Life have been so busy for me these past few months in school, especially the month of March, working with outputs, conducting and writing three field study books and preparing for the final exams.  It has been almost a month since our class ended, but I didn’t have time to be back in blogging, I have been procrastinating and been busy with other things at home.

A week ago, was Romblon Baktas Mountaineers second year anniversary and I am more than excited to climb with them again, but finding someone to drive my motorcycle was not easy, my sister can’t drive and my cousins were working, that’s where a hiker friend asked me if I want to climb with them on the same date to Mt. Puting Bato, as I looked through the name of possible hikers I have noticed most of them were my friends, I was told there was an issue with the old group and it was too long to elaborate, so I didn’t ask anymore about it.

Since, the proposed hike was just nearby and my father can drive for me to the jump-off, I decided to hike with them.  It was me who arrived first at the jump-off, my father didn’t left until my hiker friends came. We are only 10 hikers at the jump-off, and five of us were unfamiliar to me.  After a few minutes of prepping and meeting our hiking guide and another hiker friend,  we started walking to the foot of the mountain. It was very easy hike compare to the first time I hike at Mt. Puting Bato whereas I hyperventilate, I passed at the peanut farm without grasping for air, it seems walking through the school campus made me fit to hike.

Our guide told us that there is a new trail to the peak, it is nearer but we have to climb through higher rocky elevation, so we did. Within one hour and fifteen minutes we arrived at the peak, the peak was more friendly and spacious than before, our guide told us that a lot of locals where hiking to the summit and with this, they clean around the peak and constructed some wooden bench up top.

We stayed at the peak, waiting for our two hiker friends who followed. We did a normal hiker will do, enjoy the scenery below and took many pictures as many as we want, RJ as one of the late comer became our instant photographer with his unique photography skills, it was quite very funny because a hiker friend Iphone 7 became the group official camera, whereas most of our pictures, solo and groupies were taken in the said phone, as the outcome of the pictures were good, the colors were so vivid and clear.

We stayed at the peak for three hours and thirty minutes, resting, taking pictures, telling stories, laughing and we also ate our lunch in there. When we think, we already have enough and we stayed quite longer, we started walking down the other side of the mountain, same trail we used in our first hike at Mt. Puting Bato, our hiking trip will not be complete without going to the cave, along the way we passed through a place that looks like a God forsaken land, the trees were cut and the grasses were born to die, kaingin.

Anyway, we did some caving and unlike before where I didn’t go inside the cave, I did go down this time using the pole that where already there.  The cave was undeveloped and unprotected, there were bats, birds and stalagmites. It was not that large like the popular cave in Jeju, but spacious enough to accommodate 20 people. We looked around and took pictures, then we decided to go up and continue going down the mountain, whereas everyone felt electrified upon seeing a guava tree, our guide climb the tree for us and he even asked permission to the old man we meet if we can have some buko or young coconuts, so we did along the trail.

When we reached a small hut under the tamarind tree, we rested and waited for the second group and that’s where we got the copies of our photos from a hiker friend’s Iphone 7,  we arrived at the jump off at three o’clock in the afternoon.

Sunday, we have  a class in the afternoon, but I didn’t go to school because I am not really feeling well, so I asked my friend W to excuse me in class, with an excuse letter. It will be our first meeting after our teacher didn’t show up last Sunday to school, and as expected only a few students attended the class, good thing they didn’t do some lessons just some chit chats.

Now a day, Facebook is becoming a big help in spreading information and it was through Facebook that we have heard that the Christmas market in Odiongan opened last night. My mother, sister and I checked it out last night and it was bigger than the previous night markets in the town of Odiongan, there are many stalls and business owner who participated this year.

We walked through the stalls of clothes, toys, accessories and etc. before reaching the food stalls at the other end, it looks like they were the same food stall at first glance, but then at second look you will notice that there are some new stalls added and as expected the smoothie of fresh fruits was the most popular stalls.

We sat along the benches where many people were seated inside the Children’s park, there are some young people dancing, kids playing, older people chitchatting, people  taking pictures and etc., The park was adorned too with beautiful and big lanterns, as I have heard from a cousin there will be a  lantern contest but as the youth president in our barangay had said the judging will be on the 15th.

We just wander a bit among the Christmas lanterns and decided to go home while the opening program was just starting.

We had a family dinner at one of the popular restaurants in the municipality of Looc last night. We have been planning to visit Patok Sa Bagto for a long time, but we just can’t find time to visit it since it was a bit far.  We arrived at the restaurant after almost an hour of traveling from Odiongan.

When we arrived, I immediately informed the server that we need table for five persons and I was corrected by my mother that we are six (haha).  We are given the hut #5, we are not fully seated yet and we are already given the menu that’s how great the servers were. 🙂

Small pot of rice for ₱80 each

Looking at their menu, it was indeed true that their food is expensive as many of my friends claimed.  We have ordered a few and within less than 15 minutes they started serving our food, their food came in small servings and yes it is a bit expensive compare to the food you can order at Bantigue Resort.

Calamares for ₱180

The restaurant was uniquely built in a fish pond with bamboo walkways connecting to separate huts where customers can sit and eat privately with their friends and family.

Pork Loin for ₱200

Olio Pescatora with garlic bread for ₱180 (but didn’t find any garlic bread in my plate)

The Olio Pescatora I have ordered comes with garlic bread but I didn’t receive any, I wasn’t able  to take notice of it because I was too busy tinkering my phone, looking for the self-timer upront. I have only realized it when we came home and I have looked through my photos, including the photo of their menu.

Buttered Vegetables for ₱220

Beef Bulalo (Regular) for ₱280

My mother loves their calamares so she ordered another servings of it, she reasoned out it was good for the beer that my father and  cousins were drinking.

Calamares for ₱180

Fruit Salad for ₱38 each

Well, I guess it is best to eat at Patok sa Bagto during lunch to appreciate and enjoy the pond because you can’t see anything good at night around the restaurant other than the well lit huts at night.

The food in Patok sa Bagto is okay but I love the taste of the  food at Bantigue Resort, it is more savory for me.

PATOK SA BAGTO 
Guinhayaan, Looc 5507 Romblon
OPENING HOURS: Always Open

Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post. Above written post was my OWN personal experience and might be different from yours.

Traversing a  muddy trail for two hours  just to see the beauty of Palati Falls in Libertad is more than worth it. It was only a week ago when we hiked to Palati Falls, but I have to hike there again for the second time around on July 28th.

A second hike was planned and organized by one of the members of RBM after he failed to come home early from Manila and wasn’t able to hike with us, so I have informed my cousins and neighbors about the hike. They have asked me when will be our group returning to Palati Falls hence they were interested to come with us upon seeing the photos I have uploaded in my Facebook account.

Unfortunately, they were not able to go because it is a workday, but my younger first cousin was very interested that he keeps asking for the event time, so I told him to be ready at 5:30 in the morning because the group will leave at 7 o’clock from the meeting point in town.  I didn’t take him seriously because I thought he was just kidding, and that night I accidentally trampled in the hollow-blocks while feeding my cats resulting to laceration in one of my toes so I really have no plan to hike again to Palati Falls, but my cousin showed up early in the morning with his swollen eyes while I am still asleep, I am about to tell him that we are not going but my mother and sister says, I gave my cousin hope last night so I shouldn’t cancel it, so I told him to get ready because we are leaving soon, I just have to prepare my bag and I have to bath.

Well, I could easily tell my cousin that I can’t go, but I feel bad about it. He doesn’t feel good and he isn’t looking good, it was last night when he passed by our yard going to their house crying like crazy, my Uncle or his father told us that his son’s girlfriend broke up with him without apparent reason, according to some chit-chat outside the girl found another guy.

Anyway, he patiently waited for me with his father, whom I think very much concerned for his well-being. We went to town using their motorcycle, I have to buy food in town for my lunch since I wasn’t prepared for this hike.  We waited a bit for other interested hikers before heading to Sitio Boliganay in Panique.

The road to Boliganay wasn’t that muddy like a week ago since it didn’t rain frequently anymore, we used the same trail. If we are 18 hikers a week ago, this time we are only 7 people making our pace quicker. My cousin was already feeling tired when we started going upward the hill,  he keeps stopping and drinking his bottled water. I wasn’t able to ask him to take photos of me because he keeps complaining he is too tired to do it (lol).

Unlike my previous hike where I felt too tired and slow, on my second hike the trail was already easy for me, I am able to run upward without getting tired, I wonder if it is because I used different bag and shoes. My hiking bag was too heavy to carry so I have used a school bag making everything lighter, I took my shoes off when we are already in the stream heading to the falls, and I jump along the large rocks like a frog.

The wound in my toe was hurting especially when we are going down the slope because it is hitting against the wall of my shoes, but I have no time to complaint nor cry about it.

There was a clearing, the sky wasn’t gloomy and within less than two hours, we are able to reach Palati Falls but it was a downer because there were no twin falls, there was only one falls.  We took some photos, create a vlog, ate our lunch and rested a bit before going down, we traversed the same path again last week, we headed to the stream to find our way home.

One of my mountaineering friends (RJ) shared an event on Facebook and it caught my interest because RBM already went over there and unfortunately I wasn’t able to go because of the bad weather.

Well, I was caught in between which event should I go with, because my training class (Tourism Promotion Services or TPS)  had planned to do round Tablas on the same day (July 21th), but I got help from above when Sir Gab had a prior commitment in the morning so the whole plan of TPS will not materialize.

As planned, the group meets up at Children Paradise at 6:00 AM. I was a late comer, but they waited for me and while preparing to hit the road, a classmate and friend (MJ) from TPS went near me, it turns out she went to the training center, but it was closed and she happened to see me, so I asked her if she wanted to go with us. She’d like to, so I informed RJ about it, and they find someone from the group for her to back ride.

Brgy. Libertad is subdivided into four sitios, and one of them is Palati, which was my destination the day after my TPS group visited Mainit Falls, it is the most interior part of the Barangay and its name means second growth forest. Palati Falls is located in Libertad, but our jump-off was in Sitio Boliganay of Brgy.  Panique, a barangay after Libertad if you are coming from the town. The road to Boliganay is under-construction so as expected, it is muddy during the rainy season, if you don’t want to be stuck in the mud you really need to drive carefully.

When we arrived at the jump-off, we did only a short prayer and there was no stretching because the young guys were saying not to stretch anymore. We started walking up hill, gladly MJ went with me or else I have to walk a little bit slower to walk with the sweeper who’s accompanying the hikers that were a bit slow.

The trail was muddy, it is combined of uphill and downhill. There was no clearing so you can’t appreciate the view that much, the sky is gloomy. Nevertheless, all of us enjoyed the abundance of water in the streams, as well as the presence of guavas along the way.

MJ and I were in the middle together with two highschool students who are just a few meters away from us, ahead of us were my fellow RBM members.  We reached the point where we are not able to see the first group, we have waited a bit where the two highschool students met us, and since MJ and I were  both impatient waiting for the last group so we head on and followed the trail leaving behind the two young girls.

(MJ #feelingtired)

We reached a place where there are three houses, where we have asked where to go, the woman in the last house informed us that there was a path going to Palati Falls behind the smokehouse, so we did and I carefully examined the mud, and I was sure it was the right path since I am seeing fresh footprints of shoes in the soil and when we climb upwards, it was all grass and the footprints were gone, I looked around and found an almost hidden path behind the thick cogon grasses. We traversed it and we both realized where moving away from the sound of swift flowing water, we end up to a small shaft with a pig tied in the yard and dogs barking at us.  We called out, but no one is answering so we decided to return to the smokehouse, and there we found two paths. One is going to the left and the other one is going upward, but we are sure when we passed by at that point that there was no other path other than the path we took. You know, what is bothering me, when we passed by a coconut leaf fell from the tree on the left side, I don’t know what does it mean. If someone tried to warn us that we are heading to a wrong path or someone blocked the left path so we will choose the path upward?

Anyway, we decided to try the left path and we end up in a rocky stream, I have told MJ that maybe if we follow the stream we will not be lost, since the water will be surely coming from the falls. Maybe due to fear and excitement, I slid on the rocks not just once, but twice, and the second one was almost fatal because I slid into the water with my phone.  It scares the hell out of me because I don’t know how deep the water was, as we continue to walk the rocky stream I have seen people ahead of us, giving us a relief that we are on the right path to the falls.

When we are nearing RJ meet us half-way, he said they just arrived as well and he is about to look for us because he didn’t see us around. I have told him, we got lost.  The first group ahead of us were sorry that they left us when I told them we are just behind them, they also said they also almost get lost and they asked one of them to check the path upward if it is the right path or not, I didn’t inform them anymore about the coconut leaf that fell because my mind is not on its proper place, I was feeling scared, nervous and unwell for my phone. It is the second Asus Selfie phone I accidentally dropped in the water, the first one died after it swam in the salt water when it was not a year old yet and this second one is just less than two months old and it swam in the water too.

We reached Palati Falls for about over two hours, including the time where MJ and I got lost. If you walk faster you can reach Palati Falls in one and one half hours.

Palati Falls was on its beauty when we decided to visit it, there was a lot of water because of non-stop rain on the past few days. We rested a bit and decided to eat our lunch together, afterwards endless photo shoots.  We stayed for about an hour and descended together. We took a different trail going home, we traversed the river heading to the dam site where heavy rain fell on us, making us all soak.

Palati Falls isn’t for the frail of heart, but seeing  it with  your own eyes is very fulfilling so you must see it once in your life .  You can hire a motorcycle from downtown town and it is up to you to haggle, but ₱40-₱50.00 is enough to reach the Barangay Hall of Libertad, where you can ask for help or guide, or if you need someone to guide you, don’t hesitate to contact me I can maybe help you to find one depending on the availability of my fellow mountaineers. The jump-off is located at Sitio, Boliganay of Brgy. Panique, Odiongan, Romblon. You must remember that hiking to Palati Falls takes about two hours,  the trail is slippery when raining so wear proper shoes to avoid meeting an accident.

It has been over ten days since the training for Tourism Promotion Services has started, a lot of things had happened and I have learned a few things from it. A few, because being a traveler and a blogger I knew most of our topics.

At the end of our training, we are required to create an output as a solo or as a group. I choose the group despite that I knew I will be just the one who will do the technical work. We have to create a video or a magazine style or pamphlet promoting tourist destination in our town.

One of the tourist destinations I or we included in our output is the Mainit Falls in our barangay.  We went there as a group on July 20th, with the help of my younger cousin as a guide, it was a bit struggle to cross the river because it has been raining for a week and the rain has just stopped that afternoon.

Mainit Falls is about 40 minutes from the main road, the falls have been popular because of its warm water.  When we arrived there were kids enjoying the water, they are still wearing their uniforms and have their bags with them. It looks like they decided to swim at the falls before heading home.

We only took pictures and videos for our documentation and head home, I went nearby the water falls to have my photo taken that’s why I got soaked, I have expected a good picture, but when I check my phone, my classmate whom I have asked to take my photo zoomed it out, getting only me and not the waterfalls as the background (lol). Gladly, I have asked another classmate to take another photo of me which is seen above.

Mainit Falls isn’t that hard to reach, all you have to do is get/hire a motorcycle in town, you can find them in front of Children Paradise or  just across the Odiongan Tourist Information Center beside the Odiongan Town Plaza.   Fare isn’t costly,  ₱20.00 per person and if you are alone ₱30-50.00 will already make the driver smile.  Tell the driver to bring you to Brgy. Pato-o, Sitio Mainit or you can directly tell them  that you are going to Mainit Falls. Mainit Falls is just 40 minutes walk from the main road.  If you don’t know where to start your trek you can either ask a local or go directly to Barangay Hall of Pato-o so they can help you out.

It was my sister’s 26th birthday yesterday and we celebrated it by eating dinner last night at Bantigue Resort as planned, it was like a double birthday celebration because it was my father’s birthday the earlier week. We left early from Odiongan, so we won’t be hurrying in the road since it is in another town.

We arrived at 8:15 in the evening and there wasn’t a lot of people except to three females having a good time drinking below the bamboo Eiffel tower where we sat before. Since, we are five people they decided that we should just use the table upstairs, we’ve ordered and while waiting my sister and I entertained ourselves taking photos on the balcony overlooking the well lighted Eiffel tower, the Big Ben isn’t lit.

We have ordered two beers (₱45/bottle) for my father and BIL, five servings of rice (₱75), fruit shakes (₱70/glass), pancit canton (₱110), sweet and sour pork (₱180), mixed vegetables (₱150), sizzling chicken sisig (₱150), shanghai fried rice (₱100), sizzling pork sisig (₱150) and a bowl of crab soup (₱110). Within 20 minutes the mango and buko shakes were served first and the rest wasn’t served until an hour, in my father’s disappointment. Yap, when the food was served we are already sleepy and starving because it was already 9:30 in the evening. I guess, we have ordered a  lot and it took them long to cook our orders and guess what, we really ordered a lot because we are not able to finish all of our food that we requested them to be takeout except for crab soup which I enjoyed so much.

We are told that the Shanghai rice is only good for 2-3 people so I have ordered extra five cups of rice, but when it arrives it is good for the five of us. The food at Bantigue Resort is exceptional in a very affordable price because they come in good servings.

Well, what’s disappointing I didn’t even received a thank you from my sister for treating her twice on her birthday, lunch at Ashley and dinner at the popular home of the bamboo Eiffel tower in Tablas.

BANTIGUE RESORT
Brgy. Punta, Looc, Romblon
Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/pages/biz/Bantigue-Resort-760704667473655/
Mobile No. – 0948 748 0724

Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post. Above written post was my own personal opinion and experience and might be different from yours.

Today, is Independence day so it was a holiday. We decided to visit nearby town, but wanting to see more and breathe some more air we did a Round Tablas again. We started from Odiongan to Looc, Ferrol and to Alcantara then to Sta. Maria where we had our stop over to take some pictures, then to San Agustin, Calatrava to San Andres and back to Odiongan where came from.

There was of lot of progress in the municipality of Sta. Maria, the construction of the highway was already completed, the road became spacious and larger.

We really didn’t take long because we still need to return to Odiongan, we didn’t start our road trip early, so we don’t have an ample time to do dilly dallying so we continued our journey to the municipality of San Agustin, we stopped over at their town to buy some snacks, my mother loves their siopao so much eh.

Along the way, I was surprised to see that there was already kiosk along the highway, it was a good spot to see and admire the beauty of Mt. Payaopao. My sister then told me that they already saw it when they went with us in the jump-off when we did the anniversary climb, and since it was my first time seeing it,I requested her to stop so I can take pictures.

My mother feeling stressed asked my sister if she can drive us to town, we left and when we are halfway there our mother realized she forgot to wear a jacket so we’ve returned home to get one, and that’s where we decided to do a night trip to the nearby town of Looc, making it possible my mother asked one of our cousins again to go with us, my father can’t go because he is already tipsy.

My sister and his boyfriend weren’t in good terms but she still asked him if he want to go with us when we saw him sitting in his friend’s house, he did.  It took us about one hour to reach the town of Looc, everything was closed so we decided to visit Bantigue Resort,  which rise in popularity in 2015 because of the well lighted Eiffel tower (replica), the famous landmark was made of bamboo and to add more attraction, a well lit Big Ben was added.

When we arrived, nobody welcomed us making us adamant to go inside. I have to ask where to go and what to do and that’s where someone from the bar finally asked us, if we are only going to take pictures or are we going to make an order.  I asked for their closing time since it was already 9 o’clock in the evening, was told they closed at 10 o’clock and since we still have one hour before closing time, I replied we are going to eat and we are five people. The woman guided us below the Eiffel tower replica, we look and order first from their menu before taking our time taking photos around the resort.

Well, since we are so giddy yup taking photos around, we didn’t realize that our food was served after 30 minutes. I have already seen the majestic Eiffel Tower in Paris and seeing the replica doesn’t excite a lot.

We have ordered rice, pork sisig, milk fish sisig, canton, mixed vegetables, extra rice and a glass of mango milkshake for me. Their food comes in good servings in affordable price. As expected, my cousin and my sister’s boyfriend ate like a cat, that if you brought them to an eat all you can restaurant the owner will be happy. Yap, we are not able to finish the sisig’s so we mixed them together and asked to wrap it for us.

We pay our bill and drove back to Odiongan in hurry because it was already late in the evening. We arrived in our house before 12 midnight.

Bantigue Resort is a private residence turned to a resort. The creativity of the owners show in every corner of the house. The collection of bonsai is relaxing to the eyes during the day, highlighting the huge Eiffel Tower replica at the forefront of the property. Bantigue Resort is open for swimming, Family Gatherings, Parties, Reunion and other Special Events! – asiatravel.com

BANTIGUE RESORT
Brgy. Punta, Looc, Romblon
Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/pages/biz/Bantigue-Resort-760704667473655/
Mobile No. – 0948 748 0724

Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post. Above written post was my own personal opinion and experience and might be different from yours.

One lazy afternoon, my mother told us to get ready and since I have thought we are just going to town, I replied, I am ready.  She asked if I am sure because I am just wearing a house dress, so I asked back if where we are going.  Well, it turns out, she is bored and she has something in her mind.

It was been a long time we are planning to visit the Bamboo Farm in San Andres, so that’s where we went together with our cousins, it was a good thing we brought them because if we didn’t we maybe lost our way. We made a right turn to the Sunflower Farm but it turns out it was a wrong turn, it should be next one.

We reached a point, where there are two roads and we don’t know which one to take. Gladly, the people were helpful and they told us to go on the road going upward, my sister driving the big bike asked our cousin to interchange since it was too big for her and she can’t reach the ground just in case something happened along the way.

Unexpected, but the road is concreted. It has been just a  challenge that is going upward, the view along the way is astonishing because you can see things below, the sea, houses and the streets.  We really don’t know where to stop, but gladly we found a group of people ahead of us, they are taking photos in the bushes which looks like bamboo to us.

It was disappointing because the bamboo farm wasn’t the way it looks to be in photos, it wasn’t cared of.  I think we visited in a wrong time of the year, we should not visit in summer.

Nothing much to do, we left the farm and went to downtown San Andres to feel cool by eating Halo-halo for ₱25.00 only. It  is a popular Filipino dessert with a mixture of shaved ice and evaporated milk to which various ingredients are added, including boiled sweet beans, young corn, coconut, camote, banana plantain, ripe jackfruit, sago, gulaman, fruits, leche plan and yam ice cream. It is served in a tall bowl.