Estrella Falls, Palawan
Showing posts with label adventure. Show all posts
Showing posts with label adventure. Show all posts
Honda Bay
Honda Bay is famous for its white sand beaches comparable to that in Boracay. It is the most favored resting place for tourists taking a day-long island hopping and explorers docked here to get a good view of neighboring islets. Honda Bay can be reached by taking a 30min ride from the city. One can rent pumpboat going to these islets. Seafarer’s gear like snorkels can be rented at the port area administered by local tourism.
JULY 10, 2007.
I was scheduled for another trip in Caramoan after a week’s rest, but cold and fever has aggravated my condition. After two weeks, I booked for another trip to the Peninsula, this time to cover and shoot the coastal dwellers in Barangay Paniman.
JULY 25, 2007.
I traveled alone to Caramoan. Quite advantageous since this will allow me greater flexibility to work and can manage my time well without the hassles of pure enjoyment. I was able to book a room at La Casa Roa in just a text away and the second time around was so easy since I am already adjusted to the place. I rented a tricycle that also serves as my guide to Barangay Paniman.
I arrived late afternoon. After a 15min nap, I immediately went to Barangay Paiman to meet Wilfredo Rodriguez to whom I have prior appointment.
The road to Paniman is poor. There are some points where I need to alight from the tricycle in order for the vehicle to climb. There are also areas that call individual passengers to walk. Its about 45min ride away from the town proper before I was able to reach its end-point. Houses are quite far from each other, so it’s dangerous to travel by night. If one is get caught stranded in midst of areas where no houses are at sight, you have no one to turn to.
Paniman’s coastline has a wider area providing more breathing space for fishing activities. After coffee, Mr. Rodriguez oriented me about the barangay’s whereabouts, the people’s livelihood and their practices. I was amazed how these fishermen are united against illegal entries of dynamite fishers. Ninety percent of their livelihood depends entirely on fishing. I admire their decisiveness when it comes to protecting their habitat. They admit that once humans ruined this marine sanctuary, it would even cost their lives.
I was able to establish few shots using my digital camera. Residents are so friendly; they even offered me room to stay. I caught a few of them playing their pastime “tong-its” under a large malobago tree. After some light conversation, we feasted on grilled talakitok fish dipped in soy sauce.
JULY 26, 2007.
I went back the following morning to document the fishermen’s practices and do some interviews about their beliefs and customs. I had the fist-time experience of pulling the sinsuro, a fishing net used to catch fish. Over a hundred of these pumpboats patrol the sea at four in the morning.
A few meters away from the beach is Delloro’s Mud Crab Farm. The family has been engaged in this business for 7 years now and is a new industry being developed in Caramoan. These medium crabs caught in mangrove swamps and rivers are fattened in a swamp few meters away from Delloro’s house. The crabs are enclosed in a cage where it is doubly treated and fed only with natural foods. I spent the whole afternoon in their farm. We ate steamed crab freshly catch from their farm over tuba, a drink extract from Nipa palm found in mangrove forest and fermented with vinegar. The fattened crabs are tastier and meatier than ordinary saltwater crabs.
JULY 27, 2007.
The next day, I took breakfast at Gota Beach to visit Mang Bonong’s family. Afterwhich, I began hiking to Umang Cave. Numerous tourists visited the cave for its extraordinary stalactite and stalagmite formations, but my intention is to capture the bat cave droppings known as “guano” that has been the farmer’s rich source of fertilizers for crops.
As what locals have assured me, the cave is easy to climb; even children can reach the place. But this is not always the case. We passed by a vast expanse of rice paddies before we start the climb. The way to Umang Cave was so steep compared to Hidden Valley. I have to cling to nearby shrubs and trees since I am afraid to fall down. Midway the hike, I nearly shouted that I want to go back home, but when I look behind my back, I could not figure out how tall we have climbed and how am I going to go down. There’s no other choice but to take the risk. Upon reaching its front chambers, I admit, the climb was worth it. Bathed in natural sunlight, the cave exhibits a different kind of aura, secluded from the rest. The air was cold and all we can hear are bat cave’s mating calls.
I was trying to catch my breath; my knees are trembling so I just let my guide shoot the inner chambers of the cave. According to them, the Cave is enchanted, so we did ask permission first from the deities that reside inside its chambers. This has always been the practice even among visitors.
I was scheduled for another trip in Caramoan after a week’s rest, but cold and fever has aggravated my condition. After two weeks, I booked for another trip to the Peninsula, this time to cover and shoot the coastal dwellers in Barangay Paniman.
JULY 25, 2007.
I traveled alone to Caramoan. Quite advantageous since this will allow me greater flexibility to work and can manage my time well without the hassles of pure enjoyment. I was able to book a room at La Casa Roa in just a text away and the second time around was so easy since I am already adjusted to the place. I rented a tricycle that also serves as my guide to Barangay Paniman.
I arrived late afternoon. After a 15min nap, I immediately went to Barangay Paiman to meet Wilfredo Rodriguez to whom I have prior appointment.
The road to Paniman is poor. There are some points where I need to alight from the tricycle in order for the vehicle to climb. There are also areas that call individual passengers to walk. Its about 45min ride away from the town proper before I was able to reach its end-point. Houses are quite far from each other, so it’s dangerous to travel by night. If one is get caught stranded in midst of areas where no houses are at sight, you have no one to turn to.
Paniman’s coastline has a wider area providing more breathing space for fishing activities. After coffee, Mr. Rodriguez oriented me about the barangay’s whereabouts, the people’s livelihood and their practices. I was amazed how these fishermen are united against illegal entries of dynamite fishers. Ninety percent of their livelihood depends entirely on fishing. I admire their decisiveness when it comes to protecting their habitat. They admit that once humans ruined this marine sanctuary, it would even cost their lives.
I was able to establish few shots using my digital camera. Residents are so friendly; they even offered me room to stay. I caught a few of them playing their pastime “tong-its” under a large malobago tree. After some light conversation, we feasted on grilled talakitok fish dipped in soy sauce.
JULY 26, 2007.
I went back the following morning to document the fishermen’s practices and do some interviews about their beliefs and customs. I had the fist-time experience of pulling the sinsuro, a fishing net used to catch fish. Over a hundred of these pumpboats patrol the sea at four in the morning.
A few meters away from the beach is Delloro’s Mud Crab Farm. The family has been engaged in this business for 7 years now and is a new industry being developed in Caramoan. These medium crabs caught in mangrove swamps and rivers are fattened in a swamp few meters away from Delloro’s house. The crabs are enclosed in a cage where it is doubly treated and fed only with natural foods. I spent the whole afternoon in their farm. We ate steamed crab freshly catch from their farm over tuba, a drink extract from Nipa palm found in mangrove forest and fermented with vinegar. The fattened crabs are tastier and meatier than ordinary saltwater crabs.
JULY 27, 2007.
The next day, I took breakfast at Gota Beach to visit Mang Bonong’s family. Afterwhich, I began hiking to Umang Cave. Numerous tourists visited the cave for its extraordinary stalactite and stalagmite formations, but my intention is to capture the bat cave droppings known as “guano” that has been the farmer’s rich source of fertilizers for crops.
As what locals have assured me, the cave is easy to climb; even children can reach the place. But this is not always the case. We passed by a vast expanse of rice paddies before we start the climb. The way to Umang Cave was so steep compared to Hidden Valley. I have to cling to nearby shrubs and trees since I am afraid to fall down. Midway the hike, I nearly shouted that I want to go back home, but when I look behind my back, I could not figure out how tall we have climbed and how am I going to go down. There’s no other choice but to take the risk. Upon reaching its front chambers, I admit, the climb was worth it. Bathed in natural sunlight, the cave exhibits a different kind of aura, secluded from the rest. The air was cold and all we can hear are bat cave’s mating calls.
I was trying to catch my breath; my knees are trembling so I just let my guide shoot the inner chambers of the cave. According to them, the Cave is enchanted, so we did ask permission first from the deities that reside inside its chambers. This has always been the practice even among visitors.
Exploring Caramoan. My first taste of its cuisine
We took lunch at 4pm feasting on “nilasing na hipon”. That was our first taste of the sumptuous seafood of the Peninsula. The shrimp is half my plate as big cooked by the hostel’s caretaker whom we fondly called “Ate”. Ate has been with the hostel for a good number of years who treated us like a family of her own and takes care of all our needs. We started exploring Caramoan late afternoon. The town is a closely-knit community where each one seems to know each other. Caramoan has 49 barangays with a total of 7, 666 households. Its physical composition is typical of a rural town isolated by sea. There are only two eateries operating in the town and market site is neatly packed on the street where shops cater only to the basic needs of the people. Electricity is available. Shops and stores close at 5pm, so we hardly see anybody going around the town when night falls.
