Siquijor 2011 (November 6-8, 2011)
This was my first time to set foot on Siquijor.
My travel buddy and I took a disorganized Cebu Pacific flight to Dumaguete.
T'was not the the smoothest flight I've had with them. The crew seemed tired and rude which may be because of the earlier delayed flights due to inclement weather.
It was a full flight and I was seated on the seat at the farthest back of the plane that had no window. And as if it was a virus I could get from dehydration, I somehow caught claustrophobia and shed a few tears under my sarong. It felt like I was sitting on a seat reserved for non-living things.
Good thing I had my favorite travel buddy with me =) I shrugged of the feeling within minutes from take off.
 |
| my favorite travel buddy |
Day 1.
After the flight that seemed to last years, we arrived at the Dumaguete Airport. We took a tricycle to the port for P150 and boarded the Delta Ferry for P160 to Siquijor.
There are a number of ferries that take passengers from Dumaguete to Siquijor and back. You have to be mindful of their schedules though as ferry trips are hours apart.
Upon arrival at Siquijor, we were greeted by the fierce sun and very clear sea water that allows you to see the bottom even at the port's sea level.
Transportation in Siquijor is limited to tricycles and multicabs but because taking a tricycle was not a very good option as travel on tricycles tend to be bumpy, multicabs are more often preferred.
Multicabs are small jeepney-like vehicles that can sit about 10 people. With baggages though, it can sit only 6 people comfortably.
Transportation cost for two travel buddies can be quite steep I must say. From the port, a multicab to Salagdoong Beach cost P800. An island tour cost P1800 and transportation from a hotel to the port usually cost P400.
Prices for transportation and tours are quite jacked up in most hotels. So, it would be best to find your own island tour multicab driver at the port.
 |
| new soon-to-be bride friend |
By sun-down, my buddy and I already got ourselves an invitation to a Siquijor wedding on the first quarter of 2012.
We soon found out that people in Siquijor, particularly travelers - of whom we had the most chance of conversing and exchanging jokes with, are very warm.
 |
| Agripino Hotel |
We spent the first night at Agripino Hotel near Salagdoong Beach.
Agripino is a government run budget hotel where we got a standard room for a surprisingly low rate of P800.
It was neither bad nor good, it was a decent room with two beds and a bathroom for a very affordable price.
 |
| i love siquijor curries |
The canteen close-by serves great meals at a very affordable price.
We came to know that the small food stores that serve lunch around the island charge even lower.
We had spicy squid and chicken curry and both tasted good but I had a special liking for the curry.
The curry was absolutely delicious. Curry, the way I like it. Tender chicken meat on spicy sauce mixed with bell peppers - that meal was definitely the highlight of the night.
Salagdoong Beach was not too crowded and not too deserted that night. There were about five groups of people hanging out by the small cottages near the beach. The air was filled with party music and the clear water was gleaming from the moonlight.
Siquijor, as a travel destination, had no appeal to me at that point.
I was already tired after having no sleep coming from a night shift and got into that lousy flight. I was too tired to look for anything enjoyable and fun wasn't really coming at us upfront. The sunset was in no way explosive and the beach was much too stony to enjoy a walk by the shore.
My usual expectation from beaches were not satisfied.
My usual expectation from beaches were not satisfied.
 |
| Salagdoong Beach |
I don't want to be unfair to Salagdoong Beach though. The place had clear waters - very clear that it gleamed with the moonlight.
With more energy, I may have enjoyed the slide that will take you from the cliff and into the water. I may have fallen in love with the cool water even.
With aqua shoes, I may have enjoyed taking that long wanted walk.
Day 2.
Because my body clock was going haywire, I woke up a few minutes past 4 o'clock in the morning.
Our new friends from Dumaguete's driver referred us to another multicab driver, Kuya Hindog, and we were bound for an island tour on our second day.
Although Tagalog was widely spoken throughout the island, some locals had a challenging time speaking the language so some conversations are spoken in English or by pointing, making facial expressions and doing pseudo-sign language. Just the same, we were able to converse with locals just fine.
We started on our tour around 6 o'clock. It was a refreshing early morning ride. The wind was cold from the fog and dew brought by the previous night's rain.
Throughout the day, we went into a search for what's in Siquijor.
 |
| Church in Maria |
We went to a church in Maria which my travel buddy, Jaja, said smelled old. I didn't notice.
My spider senses weren't working because it was too early in the morning and I didn't really know how "old" smells. So I said I didn't smell anything. But she insisted that it did so I believed her.
Somewhere in the day, we went to another church in Lazi which was just across the street from the Lazi Convent - known to be the oldest convent in Asia.
 |
| Lazi Convent |
 |
| Church in Lazi |
 |
| Lazi Church Altar |
This time, the Lazi church had an obvious distinctive smell which I couldn't figure out so I asked the caretaker what it was.
Turns out, it was the smell of bat poop because bats frequently slept inside the church. Unfortunately though, there were no bats sleeping inside the church that day.
The churches and the convent were quite panoramic. The buildings were old and large and it gives out this curious feeling of being in a familiar unfamiliar place - like I've been there before, as if it was an old house. As though you belong and didn't belong at the same time.
 |
| =) |
 |
| Viewpoint Tower |
 |
| steps to the tower |
I had no special liking for the view but was quite pleased with the chore of going up the tower and back.
The challenge was to get there safely considering that it rained the previous night and the stones that serve as steps toward the tower got slippery and had the tendency to be detached from the soil completely.
 |
| steps to Cambugahay Falls |
The steps were concrete this time though and the fear is not going to be of slipping but of falling due to exhaustion. Kuya Hindog did mention that the ladder going down consist of 135 steps. And for emphasis, he also mentioned that it's 135 steps up.
 |
| Cambugahay Falls |
Cambugahay Falls was not such a pretty sight because of the previous night's rain.
We continued on to the higher parts of the falls and I had quite some fun using my wall climbing techniques on the rockies but didn't brave the waters by swimming.
Because it was raining on the mountainside, the water was a murky color brown and it was hard to figure out the water's depth - not to mention, the difficulty in assuring that there are no creatures waiting for your feet to hit bottom. (It is after all Siquijor!)
In my head, I thought: I would love to return on a hot sunny day when the falls can boast clear blue waters. But for now, it's 135 steps up.
Jaja had this fascination for meeting the bolo-bolo faith healer so we dropped by the bolo-bolo faith healer's place and had Jaja 'healed.'
The faith healer was an old lady who blew bubbles on a glass of water to treat patients. I didn't believe in the stuff but was satisfied anyway to know that Jaja felt better. :)
 |
| At Capilay Spring Park |
I thought it was a rather absurd idea.
Picture this: you, wearing swim wear in the middle of the plaza, in full view of passers-by - like you're some kind of fish in an aquarium.
We took some photos and were off to Paliton Beach.
Going to Paliton Beach was not on our original itinerary but was recommended by Bobby of Bulakna Hotel who met at the Lazi convent.
Paliton Beach didn't disappoint us. The sand was white and there were only a few stones close to the shore. Although it had quite an amount of moss on its shores, Paliton Beach was the best I've seen of Siquijor by that time. It was a beach the way we knew beaches.
Tired, sunblock wearing off, moss on the shores, sun angry as it can ever get, we decided to take a swim for a few minutes before heading back to check in to Coco Grove.
Now, Coco Grove. That's a whole other love story. I was head over heels in love with Coco Grove that we missed our ferry ride to Dumaguete because I was busy having a love affair with the pool.
I have often been on trips immediately after a shift without much sleep but I must say, the Siquijor experience was particularly tiring.
When it's our first time in one place, we tend to want to go everywhere . We have no knowledge of whether a certain attraction is worth going to and we are at the mercy of other bloggers, other travelers, multicab drivers and locals.
As a traveler, I like activities more than views. I like to walk, run, swim, take stairs, climb walls, snorkel, jump... I was not really particularly happy about going on a long ride to a certain attraction to spend 15 minutes looking at a place or a tree for that matter.
It would have been easy if we're able to make friends with a local who travels the place a lot and knows a lot of the town's secret beauties ~ a real guide. But it is the real world and not all things can be ideal. So, there are times that we experience not so adventure-filled trips.
Seeing the Balete tree is a proof that I have not missed out on even the smallest things and I appreciate the opportunity of seeing Siquijor.
The Siquijor trip was filled with quests and ended with a satisfaction provided by a resort and, although I would have wanted something more natural, I am very thankful that we checked into Coco Grove (which I will dedicate a separate post to) to experience such kind of pampering.
I still wish to come back to Siquijor to smile with the friendliest of locals and tourists, see Cambugahay Falls on a sunny day, try staying at Bulakna Hotel, lay on the shore when the waters are not waging war against the sand, snorkel at Coco Grove's marine sanctuary and go on a diving trip with their very friendly diving staff.
So... 'Til I see you again, Siquijor ;)
Paliton Beach didn't disappoint us. The sand was white and there were only a few stones close to the shore. Although it had quite an amount of moss on its shores, Paliton Beach was the best I've seen of Siquijor by that time. It was a beach the way we knew beaches.
Tired, sunblock wearing off, moss on the shores, sun angry as it can ever get, we decided to take a swim for a few minutes before heading back to check in to Coco Grove.
Now, Coco Grove. That's a whole other love story. I was head over heels in love with Coco Grove that we missed our ferry ride to Dumaguete because I was busy having a love affair with the pool.
I have often been on trips immediately after a shift without much sleep but I must say, the Siquijor experience was particularly tiring.
When it's our first time in one place, we tend to want to go everywhere . We have no knowledge of whether a certain attraction is worth going to and we are at the mercy of other bloggers, other travelers, multicab drivers and locals.
As a traveler, I like activities more than views. I like to walk, run, swim, take stairs, climb walls, snorkel, jump... I was not really particularly happy about going on a long ride to a certain attraction to spend 15 minutes looking at a place or a tree for that matter.
It would have been easy if we're able to make friends with a local who travels the place a lot and knows a lot of the town's secret beauties ~ a real guide. But it is the real world and not all things can be ideal. So, there are times that we experience not so adventure-filled trips.
Seeing the Balete tree is a proof that I have not missed out on even the smallest things and I appreciate the opportunity of seeing Siquijor.
The Siquijor trip was filled with quests and ended with a satisfaction provided by a resort and, although I would have wanted something more natural, I am very thankful that we checked into Coco Grove (which I will dedicate a separate post to) to experience such kind of pampering.
I still wish to come back to Siquijor to smile with the friendliest of locals and tourists, see Cambugahay Falls on a sunny day, try staying at Bulakna Hotel, lay on the shore when the waters are not waging war against the sand, snorkel at Coco Grove's marine sanctuary and go on a diving trip with their very friendly diving staff.
So... 'Til I see you again, Siquijor ;)
Comments
Post a Comment