The Batanes Series

I went back to Manila with the fruit of my material investments for the Batanes trip. I promised myself to write as much as I can about this beautiful place that gave me a new lease on life. My attention were diverted to other things hence the long list of blog backlogs for my Batanes Series.



BATANES HOLYWEEK TRIP
Itinerary and Expenses
How We Ate Our Way Through the 7-Day Stay
Homeward Bound

IVUHOS Island: Accidental Cast-aways

Ivuhos plaza: With foolishness we dared… it’s Bakun Trio all over. =D

NOWHERE TO GO

While waiting for the boat to Sabtang island in the Radiwan Port, our newfound friend Ingrid briefly introduced to us the wonders of Sabtang and the nearby islands. One that caught my attention is what she called the Ivuhos Island. Truth be told, I was not well-researched when it comes to Batanes as a whole. I just focused on the 3 main islands of Batan, Sabtang and Itbayat.

Batanes Holyweek Trip: Homeward Bound

It never occurred to me that I could lose my travel pet, stuffed toy cat while on the road. I took it for granted that he will always be there. Sadly, I lost him during my flight to Basco on that 6-seater plane.

last pictures aboard the mini-plane, before he got abandoned as I deplaned

Batanes Holyweek Trip: How We Ate Our Way Through the 7-day Stay

From the planning stage of this trip, we told ourselves that we will spend our little resources only on important expenses like transportation and fees. We agreed to dine humbly, and if manageable, cook our food. I even brought Liz’s moonwalker stove and my cookset to minimize food expenses.

table setting @ Hiro’s Cafe

Itbayat Island to Batan Island: Flying with Royal Air Services

Ok, after my barfing experience enroute to Itbayat via M/B Itransa, I promised myself that in going back to Basco our first option would be to take the 6-seater flight. There are two ways to get to the very isolated and largest of the Batanes islands, via the cruel sea and via the sky.

the 6-seater plane profile

We approached their desk at the Basco Airport upon our arrival to inquire if they can accommodate us for a flight to Itbayat on the same day. They couldn’t assure the availability of the flight for that day. We learned that they operate on a reservation basis. You have to reserve a slot and pay even though the date and time of flight is uncertain. We decided to abort the idea of flying to Itbayat, and decided to go to Sabtang in the mean time.