Batanes | Diura Fishing Village: Languid Morning and Tracing the Archaic

Sunrise at the Diura Fishing Village

Oh I am so looking forward to this. After days of hiking around Batanes, and recently a couple of daily hikes in Itbayat I was yearning for a place quiet to rest and recharge. I am excited to spend a night in Diura, an idyll fishing village in a quiet cove, east of Mahatao. I had been to Diura Fishing Village several times but haven’t tried spending a night. I wanted to take sunrise photos at the bay so being there would be advantageous. Our boat for Basco from Itbayat should have left already 2 hours ago. But I had to wait for 2 cows and 2 pigs on the boat. The sudden malfunction on the crane to hoist the cows added to the agonizing wait. I guess its just a little more time to endure for that much awaited repose.

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Iligan City | Refreshed at Timoga Cold Springs and Side-trip at the Macaraeg-Macapagal Ancestral House

Mid-day in Iligan City. The sun was blaring, the wind feels humid and after walking around the city streets to chase the Dyandi festival performers, it was a day begging for some nice cool dip. I guess the people at Iligan Bloggers Society (IBS) had foresight of what participants want for that day as we were scheduled to visit the Timoga Cold Springs in Buru-un. Iliganons seem so enthusiastic whenever I mention we’re going there. They said it’s a place of “flowing swimming pools”.

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Antique: Bugang River, A Clean River Runs Through Pandan

“Duck!” I heard our boatman up front yell, as our raft headed under a cluster of low-lying bamboo stalks leaning close to the waters of Bugang River. Another boatman was in chest-deep water behind the raft, tugging the rope at the back and fighting the current to somehow steer our fragile bamboo raft to a safer direction. Could this raft hold? I heard they just assemble it when they need it. We cleared the bamboo trees unscathed and found ourselves in tamer waters opening to a surreal landscape of age-old trees standing tall amidst the turquoise waters, strong and defiant of the currents.

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