Farewell to the Other Sputnik, See you again!

And so the other sputnik’s journey ended, for now, at least. Tina, the other sputnik, was my only company travelling around Visayas and Mindanao for the past month. I could not thank her enough for tagging along with me.

Tina, tagging you along was definitely worth it. You just don’t know how much I’ve learnt from you and how much I’ve enjoyed your company. I’m keeping all the fun and not-so-fun memories of our trip safe in me. I know someday we’ll look back and be proud of ourselves for taking this once in a lifetime journey. Thanks for the patience and the understanding. The trip had definitely made our friendship stronger. Til, then T! Miss you!


The Lost Sputnik and the Other Sputnik in a pedicab in Bantayan

So this is it, I’m travelling on my own from this day on. Wish me luck. To more adventures, cheers!

Next Stop: Back to bohol to help my friend Bianca with an Exhibition in Bohol, Camotes Islands and Palawan. Watch out for it!

Til Then,

The Lost Sputnik.

Au Revoir!

I thought I was going to cry the time I met Ron in Dumaguete at the beginning of our journey. I didn’t. Not until I was to take my flight back to Manila.

Taking this one month tour was a big feat for me. I thought it wouldn’t be easy to pull through and yet, looking back now, it kinda was. I’m thankful Ron’s travel plans came at a time when I realized I should be taking big steps towards doing what I want and getting back to the dreams that once sustained me and the things that made me feel passionate about writing and living. I was grateful my husband understood, and I praise God for putting everything to place.

There was not a moment in the trip when I regretted my decision to come along. What I had a lot of were moving moments when I got to see snippets of my old self. And soon that vision of the old me had somehow blended into the new. I felt myself again, but more grounded. Though I am no longer as dreamy as I once was, I felt a surge of passion rushing again and I love it.

Thanks R, for taking me to this journey, for being very patient with me, for taking good care of me, and for being such a dear, dear friend. I wish I have touched your life as much as you had touched mine.



Until our next journey,

T

Bantayan Island and Malapascua Island

BANTAYAN ISLAND



Bantayan Island is situated fff-aaa-rrrr north of Cebu. Yes, I deliberately stretched the word FAR for a reason. The trip to the island was dreadful as it took forever just to get there, a gruelling four to five hours. It didn’t help that we caught a non air-conditioned bus raging on dirt road and a bus driver who honked his horn like he owned the road to himself. All you wanted for such a long bus ride was to at least get a few hours of sleep to kill time. But it was in no way possible to achieve that in the situation we were in. Just can’t. I felt like I was bathing myself in dusts and fumes. In my head, I told myself that this island had to be worth it for it was such an agonizing trip.

We arrived the port of Hagnaya, looking distressed as if we just came from a battle. I wiped my face with wet tissues, and collected all the dirt on my face. It was appalling looking at a white wet tissue turned almost black. We hopped on a ferry that will take us to Bantayan Island. This time it was better as the ferry was air-conditioned. An hour later, we arrived Bantayan Island. We were welcomed by the pristine beach and crystal clear water of Bantayan Island. What a relief, I said to myself. The arduous trip was definitely worth it after seeing the façade of the Island.



Bantayan Island’s appeal to me were beyond than the white beaches that surrounded it. I loved how small the island is that you could go around the barrio just by walking. A short habal-habal ride would then take you to other towns. There’s not much to do in Bantayan Island, but the quietness, the serenity does something to you. It’s so inviting you don’t want to leave the island anymore. I even considered renting a humble house just walking distance from the beach for only 1,800 a month. We stayed for two nights in the Island. In the morning and afternoon we’d spend it just frolicking around towns and beaches. We capped each night with a couple of beers and doze off to sleep.





Bantayan Island is definitely something to consider if you’re tired of the hustle and bustle of the city and seeking for some r and r. I’d definitely come back to this island, no doubt about it.





Malapascua Island


From Bantayan Island, we moved to Malapascua Island. It was a different route we took as we didn’t come from Cebu city. So we caught a jeepney from Bogo, a town near Hagnaya, to take us to Maya port. Just when I thought that I had the most agonizing bus trip to Bantayan Island, the jeepney ride to Maya port was yet another story. This time it was more uncomfortable as the seats of jeepneys aren’t really built for comfort. The trip took two to three hours. Worse than the other one I tell you. Thankfully, the view from the jeepney were captivating, at least it got me amused for a few seconds.



We arrived the port of Maya and hopped on an outrigger to Malapascua Island. It only took half an hour to get to the Island so it wasn’t that bad. Tina told me earlier that she’s been told that Malapascua Island can be compared to Boracay during the 80’s. I have never been to Boracay during that time so thankfully I had nothing to compare it with. When we got there, the beach didn’t seem appealing at all. Outriggers were parked too close to the shore, it seemed so packed almost no place to bask in the sun along the shore.



Thankfully the next day, with the abundance of the sun, the island redeemed itself. And shown its beauty to us.



It wasn’t that bad, althought Tina said it cannot be compared to Boracay during the 80s. At the other side of the island, the sand was blindingly white and the water was clear and blue. We only stayed for a night, so I can’t really say that I saw most parts of the island. But I heard that Malapascua Island’s reputation to foreigners was that it had a number of great dive spots. Maybe when I learn to dive, then I’d come back to Malapascua.






How to get there?

Bantayan Island- From the North terminal of Cebu, take the Ceres Bus Lines that goes straight to Hagnaya. Bus fare is from 50-80 pesos. The bus ride would approximately take four to five hours. Quite a long trip if you come to think of it. From the Hagnaya Pier, take the ferry that will bring you to Bantayan Island. Fare is 65 pesos including terminal fee (10 pesos). The boat ride will approximately take an hou

Malapascua Island-From the North terminal of Cebu, hop on the Rough Rider Bus or Ceres Bus Lines that will take you straight to the port of Maya. Bus fare is 50-80 pesos. From the port, take the boat to Malapascua Island. Boat fare is 50 pesos. Boat ride will approximately take half an hour.

Where to Stay?

Bantayan Island

Kota Beach Resort
Kota Beach Resort’s beachfront is so pristine with a white sandy beach. Cottages are for as low as 800 pesos. To book call +63 32 254-2726/ 254-5661

If you’re looking for a cheap place to stay, there’s a decent lodging house near the beach. For only 500 pesos a night, you room with a double bed, electric fan and your own toilet and bathroom. For an extra 300 pesos, you get a room with an air-con.

Lodging House- To book, call 09103712053

Sugar Beach Resort is also something to consider as it offers a long stretch of pristine white sand. Here are the rates:



I didn't get to have Sugar beach resort's number and so as it cannot be found on the net. But once arriving you can tell the habal-habal driver to take you to sugar beach resort, they have a lot of cottages so it's impossible not to get a cottage.

Malapascua Island

There are a number of resorts in Malapascua, most of them fronting the beach. Rates are from 800-2000 pesos. But while in Malapascua, we were told by Paul, the canadian guy we met in Camiguin to stay in Danos Resort. They have electricity during the night and the cottages are cheaper only 600 a night. Malapascua Island is only powered by a generator, so there are certain hours where there is no electricity.

To book call, 09156661584 or 09273817894.

Til Then,

The Lost Sputnik.

Great expectations

It was my last week to travel before I head back to Manila and my energy was already running low. We were supposed to take a side trip to Surigao and Siargao before heading to the Queeen City of the South, but more traveling and less frolicking no longer seemed so tempting. So we packed our bags and took the ferry straight to Cebu instead.

I really wanted to spend my last week of the Sputnik journey in Cebu because it’s the only other megalopolis in the Philippines that I haven’t really been to, except for that one hour taxi tour my friend and I took around Mactan while waiting for a connecting flight to Davao eight years ago. I planned to roam around the city at least and then head to two of its famous beaches.

What I didn’t realize was how it would be too difficult to travel around Cebu without your own car. By this time, not only was my energy running low, I’ve also almost reached the budget limit I’ve set aside for the trip, and taxi rides in Cebu could get really expensive. This being the case, I ended up limiting my touristy pleasure to two of its biggest malls, an international media company I have always been interested to see, and a couple of its evening hotspots.

Our trip to SM Cebu introduced us to a lovely Thai restaurant called Krua Thai. I was stunned at how they actually invested so much time and thought—and money—in the interiors of a restaurant that was only going to be inside a mall. It has the perfect ambience and a truly authentic Thai feel, you’d actually forget you were inside SM.

They have Thai decors all over the place, elegant-looking tables and chairs, and waiters and waitresses dressed in traditional Thai costumes. I was scared at first that the food may not be able to match the look of the place, but not only did we enjoy our bagoong rice, pandan chicken and sweet and sour spare ribs, we were also pleasantly surprised at how affordable the meal was.





Our tour at Big Foot, an international film school and production house based in Mactan, was very educational and a bit intimidating for someone who also works in the media. They have the only final cut theater in the Philippines used to simulate how a film would actually look and sound when released for commercial viewing, a post-production set-up with fiber optics inside the walls for simultaneous editing, and an impressive soundstage that also has the only camera in the Philippines that is similar to the ones used in Hollywood.



I wanted to feel the vibe of the Cebu nightlife, but while my spirit was willing my flesh was getting weaker by the day. My spirit even followed suit when we tried to heed my brother’s tip to go to Vu Du, a supposedly hip club in a place that is Cebu’s little version of Libis. Well it did seem to be a really hot bar because throngs and throngs of young Koreans were lining up to get in when Ron and I got there. We thought it would be better to just move on and so we did.

Thanks to Ron’s friend Eva, we were able to enjoy a few drinks in a quiter bar a few blocks away. Formo suited my taste better and was perfect for my mood at the time. The place have a very elegant look and feel. They have a wide choice of cocktails and they play chill-out music that makes a good background for a nice chat, which was the only thing I could really afford to spare some energy for at the time.



When we headed out to the outskirts to see two of Cebu’s famous beaches, it seemed that we were back on our tracks. Cebu’s high traffic and noise became a little disorienting for us after weeks of staying in quiet provinces and beaches. We love the fact that Bantayan Island had a very laid back feel, which made us feel so comfortable again. Most of the restaurants in the island were meant to cater to tourists and yet there weren’t much foreigners around when we came. The bars were quiet, except for a few Koreans and some white guys who seem to have made Bantayan their temporary home. It was nice to just walk around, whether during the day or nighttime.



Malapascua had more foreign guests though. They are mostly divers, who seemed to enjoy the place more than we did. There wasn’t so much happening in the island when we were there, only dogs fighting along the shore. I find the beach in Bantayan more beautiful, maybe because I was disappointed by the fact that Malapascua didn’t meet my expectation of it being like Boracay in the 80s, which was what some people say about the place. But Ron and I got to enjoy some quiet time sitting by the shore, drinking beer while looking at the moon’s reflection on the beach, on our only night there. That moment was great enough to make our trip to Malapascua definitely worth it.

The CDO white water rafting adventure!

The sputnik adventure would not be complete if we didn't do anything extreme. So when we got to Cagayan de oro or CDO, it was a must to try the famous white water rafting along the cdo river. On a very early saturday morning, Tina and I prepared ourselves to an extereme adventure that both of us haven't tried yet. We met up with the other adventure seekers in front of Mcdonalds along divisoria, signed the waiver which seemed so scary it's as if we agreed to let ourselves get killed and finally headed to the cdo river. The trip to the cdo river only took twenty to thirty minutes.



When we got to the river, I had a glance of the first rapid we have to go through and all I felt were pure excitement. We wore our safety gears and grabbed our paddles as if we're about to go to war. After all the instructions that were given to us, we hopped on our boat and started to paddle towards the first rapid. Adrenalin rush started to kick in as soon as we reached the first rapid. "Foward!" the team captain shouted and we paddled as hard as we could. The rapid was really strong. It felt like the boat was going to flip over. But our team were coordinated enough that we didn't flip over, not even once. We had to pass through fourteen rapids, five of which were wild some were chicken feed. haha! We also got the chance to dive into the river. It was so much fun as I've never tried swimming in the river.








I was really glad I got to experience this extereme ride as it was something I'd never forget. It made me proud that I was able to go through without thinking of backing out. Next time I visit cdo, I'd be more than willing to try the advanced level where rapids would be wilder. To our next extereme adventure, Cheers!


Til Then

The Lost Sputnik

Braving the Rapids

I almost didn’t go. After almost three weeks of non-stop traveling, my energy level was fast approaching the warning point. I really didn’t think I could still handle an extreme adventure. Especially one I had to sign a waiver for.

But there was very little to do in Cagayan de Oro—well at least nothing much that excited me as a traveler. So if I didn’t take the bait of experiencing their most popular tourist attraction, I wouldn’t have anything else to write about the place.

We had to wake up early to meet up with the other white-water rafting tourists near McDonald’s in Divisoria. By this time, Ron knew well enough that I have such a dour mood in the morning—especially when I didn’t get enough sleep, and my energy seems to be in an all-time low—so he didn’t even bother talking to me or arguing with me when I made it very clear that I needed to take my breakfast and couldn’t care less if all the other tourists were already waiting.

I didn’t even try to feign enthusiasm for this new adventure, and sincerely, I was scared about how dangerous it could get. But thankfully, my mood started lightening up in the jeepney going to the mouth of the Cagayan River. The landscape along the way was really awesome. We also stopped by a tourist post to wait for the others and were invited to try out the canopy walk and the zip—a 20 minute adventure inside a rainforest. But I headed towards the souvenir stands instead. I got two trinkets for my friends and was good to go.

The river where we shall be braving the rapids clearly marks the boundary between Cagayan de Oro and Bukidnon—the first one’s the left bank and the other’s the right. This was again emphasized to us when we were given precautionary measures just in case we fall off the raft. When the guide says swim to Cagayan, we should know that we should be waddling towards our left.



Because Ron sat in front, I had no choice at first but to sit beside him. But after almost falling during our battle with the first rapid, there was no other choice but to trade places with a braver soul. Fun starts picking up by this time, and sometimes our guide (who seems to be channeling Brownman Revival’s lead with his heairstyle and sunglasses) would make us stand as we approach a rapid just to heighten the excitement.



During breaks from the rapids, our guides would also allow us to take a dip in the river. I don’t really like swimming in deep water, but I had a life jacket on and the water’s really tempting, so I jumped out of the raft with the others. Ron had to make sure though that I always stay close to the raft, and would call my name everytime he fails to see where I was. Dad!



After several rapids, I knew I would have regretted it if I hadn’t joined Ron for this adventure. It was, to quote a dear friend, “heaps” of fun. And it was quite cheap too, especially with the crab and shrimp feast that greeted us after the ride. By this time, my only dilemma was how to go about my next ride: I knew I had to take my husband here, but this means going through the beginner’s stage again, which is not very tempting since I know I’m definitely ready and raring for a bigger challenge. Bring on the rapids!



(T)he Other Sputnik

Camiguin Escapade

How to get there?

From Cagayan de oro, take the Ceres Bus Lines to Balingoan for 50-75 pesos. The trip approximately takes 2 hours. From the Balingoan Port, take the ferry to get to Camiguin for 107 pesos. The ferry ride takes 1 hour.

Where to Stay?

Jasmin by the Sea

We highly recommend this if you're in for some affordable and cozy accommodation. Cottages here are for 600-800 pesos, good for 2 persons. Dorm type is only for 350 pesos (shared bathroom). Make sure to have a few chat sessions with Melinda, the owner of the resort. She's a legend!

Unfortunately there's no early booking in the resort, but it's worth trying to give them a heads up that you're arriving.

Call +63 088 387 9015

There are a number of resorts along the stretch of mambajao, so finding for a place to stay won't be a problem.

What to do?

You could never run out of things to do in Camiguin. Start of by renting a van (1000-2000 pesos for 3-5 hours) or habal-habal (500 pesos for 3-5 hours) and do the island tour to visit the famous landmarks of the island.. If you're up for a climb then there's a number of volcanoes to trek. There's the old volcano, new volcano, Mt. Hibok-hibok and many more. The sunken cemetery is perfect for picturesque sunsets. The sto. nino cold spring and a few hot springs would be good to experience if you haven't tried it yet. The island has two waterfalls that are definitely worthwhile to see. If you're craving for white sandy beaches then a trip to the white island is for you. It's just a few minutes away by boat from mambajao, it's perfect for watching the sunrise and sunset. Rent for the boat would cost you around 300 pesos (roundtrip).