There's A Lot of Cool Tours Out There - Exploring Callao Cave

So it's been 2 months since our last adventure in Batanes and guess what? We're off to another adventure!

I've been searching the internet for other tour agencies who provide packages to this certain destination since our previous travel group, AWNW Travels, has failed us yet again in providing such a tour. Here is where I've found Travel Tayo, or what we'd internationally say as, Let's Travel!

They're more active with their FB Page though...

Now you're probably wondering where in the world we're off to that made it hard for me to find a travel group that provides tours there, well it's in Cagayan Valley, mainly known for its Callao Cave and having beaches that get nicknamed as "The Boracay of the North". Now who wouldn't get their curiosity tickled?

First off, negotiating with Travel Tayo Tours was fast enough and they were also accommodating. Once you've chosen you're desired pick up point and made the full payment for the tour, they give you a travel voucher containing your vehicle and driver details as well as accommodation details and tour itinerary.

I love a good old fashioned itinerary..

Like our previous travels via land, we got ourselves ready for another 12-hour overnight trip on the road with various stopovers here and there. We later managed to freshen up and change into new sets of clothes once we stopped for breakfast at a quaint diner.

We arrived at Tuguegarao City at around 10AM, where our tour of Cagayan officially starts!

Churches are quite common in communities here in the Philippines, and they're usually surrounded by basic facilities needed in a bustling city, like a hospital right across and a supermarket beside said establishment. So after buying several bottles of water, we were off to our next stop. (Tip: Bring plenty of water for hydration since it's super hot here up north)

At least an hour later, we found ourselves at the bottom of Callao Cave where we were given a few safety guidelines before having to climb up a hundred and eighty four steps to the cave entrance.

No bats near the cave entrance... hmmm...

No worries about having to pack flashlights and such since the cave is well illuminated by natural sunlight from the cave's numerous holes on the ceiling, where certain shapes have formed when photographed at a certain angle.

The light at the top of the cave...

Queue Circle of Life music...

Even caves have hearts too, you know...

Green life has even managed to grow inside the cave since the place gets to have a healthy dose of sunlight; they've also set up an area for mass to be held every once in a while.

Green on the inside..

Chapel area

It was nearing noon, and since it was becoming too hot for any outdoor activities, we decided to stop over for lunch.

Some local Pancit Batil (order the Special to get the small eggs..)

Our last stop before driving further up north was the Calvary Hills of the town of Iguig, a place of solemn reflection as long as you didn't mind staying under the scorching heat of the afternoon sun.

The ancient St. James the Apostle Church just in front of the Calvary

Off to the side of the hills was a set of ancient looking stairs which led to the Cagayan River, which is mostly dry out due to the intense heat during this summer season.

The brick staircase ruins with what's left of the Cagayan River in the distance...

Back inside the comfort of the airconditioned van, we settled down for a 4-hour drive to the coastal town of Sta. Ana, where our accommodation was waiting.

The villas nearby (perfect for family outings of 7 people)

The "container" rooms..

Clean room and some air condition!

Our room was comfortable enough with an AC unit that made you just want to lie down and sleep till morning, but just as I was contemplating to try out the heated shower, the electricity went out. So rather than wait around for the lights to come back on, we were told to get ready for dinner. (Note: Food establishments are a good 20-minute walk away from the resort if you don't mind the dim highway, also tricycles are far in between.)

I later realized that Waiting for dinner while feeling tired and grimy from the day's activities was no easy feat, especially if said dinner was taking an hour and so to prepare. So we walked out and decided to just order take-out from the establishment we saw a few steps back while the other tour members were already finishing off their plates. The nerve! (P.S. DON'T eat at Jaja's Resto Grill if you want fast service)

We ate our take-out back at our room, (good thing the electricity was back on), and I finally had the luxury of taking a much needed shower. That night, I felt that our first day in Cagayan didn't end on a high note, but I hope the next morning will prove to be better. Up next, island hopping to Palaui Island!

The Boracay of the North???

Wishing I was Somehow Here Again

Waking up at 2AM, it was still pretty dark out and there still wasn't any running water in the faucets yet, though we do store water in huge pails here in the Philippines at times like these, so my mom and I managed to prepare for our day.

Kuya Harold arrived exactly at 3AM with his trusty tricycle and we soon reached the starting point of our 600-meter trek. The walk usually takes an hour to reach Rapang Cliff before sunrise and you wouldn't have to worry about getting lost in the dark since, apart from being provided flashlights, the field is divided into 5 gates that'll at least give you a sense of achievement every time you pass one.

Personally, I think the walk to Rapang was a lot shorter than actually waiting for the sunrise, and we really had to wait it out since you can't take much pictures of the landscape in the dark without the sun yet.

Once the sun peeked through the horizon though, it felt surreal to see the field come alive!

Waited for the sunrise up that trail...

A few treks to the cliff...

Taking in the view...

We later had to cross this field in order to get to the other side of Rapang Cliff for some best shots, and I also managed to snap some pictures along the way:

Talk about an early morning stroll...

This rock actually looks like a spaceship!

If it wasn't so dry, the water would have reflected the cliff beautifully...

Another curious thing we encountered along the way though, was this thing called a stone bell:

Said to be used to herd cattle and warn of incoming ships across the horizon...

After waiting out the first pair of tourists that got there, we finally had the chance to take solo shots on top of the cliff!

Best seat in the house!

View down below...

Shot at the sun!

View up top!

I would have stayed there a lot longer if we didn't have a boat to catch back to Batan, and with another hour of walking back to the first gate, we had to get moving if I wanted to sneak in one last adventure at Itbayat.

Sunlight slowly creeping in...

Some cattle in the distance...

It was a good thing that we already packed our things before leaving for Rapang that morning, since we had time to have breakfast at the eatery from yesterday and just had to grab our bags from the homestay before leaving for the port.

See that perilous end?

Chinapuliran Port is usually the one you see in earlier videos of Itbayat where people had to jump amidst raging waves in order to get to dry land, but being as steep as it is, it now remains unused for the most parts of the year unless it's hightide season. However, just near the old port lies a hidden treasure that not a lot of tourists know about.

Presenting: Mauyen Archway

I saw an article about having to ask about seeing this part of Itbayat since it's usually not included in the tour unless you ask your tour guide about it, which I did.

The stance of success!

It just took a few minutes to get to the archway as it's just located off the sideroad just before heading down to Chinapuliran Port, though my mom opted to stay behind in the tricycle since the stones were said to a bit sharp and slippery on the way down. Once I was done, we headed back to the port where we would be leaving for Batan.

I knew there was a lighthouse here somewhere!

After Kuya Harold helped us get registered for the Itranza, we paid our thanks and waited a few more minutes for the boat to unload. This time around, I headed straight to the back of the boat where you could lie down and sleep the 2-hour journey away.

Settling down at the back...

2 hours later... Welcome back to the Island of Batan!

We arrived early in the afternoon at Batan, and since the port was just near our accommodation at Katuvang, we just decided to walk. Also, we texted Miss Hilda and took her up on her offer to tour us, if we still felt up to it, once we got back from Itbayat. Why waste the afternoon in our room, when there are more places to be seen at Batan?

Taking note of port signs might probably wake me up a little bit...

After freshening up for a few minutes back at our room, we went out to find Miss Hilda already waiting for us at the lobby area with her husband by the tricycle outside Katuvang. Before we left for our next destination of the day, mom decided to send out a postcard to herself at the Post Office just down the street.

Wouldn't want to miss this signage

For our next stop, I can't help but be amazed at how the Ivatans take care of their surroundings, especially after experiencing Homoron Lagoon.

I'm starting to think every part of Batanes was made to look like paradise...

I mean the place is just out there in the open, just off the side of the highway, and it's free to the public and yet it still manages to maintain its air of naturalism. Maybe it's just me having lived in the city all my life, and having had the idea of what public places are like in the Metro, I definitely didn't pass up the opportunity to have a little dip at the lagoon.

yeah.. definitely a "little dip" right here..

I can't help it!! Somebody's gotta have to pull me out before I decide to grow fins and stay here!

The face of utmost refreshment..

So I managed to pull myself out, though it feels like I left a little piece of my heart there at the lagoon. Since it was nearing 4pm, we decided to make a last stop before calling it a day.

View on the way to the Spring of Youth...

After having to pay for the Municipality Fee, we later walked to the Spring of Youth, with a little history trivia from Miss Hilda pointing out that the area was once a settlement for the Malay people, as evidenced by the stone columns we keep passing by. If you also looked closely enough at the stones on the floor, you'd notice some have marble-like qualities that are called crystals here.

A little piece of the past that stood the test of time...

Turns out the Spring of Youth is actually a man-made pool with the water coming from a spring of water, and since I felt I already swam my energy out at the lagoon, my mom & I just headed over to the beach area for some much needed pictures and videos.

Batanes' very own infinity pool!

Catching our last waves in Batanes...

Waving goodbye...

We started to get hungry since we didn't exactly have lunch when we got back from Itbayat and it was actually just the adrenaline keeping us from going, and since I was craving some pasta, Miss Hilda suggested to eat at Casa Napoli.

Don't miss the experience if you happen to find yourself here!

The exterior got me fooled for a second that it wasn't an air-conditioned establishment..

Really cozy in here...

I've read somewhere that Casa Napoli is a family-owned business and that they recommended trying the pizza at the place, so we invited Miss Hilda and her husband to eat with us much like a going away party.

The best pizza in town!

Sauce was a little too "thick", but tasted amazing!

Try their graham cake too (on the right).. I wish I bought more..

Before heading back to Katuvang, mom asked if there was a place that sold postcards, and this is how we discovered the Creative Hub:

A place of talent just waiting to be discovered...

It's a great place where the local artists get to sell their works and so with my mom having satisfied her search for postcards, we were then dropped off at Katuvang where we paid our thanks to Miss Hilda and her husband for their hospitality.

Guess how many my mom bought..

Night came faster than we wanted it to and after getting our bags packed, my mom & I soon succumbed to sleep. Early the next morning, we had a light breakfast of pandesal (bread), jam and scrambled eggs, before we left for the airport courtesy of Katuvang's van transfer.

Leaving soon...

Well if there's one thing I didn't miss in Manila, it's the smoke and traffic and one thing's for sure, it may have been our first time going to Batanes, but it most definitely wouldn't be the last. Until my next adventure, see yaaaahh!