Batanes Day 4: Biking from Ivana to Mahatao to Basco

the Ivana municipal complex

After "lunch" I continued southbound.  The municipal hall was nearby so I barely warmed by bicycle seat before I got off again to explore the area.  Ivana is another one of those Batanes towns that have a modern-looking center with the rest of the town looking traditional.  I'm beginning to think that it's the rule and Basco is the only exception.  But I haven't been to Itbayat, so I wouldn't know.

the San Jose de Ivana Church

A little further was the Church of San Jose de Ivana.  This is the last of the four 200-year old churches that I meant to visit in Batanes.  I actually passed by this church the day before, and this time, I meant to enter it.  In the surreal manner common to many places in Batanes, I seemed to be the only person in the entire church compound.  There was nobody inside nor outside of the church, and I certainly had my way shooting the everywhere in the church compound.  I kept on expecting someone to berate me for not having enough respect for a holy place by taking various shots without genuflecting at the altar, but the admonition never came.  And I left the church in the same deserted state it was in as when I arrived.

a church window

The church used to be the center of the town during Spanish times.  But for a number of historical reasons that are too many to mention here, the town center slowly shifted westwards.  Well, to summarize, a series of resettlements from Sabtang occurred due to a rebellion against the Spanish that happened there.  These resettlements occurred to the west of the town proper, which eventually became the new town center.

posing at the new Ivana port, with the Ivana Church in the background

Exiting the church compound, I crossed the road towards the newly constructed port, funded by Japanese official development assistance.  Although this port is spankingly new, experienced fishermen claim that it was poorly constructed, making it difficult for smaller boats from docking.  (And since I'm no expert in the docking of sea vessels, I guess I'm just going to take their word for it.)  Personally, I find the port's location to be poorly chosen, as it certainly ruins the view of the church if one is coming from the sea.

"jackstones" lying in the shallow water by the port

Since it was already past lunchtime, I did not want to be stuck on the road at dusk so I quickly pedalled to the farthest point I intended to go, which is the Ivana Cemetery.  Along, the way, I passed by the famous Honesty Coffee Shop, which I intended to visit on the way back.

the entrance to the Ivana Municipal Cemetery

The cemetery was small and very crowded, with some walking paths seemingly used as burial plots due to the lack of space.  A closer inspection of the tombstones would reveal familiar surnames, i.e. surnames that one would see in streets everywhere in Batanes.  Names like Abad, Gaboteros, Castillejos, Cantor, etc. can be found everywhere here.  In addition, the graveyard is a mixture of new and really old tombs, some dating pre-20th century.

an old graveyard cross

It was eerie the way I simply walked in the cemetery and had my way stepping on graves and taking pictures.  I had no choice, in some areas there was simply no way to go from one point to another.  You want to know what's more eerie than feeling there's someone behind you and turning to find there's no one?  It's this: walking around a place where you're supposed to feel ghosts walking around and realizing there's simply none.  Wherever the dearly departed of Ivana go after they die, it's clear that they go someplace else and don't linger.

the famous Honesty Coffee Chop

Anyway, after taking a certain number of photos, I started to work my way back northwards towards Basco.  As I was again dehydrated from the sweltering early afternoon heat, it was coincidentally the best time to stop by the Honesty Coffee Shop for refreshments.  It was, however, closed when I arrived.  So I lingered around taking photos.  It seemed as if the proprietress (who was sweeping dry leaves in the distance) noticed me outside so she opened the door for me. 

one of the signs inside the coffee shop

Like what a hundred bloggers have already previously said, there was indeed nobody manning the Honesty Coffee Shop.  It works this way: (1) get what you want; (2) log your purchase in the logbook; and (3) leave your payment by dropping it into the drop box.  Like one sign says inside the store, "You give more if you don't have exact money.  The Lord will give you more later on."

posing in front of the coffee shop

After setting up my tripod and taking a photo of myself using Olga's self-timer in front of the coffee shop, I once again pedaled back towards Basco.  Along the way, I came across the House of Dakay, which is the oldest house in all of Batanes.  It was constructed in 1887 and like most old houses in Batanes, the walls are made of coral rock and concrete, while the roof is made of dried cogon grass.  It's only a bit bigger than the usual traditional Ivatan house, but this otherwise unimpressive structure actually holds a UNESCO Heritage Building title.

the House of Dakay

The House of Dakay is currently owned by Florestida Estrella, or Lola Ida to the locals.  According to unofficial protocol, every visitor should give her a monetary gift for the upkeep of the house.  When I was there however, it seems like she's asleep so I just contented myself shooting the house from the outside.

House of Dakay doorway lined with cut limestone

I only took a few minutes here before continuing towards Basco.  I stopped for a bit by a store in San Vicente because I forgot to buy an extra mineral water bottle for the trip back.  It was at this point that I discovered my coin bag is missing.  I must have left it in the Honesty Coffee Shop earlier.

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The trip back was certainly tiring.  My mind wanted to continue using the bike but my legs simply refused to pedal against any upward incline greater than, say, 15 degrees.  So as it turned out, I only rode the bike when the road inclined downwards, but I walked the bike when it wasn't.

Biking in Batan exposed me to a courteous trait that I've never seen anywhere else in the Philippines.  Here, whenever people encounter anybody else on the road, they tilt their head upwards as if in recognition, even though they don't know each other.  I encountered about ten people who gave me this gesture before I started doing it too.  Also, roads in Batanes are narrow.  In some stretches, it's only wide enough for just one lane.  I'm thinking that any future economic development here would have to take into account the state of this province's roads.

the San Carlos Borromeo Church in Mahatao

When I finally reached Mahatao, I was pleased to observe that the unsightly scaffolds that were in the church facade in the morning have already been dismantled and cleared - thereby giving me an unobstructed view of what is reputedly the most beautiful church in Batanes, the San Carlos Borromeo Church.  I only stayed here long enough to be able to take photos of the church, before continuing towards Basco.

It was at this point when I realized that this day was the last day that i would be able to see Batanes, so I did not rush getting back to Basco.  I wanted to continue traveling but on a much more leisurely pace this time, admiring the views, breathing the fresh cool air and smiling at the nice people.  On the way back, just after passing the Chanarian Cliffs View Deck, I came across the marker for the Marine Sanctuary.  I seemingly did not see this in the morning so this in effect became my last stop before finally returning to Basco.

Since it was already past 5:30pm when I arrived here, I had a chance to capture the sunset.  Unfortunately, the horizon was cloudy so it won't be too great a shot.  It didn't bother me though because I already shot the Batanes sunset as early as Day 1.  What I thought of doing though was to take a picture of the sunset with myself in it.

Dios Mamajes, Batanes

It took around three trials before I got close to the most "perfect" shot I can make of the scene.  After the last shot, I got so excited to see the resulting picture that I actually tripped as I was descending that mound that I was standing on and actually fell elbows first on the road - much to my embarrassment, and a passing motorist's amusement.  After that, I pedaled for the last stretch of the National Road all the way to back to Basco.

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So I guess this is it.  The end of my Batanes blogs.  I wish I could say something more profound about my experience.  But really, Batanes could mean a lot of things to a lot of people.  Me, I just enjoyed my short stay for as long as I can.  I think Batanes is a great place and that every Filipino should visit it at least once in their lives.  As for me, I'll definitely go back.

Batanes Day 4: Biking from Basco to Mahatao to Ivana

For my last full day in Batanes, I planned to spend it on my own - without a tourguide - by renting a bicycle and testing the strength of my legs and my lungs all the way to the town of Ivana in the south of Batan island.  I got the idea from Ironwulf, who gave very precise instructions on where I could rent a bicycle in Basco, as well as an idea of what a tour of that magnitude would entail for somebody who hasn't used a bicycle in a decade.

So the day before, prior to setting off to Diura, I was able to drop by the F.V. Amboy Gen. Merchandise in Nuñez St. and inquired about  the rates and the conditions in renting a bicycle.  Having gotten the details I needed, I resolved to wake up at the earliest possible hour the next day in order to make the most out of my last day.  Unfortunately, I woke up rather late, and due to some water problems in DDD, I was only able to take a shower by around 7:45am.

the mountain bike taking a rest by the roadside

My bicycle trip started at around 9:00am.  I was given a blue mountain bike that looked slick and heavy duty at the same time. (This replaced the red one I was initially given because Mr. Amboy thankfully spotted a problem with that one's gears before I was able to go far.)  So I exited Nuñez St. to the town plaza and started biking down the National Road.  Any thoughts of this being an easy ride were dashed upon reaching the first incline just outside Basco proper.

There, my legs began to burn with an intensity I never experienced before.  I actually regularly jog and do squat-ups with a barbell, and so my legs are quite strong and muscular.  So this difficulty I encountered was very much unexpected.  I seriously began to doubt whether I have what it takes to even reach my very first stop, which is the Chanarian Cliffs view deck.

trying to smile but ended up grimacing at the morning sun at Chanarian

Well, I did finally reach the view deck.  It actually has steps that lead all the way to the bottom of the cliff, but I had to take a rest for about five minutes first before descending those steps because no matter how much I was willing, my legs simply could not take one step down.  While resting I took pictures of the views from the deck and even took photos of myself by setting up a tripod and using the camera's self-timer.  When I felt that my legs were already well-rested, I began my descent.

downward steps leading to the bottom of the Chanarian Cliffs

The steps were pretty steep and uneven so there was a real danger of losing my balance here.  This is why I had to leave my backpack along with the mountain bike at the viewdeck and just took my camera with the dependable kit lens.  Probably due to the position of the morning sun, the lighting on the cliff face was bad, and so the photos were a bit disappointing.  I however succeeded in reaching the very bottom of the cliff despite the very slippery moss at the bottom steps.

waves pounding against the rocky shore

Waves pounded the rocky cliffs very close to where I was standing, which was made up of coral rock.  The natural rock formations formed pools where, I was told, tourists usually took a dip.  Since swimming wasn't on my agenda, I did not get tempted, no matter how exhausted I was.  Anyway, I hate saltwater and the day's just starting for me.  I didn't want to get sidetracked.  I had two more towns to visit.

Around half an hour later after I left the Chanarian Cliffs viewdeck, I reached the Municipality of Mahatao.  As I said in my previous blog, I was able to visit this in passing the day before, but was not able to stay long.  Whereas before, Joaquin and I cut through Mahatao to reach the eastern Batan coast, this time, I biked down the national road southbound to see the length of the town center.

Mahatao northern town marker

The first spot I visited in Mahatao was the San Carlos Borromeo Church.  This church is reputedly the most beautiful in the entire Batanes archipelago, and I certainly wanted to go there to take pictures of it.  Upon arriving, however, there were unsightly bamboo scaffolds right on the facade of the church, so I resolved to just take pictures later in the afternoon, when I'm on my way back to Basco.

old Spanish bridge in Mahatao

So going by the side streets, I found my way to the old Spanish bridge.  There are actually two existing Spanish period bridges in Batanes, the other one being in Ivana.  But this one in Mahatao is the one that is still in continuous use.

I was pleased to observe that despite the modern-looking structures in the town center, a quick turn at the side streets would reveal that the traditional stone and cogon houses still abound in most of the town proper.  This is so much unlike Basco where the traditional architecture has completely disappeared.  I hope Mahatao retains for as long as possible it's current state of progress.  I would really find it sad that this and all towns in Batanes turn into something like what Basco has become.  (Not that Basco is ugly or anything.  It's just that there should be an effort towards preservation.)

After continuing on my route southward using the National Road, I came upon a small elevated viewdeck just by the road outside Mahatao, which looked like this:

...which, upon ascending, gives this view of some rock formations on the sea below.  One of which is:


It was also in this viewdeck that I took out a hooded light jacket to protect myself from the sun.  Riding a moving bicycle can give one an impression of cooler temperature because one's body is refreshed by the onrush of air.  However, it's easy to lose track of how the sun's radiation can still burn one's skin despite not feeling particularly hot.



Lots of views like the one above by the National Road from Mahatao to Ivana.  Oftentimes, I was the all by my lonesome, with no other person for as far as I can see.  Let me ask you readers: When was the last time that you were at least 1 kilometer away from any other human being?  Most of us have never experienced this since the day we were born.  Well, in Batanes, I did.  It wasn't eerie at all.  It was amazing! ;-)

Most of the morning was spent stopping by the roadside and shooting cliffs, rocks, the sea.  I also was able to capture excellent shots of a white heron that I encountered during one of these roadside stops.  You can read more about this encounter here.

Ivatan fisherman using a nanawuy

I was also able to capture shots of some Ivatan fishermen going about their daily work.  One of them was using a wide net connected by two long poles in the shallow water.  I later on learned that this contraption is called a nanawuy.  Spent a lot of time shooting this man that I think he's the reason why I got thoroughly tanned by the noontime sun, despite my hooded jacket.

So I continued towards Ivana.  Although I was not particularly feeling hungry, I felt that I needed to eat soon in order to have the energy for the trip back.  At this point, I noticed that the left pedal of the bike was wobbling.  Apparently, the nut connecting the pedal to the bike was loosening itself with each pedal stroke.

the part of the bike that gave me problems

This setback definitely was the cause of much delay as I had to stop more frequently to screw tight the nut lest the pedal completely disconnects.  Along the way, I actually met Erwin on his motorcycle going in the opposite direction. After exchanging pleasantries and tips, I continued towards Ivana.

I reached the port at San Vicente at around 12:30 and stopped by the roadside store.  I no longer had water so I was already thirsty at this point.  After drinking two bottles of mineral water, I continued towards the Ivana town proper to eat lunch.  Erwin gave me instructions on how to find a small canteen where I can eat there, and I intended to look for it.

the canteen in Ivana where I had "lunch"

I reached Ivana around 15 minutes later under scorching heat.  It was a bit difficult to find the canteen that Erwin was talking about because it was in a side street and not along the National Road.  When I finally reached it, more bad news met me.  Apparently they ran out of food.  My suspicions that Erwin ate everything were given some credence when I showed the storekeepers a picture of Erwin in my camera and they confirmed that he indeed was the last one who came in the canteen before me.  (Damn you, Erwin!!!  Hahaha!)

So I learned a valuable lesson about small canteens in Batanes.   Unlike canteens in more urbanized centers that can afford to cook for a lot of people even if there are a lot of leftovers, Batanes canteens have a carefully calculated idea of how many people will eat at a particular hour.  I suppose it has something to do with the careful management of available resources, i.e. money.  Luckily, I remembered that I had some oatmeal cookies with me as my baon, so I just ordered soft drinks, while exchanging stories with the store owner.

Batanes Day 3: Back to Batan (part 2)

view on the road towards Uyugan from Mahatao

It was a long drive going towards the southernmost municipality of Uyugan.  It seemed as if this route only got as much as 5% of the vehicle volume of the much more frequently used western stretch of the National Road in Batan.  This area is sparsely populated as there are no villages/baranggays on sight.  The nearest baranggay is in Imnajbu, and even that is sparsely populated itself.

former site of LORAN Station (U.S. Coast Guard)
(photo courtesy of Erwin Maique)

Along the way, we passed by the site of a former U.S. Coast Guard station named LORAN (Long Range Aid to Navigation).  The buildings have since been abandoned after the Americans left this station in the 1970s, and the land that it stands on now belongs to the Municipality of Uyugan.  According to Joaquin, this used to be the only place in Batanes with a functional cinema, and people from as far away as Basco used to walk all the way here just to watch a movie.  (Interestingly, at present, there are no cinemas anywhere in Batanes.)

marker in Imnajbu where the first mass was held

It was around 3 pm when we reached the sleepy baranggay of Imnajbu.  Imnajbu is the site in Batanes where the first Catholic mass was held.  An enormous cross marks the spot where this bit of history occurred, and it's right next to a chapel dedicated to San Lorenzo Ruiz.  The chapel was initially closed when I was there so I just took pictures of the exterior of the Chapel.  Later on however, an old man reeking of gin, whom we saw on the roadside on the way here, actually took out keys from his pocket and opened the front doors of the chapel (He was apparently the chapel caretaker) inviting us in.  We gladly obliged.

road scene between Imnajbu and Itbud

The next baranggay on the route is Itbud.  Nothing much notable about Itbud except for its church named Nuestra Señora de la Medalla Milagrosa that attracts large crowds during its fiesta.  It's a new (unfinished) structure built only around 2005 or 2006 replacing an older smaller church.  The new structure was specially designed to accommodate a larger number of churchgoers.

the facade of the Nuestra Señora de la Medalla Milagrosa; and

what the old structure looked like before the demolition
(source: http://www.uyuganbatanes.com/itbud2004dec.html)

From there, it was a quick trip towards Uyugan town proper.  Along the way, we passed by the ruins of the Songsong.  Songsong used to be a coastal village that was destroyed by a tsunami in the 1950s.  Rather than rebuild the entire village, the villagers just abandoned the site and settled in the nearby towns of Uyugan and Itbud.  I wanted to go near the ruins but since we wanted to reach Basco before dark, I only was able to view the ruins from a distance.

site of the Songsong ruins

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Uyugan town marker

The Uyugan town proper is the site of another one of Batanes' four 200 year old churches.  For some reason, the locals deemed it proper to paint the church pink, which rather clashes with its historical significance.  (The Church's name is San Antonino de Florencia.)  In any case, since this is the town proper, it's more populous and livelier than the two previous baranggays.  It was also around 4 pm when we reached this town so there were a lot of schoolchildren running around the streets.

facade of the San Antonino de Florencia church

Uyugan town proper is at the southernmost point of Batan Island.  From there, we travel north via the National Road towards Basco, passing by the town of Ivana and the western part of Mahatao.  As I intended to visit Ivana on my own the next day, we did not linger on these towns for more that five minutes each.  I just asked Joaquin to pass by the the places of interest so that I know where these would be. 

It's easy in Ivana, all places of interest are right alongside the National Road - the cemetery, the church, the Honesty Coffeeshop, the House of Dakay, etc.  In Mahatao, it's a bit more difficult because while Ivana can be likened to a long strip, Mahatao has a rounder shape and has more of a grid layout.  Anyway, after looking around, we made our way back to Basco in the rapidly fading daylight.

the South China Sea as seen from the Chanarian Cliffs viewdeck

At around 5:30 pm, we reached the Chanarian Clifs viewdeck where Joaquin and I observed the sunset.  After a few minutes, we decided to continue towards Basco because I suddenly remembered that the National Road has no streetlights and it would be dangerous to travel by motorcycle at night.

It was already dark when we reached Basco.  We stopped in front of Shanedel's because fellow travelers Eunice and Lorraine were seated there just hanging around with their tricycle driver.  We again "compared notes" on the places we visited and resolved to meet again later in the evening to have a few rounds of drinks.  I invited Erwin to join us that evening but unfortunately, he was too tired.

with Eunice and Lorraine at the DDD roofdeck

We had our inuman at the roofdeck of DDD Habitat (where I was staying).  I brought the beer, and Eunice and Lorraine bought the pulutan.  It was the best place to drink because it overlooked a sizable part of Basco, and the wind was cool and fresh.  (Well, a lot more colder than cool, but we had jackets so that's okay.)  I gave the two some pointers on Sabtang, as they intended to go there the following day.  It was also for this reason that they could not stay long that evening, as they still had to wake up just in time for the 5:30 am jeepney trip going to the port at San Vicente.

I gave both of them my remaining supply of ziplock plastic bags, as well as a large trashbag each to wrap their stuff in in anticipation of a rough boat ride going ot Sabtang.  As I walked them all the way back to Shanedel's everybody seemed to be too eager to great us - possibly because of the presence of blonde Lorraine.

So Day 3 was finally over, and the one following would be my final full day in Batanes.  I hope my legs would be up to the job as I intended to ride a bicycle all the way to Ivana, and back.

Batanes Day 3: Back to Batan (part 1)

I actually had a good night's sleep in the Tourism Office in Sabtang.  This was unusual for me because I usually have difficulty sleeping when I spend the night in an unfamiliar place. It's probably a combination of fatigue from the tour and the excellently filling dinner I had the previous night.

Batan island as seen from the Tourism Office veranda

I woke up at around 6 am and walked around Centro.  I tried to do my usual exercise regimen but my aching joints seemingly protested even the easiest warm-up routines.  From my conversation with Joaquin the night before, we most likely would not be able to catch the first trip going back to Batan so that means I have enough time to walk around Centro before the second trip.  I used this time to take pictures of people going about their daily lives, as well as the surroundings.

interior of the Sabtang Church

In hindsight, I should have woken up earlier to catch the sunset by the Sabtang Lighthouse as Erwin had done.  As it is, the sun was already up when I woke up and in order to make the most out of my remaining time in Sabtang, I explored the interior of Sabtang Church and later on observed how the people went about their morning routines.

schoolgirls running late for the flag ceremony

Since Centro is dominated by school buildings (and since Day 3 was a Thursday) I got to observe a typical morning flag ceremony.  (One thing I observed about Ivatan schoolgirls is that the color pink is apparently a hot fashion item for them.  Go to any classroom and you will see pink sweaters, pink bags, pink hairbands, pink shoelaces, etc.  Everything's dotted with pink!)  Anyway, it's funny that I saw a lot of pupils running late for the flag ceremony.  Funny because these children live literally right next to the school buildings, so one would think it's not possible for them to be late anymore.

posing with the Elesterio Family before leaving Sabtang

While waiting for the second trip, I took the opportunity to talk to the locals.  The employees of the municipal office are a fun bunch and certainly know how to make their guests feel at home.  I think I've already talked about the Elesterios in one of my previous entries, but I just had to take a picture with them before I left.  They're probably the family that most Sabtang visitors would recognize by the sheer fact that everyone must have dined at one time or another in their canteen.

The Falowa finally arrived and after about an hour of unloading and loading - as well as wrangling with the Coast Guard representative (who was concerned about overloading) - we were on our way back to Batan.  The seas were a bit more rough than the last time, and as such also took a little longer.  I fell asleep a number of times probably due to dizziness brought about by the rocking motion of the Falowa as it went through the waves.

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So here was the plan for the afternoon: Joaquin and I would most likely arrive at the San Vicente port at around 11:00 am.  Then we'd catch a ride going back to Basco, and I'll be back at my inn at around 11:15.  I'd tell the inn restaurant to prepare lunch while take a shower in my room.  At the same time, I'll be charging my cellphone and camera batteries.  Joaquin, for his part, would take my flight booking information to his wife who works at the airport so she can schedule my return date a day later with the SEAir office.  He would then go back to my inn where we would have lunch prior to touring the southern half of Batan Island in the afternoon.

(I was a bit disappointed to discover that nobody texted me the whole time I was in Sabtang, but I guess that goes with one's Christmas vacation beginning a good 2 weeks before everybody else's in the office.)

Mahatao municipality marker

After a quick lunch, Joaquin and I proceeded to our first destination for the afternoon, which is the Diura Fishing Village in Mahatao.  From Basco, which is in the Northwest of of Batan Island, our route will cut through the municipality of Mahatao located around the island's narrow center and on through the east coast.

Diura fishermen constructing a Falowa

The Diura Fishing Village is even smaller than those far-flung villages in Sabtang, but a bit livelier.  I even saw some fishermen building a fishing boat.  I actually had the option to spend the night here as the local government rents out some fishing huts to tourists at very reasonable rates.  However, since I'm down to my third day, spending the night in this place will jeopardize my plans to go biking from Basco to Ivana the next day.

The "Spring of Youth" in Rakuh-a-idi

In any case, we were only passing through Diura to be able to reach Rakuh-a-idi, where the so-called "Spring of Youth" is located.  Rakuh-a-idi is the oldest part of Mahatao as it contains the site of an ancient Ivatan settlement.  The road to Rakuh-a-idi gradually narrows until it becomes a mere footpath so Joaquin and I had to alight from the motorbike and hiked a short but punishing distance to reach the Spring of Youth and the surrounding beach.

road to Rakuh-a-idi

beach in Rakuh-a-idi

When we were about to leave, Joaquin remembered that we had to pass by the local baranggay hall to pay a tourism fee.  It was during this momentary stop that I met up with Eunice and Lorraine who were on board a tricycle on the way to Rakuh-a-Idi.  Eunice was actually my seatmate on the flight from Manila to Basco, while Lorraine (who's French) was on the same flight.  They were both staying at Shanedel's Inn and Restaurant and decided to tour together to cut costs.

We "compared notes" on the places we've gone to so far, and Joaquin even gave them the telephone number of the Tourism Office in Sabtang because they planned on going there the next day.  For this day apparently, their route took them from Basco going by the National Road towards the southern municipalities of Ivana and Uyugan, then back northwards on the eastern coast of Batan.  For Joaquin and myself, our direction is the exact opposite, as we would go from eastern coast to western coast.  After saying our goodbyes, we then drove towards our next destination, which is Rakuh-a-payaman.

sign at the exit of Rakuh-a-payaman (there's another at the entrance)

Rakuh-a-Payaman literally means "big pastureland" in Ivatan.  (Notice that "Rakuh" is etymologically similar to the equivalent of the word "big" in many Philippine languages.)  As the signage above shows, the animals in this pastureland are non-domesticated, so they tend to be wary of any human being that comes nearer than, say, 100 feet.  When I was there, it was surreal the way an entire hillside dotted with cattle would just stop what they were doing and all stare at me and Joaquin.  It was a scene straight out of the Twilight Zone.  These animals are obviously not used to human beings.

carabaos grazing at Rakuh-a-payaman

This place is also popularly nicknamed "Marlboro Country".  Joaquin explains that a long time ago, horses still roamed this pastureland along with the carabaos, cows and goats.  A foreign tourist was the one who gave it this nickname, and it stuck even after the horses are gone.

carabao thinking about whether he should charge at me

It's not the animals that make Rakuh-a-payaman a tourist spot.  The place is known for its magnificent views of Batan's eastern coast.  Here you can run up and down the hills and scream to your heart's delight.  This place's terrain is very similar to the Rolling Hills near Basco, only that its range is much wider.  The hills are smooth, not rocky, and the slopes are not very steep.  Unfortunately, this being a pastureland, animal dung of varying states of freshness also litter the entire landscape.  but this is just a very small drawback.

sweeping view of the northeastern coast of Batan from Rakuh-a-payaman

Rakuh-a-payaman is actually directly above Rakuh-a-idi, and I was able to see the very small figures of Lorraine and Eunice taking a dip at the beach near the Spring of Youth.  After staying for a considerable amount of time, we then continued on our way southbound.