Langyaw: Batanes

I just got a text message from a friend saying she was missing Batanes (see travel notes below).

I am, too.

I have been staring at the pictures I took for hours now. Every time I come across one, I would try to remember how it felt when I took it- the cool wind, the sound of the waves that crash into shore and the soft rain.

Batanes is more than just the pictures I took and had seen of it before the trip. The moment I got off the plane, I panicked. I was not sure whether the 8 pairs of batteries and the memory card I brought with me were going to be enough to capture the wonderful sights around. (On the plane going back home, there was not enough memory in my card to take another picture and I was down to my last pair of AA batteries. I should have brought rechargeables!)

From where we stayed (Batanes Resort), you could see the waves and hear the angry sound they create as they rampage into shore. You could hear it while having breakfast, smoking and even while singing to the karaoke (on our last night). It was so soothing you do not need Enya to lull you to sleep. Sometimes though, the waves would get loud enough to wake us from sleep.

At night, when everyone was asleep, I would go out to smoke. A soft drizzle would always be pelting the tin roof, and the wind would always be cold and blowing incessantly as if trying to move the stone lodging we were staying at. This music, I thought, is something my camera could never take.

The weather in Batanes is very unpredictable. One moment, the clouds could be so dark you would think there was going to be a storm. A few moments later, you would see the clouds gone and the sun back up in the sky. There was not a day without the weather shifting from rainy to sunny, and

to cloudy. The wind is omnipresent.

When we went on a tour of Ivatan, the driver had to go really slowly, as after each turn, a beautiful surprise was going to loom, then all of us would jump out and click our cameras like there is no tomorrow. From the road, you can see the rocky shores being washed by big waves, tranquil beaches with white birds, ruins of a tsunami, and of course, the wind swept mountains on the opposite side of the road.

I could go on rambling about how beautiful Batanes is, and it would not be enough. For how could anybody be sure he is understood by another when understanding can only be objective in so far as the facts are concerned, while the process of comprehending is solely subjective. But that's not the point. I can only show you the pictures I took, hoping that what I mean to say is what you will understand.

When I got the text message, I was not very surprised. You will miss Batanes more in Manila. The noise, the suffocating and humid air, and the indifference that seems to clad everybody here strongly contrast Batanes.

I thought I would never go back to places I have been to. I guess I will have to make an exception this time.

***

Travel Notes and Itinerary

(These rates might have already changed.)

Plane fare: Php 11, 000/pax

Accommodation: Php 1000/room of 3 pax (Batanes Resort; you may contact 927-2393, 0927-5829078 for inquiries and reservations.)
Guide Fee: 500/day (Ivatan Tour)
Tour Transportation: 1800/day (to be updated)
Tricycle fare to Ivatan port: Php 160
Boat Fare to Sabtang Island: Php 40
Tour Transportation (Sabtang): Php 1500
Jeep from Port back to resort: Php 20
Guide to Iraya: Php 1000

- Plane fare is expensive. When we went there, Asian Spirit was still in operation. Right now I think, a plane needs to be chartered or take a boat from Cagayan.
- We asked the receptionist if he could find transportation for us to tour Ivatan. He found us a good deal.

First day (North Ivatan)

Morning- rest till lunch
After lunch- tour of the northern Part of Batanes
- We visited Marlboro country, Naidi Hills, Painter Abad's house.

Second Day (South Ivatan)

11am- start the tour of the south of Ivatan
2pm- lunch at White Beach
8pm- back at the resort

Third Day (Sabtang)

6am- to the port
7am- leave port
7:40- start the tour after paying tourism fee
11:30am- lunch
12:30 pm- continue tour
2:30 pm- finish tour (at the port)
3:30 pm- leave port
4:30 pm- arrive at the resort

Fourth Day (Trek to Mt. Iraya)

6:00 am- at the jump off
7:00 am- start the trek up
10:20 am- reach the peak
11:45 am- start the trek down
2:50 pm- at the foot of the volcano
4:00 pm- back at the resort

Gallery

Painter Abad.s House