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The windswept city located at the northern most part of the Philippines hence the sturdy stone houses. The mountainous region of
Batanes is the country’s smallest province isolated from the rest of the Philippine islands, home to the laid back Ivatans. Only three of the ten islands in the province are inhabited, Itbayat, Sabtang, and the capital Basco; with majority of its population being fishermen or farmers. It's surrounded by vast waters as far as the eye can see and is the only province of the country that experiences four seasons. And with or without a Pacquiao fight, the province is relatively crime-free.
I waited for a year for this trip and then there it went…my first ever cancelled flight! I felt totally disappointed, gutted was an understatement. I was totally hyped and excited the previous night and even though I never got to sleep and is not particularly pleased with propeller planes, I was so eager for my days in Batanes. And just to rant a bit more, SeAir wasn't very friendly either - we didn't know which terminal we were to take off because it didn’t say in our plane tickets and their 'call center' wasn't very helpful
either; it directed us to the wrong Terminal 1 when in fact we should be at the Old Domestic Terminal. To add, nobody was giving us any updates as we wait at the check-in area wondering whether our plane has already left without us or if our flight is still on hold. But then again, looking at the brighter side we managed to get ourselves to the right terminal and though a cancelled flight is quite a disappointment, I’m sure it was because they wanted everyone to be safe. And so I decided to go to work not wanting to waste the vacation leave, too upset to even eat lunch – by dinner time I was already feeling famished. Then the good news! Later that day I got a call from the Airline saying that there will be a special flight the next day -- and my world suddenly seemed so bright.
With much lower expectations, Erick, Kuya Benj, Ren, and I were back at the airport the next day earnestly hoping that we don’t get a cancelled flight again. I was supposed to go alone in this trip but then Ren joined in, then Kuya Benj, and lastly
Erick just a few days before the trip – three people who didn’t know each other (but will soon get along pretty well), I was their common denominator.
The boarding announcement later on was like music to my ears. The propeller plane ride was also unexpectedly smooth, we touched down at the small Basco Batanes Airport with a terminal building that felt homey for a change, designed to look like the Ivatan’s distinct stone houses. There wasn’t much of an itinerary whilst we were in Basco, so after checking-in at the
Batanes Seaside Lodge & Restaurant (Seaside Annex at Basco proper), we started strolling around town chatting and asking locals for ideas, which consequently provided us a little information about the Sabtang Island Tour. The most useful information though was from a Carenderia (small eatery) owner Ate Jennifer who is such an angel and helped us sort out our Sabtang accommodation and transportation which included an early pick-up from Basco to San Vicente Port, an hour boat ride to Sabtang, and finally a home stay/guide who will take us around the Island.
Earlier, we weren’t too impressed with our room in Seaside Annex since we were originally expecting to be accommodated at
Creeping Vines
Basco Lighthouse the Seaside Main. Although the room wasn’t bad at all, it wasn’t just big enough for the four of us to share, it felt crowded somehow, and Kuya Benj’s and Erick’s extra beds weren’t the most comfortable. Nevertheless, the staff was helpful and accommodating which made up for the dissatisfaction about the room.
Friends who were asking regarding our whereabouts were jokingly telling us we were in a different planet – well, it wasn’t a different planet but it felt like we were in a different era, sans the noise of the city transport, the huge billboards, malls, and the trending gadgets, ipads, iphones, PSPs, etc. I am a provincial girl but the place is even more laid back and the clock is ticking in an even slower manner than our (already) slow provincial clock, it seemed. Our stroll around town took us to the port of Basco and eventually to the Basco Lighthouse up the Naidi Hills which was unfortunately closed; it would have provided us a full view of the Batan Islands and its surrounding mountains. The rich vegetation and the view of the open sea with its diverse mountain scenery provide a great place to just
sit down in peace and contemplate about life. Then there’s also the ever present grazing cow & goats, fresh cow dung forming brown spots on meadow-covered hills, the drizzle, and the cold wind sweeping through – it was too cold for me at 23°C, and we actually packed summer! I was so stoked just being in Batanes, in the next days we will get acquainted with the place better...
Second Part : Batanes (Sabtang Island): How do you tame the waves?
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Anastasia78
Anastasia78
You made it!
Glad you finally got there safe and sound! Tell us more (and more pics please...)