Batanes Tour Day One: Northern Batan and Mt. Iraya

Last time I posted about our accommodations at the breathtakingly beautiful Fundacion Pacita. Today I'll feature how the first day of our Batanes tour went. If you plan a similar tour, be sure to wear light clothing and sturdy slipper or tennis shoes, and bring face towel. 

We arrived Friday morning in Batanes. Day One of the Tour--covering the northern half of the main island of Batan where the airport and our hotel is located--started at 2 pm. The sun was at its peak and having forgotten to bring sunblock, I gradually took on a darker shade by the time we returned to Manila.

The first stop: the charming Tukon (Mount Carmel) Chapel located in the hotel grounds. This is where Julia Abad got married.

Next stop: the Basco PAGASA station. School textbooks during my time describe Batanes as typhoon-ravaged, but per our guide this is no longer the case. Many times Batanes remains sunny despite being classified under typhoon signal number 3.

We also took time to visit a network of passages which sheltered the Japanese during World War II.

Our next stop was the Valugan Boulder Beach' located east of the island. The beach is not apt for swimming. We returned here on the third day to witness the sun rise.

The artist community is alive and well in Batan. Below is the Yaru Nu Artes Ivatan (Ivatan Cooperative Gallery). 

I scored some neat souvenirs here, where I got to meet the artist who made them. She shared with us that Ivatan houses are traditionally painted blue and some have no doors.

Below is one of the many paintings displayed in the gallery. Flying fish is mainstay of Ivatan cuisine.

We managed to squeeze in a short stop at the Hall of Justice of Basco.

At the town center is a statue of Kenan, a datu of Sabtang Island, who was executed by the Spaniards for defending his people's rights and freedoms

The artistic community is alive and vibrant in Batan, as shown in the murals along the streets of the capitol.

We also dropped by the first church in Batanes, the Santo Domingo Cathedral (Basco), dedicated to Our Lady of Immaculate Conception. It is named thus in honor of the patron saint of the capital of Batanes, Basco.

Our penultimate stop took my breath away: the Rolling Hills of Vayang.

Out here the carabaos and cows reign, sure-footed as they traipse along  the steep hills.

Mt. Iraya is everywhere in Batan, customarily cloaked in its cloudy veil. 

Another view of Mt. Iraya and the hills, this time with the sea.

Our last stop was the Basco Naidi Lighthouse to view the sunset.

This is where we had dinner, just in time for the approaching dusk.

At this point Mt. Iraya lets loose her veil of clouds.

Our dinner view. After a bit we call it a day.

Pasalubong Options 4: Bulacan, Negros Occidental, Cebu

Today's edition of pasalubong options are either travel souvenirs (the lechon) or gifts from fellow travelers. 

1. Bulacan's Dolores Special Pork Chicharon

If you want your chicharon (fried pork rinds) with bite, this one's for you. It has just the right saltiness, with a slight spicy aftertaste.

2. Negros Occidental's Er's Special Peanuts 

These salty, non-greasy, garlicky peanuts are addicting.

3. Cebu's Ayer Lechon 

Bought this from the Cebu airport. Some say this is better than Zubochon lechon. as Cebu lechons go, this one is very tasty--you can eat it without the usual liver-based sauce. Another plus is the thin layer of fat.

Bora Dispatches Day 3: Ending on a High Note

This is my third travel post on my recent holiday trip to Boracay. For the earlier installments, go here and here. For my resto review, go here. 

Bora, Day 3: Unlike yesterday, this time I woke up earlier, 6 am to be exact. From the hotel, I jogged towards Station 1. I was having the runs so I had to cut my jogging short. Just as I passed the Marian grotto, my stomach acted up.

Bora in the morning is a sight to behold, and well worth the effort to wake up early for a jog, although to be truthful, I had to stop now and then to take a picture of the scenery and the places where I ate. I dropped by at Jonah's to check if they have the elusive avocado shake. They told me to return by 9 am. 

My tummy calmed a bit, so I proceeded to the 24-hour Smoke Restaurant located at D'Mall. I ordered their bestselling pork kaopad. The resto is quite difficult to find, since it is along a narrow alley behind Andoks.

I then proceeded to nearby Lemoni Cafe for something sweet. I've been here before in my first solo leisure travel. I love the refreshing interiors done in citrusy yellows and greens. I wanted to try either the lemon muffin or cheesecake, but these were not available, so I settled for Mango Madness instead. It was quite good. I highly recommend it.

before arriving at bora i was expecting it to be crawling with the holiday crowd,
but traffic was light 

I proceeded back to my hotel because I felt my stomach was acting up again. I rested for an hour, and then checked out at 11 am. I don't think I'll be coming back at La Carmela Hotel, unless I'm penny-pinching. Yesterday i woke up to the chatter of the staff, the people manning the front desk, except for a few, were not attentive enough, and I can't access my mobile data plan inside my room.

I wanted to eat at Truefood Indian Cuisine for lunch before proceeding to my next hotel but it was still closed. While walking, I didn't notice that my phone falling out until I was approached by some good Samaritans, boatmen who offer rides to tourists, with my phone in tow. This was the second time this happened to me--leaving my phone and someone returning it to me--and  I was feeling blessed, despite yesterday's letdown.  Perhaps not all is lost to creeping commercialism. 

For lunch I went to Epic. The meal was not remarkable but their happy hour is--it starts at 12 noon. After having my fill of margaritas, I proceeded to The Tides Hotel, a little woozy from the drinks. During check-in I arranged an airport transfer to Kalibo, and at P750 it was a good deal.

this greeted me while i was lying on bed

unfortunately, i had no secrets to hide

I love the clean, modern lines of the Tides. Three years ago they gave me a red room. Now my room is in black and white. If yesterday I felt laid-back now I can say I can say I wanted to stay in, which I did. Around 4:30 pm I stirred. At this time Bora has come alive--it is teeming with people. I proceeded to Jonah's, but still there was no avocado shake.

From Jonah's I proceeded to Discovery Shores, where I tried the crab fat noodles. It was a nice touch that they gave me some chocnut while waiting for my order. Their mojito is excellent, and I was just in time for the happy hour, which is from 5 pm to 10 pm. I hope next time I'll be staying at the hotel. Order the classic lime mojito--the watermelon was not as good.

At quarter to 7pm I went to Truefood Indian Cuisine and ordered an excellent lamb dish with naan bread.  This was an fitting end to my Bora resto run. Tip: as in elsewhere, the priciest restos do not guarantee good food. 

I then went back to the Tides for my complimentary drink at their rooftop bar Solstice. With margaritas on hand I checked my Facebook wall and worked on my blogs. I was the first one to arrive, but pretty soon the crowd trickled in. Around midnight I felt queasy from all the drinks I had all day, and so I called it a night.

The next day I woke up at 5:30 am, had an early breakfast, and checked out at 6:40 am. I was the lone passenger in the 7 am hotel van. The driver assisted me up to the raft going to Caticlan. At 8:05 am I boarded a minibus bound for Kalibo airport.

And that was how my holiday Bora trip went. I'm happy I was able to go to most restos in my list, and many of the meals I sampled were good. There's no stopping commercialism, but some people can surprise you with their generosity and good spirit. Well, until the next trip.

Credits: For some of my leads, I'm grateful for these two bloggers: onewayticket and philippinebeaches. Aside from sources online, my friends clue me in on places to eat, going out of their way to point where the good stuff are.