Threading the edge of Batanes

March has got to be the most stressful month of the year. I mean, yeah… I give credit to December for all the Christmas rush, but at least you've got something festive to look forward to. But March is a whole different story… It's the end of the 1st quarter for most businesses; the end of school which means due papers, projects and exams; and it is also the end of the cold December breeze. Stack it all up and you've got one hell of a battered mind and body cracking under the pressure of life and heat of earthly misfortunes.  So what do 6 soul battered, office bound people do at the End of the most stressful Month of the calendar?  Yep! You're right… Book a vacation to the End of the world!

Please forgive my exaggeration. Batanes is not exactly the end of the world, but it is the Philippines' Final Frontier to the North, it is also the home of the most successful Honesty store in the country, the oldest stone house,  and the all-famous Coconut Crab.  So if that is not reason enough to be overly excited about the Land of Waves then I don't know what is.

The plan was to stay there for 4 days and 3 nights. At first I thought that it was too long and we would run out of activities before we run out of money. But I was so foolish to under estimate what this place has to offer.

Day 1

The rolling hills of Batanes

We left Manila at 6 in the morning via a commercial flight courtesy of PAL. Now let me just pause here for a bit. Every traveler knows how expensive it is to book a flight to Batanes, round trip fare averages about 14k. So I want to thank one of our Travel buddies for bagging promo tickets for some of us which significantly reduced our travel cost.

So the flight took about more than an hour... I guess... Well I don't really know since I fell asleep before the take off and woke up minutes after we landed.  But I think that just means that the flight was smooth and turbulence in the air was minimal.

We stayed at Papang's Home Stay which was less than a quarter hour away from the airport. Room rate was alright at 1,000.00 per night (2 people per room) without AC and 1,500.00 if you want to use the AC. There is also a shared living room with Cable Television, Dining and kitchen where you can cook for free, and there's also a shared bathroom with a faucet that takes forever to fill a bucket.  Instant coffee and Hot Choco is on the house and can be consumed whichever way you wish.  Now let me just set your expectations here.  This is not a 5 star hotel, in fact there is only one luxury hotel in the whole island of Basco and I am pretty sure that no average earning, mid 20 year old employee is willing to spend more than 8,000.00 a night for a hotel room high up in the mountains along the edge of the cliff... well that doesn't sound too bad now that I'm reading it... But the point is, it's just too expensive. Don't get me wrong, I've always been a fan of cozy rooms with big soft beds and window views that takes your breath away every time you look at it. But that doesn't just fit into the whole idea of going to Batanes. You see, a trip to Batanes is not a vacation... It's more like an adventure... An adventure where you get exhausted, dirty and burned in the sun. And as much as you would want to take a deep relaxing sleep in the comforts of your bed, you just can't. Because the next leg of your adventure starts early in the morning and you will barely have time to enjoy the amenities of your hotel.  Now that I've made myself clear, I guess it's just fair to admit that the reason why we didn't book a room at Fundacion is simply because we cannot afford it. =)

Before starting our tour, we decided to take a stroll around Kaychanarianan (the Barangay in Basco where we are staying). One thing that is quite interesting here is that there are more bicycles than cars or motorcycles on the road. Everyone here rides a bike, may it be children or adults, tourists or locals, they all ride bikes. At first I thought that it was unusual only to later find out that a liter of Gasoline here costs 90 pesos. Can you imagine that? Before we left, Gasoline was about 40 pesos per liter in Manila. Here it's 2 times more expensive. No wonder people favored bicycles so well.  Another thing to note is that everything here is much more expensive compared to what we are used to. A piece of Egg costs 12 Pesos each, a bottle of Fish sauce is 35 pesos and a Kilo of pork meat stands tall at 220 pesos. Due to that, we just decided to cook our own meals since Lunch and Dinner at the Octagon (Resto & Inn) would range around 200 per person. Luckily we had an amazing chef with us who could pretty much turn random stuff from the market into an exquisite gourmet dish.

So the first part of our adventure started around 2 in the afternoon on our first day. We rented 3 Tricycles to serve as our service and tour guide on our North Batan tour.  Each of those drivers would also serve as our tour  guide/Camera Man throughout the whole day.

Sto. Domingo church

Nothing really special about this place, it's pretty much like any other church where you can pray solemnly to God for guidance and safe trip. One thing that I realized is that since we are a country under heavy catholic influence, there will always be an average of 2-3 Churches to visit on every trip. So I've made it a point to ask for the story of each of them. Alas for me, this one doesn't have any (I may be wrong, but that's just what our tour guide said).  Although the trees on the side are quite pleasing to the eyes.

Vayang Rolling Hills

Now this is one of the many places in Batanes that will test your mettle. Batanes is an island of torture for People with Alto phobia like myself, so please forgive me for being a bit  biased in terms of describing this monstrously beautiful place.

As you can see, this place is a combination of mild and very steep hills that forms a small plane covered with grass that resembles a scene from a famous musical in the 60s. Believe me when I say that this place is very deceptive. Because behind the unrealistic combination of the Elysium like Plane and sound of waves crashing under the feet of the God-like cliffs, peril lurks in the gentle slopes of this very place. Pictures cannot show how high or deep these hills go, and they also fail to make people realize that one, a single wrong step may cost you a rolling descent towards several fractures and a few broken bones. So hear me when I say that you should traverse these hills with utmost care and safety. Also avoid chiming in to the "YOLO" hype. People tend to get careless when they get carried away to strike poses in obviously dangerous places thinking that a couple of pictures to post on a Social site is worth the dangers they put themselves in.  Now let me just explain myself here, yes, I am scared of heights and the caution that I exercise may be a bit over the edge for some.  My picture skills are also off and I do not enjoy having to take a lot of pictures. What I do love though is the "experience". You see, pictures cannot capture the experience of being there, it is just a 2 dimensional image showing an incomplete reflection of the experience.  But what you feel, see and smell the very moment you set foot on an unearthly like place is what is truly precious and rewarding. And I dare you, just try it, on your next travel, the very moment you set foot on a place like this, do not hold your camera, do not think about the possible poses and angles that you are going to take. Just fully immerse yourself into the scene. Stop thinking about your companions, your budget, or the cows taking a dump a couple of meters from you. Just walk aimlessly towards the beauty, feel the very air brush through your skin as if you're part of it. Believe me, this is the real reason why I travel, I want to experience every bit of beauty that makes me believe that there is a superior being high up there where our eyes can't reach... and it would do you good too.

Lighthouse (Naidi Hills)

This, for me, is one of the best places to visit here in Batanes. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing extraordinarily beautiful about this place. It is just a an average low rise lighthouse that overlooks the city from one side, and the sea from the other. But what I like in particular about this place is that it's a perfect place to have a wedding.

The small elevated area in front of the lighthouse would be an ideal place to have the ceremony while the path to the lighthouse would serve as an amazing aisle for the bride to walk on. I know that the gust of wind may probably give the organizer a hard time getting flowers and other stuff arranged. But who wouldn't want to see his bride walking slowly towards you, with her veil and wedding dress being blown into a beautiful spread by the cool summer breeze under the diminishing light of the sunset.  

Here are some more pictures of this beautiful place:

Here's a view of the town from the top of the Lighthouse

Boulder Beach (Chanpan Valugan)

This is also one of my favorites as I am a sucker for beaches and water. But like the name suggests, this is not a beach with fine white sand making up it's shore, instead it has big smooth boulders running through the coast line making it impossible for people to swim due to dangers of being crushed by the fierce waves constantly hitting the rocks.

By the way, there will be several rocks stacked on top of each other which makes the place look like an Alien playground. Do not get fooled by these as they are not the creations of extraterrestrials but rather a couple of people who thought it would make for a good subject in a picture with the crushing waves as it's background.

PAG-ASA (Tukon) Radar station

Here my friends is the culprit for the incorrect branding of Batanes as the most storm battered place in the country.  This is the last of the country's weather station in the north, thereby making it a constant reference to a storm's entry from the north. But statistics shows that Batanes is not the most storm battered place in the country, in fact, the numbers are so evenly spread that there is not just one, but several places that are on top of the list. And yes, it is possible for a storm to enter from the north, be reported as a storm "entering from Batanes" but not hit Batanes at all.

WWII Japanese tunnels


This is just a small tunnel which the Japanese used during WWII to escape and launch ambushes on top of the hill. It is about a third of a kilometer long and the dark eerie feel makes it look like a miniature version of the tunnels of the Misty Mountain from one of the films made by Peter Jackson. There are also small rooms that may have served as dungeons in the early years.

Mt. Carmel church

Another place perfectly suited for a wedding. The place is solemn and gives people a feel of ancient medieval age where churches were small, rock built buildings with big wooden doors and wrapped by vines of orchids around it's walls.   It also provides a perfect view of some houses in the area, perfectly depicting a simple life.

Sunset viewing deck

Seeing the sunset is a blessing. But experiencing it on the edge of the cliff while making it's descent into the waters of the sea just transcends any sort of beauty that there is. There is a viewing deck on the side which makes for a good platform to stand on in case you want to continue to marvel at the beautiful scenery.

So that concludes our first day in Batanes. We got off around 6 in the evening, which was about time for our resident chef to cook up a sumptuous meal for famished travelers.

DAY 2

Sabtang Island

Our 2nd day started very early, we had to get to the docks at around 7 in the morning to catch  the 2nd boat going to Sabtang Island.

Getting to Sabtang island is no easy feat for travelers, specially those who are not suitable for sea travel. The boat ride will take about 45 minutes and will mostly be shaky. I remember my companions commenting on how fierce and big the waves were while a group of men were just standing in front of us commenting that the waves are small today while eating instant noodles as though those big waves are just nothing more than little swells in a pond.  Pack a couple of pills for motion sickness and you should be good here. Also make sure that you are either wearing easy dry clothes or you have some stuff to change in to packed in your bags.

So the first thing to do upon getting to Sabtang island is to register at their Municipal Hall and pay a small amount for environmental fee (I'll detail the expenses in a list at the end). We then proceeded to traverse Sabtang island aboard 2 modified Motorcycles that looks a Filipino inspired Summer Golf Cart.

Summer Sunshine!!!

Savidug Village

If just to make a comparison, I would say that this place resembles an oriental version of the Flintstones' prehistoric community. The houses here were made to withstand severe weather conditions. They say that the boulders-turned walls of these houses insulates the insides from heat during Warm days and provides adequate heating during the nights that are cold.

Now if there is one thing that really amazes me about the people in Batanes it's the trust that they have for other people. I was walking aimlessly along the main road when I suddenly saw a Mobile phone the wall of a nearby house playing OPM songs in loud speaker mode. I pointed at it and asked our guide if this is a normal thing that people here do, and he said yes. He even claimed that they haven't had any crime reports for several months now. In fact the only quarrel he ever remembers to have witnessed was just between people arguing about Pop stars. People there led such simple lives and just had enough that they all believed that no one's ever gonna take something from them because they all just have enough, and if everyone has enough, there wouldn't be any reason to steal or lay claim on things that are not theirs. Wow! I guess people there have it better off after all.

Here are some more pictures of the Community:

According to our guide, residents here are either moving out or are starting to build modern houses that provides more spacious living area and comfort.

Oh, and we also stopped by at Nadapis, a Sand dune containing the Lime pits that locals have used to fire Lime mortars which served as a replacement to cement in building houses in Savidug village. the pits were about half to 3 quarters of a meter and were scattered across the dune. Our guide said that cooking Lime is a very difficult procedure and required lots of manpower which is the reason why less and less people are building stone houses now.

Tinyan Viewpoint (Chamantad)

Before I go about the viewpoint, let me just tell you that there will be several instances where you will feel like you are at the edge of life... because you literally will be. Majority of the roads are on the sides of mountain ranges, giving you a full view of the freighting height of the cliffs. I'll bet a dime that there will be several instances where you heart will miss a beat due to sharp curves bringing you so close to the cliff's edge as if you're about to fall right into it.

Now the viewpoint is a majestic place. It is a wide slope that gently rolls down towards the edge of the cliff where Neptune sends his fierce waves in an attempt to wake Gaia from her deep slumber. The wind beyond measure, is both frightening and soothing at the same time.  It is perhaps one of the few remnants of a time when Nature towered above men. Again, be careful on your visit here, a trip or a small slip may send you rolling down over one of the cliffs and straight into the afterlife.

Chavayan Village

This, ladies and gents is another village full of old stone houses. There is also a small hut near the entrance of the village where old ladies craft Vaculs, a Headgear made out of dried Voyavoy leaves used to protect the Ivatans from the Sun, Rain and Wind.  A very versatile tool that can also be used for fashion and fooling around... just like what we did.

Another note that I'd like to make is how delicious the Hard boiled native eggs are that are sold outside the hut where the Vaculs are made. I had 2 of them and wanted one more had my Girlfriend not stopped me from grabbing another one.

Morong Beach

This is the last destination for our trip to Sabtang. The beach was quite far from the other locations and we had to go through about 10-15 minutes before getting there. The shore was made of white and average quality sand (not as fine as commercial beaches) , the waves were calm and the fierce winds of Sabtang gives way to the mild and salty breeze of the sea.  A couple of meters from the shore lies a Rock formation in the form of an Arc which tourists apparently craze about. But all that mattered little to us, since by this time, we were all famished. We, with the exception of 2 of our companions were all watery mouth while waiting for our Lunch courtesy of the Eatery situated just in front f the beach.  And then it came... our long awaited lunch... I don't know if it was just the hunger kicking in, but the way I saw it was like a feast fit for gods. There was Pork Adobo, Grilled Fish, Butter-Garlic Sauteed Lobsters and the almighty and all-famous COCONUT CRAB! A terrestrial crab usually found in rocky cliff edges. It can grow to about half a meter long and over a kilo in weight. Ours of course, was the small variant of it, but that doesn't take away any of the taste and awesomeness of it.

oh so yummy!

Who wants some lobsters?

Behold the magnificent Coconut Crab

That sumptuous lunch concluded our 2nd day in Batanes. We arrived at our INN around 3 in the afternoon, started our usual routine of rest, refresh, FB, IG and COC, while our resident Chef magically made another fabulous dinner for us.

DAY 3

Ok, so we're at day 3 now and my hands are growing numb typing this. We still haven't run out of things to do while our wallets are starting to thin down.  I was quiet surprised when the caretaker of our INN came in early today and replenished our supply of Instant coffee and Hot chocolate. She was also very cheerful when she told us that we are free to peel off some of her Lettuce which was planted in the backyard.  I guess heartfelt hospitality isn't really exclusive to those luxurious Hotels.

Chawa view deck

I'm starting to think that this place is all about deadly cliffs. This has got to be the 3rd or 4th cliff that we will be visiting. Chawa is the Ivatan word for cliff, so it literally translates into Cliff view deck. Imagine that? A viewing deck made so you can watch the cliff. But this place lives up to it's expectations, the cliff is breath taking when viewed from above. So tall and rough. The perfect embodiment of how crude and rough nature is. There were also steps on the side which will allow you to go down to get a feel of the violent waves crashing into dissipating sea foams at the feet of the mighty cliff.

Oh, and please heed my advise when I say that you should not go down unless you are fully prepared to sweat the hell out on your way back up.

Mahatao Boat Shelter port

This one was quick, we just viewed it from above as the port was under renovation. It would have made a very fine scenery had there not been so much trash in the water.

San Carlos Borromeo Church

Didn't I tell you that there wouldn't be a shortage of churches on every trip that you would make in the Philippines? This has to be the 4th one that we are visiting. Now the church here didn't really interest me, to me they all look the same, with the exception of a few couple ones. What really sparked my interest was what's beside it.

Blank Book Archive

Here it is. One of the most brilliant ideas to ever manifest on Philippine soil. This library houses hundreds of books marked with individual numbers. But these books are unlike any other.. they are all blank. A collection of blank books where visitors and locals can write anything.  Experiences, aspirations, dreams, stories, unspoken confessions. For God's sake, one can even write a novel here and scatter the chapters across individual books. This is just such a brilliant idea! I got excited and opened a random book, the first few pages I flipped gave me a realization that shattered my heart. This whole library, despite it's brilliance is not being managed properly. No, it is not being managed at all. There were pages with just trash written on it. Some even had private parts drawn on them. Oh God, why did you allow this to happen? This can potentially be one of the brightest things we can leave for future generations. Just imagine, 50 years from now. Maybe most of the books have been filled up already. Your great grandson can travel to Batanes and look for a specific book where you left a letter for them. Or maybe there is this girl from school whom you secretly loved for a long time but couldn't find the courage to tell. You can leave a confession note there and then if you are still in love with her after several years, send her a ticket to Batanes with instructions on what Book and which page to look at.  There are just a million ways to describe and foresee how this can affect future generations. But that will probably never happen, given that no one seems to take interest in this place the way that I do.  So as much as it pained me, I did not write anything on those books.  Not because I didn't want to, but because it would pain me more to write something of such great value and then later find out that the place either closed down or just turned into a huge mess.

House of Dakay

This is the oldest stone house that has remained unchanged (with the exception of the cogon roof) for over a century. A remnant of the past that was wiped out by a fierce earthquake that devastated the whole island.

Honesty Store

Before I go about detailing our experience here, I just wanted to share that while we were visiting Batanes, Coco Martin and Tony Gonzaga (local artists) were also in Batanes shooting a couple of scenes for their upcoming movie. As expected, our Lady companions couldn't help but wag their tails upon seeing Coco Martin. In fact, the locals there were just going on with their everyday life as if they didn't even care about the set at all, while our companions were giggling on top of their lungs with excitement. God they almost got a cardiac arrest when Coco glanced over them and winked. But one can't help it, girls will always be girls.

So back to the Store. This place like any other Honesty store in the world is just exactly the same.  The only difference  is the people around the store. You see, people here in Batanes are so "good natured" that you'll almost think God shielded it from all the evils of the world.

Marloboro Country (Racuh a Payaman)

 This, my friends, is the reason why you save the best for last.  Because everything, and I mean EVERYTHING that we have seen so far was dwarfed by what was waiting for us at  the end of our South Batan trip.  Racuh a Payaman is the exact depiction of how the world would look like if man never walked on it. The undisturbed beauty of this place is what makes you gasp for air despite not being short of it. It is the sum total of whatever Batanes had to offer. Cliffs, rolling hills, and a breathtaking view of the indescribable beauty of the sea. One could not complaint if this would be their last view of the earth before they left it.

Lunch was served in the restaurant which was located in the same area, the food was ok but was not something that was noteworthy.

As the day was dwindling down, so too came the end of our 3rd day. We got back around 5 in the afternoon and went on with our usual routine with our resident chef cooked up another belly-busting dinner for our hungry mouths.


DAY 4

The fourth day was intended for us to just rest and roam around the town. We didn't have anything planned but one of our companions had this thing in her bucket list which she wanted to try. top Loading.. Riding a jeepney but sitting on top of the roof instead of inside the vehicle. Just imagine how terrified I felt when my girlfriend said that we will accompany her. All the pictures of those steep cliffs along the sharp curves of the road rushed through my mind. I knew I was in for trouble. Imagine the paralyzing feeling of fear creeping up your spine whenever the jeepney closes in for a sharp curve. Inertia would push your body towards the edge and if you don't brace your grip, you would fall over the jeepney and into the bottomless pit of nothingness.  Luckily I was seated on the side of the jeepney facing the mountain wall. What a relief. Nothing could describe the euphoria that I have felt at that time knowing that I won't be seeing anything else but solid walls of rocks.

Here are some of the pictures taken during that trip:

Also, bring a small pillow to cushion your bottoms.  A Jeepney's roof isn't exactly comparable to a comfortable seat.

The round-trip didn't take longer than an hour and we got back around 3 in the afternoon.  From there on, we just strolled the town using bicycles we borrowed from the INN, we also got a couple more from a bicycle rental shop for just 25 pesos per hour.

Fundacion de Pacita

Before I forget, we also did a side trip to the only luxury hotel in the the whole island. We wanted to have lunch there but were unable to due to their tables being fully booked on that day. So we just arranged for coffee and pastries just to be able to enter the premises and stroll around the place.

I'd say the place really lives up to what you expect of it.  Apparently they don't just charge high rates, they also provide outstanding experience and comfy rooms that offer a view that is nothing short of being awesome.

So evening came and so did fatigue. We all went back to the INN to get our dinner and stuff ready since we were scheduled to leave the following day. Our resident chef, pulled off one last magic trick by sauteing fresh lobsters in butter and garlic that made our mouths drool. Spaghetti and Fried chicken was also served to ensure that we will never forget our last dinner in Batanes.

DAY 5

Nothing planned for the day since we are scheduled for the 9:30AM flight. With our bags packed, we left the INN and proceeded to the nearby Airport. One last reminder: There are no scanners in the airport, Bag inspection is being done manually by the assigned security personnel. So do yourself and them a favor by making sure that your dirty clothes, specially your undergarments are well packed. You know what I mean.

So that concludes our Batanes trip. Overall, I think it was pretty good. The sights are breathtaking and just beautiful. Just make sure that you don't get carried away when you read blogs and articles online describing Batanes. Those, like this, is a summary of what I, as the writer have seen and experienced. That being said, you may see, or experience something entirely different, and clinging on to my description of the place may spoil all the beauty that you can perceive if you have gone with a pretension-free mind instead.