Backpacking : Sebaste Antique

The Place

Sebaste Antique... Honestly I did'nt know why I went there in the first place. It might be the call of adventure, the willingness to travel, or just the urge to explore places. Whatever it was I found myself once again backpacking and walking through an unfamiliar mountain.

Full of lush vegetations and wild animals ( I did't have the stamina to go in deeper to see one), this is not a place for the weak of heart. Yeah it might not be a tourist attraction, but it is an adventurers spirit that drove me to walk up and down this mountain for a continous 7.5 hours hike ( I know it's mideocre hours ). I tried my hardest and emerged triumphant.

( The photo was taken going down from the mountain where we have been. The shot was taken atop another small mountain. )

( This is the front view from the above photo. We are supposed to go back to where the sea begins. I had no idea it was that far - and yes I made it back alive - )

Things I discovered

Here are a few list of things I discovered along the way. To and from my journey, these are my mental notes.

*30 mins walk.

-I can walk that long no sweat.

*1 hour through the walk
-Farmlands are really full of mud and I'm really glad I had worn shorts. But next time find a good pair of footwear to wear for the feet.

*2 hours have passed ( still walking )
-We really should've really brought some water.
-hmmm... maybe not bringing water is not a bad idea after all. I cant seem to carry even my clothes anymore.

*3 hours suffering in thirst
- Mountain streams are clean after all. Yey!!!
- I hope we will pass another stream soon.
- Powdery bamboo looking plants are not ideal for holding. ( they have thousands of mini spines that hurt - and its hard to remove, loss of use of arms for balance is bad )

*4 hours
- What the hell am I doing?
- I never knew Mountain rocks are sharp.
- finally going back... Sweet!!!

*5 hours
- I thought we're going back? how come we're still climbing?
- Oh crap! where's my shirt?

*6 Hours
- Downward is slippery after a few drops of rain.
- Oh S**t! was that a snake that passed in front of me?!
- Falling down is fun...
- Cool View

*7 hours
- Keep walking Feet!!!
- Fast Food will certainly taste better every time after this.
- Almost there!!!
- Concrete floor or wood is very comfy for rest after. :-)

Overall

Overall I learned that Hiking through a steep and dense forest is pretty hard but it is something that can change a persons perspective. To push oneself to the limits, discover new things, appreciate life more and live!

Backpacking : Dalutan Island

Island Visit

This is yet again another island in the island Province of Biliran (and I did not even get to visit all of the islands yet). Not speaking ill of the island but this is just one of the more ordinary islands that I've visited. It doesn't have the magnificent view the other islands offer but it is still worth the adventure (you'll know why soon enough starting with the first picture).

(yes it is as it seems that the boat below us can't be seen. Its a small boat to journey more than a kilometer at sea. - great isn't it?)

The Prelude

Well this day started like any other day -boring-. Imagine a Life without television, cable, or satellite (scary i know), and the best part of all is that its a none working day. Imagine 18 hours with nothing to do and nobody in the mood to talk. So whats the best solution? DO SOMETHING! :-) Being stuck in an island is a fun way of discovering nature or you could just visit a friends house and chomp away at any food you can find. Which in this case what I did.

We went to Almeria. A small town next to where we stayed. It just took a couple of miles and about 30 minutes of travel to get there. Also in this place you can find natural hot springs and a view of a small scale rice terraces. It would be a beautiful view in a summers sunset since it would all go brown with the setting sun and the cool breeze of fresh mountain air . But alas this is another undocumented episode of my journey.

The Get Away

( small cottage on a small island but hey it has fresh food )

After a few chats on the roadside and after being given quite a few freshly caught squids and fishes. My mates decided to go to a nearby island. Just a few miles offshore with a boat they own. Nothing fancy but it really seemed small for me ( but hey, I'm alive after ).

We enjoyed scenic route close to the ocean ( literally ). You could get wet by the splashes made by he boat against the ocean. It is advisable to wrap anything electronic on a plastic bag to protect it. The Island itself is a great place to relax in although its nothing really special. But it sure beats a walk in the park after a heart racing boat experience.

Philippine Travel - Sambawan Island

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 )

THE ISLAND

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.

So theres the little explanation.

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)

...

Philippines Travel - Antique

Intentions:

Hi There to everyone :) first of all thanks for visiting this blog. This blog was created to impart to you some of the sights and amazing views of some of the uncharted parts of the Philippines unknown to most people. And I hope to discover many more other places but... with 7,107 islands and a life to live i guess its a feat I can only hope to achieve. This was also created to give credit to the friends I've made along the way, the people who accompanied me on my journey which is now much a part of my life than just memories for i learned a lot with every person, and lastly for the places I've visited that gave me inspiration, a new view of the world, and old fashioned good time. And besides this is a great way to practice my communication skills and SEO skills :)

Philippines Travel - Antique

After gaining an opportunity for a vacation ( which was after a very long time ) I went to the countryside for a good R & R at an old friends new home to keep my promise to visit them there. Antique was the name of the place in a little town called Bugasong. It was a new view which I welcomed quite enthusiastically after being cramped up for so long. And The first order of business shortly after arriving there was going for a swim, at first I thought it was the beach or something but they took me to a mountain resort (unfortunately i only took pictures along the way and can't show you the pool) which the waters used are of course directly from mountain springs. The water was cool and clean even drinkable and quite refreshing after a long summers day travel. We went together with some of his wife's family member and had a rather funny time with jokes. I was acquainted with the local flora, either rare type of wild orchid or bush.


But what i really enjoyed aside from the company was the beautiful view of nature ( this picture on the left was taken on our way to the mountains and the one on the right was taken on our way home ). The skyline was crisp blue and the shades was a refreshing retreat from the summers sun. After the bath and the Quick tour of the surroundings ( I didn't get to see the monkeys though) It was time to go home and alas an end to my days vacation. But fortunately not an end to my vacation. A 3 day vacation which hopefully I can get it up on the post soon.

( Yes all of this are Photographed by ME and I've really been there)