My recount of 2009's travels continues (read part 1 here). My wanderlust have taken me to see more waterfalls, rock formations, heritage sites, and caves.

July
I was off to Real, Quezon again one rainy weekend. This time to revisit Balagbag waterfalls.


It was a rainy week. A low pressure area (LPA) in the South China sea was threatening Luzon's west coast while a typhoon is zipping by the north eastern side. While most put their weekend travel plans on hold, I was on a 4AM bus with two friends to Real, a small rustic town facing the Pacific Ocean, on a falls hunt. I decided to pack light and return to Manila in the afternoon so I just brought minimal photo gears and a small lunch (3 pieces of boiled sweet potato and 2 pieces of banana).

August
Started August with another "waterfalls hunt". I trekked to Mt. Romelo again on a stormy weekend. I tend to revisit my favorite places more than once in a year. That is the only way one could get the best landscape photos. Timing and luck plays a huge part.


That weekend I saw another "version" of Buruwisan that I haven't seen before. The river and falls are fuller (I've been there on rainy days before). Wasn't able to go around like I used to, the small streams have swollen.
 
Before the month ended I flew south to Davao.My wife and I spent a quiet weekend in one of Samal island's hidden coves ( It was our 10th wedding anniversary). The small cove of Canibad was a perfect destination.


While in Samal, we also made a sidetrip to Monfort Bat Cave. There we saw the largest colony of fruit bats: over a million fruit bats in a series of small caverns.

August was my busiest month. I went back to Lake Sebu to shoot the T'boli dreamweavers for an international organization.


These T'boli women are called "dreamweavers" because the patterns they used for weaving the cloth called T'nalak are inspired by their dreams. Only the women are allowed to weave the T'nalak cloth.


I had the opportunity to meet Lang Dulay while doing the project. She is a master dreamweaver and is considered to be a National Artist.

September

From the fresh cool maintain air of Lake Sebu, I'm off to the rugged landscape of Ilocos Norte with several blogger friends. Maira-ira's Blue Lagoon at the tip of Luzon mainland was worth the very long trip. We also had the chance to visit Bangui's windmills and well as the Kapurpurawan rock formations.


On the way back to Manila, we made a very brief stopover in the heritage city of Vigan (considered to be a UNESCO World Heritage site) to shoot the iconic Calle Crisologo.


October
Hmmm, can't seem to remember any travel details for October. Either I was too tired or out of budget :).

November 
Started November with a solo trek (on All Saints Day, Nov 1) to Candaba swamp (again). I had a great time watching the terns while waiting for the sunset.


I also had a chance to visit the heritage town of Taal in Batangas and saw the famous Basilica of St. Martin de Tours (the biggest of its kind in South East Asia) as well as the well preserved Villavicencio gift house.


A trip to Taal is not complete without a visit to the small yet beautiful and mystical church of Our Lady of Caysaysay. The water from its miraculous well is said to heal any ailments.


December
Before getting sucked into the rush of the holiday season, I made one last trip. This time to visit the heritage churches of Iloilo and the beaches of Guimaras in central Visayas.


I had the chance to visit Miagao church (UNESCO World Heritage Site), the feminist church of St. Anne in Molo, Jaro cathedral, and St. Clements church. (I have yet to post entries for Jaro cathedral and St. Clements)


I saw Guimaras' sunset and sunrise beauty in Villa Igang. We also had the chance to visit SEAFDEC (Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center) and the turtle sanctuary in Nueva Valencia (I hope to post entries for both soon)


So thats it for this year :). I hope to travel more next year. Destinations on my list includes:

• Batanes (rugged landscapes, northern most)
  
• Cam Norte (beaches, eastern)
  
• Cam Sur (beaches and waterfalls, eastern)
  
• Biri rock formations in Samar (out of this world rock formation, eastern)
• Tinuy-an falls in Bislig, Surigao (Philippine's version of Niagra falls)

January
I started 2009 by getting drenched in a storm in Real, Quezon. The bad weather did not discourage me in venturing out and taking a few shots. I guess there really is no good or bad weather for photography :).


From the rainy coast of Real, I found myself biking 68 kilometers one way, on a hot and cloudless day, to the wetlands of Candaba in Pampanga. The months of December to January are best if you want to go birding in Candaba. Someone asked me why I have to bike so far to see these migratory birds when you can find the same species near the garbage-ridden Manila bay. Bird sanctuary vs garbage ... I guess my choice was obvious.

February, and the early part of March, was spent chasing sunrises and sunsets in Tambobong in the western coast of Pangasinan.


I have great fun in the sun-kissed shores of Balinmanok and enjoyed the low tide scenery of Cabacungan cove.


Tambobong was definitely a favorite, for just after a couple of weeks I was back there again. This time I promised to have more of the sea and less of photography. But you know how promises are made to be broken :).


The highlight of March was the trek to one of nature's wonders: Mt. Pinatubo, whose eruption in 1991 was the biggest in the century. Its beautiful cyan colored lake belied the devastation it brought upon central Luzon that tragic year.

Started the hot month of April with a family holiday in Samal island in Davao.


After the hot summer escapade in Samal, I headed to the mountain resort town of Lake Sebu in South Cotabato, 30 kilometers from my hometown of Koronadal. The town, nestled 1000 meters above sea, is blessed with 3 lakes and 7 major waterfalls, countless crystal streams, and rich wildlife.


We spent a nice morning in Lake Seloton (dubbed as the sunrise lake) before trekking down to Hikong Bente, the 2nd of the seven falls.


Before the month ended, I was back in Tambobong (I wasn't kidding when I said its one of my favorite places). This time with several photographers in tow. I brought them to my favorite sunset spot in Cabacungan.


May was the month when I found a new favorite place: Nagsasa cove in Zambales. I love the place so much I ended up going there twice that month.


The cove is much larger, much more grand than Anawangin. Aside from the great beach, the falls there is a must visit. You can head to the falls for its cold and soothing waters after a hot day on the beach.


Nagsasa's backwoods also is ideal for hiking. If you are lucky would be able to spot a troop of monkeys or some elusive wild deers.


The rainy June weather brought me to the "land of falls": Mt. Romelo in Siniloan, Laguna. Rainy weather is perfect for shooting waterfalls.


I made a solo trip to Tanduyong island in Tondol, Pangasinan after my Mt. Romelo climb. My travel companions backed out of the trip because there was a storm forecast.


I went there alone but went home with new friends and great memories. The Torrinos made my stay in their small island a weekend to remember. For a couple of days I was part of their family.

Read Part 2 here

While the rest are still in dreamland (and some others just about to hit the sack), we are already up and about, wandering the resort grounds at 3 in the morning. I am not really sure how much sleep I got but I was pretty desperate to find a "sunrise POV".

I took point (I was the only one with a torch) and led two of my friends, whom I was able to pry off their beds, to the mangrove area. Although we are on the western side of Guimaras (we got a nice sunset the day before) I was hoping there is a vantage point were we can have a good view of the eastern sky. Kept checking my compass along the way and found out that the eastern views were blocked by large trees or small hills. So much for a sunrise shoot.



There were lots of coral rocks nearby that can be used for foreground and it's pretty common for coastal shots. But I preferred to use a foreground that can be identified with the place. Villa Igang's white stairs that lead to the beach was perfect.


There was a light cool breeze as the first rays of the day shone up the horizon. It started with soft pastel colors, but as each second ticked by, the colors grew intense.


As quickly as it showed, the colors soon faded.  But our smiles stayed on our faces a bit longer. It was a great way to start the day.

Imagine this: a great cavern, facing the sunset, a few steps from your villa. Its cool crystal clear waters soothing your tired and sunburnt body after a day of island hopping.

We found just that in Villa Igang in Guimaras. I noticed this huge cave on the way back to our resort after visiting some of the islets on the western side of Guimaras. Several outrigger boats were at the mouth of the cave and folks were obviously enjoying the emerald waters inside.

I soon discovered that there was another a small entrance on the side of a hill,  enough to fit person if he/she crawls through it, besides the one facing the sea. It was a few steps from our room, down the stairs that leads to the beach. It was practically just in front of where we were staying!

So off we go exploring the cave as the sun dips low on the horizon. It has two chambers, the larger one can be accessed by wading through waist deep waters or through a small hole. Inside the larger chamber is a rock platform with a great view of the western sky.


So what to do in a cave with a great pool while waiting for the sunset? Shoot! One of my photographer friends found herself in front of the lens this time. The light coming in from the cave's entrance proved to be great as an added "strobe" or for shooting silhouettes against the warm sunset tones.


The best tones finally came out after the sun went down. Our "model" reverted to her photographer role and we all went around to find our POVs. Mine was on top of a submerged flat rock near the division of the two chambers, with the water increasingly rising above my waist. My wife is always a good sport, holding some of my gears for me (i.e. filters).


I was able to get a several long exposure shots before the water became chest deep. The last one proved to be a keeper.

Check out other views of the world in That's My World

In front of Molo's plaza stands an architectural gem whose red spires tower over the Iloilo skyline. The spires, one of the symbols associated with Iloilo, are so distinctive you can even spot them from the nearby island of Guimaras on a clear day.

St. Anne Parish Church, or more popularly known as Molo Church, was built in 1831. Like most churches of its time, it was built using the most readily available building material around: coral rocks and limestone. The church's facade features Gothic and Romanesque elements and its the only Gothic church outside of Manila.


After our visit to Miagao church, we decided to wait for the sunset in Molo plaza. It was a perfect place to lounge around and wait for the church to open its doors for the evening mass.


I went in as soon as the doors were opened. Marveling at the richly decorated interior, it was easy to understand why this church has earned the moniker "The Feminist Church". Aside from the patron saint being a woman, the church's main aisle is lined by the statues of 16 women saints. Even the soft pastel hues of the church walls and ceiling seem to assert that moniker.


The altar features a intricate retablo with Gothic trimmings. At the time of our visit, interior were being cleaned for the Christmas season, hence the scaffolds on the altar and around some of the statues of the women saints. I would have love to take more photos of the interiors but the mass soon started.


We stayed around after the mass and was lucky to catch the moon above one of the spires. The tungsten lamps from across the plaza accentuated the features of the stone facade.


Another shot from the plaza sealed my impression that the church is one of Iloilo's most beautiful.

• The church has survived WWII with minimal damage. It was an evacuation center during that time. It was declared as a National Landmark in 1992.
  
• Dr. Jose Rizal, Philippine's national hero, made several visits to the church to view its biblical paintings. Sadly those paintings do not exist anymore.

Scenic rocky coves, caves, a small lake, different species of mangroves, and rich marine life: these are just some of the charms that leave one enthralled in Villa Igang. Tucked in a rocky cove in the town of Nueva Valencia, Villa Igang is the perfect secluded place for a quiet getaway.


When a friend asked me where I wanted to stay in Guimaras, I told her I preferred to stay "somewhere uncrowded". The no-frills Villa Igang, formerly known as Puerto del Mar, fits the bill perfectly.


Unlike the long stretch of cream colored sand of Alubihod (a popular destination on the western side of Guimaras island), Villa Igang is composed of small coves and nooks, each awaits for you to discover.


The villas, spread nicely on the several hectares of resort grounds, blends with the landscape. A couple are up on a small hill, several are snug under the shade of large trees, while more lie well hidden in a small dale.

Along Villa Igang's cliffs you'll see old weather beaten trees and several specifies of coastal shrubs.  The resort takes the conservation of these tropical flora seriously.


A large portion of the resort is also dedicated to the propagation and conservation of mangroves. The first sight that will greet you once you enter the resort premises is a dirt road lined with mangroves on both sides.


At the time of our visit, a walkway is being constructed into the heart of the area where the mature trees are.  The trees are labeled to properly indicate the specie. It's a perfect place for a stroll if you want to have a quick respite from the heat of the beach.


accommodations
Air-conditioned and fan rooms are available. Price ranges from Php 700 - 1500. A fan room that can fit 6 persons comfortably can be rented for Php 700 pesos only.


For reservations, call the following numbers:

• (+63) (033) 3365507 
• (+63) (033) 3378074 

and look for  Marylou Arcelo (Owner) / Ms. Lorlyn Araador / Lina Rizon

From Ortiz Wharf in downtown Iloilo, hop on a ferry going to Jordan (pronounced as "Hordan") wharf in Guimaras. Travel time is 15 minutes, fare is Php 13.00.

You can rent a multi-cab (can accommodate 8 persons) to take you directly to Villa Igang for Php 400. Travel time is 40 minutes.

You can also ride the public jeepneys bound for Nueva Valencia. However, the resort is still about 2-3 kilometers from the main road. You can call the resort to have one of their tricycles fetch you at the drop off point.

• Villa Igang has a huge cave whose opening  faces the west. I took several sunset shots from in there. Will share the photos in my upcoming posts
• Island hopping: lots of islets and sandbars near/along Brgy Igang's shore. 

Check out other views of the world in That's My World