group shot #2
So we travelled for 1-1.5hours to Sabang and did a stopover at
Goa to buy some food supplies. Ate and played some pool while waiting for the next boat trip to Caramoan until 10:30am because we didn’t want to pay 8k for a single journey boat rental. Did they really think were that stupid? Even if they made it 4k, they’re still insane to me. You only pay for 120php each to get to Caramoan pier (Guijalo). These people must think we’re first time travellers that they can rip off. Well, they can keep on dreaming then! Pfft.
Arriving in Guijalo after 2 hours, we took the tricycle to another small-time wharf. Yes, apparently we need to take another boat ride to reach Brgy. Nipa on the farthest island in Caramoan. Woot! Anyway, on the tricycle gearing up on the rough road, we were suddenly stopped at the checkpoint and those military officers started to search the guys and asked for their IDs.
charmee models! :P
Well, they didn’t bug me anymore when I said I didn’t have one, but they’re onto the guys...asking them random weird and unintelligent questions. What’s up with that? After a good 15mins or so of interrogation, they finally allowed us to pass. Later on, we learned that the military forces have become stricter with granting entry to barangays/districts in Caramoan due to the recent exchange of blows between rebels and such in these major areas.
Transferring to another boat, it started to rain. Well, just like splashes on my face. I really don’t mind being wet, so I was even trying to convince my brother to exchange places with me because I wanted to sit on the last seat at the other end of the boat where there was no roof -- he didn’t take it seriously though. So we endured another 2 hours of sea sickness.
once a boy, always a boy. haha!
Haha. ;) And when we got there, it was all worth the effort. Beauty has its price, indeed...but this was so much more than the what we bargained for. :D
We stayed at the barangay captain’s turf (Beetoo’s contact) since there's no sort of inn or hostel that exists there. Mang Willy's a sound guy, very funny and accomodating - perfect host!;) Later this day, we decided to go for a swim with my brother Angelo, Erwin, Eric and Mitz. To cut the story short, we almost drowned. :P It’s due to the strong undercurrent pull that had been made worse by high tide. =P
Night time:
Karaoke and brandy night! They turn the lights out at exactly 12mn so we went on for about 4 hours more in the dark playing with pen lights and taking scary pictures of each other as we sat down around our cooler box near the tent we pitched.
hahaha :) Just the right kind of drunkeness. :) As usual, I was the last woman standing AGAIN. ;) B3 set his phone alarm to 5am to catch the sunrise...bless him, nobody woke up. Well, someone did...just to take the pictures then went back to sleep.haha!
DAY 2
Oh, did I tell you we've changed our plans?! :) The majority have decided to stay for another day while we were on that boat approaching the island! I was meant to protest because then I'd have to break the promise I have made to my client (that i'd be back to work by Wednesday!), but well...this opportunity is just to good to let pass! Although I know I could start throwing temper tantrums, go against them all and convince them that we really have to go back - I just don't want to spoil all the fun.
hurray! haha!
Besides, if I wasn't thinking about my job I'd even push on staying for a week! Haha! No communication with the outside world for 3 full days - I can live with that. But our parents have to know where on earth we were so we commenced on searching for a place to get a signal! *think: Lost TV Series*
Today is the first day of the town fiesta which rolls out for 2 days or so and what does that mean to us? It just means free unlimited supply of food from this day onwards! Woot! The freeloaders came just about right in time! hahaha! Best things in life are free! :) So after our sumptous breakfast, we kicked off to hike up on the mountains. I didn't wear my swimsuit yet because I thought we're only going to look for a signal and we won't be able to reach the beach on the other side...well, too late to realize I was wrong.
me?!
;) Before I know it, we're already on a glorious secluded white sand beach! AHHHHHH! Do you know the feeling when you have just discovered something so unreal? I felt like Leonardo Di Caprio at the first moment he stepped into a virgin island cramped with cannabis - just what I've been looking for! No, except for that cannabis part! Haha! So my first inclination at the sight was to dive into the sea fully-clothed and all! hahaha! :P What was I supposed to do? Watch them have the best time? No way!
I gave in to the urgency that left me burned, defenseless against the sun! Haha. ;) I didn't mind, the mission was to get the most out of summer season - the expedition to varied destinations, the maximum absorption of UVA and UVB rays as well as the unwelcomed accumulation of cuts and bruises. The latter part heaped up some more when we went scaling a few mountains at the back part of the island to watch the sunset.
My favorite picture :D
Since none of us brought any climbing gear, most of us were in flip flops and shorts �" beach attire. Haha! And since I went ahead of the group to make a trail with the boys, I got the most number of incisions from these tall blades of grass among the girls. Poor me. Anyway, it’s okay because we (Angelo, B3, Eric and I) were the first ones who reached the top! ;) What a sight! I wanted to wait for the sunset, but then again we still have to find a trail down and nobody brought a flashlight or something so we have to get our asses back down before darkness falls.
As soon as we got back to the beach, I went for a swim again with the gang. Ouch, my arms and legs full of scratches just stung (of course, it's saltwater!) as I let out a resounding scream loud enough to reach the ends of the earth! Haha!
Night time:
We’re on the height of the town fiesta celebration.
Eric, me and b3 - literally on the rocks! :)
Food such as dinuguan, nilaga, kinunot (sting ray in coconut milk w/ vinegar), etc were served. Booze were pretty much like an overpriced commodity there and that’s enough reason not get drunk tonight �" but still, we did even with our measly budget for drinks. We have managed to ignore the urge to drink beer because obviously it’s more expensive than your regular Ginebra Gin. Haha! You pay 30% for the SRP and 70% for tariff taxes or shipping fee?! Haha! That’s like 80php per 500ml bottle and that’s just a lot considering that it’s a rural place with people who mostly can’t even afford to have 3 full meals a day. Well, like I said...that’s enough reason not to engage in any vice such as alcoholism. Haha! Only the armed forces gets it for free and what do you know, they paid us a visit! Haha! Well, this night surely ended with more crazy stories and hyena-esque laughter.
See the peak of the mountain? We just climbed back down from there. :) (my current desktop wallpaper)
..especially because we’re bound to leave the next day. =(
Day 3
The aroma of coffee and the very familiar smell of my favorite pancit that wafted in the air prompted me to rise up and go after where it came from. And guess what I saw? I was right, there was brewed coffee and pancit bihon! And not only that, we also have some mocha rolls, ibus and some sandwiches. ;) Ahh, life! :)
For the food to throughly go down in me, I went for a walk along the shore while my brothers chose to soak up in the sea for one last time.
bluest ocean
I spotted Kuya Angel talking to some kids about catching some fish so I rested for a bit just to watch them, but one of these kids - as soon as he spotted me - made some hilarious exhibition. Haha! Yeah, the gutsy one climbed up a small boat, pulled his shorts off to nothing, went over the edge and then jumped off into the sea as his friends yelled out to me telling (no, begging) me to watch. Well, I did just to see what that boy got! Haha! And I just kept laughing with my brothers especially when the two other kids did the same thing! hahaha! When I say kids, they're about 10-14 years old. Then they went on saying things like, "Hey chick! I love you!" and "Why won't you turn around?" with a bigger group of kids their age! I was like, what are these kids doing?! Bunch of trippers! They're not embarrassing themselves but me! Wah! Eric and B3 were right, they must have mistaken me for an elementary or highschool grader! Grr!
Okay, right after that.
I was too tired to smile :P
..we had our lunch and said our goodbyes to everyone. :( We squeezed ourselves in the boat with 3 or more people from the military troupe and one was in front of me taking our pictures. At first he was like, "Miss, can you smile?" ('cause I kept looking away. haha!) and I nudged Eric and Kuya Angelo beside me and told them to smile for the camera with me. After a few takes, he's finally satisfied with our faces on it. Grr, it's really hard to be forced to smile. haha! He might blow off my brains if I didn't! haha! Nah, I'm just kidding...(though it might be possible if he's drunk.lol).
Our trip back home was a lot faster than our journey to the island, but we had to wait at Guijalo pier for our last ride. We didn't even know if it was even coming because we have been informed that we came an hour late for the last trip which was at 11am.
on our way back.. :D
Again, we moved heaven, earth and hell just to find a way to get out of there. I mean, our plan B was to go back to Caramoan proper (30-minute ride) and stay there for another night - but our main problem was where to get money and I'm telling you, our only money left was for a one way fare back to Naga! LOL! There were no ATM machines at all, fyi. Even if I have enough money to get myself back to Naga, I wouldn't want to leave without the rest! I meant to stick with them til the end of this adventure trip! I was never a deserter. haha! :P T
Thankfully after 2 hours, the 60-passenger boat arrived and we made a great deal with them to take us in. You rarely meet people with genuine hearts willing to help you out unlike greedy ones whose aim is to always squeeze money out of you. ;) In these times, who would waste gasoline and effort on 12 crazy young folks who paid the regular fare of 160php each? Haha! Cheapos! Well sometimes, all you have to do is to charm your way! :D
