2009 CamSur Barkadahan: Island-Hopping in Caramoan

Super Backposting: CamSur and Naga post-busy season trip last 2009! :)

Actually, this trip happened the weekend after the Pagudpud outing! hahaha! Sinagad ang 2009 post-busy season gala eh! hahay! kaya wala na akong isusunog pa!!! :D Long weekend kase kaya di dapat palampasin yung pagkakataon! ahaha!:p Thursday night, June 11, nung bumyahe kame via bus (sa may Cubao) papuntang Naga. Syempre, nagtrabaho muna kame nun hanggang 5:30pm haha! pasaway lang! :D

It was a 9-hour bumpy bus ride from Manila to Naga (kase ba naman, sa dulung-dulo kameng apat umupo! ayaw maghiwa-hiwalay! ;p). Lazy boy naman yung seats pero di pa rin komportable lalo na sa mga lubak-lubak na daan! ehehe! :D After the 9-hour land trip, nakarating din ng Naga!!! Good thing is, may sumundo samin sa bus station, a former office batchmate and tropa. At dun na rin kame nagbreakfast sa bahay nila, before we headed to Caramoan! :)

Right after breakfast, hinatid kame ng kuya ni Janice (the batchmate from Naga), papuntang Sabang Port, kung sa’n kame sasakay ng banca papuntang Caramoan! :) Sabi sa kwento hehehe bubuhatin daw ung mga pasahero sa may port para mkasakay sa banca, buti na lang, ibang part ng Port ung pinuntahan namin hahaha! walang hassle sa “human transport” na yun; kung saka-sakali, baka hindi ako kakayanin ng magbubuhat sa’kin (super chubbiness pa kase ko nun! wehehe!)

At around 9am, we were already boarding the banca from Sabang Port in Naga to Guijalo Port, Caramoan:

It was almost a 2-hour boat ride to Guijalo Port where we were welcomed by our tour guide/trike driver, Kuya Jay. He drove us to Rex Inn, where we were supposed to stay, but unfortunately, when we reached the Inn, fully-booked na ang mga rooms! I don’t know why that happened, eh reserved tour naman kame! :)

We took our lunch at Rex’s and after that, we were brought to a private house (owned by a Brgy. Official—I forgot the exact name of our hosts hahaha!) where we stayed for the duration of our Caramoan trip.

[Sa time na ‘to, di pa ako ganun ka-hilig sa photography, kaya most of our pics ay puro mga sarili namin! hahaha hindi pictures ng lugar!!! =p]

ISLAND-HOPPING!!!

Ewan ko ba, pero lagi na lang sa mga out-of-town trips naming magkaka-batch eh laging umuulan!!! hahaha! Day 1 in Caramoan, umuulan! :D Anyway, tuloy pa rin ang island hopping kahit na umuulan!! Wapakels na sa malalaking waves! :D

So at around past 2pm after lunch, we started off with the island-hopping activity!

First stop @ 3:30pm: Lahos Island!

This spot has white fine sand and is surrounded by limestone rock formations! Nagbabad lang kame ng konti, ta’s pikchuran sa mga batuhan… And how could we let a jumpshot pass? hayan, talon lang! :D

Next stop for the day @ 4pm, Matukad Island!

Matukad Island is a few minutes away from Lahos–this spot also has white sand and a few rock formations. When we got to this place, there were some “structures” that, accordingly, were used by the Survivor (I forgot which country! hahaha! yay! problem with backposting! :p). Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take pictures of the said “structures”! :)

After some swimming and picture-taking, we decided to head back home. Since Day 1’s weather was not that friendly, medyo malalakas yung alon at sobrang maalog yung boat ride pabalik, that we needed to make a detour hehehe! Nakakanerbyos, in fairness! hahaha! Napapasukan na ng tubig yung banca namin! ..pero we survived! ehehe! :D

3rd pic above: On our way to Rex’s, naglakad kame sa may bandang paakyat na daanana dahil hindi kame kinayanan ng tricycle!!! hahaha! hayan! Masaya naman ang unang araw sa Caramoan, kaso napaaga ang tulog namin, kase may nabad-trip na isa…ummm napikon sa pang-aasar kaya minabuti na naming matulog na lang para sa maagang trip kinabukasan! :)

Second Day, First Stop: Caglago Mountain in Tagbon, Caramoan!

7am pa lang, reding-ready na kame for the second part of the island-hopping! Pero dahil sa matagal yung driver namin, mga around 8:30am na kame nakarating sa isla kung sa’n yung grotto ng Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary. And we started off with the hiking at around 8:45am already.

It was a 500+-step hike before we reached the highest point of Caglago at about 9:20am, where the statue of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary is situated. Nakakapagod!!! Sobra! I can’t remember how many times we stopped because we were thirsty and tired already, plus it was scorching hot! haha! kahapon reklamo sa ulan, tas ngaun, reklamo sa init! :D Basta, pagkadating sa taas, napahiga ako sa damuhan sa sobrang pagod hahaha! :D

In fairness, maganda ang view from top. This sacred place is also a perfect spot to get a view of what Caramoan can offer to tourists. Sayang, wala akong magandang shot! hahaha! hmp! :)

After an hour, at aorund 10:20am, we started descending. This time, medyo hindi na ganun ka-nakakapagod hehehe! Pero wag ka, nakakanginig-tuhod pa rin ang pagbaba. Sa ‘kin di naman mashadong halata, pero sa kasama ko, hahahaha! nginig sobra! :p

Next stop, Manlawi Island!

Teka, ang maalala ko lang dito ay yung sobrang init na naramdaman ko! haahah! wahhh! we reached this island at noon time, so sobrang nakatutok yung araw sa mga bumbunan namin! hehehe but look at us! keri pa din ang paglangoy sa ilalim ng haring araw! :D

This spot’s got a long stretch of white to off-white shore…Sarap din mag-swimming, kung di lang talaga sobrang init eh magbababad talaga ako sa dagat, Kitam, at naka-lifevest pa talaga kame habang nagsuswimming! hahaha mababaw lang yan, sa totoo lang! :D Oks din mag-emote shot dito sa islang to! :D

We had our lunch on this island na rin before we proceeded to Manlawi Sandbar at around 1:15pm!

One of my favorite spots in Caramoan!!! Super low tide nung time na yun that all we could see is a wide stretch of fine white sand! Feeling ko nasa basang dessert kame nung time na yun! ehehe! :D Sarap pikchuran eh! Kaso nga, lowtek lang yung cam ko dati, kaya di naja-justify ng pictures ko yung kagandahan ng place. Pero talaga, eto yung isa sa mga paborito kong lugar sa Caramoan! :D

After cam-whoring at Manlawi, we headed on to this island called the Long Beach (yan, hindi ko sure kung tama ba pagkaalala ko sa pangalan ng island na ‘to! hehehe sorry po!). There were some Survivor “structures” also on the shores when we got to this island. Ta’s marami na ring groups of island-hoppers yung nadatnan namin sa island na ‘to.