunge. [ranges from 2feet – 10feet deep] Very tricky.

Ogtong also has this mini zoo.

Dinner at Marisqueira o Portugese Bar and Restaurant
An absolutely huge variety of menu with Portuguese, German, Filipino & American food of every sort including Pizza, and a bar.

Day 3: Explore Explore Explore The Bantayan City

Breakfast we did opt to taste test the carenderias/ local food. Santa Fe is full of small pinoy carenderias /small street side eateries featuring basic local food (fish & pork soups, ground pork dishes, afritada, noodles, all with rice) at cheap prices for those on a tight budget or just to taste something different and local. Here we are taking the pedicab to the nearest one. Manong race po itush... jutoms na kme.

We rented this cute jeep for Php300 roundtrip to the Bantayan city area...

Saint Peter and Paul Church, explore the Bantayan Island Town
The centuries old catholic church in Bantayan was the first parish to be established in Cebu by the Augustinians. Constructed in 1839 and completed in 1893, It was founded on June 11, 1580 as the Convento dela Asuncion de Nuestra Señora.

It was one of the few parishes to be a part of the Archdiocese of Mexico (with the Archdiocese of Manila separating only in 1595) It is considered as one of the oldest church in the country with walls made of corral stones. Inside, you can see centuries old life size statue of saints, the ancient Spanish time carvings in the altar. The church has a belfry with resonant bells that can be heard miles away.

It is also a point of interest that it is only at Bantayan Island where Catholics are excused to eat meat during the Lenten Season. story goes that when the Spanish friars we're building this huge church they have commissioned every able islander to help build the the church fast, since all the fishermen are working as carpenters for the church, and Lenten season is fast approaching the friars wrote to the Vatican and explained that they do not have food since fishermen are working to finish the church and that they only have chicken and pigs, so then Vatican gave approval that they can eat meat during holy week but it is a special case and for Bantayan Island only and that should be a secret

Inside the church had a underground museum of centuries old religious pieces, relics and artworks. We were given a guided tour by one of the church's caretakers.

And we saw lots of old houses, Spanish era houses like this one... there are more old elaborate houses at bantayan island.

The Bantayan Public Market
It's better to buy danngit at bantayan island where it is cheaper.

After the Bantayan city tour, we went back to the beach for the last dip at bantayan beach.

I was really having a hard time when we were packing our things already because we had little time till check out and to catch catch the ferry's trip which is at 1:30AM. waaaa bitin...

We were on schedule, and the ferry left at 1:30PM, we reached Hagnaya port at past 3PM and true enough there are buses waiting at the pier for passengers, we did eat lunch at the pier barbecue

Catched the next bus ride 4:30PM we we're already on our way to Cebu city... we we're actually late and arrived at 9PM at Cebu city and had to check in at our Hotel.

The Sampaguita Suites

Ooolala... Thonie's most talked about "Room 208". Sinong katagpo mo jan?

Day 4: Visit Cebu City's tourist attractions... Amazing Race Style

Pero bago yan. Naughty posing muna...

Check out at the Hotel. Brunch at SM Cebu. Leave our bags at the deposit counter.

First attraction the Taoist Temple in Beverly Hills Subdivision

The attractive Temple looks a little out of place but is a pleasant detour for those with time on their hands. (background music playing... ♪♫ Everybody was kung-fu fighting... ♪♫ )

Teka bakit biglang napunta tayo sa China?.. Kaloka anichi!!
The entrance to the temple is a replica of the Great Wall of China.

The temple includes a chapel, a library, a souvenir shop and a wishing well. The spacious balconies offer a scenic view of the downtown Cebu. Fortune-tellers lend some authenticity to this slightly artificial-looking temple. Wearing shorts is a no no inside the prayer rooms,. Bummer talaga. Me and Win weren't able ask the un-answerable...

Guadalupe Church
The parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe dates back to the month of April, 1907. It was located on the corner of 5th and Guadalupe Streets. The Holy Cross Fathers were in charge of the parish until 1925 when the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate took over the direction of the parish.

Rizal Memorial Library and Museum
It is a private museum located within Cebu City Library along Osmeñia Boulevard. It houses a collection of antiques donated by the famous and rich Cebuano families. which was already closed when we arrived. Too bad.

Anyway, there are also displays of artworks made by Cebuano painters and artists. The upper floor of the museum served as the library where important books containing Cebu's history and culture were written.

Just goofing around,... hehehe di naman kami adik sa pictures :D

None of us speak Cebuano, just a little Ilonggo, so we sometimes feel helpless, especially when asking for directions, good thing there were the taxi drivers who instructed us where to go from Sto Nino to Magellan's Cross and to Fort San Pedro. it was just pretty straight ahead actually, just a few minutes walks and we're so proud we didn’t get lost :D

Pilgrim's Center
this is the huge open stadium just across the church, actually na-disorient ako sa taka why they have this different altar or what looks like an outdoor church, i think a mass was about to start when we visited, there are already lots of people at both sides where the chairs are.

Basilica Minore de Santo Niño
The first Asian Basilica, was built in Cebu in 1740 and teems with devotees clambering to catch a glimpse of the oldest religious relic in the Philippines, the Santo Niño statue, given to Queen Juana of Cebu by Magellan. Sundays aren't the best time to visit the colonial church unless you wish to partake in a busy mass.

Sorry for the blurry image, but this is the facade of the basilica del sto. nino... actually i was surprised to find the church full of people, i guess that day being friday which i think is dedicated to the baby Jesus image and maybe cebuanos area really a religious lot. there were a lot of people in the candle area which is very very big, lots of people offering their prayers and thanks. We also visited the Church Museum. Php10 entrance.

Magellans cross

Weee finally, I get to touch the Magellan's Cross, which I have only seen from the grilled gates the last time we went to Cebu. It’s just that it’s too difficult to take a decent picture of the place because it is actually small, no entrance fee just a donation box inside and there are vendors selling candles to offer for prayer.

This is the housing of the historic cross as per the caption at the bottom of the cross - "this cross of tindalo wood encases the original cross planted by ferdinand magellan on this very site on April 21, 1521.

And there are lots of vendors here, and they have uniforms pa.. i think they are the only one authorized to sell within the church grounds, cause there are still lots of vendors outside the church's gate but without uniform.

Fort San Pedro
The last stop walking distance from the Sto Nino Basilica. Entrance fee to the fort is Php 21 per head. Good thing the place is still open but the museum inside the fort is already closed, well anyways we just strolled around the area and took pictures :D

Built by Legaspi in 1740; Fort San Pedro is the smallest and oldest tri-bastion fort in the country. The green setting makes this fine little fort a good place to take a breather from Cebu City's chaotic streets. The Fort is home to the Regional National Museum which from Wednesday to Sunday exhibits Ming porcelain, cannons and helmets from a sunken Spanish galleon.

I actually thought Fort San Pedro is big like Fort Santiago in Intramuros but is it small, i think smaller than paco park.

At last both our cameras were exhausted and low battery and so were we. We we're already starving, tired and super dugyots so we decided to have a rest, eat dinner and buy pasalubong at SM City Cebu, before we head back to the airport.

We arrived late at the CEB Airport. Our flight was 9PM but arrived 9:05PM. Super haggard. Kakaloka. Good thing our flight with cebu pacific got delayed, 7 hours.

Day 5: Overnight at Mactan Airport Terminal

Killed time at the airport while waiting for our 2:30AM flight, which seemed like forever. Witnessed a lot of airport drama scenes by other travelers demanding for accommodations and free meals...

In the long end, Cebu Pac did gave out this free one-piece chicken joy meal by Jollibee...
... sayang we'd be more happier sana if they had given out free tickets instead.

Stayed on air for about 1hour i think and arrived in MNL almost 4AM.
As soon as I got home I hit the bed i slept tired and dreaming of Bantayan Island.

Sigh goodbye Bantayan Island... here goes the rainy season...

More photos...
http://rechdeasis.multiply.com/photos/album/165/The_Bantayan_Island_Cebu

.

In two weeks... I'll be heading off to this dream island at the northwest part of Cebu province, The Bantayan Island, which is now tagged as the "New Boracay" because of its crystal-clear water, powdery white sand beach but minus the crowd and the commercialization....

Hence... a private beach paradise. =)

This would be my 2nd trip to Cebu but it would be my 1st time in Bantayan Island.

You might be asking who the heck goes beach hoppin in June? Crazy? Well, I don't care even if the summer season has already ended. I love going to the beach during the low season anyway. Here comes the rainy season, we just have to cross our fingers and hope for the best sunny weather.

Cebu Current Weather Conditions
http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=cebu,%20philippines&wuSelect=WEATHER&MR=1

.