Bayanihan in Ayoke Island (May 28 – June 2, 2012) is one of those things that should make every traveler feel good about themselves. Just writing about this one makes me feel good already. I’ve heard so much about Ayoke Island from friends that I’ve been raring to go there for some time and spend a couple of days exploring the island. Unfortunately, my weekends have either been booked for roadtrips that this one has really been left in my travel-shelf gathering dust, just like the many, many books I’ve bought and have yet to read.

When my brother showed me a poster of an event in Ayoke Island spearheaded by Gawad Kalinga (GK) and sponsored by Cantilan Bank Foundation Inc. (CBFI), that was the writing on the wall for me. It’s like the universe has conspired to give me the necessary nudge I needed to finally go there. And go there I shall. The even however is for one week and since I’m a working stiff, I’ll only be able to lend my assistance for the weekend. Better than nothing I suppose.

The great thing about this is that I get to visit the island for a couple of days and contribute a few hours of my life making some other folks’ lives a little bit more comfortable. This is like having your cake and eating it too.

Here are some of the things I’ve heard about Ayoke Island. Mind you, these were just things I was told, I haven’t had the time nor the desire to verify if what I’ve been told were true. So if you’re reading this and you know some of the things here aren’t true, do me a favor, leave a comment and keep me honest.

- Ayoke Island doesn’t have electricity. There used to be a generator on the island but the locals had to shell out a few bucks they don’t have for the privilege so that went out the window. These days, they’re into alternative energy which is solar power. Imagine that. The energy generated however is not of the magnitude that folks will be able to charge their mobile phones. So folks, if you go there and you must have a living, breathing cellphone, keep this in mind.

- Fish in the island is plentiful and disgustingly cheap. My brother told me that when they were there (with the GK crew I think) and they shared food with the locals, the latter went for the Bangsi (flying fish) instead of the Lapu-lapu (grouper). Apparently, Lapulapu is much more common than Bangsi.

- Ayoke is corraled in with only one passage way (a gap in the corrals surrounding the island) that can be used to enter and leave the island. You guys need to keep me honest on this one.

- Ayoke has big enough waves for people to surf.

Hope some readers of this blog will be able to join me for this event. See you there!

For more information about this event, you can call 086-2125489 or email the organizers at cantilanbankfoundationinc@gmail.com. Featured photo from www.journeyingjames.com

Last Good Friday, I went from San Francisco to Brittania in half a day.  I wish I could say that it’s from North America to Europe like what my title says but it isn’t.  I’m actually referring to San Francisco, Agusan Del Sur and Brittania, San Agustin, Surigao Del Sur.  The beach however is neither North American nor European; it’s 100% tropical Philippines.

Brittania is gaining popularity among local tourists because of its accessibility.  It can easily be reached by public transportation though having your own private ride would be much more comfortable.  It also helps that the roads going there are already paved which makes commuting fast and stress free.

Going There

Public Commute

There are buses that ply the San Agustin route so having your own transportation is not a necessity if you’re adventurous enough.  If your jump off point is Butuan City, there’s a Bachelor Express bus that goes to Tandag, so you can take that.  If you’re from Davao, there’s also a Davao Bachelor Express bus going to Tandag.  You’ll have to get off at San Agustin, Surigao De Sur, specifically Brgy. Brittania.  The conductor should be familiar with that area.  If you want to make sure, here’s a link to a google map.

http://bit.ly/I3kjja

If you’re from Manila, you can just take the plane to Butuan City, rent a multi-cab to the  bus terminal and take the Tandag bound buses.

Driving

From San Francisco, it’s just another 30-45 minute drive to Lianga.  The main thing to remember when going to Lianga is that when you reach Barobo from San Franz, you need to take a left when you reach the Barobo market junction.  Going right will take you to Mangagoy, Surigao Del Sur.

Another 10-20 minutes after taking the left turn Barobo will take you to Lianga.  There will plenty of signs so you won’t get lost but the thing to remember is the name of the place, Brittania, San Agustin, Surigao Del Sur.    The landmark for you to take the right turn for the Brittania jump off is a chapel, so watch out for that one.   Check out the link to the San Agustin map as well to be sure.

The Brittania Experience

Brittania boasts of a cluster of islands (24 to be exact) that’s realy good for island hopping.  The islands are close to each other so you don’t spend a lot of time in motorized bancas.  Here are a few pictures I’ve taken of the beaches and the waters that are really inviting.  These are taken from Naked Island (a sandbar) and Hagonoy Island.

I can only show a few pictures because I kinda messed up with the other pictures I’ve taken.  I still have to master that ISO setting so what can I say?

Nevertheless, there are a lot of things that Brittania can compare with the top beaches in the country.  There are islands there where the sand is as white and as fine as Boracay (I kid you not) and the water is as clear and as warm as the best of them.  If there’s ever a best time to go to this place, it’s now.  There’s few people that go there for now so if you’re still in your summer break, this is a must visit destination.

Must Try Things

Apart from the pleasure of the beach, there’s a thing or two that Brittania visitors need to try to complete the experience.  Both are related to food.

1. Sea Urchin – if you haven’t tried it yet, you have to try it there because it’s cheap and well, it has an interesting taste.  Just ask for the locals or wherever you’re staying if they’re serving it.  They most likely have it in their menu.  This one is taken raw.  The taste is like tasting a non-salty sea, a little bit yummy and at the same time it feels like you’re eating something yucky.  It’s an acquired taste so pair it with rice and just savor the aftertaste.
2. Aninikad – this one are small seashells.  You know those little crawly things that you see during low tide.  The locals pick these things up and serve it to visitors.  Cooked of course.  The interesting thing about this dish is how it’s cooked.  The locals clean the shells up with the fish net (I think) to remove all the sand and grime.  This is while the shells are still alive.  Then they take a huge cauldron, fill it up with sea water and then pour all the shells in it.  Since the shells are in their element, they sort of peek out of their shells.  Once they’re legs or appendages are showing.  The cauldron is then placed on top of a fire, and left there.  Effectively boiling those hard shelled little things to death.  It’s then easy picking for the eaters once the Aninikads are served as they’re already half out of their shell.  This one’s yummy and really good paired with ice cold beer.

Lodging

In the Brittania jump off point there are already establishments that offer board and lodging like the La Entrada Resorts and Restaurant, the Mac Arthur’s Place, La Isla Gloria de Britania and Joan’s Resort.

So what are you waiting for?  Brittania, still untouched by commercialization is waiting to be explored.

The problem with having seen and experienced some of the best beaches the Philippines has to offer is that when you go to a typical beach, you can’t help but compare it to the better beaches that you’ve been to. These days, I’ve been fortunate enough to have work that allows me enough time to go beach hopping whenever I want to– provided of course that the beach is nearby and won’t take centuries to go to. Since I’m now based in the province (mostly), and my province, Agusan Del Norte is practically a coastal province, there are a lot of beaches that I can easily go to. Unfortunately whatever beach I go to, I keep thinking about the fine white sand in Boracay or the azure blue waters of Palawan. It’s not helping I know but I can’t pretend that the beaches in ADN that I frequent are anywhere near the quality of the beaches I’ve been to.

That is until I ventured towards the far end of ADN, which is Vinapor. I remembered a few years back when I went there with my family and had a blast renting a banca and swimming in the patches of blue waters that the deeper part of Jurassic Beach offered. There wasn’t much beach to speak of because Jurassic Beach (now called Blue Waters) is set on a cliff with its cottages strategically erected on limestone boulders without needlessly destroying the natural formations. It makes for a very good nature trip.

The best beach in ADN, according to me, however is not Jurassic Beach. It has it’s charms, more than the average ADN beach I believe, but going into the water can be challenging especially if you’re a bit on the clumsy side and has serious reservations about jumping into the water even from an insignificant height (think of a 3 feet fall). I’ll have to write about Jurassic Beach some other time as this article is about the best beach in ADN which is (drum roll please) Bolihon Beach.

Now Bolihon Beach can’t be compared to Boracay. It can be compared to Puerto Galera with it’s ochre colored sand, however because of its location (hello ADN), it is not a place where lots of tourists go to. It has however become popular for pre-nuptial photoshoots and videos. Now why is Bolihon Beach the best beach in ADN? Well let me count the ways.

1. It’s clean. I’m not saying it’s immaculately clean. Every beach will always have its share of riffraff, but because Bolihon is far clustered communities, it hasn’t gone the way of most ADN beaches. Unfortunately if the current insensitive Bolihon Beach goers do not mend their ways (leaving plastic trash near the beach!!) this beach is going to end up like a trash heap. Ok, I’m being overly dramatic here but really folks, if you go to the beach, please bring your garbage with you or at least dispose of them properly.

2. It’s not the usual black sand beach that’s prevalent in most ADN beaches. Don’t get me wrong, black can also be beautiful but somehow, a lot of the black sand beach I’ve been to are silted and have lots of clay in the seabed when you go into the water. This is not a pleasant feeling when you’re standing in between swimming.

3. It offers a beach front for casual swimmers, and a natural jumping spot for the more adventurous. To go to the jumping spots (you can call it diving spots if you want but I’ll leave that for later) you just have to go to the natural formations where the sea meets a bed of limestone (not sure if its coral but definitely part of the cliffs there) and just jump into the soft azure waters. The water there is very deep so it’s perfect for practicing your divebombs.

4. It’s a haven for divers. Bolihon beach is home to the Butuan Bay Divers. I have never ventured into diving as I feel that it will be the death of me so I just sort of experience diving precariously through these guys awesome underwater pictures. You can check out their facebook page or website if you want.

5. It’s cheap! Entrance is only P25, and the cottage is only P150!

6. It’s remote. And thanks to this remoteness, you don’t get a battalion of beach combers going there everytime. If you happen to go on a weekday, you can practically have the beach to yourself.

How to go there.

1. You need to have your own transportation. Public transportation can only take you as far as the Carmen, ADN highway. You need to rent your transport if you want to go there.

2. Carmen is around 25Km from Butuan City. If you’re coming from Butuan, watch out for the Bolihon Beach sign to the right. You need to take that right and travel for another 1.5KM before you reach Bolihon. Again, you need to watch out for the Bolihon sign when you’re coming down that unpaved road decline. Unpaved is an understatement. Do not bring a lowered Ferrari to that place. You’ll wreck it.

3. There’s a limited number of cottages. If you want a hassle free getaway, be there early; especially if its a weekend. There are areas where you can grill your own fish/meat but you need to bring your own charcoal. Theres a store inside the resort that sells beer/softdrinks/hard liquor but you need to bring your own food. Not sure if they have a restaurant though.

I’ve been to Bolihon twice in March alone and I figured I’ll be going there at least twice a month.

So if you’re planning on having a rocking good beach adventure in ADN, don’t sell yourself short. Go to Bolihon Beach.  Don’t be fooled by those huge billboards proclaiming that their beach resort is the sh*t in ADN.

I am almost done with my Surigao obsession. I have been to the top Surigao destinations a couple of times and in some cases watched with horror as some of those I’ve visited turned from an exclusive natural territory to a human infested local tourist trap. It’s the way of progress I guess but still watching everything unravel can sometimes be gut-wrenching.

It seems only yesterday when I first discovered the enchanted river in Hinatuan along with a couple of mates. We braved going to where the river is on a habal-habal fearing that our knees would be no more if we figure in a horrible spill should our driver lose control. But some things are worth tempting fate over.

We spent hours jumping from the river bank to the blue water that was supposed to be enchanted. We saw children climb the highest trees and jump fearlessly into the river. We tasted the almost sweet water that’s naturally cleaned every time the tide comes in.

When I went back a couple of months later, I was almost blinded by the neon orange life savers that visitors wear to swim on the river. Lots of them neon orange things. Several structures have already been built near the bank of the river and while the structures make swimming safer for the visitors, the trade off is that its natural beauty is almost gone. The enchanted river has made a turn towards commercialized tourism and there’s no going back.

This December I’ll make one final journey around the entire Surigao province and then focus my energies towards another near province that is Davao. While I believe that I’ll never be able to find the same things I experienced in Surigao, I’m hopeful that Davao will present a different level of enjoyment, and that can only make things more interesting.

A couple of weeks ago, I found myself trailing the significant other who was browsing through the luxury shops in Singapore buying stuff for clients.  It would have been great if some of the stuff she was buying was for me but unfortunately it was all about business as usual.  The great thing is that I finally was able to come to Singapore, not for some gut-wrenching project but for purely materialistic and gastronomic purposes.

Weeks prior to our trip, the SO suggested that I come with her for an all expense paid trip to the city of fines as she was given an incentive by some company for some sales feat she achieved.  I was hesitant at first because having experienced going with her to another country wasn’t exactly the kind of fun that I imagined;  it was all supplier hunting and stocks and infernally long walks in crowded bazaars.  The only R&R I got from some of our out of country sorties was the foot massage at the end of the day when I can barely drag my feet up another stair.

This time however, before saying yes, I checked out what’s happening in the place she was inviting me to and got really excited when I learned that the Ultimate Ramen Championships is happening there (and continues to this date) and all the best Ramen shops in Japan were in town.  I immediately said yes and couldn’t wait to say Itadakimasu, Naruto-style.  I imagined myself slurping down oodles of noodles and sticking a toothpick in my mouth afterwards.  I was also looking forward to getting fiery mouthed with Indian fare from Muthu Curry and slopping bread with Singapore’s famous chili crabs.

Our fist day in Singapore immediately started with a walk-athon inside Marina Sands where the SO just had to go through all the Chanel stores, the Louis Vuitton shops, and the Hermes shops.  Goodness gracious, a freaking bangle for P35k?  Madre de cacao who would wear such a thing?  Sure it’s an Hermes but what gives?  The SO said that it’s for a rich client and further added that the reason I can’t appreciate such a luxury was because I can’t afford it.  Fair point.

Next was a cellphone strap priced at P25k.  My mind was swimming at the number of cases of San Mig Lights that I can buy with P25k.  I decided to shut my trap just in case the SO gets too annoyed.

The great thing about our Marina Sands visit was, it coincided with an exhibit of Salvador Dali’s works.  Dali was one of those surrealist guys whose works I really enjoy.  A certain reality twist is something that a guy who’s always looking to escape life gets a kick out of.  After all the walking I did for the SO, she really couldn’t refuse when I asked her to check out the exhibit.  The entrance fee is way more than 5 cinema tickets here but you know, when in Rome…

The Dali exhibit was a revelation.  I can’t pretend to understand what goes on inside the man’s head but I’m pretty sure he’s got a few screws loose otherwise he won’t be able to conceive a lot of those things he’s made.  The exhibit title says ‘Inside the mind of a genius’ I dare say it’s like going into the inner sanctum of a basket case.  I can’t really say anything else lest I be labeled as an ignoramus, which I probably am, but I do admit that looking at his works really challenged my simplistic way of looking at things.  Oh well, enough with Mr. Moustache.

The next two days were spent walking, walking, and more walking.  I did manage to visit the Ultimate Ramen Championship site at Iluma, near Bugis Junction and got to order Tetsu’s Very Rich Special Paitan Tsukemen (Pork, Chicken, & Seafood Broth).  Eating ramen Tsukemen-style is slightly different from eating ramen the normal way.  The noodles is separated from the broth and to eat it, you have to dip the noodle in the broth which is placed in another bowl.  The first thing I noticed was that the noodle was really springy.  It’s not like the usual noodle which gives up once you sink your teeth into it.  It sort of puts up a fight which makes the experience very enjoyable.  Or it could just be that this is how noodles should be and I’ve just been eating mediocre noodles all my life.  The broth indeed was very rich and somehow due to its richness it’s now almost like gravy.  Which is not to say that it does not taste good.  It did taste good.  In fact it tasted really good.  The only thing was I didn’t order any drink so all the time I was eating I had to make sure that I don’t gag on those very springy noodles.  Tetsu’s Paitan noodles costs SGD13/bowl.  That translates to around Php455 which is more than my day’s budget for food in Manila.  Perhaps that was the reason as well why I didn’t order another bowl from the other Ramen Stalls.  Poverty does steal one’s thunder sometimes.

The second night led us to one of the more popular hawker centers in Singapore.  The one we went to was near the Esplanade, that big durian looking structure near the bay.  I was already relishing the thought of having chili crabs, something that I’ve been dreaming of eating again for the longest time.  Unfortunately while the SO did order chili crabs, they were not the kind of crabs that I expected.  They were of the alimasag variety– not the alimango ones that I was looking forward to.  But since beggars can’t be choosers I went through the motions and managed to enjoy (even just a little bit) the inferior chili crab in front of me.

The last food in my list, chicken briyani, didn’t fare so well either.  I was expecting a really spicy chicken or mutton briyani just like the one I used to feast on back in the days when I often visit this city for work, but unfortunately what I got were the touristy variety.  It still tasted about the same but without its fiery quality.  I guess we were eating too much in places where tourists congregate so I think the Indian stalls had to flavor it accordingly.  Worse, they were not from Muthu Curry.  I really should go back there some other time and hunt down that elusive Indian stall.

I think Singapore, for a tourist at least, is best experienced when you have lots of money in your pocket.  We went to Funan on our third day to look for things, again, for the SO’s clients, again, and I chanced upon this gaming rig.  Looking at it was painful because I know I can never buy it.  This alienware laptop has 8, mother of god, gigabytes of RAM.  It was just too much for my poor envious heart to handle so I just took a quick snapshot and went away.

Overall, the Singapore trip was a great workout.  I must have burned gazillions of calories from all the walking that I did.  Although I think I promptly got them back during dinner.  Still it was a welcome trip, different from the usual out of country travels that I did with the SO.  But I know I can’t let my guard down.  The next time she asks me again to accompany her, I still have to make sure what the trip is for, and if it provides for a little window for R&R.  Other than that, everything’s right with the world.

Top 5 Philippine Fall Events

The Philippines is a wonderful place to visit in the fall. It may be considered rainy season, but most the time the rain only comes for a couple of hours a day. The bonus is the cooler weather and the many events that will give you an insider’s view into the beautiful country. Our guest posters, AnyTrip have found the top five fall events to visit in the country:

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Asia Food Expo – Manila

Located in Manila, AFEX as it is known in the region is one of the largest food shows. Companies from manufacturing, hotels, fast food, supermarkets and wholesalers come to see the newest in food safety and preparation. For 2011, the expo will be held from Sept 7 to Sept 10 at the World Trade Center.

Peñafrancia Fiesta- Naga City, Bicol

Held annually on the third Saturday of September, the festival attracts thousands of devotees to Naga City in Bicol. As the statue of the Virgin Mary makes its way from the Metropolitan Cathedral down the Naga River to her Basilica on a decorated boat thousands cheer. The party continues for the week after with parades, festivals, regattas and even a beauty pageant.

National Orchestra Festival – Manila

Classical music fans will delight in this annual event at the Cultural Center of the Philippines in Manila. The country’s best orchestras come together to perform works from composers such as Strauss, Elgar and Saint-Saens.

Zamboanga Hermosa - Zamboanga City

Also known as the Fiesta Pilar, this is the oldest and most anticipated festival of the country. Held each year on Oct. 12, the festival is to honor the image of Our Lady of the Pillar, the patroness of Zamboanga City. The festival features competitions of many varieties including dance and sporting events. Fashion shows, concerts and trade shows also take center stage.

MassKara Festival – Bacolod City, Negros Occidental

The city of Bacolod City, in Negros Occidental comes to life with a blitz of colour and music on the third week of October every year. MassKara is Spanish for ‘a multitude of smiling faces’ and involves a parade of often masked performers dancing through the streets to Latin-style music. It began in the 80s after a sugar import crisis and ship disaster, as a way to cheer the locals up.

The vast and rich culture comes alive in the Philippines during the fall. The country is worth visiting, not just for its beauty, but for its culture.

Images by: Chadwick, Deauts, Wikipedia, Labora, and Ana.

If you are planning a trip to the Philippines, one of the most important things which you will need to consider is where you want to stay. There are certainly plenty of options available in this area of the world, but the choice which you make can have a significant impact on the nature of your stay.

Firstly, you will want to decide what is important to you when it comes to accommodation. If you’re looking to have a luxurious holiday break, then you’ll want to book into a comfortable hotel which offers a good range of amenities. Many of the Philippines’ top class hotels offer a good range of useful amenities. If it’s important that you’re able to play online games like party poker during your stay, for example, then you’ll want to find a hotel with internet facilities. On the other hand, if you’re keen to relax with a range of beauty treatments, then you might be better off staying at a spa hotel, where such facilities are usually on site.

However, this is far from the cheapest option, and certainly isn’t what all travellers will be looking for. If you’re keen to save your money so that you might be able to afford to see more of this region, then you should consider staying in hostels. This tends to be a far less expensive option, although facilities are usually relatively basic.

You will also want to consider the location of your chosen accommodation. If you intend to spend most days on the beach, then you will want to be located closer to the coast than if, say, you plan to spend your time visiting the shops and museums of the nearest town. It is worth bearing in mind that the location of where you choose to stay can also impact the price of your accommodation.

The towering windmills in Bangui town in Ilocos Norte is more than just a tourist attraction. These windmills actually shoulders 40% of the town’s electricity. Sadly, this is one attraction that I have yet to view with my own eyes having only seen them through pictures.

These majestic structures front the seashore on the road to the white beaches of Pagudpud. My buddy Ceblogger was the first one to introduce them to me after his roadtrip to Pagudpud. I’ve wanted to traverse the same roads he drove on for some time now but due to my schedule and the skyrocketing fuel prices, my planned road trip has been shelved indefinitely for the time being.

I do know however that the year won’t be complete unless I’ll be able to go to this town and see these things for myself. There’s one option open to me now but it will involve some manipulation and subterfuge on my part. Heh. One of my pals is fortunate enough to be assigned a company car with unlimited gasoline allowance. The trick however is how to spin the trip I’m about to propose so that his missus won’t complain. The guys have already used my stag party story so many times that I think their wives are already suspecting that I’m some pervy polygamist.

Looking at the windmill pictures and imagining the absence of people makes me think of Don Quixote and his eternal battle with the windmills. Perhaps I should dress up as a knight and bring a lance too. It would be cool if I can manage a horse in this day and age. Hmm.. I think my photographer friends wouldn’t miss that one.

Enough with the pointless thoughts.

The Bangui Windmills, there are 15 of them, apart from being a tourist attraction is something that this country badly needs to replicate all over the Philippine Islands. With electricity rates soaring through the roof, God knows we could all use some cheap source of energy that doesn’t have the burden of creating greenhouse gasses. Which is what windmills is all about. Harnessing free wind energy, and converting them to power that could light up a town is such a no-brainer that I sometimes wonder if something like this isn’t worth giving up a little bit of the government’s time that’s being overused raising and uncovering one corruption scandal after another.

I think one of the things that the Aquino government needs is to balance the negativity that’s coming out of the papers everyday with some real cheerful news like, I don’t know, the creation of another wind farm perhaps? Really we are all too engrossed with the misfortune of others that it seems aside from the crab mentality that we accuse each other on a regular basis, I think we have a severe case of schadenfreude with the way we discuss amongst ourselves the misfortunes that are about to befall people with so much glee.

Gee whiz, we need to look at the beautiful and breathtaking scenes every once in a while. And if you’re reading this, you really need to get a load of this…

from digitalmabuhay.com

For months I’ve been dreaming of travelling to Sohoton Cove and swim with its non-sting jellyfishes. I’ve seen some videos on youtube of these creatures and I was amazed by the sheer number of these creatures swimming in Sohoton’s emerald waters. The blue-green waters didn’t make matters easier on me as well. I kept searching for pictures and blogs and videos of this place on the internet and wondered when I will be able to go there.

A couple of weeks ago however I was finally able to go to Sohoton courtesy of the significant other who, out of the blue, decided to call up her friends and organize the adventure. I was so excited and raring to go that the day before we depart, I wasn’t able to sleep! I was so out of it when we started our trip that I asked the SO to drive so I can get some sleep.

We were coming from Butuan City and we were advised that the best jump off point would be Claver, Surigao Del Norte specifically in Huyanggabon town. For those who would be travelling the same route and who are used to going to Surigao City, instead of making that left turn towards Surigao City in Placer, you just go straight and you will not miss Claver.

Because of the excited buzz inside the car, I really wasn’t able to get much sleep which was just as well because the scenery and the road going to Claver was simply beautiful. You have verdant green hills and rice paddies to your right, and the beckoning sea to the left. I was mindful that our driver don’t get too carried away by the scenery that we’d find ourselves on a ditch somewhere but I guess my apprehension was unfounded as our driver focused all her energies in her driving.

Nearing Claver, we passed by a very green semi-forested area with hundreds of migratory birds floating above a lush hill. I just took a mental picture because I wasn’t able to grab my camera in time. Its views like that that city dwellers only get to see on the Discovery Channel or the National Geographic. Pretty sad really when you don’t have to spend thousands of dollars just to be able to see such views in our country.

On our way to Claver we also passed by Taganito town where the Taganito Mining Company has its mining operations. It’s really sad to see the mountains turn brown because of all the mining activities. Although we would like to keep everything around us green and beautiful to look at, mining is an indispensable part of a growing economy. I can only hope that certain measures are being taken to ensure that mining operations don’t cause too much damage to the environment.

One of the wonderful things to see going to Claver is the water that gushes out of the mountains. These are not waterfalls, more of stored water inside the mountains gushing out of the cracks in its sides. Those who are experiencing water shortage in Metro Manila will cry when they see such a site. Speaking of gushing water, here’s a picture I took in Cabadbaran City in Agusan Del Norte. This is what they call flowing water. Nope, it’s not from the water district, and there’s no mechanism to pump the water out of the ground. It’s just a pipe stuck on the ground giving way for the water to come out naturally, or something like that. Yes, there’s no faucet there. It just flows water unceasingly. That’s mineral water right there for the taking.

From our jump-off point in Huyanggabon town, we were met by the tourist guides that the SO thoughtfully contacted before hand. They have already secured a boat that will take us to Club Tara, our temporary home in Sohoton. For this boat, we paid P8,500 including the tour which was good for an entire day. They would also bring us back to Huyanggabon the following day. For those who will be bringing in their own transport, the local tourism office provides a gated parking area just behind their building for P100/day so you don’t have to worry about your car getting stolen.

From the pier in Huyanggabon, I could already see the effects of mining in Taganito town. Their beach has turned brown. Maybe it’s because of the mud coming from the mined mountains which flows into the sea whenever it rains. Since almost all the trees covering the mountains have been removed so they can be mined, there’s nothing that prevents mud from getting washed out. It’s a sad sight really.

The boat trip to Club Tara in Sohoton was only 30 minutes long. This is very short compared to the 2-hour plus boat ride when you’re coming from Siargao. I was afraid that our trip would get rained on when I saw huge rainclouds hovering near the Bucas Grande Islands which houses the Sohoton Cove, but fortunately after only a couple of minutes of drizzle, the rain clouds went away and spared us the misery.

Club Tara has seen better days, I must say. Although one can imagine the resort in its glory days, when I went there, it wasn’t as beautiful as the brochures would like me to believe. However, there’s no denying its charms. It’s patterned after all those Dos Palmas like resorts where the rooms or the cottages are standing on water. The great thing about Club Tara though is that it’s standing on water surrounded by some 6 or 8 islets. That the water is clear and green is an understatement. You really have to be there to see it for yourself. And this is not limited to the Club Tara area, all around the clusters of islets, the water is really, really clear and beautiful and OMFG if you’re a sea lover, you wont be able to stop drooling at the emerald water all around you.

Some things about Club Tara though, the rooms are not that inexpensive. Our cottage cost P2500, airconditioned, standing on water, with a veranda overlooking the sea. Also, they don’t have food there. lol. Which means while you are at Huyanggabon, you really have to buy a lot of food for your meals if you don’t want to go hungry. Bring lots of drinks as well, unless you fancy beer which costs P150/bottle. They don’t charge corkage which is good but boy do they charge a lot for their cooking. P500/meal is their rate.

The great thing about our stay in Club Tara though is that we were the only visitors. Which means we have the resort all to ourselves. For staying there as well, we were able to fully utilize their kayaks for free which is very nice since there are portions of Sohoton Cove that mechanized bancas (or boats) aren’t allowed to go to, including the habitat of the non-sting jellyfish. The sad thing is that there’s not much cellular signal there which rendered the WeRoam broadband kit I brought utterly useless. Club Tara is a viable option for honeymooners though, with all the waters surrounding you, the lack of visitors, and the natural beauty everywhere, newlyweds can go at it like rabbits and to hell with the RH Bill. lol. I support the RH Bill though so don’t take it the wrong way.

Part II Our Sohoton Cove Adventure Starts

After depositing our luggage at Club Tara and hitching a couple of kayaks in our boat, our tour guide took us to directly to the heart of the Bucas Grande Islands which is the Sohoton Cove. The main attraction there as the tour guide would like us to believe is that rocky arch that the boat has to navigate under. They have to time the visit at low tide though because when the water comes in, well you can’t pass under. These islets however remind me of the hundred islands at alaminos and those little islands in caramoan rolled into one. The difference is that the islets in Sohoton are much closer to each other which makes for a very interesting tour. After a few minutes however for those folks with ADHD such as myself, things start to become monotonous. Oh look another islet, big whoop.

The guide then took us to this little structure where you’re supposed to register and pay a little amount for the privilege of getting sunburned and overwhelmed by nature at its best. I don’t have any problem paying because well, the surrounding water was really, really clean and if a few bucks would help to maintain that cleanliness then more power. I sure hope they charge foreigners a higher fee though which is only natural I think.

Near the registration structure there’s another bigger structure that’s being built. I think it’s going to be a restaurant. A little uh-oh for me because I only knew full well what happened to the Enchanted River after I went there the first time. When I returned a couple of months after to that awesome place there were already cement structures and while everything was managed well by the Hinatuan folks, I can’t help but miss the serenity I experienced there in my initial visit. I don’t think I can call it Enchanted anymore, the number of people going there every weekend has driven the enchantment of that place to hell. It’s still very clean though, and the river is still blue.

Back to Sohoton, our guide next took us to another area where the non-sting jellyfish are. I was excited because it’s what I’ve been dreaming about for months. When we reached the area, my heart sank. Although there were jellyfishes in the water, I only counted six. And yes, the jellyfishes were orange. You could mistake them for ponkan if you’re not careful.

But I was reassured when the guide told us that the water where we docked is not exactly the jellyfishes’ hangout, and he proceeded to unhitch the three kayaks that we brought. My companions hopped on the two kayaks, two to each, and I was left to maneuver a kayak on my own. Since I was wearing a vest, I proudly mentioned that I know how to use it. Heh. Machismo to the max. Fortunately I did not make a fool of myself when I boarded my kayak unlike one of my ‘heavier’ companions who had all sorts of trouble trying to maintain her balance. At one point she had her weight equally divided between the kayak and the boat and she had a really hard time maintaining that position. Everyone had a good time at her expense. lol.

The reason that we had to use the kayak was because use of any motorized banca is prohibited from entering the jellyfish area. I think it’s because there’s so many of them and they could easily be caught in the motor’s propeller. When the guide declared that there are millions of jellyfishes in the area where we are kayaking towards, I couldn’t help but express my disbelief. I think the guide was a little bit hurt when he said that I should just see it with my own eyes.

Paddling towards the jellyfish area was easy. We were going with the current so it’s just a matter of guiding the kayak and we’re there. When we reached the area where the jellyfish are, I was totally amazed! Hundreds and hundreds of these little creatures were in the water swimming silently. It’s really a sight to behold. Although they are non-sting jellyfish, I still couldn’t muster the courage to grab one and examine it closely. But since I was very close to the water, there wasn’t a need for me to do so. If you’ve been to El Nido and was able to go to the small and big lagoon, that’s exactly how the jellyfishes’ habitat looked like. Except in this area, the attraction is not the place but the creatures.

But wait, there’s more! lol. The guide said that round the bend there be more jellyfishes. With the number of jellyfishes I’ve seen in the area I couldn’t imagine that there’d be more. I mean there are already hundreds if not thousands of jellyfish there, what could be more than that? The guide wasn’t exaggerating though, when I rounded the bend there were actually more of the creatures there, more concentrated, more voluminous that I think if I just had the courage to go under the water I’d be seeing orange instead of blue. I couldn’t blame him when he said that there’s millions of jellyfishes there. He could be right because there I had to be very careful where I put my paddle for fear of hitting one of those lovely creatures. It even seemed like I was no longer paddling in a sea of water but of jellyfishes. One could even say that you have to part these creatures to be able to see the sea. That’s how many of these orange creatures there are. It’s really unbelievable. One of the guides even dove under the water to scoop an aberation and show it to us. It was a coconut sized transparrent jellyfish. Pure gulaman in his hands if you ask me.

The only sad thing while looking at the jellyfishes was that I couldn’t bring my camera with me. I was afraid that my kayak would capsize and my camera would get wet. Such a shame really.

After we’ve had our fill of watching the jellyfishes, we headed back to our boat. Going back to the boat however was a struggle. My companions had no problems paddling back as they had guides in their kayak who were doing the paddling while I had to fend for myself, and the thing is, I am now paddling against the current. It took me minutes to get back to the boat as I paddled for my life and my pride as the significant other watched how I was doing. It was rough and it took every inch of my muscle and fat (mostly fat) to master the current.

I was relieved when I was finally able to get on the boat and all the kayaks were tied securely. We went back to Club Tara for lunch and to download all the pictures we took to our laptops. As it was only midday, the guide said there are still a lot of sites to discover including a cave and some lagoons. Not for me though. I was out of it. The lack of sleep and all the excitement got to me that I could barely keep an eye open. So much to my regret, while my companions readied for another Sohoton assault, I hit the sack and was snoring midway towards getting undressed.

I woke up before sunset and just sat on the balcony of our cottage, dangling my feet which could almost hit the water. It’s a really nice place for thinking about stuff that you wouldn’t normally think when you’re in the city. Perhaps its the refreshing sea air, or the water, or just the sight of horizon slowly becoming orange.