Batanes, Philippines sinked in so deep in my heart that instead of posting in again flowers, ornamental plants, fruits, vegetables, orchids; i opted to continue sharing with you some scenes i took. There are still a lot of photos, as we stayed there for 3 days during the Backpack Photography Workshop. I confess i am not yet knowledgeable with my camera, which i bought only in April, much moreso with photography. But it is not an excuse not to take photos. It is one thing sure, it is learned by practice. I hope i can give justice to the beauty of the place, and further hope they will merit your enthusiasm.
Fundacion Pacita is very accomodating to guests, whether tourists just wanting to roam around
We were privileged by the rainbow to be at the right time at the right place. The group of houses is the Fundacion Pacita Complex, as viewed from the Basco Lighthouse.
expanse of Batan Island landscape as viewed from the Lighthouse
One of the churches in Batan Island, Mahatao Church
Carabaos freely roam at what they call Marlboro Hills, but it is fenced at some areas
How do you like the clouds in Batanes?
This is a normal feast in Sabtang island. We had 3 lobster meals for 3 days, in addition to a lot more dishes. And it go very beautifully with yellow rice.
A newly constructed stone house in Sabtang, as tourism office
The Basco Lighthouse
A carabao oblivious to the full moon, which we all cherished. We had a difficult time chasing and disturbing the animal so it will raise its head for the picture, but it didn't budge.
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Great photos! I think you are doing very well with your new camera, and like you said, it takes practice. I'm still learning myself.
ReplyDeleteBatanes looks like a lovely, peaceful place to visit and I can see why the place touched your heart. It looks like a wonderful place to live year round.
FlowerLady
Andrea this place is idyllic, serene and just beyond one's imagination.
ReplyDeleteAndrea, What lovely sceneries! I like the newly built stonehouse. I saw something quite similar before...during some outward conscious visit. :)
ReplyDeleteAndrea your compostions are great. Those blue chairs are quite stunning in that first photograph and the 5th photograph looks like a scene from the west coast of Scotland.
ReplyDeleteThe way the fields are set out is so unusual and looks very oriental to me with the peaks in the background - and that last photo with the moon in the background and the silhouette of the carabao is wonderful - glad he didn't budge as it made a great photo.
Thankyou so much for your email - I really appreciated your message :) Rosie
It is good to see scenery instead of flowers as both are part of nature anyway. This place is really very beautiful. I really love its location by the sea. I can imagine how peaceful it is and I'd love to listen to the lapping of the waves on the beach. The skies are awesome!
ReplyDeleteOne again,you have captured the beauty of this place,so well.The scenes look very peaceful.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,Ruth
Hi Andrea,
ReplyDeleteBatanes is a lovely place. You show us many beautiful landscapes. I had to laugh when I read how you tried to get the carabao to raise its head. How dare the carabao be so stubborn!
Fantastic setting, Andrea!
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for visiting Bay Area Tendrils.
I invite you to drop by Alice's Garden Travel Buzz :
your post is a perfect fit!! Cheers,
Alice
wow wow wow. what an amazing trip - a backpacking photography trip! These are beautiful photos.
ReplyDeleteFunny about the carabao - I guess he was really involved with his snacking.
Beautiful places like this one are to be treasured! The new stone house looks old but to think new! Thanks for the tour of this place...
ReplyDeleteYou definitely did it justice! So very beautiful I can imagine your three days were most idyllic and you did not want to leave. Just gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteAaron - Thanks for always visiting my posts.
ReplyDeleteFlowerlady - thanks for lifting my moral in photography, hehe. Yes it is very peaceful, zero crime rate there and very fresh foods.
Islandgal - that is a very superlative comment. If i can see Barbados, i might change my mind for Batanes, hehe.
One - haha maybe we went there together. We are 1.
Rosie - i would like to tell you that sometimes we refer to Batanes as the Scotland of the Philippines. I hope it comes to you as a compliment.
Autumn Belle - Batanes has different kinds of beaches, very fine and white, medium fine, small rockies, ang boulders like Valugan. Whatever kind of beach you can find it there. Come, let's go!
Ruth - blessing for you too in your part of the world. thanks once again for the visit and appreciation.
Linda - yes that was an exciting experience with the carabao, and we were all laughing with it.
Alice Joyce - you definitely have very inspiring photos and gardens. I envy actually your posts and travels.
Wendy - backpack photography is a good de-stressing technique.
Skeeter - you should see my post previous to this, as there is the authentic old stone house, and more sceneries of the place.
Tina - thanks for saying i did justice to the place through my photos. I hope you can visit again.
Beautiful photos, Andrea -- and I love the blue of those benches! I had no idea that there were lobsters in the Philippines; this is the food most identified with my home state of Maine. -Jean
ReplyDeleteI love the colour of the chairs! They look striking and ornamental.
ReplyDeleteThis is really a cool and magnificent place to be. And that lobster meal... yum yum. Yellow rice cooked with safron?
Hello Andrea,
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful place to visit! I would love to be able to travel there someday. I love buildings made from stone as it gives them a timeless quality.
PS. Thank you so much for your kind comment to my Gotcha Day post :-)
Jean - haha, we have lots of lobsters too, though maybe not as much as in Maine and we have different species too. thanks for dropping by.
ReplyDeleteSteph - yes it is very nice to be in Batanes. I love lobsters and crabs and yellow rice, colored by turmeric not saffron.
Noelle - Yes these stone houses withstand not only typhoons but also earthquakes as its walls are 2-3 ft thick. The new stone houses like the Fundacion Pacita are mimics of the old.
Such beauty! The Fundacion Pacita is so cute and the landscape incredibly beautiful. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteFantastic photos....I look forward to reading your blog. Great pics.
ReplyDeleteHi Andrea, thanks for visiting and commenting on my blog, and yes we do have very similar vegetation. I did post another series of beach photos yesterday - sometimes I post in the gardening blog and sometimes the tropical surroundings. Those lobster looked very yummy - I could easily eat those ever day for three days!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful shots.... what tranquility n serenity Andrea. Loved the pics n enjoyed the view.
ReplyDelete