Pure Bliss

The ferry ride was about an hour & a half or so.  It was 2ish when we got off the boat.  Camiguin, we’re back!  Though it's our second time in the island, still we're all excited to see this island paradise with lots of natural wonders.

Since we had no prior reservations, our first agenda upon getting out of the Benoni Port, the main point of entry of the island, was to find a room, a bungalow or a campsite, if there’s one.  Niki, my cousin, our official driver, who just came from Camiguin months ago, brought us to Paras Beach Resort, a first class resort in the area fronting the White Island.  No, we didn’t stay in that resort.  I’m allergic to that kind of resorts.  My wallet tightens up and my pocket gets holes in it.

In front of Paras Beach Resort are bungalows/rooms for rent lining up, my kind of thing.   We found one at Php1000 with 2 double beds, 1 private T&B, and a/c.  But since we’re Bisaya, Manong Caretaker gave us a Php200-discount.  He told us that it’s the cheapest in the area. 

After unpacking and changing clothes, it was time to explore the island.

First stop was the Walkway, a walkway for Stations of the Cross that leads to the peak of Mt. Vulcan.  When I first got here about 4 years ago, my friends & I only reached the second station.  We had not enough time then that’s why we weren’t able to reach the top.  This time, I’m determined to finish it.

At the foot of the Walkway were souvenir shops.  We first checked it out.  There’s a henna tattoo shop and the boys had one each.  While they’re having their tats done, I talked to some guys about the Walkway.   None of them can really tell how many steps to reach the peak.  Manong said that it's about 300++ paved stairways.  Ok, I can do that.  I was able to climb the Big Buddha in Hongkong.  But then he continued on talking… plus a kilometer of rough road and another set of stairs up to reach the top.  Upon learning that, I backed out.  No way.

Next destination was the Bura Soda Water Pool, with a quick stop at Sunken Cemetery for some photo ops.  The place seemed to be too ordinary with just two large swimming pools.  But this is not your ordinary pool.  A signage read "the first and only soda pool in the Philippines."  And another catch, you can actually drink the water you swim in!

However, since they just had their tats done and only I was up for a swim, we decided to skip it and be back tomorrow.

Our next stop was the 16th century Guiob Church ruins.  We were greeted by a tourist guide who explained to us the history of this church ruins plus some facts & fictions about the island.  According to her, this town, once called Cotta Bato, was the capital of Camiguin Island then.  Here’s where all the action happened. She even referred the town as the old Olongapo.  Then Old Vulcan Daan erupted and wiped out the old town of Catarman in 1871.  She showed us a big tree, the only spared from the eruption.

After some history, it was time for fun!  Our next stop was the Sto. Nino Cold Spring.  With an entrance fee of Php 20 each, we enjoyed the waters of the pool the come from a cold spring.  Lounging on a huge tube with the cold waters of the spring washed away all the exhaustion and heat from the long travel that we just had.   By 5 P.M., as we could no longer take the cold, it’s time for the next attraction, the hot spring.  :D  But since Ardent Spring is on the other side of the island, we decided to just tour around the island first.

All wet, we stayed at the back of the pickup.  With the music of The Cure and the blow of wind against our faces, we enjoyed the scenery and watched the sunset with a few stopovers for photo ops.  It was just pure bliss.

It took us an hour or so to reach the town of Mambajao, the capital of Camiguin.  We went to their market and bought some food for dinner.  For Php 200, we had almost a kilo of pork chops & half a kilo of fish, plus mangoes.

After dinner, we went to Ardent Hot Spring.  Entrance fee’s at Php 50 each.  It has 5 pools with its water from a hot spring.  The hottest pool was at about 35 degrees centigrade .  The water has a soothing, calming effect -- just perfect to end our long day.  With a rejuvenated mind & body, we're all ready for the next day's adventure.