Try the Road Less Travelled: Continued

I have earlier posted here the first segment of the "Try the Road Less Travelled" posts. Then a second segment, Attempt for the Extreme, was posted in an online US magazine, Mother Earth Living. I still have lots of photos to share so here is another part of that week-long escapade.

In one of those days we returned to our cottage earlier in the evening. That seems to be not conforming to the normal days we have, which normally starts very early and ends very late. So we maximized the time by passing by a mangrove area very near the sea. We hurriedly walked through the bamboo foot bridges through the mangrove trees because we can see the sunset rays seeping through the trees seemingly very inviting. Literally we ran to catch the sunset. And here are some of the episodes.

 Top and below are some of the most naughty pictures from that sojourn. Our two men companions hurriedly posed for a crime drama! As three of us ladies were taking their photos, we simultaneously were laughing so hard for the scenes they portrayed. One was raising his hands in submission of guilt, while the other is attacking him with the bolo.

 This is not a very obvious scene, but one is supposedly doing the guillotine to his companion. That was a morbid scene, but we just cooperated in taking the naughty photos. We just fulfilled the drama without any conversations.

 Each one of us took chances in posing for our silhouettes among the branches, illuminated by the fast receding sunset. We were so quick because the sun cannot wait for us for better poses. That was I above joining the certificate of appearance poses.

 One of our male companions is a herpetology hobbyist, so we all chimed in that a big snake is trying to impress us! It even showed its toungue to us. Do you see our Sunset Snake?

 an idyllic sunset photo

 there was even the moon at the east, but is still dim because the sun is still bright

my small lens cannot give justice to the rising moon at the east

Nature Notes
Our World Tuesday
Through My Lens

Traverse Hike from Chavayan to Sumnanga Batanes

The Batanes group of islands is the northernmost part of the Philippines. But the waters in between the mainland Luzon and Batanes is wide and not very friendly for travelers, so the only option for tourists is by plane. There is even a joke that Batanes is even nearer Taiwan than the mainland Luzon. Not many Filipinos reach Batanes because of the difficulty going there and the cost of travel. The main island is Batan whose capital is Basco, where the airport is located, Sabtang is the 2nd most inhabited island and often visited by tourists aside from Basco. Sabtang is 30-40 min boat ride from Basco depending on the conditions of the waters.

Our stay in Chavayan, Sabtang, Batanes would not have been very significant if not for the trek we did to Sumnanga, a residential area at the other side of the mountains. We decided to do a traverse to look for butterflies, so we left our Homestay at 8:00am after breakfast. The path was the old Procession Route considered short cut because there was a longer path starting from the other end of Chavayan. The start was laden with medium sized stones, i assumed put there because it was so muddy during rainy days. The farmers also use the path going to their farms in the mountains, bringing their cattles or goats to pasture, and people in Sumnanga said they passed that road to attend fiesta in Chavayan.

This is just maybe a few hundred meters uphill from Chavayan, the road is still 
clear and we still see some farmers going to their farms.

We climbed inclines, crossed creeks, scrutinized vegetation to discern the real path, 

and as we get higher we get better views of the mountain ranges. We only stopped 

when we see some butterflies, of course we will take all possibilities just

 to take their pictures.  . 

we stop if there are some interesting something even not butterflies

it is easier if there are trees like this, with signs of being trimmed in the past

It is amazing to have a travel buddy who has GPS in her feet, because they seem to know where to go in cases like the above! We encountered lots of these chaos throughout this hike.  I didn't put on rash guards on my arms, so i had some itchy markings that are still with me even after 2 weeks.

There are crossings where we spent a few minutes looking for the real original path and not just another path to individual farms. As we go higher the vegetation becomes denser and the real path got lost to weeds and bushes. Of course we were walking slow specially if there are butterflies, and we saw some though most are on top of the trees, sunning themselves there to dry. At the summit we had a little dilemma as the paths really got lost, aggravated by a fire consuming the cogon grasses. We were lucky most of the grasses are still green, so we were able to cross it, downward at the mountain side. In these parts there really was no path anymore. We passed by a fern-landscaped area, a cogonal area, and some tree-tunneled areas delineating the old route. It is easier if those trees are still there, showing the signs of trimming creating the tunnel effect. We joked that there was the proverbial "light at the end of the tunnel".

OMG, there is fire! How can we cross that?

downward now to wherever our feet will lead us

at last we saw Vuhus Island at the horizon, we are on the right track, just down there is Sumnanga

We walked relentlessly, and we reached Sumnanga after 5 hrs. After a few minutes of looking for tricycles to bring us to Chavayan, we learned that there are only 2 there and the owners are at the other island tending cattles. We had no choice but to go back to the path where we just came by. OMG! My travel buddy was worried for me, so she took all the contents of my backpack leaving only my small camera on my neck. At 2 pm we left Sumnanga for the return hike, this time we did it faster for 2 hours, already forgetting the butterflies. Or else we might really get lost if it gets dark. 

That really brought me some sore muscles!

can you imagine this as a path?!!!

that is my backpack clinging now at my buddy's backpack

i can now appreciate the quality of the paths and i documented them on our return

At last that is already Chavayan beach, and in a little while we can rest. A few 

hundred meters and we are already home for dinner and sleep. 

Below are some butterflies we saw, and some other interesting finds. 

 a wasp moth

 a white tiger butterfly, Danaus melanipus edmondii

  an extremely dry season form of Bush Brown, Mycalesis igoleta

lovely mushrooms on decaying trunk

(Post Script: This would not have been possible if not for my very responsible, effcient, caring, very good mountaineer buddy Linda Alisto, whose intuition in finding the path is very concise.)

Through My Lens

Our World Tuesday

Image-in-ing

Sunsets seen at the East

Our province home is facing the east. Our west and back side is a short mountain rage, so we just normally see the sunrise. But sometimes the sunsets are too bright and spectacular that it radiates colors to the east sky.

These are some of my sunsets seen at the east, where the sun rises.

Even the glasses of the garage seemed burning! 

Skywatch Friday

Through My Lens

The Cozy Coast or Kusikos de EveRim!

The brackishwater in this part of La Union is a very beautiful and rich natural resource. The people there call this a river, but i think it is a large pool of water developed during the rainy days with very high tides. I did not see the actual flowing water from a river coming from a continuous upstream source. The good thing about it is the size and shapes of the pools. Moreover, there are big islets with grown colonizing vegetation. There are also small islets good for picnics and small games. There are nooks along the waters, and there are surprises as you boat along or there are surprises at the other side of the islands. We were not even able to explore the full expanse of the waters beyond all the islets.

A friend has a property near the waters, and she plans to make a bigger hut, bring in kayaks and build bamboo rafts not only for friends but also let visitors rent them for a small fee. Her property caretakers of husband and wife will be very busy these next few summer months, when people seem to frequent bodies of waters for fun, bonding with friends and adventure. And we did clamming too, gathering oysters, shells and the famous kusikos! It was really a lot of fun. We also had fun using the word as a verb or adjective and more, e.g. we will come back for more kusikosing! Or expression of awe, e.g. what a kusikos! Isn't it lovely. Come and join us.

And the most spectacular view visitors will see here is the sunset. I have been to many beaches and i can vouch for the most beautiful sunset scenes here. My photos might not be good evidences of my claims, but i assure you they are much better to see in person.

A lot of birds can be heard and seen while we are on our boat raft-hut. We spotted a lot of egrets, some blue kingfishers, and many more we don't know the names. Some are just solitary walking on some shores to look for their food, like the white egret above. 

 One enterprizing farmer brough a few cows there, made his hut at the center and enclosed his abode with fences of thorny branches to discourage entrants and curious folks. The scarecrow serves as direct message to intruders.

the thorny branches around the enclosed property with cows

The hut at the middle of the enclosure, and silhouetted in this picture is a bit far from us, so we cannot get its bigger view in nice details. It was made of grasses, both walls and roofs, to be cool even at midday. 

 

The factory at the horizon is already at the mainland. I guess this yellow boat is owned by the owner of the hut with thorny fences.. 

The sand might be beautiful with those patterns, a semblance of what we see in the desserts. But i tell you, it is difficult to walk barefoot in sands like this. My weight maybe is too much for my feet to be agile on it. 

After traversing the patterned sands for a few minutes, we reached the real beach, it is now the West Philippine Sea, also a vast ocean. We reached it just in time for the sunset. Oh My God, i forgot my big camera with CPL at our boat raft. I only have my small Olympus OMD-EM10.  Now, be the judge. Tell me what you think of this sunset scenes. 

I stayed here longer than my 3 companions, as the lacey, lovely waters breaking from the waves and hurriedly approaching the shore are very beautiful. I took lots of shots, but eventually just stayed there to imbibe the serenity and stillness of the scenes. 

 That is my friend also being mesmerized by the almost holiness of these whole drama unfolding before us. Can you blame me for already missing this and wanting already to come back?

 I was lost for words to describe this scenes and the feelings of awe while imbibing everything all at the same time. I just thank God for the experience, the opportunity and the privilege of having friends who make things happen.

 The drama is at the denouement, and we are about to go home.

Above is the raft my friend hurriedly commissioned people to make, in time for our visit. Clutching our shell harvest (oysters, kusikos, other shells, bivalves and univalves), we went home satiated, contented and happy. We are ready for a good night sleep!

Our World Tuesday
Nature Notes
Through My Lens

Exhilarating Experience

I did not go to the office last Friday, 17th March. I left at 3:00am to take the 4:00am bus for a 6.5 hours ride to the north of Manila. I will be joined by my friend from Baguio City and we will be staying with my friend in La Union. She will take us to a waterfall near her place. Serendipity came in as the tourism officer will be bringing some people who won the raffle in their Agri-fair Exhibit. It is one of their promotions for people to visit one of their waterfalls in their town, in fact there are a few more waterfalls there. So we left my friend's car at the Santol Poblacion for the hired vehicle that brought us to the Simminublan Falls. The jeepney was full and a few guys together with my friend took the topload, or on the jeepney rooftop.

As far as this lifetime is going, i can say that this ride and that route to the Simminublan Falls, Santol, La Union is the most exhilarating and scary one! The road is paved to the top of the mountain but rough downwards to the other side where the waterfall is. But the slope, OMG, is definitely only a little less than 90 degrees. It is circuitous and both sides of the road are deep steep ravines, that if we fell there nothing will stop us from reaching the bottom, not even a big boulder. I tell you, it is more than a roller coaster ride. All of us held tightly to the jeepney roof handles! Sometimes, someone gasped, or screeched, involuntary controlled screams that got out from their mouths.

I was able to get a few hurried shots, although they did not show the real dimensionality of the area. They still appeared flat, not that scary as in the real experience. (please move over your mouse for a bigger and clearer picture)

 This is taken while going up to the top of the mountain, afterwhich, it swiftly went down on a rugged unpaved road. I can just think of what it is during the rainy season, maybe more difficult and more scary! The tourism officer said only single motorbikes can traverse this road during the rainy season.

above shows the not so steep part of the road to the top

 The barangay road is only as wide as a jeepney, it is good that nothing comes here but single
motorcycles. Or else the other vehicle will take reverse until the point it started, and that is at the bottom of the mountain. There are portions of the road where both sides are very steep ravines, with nothing to bar you from falling, not even a big tree!

 another view of the other side of the mountain

another expanse at the side of the road

I felt that everybody almost held their breaths most of the time. And maybe a few said some secret self prayer of thanks to God when we at last reach the bottom of the road, a dead end. And from there, a few more steps brought us to big boulders, which kept our destination, the Simminublan Falls.

All of us have picnic baskets, some even have a radio, and of course a large tarpaulin for shade. Most of them swam in the big basin-like catchment of the falls. All the men tried jumping on the water from the rock cliff.

 I did not join them, as my other purpose is to shoot some wildflowers and butterflies. There are also a lot of dragonflies and damselflies, so they also took my fancy.

 
This is the total expanse of the waterfalls, in cascades. They said it is about 30ft in height. The water now is not as big as during the rainy season. It would be lovely then, but i doubt if i can be brave enough to take that single motorbike on slippery steep road during the rainy season.

 the 2nd cascade from the bottom

2nd cascade even enlarged

My friend is the only lady who took the plunge from the cliff. She even wanted to start from the topmost rock, but there are no holds to get there. We were all at the sides, taking her picture. 

the vegetation around the falls

That is a summary of that experience. My more extreme-adventurer friend still wants to visit more of the falls that need more hiking hours. However, i think i need to ask for more details of the road going there before i decide to join her again. 

Below is my friend's video of the road going there and back. 

Video going there: 

Video going back: 

Through My Lens
Outdoor Wednesday
Our World Tuesday
Wednesday Around The World
Wednesday Waters