Oh Sweet Siquijor!

Siquijor has been on my bucketlist for the longest time already. I've always wanted to experience the mystical island which has been masked by sorcery and witchcraft. So last Wednesday and Thursday, I went to Siquijor with some of my friends from CCMC. It was our way of destressing from all the beating in the hospital. BUT, I found myself in a different kind of stress when we started our lil adventure. Haha. Chiela, Mandel and Dave were waiting for me inside the bus bound to Liloan, Santander. Just when I arrived in the terminal, the bus left! I had to ride another taxi and catch them. Good thing, the bus driver stopped for awhile and waited for me. Whew! I felt like I was in the Amazing Race. Haha.

After roughly 3 hours plus bus ride, we arrived in Sibulan. Rode a jeepney to Dumaguete proper. Then tricycle to the Port for Siquijor. Here's the schedule of trips for reference. (Deltacraft fare P160 + Terminal Fee P15. Travel Time: 45 mins-1 hour)
Dumaguete-Siquijor
6am every Monday
9am daily
1:30pm daily
4:30pm daily

Siquijor to Dumaguete
5:55am daily
12:30pm daily
3pm daily

We arrived in Siquijor around 5:30pm and I tell you..Sunset in Siquijor is BEAUTIFUL! Some of God's awesome creations just can't be captured in photos. But I can try...

We were welcomed by the powdery, white sands and crystal clear water of Siquijor. A lot of tricycle drivers were also waiting for guests to arrive. Kuya Dennis served as our tricycle driver/ tour guide/ photographer. Tour around Siquijor Island cost P1,500 depending on your haggling skills. Kuya Dennis agreed to P1,400 which includes the town of San Juan, Siquijor, Larena, E. Villanueva, Maria. We missed out Lazi. Our first choice for accommodation was Coco Grove but it was too pricey for us. Kuya Dennis showed us a more affordable place to stay but still meet our expectations: air conditioned room-check! shower with heater-check! pool-check! beachfront-check! Charisma Beach Resort was our home for the night. Room Rate P1,250 (2pax). Addtional P350 per person.

After checking in, Kuya Dennis dropped us at Castaways where we had a sumptuous dinner. We had to wait for some time before they served our food but at least it was oh so delish! Total bill = P640 (Good for 4 persons)

There was no tricycle going back to the resort, so we had no other choice but to walk. Ate Jeziel, the owner of the resort said it's just 1km away but it was toooo far. Ate, do we use the same metric system??? Haha.

Tales of witches and sorcerers aside, Siquijor island is a very peaceful province with zero police records of kidnapping, carnapping, etc. That's why we felt safe while walking. But the dogs were barking! Eeerrie.

Back in the resort, we had a few sips of beer (We are no San Mig Light drinkers!) then went night swimming in the pool until almost 10pm. It was time to rest our weary bodies.

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The beach was not swimmable when we woke up early in the morning. Hello, Low tide!

We explored other parts of Siquijor after the most important meal of the day. Filipino Breakfast in the resort cost P180/meal (No choice! Hehe)

First stop was Salagdoong Beach Resort. Just an hour away from San Juan. It is tucked in a cove, fine white sand perfect for swimming, sunbathing, relaxing, fooling around and doing the art of nothing! :)

Are you having fun yet? I can stay here all day. But we had to leave and catch the 3pm trip to Dumaguete. Lunch before going back. Total bill = P640 (Good for 5 persons)

Gotta drop by some churches first.

Thank You Lord for blessing us with all the beauty of nature! The trip was short and sweet. We needed the change of scene. What a great breather! So long Siquijor...

Can I just say that Siquijor has the cleanest pier? Seriously, if there was a contest, Siquijor for the win!

The trip back to Cebu was one helluva ride. Attack of the killer buses!!! The driver was driving so fast in a psychotic manner, it nearly made me throw up. Normally, travel time from Dumaguete to Cebu takes about 3 1/2 hours but we made it in less than 3 hours! I hope there will be no more reckless drivers. Please don't ruin my love for long bus rides. I'll see you again, Siquijor. You were magical! Thank you Chiela, Mandel and Dave for making the trip extra fun! :)

Chada Weekend.

Daut moved to Cagayan de Oro City earlier this month because of work. So what's a girl gotta do? Visit her lonely boy in Mindanao. Haha. Equipped with a map, full tank of gas and moves like jagger (our soundtrack for the trip haha), we found our way around Cagayan De Oro, Iligan and Bukidnon.

 August 13 Cagayan de Oro City

It's my second time to visit Cagayan de Oro City. I was quite impressed with Airphil Express because the flight was ahead of time and I got free 15 kilos baggage. (Perfect for the rice cooker, curtains and starter set for Daut from his mom.) But I spoke too soon. As usual, Airphil Express disappointed me as they cancelled my return flight. Anyhoo, Daut took me to his home in Opol, Misamis Oriental. It's just 15 minutes away from the bustling Cagayan. He lives in a resort with the ocean as his playground. It's not Boracay, but still I think it's pretty cool to live in a tranquil atmosphere and sleep to the sound of the waves at night. We spent Friday just strolling in the beach, setting up Daut's new home, eating delicious dinner @ Panagatan and visiting the night market.

August 14 Iligan
After attending mass at the Divine Mercy, we followed the map to the City of Majesic Waterfalls. It was noon time and our stomachs were grumbling. We wanted to eat at Sunburst. I've been there before but obviously, I have no sense of direction so it took us almost 2 hours to find the place and *pooof* its CLOSED. All our energy levels just dropped. And we get cranky when hungry. There was silence in the air until we found the nearest fastfood. Mang Inasal saves the day! Hahaha. And we're back to our normal, giddy selves on the road.

TINAGO FALLS is literally hidden in a deep ravine. 400 plus slippery steps, but when you get to the falls, you can't help but jump into the clean, deep, icy cold water. So beautiful and refreshing. Even KC CONCEPTION and SAM MILBY enjoyed it! Hahaha.

Apple Tree Resort and Hotel is just a few sandy steps away from Daut's home. It has a swimming pool and a jacuzzi but I guess we had too much swimming that day. We just had dinner there. Food and service was great.

August 15 Bukidnon
Armed with a good sense of adventure, we went to the mountains of Dahilayan where we passed by miles and miles of pineapple fields and breathtaking views. That "Pineapple Country" is actually the source of Del Monte products. PATIKIM NG PINYA? HAHA.

We arrived in Dahilayan Adventure Park around 8:30am. What do you need after roughly 2 hours of driving?  GOOD FOOD! We ordered Spanish Omelette and Double Cheeseburger at the Pinegrove Lodge.

ZIPZONE ALL RIDES cost P600 which includes 320m+150m ZIP plus LONGEST ZIPLINE IN ASIA @ 840m. The Philippines will soon become the zipline capital of the world with all the ziplines being operated around the country. Haha. But I have to say, the 840m zipline is the BEST! Feeling Superman talaga flying upto 100kph. Zooming through lush greenery is exhilarating!!!

We were done by all the rides @ 11am. So we proceeded to Dahilayan Forest Park. It offers Buggy, ATV, Zorb, Bungy Bounce and Treetop adventure. We tried the Treetop Adventure (P250 plus P50 Entrance). It's different from the treetop adventure in Subic. Here, we had to pass 25 obstacles. Daut's favorite is the skateboard ride from one tree to another.

My lampa-body was aching afterwards. Haha. Going back, we had lunch at some bbq place along the way and went straight to the airport only to find out that my flight @ 3:20pm was cancelled. Arghhh...NEVER AGAIN, AIRPHIL! They didn't even advise me. BOOOO! I was accommodated in another flight though. Arrived in Cebu 6ish pm. And I still made it to work at 10pm. Whew! What a weekend! As Cagayan locals would say, "Chada kaayo!" :) And it goes like this...

♫Take me by the tongue
And I'll know you
Kiss me till you're drunk
And I'll show you
You want the moves like jagger

I've got the moves like jagger
I've got the mooooooves... like jagger♫

The song was on repeat the whole time. It's so catchy it hurts! HAHAHAHA. Let's not forget about the whistling too. Till our next roadtrip dawg!

Palawan, one more time!

Here's a wrap up of our lil Palawan adventure. Thanks to my friend, Le - the creative genius for this video. Enjoy! :)

Palawanderful Life!

I alighted from the Cebu Pacific Plane in Manila on June 18 6ish am walking like a zombie. I had no sleep at all from night-pm duty straight to the airport. Basta ikaw, Dawg! Hehee...HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! ILY!!!


Booked buy 1 take 1 tickets to Puerto Princesa for Daut's birthday. Yey! (P2,495/2pax via Ceb Pacific. Not bad eh?) La Charica Inn was our home in the last frontier. It's affordable, comfortable and very accessible from the airport and downtown. Double Room starts at P1,300 with continental breakfast and free wi-fi. They even gave us a 10% discount!

Popular tours for first timers in Puerto Princesa are Honda Bay Island Hopping and Underground River. Its a MUST to experience these two. So here we go.

DAY 1 HONDA BAY ISLAND HOPPING
Standard Rate = P1,500/ person
Inclusion: Aircon Van, Tour Guide, Entrance Fees and Travel Insurance, Buffet Lunch, Shed Rental, Boat Transfer
Our driver was late in picking us up so we started our Island Hopping around 11am already. Our first stop was Pandan Island. The place reminds me so much of Cebu's Pandanon Island. Did our first round of snorkeling after our picnic lunch. We had joiners in the tour which frankly were flowing with bad aura. They were a group of friends who were always complaining. They had side comments to the tour guide like, "Hindi mo ba tatanongin kung okey lang kami?" "Ito ba ang buffet?" "Anong pangalan ng agency ninyo kasi hindi namin i-recommend?" Oh Please... Don't wanna be around negative people. Bad vibes, go away! One of the reasons why Daut is my favorite travel buddy is because we always find ways to enjoy even if things are not going perfectly as planned. As with any journey, who you travel with can be more important than your destination.♥ 



Next stop, Snake Island. The island is named from a winding sandbar which actually looks like a snake from aerial view. The tip of the island is very narrow where you can see both sides of the ocean. It's snorkeling time again. Daut and I were so amazed with the corals and fishes we saw, we forgot to take underwater pictures!

Last stop, Pambato Reef. Unfortunately, we were not able to go snorkeling because its closed already. Bummer! Bumawi naman ang tour guide and took us after to Iwayan and Tiange Tiange - a cheap store for pasalubongs.

Palawan is known for their cashew nuts. Small pack costs P60.


Dinner @ Kinabuch. The restaurant reminds me of Jerry's grill. We wanted to try the local delicacy, Tamilok--woodworm that is found on dead mangroves. But all sold out :( So we tried another exotic food-crocodile adobo. Nooomnom tastes just like chicken! All these food below costs 700 plus.



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DAY 2 UNDERGROUND RIVER
Standard Rate = P1,500/ person
Inclusion: Aircon Van, Licensed Tou Guide, Permit & Entrance Fees and Travel Insurance, Buffet Lunch, Boat Transfer
Trivia:The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park is located about 50 km north of the city of Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Philippines. It features a limestone karst mountain landscape with an 8.2 km. navigable underground river. A distinguishing feature of the river is that it winds through a cave before flowing directly into the South China Sea. It includes major formations of stalactites and stalagmites, and several large chambers.  


Our call time was 5 am. We were joined by a cute couple who were celebrating their first anniversary. And the Reyes family composed of cool parents and 3 children in the mid 20's. Daut and I felt good vibes with this group. Funny enough, we were from different stages. From boyfriend/girlfriend to husband and wife to a family. Haha. The parents said Daut and I were the brave ones so they made us sit at the front of the boat towards the underground river. At the mouth of the cave, a clear lagoon is framed by ancient trees growing right to the water's edge. Monkeys, large monitor lizards, and squirrels find their niche on the beach near the cave. 


 
The cave was simply amazing. The first word we uttered was, "WOW" but we had to keep our mouth shut because we might catch the holy water a.k.a bat's weewee. Be careful of the holy shit too! 

Vegetable Section. Want some cabbage? Haha. There were other cool formations inside the cave like the holy family, melted candle, naked woman, etc. Too bad, my camera won't do justice. The tour lasted about 45 minutes with funny stories from the tour guide. After experiencing the underground river myself, I think that it deserves a spot in the new 7 wonders of nature. Vote now!!! :)))

UGONG ROCK
This was not part of the tour package but Ate Shyr, our tour guide offered to take us there since it was just on the way and we finished early. The latest project of ABS-CBN for the community in Puerto Princesa is the zipline. Unfortunately, it stopped operating because the owner of the surrounding rice fields had some issues with airspace. Pwede ba yun? He wanted P25 for every zipline ride. It was open that day because the big bosses of ABS CBN were there to negotiate. Lucky us!

First, we need to climb up Ugong Rock. These formations have a chime like ring if you give them a tap. The guides say the the word “ugong” means sound. Fee is P200 with gloves, hard hat and tour guide.

We passed thru cracks, crevices, limestone formations, climbed a rope and even slipped thru a hole. It's no biggie for hardcore climbers. But challenging enough for me! Haha. After an hour or so in the maze passageway, we reached the top. It was a little crowded up there. Some where waiting for their turn in the zipline while some were resting and enjoying the view. Going down via the 330m meter zipline was fun and fast! Additional P250 for the ride.

Mass @ the Cathedral. We always find time to hear mass when we travel. All the beauty and wonders of nature reminds us that the BIG GUY above created all of these for us. Thank You Lord for angels everywhere. Daut and I have been always blessed with our trips. :)

Baywalk

Dinner @ Balinsayaw. When we were in the underground river, we noticed birds flying in and and out of the cave. They are actually "Balinsayaw" . Their nest is made up of saliva. *Poof! Now we have bird's nest soup. It's quite pricey though for a soup. P300 good for 3-4 persons. But really, really good! MUST TRY!

The balinsayaw dessert deserves a solo picture because I find it really brilliant. You want buko? You want nuts? You want ice cream? Ahh you can find everything in this lil thaang! Total damage for our dinner = P700 plus (again? Ha!)

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DAY 3 CITY TOUR 
Standard Rate for City Tour in Puerto Princesa is P600/ person via van. If you know me and Daut, you'll know that we travel on a budget. So we hired a tricycle for P700 instead. At leeeaaaast...we had the trike to ourselves and we can stay in one place as long as we want without thinking of other joiners. Haha.

Mitra's Ranch

Butterfly Garden

Baker's Hill

Crocodile Farm

There you have it folks! That's how we spent Daut's Birthday weekend in Puerto Princesa, Palawan. The last frontier, the city in the forest. Nature at its outrageously best! Where else can you find the longest navigable underground river? Only in the Philippines! No wonder travelers from all over the world have been raving about it. I had a blast on your birthday Dawg. Hope you did too! You make me happy, in so many ways! *giggles* One more time, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!!