A Long Overdue Visit to Calaguas

I have been planning to visit this island for years since my mountaineer friends first told me about it. It is this isolated island several hours away from the mainland that is inhabited by few families with no electricity, scarce running water, no commercial lodging and bathrooms, no restaurants (nor carinderia or canteen at the time) and absolutely no network connection...just pure gift of nature. It is a place where even the elderly locals were afraid to go in fear of being engulfed in huge waves. This was at the time when typhoon after typhoon ravaged the Bicol region. To get there, one would have to hire a fishing boat and combat the massive waves. The description alone is enough to send a comfort traveler running fast to the other direction. But tell that to this mountaineer and adventure seeker and her backpack will be packed and ready even before you finish your story.

Many years after I first thought of going, at the peak of summer I find myself on a 9-hour roadtrip to Vinzons which would be the jumpoff point to Calaguas. The news was there are stores and establishments there now which makes it more (although not totally) convenient for guests. We left Manila at night at were in Vinzons port by 8:00am. We had to wait a while for our boat to fetch us. As we were waiting for our ride, I was amazed at the influx of tourists. Most of whom were obviously from Manila in various ages, with some even carrying their pet dogs. There were groups in 4 vans, jeepneys, even buses! Clearly, this was no longer the hidden paradise from the stories of before.

The port has a small fish market with several mini stores around where tourists can buy bottled water, foodstuff, toiletries and other supplies that they will need in the island.

Finally, our boat arrived. Now, getting into the boat is one thing and getting out of the port was another thing. It must have taken us 20 minutes to get out because it involved a careful maneuver of boats coming in and out of the very narrow passing. I remember how eager I was to hear the motor running just so I could finally feel some cool sea air brush though my flushed and sweaty face and body. 

I alternately listened to music and slept during the approximately 3-hour boat ride in surprisingly calm waters, asking myself "are we there yet?" everytime I wake up from my naps. Then, I saw a row of huge boats lined on the white sand beach and I knew we were there.

Calaguas group of Islands in Camarines Norte, Luzon, Philippines is comprised of minor islands/islets such as Maculabo and major islands such as Guintinua Island and Tinaga Island. 

Tinaga Island is where the recently famous Mahabang Buhangin is located.  It is under the jurisdiction of the municipality of Vinzons and Barangay Mangcawayan at approximately 14-15 nautical miles  from Paracale and 19-20 nautical miles from Vinzons. It first gained the attention of mountaineers who were looking for an untouched paradise but has remained unfamiliar to many until the past two years. In a short period of time, it had gained popularity especially to the younger crowd and families from Manila who are looking for an alternative to the more known beach sites.

 

Mahabang buhangin is comprised of about a 2-kilometer stretch of beach. Its crystal clear waters and powdery white sand are undeniably one of the best in the Philippines. It might be an injustice to the beautiful island that has its own unique beauty but speaking in a manner understandable to many, I'd say as of this writing, it is the only beach in the Philippines that I've been to that is comparable to the waters and the sand of Boracay. The backdrops of the island are rolling hills that are perfect for short treks.

  

The first thing I do as the boat arrives in any island wherever I go is look at the water as we approach the beach. The water turned from dark blue/dark green to aquamarine to a very transparent white. I got off the boat wearing my flip flops and a few steps away from the water, I took one flip flop off to feel the sand. The I knew it indeed was like Boracay's sand, only more cream-colored than white and a lot cleaner! 

These days, there are some mini stores (sari-sari stores) in the island, some huts, basic toilet and bath facilities but still no electricity and no mobile and internet network except for some parts way up in the hills.

It was scorching hot when we arrived at 11:00am on a summer day. There was hardly any shade from the few trees and all of the huts were already reserved. We bought halo halo from one of the stores for Php45.00 each. There was no special ingredient in it but it was very refreshing. Our delicious lunch was in one of the stores where we had steamed native veggies with sweet bagoong, grilled fish, sinantol, pininyahang pork and chicken and some fresh fruits.

My struggle with the heat came after lunch as the heat of the sun became much stronger. It is amazing though that many were swimming, playing volleyball and football and taking pictures at the beach at high-noon. I, on the other hand, opted to take sanctuary in this tiny tree and read my book. I dozed off for a few minutes but I was too uncomfortable with the humidity to fall in deep slumber. 

Reading under this small tree

Extremely bright and sunny day, where's my mojito?

A couple swimming at high-noon with an umbrella - only in the Philippines LOL!

4:30 in the afternoon and the sun was still high but we decided to go for a dip. I have not enjoyed swimming in sea water this much in a long time, or maybe ever. The water was so clean with absolutely none of the itchy feel that I get in other beaches.  

At around 5:30pm, we decided to take a shower to beat the long lines of people trying to shower before dinnertime. We paid Php10.00 per pale of fresh water. I thought this was a fair price considering the local's effort to carry the water from the well all the way to the bathrooms. Before sunrise, I was already refreshed, had read more pages in my book and was ready to watch the beautiful sunset.

Dinner was laing, grilled tuna, grilled pork belly and very sweet mango. By this time the breeze was cooler. There was non-stop lightning from afar but our skies were clear. Since I was still tired from the land travel I slept early, not minding the noise from different groups drinking and having fun. At 3:30am, I woke up. It was already quiet and all the lights were off. I decided to get my mat and lay on the beach to watch the stars. Oh man! There were millions of huge stars. I might have stared at them until just before sunrise.  

The next morning at 8:00am, it was time to pack our bags and be ready to leave.

Was the 9-hour drive and 3-hour boat trip worth it? I'd say it depends on who's traveling and what you are looking for in a destination. Certainly, this is one of the most beautiful beaches that I have ever been to.

A resort is fast building an establishment on one side of the beach and I will not be surprised if there will be more in the future. This can be a good sign - work for the locals, more comfort for tourists who are willing to pay - everybody happy right? I just hope that visitors and residents can be disciplined enough so that this pristine island can preserve its cleanliness and beauty. Ofcourse I can only hope.

Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints, kill nothing but time.

It is now raining hard outside which reminds me that my travel season is here. Time to leave an out-of-office reply in my email and pack my bags again for another adventure! :)

Eating My Way Around Bacolod

Our trip to Bacolod was not only a crazy tiring commute adventure but was a very cheap gastronomic feast as well. Here is a quick summary of what we ate, at least those that I was able to get photos of.

Maruya
These are fried banana fritters rolled in while granulated sugar. We bought some in the bus stop while waiting for an hour for an airconditioned bus to pass by so we could get a ride back to Bacolod city. The maruya was still steaming hot.

Our first dinner in Bacolod city was a seafood feast at Bacolod 18th st. Palapala. The restaurant is not airconditioned and it looked like the more familiar Dampa in Manila. There are already cooked dishes in traditional aluminum pots but you can also order from their ala carte menu.

We had Linabog Php70.00 from their cooked selections which was sort of like a cross between curry and kare-kare. This is made of huge slices of catfish cooked in coconut cream. It tasted much better than it looks here in the photo. I've never eaten anything similar to it since.

Lison sinigang (Php234.50)
This is your typical fish sinigang, though I'm not familiar with the type of fish that they used.

Gingaw sizzling (Php234.85) 
This is made of a large white meat fish topped with lots of garlic. The fish meat was very tender and flaky.

Finally, my favorite Grilled scallop (Php160.00)
The scallops were very fresh and cooked perfectly!

For dessert we visited the infamous Calea Pastries and Coffee. The shop and its interiors were beautifully decorated. Entering the shop is a dessert lover's haven with lots of cakes on display to choose from at very very cheap prices! Because we had very little room for dessert after our seafood feast, we only ordered their eclairs, cream puffs and turtle pie. All of them were amazing and we wanted to come back to try more but we knew our packed schedule will not allow us to do so.

 

We had lunch at The Suites at Calle Nueva before the second leg of our trip. The dishes were made to order and the serving portions were quite big for the price.

We had Walnut Rocca Insalata (Php165.00)
This is made of mixed lettuce, candied walnuts, roasted bell peppers, mushrooms, topped with parmesan cheese and dressed with spiced balsamic.

Cream of wild mushroom soup (Php85.00)
This is made of shiitake mushrooms.

Seared Tuna Sashimi (Php165.00)
This much tuna for only Php165.00! It is served with a side of carrots and cucumber strips and wasabi mayonnaise. I loved how the cracked peppercorn added spice to the tuna.

We bought some egg and pineapple pie slices in the bus station for the long ride ahead. 

When there is no phone and internet signal, there's nothing else to do but swim, relax and eat!

 Some of the dishes that we tried were...

Hungarian sausage with cheese (Php180.00)

Pizza Mirene (Php280.00)
This is made of their homemade thin crust with pesto, anchovies and cheese.

Chicken Binacol (Php180.00)
This is an Ilonggo classic with chicken pieces, green onions, lemon grass, young coconut meat and juice. This is my favorite among all the dishes that I've tried in the resort. It's much like chicken tinola with a sweeter and more aromatic soup because of the coconut juice and the lemon grass. I liked it so much that I've cooked it many times at home.

Tired, dizzy and hungry from being in transit for 8 hours

For breakfast I had danggit and Russ had daing na bangus. It is usually served with rice but we were not too hungry that morning so we had the rice replaced by an additional egg instead.

We had lunch at Danjugan island although I regret not taking pictures because we might not be able to go back in the near future, or ever, because it is just so hard to reach.

By 3:00pm we were already back in the resort from Danjugan Island. To kill time, we did a little shopping in their souvenir shop (something we rarely do), had fresh coconut juice with some fries and played Jenga and Scrabble. Until now, it is not resolved who won (me) and who cheated (Russ). This is why I never want to play against him in any game!

For dinner we had...

Chicken curry (Php180.00)
Chicken cubes and vegetables in coconut milk and curry sauce. Russ chose salad on the side.

 Adobong kangkong (Php80.00)
Water spinach sauteed in garlic and oyster sauce.

Sate pork barbecue (Php180.00)
Charcoal grilled pork with peanut butter sauce served with pickled papaya on the side. I chose a mashed potato side instead of rice.

After Punta Bulata, we headed to the other side of Bacolod to check out Mambukal resort where we had fish kinilaw, chicken barbecue and halo-halo.

Their halo-halo version with crushed barquillos

Back in Bacolod city and before going to the airport, we had lunch at Aboy's Restaurant where we had laing, grilled oyster and a version of the catfish that we had in Palapala. I'm not sure if my taste buds were off that time but everything tasted a bit too sweet. It must be one of the locals and tourists' favorite spots because it was an extremely busy weekday lunch.
 

Since our flight was delayed for several hours, at the airport we had coffee, chicken sandwich and Napoleones. I'm not fond of sweet treats and I don't usually buy nor eat pasalubongs so I've never tried napoleones until then. To my horror, I discovered they're so good I could eat more than a box in one sitting!

Here are some of the pasalubongs that we shopped in a hurry and brought home.

It is always a pleasure to go on a gastronomic adventure. Looking back at my Bacolod trip reminds me of a mixture of fun and pain because I came home with my aching body all over. I will share our adventure in detail the coming posts. Despite the difficulty of visiting some of the hardest places to reach and the uncertainty of where to go next and how to go there, the journey was worthwhile because of our ability to brush off inconveniences and laugh at the silliest things.

I can never me grateful enough for these shared adventures!