Kapian kapanu dius si cha mavekhas! means Good Morning in Ivatan, pretty long eh? but a different dialect always amaze me. Different is good!
South Batan is the last part of our Batanes Escapade. Awww. :( The day started gloomy because of the weather, but of course, that didn't stop us from getting all excited about this new adventure. Besides, Day 3 is matchy-matchy day! hahaha! Twinning with Camille! <3
Originally, our tour was supposed to start at 9 a.m., but we moved it to 10 a.m because we wanted to get more sleep and more time to prepare. Hehehe! It's going to be a looooong day since South Batan has a lot of interesting spots. What's new is we were not late! hahaha! We still had the time to take lots of selca while waiting for Kuya Dale. Anyway, South Batan, Here we go!
Chawa View Deck
First spot for the day is this amazing view deck. Bluer than blue it is! Ahhhh and I fell in love again!
"She thinks the view is pretty but I think she's prettier" type of shot. HAHAHAHA! Hi Cams!
Admiring the view
No filter needed
It would be nice to go down and have some pictures on the rocks but Kuya Dale said that it's not advisable. The waves and the wind are quite strong so, fair enough. Safety first! (The waves and the stone actually reminded me of a scene in Little Mermaid, the part where she sang the line "I don't know when, I don't know how, But I know something's starting right nooooowww, Watch and You'll see, someday I'll be, Part of youuurrr World!!" Oooh! I how I wish I could do that here. Hahahaha!)
Mahatao Boat Shelter Port
Top View
Whenever the sea of Batanes gets a little mad, this man-made boat shelter does the job of safekeeping the boats of the residents.
We had the chance to enter the shelter itself. The shot above is one of my favorites! hahaha! (Thank you teh Ja! hahaha!)
San Carlos Borromeo Church/Mahatao Church
Mahatao Church on a smaller perspective
San Carlos Borromeo Church also known as Mahatao Church is one of the best churches in Batanes. As a matter of fact, National Museum of the Philippines has declared this church as a National Cultural Treasure.
Locally known as Maywang a Libro Du Vatan; this library has hundreds of blank books and yes, you can freely write your thoughts inside the book. There is an entrance fee of 50 pesos for the maintenance of the place.
I couldn't find book number 126 (For my birthday; January 26) so I went with number 26 instead
Feel free to write your own thoughts
Tayid Lighthouse
Yay! Another lighthouse! Tayid Lighthouse, also known as Mahatao Light house has a different design compared to the other light houses in Batanes, if you will notice, the Basco lighthouse for example has a rounded design while Mahatao's light house has a hexagonal design.
I'd like to thank the Tripod for this shot. HAHAHA!
Racuh a Payaman/Marlboro Country
This is one of the spots that I was anticipating to visit. I came here with a mission! *Tehehe!* It's to sing Taeyeon's song, "I". Hahahaha! Taeyeon filmed her MV in New Zealand and this is the closest New Zealand-ish location that I can visit, so far.
God is a great Artist!
A candid shot is a must! haha!
My favorite twinny shot, so far!
The credits for the photos also goes to the Tripod. Tripod, you rock!! hahahaha! It looks like a crazy, big and complicated golf course, right? Everything is picture perfect!
Tip: There is a canteen in the area and you could include it in your itinerary, just ask your tour guide about it so they could arrange a reservation for you. The food will cost you 300 pesos per head and just like in Sabtang, it's a set meal.
Tip: There is a canteen in the area and you could include it in your itinerary, just ask your tour guide about it so they could arrange a reservation for you. The food will cost you 300 pesos per head and just like in Sabtang, it's a set meal.
Imnajbu Point: Alapad Hill and Rock Formation
Aside from breathtaking landscapes and seascapes, Batanes also has lots of natural and beautiful Rock formations.
The most common signage that you'll see in Batanes
Blow a kiss instead! hahaha!
Former USGC Long Range Naval Station
Ruins of Songsong
Ruins of Songsong is a familiar attraction to me. This ghost baranggay got hit by a strong tsunami/tidal wave during the 1950's. Roofless and abandoned stone houses is what you'll find in this spot. Kuya Dale mentioned that it used to be open to the public,but right now, it is already considered as a private property which is why we/tourists can no longer enter the area.
Honesty Coffee Shop
The concept is simple, it’s a self service store, you’ll buy what you want, list the items on a record book and drop the payment inside a money box. You might want to pay the exact amount because no one is around to give you some change, but if you are feeling a bit generous, then you could pay more than the amount of your purchase too.
Ivana Church/San Jose de Ivana Church
At first, we thought that this church is included in the Sabtang Tour. We saw this church when we reached the first port (which we thought was already Sabtang's), it turns out that we just made a short stop to load up some goods and passengers who are going to Sabtang as well. Camille and I felt quite sad when this church was not included in the Sabtang Island itinerary, we really wanted to see it up close because it looks interesting. Little did we know, this church is part of the South Batan tour! We were like, "Yay! Dito pala syaaa!!".
Yellow!
look! Another boat!
Welcome to the oldest stone house in Batanes, House of Dakay.
I didn't get to take some pictures of what's inside but I can still recall what it looks like. You'll need to take off your shoes if you wish to enter. There's a table for a visitor's log book, another table for some merchandise and souvenirs, a wooden log chair and a Vakul which can be rented for 20.00 pesos.
The caretaker is very hospitable, she actually invited us in with a smile. (We were quite shy to enter at first. haha!)
Spanish Bridge/The Bridge of San Jose
According to the historic description provided in the area (let me take a few), "This bridge was constructed without any reinforcement steel and mainly with lime and stones. To hold the mortar in place, Wild gabi leaves were used as forms or horma. Their traces are still very evident underneath." This bridge is still used today and it provides big convenience to the residents.
White Beach and The Blue Lagoon
If Sabtang has Nakabuang Beach, Ivana has this White beach. I asked Kuya Dale if it has a more specific name and he said that it doesn't, "White beach lang po talaga sya e."
The Blue Lagoon
Our last day of escapade in Batanes is long, tiring yet fun! We jumped in back to the tricycle so Kuya Dale could drive us back to our Lodge. It was pretty amazing because the moment we stepped inside the lodge, rain fell. It's like God has let us finish our tour first before he showers his grace in the town. However, we were planning to go out so that I could take some milky way shots, but unfortunately, the rain did not stop all night. It gave us a good sleep though. Brrr! Lights out! Thank you for your existence, Batanes!
xo,
Yna <3
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