Caramoan

     The Peninsula of Caramoan is located at the tip of Camarines Sur with several islands and breathtaking views.  The place does not just offer swimming but snorkeling, spelunking, and delicious fresh dishes.  The municipality of Caramoan, itself, is not an ideal place to swim, you need to travel deep past some mountains in a trike for Php200, one way, to reach Paniman which is the Caramoan we see in travel brochures and the known Survivor series.

     We made sure we had our itinerary and connections before we visited the place to avoid hassles.  Our guide, Ramil, who was the Survivor's speedboat captain ensured he was there when we arrived at the pier and made our Caramoan adventure unforgettable.

     It started with a long road trip from Naga City to Sabang Port for a boat to Caramoan's Guijalo Port. Travel should be done real early as the boats have limited schedule.  Sabang Port is merely a beachfront and the waves were not calm.  The adventure starts immediately as you balance yourself against the angry waves while boarding the boat through wooden planks made to float with blue plastic drums.  There were, unusually, a lot of wet and swimming men as porters or helping hand.  Maybe they are also there to pick you up just in case you fall off the walkway that follows the rising of the waves.

When we left, the pier was too chaotic when we arrived

     
     When we arrived at the pier in Caramoan, it was chaos.  Too much noise and shouting as if panic was going on.  It turned out that the waves were too high and it was difficult to get off the boat.  People were instructed to take turns and run to the pier (wooden rickety wood planks again) when the waves die down. Don't dare to stop when the giant waves are back or you get wet or they fish you out of the water.  Rod decided to remove his shoes because despite the strategy people get wet.  Since I was a kid, I always liked to balance myself on a beam like a gymnast but I wasn't willing to take the risk that day.  So it was dash for your life and don't look back or listen to the noisy men shouting, "the waves are coming". The noise didn't end there because on the pier were a lot of touts offering rides, tours, accommodations.  It was a relief that Ramil was there and he had a ride for us to Paniman.  Next was a ride through mountains and plants that seemed forever until we reached Paniman and billeted at Breeze & Waves.

     Despite the long trip, we did not waste time and we moved around to check the place.  The chaos reaching Caramoan was well worth the effort.  Caramoan is truly beautiful and the people are all kind and accommodating.  Ramil was the best and the owner of the hotel was so motherly kind and speaks English well.  She was so kind to sit with us and talk about how they grew up in Caramoan and how great a fisherman their father was.  She even shared the story behind the antique stools at the garden front.  They were their father's fishing boat and the instrument for all of them to finish school.  

     Unforgettable was the food at Breeze & Waves because they were so good and fresh.  Matter of fact, we had the best tasting laing in this hotel.  The food was so good, we asked if we can meet the cook to thank and compliment her.  They were very accommodating that when we ordered lunch for our island hopping, they prepared us a picnic basket complete with utensils and a picnic blanket.  They treated us like family and not tourists.                     

 One of the boats parked at the beach front

                                                                               

Crystal clear beach of Paniman, Caramoan

Rod decided to join the fishermen before dark

This is one good accommodation choice

A huge bowl of sinigang with a giant shrimp

     Since we always take the opportunity to go spelunking, we didn't miss this chance.  This was the second cave we visited that needed a boat ride to reach the place.  First was Callao in Tuguegarao but this boat ride was longer and scenic.  The cave is down by the river from the beach.  The river is surrounded with mangroves and the water is still.  The cave was not much and a bit small and no crawling or duck walks needed.  Ramil said there is another cave but he doesn't like to go there because it is inhabited by cobras.  I think we were not up for that.

The river to the cave

Unique mushroom near the cave entrance

By the cave entrance with Ramil

     Of course a trip to Caramoan is not complete without hopping to it's several islands.  The place is truly breathtaking and it was cloudy and some areas were drizzling so it created more drama to the different islands.  The island rock formations are similar to those in Palawan or Bangkok and the water was very clean.  The Philippines is loaded with natural beauty but only a few realize that.  Too bad...

    We had lunch at one of the islands and we enjoyed vegies in coconut milk, grilled meat and fresh seafood together with Ramil and another boatman.  On the same island was a small pond on top of the rock mountains.  In it lives a giant milkfish.  Ramil said that they were two before but a fisherman took the other one and he payed it with his life.  Local legend says that the fishes are mystical and harming them would mean your life.  Since that guilty fisherman died, they have left the solitary fish to it's privacy.

Rod's chance to do some rock climbing

our picnic spot

The pond with the mystical milkfish

They said this was used by the show Survivor

     As our adventure in the Islands of Caramoan ends, it made us conclude that the place is not just worth visiting for its usual tourist spots, food, and activities but the people as well.  A place that is worth returning to for another adventure in the future.

Tanay, Rizal

     It was an unexpected cool day during the heat of summer when we visited Tanay, Rizal.  It was supposedly just a day road trip but ended staying overnight.  Tanay is just an hour and a few minutes away from our home.  A lot to see around and sometimes you wonder if the place is considered provincial because it does not look like one.  There was even a road sign that read "Your Adventure Place in Rizal".  Too bad it was inconspicuous or maybe the local government could give it more attention.  

     We hired a tricycle at the market area and it was just a brief transaction with the very kind driver after showing him a list of what we want to see.  We were to visit the Parola, the very old Tanay Church, much heard about Daranak Falls, not much known Batlag Falls, and the historical Calinawan Cave.  Manong driver even arranged the itinerary and would would wait with no time pressure all for Php450.00.  I personally think that's a bargain.

     We started with what they call "Parola", a historic lighthouse by Laguna de Bay.  It was not much of a lighthouse if you have seen others around the country.  The lake was not much to see, either, except for countless of private fish pens.  One needs to understand the contribution of the lighthouse to Tanay's history to appreciate it.

Parola from afar

Tanay's Parola

     
     Next was the old San Ildefonso Parish Church.   History says that the church was built during the 1770s-1780s through forced labor.  The forced labor story, we still need to verify if true or not.  The church is picturesque outside except for the gaudy Flores de Mayo decor by the doorway.   It has that age-old ambiance typical of some of our churches.  Somehow similar to the Basilica of Taal but not as old as Baclayon in Bohol.  

They should consider removing the flores de mayo decor

     Worth appreciating are the very detailed decorations inside the church which are works of art. The idols are very intricate and lifelike.  It was quiet and serene.  You get transported to the olden times when priests still go to the pulpits to preach.  Except that they have two wide screen flat television sets at both sides.  Probably used to flash whatever needs to be read or sung so there wont be any need to use missals.  Guess, there is a need to be modern one way or another. One very noticeable feature was everything is in gold.  Maybe that's an exaggeration. Okay, so 90% of decors are in gold.  Sometimes we wonder why is it that old church interiors are always in gold?  Does it have to do to show power or riches? Just a thought...

     Next on the agenda was Daranak Falls which was off far at Brgy. Sampaloc.   There were a lot of people considering that is was a Monday and it was a picnic and family get together place that's a bargain at Php 20 entrance fee.  The water looked cool and clean.  The cascading water was clear white and the deep area (30 feet) was clean bluish-green. Daranak looked inviting!  It was nice that there is always a policeman and lifeguards watching over and diving from the falls is prohibited.  Since it is a picnic place, food was scarce to find.  We had to settle eating footlong hotdog sandwiches, cassava rice cake (we were lucky a little boy was peddling his mom's cooking), halo-halo, potato chips, and soda.

Daranak Falls

   


    


We further ventured around and the area to look for Batlag Falls.  There were no landmarks and relied on our research that its a short hike up Daranak.  Across a short bamboo footbridge crossing the other side of the river bed was a tarpaulin sign that reads "Tanay Jest Camp" that offers different survival trainings and where the Batlag Falls is located.  It was a few feet climb on a paved road at the side of the mountain.  Upon entrance, we paid Php 100 each.  We kept our camera in the bag because we read in one blog that a person was being charged Php150 pesos for camera fee.

So we decided to play safe.   It was not much  of a sight to see.  It was lonely with just maybe 3 groups enjoying the water and their food.  The place looks dirty and the water had a lot of moss, algae, and other outgrowths.  The ridges of the waterfall basin looked like a swamp.  You had to go through a maze of stones to get near the several falls.  Some areas you need to walk on shallow water.  It definitely looked like a treasure trove of mosquitoes.  Maybe the owners want it that way - rugged and close to nature.  That's a good concept but Hidden Valley was also rugged and close to nature but there was a sense of planning.  Considering the pricey 100 pesos per person entrance fee, it was a disappointment!  Batlag Falls looks nice only in pictures.

Batlag Falls

     Last stop was Calinawan Cave.  It was a turn on the same road to Daranak.  It was rough and quite far still.  Along the road were tiny limestone formations, evident of a cave formation nearby.   As we travel, the tiny limestone turn to boulders which make you feel the rough bumpy road is almost to end. 

     Calinawan Cave got it's name because it is where the opposing parties during the revolution came clear to a decision.  Thus the term "linaw" or "clear".   The cave has a wooden ladder at the left side of its entrance for eye appeal and the entrance is a hole going down through a cemented stairway.  It is a dry cave with several rock formations.  No water at all except for one tiny stalactite that had a single droplet of water (too small to be photographed).   The cave is good for easy exploring.

     Our guide told us that it's a favorite venue for shooting movies thus a certain rock formation was full of glitter to give it a cinematic appeal.  The cave is constantly visited and/or occupied by people since the katipuneros that the bat community has decided to vacate the cave years ago. Capisaan is roughly a 30-minute exploration with no physical dexterity needed.  It's clean fun adventure.

don't be fooled by the glitters - they are fake

abandoned townhouses of the bats

     The exploration of Tanay ended with halo-halo in Chowking while we figure out how to find the closest hotel.  We ended staying overnight at Sampaloc Inn which had a big cozy room with a huge comfortable bed and perfect pillows.  

     As we ended the day, we planned to visit Daranak Falls again during the rainy season when water abounds to enjoy and not just watch it...