Batanes Travel Tips

Since I promised not a few people that I would be sharing travel tips to Batanes, I'm finally making an entry just for that purpose after I've managed to finish my blogs.


GETTING THERE:

(I'm not even going to assume that any of you are interested in traveling to Batanes by ship, so I'll just confine my discussion on air travel.)

Air travel going to Batanes is generally very expensive.  I had to shell out P13,650 for a round-trip ticket last December.  The thing is, I traveled to Batanes during a time in the year when tourists visit the least and there was only one airline (SEAir) servicing the Manila-Basco route.  I hear that in summer (during peak tourist season), the air fare gets slashed by as much as 50%, but you'd have to stay tuned to various airline promos around 2 months before summer in order to avail yourselves of any special discounted rate.  In the summer during peak tourist season, I hear that PAL and ZestAir also travel to Basco - that's probably the reason why airfares aren't as expensive.

Personally, I'd highly recommend that you go there in December.  That way, you won't need to compete for picture space with other tourists traveling to Batanes.  (According to my tour guide, the tourist spots could get really packed in the summer.)  And also, it would just be the onset of winter, so it won't be as bitingly cold as, say, February.  When I was touring in Batanes, I frequently felt that I was the only tourist for miles and miles,  and it was great!

Here's the catch, since only SEAir travels to Batanes in December, the likelihood of flight delays and postponements is very high.  I myself experienced this when I got deceived by SEAir's promise of daily flights to Batanes in December.  What happened was that my flight got bumped off to the next day with only a 48-hour notice period.  I was lucky because I was on vacation for the whole of December, so the 1-day difference was just a slight adjustment on my part.  However, if you have a tight schedule, please make sure that you have a one- or two-day allowance for delays and postponements.


PLACES TO STAY:

For your entire stay in Batanes, the provincial capital of Basco in Batan island would essentially be your home base.  There are a number of inns and lodging houses within walking distance of each other in Basco (that's because if you're within the town proper, everything is walking distance - even the airport.)

the town of Basco, as seen from the top of the Basco Lighthouse

You'd have to do a lot of internet research in order to canvass for room rates.  In my case, I found the following link helpful and I suggest that you read it before going further in this blog:

http://www.ironwulf.net/2009/05/13/batanes-accommodations-and-places-to-stay-in-basco/

You'd have to make follow-up research though, as some numbers Ironwulf listed there aren't working anymore, and the prices might have gone up.  (*FYI, Ironwulf is something of a god among local travelers, and you can look up his website for information about traveling anywhere in the Philippines.)  The good thing about all these places listed is that they will send someone to pick you up from the airport as long as you inform them of your arrival date and time beforehand.  And most of them have their own canteens, so food is not really a problem.

Here are the places to stay that you might want to consider when staying in Basco (and I'll only be adding information that Ironwulf has not shared):

1.  DDD Habitat - This is the place where I stayed in at Basco.  It's a fairly new building, which was finished just May of 2009.  DDD has clean rooms and running water (no water heater though) and a multi-purpose roofdeck with which to view the town, and is perfect for inuman at night.  On the right is what my room looks like.  It's a fan room (because I really didn't need aircon in the Batanes winter) that has it's own restroom, but which was a bit too small for my purposes.  It cost P600 for each 24-hour period and you're given a towel and a small bar of soap.  It's cozy and spacious enough for two people.  The only disadvantage of DDD is the fact that it's relatively hidden, being located in obscure Llopes St., unlike the most of the others that are along the National Road.

The reason why I chose to stay here was because of its manager's (Noemi Cruz) persistence that I stay with them from the moment that I texted her number to inquire.  (This only goes to show that salestalk does work on me.)  She assured me that they have an in-house tour guide who is capable enough, which really figured a lot in my decision-making process. 

2.  Shanedel's Inn and Cafe - I saw for myself how Shanedel's is at the best possible location in Basco, i.e. the corner of Abad St. and the National Road, which means it's in the middle of where all the action is.  (picture it this way:  In Metro Manila terms, Abad St. is EDSA, and the National Road is SLEX).  Shanedel's is reputable mainly because of the reputably homely service of it's proprietress, Ma'am Dely, as well as the fact that it's the best in arranging tours in Batan and Sabtang.  However, I made friends with a number of fellow-tourists in Batanes who were staying in Shanedel's and they were not too impressed with the service and amenities, so you might want to take that into consideration.  When I contacted their number, they texted back a generic message with a price list of their room rates.

3.  Ivatan Lodge - This is one of the older lodging houses in Basco and was once the site of the local NAPOCOR office.  Nothing much to say about this except that it's one of the cheaper lodging houses in Basco, and that it's a few meters away from Shanedel's.  When I contacted their number, Mrs. Margarita Varga texted back and was accommodating enough to keep me interested.  What made me decide not to stay with them, however, was the fact that they don't seem to have a permanent tourist guide contact when I was inquiring about it.  Overall, I don't have anything bad to say about this place, and I'd recommend it to budget travelers.

4.  Brandon Lodge - One thing good about this place is that it is built on a hill within Basco, which gives anyone who stays here a unique elevated vantage point with which to view the entire town.  Rates are comparable to Shanedel's.  It's also closer to both the town Plaza and the airport than the previous two.  I didn't try to contact this place though, so you'd have to text or call them to see how much they're accommodating to tourists.

5.  Batanes Seaside Lodge and Restaurant - A bit more expensive room rates, from what I hear.  The building looks modern enough, and is a stone's throw away from Shanedel's along the National Road.  I didn't try to contact the numbers listed in Ironwulf's blog as I specifically was looking for a cheap lodging house.  However, for those who can spend a few more hundred pesos, this place is still very accessible.

6.  Batanes Resort - This resort is run by the Basco Municipal Government and has the best views among the Basco-based lodging houses.  Rather than rooms in one building, the arrangement here is via separate seaside stone huts.  I originally wanted to stay here because of the good reviews and the presence of Nards Garcia, who is reputedly the best tour guide in Batan. But unfortunately ALL of their telephone numbers were not working at the time I was canvassing for room rates. (Not even the phone number of their Manila office and Nards Garcia's personal cellphone number).  Upon reaching Basco, I discovered the probable reason why - there was a Christmas party for municipal employees and that Batanes Resort was the place where the party was being held.  I later on learned that Nards Garcia was no longer connected with Batanes Resort, and was instead directly employed by the municipal government.

7. Fundacion Pacita - This is undoubtedly the most expensive place to stay in at Batanes, with rooms costing at the very least P4,000 a night, and with a minimum of 2 nights.  It's located far from the town center in Tukon, and is perfect for honeymooners, or simply for people who desire a genuine hotel experience with a majestic view of the Pacific Ocean.  Since it's a long way off from the town proper, you'd have to spend more to go from place to place for an in-house vehicle as jeeps and tricycles don't normally go here.  (It's pretty isolated.)  But hey, if you can spend P4,000 a night, then you probably won't mind the extra transpo expenses.  I didn't even try to contact them, but you certainly can, if you have money to burn. ;-) 

But even if you are not staying here, the place is picturesque enough to be on most Batanes travel itineraries.  Although one can no longer go inside the building ever since it has been converted to a hotel, one can still take pictures of it's surroundings.  (The picture on the right was taken when I was already leaving the place and approaching the PAG-ASA weather station in Tukon.)


GETTING AROUND (Batan):

If it's your first time to travel to Batanes, I highly recommend that you hire the services of a tour guide.  Most inns and lodging houses have their contacts.  From my research, the standard rate is P800 per day.  But that's just the tour guide fee.  My guide and I had to hire a motorcycle for P1,000 per day.  That's expensive if you are traveling alone.  Luckily, it fit right into my budget as I had money to spend.  It would really do you a lot of good if you travel in groups, as the cost would be divided into smaller amounts - whether you're talking about transportation fees, tour guide fees, or lodging fees.

It might be that I was limited by what DDD was offering, so if you want, you can go ask directions going to the tricycle terminal.  If you are solo or in a small group, you can probably make arrangements with any tricycle driver to hire his services for the whole day.  The friends I made in Batanes - Eunice and Lorraine - were able to hire a tricycle for P150 per hour, all in.  I'm sure tricycle drivers know the places as much as the tour guides do, but I'm not sure they would be able to give additional information.

My tour guide is named Joaquin Cantor.  His telephone number is 09155552747.  He's an able-enough tourguide for first-time visitors who want to tour Batan in 3-4 days.  If, however, one wants to reach other less accessible places of interest in Batanes, such as archaeological sites and idjangs, I'm afraid Joaquin might not be able to help you in that regard.

Another option for solo travelers is to hire a motorcycle and explore Batanes on your own.  The advantage here is that you can bring the motorcycle everywhere, and pass through even the narrowest dirt roads to get to the interior.  You can also bring the motorcycle to Sabtang island (more on this later).  However, this is only recommended for travelers who have already been to Batanes.  If it's your first time, you might spend a lot of time just figuring out where to go, or worse, get lost in the interior paths.

In my previous two blogs, I talked about how I rented a bicycle to visit other towns in Batan island.  If you wish to also do this, you can rent a bicycle at F.V. Amboy Gen. Merchandise at Nuñez St., Basco.  Mr. Amboy has different kinds of bicycles that he rents out.  If you intend to just bike around Basco town proper, then rent a regular bike.  If however you plan to visit other towns, then better take a mountain bike with you.  For both types of bikes, the rental fee is P25/hour.


GETTING AROUND (Sabtang):

I think I already posted in this blog on how to get to the port of San Vicente in order to reach Sabtang.

The boat ride is P50 and will reach Sabtang in around 45 minutes in favorable sea conditions.  If you are bringing a motorcycle with you, there is an additional fee of P100 or P150 (I forgot exactly what amount Erwin paid for having the motorcycle loaded onto the falowa.)  As sea conditions are pretty unpredictable in Batanes, it would do you good to wrap your gadgets and other stuff in plastic bags before putting them in your bag.  In my case, I was so scared of the falowa capsizing that I ziplocked all of my gadgets and wallet, and put them all in a knotted trash bag before placing them in my backpack.

Once docking in Sabtang, tourists must walk a short distance towards the Municipal Tourism Office to register and pay a one-time fee of P100 per head.  The office also has rooms that they rent out to tourists for P300 per head per night.  The staff here can help you get in touch with a vehicle with which to tour Sabtang.  Unfortunately, unlike Batan, there are no tricycles here.  The flat rate for hiring a vehicle for the whole day is P2,000, which is the same whether you manage to rent a van, a jeepney, or a multicab. 

You can ask your lodge or inn personnel in Batan for the telephone number of this tourism office in order to let them know a day or two before that you will be arriving.  That will enable them to prepare for your arrival and touring arrangements so that everything is ready and waiting for you when you arrive.  This is particularly useful if you want to spend the night in Chavayan - an old traditional village at the southernmost point of Sabtang island - which a lot of bloggers recommend.

I do not recommend doing a day trip of Sabtang, you'd see far too little for the effort of going there to be satisfactory.  I'd recommend staying overnight in Sabtang for this reason: Sometimes, the boat rides are delayed.  In my case, what was supposed to be a TOA of 7:00 am in Sabtang became 9:00am.  You arrive at that hour, you have too little time to have a satisfactory tour of Sabtang because the last trip leaves at around 4:00pm.

WHERE TO EAT in Sabtang:

There really is just one place where tourists can dine at Sabtang, and this is the Elesterio Canteen.  This one's really easy to find.  Just ask anyone where the canteen of Bgy. Kagawad Milfa Elesterio is located, and they'll direct you to a small canteen right behind the water purifying station.  Here, she can prepare meals good for 2-3 people for only P300.  The thing with this canteen though is that you'd have to inform her around 2-3 hours prior if you are having lunch there, as they only cook meals on a per-request basis.  She'd let you choose from available viands, and I'd strongly suggest that you order the Coconut Crab if it's available.

If you made arrangements to tour Sabtang with Shanedel's back in Batan, then you might not need to find the Elesterio Canteen as from what I know, former Sabtang Mayor Romy Cielo would handle everything and they have their own different cooking arrangements and tour arrangements.  I've heard however that meals as arranged by Mayor Cielo costs more than double than that being prepared by the Elesterios.


THE PEOPLE:

The Ivatans are generally kind and helpful people.  They speak Tagalog with a Metro Manilan accent, which completely erases any language barrier if you are from Metro Manila.  Also, similar to most Metro Manilans, they speak the sort of bad English that we always consider "fluent", so English-speaking tourists won't have a problem communicating with them.  Like most people, however, they have their own idiosyncracies:

1.  Like I remarked in a previous blog, Ivatans are the gods of Filipino time.  There was never any need for them to rush from one place to another, unlike us who are living in more urbanized areas.  To them, everything is a short distance away.  Don't resent them if they seem laid back and relaxed, especially during the boat ride to and from Sabtang.  In day-to-day commerce, Ivatans don't make use of on-the-dot time deadlines.  What I observed was that any task that is done in the morning is on time for them as long as it does not cross over into the afternoon.  For tasks in the afternoon, it's okay as long as it's done as long as there's daylight.

2.  In Basco, I discovered that people are notoriously ignorant of street names.  I must have asked three bystanders looking for the F.V. Amboy General Merchandise along Nuñez St to rent a bicycle.  I thought that knowing the street name would make things easier.  But amazingly none of them knew where Nuñez St. was.  Eventually, I managed to find it by trial and error, because I know that it was one of the streets that criss-crossed Abad St.  Another example, is when I asked my tour guide and the front desk personnel the name of the street where my inn was located, they didn't know (!!!)

I think there's an explanation for this.  Since Basco (and any other town in Batanes) is so small, there's really no need for street names to help people remember where a particular place is.  People there have a visual map of Basco that they probably have memorized by the age of, say, five.


MY EXPENSES:

Plane ticket expense (roundtrip) - P13,650.00
Lodging expenses (P600 x 4 nights) - P2,400
Tour guide fee (P800 x 2.5 days) - P2,000
Motorcycle rental (P1,000 x 2 half days) - P1,000
Jeepney fare going to San Vicente (P30 x 2) - P60
Falowa fare to and from Sabtang (P50 x 2) - P100
Tourism fee in Sabtang - P100
Lodging fee in Sabtang (P300 per night X 2 people) - P600
Multicab rental - P2,000
Van fare going back to Basco (P30 x 2) - P60
Environmental fee in Diura - P50
Bicycle rental (P25 x 9 hours) - P225
Meal expenses in Sabtang (P300 x 2 meals) - P600
Meal expenses in Batan (approx. P120 x 7 meals) - P840
Other incidental expenses (approx) - P2,000

TOTAL - P25,685 for the whole 5 days

Note: It seems like a lot because I traveled solo.  A group outing would effectively lower expenses.

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Okay, I hope this helps.  If there's any other details that you need, then leave a comment and I'll try to get back to you as soon as I can.  ;-)  I'll also be updating this whenever I add stuff.

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.