October 31, 2006 (Tuesday)

We woke up early and decided to have breakfast in town. I had coffee (or was hot milo?) at 6:00 am.

While we were on our way to the white island yesterday, I noticed a mini-airport/airstrip nearby. We decided to check it out for our early morning stretch.

Duel of the Digicams: Nikkon (G) versus Canon. Nikkon’s got a great set of optics. Mine lasts longer and has a really huge memory…. From the point of view of this blog’s readers (?!??), she wins.

Apparently, there is a plane from Cebu that arrives once every three weeks and the travel fare is quite expensive for mere mortals, so the airport is seldom used. I heard that when PGMA visited Camiguin during the Lanzones Festival, the airport was used exclusively by the government.

By 7 am, we were quite hungry so we went to town on foot. Our breakfast was adobong octopus. No doubt about it, ’twas captured this morning. 100 bucks! Breakfast of Champions for two.

Next stop, Mantigue Island, another popular destination. After somehow haggling with the locals, we manage to secure a pumpboat at discounted price.

Mantigue Island


A View from Mantigue Island. That tiny speck on the right was me.

Luckily, we were the first ones to arrive at 8:00 am. We didn’t have to worry about leaving our stuff.

Taking a break. I wonder what’s up at the "other island" (W. Golding’s Lord of the Flies).

Camiguin, as seen from Mantigue.

About 10:45 am, people started arriving. It was a chinese family. And would you believe, tambays flocked to them like they were mana from heaven. Where one person would have been enough to attend to the needs of the family (including security), the freeloading tambays demonstrated their "usefulness" by carrying additional chairs (each one carried 1 monobloc chair), charcoal, and barbecue sticks. Apparently, they ganged up on the unsuspecting family  so that each would have receive a "generous" amount. It’s like "Pay us or you lose your stuff". arggh.

Unfortunately, they also tried to extort ~ 150 bucks from us because we used the tables and the duyan! I didn’t give in because I found it unreasonable that I should be paying for the use of the place. As far as I knew, that covered area was put up for public use. I’m fully aware of the concept of "tragedy of the commons" and so tried hard not to disturb or destroy that area (during our stay) by collecting our trash, and  certainly enough, there was hardly any sign indicating that the use of the "common goods" required payment of rent.

Perhaps, they knew I’d be reluctant that they approached our boatman and convinced him to sympathize with their lot and try to extract any amount from us.

The nerve! To make matters worse, I noticed that there were scattered plastics bottles, improperly disposed trash here and there…. regular maintenance, my foot … yeah right. It’s not hard to imagine that the money they obtain from such activities is wasted on beer rather than … nevermind.

Anyway, I was about to boil over that we decided to leave early rather than stay as planned, until 12. We promptly left about 11:00 am. I’m probably sounding off a bit (?) cruel (and sarcastic) here, but I do hate it when people think you’re easy money.

They didn’t even own the place! For all we know, perhaps it really belongs to a humble fisherman who makes an honest living by waking up 4:00 am everyday riding going out to sea to catch fish to sell.

Moving on … we gave 20 bucks for their "peace of mind" and mine as well.

That built up my appetite.

When we got back, we proceeded to the Lagoon and had our lunch. 

As they say, the best way to a man’s heart is through his stomach (or his wallet).

end of part 3 … for now.

Pictures speaks thousands of words …

… Yet another view from the Hacienda Villamayor

Unfortunately for us, we spent only a day at Bukidnon.

October 29, 2006 (Sunday)

We left the following morning (4:30 am) for Camiguin via Cagayan de Oro. From there, Christian got a cab bound for the next station as he was heading to Iligan to meet up with his family. From here, it took another 1.5 hours of travel time (on a bus) to Balingoan where the ferry ride to the Island awaits.

 … Here, G informs (warns!?) her sister of our imminent arrival.

It wouldn’t take much to stretch the imagination, thinking that the warning sign went something like this:

ALERT. Poor Backpackers Looking for Free Food and a Place to Stay. WELCOME WITH EXTREME CAUTION.

 … 10 mins to port

Travelling is not without its usual share of … let’s say … inconveniencies. From porters ‘attacking en masse’ on unsuspecting people to the sudden inflation in the prices of goods . I do not doubt that they needed the "money", but I really could … uhmm… carry my bags (3). I really … didn’t need that much help…. yet. Besides, we certainly didn’t look like tourists with enough moolah to spare… and miss G happens to be a native of the Island.

Upon arrival, we looked for the much-cliched honest good old man and rented his jeepney to take us to the town of Lumad where G’s sister waits (perhaps in mortal fear) for her visitors, hahaha… To get our money’s worth, (at G’s suggestion) he gave us a preview of the Lagoon (more on that later).

While I unpacked, G did her bit in making all the required Kumustas to her relatives, while (trying hard at) explaining her 3 year absence… on top of that she did her bit in making known to everyone that i’m just her officemate and not Her Mate.

Some things never change…

On the flipside, it’s probably for "my protection" as I wouldn’t have escaped the close scrutiny of her clan who occupied the majority of the town plus it freed me from dishing out "grease" or some form of obligation to her … hehehe, more threatening and overprotective clanmembers.

Then about 4pm we went to the white island, a sand bar 1 km off the coast of Camiguin. At this hour, the high tide has submerged parts of the island. You’d think they were actually referring to two islands rather than one.

We went there via a rented pumpboat.

Ah… yes, it was fast approaching sunset.

You know what they say about women loving every minute of the sunset …

Nah… Actually, I don’t know what to write here as I was preocuppied with the memory of that scene in the movie Bedazzled where the Brendan Frasier sings about Mayonais, Dolphins, and why the Sunset brings him to tears. The devil granted his wish to become emotionally-sensitive, and, as we found out minutes later, he actually ends up being a total loser. As to that scene’s relation to this sunset theme, well, he cried while accidentally witnessing the sun set over the horizon.

By the time we got back, a quick trip to the market furnished G with enough ingredients to allow her to make Tom yam soup with scallops (rather than shrimps). On that night, I promised myself to abstain from beef, pork, and chicken. From here on out, it was either seafood or vegetables.

It is interesting to note that in Visayas or Mindanao, it’s either cable TV or your pick of channel 2 or 7 (depending on the strength of the broadcasted signal in your area). Thus, I was able to follow up on CNN, ESPN, and Champion’s League Football. I was also surprised to find out that Sun Cellular’s signal was strong (about 3 bars) inside G’s house. At least, my family (by default, the only people to care about you) wouldn’t  worry about me not making contact …

Also, as mentioned in a previous blog entry, I continued reading Lord of the Flies….
If it weren’t for G, fixing the kulambo, I would have adopted the title when flies turn me into a cesspool of malaria and dengue viral strains.

Alarms for 5am. The cool night air. The symphony of cicadas. Goodnight. Empty dreams.

October 30, 2006 (Monday)

G had a bout allergy so stayed home to recuperate. I went to town (accompanied by her cousin)  to secure a flight home. I was persuaded to book a saturday flight by her "persuasive" sister as that would give enough time for me to visit the majority of the Island’s hotspots. When Air Philippines and Cebu Pacific ran out of tickets, I was in near panic. Reluctantly, I went to the PAL office. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get myself booked on a cheaper flight (~ PhP 1000 cheaper) because I was seconds too late.

Once I got my ticket, I went back home (… I’m starting to sound like G’s house is also my home, my apologies to her clan). I told her that I should begin asking around where I could get me a handful of Lanzones to bring back to Manila. We missed the Lanzones festival (it was held a week earlier, during the conference period). G says she’d be asking her cousins and friends.

Poor Girl. Her allergies were in full swing around noon.

3pm G was recovering. Muy Bien.

We went to Katibawasan falls on a motorcycle. The infamous "Habal-Habal", only a bit larger than your scooter. Before reaching the top we had run out of gas. The driver had to turn about and refuel below while we continue on foot. He did assure us that he’d be back by 5 pm.

Katibwasan Falls (< 1 km) or Bust  …

Katibwasan Falls: 70m, If you ever doubted U = mgh, stick your neck out into the water column and greet Newton a few seconds later. Trust me, it’s one of the fastest way to meet the great scientist when your head turns into plasma juice.

I forgot to pack extra clothes… Rather than waste this glorious opportunity to be one with nature … I stripped down to my undies and swam in the cool waters of G’s ancestral domains. Our daily grind inside the airconditioned lab ( 18C degrees ) was ample preparation for this. Plus … I have long entertained a theory by my deranged biology professor that bathing in cool waters actually increases your chances of siring the next generation (assuming of course you’re lucky in The Game). Or to put it another way, taking hot showers often, decreases your "potential".

It would be a net 0.00001 loss to the overall biodiversity if my kind were not to prevail. yeah, right. damn you professor.

At that moment, G told me that occasionally monkeys can be seen scrambling over the treetops high above … hanging by the cracks on the walls, or else themselves taking a bath in the same pool…

No one and nothing else was in sight except a half naked idiot haunted by a flawed biological theory. She might have been right… Monkeys do turn up, occasionally.

… and sheesh. I’m getting sleepy now.