San Julian Eastern Samar

My hometown customarily holds its fiesta every July 15th-16^th in celebration of the feast of Our lady of Seven Dolors.

San Julian being the town proper is politically subdivided into 16 barangays which are also observing their respective fiesta celebration yearly.

photo courtesy of Ken Nicart | https://www.facebook.com/groups/sanjuliananon/

“Patron” in waray-waray dialect is an annual gathering observed by San Juliananons to celebrate the feast of San Julian town proper.

San Julian Parish Church

San juliananons are true to itself as Filipinos known for being hospitable especially during fiesta; this is where relatives, friends, and even a stranger from nearby barangays would ask to dine in and a very much eager host is willing to entertain and share the blessing of the food prepared for visitors. 

Patron is a 2 days celebration, July 15^th or the Vesper Day is opened by an “Alba” or a morning serenade processioned around  town as early as 5:00AM and at around 8:00AM a parade is held around town participated by beautifully dressed children in Grade school level as well as High school students, other recognized organization in the community and the Local Government Officials

The parade is closed by a program at the municipal plaza where contests among schools and band exhibitions are held. And Vesper night is where the famous dance “sarayaw” is enjoyed at the town plaza. “Kaadlawan” or the 2^nd day of Patron is for hosts to welcome their visitors and share a hearty meal. A host will never let a visitor go out of the house hungry :)

After a tiring fiesta celebration San Juliananons are accustomed to still celebrate “liwas” or the 17^th of July at the famous rocky beach spot "Liliputan" with the food left from Patron.

Liliputan Rocky beach resort is an unexploited spot  ideal for diving, snorkeling, kayaking and can even be a haven for surfing enthusiasts.

Interested in visiting San Julian? feel free to leave a comment and I will be more than willing to answer your questions and refer you to the assigned tourism representative in our town.

How to get here:

by plane book your flights here bound to Tacloban airport, trips are scheduled daily

Cebu Pacific| http://www.cebupacificair.com/

Zest Air | http://www.flyzest.com/

Airphil & PAL express |  http://www.flypalexpress.com/index.php/

Tiger Airways | http://www.tigerairways.com/ph/en/

from Tacloban airport take a jeepney bound to downtown Tacloban and asked to drop you off at van terminal bound to Borongan Eastern Samar. 

van transport from Tacloban to Borongan:

Van-vans transport | 

Grandeur transport | (053)3216954 +1415-671-6208

Duptours | phone #: (055) 560-9747

Travel time: approx. 4 hours

from Borongan take a tricycle bound to San Julian

Travel time: 20-30mins

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2nd option: from Tacloban airport take the jeepney bound to downtown Tacloban, from downtown Tacloban ride another jeepney/multicab to Abucay Terminal

from Abucay terminal ride the Mia bus Line bound to Borongan

this route is different from where van transports way are taking, in this route you can get off first at San Julian before Borongan.

Travel by Land from Manila to Borongan:

This is approx. is a 20hrs travel | fare: ranging to Php 1,500.00

take either of this buses from either Dimasalang, Cubao or Pasay terminal choose between with AC or ordinary buses.

**SLEX bound including RORO travel in Matnog Sorsogon

Eaglestar bus Co.

Silverstar bus Co.

Accommodation: You can stay overnight at Casa Oliva San Julian or stay overnight at lodging houses in Borongan.

Copper Mining port ruins (Sulat Eastern Samar)

Growing up in a small town of San Julian Eastern Samar where community is geographically located along the coastline and modestly lurking along the cove of Sulat Eastern Samar and San Julian bay facing the vast Pacific Ocean is quite humbling. Those were the days when we were kids where we used to be amazed at seeing huge tankers docking along “Punta”. 

I can vividly remember how we find the solid honk of an approaching Ship amusing that we hear the ships horn not just signaling the other vessels around but also the children who regale at the view of a massive tanker.

My mom used to tell me that there were ship docking because it collects copper that were mined which I have not paid much attention back then until I noticed somewhere 1988 that I no longer see the port busy.

remains of the port

The copper mining activity was stopped due to environmental hazard. The way in which copper has been traditionally mined has resulted in the production of toxic waste and negative changes to the immediate mine environment and the consequence of the mining process have both acute and chronic effects on the geography, water, vegetation and biological life in the surrounding areas.

photo courtesy of  www.ryot.org mine tailings in a copper mining site in Burma

Some areas within Taft and Sulat Eastern Samar may have experienced the damage but the advantage of the early ceasing of the copper mining activity is now relished by the locales especially fishermen. 

Punta a Spanish term has been named to the port and for someone who is a nature lover like me will appreciate the rustic image of Punta’s ruins. During my vacation this July I tag along with me two of my friends with my old crappy bike to visit Punta for the first time which is roughly 17kms away from our town San Julian…

the bumpy trail

Oh by the way, back then we only use to see the tankers from San Julian’s shoreline to Punta’s shoreline which can be reached by boat for about 15 mins at a 10km distance.

the red dot is where Punta is located while A marks our town San Julian

Here we go....

Binondo Manila

June 16, 2013

Yes we we’re after the food-“EXOTIC FOOD”I ate a live frog, ate a raw squid, then chew and cut open the stomach of a live lizard, but all of that happened in my dreams-a bad dream We realized we can’t even eat a fried frog legs but that didn’t stop us from enjoying the place even if it was raining.

San Lorenzo Ruiz Church

We shopped for the sobrang sarap na Hopia...

  

We also experienced how it’s like eating at the famous Estero Restaurant

Since we we’re not really the adventurous exotic food lovers here’s what we ordered instead:

Sincerity is famous for their crispy chicken

      And out last stop, The Lucky Chinatown mall- a high end mall within the heart of Binondo and Divisoria, Manila.

DIRECTIONS:

From Cubao

Ride a jeep to Divisoria and get off at Arranque Market

Cross CM Recto and walk towards Soler until you get to T. Mapua

Turn right at T. Mapua and walk about 1 block until you get to Ongpin.

Nagsasa, Zambales

March 16-18, 2013

The amazing experience in Anawangin and in my search for undiscovered beaches has made me gone craving for more, and so we head on to this beautiful landscape of Nagsasa cove in Pundaquit, Zambales for us to officially welcome the Summer of 2013.

One thing that will always make me smile from my travels are the funny scenes.

The lady guard in an inspection routine for passengers before entering Victory Liner terminal at Caloocan city: We lined up ready to get our bags inspected;

 The guard asked us courteously “Camping ba? May dala ba kayong butane?”

We all looked at Rex, our companion…

Glad and willing to hand over the butane canister to the guard Rex uttered with utmost sincerity 

“butane? butane? Eto po”

The guard smiled and cordially delivered her godly spiel…

“Ang butane po ay maaring magdulot ng pagsabog habang nasa loob ng bus, kaya mahigpit po naming ipinagbabawal ang pagdadala ng butane, Salamat po”

portable stove with butane

With all honesty we will all answer “NO” to Ate guard when she asked if we brought butane canisters had we known that it was going to be confiscated. We were wowed on how the question was asked and how you can say no to it. But on second thought we appreciate on how the bus company strictly implements the policy, it’s for everyone’s safety after all. 

The original overnight trip has led us to 3 days 2 nights embrace of the cove. We all had common interest in mind in this trip mainly for adventure, but quite not easy to convince our sweet babe that everything in this remote place will be perfectly fine. NO electricity, NO cellphone signal, NO fancy hotels to sleep at night, NO restaurants and we had to set our pace to stone aged lives.

Our boatmen decided to dock and camp us at the right far end side of the cove the “kamp bira-bira” side. It’s on these side of the beach where the trail to get to Kamp bira-bira mountain is, this is also where you will appreciate more the silence of the place compared to the middle part of the cove where most campers set their tents and where a small store is located.

Nagsasa at night
photo courtesy of:
Joey The Pictorialist

And you will be surprised at how the restroom on this side is cleanly maintained with faucet. 

The following day was a very long day for us, sleepy with hang over from heavy drinking that first night we arrived. Stunned at how the time ticks slowly that made us appreciate more the life we were experiencing at that moment compared at how time flies so fast while here in Manila.

The Pictorialiast

And how ideal is it to end the day with a lovely sunset by the beach....

Truly an unforgettable Summer of 2013.

DIRECTIONS/TRANSPO EXPENSE/TRAVEL TIME:

Take Victory Liner bus either in Cubao or Caloocan (Caloocan terminal has a more flexible bus schedule) to San Antonio, Zambales /PHP251.00 (4-5hours travel)

Take a tricycle from San Antonio to Pundaquit (to your boatman or arrange a pick-up with your boatman) /PHP30.00 (10-15mins travel)

Boat from Pundaquit to Nagsasa  /PHP400.00 (2hours travel)

Entrance and overnight fee at PHP150.00

REMINDERS:

You can arrange for your boatman to cook food for you and arrange for corkage fee. This is advisable if your group is tired and hungry from the long travel and you want to just eat right away upon arrival.

Bring canned goods, water, rice, candles, and flashlights, insect repellent, and other valuables you may need just enough for the whole stay. There’s a sari-sari store but goods are sold pricey.

Charge your cellphone and camera or bring spare batteries just in time for you to share pictures online while on the bus going back to Manila.

Be sure to bring tent or ask your boatman if they’re renting out tents for campers.

For campers with private cars, your boatmen will accommodate you for parking at manageable parking rate.

Twice the experience during our Anawangin and now Nagsasa trip, I highly recommend

Our contact boatman, Mang Ed and his wife are accommodating, I asked for them to cook food for us on these 2 occasions and they never failed us, the food was great and honest tally of expenses were explained to us.

Mang Ed: cellphone No. 0929-383-2877

Calaguas, Camarines Norte

May 25-27, 2013

My friends at work asked me if I want to go with them on a Calaguas trip, although I had other plans for the long weekend I was very much eager to join the group. I like spur of the moment travel plans and they told me that the goal of the group was to keep the travel expenses to at least PHP2000.00?     Hmmm… quite a challenge, right?

Other bloggers travel experience to this place helped us a lot and I want to thank every bloggers contribution on how to get to this place. I have heard of this spot first from Cherry Bacolod, My previous trainer in Chase and this is where I had the urge to feel the powdery sand that Cherry was trying to draw image to us based from her experience.

Now where exactly is Calaguas Island again?

According to Wikipedia Calaguas is a group of islands in the Philippine province of Camarines Norte.  From Manila to Camarines Norte, just the thought of the distance between the two is already a challenge and with the budget in mind, our group was already thrilled to know what kind of experience we‘re going to face during this trip.

The groups meeting point was at Superlines Bus terminal in Cubao. We were there 7:00 PM hoping to catch the earliest bus.

We had to take into consideration the travel time, because it’s going to be an 8-10hrs land travel. And to our dismay the air-conditioned bus heading to Daet leaving at 8:30PM was already full so with the next bus scheduled to leave at 9:30PM and we were left with no choice but to take the non-air-conditioned ordinary bus heading to Paracale and mind you we were seated at the far end rear seat of the bus where you will get to experience the bumpy 10hrs bus ride, quite an ordeal but we had no choice (ginusto namin to)

the not so convenient, bumpy yet fun bus ride to Paracale
(photo courtesy of Kat Manlongat)

We arrive at Paracale Cam. Norte 7:00 AM, took our breakfast at one of the 24hrs restaurant along the highway while we were waiting for our boatman to pick us up. From the highway we took another tricycle ride heading to Paracale port which is just close to 3-5mins travel.

Paracale port is a not so enticing to look at port by the way because of the garbage and small mining activities happening within the area where you will see shanties along the shoreline where mining activities are done,  and that’s another story to tell  so enough of that.

Paracale port
(photo courtesy of:http://mambulaoansworldwidebuzz.blogspot.com/2012/11/latest-three-miners-die-as-pit.html)

We we’re picked up by Sam Melvin (as he introduced himself to us, sounds like Sam Milby isn't it? maybe he feels he looks like the actor so let's let him be), our boatman who was a very accommodating bangkero. Paracale port to Calaguas island is a 2hrs boat ride and was made at least  safe and comfortable to us by Sam Melvin.

boatman Sam Melvin

travel mates Caren and Kat

the calm water during the boat ride with other campers heading to the island

From that sleepless bus ride travel, unpredictable bus ride temperature because you no longer know what to feel, it felt humid whenever the bus stops due to traffic and feels very cold on freeway, and the dust? I can sum it all up to describing the experience as “haggard”. But it was worth the ordeal we've gone through when we arrived at the beach and saw this...

Mahabang Buhangin, Calaguas Island

The powdery white sand was really for real and an unexploited island. There we’re other campers setting their tent along the cottages where you can rent from the locals maintaining the beach.

There's a store where you can buy food and cook “paluto” but a bit pricey for the corkage fee so  it’s a must for you to bring enough water, rice, canned goods and other food and things you may need during your stay in the island.  You can buy food, meat and veggies at Paracale market before heading to the island as well.

Calaguas sunset

Calaguas is a remote and secluded but comforting place for a person who loves nature. The beach has an artesian well to rinse off and toilets enough for campers use,  has a generator to light up the beach at night but only up until 11:00PM and Cellphone signal is not stable.  If it’s more like of a “Survivor” vacation you’re up to, then Calaguas trip is for you.

the smiling face of the sunset 

 A perfect night, full moon by the beach we even planned to sleep by the shoreline that night but good thing we decided not to because it rained. 

That 3:00 AM while we were asleep, we were woken up by a guy who was shouting venting his frustrations to “Pia” his love interest. The scene was like us hearing the drama over a transistor radio.

“Kai: You just don’t know how much I wanted to let my friends know you, we have been planning this since January, You don’t consider other people’s feelings,  you’re so selfish Pia”  

 Kai was the guy shouting his heart out to Pia his love interest

We really thought it was a radio drama to our surprise it was a drunken guy who was fighting with her GF near our cottage, some of us were no longer able to get back to sleep because of him and we were so eager to see how he looks like that morning and maybe tell him bluntly he woke us up that early. Too bad I could’ve been a” Kaiparazzi “that time but I was not able to take a picture of him.

 We left Calaguas 12:00PM the following day head back to Paracale to reserve seats for the bus heading back to Manila,too bad the next air-conditioned bus was already full, instead we took a ride to Daet, Camarines Norte to catch the next AC bus heading back to Manila and good thing we were able to reserve out seats leaving at 9:30PM that. We decided to explore Daet to spend the vacant hours we have.

Food trip

1^st stop:

Terrace Grill- Daet, Camarines Norte

Rating: food was great and place was cozy with clean rest rooms

 (6 thumbs up we all liked the food and place)

Next stop:

Lukban’s KSARAP restaurant- Daet, Camarines Norte

Rating: deserts are perfect and the ambiance is relaxing and we like how they put the mist to have a smoky effect and the service was excellent.

(12 thumbs up, 2 each from us for the excellent service)

where to next?

Travel expenses:

PHP 390.00 ordinary bus from Cubao to Paracale

PHP 10.00 tricycle to Paracale port

PHP 500.00 2way boat fare (PHP 3000.00 divide by 6 of us)

PHP 254.00 cottage, entrance fee, Brgy tax (PHP 1524.00)

PHP 200.00 food contribution

PHP 8.00 tricycle to Paracale from port

PHP 60.00 van fare from Paracale to Daet

PHP 465.00 AC bus fare from Daet to Manila

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TOTAL: PHP 1887.00

This are for the fares alone other personal expenses not included