Catanduanes Forum

This is my first personal post in CF after sometime. I do apologize for my absence. Hopefully, this post will lead to more and at a more frequent basis (hehe, special shoutout to Tito Dave and STR).

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Last July, I spent my birthday in Catanduanes. Since I have not been able to pay a visit for many years, I decided that it was high time I took a leave and spent time in Virac. I would have wanted to go to Viga but my stay was not long enough to make room for a production as big as that. But if I had more time, I would not only visit Viga but Tabuguk as well…Oh Tabuguk, beautiful Tabuguk…

Anyway, when they learned I will be spending my birthday in Catanduanes, two of my friends tagged along because they wanted to see Catanduanes again (they already went with me 4 years ago, my last visit). We booked ourselves at Twin Rock for the duration of their stay on the island. They were floored that a cottage with air condition, its own bathroom, and was good enough to fit more than 5 people only cost P1,000 per night. We stayed there for two nights. We ate a lot, got drunk, and moonbathed on the eve of my birthday. There was a full moon last July 16 so we had a wonderful time just lying on the sand, looking at the stars, talking, and laughing. It was really a unique experience that we all shared – especially for me since I never spent my birthday outside Manila. On my birthday, my mom even brought us to Mayor Cito Alberto’s birthday celebration – yep, we gatecrashed the Mayor’s party…hehehe.

During my friend’s stay in Catanduanes, my mom and I took them around to see the sites they failed to visit because our last trip was rainy so going out was not advisable. We took them to see Puraran beach, Bato Church, and the abaca weavers. We were also able to talk with abaca farmers and see abaca hand stripping for ourselves. On our breaks, we would have merienda and drink the famed Mandarin Orange (MUST TRY) at Seabreeze, which they really loved. On our way to San Andres Port on their last day, we took them to see Codon port (which I think should not be a port…another article needs to explain that) and Batong Paluway.

When my friends left, I went back to our house in San Jose to do nothing – which is the whole point of me taking a leave. I read and spent a lot of time enjoying free wifi at Seabreez or by our house’ window to enjoy free boboygov wifi…hehehe. That free wifi is FABULOUS. For reporters like me, Virac is like THE best place to relax and work at the same time. I was at the salon one time to have my hair cut and I was able to reply to Facebook posts via my I-touch which easily connected to the free Virac wifi. One of my story sources was even surprised that the whole of Virac has free wifi, a feat that is not even achieved by cities in Metro Manila (although I hear that there is a plan to make Makati City a free wifi zone).

While this vacation was able to acquaint me with the simple pleasures of living in an island, I also experienced some of the perils. I was in Virac for 3 weeks and I experienced the wrath of Typhoon Juaning. The typhoon caused our garage shed to collapse while our van was parked inside (good thing there was no damage), cut off our electricity for a day (it helps that I live near the Capitol so we got our electricity back same day), and cut our water supply for a day and a half. I even filed a story on the typhoon and interviewed Governor Joseph Cua who at that time declared the entire province under a state of calamity.

I left Catanduanes on the 28th of July. It was already getting better after the typhoon so the ferryboat was able to cross to Tabaco. Even without the typhoon, I would say that my stay in Catanduanes was worth it. I was able to see a lot of places again as well as go to the hard to reach Bote beach – it was beautiful, of course. I hope to go back again and see more, hopefully next time I will be able to see Hiyop and of course, Tabuguk. Until then, I will hold on to the memory of the my last vacation -- it was definitely one for the books.