Northern Cebu's Pride

I have lived in Cebu for two years and my biggest regret is not taking the my time in exploring its beauty. But regrets will only remain as such if not acted upon and I've already had a handful so when my friend asked me to go, I didn't think twice in booking for a flight. Chaka may piso fares pati ata nun. Nyahaha..

Our scheduled trip  would however fall the day after the unfortunate Tsunami event in Japan. So know that I'm blogging this about, hmm, a year late. *snickers* 

L - O - V - E ^___^

As we followed the spontaneous news coverage of the Tsunami incident from our hotel room, I can feel myself backing out. Thinking of alternative trips that we can take instead, just so our Cebu trip will not be wasted. Anything that will not include a boat trip to a remote island. I checked and checked for updates on the weather forecast as well as swells or wave information. Better safe than lunod. To get my mind off things, tinakot ko na lang ang roommate ko na parang may multo sa hotel at may naglalakad na babae sa corridor. Ayun nakalimutan namin ang tsunami at nakatulog kami agad.

The next day, despite the gloomy weather and our second thoughts about the safety of sailing the seas, we hailed a cab and left for the North Bus Terminal near SM Mall. From there we will travel for 3 hours via an ordinary bus to Hagnaya and from Hagnaya we will endure an hour and 15-min boat ride to Sta.Fe Pier in Bantayan Island. 

If you need more detailed instructions on how to get to Bantayan Island, I highly recommend this page intricately written by Paul HERE. He provides the most elaborate information on how to get to and around the island :) 

Ferry Schedule

Pedicabs are readily available when you get off Santa Fe Pier. What I like about this island is that the locals will not in any way try to cheat you off your money just because you're a tourist. Scooters can also be rented on an hourly or daily basis so you can get around the island with ease. I have a friend who works online so she's squatting in this island for a month or two, the lucky b****. Sinundo niya kami sa port with her local Limo pero nagconvoy lang siya samin kasi pang-isahan lang daw yun e.  ^__^

Feeling Local lang, Cuz?

Cheap Accommodations, this place has plenty of it. Resorts are lined one after the other. We just had to choose one on the side of the island where the waves are not too wild.  Eto kasi ang eksena dun sa isang side ng island na napuntahan namin. Sabi ko, ayoko ng buwis-buhay na fun.

Not so friendly waves. Bilang di ako magaling lumangoy :P

So we settled by Budyong Resort. The huts are not too posh but they're ok. We opted for the standard fan room because we're here for the fresh air and not the manufactured type of cool. At hindi naman kami honeymooners para kumuha ng kulob na kwarto. Wag dungisan ang pagkakaibigan! At isa pa, walang keme, kuripot lang talaga kami. So to further illustrate our accommodations, please see illustrations below.

Exhibit A

Exhibit B

LOL. Exhibit B isn't as bad as it looks. It has its own restroom with a twin bed and cabinets where you can leave your stuff. We just had a couple of drinks the night before and we can be a bunch of pigs to explain the clothes hanging all over the place. Fast-forward to the fun part -- It was drizzling but we refused to mope in our hut and headed to the beach.

Laugh of the Day

That's my boy bud trying to cross to the other side and I don't know why but for some reason it was so funny at that time because halfway through lumulubog na siya and he was shouting "Malalim bords! P*ta ang daming bato! Aray aray!!" and he was raising the bottles of alcohol so as not to contaminate the fountain of our joy. Despite the pain on his feet and the depth of the waters, he refused to go back. Insisting on the path he was taking. Bilang ako'y duwag, umikot ako kesehodang malayo ang lalakarin at pagtawid ko sa kabila pinakita niya sakin yung mga sugat niya sa paa. Gaya ng isang mabuting kaibigan, pinagtawanan ko lang siya ng bongga, hahahahahahaha at isang malutong na "kingina mo kasi eh! tamad mo umikot!" at hahahahahahahahahaha pa ulit.  O game! Shot na!

Beach + Alak = Nyarap!

When it got a bit dark we got up for dinner. FYI hindi naman namin naubos yung dalawang bote ng alak. Madami pang natira don although medyo tipsy na ako at this point. Dinner was at some random grill restaurant that we found while strolling along with my feeling-local friends Blaise and Bree. For very cheap prices and walang kakeme-kemeng presentation, NAPAKASARAP NG PAGKAIN! Simpleng inihaw lang at ginisang gulay pero punyemas, ang sarap. Alam niyo yung lutong walang Magic Sarap pero fresh na fresh at malasa? Ganun! Lami kaayo! :)

Before

After

After our tasty dinner, we had a couple of beers and played billiards. Done by about a quarter past 9 we headed back to the resort.  Night life is so-so in this island. While foreigners abound this is not so much of a party place which I think is a good thing because it keeps the serenity of the island. I actually fell asleep on the hammock just outside our hut. Pinabayaan talaga ako matulog ng tropa ko. Walanghiya talaga. Just kidding. I like being in hammocks A LOT. When I awoke around 2am, there where creepy shadows all around me and for a second I mistook for a ghost some innocent tattered sack hanging on a tree. I almost tumbled from the hammock. Laughing sheepishly at myself I turned to our hut for some decent shut-eye.  The next day, I rose early and went back to that part of the beach which my stubborn friend tried to cross the day before and I had to laugh out loud despite being by myself. Nakita ko kasi yung dinaanan ng barkada ko dahil low tide na. Confirmed teh! Mabato nga! Hahahahahahahahaha

Mabato nga! :P

We went to *market* via habal-habal to buy danggit and dried pusit. They are not waaaaaay cheaper as compared to the ones being sold in the city market but yes, cheaper. They mentioned it had something to do with the weather. Mahirap daw magpatuyo pag tag-ulan. Nga naman. 

The Ride.

We decided for another swim before packing up and heading back to the city. If I had a choice I'd stay in this quiet island. For an island as beautiful as this, it is actually pretty developed. With concrete roads and a number of carefully-placed establishments but not totally ruining that island-feel. I promise to go back if I could.  Simply put, I am in love with this island and its people =)

Til next time Bantayan Island!

Categories: Bantayan Island, Beaches, Cebu