Saturday, December 8, 2012

Halloween in Siquijor

Siquijor Port

The plan was to go South Cebu and Dumaguete, but even hours before my flight, there was nothing yet in my itinerary. When I ask folks from www.pinoyexchange.com,  I was told siquijor is just an hour ferry away. I’ve also heard claims of Siquijor having great beaches, so I got so excited about getting to Siquijor.


From the port, I could see the white sand beach and the clear water of the shore. I got thrilled at how great the “actual” beaches can be.
That was already past 2pm, and step 2 is to scout some accommodation. A PEX friend recommended Czar’s place for P500/night, but I had a feeling there are cheaper options.

The uniformed tourism officials said Czar’s is the cheapest, but when I asked the desk personnel for a list of hotels/lodges around, he opened his logbook with a long list including transient dormitories – BINGO!
Most of the cheaper lodges are located in Larena, so we took the transpo to Larena and brought out the list along the way. We ended up in Luisa’s Food & Lodge at P250/night. It was a transient accommodation for agents of various merchandise, located right next to the Port.


Luisa's Food & Lodge next to the Larena Port


Since it was already late in the afternoon and there’s nowhere else to go but only around town, we sat relaxed,  chain smoked, cleaned up, and prepared for dinner and booz.
We planned to have dinner at JO's Chiken Inato but thinking of how much we'll have to spend to satisy our intestines, we thought about doing a semi dinner among the barbeque stalls in the port.


our, after all, not so cheap barbeque

After that meal, we skipped JO's for the meantime, and went for a walk to another bar past it. 


 Ironically, JO's was having a halloween gimik with it's staff dressed like zombies complete with spooky sounds on the background. The sounds could be heard within the whole town, and with the town so dark, I could tell my friend is getting paranoid. It was only then that I realized about the legend of Siquijor.
Anyway, on that bar (after JO's Inato), they served (only) COLT45 beer at P25/bottle, and with free wifi (and as bonus, copious mosquito bites). After a bottle, and enough boredom, we finally moved to JO's.


didn't quite get the name of this bar but it's after JO's

The majority of the guests are family members, whom, I am supposing were locals returning for holidays. The only thing is, the band was as old as the town, coming, perhaps not from dumaguete city, but from Second Life.. lolz.


JO's Chiken Inato, Larena Siquijor




JO's Chicken Inato, Larena, Siquijor


my close to P200 chicken bbq

After JO's, we decided to check out what the passers-by refered to as "Disco." I initially thought it was a club or at least an establishment. To my surprise, it was a community affair - "pasayaw." Nonetheless, we checked it out (though there was really nothing to do inside). 

The people would pay their entrance charges, but would just be sitting on some corners (because they charge P300 and P600 to use a table). After 2 cigarettes, we decided to go back to Luisa's and take a rest. 




It was already late the following day when we woke up; We could not get a cheap service to get us to Salagdong, so we just decided to go back to Siquijor proper and rent the motorcycle in Dos Traum.

Broommmm! Broom! Broom! I pretended like I knew how to drive an XRM motorcycle, but the truth is, I've only handled scooter, fully automatic, ped-less bikes. But since there isn't one available, and driving the XRM was the only cheap means around, I braved it. 

In San Juan, we dropped by Kagusuan Falls. There was no entrance charges whatsover to get to the falls. You'll just have to treck your way down (perhaps 10 mins to reach) from the marker.



Lugnason Falls, San Juan, Siquijor

Lugnason Falls, San Juan, Siquijor

Lugnason Falls, San Juan, Siquijor

After the falls, we tried to look for a nice beach and lodge for the night. The least expensive was Czar's but I wasn't willing to spend that considering it did not have a beach front. It's even on the opposite side of the ride away from the beach.

We've checked out another resort, which, surprisingly, the owner was a fellow kapampangan. However, it did not have a beach front either. It's beach was rocky though I must admit the place was really cool for relaxation. 

I told the owner about our preference towards a nice beachfront, and took the time to ask where in Siquijor we can get the best beach, but we were pointed back to the port. She adds that the good beaches in siquijor are normally next to the cemeteries. And since we did not have any intention of checking in, we thanked and left goodbye.

Along the way, we came next to the cemetery, and in fact, we see that there's a sand clearance next to it. We dropped by and checked it out. From there, we could see that it must indeed be the best (or perhaps next to the most expensive siquijor resort about 500m away) around the San Juan shoreline. However, the fishy smell is all over and not at all appetizing for a bath.


beach in San Juan, Siquijor



We drove further, and planned to head all the way to Salagdong. We stopped by the San Isidro Labrador church and went in the old Convent right in front of it.


San Isidro, Labrador Church, Lazi, Siquijor

San Isidro Labrador Convent


Caltex Gas Pump running on bottles

We attempted to check out Kagusuan beach but most of the people we asked around when we were at the convent were saying we won't be allowed to get in. Rumor has it that a giant snake was spotted along the trail to the beach, and has eaten several live animals including a goat. Thus, people are not allowed as the snake is still in the wild. Instead, we checked out Cambugahay Falls (which, If i counted it right, has 4 drops).


Cambugahay Falls, Lazi, Siquijor

Cambugahay Falls, Lazi, Siquijor

Cambugahay Falls, Lazi, Siquijor

Cambugahay Falls, Lazi, Siquijor


From Cambugahay Falls, we head straight to Salagdong.

There were a lot of people when we got there; The waves were also aggressive. I had the impression of Buho Rock resort in Camotes Island; the cliff, jump, and the construction itself.


Salagdong Beach, Siquijor

Salagdong Beach, Siquijor


It was almost dark when we left salagdong, and before we even reach the town proper, it was black dark; There is no street lighting; I'm glad I have lost belief of anything metamorphical as I would have faint of fear. 

along the way, just past the town of Maria, the head light completely went off; Now, i'm scared; not because of what creepy creature might show up, but becuase it's totally impossible to move, especially that it's downhill. I've tried calling Dos Traum but there was no answer; I was trying to find a way to repair, until after 20 mins of nonsense, i realized I had a flashlight in my pack; Flashlight saved the night.

And we even managed to check out the Capilay Spring Park; Had there been lights in the vicinity, I would have at least done a short dip. But it was too dark to see if it's clear at all.


Capilay Spring Park, Siquijor


For that night, we checked in at Dos Traum. It was a good choice as our P250/night had cable tv and a cozy veranda. The only thing was, it's good enough for sleep but there's nowhere to scout food, beer, etc around. We tried to snatch out at 10pm.  Their househelps probably heard us, and went out of their rooms, and I spotted rosaries in their hands (hoof!!!); 


Das Traum Guest House, Siquijor

Das Traum Guest House, Siquijor

Das Traum Guest House, Siquijor


The closest lit establishment nearby was a St Peter Funeral Home, we walked past further, and saw the swedish lodge still open; had beer and a tiny snack; Bored ourselves fairly well and gave up the night.



Siquijor Port

The plan was to go South Cebu and Dumaguete, but even hours before my flight, there was nothing yet in my itinerary. When I ask folks from www.pinoyexchange.com,  I was told siquijor is just an hour ferry away. I’ve also heard claims of Siquijor having great beaches, so I got so excited about getting to Siquijor.


From the port, I could see the white sand beach and the clear water of the shore. I got thrilled at how great the “actual” beaches can be.
That was already past 2pm, and step 2 is to scout some accommodation. A PEX friend recommended Czar’s place for P500/night, but I had a feeling there are cheaper options.

The uniformed tourism officials said Czar’s is the cheapest, but when I asked the desk personnel for a list of hotels/lodges around, he opened his logbook with a long list including transient dormitories – BINGO!
Most of the cheaper lodges are located in Larena, so we took the transpo to Larena and brought out the list along the way. We ended up in Luisa’s Food & Lodge at P250/night. It was a transient accommodation for agents of various merchandise, located right next to the Port.


Luisa's Food & Lodge next to the Larena Port


Since it was already late in the afternoon and there’s nowhere else to go but only around town, we sat relaxed,  chain smoked, cleaned up, and prepared for dinner and booz.
We planned to have dinner at JO's Chiken Inato but thinking of how much we'll have to spend to satisy our intestines, we thought about doing a semi dinner among the barbeque stalls in the port.


our, after all, not so cheap barbeque

After that meal, we skipped JO's for the meantime, and went for a walk to another bar past it. 


 Ironically, JO's was having a halloween gimik with it's staff dressed like zombies complete with spooky sounds on the background. The sounds could be heard within the whole town, and with the town so dark, I could tell my friend is getting paranoid. It was only then that I realized about the legend of Siquijor.
Anyway, on that bar (after JO's Inato), they served (only) COLT45 beer at P25/bottle, and with free wifi (and as bonus, copious mosquito bites). After a bottle, and enough boredom, we finally moved to JO's.


didn't quite get the name of this bar but it's after JO's

The majority of the guests are family members, whom, I am supposing were locals returning for holidays. The only thing is, the band was as old as the town, coming, perhaps not from dumaguete city, but from Second Life.. lolz.


JO's Chiken Inato, Larena Siquijor




JO's Chicken Inato, Larena, Siquijor


my close to P200 chicken bbq

After JO's, we decided to check out what the passers-by refered to as "Disco." I initially thought it was a club or at least an establishment. To my surprise, it was a community affair - "pasayaw." Nonetheless, we checked it out (though there was really nothing to do inside). 

The people would pay their entrance charges, but would just be sitting on some corners (because they charge P300 and P600 to use a table). After 2 cigarettes, we decided to go back to Luisa's and take a rest. 




It was already late the following day when we woke up; We could not get a cheap service to get us to Salagdong, so we just decided to go back to Siquijor proper and rent the motorcycle in Dos Traum.

Broommmm! Broom! Broom! I pretended like I knew how to drive an XRM motorcycle, but the truth is, I've only handled scooter, fully automatic, ped-less bikes. But since there isn't one available, and driving the XRM was the only cheap means around, I braved it. 

In San Juan, we dropped by Kagusuan Falls. There was no entrance charges whatsover to get to the falls. You'll just have to treck your way down (perhaps 10 mins to reach) from the marker.



Lugnason Falls, San Juan, Siquijor

Lugnason Falls, San Juan, Siquijor

Lugnason Falls, San Juan, Siquijor

After the falls, we tried to look for a nice beach and lodge for the night. The least expensive was Czar's but I wasn't willing to spend that considering it did not have a beach front. It's even on the opposite side of the ride away from the beach.

We've checked out another resort, which, surprisingly, the owner was a fellow kapampangan. However, it did not have a beach front either. It's beach was rocky though I must admit the place was really cool for relaxation. 

I told the owner about our preference towards a nice beachfront, and took the time to ask where in Siquijor we can get the best beach, but we were pointed back to the port. She adds that the good beaches in siquijor are normally next to the cemeteries. And since we did not have any intention of checking in, we thanked and left goodbye.

Along the way, we came next to the cemetery, and in fact, we see that there's a sand clearance next to it. We dropped by and checked it out. From there, we could see that it must indeed be the best (or perhaps next to the most expensive siquijor resort about 500m away) around the San Juan shoreline. However, the fishy smell is all over and not at all appetizing for a bath.


beach in San Juan, Siquijor



We drove further, and planned to head all the way to Salagdong. We stopped by the San Isidro Labrador church and went in the old Convent right in front of it.


San Isidro, Labrador Church, Lazi, Siquijor

San Isidro Labrador Convent


Caltex Gas Pump running on bottles

We attempted to check out Kagusuan beach but most of the people we asked around when we were at the convent were saying we won't be allowed to get in. Rumor has it that a giant snake was spotted along the trail to the beach, and has eaten several live animals including a goat. Thus, people are not allowed as the snake is still in the wild. Instead, we checked out Cambugahay Falls (which, If i counted it right, has 4 drops).


Cambugahay Falls, Lazi, Siquijor

Cambugahay Falls, Lazi, Siquijor

Cambugahay Falls, Lazi, Siquijor

Cambugahay Falls, Lazi, Siquijor


From Cambugahay Falls, we head straight to Salagdong.

There were a lot of people when we got there; The waves were also aggressive. I had the impression of Buho Rock resort in Camotes Island; the cliff, jump, and the construction itself.


Salagdong Beach, Siquijor

Salagdong Beach, Siquijor


It was almost dark when we left salagdong, and before we even reach the town proper, it was black dark; There is no street lighting; I'm glad I have lost belief of anything metamorphical as I would have faint of fear. 

along the way, just past the town of Maria, the head light completely went off; Now, i'm scared; not because of what creepy creature might show up, but becuase it's totally impossible to move, especially that it's downhill. I've tried calling Dos Traum but there was no answer; I was trying to find a way to repair, until after 20 mins of nonsense, i realized I had a flashlight in my pack; Flashlight saved the night.

And we even managed to check out the Capilay Spring Park; Had there been lights in the vicinity, I would have at least done a short dip. But it was too dark to see if it's clear at all.


Capilay Spring Park, Siquijor


For that night, we checked in at Dos Traum. It was a good choice as our P250/night had cable tv and a cozy veranda. The only thing was, it's good enough for sleep but there's nowhere to scout food, beer, etc around. We tried to snatch out at 10pm.  Their househelps probably heard us, and went out of their rooms, and I spotted rosaries in their hands (hoof!!!); 


Das Traum Guest House, Siquijor

Das Traum Guest House, Siquijor

Das Traum Guest House, Siquijor


The closest lit establishment nearby was a St Peter Funeral Home, we walked past further, and saw the swedish lodge still open; had beer and a tiny snack; Bored ourselves fairly well and gave up the night.



Read More »

Thursday, December 6, 2012

3D/2N Caramoan - Catanduanes Itinerary

docked in Matukad Island

The Majestic Wave, Puraran Beach Resort, Baras, Catanduanes


It's a Bonifacio non-working holiday on a friday - a call for long haul travels.

More than a month ago, I got an invite from an online friend for Pollilo island. But, just 2 weeks after I hit the "going" button on his fb event invite, since I am very very eager about completing my 80-province goal, I thought I could skip Pollilo for the meantime; Besides, I've been in and out of Quezon more than frequently.

I was supposed to exchange the Pollilo trip for Lubang island Mindoro; But just when I thought everything's ok, 2 nights before the trip, I have been told that there is no trip going to the island on that friday.

Without much research, I had thought about Caramoan; And when I looked in the map, it is quite close to Catanduanes, which we can probably fit for this 3 day trip.

Sabang Port



Guijalo Port





our P600 budget bangka with Kuya Junior the bangkero



Herebelow is our trip's time line:

9:00      Depart Cubao
7:25      Arrive in Naga
9:39      Arrive in Sabang
10:40    Depart Sabang
12:52    Arrive in Guijalo
2:17      Arrive in Paniman
6:00      Back in Paniman
10:04     Depart Rex
11:18     Depart Guijalo
12:31    Arrive Codon
1:40      Arrive Virac
4:10      Depart Pier for Baras
6:35     Arrive Puraran
9:45      Depart Puraran
11:46    Arrive Virac
1:20     Depart Virac Pier
5:30    Arrive Tabacco Pier
5:30    Arrive Cubao





Codon Port in San Andres
Virac - Baras Terminal










 Share    Description  Cost/Group

400 Bus: Cubao to Naga
100 Van: Naga to Sabang
120 Boat: Sabang to Guijalo
30 Environmental Fee
100 Share: Rex Tourist Inn 300
50 Lunch
67 Trike: Guijalo to Paniman 200
200 Boat: Paniman to Islands 600
33 Dinner 100
67 Trike: Paniman to Centro: REX 200
72 Monina Garden Retro Bar
50 Breakfast
34 Trike: Centro to Guijalo 100
300 Boat: Guijalo to Codon 900
50 Trike: Codon to Virac 150
35 Lunch
10 Trike: Virac Palengke to Pier
35 Jeep to Baras
33 Trike: Baras to Puraran 100
133 Puraran Surf Accomodation 400
175 Surfing Share (rental+guide) 350
50 Trike: Puraran to Baras 150
40 Brunch
35 Jeep: Baras to Virac
240 Ferry: Virac to Tabacco (Penafrancia)
15 Terminal Fee
350 Bus: Tabacco to Cubao
============================
P2,824.00 per head




Contacts:

Caramoan boatman may be contacted through Ate Marie 09108689651 (just ask for Kuya Jr)
Caramoan Trike Rene 09296282894 Elmer 09097702491
Boatman Guijalo to Codon 09167854015

Trike service from Codon to Virac Glen: 09186143650
Puraran Trike from Baras Emoi 09159881745
Puraran Beach Resort 09491343443

Penfrancia Shipping Virac to Tabaco 09175803935 09209099340
docked in Matukad Island

The Majestic Wave, Puraran Beach Resort, Baras, Catanduanes


It's a Bonifacio non-working holiday on a friday - a call for long haul travels.

More than a month ago, I got an invite from an online friend for Pollilo island. But, just 2 weeks after I hit the "going" button on his fb event invite, since I am very very eager about completing my 80-province goal, I thought I could skip Pollilo for the meantime; Besides, I've been in and out of Quezon more than frequently.

I was supposed to exchange the Pollilo trip for Lubang island Mindoro; But just when I thought everything's ok, 2 nights before the trip, I have been told that there is no trip going to the island on that friday.

Without much research, I had thought about Caramoan; And when I looked in the map, it is quite close to Catanduanes, which we can probably fit for this 3 day trip.

Sabang Port



Guijalo Port





our P600 budget bangka with Kuya Junior the bangkero



Herebelow is our trip's time line:

9:00      Depart Cubao
7:25      Arrive in Naga
9:39      Arrive in Sabang
10:40    Depart Sabang
12:52    Arrive in Guijalo
2:17      Arrive in Paniman
6:00      Back in Paniman
10:04     Depart Rex
11:18     Depart Guijalo
12:31    Arrive Codon
1:40      Arrive Virac
4:10      Depart Pier for Baras
6:35     Arrive Puraran
9:45      Depart Puraran
11:46    Arrive Virac
1:20     Depart Virac Pier
5:30    Arrive Tabacco Pier
5:30    Arrive Cubao





Codon Port in San Andres
Virac - Baras Terminal










 Share    Description  Cost/Group

400 Bus: Cubao to Naga
100 Van: Naga to Sabang
120 Boat: Sabang to Guijalo
30 Environmental Fee
100 Share: Rex Tourist Inn 300
50 Lunch
67 Trike: Guijalo to Paniman 200
200 Boat: Paniman to Islands 600
33 Dinner 100
67 Trike: Paniman to Centro: REX 200
72 Monina Garden Retro Bar
50 Breakfast
34 Trike: Centro to Guijalo 100
300 Boat: Guijalo to Codon 900
50 Trike: Codon to Virac 150
35 Lunch
10 Trike: Virac Palengke to Pier
35 Jeep to Baras
33 Trike: Baras to Puraran 100
133 Puraran Surf Accomodation 400
175 Surfing Share (rental+guide) 350
50 Trike: Puraran to Baras 150
40 Brunch
35 Jeep: Baras to Virac
240 Ferry: Virac to Tabacco (Penafrancia)
15 Terminal Fee
350 Bus: Tabacco to Cubao
============================
P2,824.00 per head




Contacts:

Caramoan boatman may be contacted through Ate Marie 09108689651 (just ask for Kuya Jr)
Caramoan Trike Rene 09296282894 Elmer 09097702491
Boatman Guijalo to Codon 09167854015

Trike service from Codon to Virac Glen: 09186143650
Puraran Trike from Baras Emoi 09159881745
Puraran Beach Resort 09491343443

Penfrancia Shipping Virac to Tabaco 09175803935 09209099340
Read More »

Popular Posts