Escape to Santa Magdalena

Day Two of our Sorsogon escapade initially didn’t look promising. Because of the typhoon brewing hundreds of miles out in the Philippine Sea (which also induced the thunderstorms of the previous day) we decided to give up our expedition to Tikling and Calintaan Islands, and opted for a jaunt in the beaches of Santa Magdalena instead. From among the many beaches in the town, we chose Olango Beach in Brgy. San Rafael.

After a butt-numbing 1-hr tricycle trip from Bulan to Santa Magdalena, we arrived at the beach just before lunch. We promptly feasted on our baon of inihaw na buraw (grilled mackerel..told you we couldn’t get enough of this. haha), sugpo (large shrimps) simmered in Sprite and garlic and ensaladang talong at kamatis (Eggplant and Tomato Salad) - both cooked by the harlequin vampire. Although we were all eating with bare hands while crouched on the sand under an abandoned cottage, it was a lunch fit for a king!
Olango beach is like a two-tone paradise - the sand is a mixture of golden and black, and the water is a blend of green and aquamarine. Because of the storm, large waves crashed relentlessly on the sandy shores, the force of which easily caught us off-guard and rolled us around like rag-dolls. We had a great time just rollicking in the sand and bobbing up and down with the waves while perched on a toy flotation device. The water was clean and crystal-clear. The clarity actually made it look deceptively shallow, but it was in fact a good 10-15 feet deep just a few meters off the shore.

We tried going to the off-shore reef to view the corals and probably ‘harvest’ some latô or edible seaweeds but the current was strong and it was getting late in the afternoon. Besides, because Santa Magdalena is quite far, we had to do an ‘Amazing Race’ run to the port of nearby Matnog town– the southernmost tip of Luzon - to catch the Samar-Manila bus that will get us back home. I guess Talie must have been thinking about us at that very minute because, whaddyaknow, up came a pink bus to take us home. Haha.
Even though we weren’t able to reach our goal of stepping foot on Tikling and Calintaan, our short but sweet Sorsogon escapade was well worth the time and aching muscles. I can’t wait to go back.

Check out some more snapshots from Olango:

To the ‘Moon’ and Back

I have always loved getting on the road and discovering new places away from the monotony of the familiar. That’s why I try to seize every chance that comes my way to go to places I’ve never been to. Often, even in the least well-known of destinations, there awaits a wealth of experiences. Last Saturday, our gang of misfits (Yona, Leonel, Peach, BT and Lyn) literally went to the ‘moon’.

Nope, not Earth’s satellite but the town of Bulan in Sorsogon (the Bicolano word for the moon is bulan). The trip almost didn’t push through because of last-minute hitches but our gung-ho group could not be stopped. With the goal of venturing into the treacherous San Bernardino Strait and on to the unspoiled Tikling and Calintaan Islands in Matnog, we journeyed on to Bulan, our first stop, even as a thunderstorm threatened. We arrived at Bulan early Saturday evening and trooped right away to the ancestral house of Yona’s mom.

Bulan is a surprisingly charming town with wide, well-lighted streets laid out in an orderly grid pattern. The place is very clean and tidy -- no wonder Bulan was feted as one of the cleanest and greenest local government units. The town feels like it is in the threshold of urbanization but still holds on to the leisurely and unhurried pace of provincial life. There’s even a quaint seaside park complete with hole-in-the-wall restos, promenades and cottages.

But what is definitely memorable about Bulan is the food. Because it is a coastal town facing the teeming fishing grounds of the Ticao Pass, Bulan is rich in marine products especially fresh seafood. At dinner, we couldn’t get enough of the huge steamed kasag (crabs) and inihaw na buraw (grilled mackerel) that Yona’s aunt prepared for us. The seafood was so good that the bulalo and chop suey (with shrimps) were all but ignored. We must have eaten too much kasag and buraw because we were pretty much stoned for the rest of the night. Haha.

We capped the night with a few beers and calamares at Sabang Resort, Bulan’s seaside park and a round of videoke back at Yona’s place. We all had a great time in Bulan and I definitely want to go back even if only for the seafood! :-)

Here are some more snapshots from Bulan:

Legazpi on SkyscraperCity's Banner

Legazpi City made it to SkyscraperCity Forum's banner for today, 17th of April 2008. SkyscraperCity, fondly called SSC by members, is a forum dedicated to architecture, development, urbanity, photography and travel with over 180,000 forum-ers from all over the globe.

SSC has a very vibrant Philippine sub-forum which has become a rich source of information about various developments in the country - from up-to-date news about upcoming skyscrapers in the Metro to spellbinding photos of unspoilt beaches and islands.

Legazpi is only the fifth city featured on SSC's banner, which changes daily. The photo, taken by Arnold Faller, is a panoramic view of Legazpi with the majestic Mayon Volcano in the background. You can view the original photo here.

Stoked at CWC

The CamSur Watersports Complex (CWC) is only roughly two hours away from my city but today is only the first time we've been there. And we're glad we did. CWC rocks! To the uninformed, CWC is touted as the best wakeboarding cable park in the world today. This makes CWC and CamSur the mecca of wakeboarding enthusiasts from all over the globe.

Even though we had to wait a few hours for our turn on the cables and boards, it was all worth it. It's my first time to do extreme sports and I'm not even that athletic. Haha. We were stoked to see all those wakeboarding virtuosos doing their stuff on the lagoon with such skill and agility. But as newbies, we had to go through kneeboarding first. Kneeboarding "is an aquatic sport where the participant is towed on a buoyant, convex, and hydrodynamically shaped board at a planing speed".

It was fairly easy to do but quite tiring especially on the arms and legs. My first time on the kneeboard was a disaster. Haha. Let's just say I learned my lesson to keep my shorts tight enough. Hahaha. Too bad we only booked for an hour. But it was quite an experience and I definitely want to go back and finally learn how to wakeboard. Now that would be really cool.

Check out our photos at CWC:

Picturesque Paguriran Island

A little gem of an island is tucked away in a quiet corner of Bacon, Sorsogon - the picturesque Paguriran Island. Last Thursday, the Web Marketing Department went on a road trip to Paguriran. Of course, with the wanderlust itching in me, I had to be there too. Hehe. The Content Dev Dept. had been planning to visit Paguriran since mid-January, but a series of events kept us from going.

Paguriran is a tiny group of coral and rock islets located off the white sand beaches of Sawanga in Bacon. It is accessible from the adjacent beach by wading through crystal clear waters, the depth of which may range from ankle to waist depending on the tides. Within the island, coralline and granite crags enclose a shallow lagoon that is perfect for swimming (you have to watch out for sharp corals, though).


Meanwhile, the highest point of the island is a rocky promontory that provides a spectacular vista of the beach, the deep blue Albay Gulf, mainland Sorsogon and surrounding islands. It is said that the island used to be a sanctuary for marine turtles or pawikan. With its spectacular beauty, Paguriran Island is definitely a must-visit if ever you are in Sorsogon.

Check out my Paguriran Island set on Flickr for Hi-Res images.

In Memoriam

November 30 will perhaps be forever etched in the hearts of all Albayanos as a day of immense tragedy and unprecedented destruction. Hundreds of people lost their lives that day, and even more saw their homes either partially or totally destroyed. Billions of pesos worth of property and agricultural crops were laid to waste as Reming swept through the province with 265 kph winds and torrential rains that induced lethal mudflows from Mayon's flanks.

Although our residence is not prone to floods, we also bore the full brunt of that supertyphoon. Our house was in ruins. Extremely strong winds brutally ripped the roof off of almost 1/2 of our house and flung the heavy timber and G.I. sheets a few hundred meters away. As the typhoon raged outside, all seven of us in the family cowered for almost 6 hours inside the bathroom fearing the worst and praying for the storm to end. The horrible, endless roar of the typhoon's raw power is one sound we probably can never forget.

Our living room, the morning after the typhoon

I still get goosebumps whenever I watch the video clips I took that day. Because I know that at the same time I was filming the typhoon's effects on our vicinity with my digital camera, hundreds were either dying or already dead in neighboring villages and towns, trapped under dark raging waters mixed with volcanic sand, boulders and debris.

But the winds died down, the rain stopped, and the sun shone again from behind the clouds. Now, one year later, my city and my province are back on their feet and still moving forward, displaying the admirable resilience that makes me proud to be an Albayano.

Here at home, a new glistening Christmas tree now stands in our living room, the same area that was destroyed by the typhoon. It is a symbol of hope and gratitude. After experiencing the worst Christmas ever last year, one appreciates more even simple things such as Christmas lights and tinsels.

I am thankful that we survived that huge calamity (although our favorite pet dog didn't) and I am praying that God's providence will protect us from future harm.

This post is in memory of the almost 1,000 victims of Typhoon Reming. May they find peace, warmth and comfort in the company of our Lord in Heaven.

Rizal Beach, Sorsogon

Rizal Beach, Sorsogon - Originally uploaded by dxpsycho

This is Rizal Beach in Gubat, Sorsogon on our first outing this Summer 2007 (with the Marketing Department). It's my second time to visit this place. The last time was when we had a retreat here back in '03. Revisiting Rizal Beach brought back some fun college memories.

Anyway, the beach is good enough but I'm not really impressed with it though. It needs some cleaning up as it is littered with strands of seaweeds, twigs, shells, other organic debris and the occasional hermit crab scurrying about.

The sand isn't white but is of a greyish-brown color, although some say the sand there used to be "whiter" than it is now. The water is quite shallow but you have to watch out for those seaweeds that can be quite ticklish on the feet. The wide beach is perfect for a barkada to hang out in under the clear blue sky or on a starry night.

Still, we had fun in Rizal! What do you expect? When a bunch of retards get together, it's a riot! LOL. Kidding. On to the next summer destination!

Check out my Flickr for more photos of Rizal Beach

Road Trip to Joroan

Last Sunday, February 4, I and my colleagues and friends went on a road trip to the town of Tiwi, a 45-minute drive north of Legazpi City. The group attended mass at the old town church and later indulged in the famous Tiwi halo-halo. The halo-halo of Tiwi is quite popular because of the softer consistency of the shaved ice which makes it creamier and smoother. There's also a generous heap of cheese on top. And since I'm a bit of a cheese lover, that's fine with me.

After lunch, the group decided to head for the scenic road going to Joroan, a barangay of Tiwi famous for being the home of the Nuestra Señora de Salvacion, a revered and miraculous Marian image. The Hanging Road to Joroan is called as such because it winds its way up, with the mountain at one side and a steep cliff diving down into the sea on the other. The view overlooking the blue-green Lagonoy Gulf was spectacular. One can even see the island province of Catanduanes in the distance.

Of course the best part of the road trip was the company, any trip with these guys is always laugh trip!

Check out some photos of Joroan after the jump.


You can also check out my Flickr for higher resolution photos. :-)

Rude Awakening to a Grim Reality

For many of us, global warming and climate change were only trendy catch phrases for the environmentally-inclined. I too admit that I almost never gave it more than a passing thought.

Yes I was aware of what was happening throughout the world - how forest cover were disappearing by the thousands of hectares every year, how polar bears were drowning because their homes on the ice shelves floating on the Arctic waters were breaking apart leaving them stranded on slowly melting little icebergs, or how shocking and extreme weather conditions were destroying lives and properties all over the world.

But I never really cared, until late last year.

On that fateful day of November 30th 2006, global warming, climate change and all those fancy catch-phrases became a grim and tragic reality right before our very eyes. Probably the worst typhoon ever to hit the country in decades bore its full fury upon this puny little peninsula called Bicol. No one will ever forget how strong and angry the wind was and how the blinding torrents of rain lashed without mercy for hours on end.

We thought it would never stop. When the winds and the rain died down, the enormity of the disaster slowly dawned among those who survived – shattered homes, shattered lives, whole villages erased from the map, hundreds missing and hundreds dead.

Now, only a few weeks after that dreadful day, my home province is still trying its best to recover from the misfortune that befell it. Questions and fears race through my head, will it happen again, or rather, when will it happen again? Are we ready to face yet another disaster of this magnitude? Now that we have experienced the full wrath of nature, will we start caring or do we fall again into complacency only to be shaken by another rude awakening?