Another 4 hour van-ride awaited us in San Vicente. We needed to get back to  Peñablanca to visit the Callao Cave we failed to explore in our first day. After we ate our breakfast in Jotay Resort, we were up for Peñablanca. This was our last day in Cagayan Valley.

Just a quick story about an encounter with Victory Liner, Tuguegarao

When we arrived in Callao Cave, I called Victory Liner, Tuguegarao. We requested if we could move our schedule to a later schedule. I had a hard time talking with the staff which I later found out that it was a security guard. He said they don’t accept change of schedule thru phone that we had to go to the terminal first. It was ridiculous, I thought. I said that the reason we were changing our schedule is because we will come from Peñablanca and there is no way we can arrive in the terminal before our schedule. I was requesting in a very well-mannered way. Then I was told that I should talk to the staff who handles the schedules. When I called again to talk to the appropriate staff, the security guard said that the staff did not want talk to me. “HUH?” I said how can we have a concrete answer without talking. When I called again, I was hanged up after a provocative “Ano? Ano?” (What? What?) from the other line. It was the staff, I concluded after hearing a different voice. Very ethical. Kuya Rolly was pissed off, went to terminal and resolved our change of schedule and their bad ethics in person. Sash! =)

 

Callao Cave is more popular for its church which is located in the 1^st chamber. It has a natural crevice that lets the light in to illuminate the altar.  This was where the setting for John Lloyd and Bea was shot according to our kiddo tour guide. Callao Cave has 7 chambers but the 5^th and 6^th caves were closed because they were slippery.

 

Our tour guide was very good (but sad to say, I forgot his name T_T. ) We were so delighted with how he carried out the touring. He explained everything we saw amazing in the cave. He even knew how to use dslr. He kept on changing the settings of my camera and he was word-wrestling with Jay (the one who made our Call Me Maybe video) over the cameras. Hahaha!

We were not yet done with our trip. We bought so many pasalubong in Lighthouse Cooperative along Luna cr. Taft street. We raided the store. They sell chicharabao (chicharon made from carabao), Alcala milk candy (pastillas), frozen tocinos and longganisa, garlic bits and vinegars among others.

We arrived in Kamias Cubao after 12-hour bus ride. All of 17 of us were suddenly dispersed in Metro Manila by 4:30 in the morning because we needed to be at work by 8 am. Hahaha!

So much adventures had just happened.

The mere idea of being alone in an island woke me up 4:30 in the morning.

Day 3

I think it was my conscious mind that reminded me in my sleep to witness the sunrise. I walked alone for a while along the shore and breathed the fresh air. I uttered my deepest appreciation on the scenery I was witnessing.

We ate our breakfast and packed our rented tents. By 6:30am, Kuya Arnulfo was backed on the shore to pick us up.

Our first stop was in Palaui Island, an island off the northeasternmost point of the island of Luzon. We did a looooooot of trekking in the island.

Cape Engaño

An 18th century lighthouse built by the Spaniards to guide ships entering and leaving the coastal towns of Sta. Ana specially those vessels using Port Irene and San Vicente Port, and those traversing the Babuyan Channel and Philippine Sea. It is the easternmost of the lights on the north coast of Luzon.

It was very old that all we saw was like the walls of Intramuros. We went up into the lighthouse but the top-most was already blocked due to floor’s fragility. But the trek going up to lighthouse and view from it was truly awesome.

We paid P50 per person as an entrance fee. It was cheap, yes. But the price is not yet their standard rate as there was still ongoing discussion on fees in the island. We also had a local guide who was supposedly should have been paid P250 but the supervisor did not asked for it anymore.

Punta Verde, Lagunzad Trail and Leonardo’s Trail

From the shore near Cape Engaño, we walked into a rainforest going to Punta Verde to find a small community of locals. We trekked for around 3 hours. I have never been into a deep forest so I was a little giddy about the idea of exploring the forest. Lagunzad Trail and Leonardo’s Trail were  full of vegetation and tall trees. Long leaves kept on bashing on our arms and our muddy feet avoided huge holes which we thought had snakes in it.

We rested and bathed at a waterfall. Super lamig!!!

When we arrived in Punta Verde, we were so exhausted! A small store offered us drinks and breads then suddenly kids were in our midst. They played bubbles-blowing with Sol, Pipo and Charles while I was offered by one kid with a chair when she found me sitting among the bushes. They were really heart-warming.

Jerolynda Beach Resort

We were really lucky that although the owner, Ate Lina (+63915-5161584), was not in the resort when I called her for a sudden request of lunch for 17 people, her staffs was able to prepare immediately.

The resort was, again, solely accommodated by us. It was a very big clean resort. They have a beach volleyball court, big cottages, a garden of huge trees, an ongoing construction of a man-made lake and the well-known long bridge in San Vicente. We rented 3 air-conditioned rooms for P3,800 with additional 2 mattresses.  We also requested them to cook us dinner.

 

Crocodile Island

Although the island was said to be shaped like a crocodile, I must say that it is named as it is because of the stones it has. It looked like the texture of a crocodile: simply spectacular in macro view.

The island is primarily known for its marine life so we had an hour or two for snorkeling. But what I truly enjoyed is our exploration of the tiny island.