My North Luzon Misadventure (Part 1)

About a month ago, I went on a misadventure here in North Luzon. How did that happen? Well.....

I left my house at Ilagan, Isabela on a Friday (March 9) for my planned trip to Claveria, Cagayan Province. The entire travel was almost 200 km, about 5-6 hours long. I was supposed to go to Fuga Island, which is a 4-hr bangka ride from Claveria. Unfortunately, I found out there aren't any regular trips from Claveria to Fuga. If I had gone to Fuga, the next trip back to the mainland would be in a month so obviously I couldn't push through. Quick fact, Fuga is one of the islands of the Babuyan Group of Islands.

Anyway, the long ride to Claveria was quite scenic and interesting because:

1. I discovered that anywhere you go here in the Philippines, there will always be computer shops where patrons only do one thing: PLAY DOTA (Defense of the Ancients). I had to make a quick stop in a small computer shop in the middle of nowhere in Cagayan, as it was the only one I saw. When I entered, imagine my shock when I saw a fairly large group of teens watching others playing dota. I wasn't even sure if they were playing dota until I heard "MONSTER KILL!" from the computer beside mine. Forgive me, but dota has been my enemy ever since I learned about it a few years ago (i.e. my ex would rather play dota for 6 hours straight than spend time with me. eff it.)

2. There is no atm machine in Claveria! The nearest one's in the town before it, Sanchez Mira (about 20+ kilometers from Claveria Town Proper). I suggest before proceeding to Claveria, withdraw a reasonable amount already or else suffer being cashless when you need the moolah the most.

3. Compared to Metro Manila, I love the roads here in the province. I swear, the stretch of the provincial highway I've driven on is smooth and safe to drive on. Considering I've gone to different towns that are obviously very probinsiya, the roads are actually quite nice.

Passed by St. Catherine of Alexandria Church in Gattaran, Cagayan Province

Welcome to Claveria!

Taken from the Claveria viewing deck

Couldn't pass up getting my photo taken with the cool graffiti

I arrived in Claveria around 2 p.m because I had to take a quick computer shop stop and I had to drive back to Sanchez Mira to withdraw money. I really didn't call any hostel or inn to make reservations, as I didn't think there'd be a lot of tourists in Claveria. It is a sleepy/lazy town--perfect for just chilling and for getting away from the hustle and bustle of the urban jungle. I checked in at the Claveria Bayview Inn, one of the few beachfront tourist inns in Claveria. It's less than a minute from the town proper and it's so easy to find as you can just ask any trike driver to take you there. I forgot the exact route going there but it's really near the town market. After checking in, I decided to sunbathe on the beach, which by the way is breathtaking! The sand in Claveria isn't white, and the beach's stretch is lined up with fishermen's bangkas.

It's quite obvious that the beach in Claveria ain't really for sunbathing because I had to put on my top after about 30 minutes of tanning because I noticed locals were looking at me strangely. I just made it very obvious that I was a tourist, haha! After soaking a bit of sun, I decided to befriend some locals--a few fishermen and their kids who live by the shore.

I practically spent the entire afternoon on the beach, observing the people and enjoying the peaceful environment. Looking out on the South China Sea, I was in awe of the view and amazed at the expanse of the sea. Couldn't help but feel vulnerable too, because the vastness of the sea made me feel so small. Also, playing with the kids on the beach made me feel young and actually--humbled. The only playground they know is the beach, their only playmates are other fishermen's kids, their only toys are the ones their parents can even afford to buy. So what do they do? They play traditional kids' games, the games we used to play when we were young, before PSP was around. I was really happy to see that these kids were genuinely having a blast playing luksong tinik (def. here). Looking at their faces while playing, I was humbled by their contentment and the simplicity of their joys. Spending time on Claveria's beach made me realize how overly blessed I am compared to others and how grateful I should be for the life that I have. It also makes me want to go back and immerse myself more in the simple, laid back life in Claveria. I want to get to know the community more, go on a social study of sorts.

The first night in Claveria, before sleeping, I opted to hang out for a while on the inn's lanai. Felt so calm and contemplative, curled up on the rattan hammock, listening to the waves but not seeing anything on the beach as it was pitch dark. Felt vulnerable again, not seeing anything, only hearing the waves and feeling the cold wind blow. The unease subsided when I realized I should just let go and allow everything I was feeling, hearing, and (not) seeing to lullaby me to a relaxed state. I was so relaxed I fell asleep on the hammock for an hour, haha!

Now, the next day......(to be continued)