Whenever I travel with a group, I
feel like I am little confined and contained to do the worst out of me. Maybe I
am just trying to be polite not to steal someone else’s limelight during the
trip. Yeah I am like that, a committed party crasher of the year!
Recently, through a friend’s
invitation, I have joined the outdoor group "Bangag" for a short visit to Occidental Mindoro. It was the first time to meet some of them and some were
virtually known friends.
Pardon the Pardons
I was a little ashamed of myself
as I arrived in our meeting place two hours late. It was an embarrassing moment that placed me in my most awkward
position and felt like drowning in shadows as if I have committed a heavy crime and must be punished instantly.
Well, for the glory of adventure, I put that aside and have continued
with our journey towards the Port of Batangas City. We left Jam Bus Terminal in
Kamuning, Quezon City at 12 midnight, two hours behind the original schedule,
well, thanks to me!
![]() |
Tricycle, local means of transportation in Abra de Ilog |
We arrived at the port at 3 in the morning, missing the 2 am RORO.
But it seems my best friend Mr. Luck was riding on our trip when we found a
4 am trip through the Besta Shipping Lines that was ready to leave for Abra de Ilog. I was
salvaged from the blame of being late and almost missing everything on lost time,
yipeeeee!
It's Started with KFC- Ka-Freddie's Chicken
![]() |
Ka-Freddie's Chicken (KFC):The best chicken in town |
Not much of a fancy
accommodation, we were so thankful for Ka-Freddie’s hospitality allowing us to
‘break-in’ in his humble abode, utilizing any property starting from his bed, kitchen and comfort
room and anything we can find in his 10x10 meter room.
But the best part of staying in Ka-Freddie's abode was the homemade chicken he was selling in front of his house. So far, it was the best grilled chicken I have tasted and beating dozens of grilled chicken sold in the Philippine market (goodbye Andok, goodluck Baliwag). Visitors from Manila even come personally to have a bite of this delectable yum. Truly, Ka-Freddie's chicken will give Andok's and Baliwag a run for their money.
But the best part of staying in Ka-Freddie's abode was the homemade chicken he was selling in front of his house. So far, it was the best grilled chicken I have tasted and beating dozens of grilled chicken sold in the Philippine market (goodbye Andok, goodluck Baliwag). Visitors from Manila even come personally to have a bite of this delectable yum. Truly, Ka-Freddie's chicken will give Andok's and Baliwag a run for their money.
The first thing we did was having our morning breakfast courtesy of Sir Albert.But after getting stuffed, the idle time just put us all on sleepy mode, wishing to regain the lost strength and to get prepared for our
afternoon adventure.
After a few hours of rest, we immediately hit the road bound for our first destination set by Manong Unyol, the Bisay Waterfalls.
After a few hours of rest, we immediately hit the road bound for our first destination set by Manong Unyol, the Bisay Waterfalls.
![]() |
Over looking fields of Abra de Ilog |
![]() |
Mangyan of Mindoro, Indigenous People of the Philippines |
For a moment I have forgotten that we were in Mindoro until we met the indigenous people known as Mangyan. We were literally stepping in their ancestral domains and as a sign of respect, we gave our courteous smiles and greetings whenever we see them.
My respect for the IP’s are way
up to the sky as I have a huge admiration for their pure skills and talent to
survive in an environment not so common and not so convenient for most city
dwellers. Their ability to live in a harsh environment is my ultimate envy, wishing I could learn some of their survival skills.
Bisay Waterfalls or False Fall?
Bisay Waterfalls or False Fall?
It was a tiring trek with high
hopes that finally something new to add up on our discoveries then ...BOOM! We
reached Bisay with our jaws almost touching the ground with wrinkles of my
comrades’ faces highlighted with disappointment to see a tiny waterfall revealed in front of us. There must be some kind of misunderstanding with the words FALLS and POOLS. Manong Unyol please explain?
![]() |
Sliding over the drop of Bisay falls |
Looking at the local kids jumping and sliding over the runs of the pool, we decided to do the same to feel what it feels like to slide over the drop of the tiny waterfalls. But we were more like of a coward chicken backing out our guts and instead simply made some poses at the top of the falls as a reminder of a shameful memory of our trip.
The hot weather enticed me to dip
into the cool water, making me chill to the bone. But
after few minutes, the cool water became therapeutic making my trembling muscles
finally relaxed and acclimatized to the surrounding water. I was never been in
cold water before that made me stay for more than five minutes.
After munching on our sumptuous
lunch of roasted chicken (Ka-Freddie's), chicken soup with tamarind and lots and lots of rice,
we decided to descend and traced our trail back to the
lowland.
With little time left before the sun come down to complete hiding, we had a stopover at Bonita Beach just 500 meters from the port of Abra de Ilog. There, my comrades and our guides had a little drink , emptying two liters of Emperador Light while waiting for the sun to come down at the wrong side of the island. Hahahaha. To be continued ....
How to get to Abra de Ilog?
Coming from Manila, there are bus companies in Buendia and Cubao that transport passengers to Batangas Port. The fare was more or less Php 175.00 with a travel time of 3 hours.
From Batangas Port, there are two shipping companies that operate with the route of Batangas-Abra de Ilog. The one we hopped on was the Besta Shipping lines and the other one is Montenegro Shipping Lines. The fare was more or less Php 260.00 plus terminal fee of Php 30.00.
No comments :
Post a Comment