SAMBAWAN ISLAND - Philippines Destinations
Sorry for the little delays in the post. I've been busy lately. Anyway I just want to share this old adventure I had back in the province of Biliran where I stayed for a couple of months. Expect more stories to come from this little island and the little islands it has and the islands of their little islands. Yes I know that seems plenty but that is what makes this place amazing. :)
I have to apologize for the poor quality of the pictures though. I wasn't really the type to take pictures nor did I know I would be one day sharing it with you.
The First is SAMBAWAN ISLAND. It is a small island of Maripipi which ironically is also an island of Biliran island. ( its long i know )
( view from the hill on sambawan overloking maripipi )
Its a very small island but has crystal clear waters and a small white sand stretch of beach. The water is just full of life so be careful not to get in too deep because of the sea urchins ( always wondered how they would taste ) from this view you could see that its mainly consist of grass so be sure to bring a shade. The Other side is a rocky cliff overlooking a vast coral reef which I wished to have at least seen. ( we didn't have funds for a scuba gear nor did we know how to operate one LOL)
It was a perfect place to have fun like we did or if you just wish to have some peace and quiet. (Personally being on an island is too quiet) Relaxing and adventurous is the theme of the island for me. And aside from the experience the view is just breathtaking. I got acquainted with nemo (clown fish) near the shore where I bathed. As such an evidence that there are more to see around the island as well.
(we won!!! - picture taken from the beach side)
The ADVENTURE and the TRAVEL
Whilst on the island we did a lot of things cooking food is one of them (they did all the work) which was fresh fish bought earlier from the market and pork and a whole lot of natural tasty treats cooked local style - YUMMY!- which I'm proud to say vary from region to region in the Philippines. Meaning there are a lot of exotic local foods to try and the only exchange is a small amount of money and a whole lot of good personality so they'll make them for you. Kind of like playing sims castaway and you yourself is the sim.
The gallon we are holding on the picture is actually bahalina a form of coconut wine kinda like the ones captain jack sparrow used when he was stuck on the island. Yes we also had some booties like captain jack did. Whats the point on being in an island anyway without them? :) But it is sort of special in the regions in the Philippines where the people speak the native language called "bisaya". This is a brief tutorial why.
- BAHALINA - an aged Tuba (coconut wine) older than the usual found in most parts in the country, fermented for about 6 months to years. I'm not familiar with the process itself but the usual outcome is that tuba, if fermented will become natural vinegar. But they found a way to keep it as wine. The tastiest bahalina I've ever tried was found in bohol.
- TUBA - raw coconut wine and if aged turns to natural vinegar. Just an FYI - in iloilo you can find the best natural mix of vinegar perfect for a whole lot of things especially oysters.
Early in the morning we set out on that trip, from the town of Naval to the town of Kawayan. the road isn't quite as pleasant but it is an adventure in itself. the preferred mode of transport would have to be either a bus (not recommended) or a motorcycle which is the adventure part of the journey. But if you are a tourist and don't know anyone then I suggest you hire a boat from Naval directly to the island. Then from their we traveled on a small boat to the island. Note that the open sea has waves and the front part of the boat was actually going through the waves pointing towards the sea floor at times (only about 30 degrees down) and the waves may be higher than the part you are sitting at. Oh yeah! that was fun! feeling the water splash -side note put all electronics on a plastic and seal - feeling the breeze and open sea and sunlight. well there you have it. luckily I got to know some great people which took me on all of this adventures (which I will post soon)
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