BEEN COOL IN BICOL (2007)

Because we did not see the Mayon Volcano that day, we Adobed it...

Every time the weather seems to be grumpy that clouds turn grey and the wind seemingly blows like whispering that it’s going to rain… memories of my visit to Bicol way back in the late portion of 2007 keep on refreshing my mind about how memorable it was especially that it was spent with friends who also like to seek for an adventure different from the ordinary.

“Bicolandia” is the collective name referred to the Philippines’ fifth region located in Luzon, east of the province of Batangas and commonly a 10-hour travel passing Quezon province through the curvy and risky road in Tagkawayan called “Bitukang Manok” (Chicken Intestine).  We started our travel in the evening.      

Because our main goal in this roadtrip was to check the world-famous Mayon Volcano, the province of Camarines Norte where famous white-sand beaches can be found was bi-passed and Camarines Sur directly became our first stop.  In CamSur’s town of Sipocot, we stopped to grab snacks in the local gasoline station, due to the fact that this province’s source of income for locals really is quite difficult, in its night streets, you would see children, maybe 10 to 12 years old, already stretching bones by selling rugs to different motorists which is obviously quite dangerous for their very young age.

Riding a Toyota Fortuner, our friend driver and also so the owner of the said vehicle, continued his driving that before the break of dawn we had already reached the city of Lagaspi in Albay where the perfectly-coned shape volcano of Mayon was located.  Before roaming more, we checked-in in a local hotel and decided to look around after regenerating our strength from such a tiring trip. 

That afternoon we went out but to our luck, it rained and checking the view of Mayon Volcano would be very impossible to enjoy.  Instead we went to Albay’s public market and there, we witnessed different market goodies which are not common in the local public market of Sto.Tomas, Batangas.  There you would see different dried fish in different sizes, not the typical-sized dried squid, pili(Bicolano Nuts) nuts sweetened and salted and guess what, there were lots of Bicolanos there.  Hehe, just kidding. 

But it would really be a bad joke if on our last day the Mayon would not still be visible for its Batangueno visitors.  So we CARPEd our DIEM and went to bed to experience a Bicolano sleepover.

The next day, it was quite a disappointment for us to see dark clouds (again) and sadness-giving drizzles.  After seeing the Albay Parks and Wildlife, we visited the Cagsawa Ruins where we were welcomed by friendly tour guides who also happened to be professional photographers too… such a nice bargain for a tight budget.  The site of this volcano-wrecked bell tower historically tells an amazing story; the Mayon exploded, amounts of lavas flowed in the area, the Cagsawa Church destroyed and the shyness of this occasionally-furious giant untimely happened during our visit.  Oh my goodness!

It is suggested to visit this local sculptor in the Cagsawa area named "Mang Romy" where igneous rocks hardened from Mayon's lava are used for his creations.  "Mang Romy" is not his real name, I just made that one up.  

Then we went up to this place called Lignon Hill, the observatory for Mayon Volcano open for scientists and tourists, to somehow check our chance of seeing the famous volcano.  But in grief, we were once again deprived of witnessing its beauty.  So we just decided to go back to our hotel to pack things up and head home.  On our way back to the hotel, we saw lobster merchants.   They offered us these gigantic lobsters, freshly caught in the seas of Bicol, which I already forgot how much it worth.  We rushed these lovelies to the ice chest that we had brought with us and while we were busy packing up our things, unexpectedly, we noticed that the clouds covering Mt.Mayon already were starting to vanish and in our joy, we jumped and shouted in that very moment. 

It seemed that Mayon played a game on us… a protocol for first-time visitors perhaps?  That was quite an experience. 

I guess grey clouds weren’t gloomy mood setters after all.

Related video:

Bicol - Galaxy Gala (the Bicol Roadtrip)

Trekking and Thrills in Laurel Batangas

There is a particular place that I like in Batangas where you can enjoy nature to the fullest.  Truly, a must visit place if you are interested in trekking, thrill seeking, nature tripping and whatever activity you like to do with friends like picnicking and having chit-chats in cool villas in a typical provincial setting, a true meaning of the phrase “peace and quiet”.

The place is in San Gabriel, Laurel, Batangas where most of the accommodations are ran by a private company called Amansinaya Resort.  Here, different activities can be experienced starting from the obstacle courses prepared for the guests.  Climb over walls, jump on set of tires, swing over a mud hole, climb a challenging wall and scream riding its zipline.  How about that for a thrill?  But as a summation of that challenging course, sliding on a giant mudslide was the most adrenalin-rushing activity that I had experienced in that Laurel visit.  Splashing to the end portion of the slide would make you think that you already went beyond it.  The ride is a mixture of scream and fun.  Oh, did I mention fun?

Meals also are served as part of the package if you’ll visit Amansinaya, I think we spent P3,000.00 per head for the whole tour but I tell you, the food are quite typical Tagalog delicacies but it’s really good. 

After our first day, the next day was such an excitement because of the trekking activity to the Ambon-ambon Falls.  The way to this natural attraction was such an unexpected delight because of the clear and clean river that stretches all along to the road going to the said falls.  This is something that you would find in barrios when electricity is not yet available, greener pastures, cleaner air and you can see carabaos (water buffalo) roam freely for their veggie diet.  Along the way, we also met residents, especially the kids, who really shared their greetings and smiles that really showcased typical hospitality to Batangueños.  When we reached Ambon-ambon, we saw other tourists who were also from neighboring Batangas towns and even they, had mentioned that such place is always visited due to its clean surroundings and bodies of water like this one.

I can say that this trip to Laurel, Batangas is just the tip of the iceberg.  There are still lots of places here to explore and views to indulge more but sadly, there is no enough time.  Barrio San Gabriel is an elevated place that is why the view of the Taal Lake and Taal Volcano had become an added attraction. 

So if your schedules are not yet filled for the weekends or any holiday, head for the South and search for this place just near history’s smallest active volcano… bursting with warm smiles and exploding with natural attractions.

Galaxy Gala - THE LAUREL (Batangas) EXPERIENCE-AMANSINAYA

Galaxy Gala - THE LAUREL (Batangas) EXPERIENCE- AMBON-AMBON FALLS