Sta. Ana Cagayan Valley

I’ve been very busy with work, felt that my head will explode anytime soon that’s why I decided to take a break and blog. I said to myself why not? Even though writing takes too much time for me, it takes my mind away from whatever it is that’s stressing me  so it’s a win win situation. I get to keep my promise to myself to blog weekly and I get to unload my stress by writing 🙂 So now, I let myself wander and go back to the time and place that I enjoyed so very much. I decided to go back and tell you my experience about the beauty that is Cagayan Valley. Sometimes I feel really sad and a little nagsisisi because I did not push through with my decision to blog about my travels right after experiencing it. Minsan ang hirap matandaan ng mga smallest details, you just remember how fun it was. But I do remember that it’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. Mababaw lang naman ang kaligayahan ko so I don’t know if people would agree with me but before taking the trip there, I researched a lot about the place and read lots of blogs about it and  I did not encounter a bad review or negative comment about the beauty of the place. Ang comment lang na bad is ung sa rates. We’ll discuss it later. So anyway we decided to explore it. Now, I too, would recommend that place to everybody. Sabi nga nung isang blog na nabasa ko (I’m sory I can’t remember whose blog it is), you can’t explain how beautiful Cagayan is not even in photos (specially Palaui Island), you just have to experience the place to appreciate it’s beauty.

We spent more than 2 weeks sa North area starting in Pampanga. My Hubby works at a plant in Pampanga so we stayed there for 4 days before backpacking for our tour of Cagayan Valley. Friends and acquaintances who knew that we are going sa North and that we planned to stay sa Tugegarao before heading to Sta. Ana are asking  “di ba sobrang init dun?” I only learned because of our trip na Tuguegarao pala ang pinakamainit na place sa buong Pinas. It was summer, Last week of May 2014, that’s why lalong mas mainit. Anyway, we stayed most of the time sa sasakyan at hotel lang naman so we did not feel the temperature that much. During our stop-overs, dun lang talaga you will feel how hot the place is. And during the long long trip (since putol putol because we slept at Isabela and Tuguegarao, I just added the hours. Travel time was like 12 hours coming from Pampanga) we had few stops, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, Isabela and Tuguegarao before reaching our destination: SANTA ANA, CAGAYAN.

Okay, so why did I choose this place? It was our anniversary and we were supposed to go sa Boracay. I already booked our hotel there but since there was no piso promo available for our sked and it would be too expensive to go for the regular fares at madami kasi kami (3 adults, 1 3yr old kid – adult rate na tuloy huhu – and 1 infant), I decided that I would book sa 2Go na lang. I also thought it would be an adventure to travel thru water, maiba naman. But something bad came up, an accident that caused us to use the transpo and pocket money we have. Pero dahil vacation mode pa rin kami, and I wanted my toddler, Kiara to enjoy her remaining vacation days (papasok na kasi sya ng nursery), we decided to look for a place which we haven’t gone yet na pwedeng magdala ng sasakyan. My husband works for a beverage company and he handles the Northern-most part of the Philippines. From Pampanga to Baguio, Nueva Ecija, Ilocos, Cagayan etc… During his visits, dun nya nakita and narinig most of the spots na pwedeng pasyalan and ung magagandang beaches. That’s how we arrived sa decision to go Cagayan Valley.

So okay, maybe from Manila, the trip would be around 14 hours with about four 10-min stop-overs and  an hour na lunch and pahinga. If you’re going to ride a bus, I think there are trips available in Cubao going to Tuguegarao, but you have to travel for another 3 hours if I’m not mistaken, to get to Santa Ana.

Anyway, I’m truly sorry but due to limited vacation time and with two kids, everything is more complicated and we did not get to see a lot  😥 but of course it was still so much fun and I can still say that the couple of places we’ve been to were so gorgeous, they compensated already 🙂 So here are the spots in Santa Ana Cagayan that we visited

WHAT TO SEE:

1. Port Irene – Just like Subic, Cagayan is home to hundreds of cars being imported and sold locally. You will find these cars in Port Irene. It’s interesting and fun to be there. If you love cars, you would enjoy seeing many luxury cars such as Porsche, BMWs, Ferraris, Hammers etc. You would even daydream that one day you will get to open the door and slide into the Driver’s seat of the car, looking vampy and hot and uber sexy. And as you start the engine of the car, you feel its power go thru your body. And then, as you step hard on the pedal, and hold tight on to the stirring wheel, something happen.

screeeccchhh! Booooogggghh!

Ayun Nabangga ka na! OA kasi sa imagination. Hahaha.

Anyway, what you would not enjoy in Port Irene is the sight of these cars parked in the middle of a dusty uncovered warehouse, unprotected from the blazing heat of the sun. Recently (2013 I think), the government banned the registration in LTO of cars bought from Port Irene kaya andaming naiwan and hindi nabenta kaya nakabilad lang yung mga sasakyan since wala nang mapaglagyan at walang nababawas puro dagdag lang ng dagdag sa inventory. Most are from Japan pa naman and had been used for less than 5 years. What a waste of perfectly good cars, we thought. My hubby especially loved a Toyota manufactured minivan which was sold only to Japan (I forgot the model, if I see it again I’ll post it) and there were so many ng ganung model being sold at Port Irene. Again, what a waste of perfectly good cars 😥 Oh well That’s life 😦

     

2. Anguib Beach – Moving on from the above subject, another place you’re going to love is  The Anguib Beach, one of the White Beaches in Santa Ana.

The place where we stayed at Santa Ana, the E.F. Costales Lodge (which by the way is very cheap but not so bad if hindi ka naman maarte ng bonggang-bongga. The restrooms are clean that’s why I’m happy about the place.) is in San Vicente, very near the Port. Few kilometers away, you can go to Nangaramoan Beach and there’s another Lodge that is owned by Costales, but different family tree naman. Anyway, Nangaramoan is nice kaya lang super dami ng tao. As in parang you’re in a party and you can’t even find a place to park your car considering na malaki ang area. I forgot if the sand is white but I remember that it’s not fine at bato bato. But the water is clear naman. Yun lang, Nangaramoan Beach is not our destination that time. But was planning to spend the evening at Nangaamoan because I wanted to experience making a bonfire and this is allowed in Nangaramoan kaya lang pagod na rin kami kaya hindi na namin nagawa. Anyway, my real plan for the day is the trip in Anguib Beach. But for us to reach the said beach, we had to go to Nangaramoan Beach and rent a boat that would take us to the other side nung bundok. We trek the water, super slippery dahil andaming bato and since basa, nakakadulas talaga. Boy, the walk was a challenge especially for Kiara my toddler and for her Tita who was holding Kyle, my baby. Jun, my hubby, and I were both carrying our things na super dami.  This is the difference between family travelers and couple or single travelers. Kaming pamilyado, we never travel light no matter how hard we try. The kids just have so much things that we needed to bring kaya it’s always nightmare to travel ng hindi dala ang sasakyan. And lalong nightmare for us to ride the boat. Kaya I was really feeling angry and frustrated that we had to take a boat to get to Anguib when in fact, there’s a way to go there ng naka sasakyan. I’ve learned about it during my research in  the net. And when I asked about the locals pati na ung mga boatmen about it, they told me a little story kung sino ang nagpasara ng daan. Now, this is where the story gets to be interesting. I’ll explain later 🙂 konting suspense muna hehe.

Anyway, I felt cheated but had no choice but to take the 400-peso deal with the boatmen na sa totoo lang eh wla pang 5 minutes na inikot kami sa isang gilid ng bundok, mejo feeling a little bad trip na rin ako pero mabilis naman nawala because of the beauty of the place. The mountain was really a beautiful backdrop of the beach, and the water! Really, I have never seen clearer water except when I was in Virgin island in Bohol! Oh wow! So much trees, they’re not coconut trees. Parang gubat style you can see lots of vegetation and so diverse sa mga halaman. When you reach the beach, a guy would immediately approach you boat and ask for payment for the entrance fee to the beach. And depending on where you land and where you will stay, you will pay 20 pesos or 100 pesos per head for adults. My kids are still free! Yey! So we paid 300 nasa mas magandang parte kasi kami nung beach, whiter and finer sand. There were 2-3 groups already in the area sa unahan so we opted to stay sa bandang dulo. Later that day, we strolled sa bandang gitna and unahan ng beach and found out that the sand was much much whiter and finer as in parang pulbo kaya pala dun nagkumpulan ang mga hinayupak (hehehe that’s an endearment people). I felt bad and cheated once again, sana pala umusog na kami sa unahan. I just don’t want too many people around although relatively quiet naman ang beach compared sa ibang place, it just felt nicer sa area na napili ko because it was just our family there that time. Solo namin ang area. Anyway, we could always go back next time. BTW,  there are no beachfront hotels sa Anguib, only cottages and tables for rent. Another reason we decided to stay sa area namin is because there are lots of trees na makakapal and ang shady and hangin to the point na my baby slept soundly under a tree. Naglatag lang ako ng pinagpatong na beach towels sa sand and took out his favorite pillow at yun. Tulog na tulog si Kyle for about 2 hours. 🙂

Anyway, I did promise to tell you about the owner of the Private Resort na pinasara ung daan kaya nawalan ng access ang mga sasakyan directly to Anguib Beach. I was told that majority of the properties in that side of the world is owned by a Senator. I don’t want tell you who that Senator is baka mademanda ako. Clue na lang, he is one of the most famous Senators ngayon because of misappropriation of funds 😦 But if you go there, all the locals will tell you that this Senator owns a private island and land properties and has stocks in the  Sun City (a high-end hotel and casino in Cagayan). Well, you can say that maybe these are their properties inherited from parents. Maybe yes, maybe not. Do your research and bahala na kayong magjudge basta you did not hear anything from me hehehe 😉

3. Crocodile Island – actually we just saw this from our boat ride. Hindi na kami bumaba. it does look like a crocodile from a certain angle. We opted not to go here because we wanted to spend most of our time at Cape Engano.

4. Palaui Island – To say that it’s a beautiful place is an understatement.I thought it was Gorgeous.No,  S-T-U-N-N-I-N-G!!! BREATHTAKING!!!! Go to tripadvisor, you’ll see most reviewers rated the place with 5stars. Read the reviews there’s not a bad comment except for,as I said before, the fees (which I posted below) So as I said, one has to go here personally to appreciate the beauty, pictures are not enough. To go there, you have to register with the visitor’s center and book for a boat, thru the center once again. The place is really really beautiful but I really really hate the tour rates! I am not the only one with this sentiment. If you research this in the internet, you will see that there are lots of people complaining in their blogs how high the prices are. I was told by a some local people that the tour wasn’t that pricey before. It was when the local government decided to handle the tourism that the price skyrocketed. This happened right after the shooting of Survivor Cagayan. I’m not 100% sure about the facts, but when we go back in Cagayan, I’ll remind myself to ask about this. Check the rates below so you’ll have idea. These rates are for 6-8 persons:

Short Distances:

1. Jerolinda Beach Resort – P300
2. Crocodile Island – P500
3. Puntaverde  – P750
4. Pugo Moro  – P500

Long Distances:

1. Cape Engaño – P1,800
2. Pozo Robo Beach -P1,800
3. Siwangag – P1,500
4. Anguib Beach- P1,500

Special Trip – Cape Engaño, Anguib Beach. Crocodile Island and Punta Verde – PHP 3,500

I can only tell you about the places I’ve seen sa Palaui. We were not able to visit the rest since super mahal and kinulang na rin kami ng time.

Waterfalls – I read from a blog that there are about 24 falls in the island. Although I’ve heard of only 2 na pwedeng puntahan and paliguan. We went there during summer, during this season mahina lang talaga ang tubig sa mga falls so don’t expect that you’ll see ung ala- Maria Christina or Pagsanjan Falls na agos ng tubig. Anyway,we chose the nearest waterfall, maliit lang and mas mahina ang flow ng water. But coming from a super tiring and nakakapawis na trek (to the lighthouse), heaven na ung dating ng waterfalls sa amin. We immediately jumped into the water, not caring about the coldness ng tubig. it was just so refreshing!!!

Cape Engano – An old Spanish Lighthouse with picturesque view from the top. We chose to take this tour because my husband loves to go to lighthouses. When we toured around Ilocos Region, yun din ang isa sa mga ni-request nya sa itenerary ung makita, ung Lighthouse sa Pagudpod, Cape Bojeador.

It is a struggle to reach the top of the Mountain where the lighthouse is standing. So pack light, just bring water, bread or something sweet to keep you going kasi napakataas ng aakyatin nyo. From the beach, you’ll trek a jungle-like area (sorry, I had to use jungle, not for a lack of word but it’s one of Kiara’s favorite word I had to use it anytime I had the opportunity 🙂  ) and para kang nasa tunnel that’s made out of trees and plants kaya napakalilim so you will enjoy the walk. After 10 minutes or so of trekking, you’ll finally reach the end of the “jungle”. You will then find yourself pleasantly surprised (I was) that you’re in a meadow. The whole look is different from here. Kanina typical na gubat, but this time, it’s a grass dominated area, still with trees of course but relatively flat ang vegetation. The whole area has a lively contrast of green and brown. You’ll have a view of the Pacific Ocean na. Ang ganda, really a sight to see.

So after you bask yourself with the wondrous sights at the bottom of the mountain, it’s time to face the challenge. Yes, there’s a painful hurdle before you can enjoy the most coveted view in this island. Ang pag-akyat sa matirik na bundok sa ilalim ng nagbabagang init (OA talaga Haha).

But  please do this. If the climb will not be a threat to your physical condition, then push yourself to do it even if you have to crawl up (I did, believe me). Because what awaits you is one of the most picturesque sights you can have the pleasure of seeing (I haven’t been to so many places yet so you may have a different opinion but I guess CNN shared the same opinion with me as they hailed Palaui Island as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, as I recall) . The land, the lighthouse, the sea, the plants and trees, the islands and all other creations of human and God connecting with each other to form this one mass of beauty which is the Palaui Island. Since I am not a fan old structures and buildings, I did not marvel at the lighthouse although my Husband was really in awe. He was discussing the technical aspect ng pagbubuo ng lighthouse and he was really impressed with how the structure remains standing despite it’s age. While he was talking gibberish (hehe not really interested) I was resting and drinking Coke and eating banana. He then started marveling at the view. So I joined him sa kanyang sightseeing. Whoaahhh grabe the view from the top is really really fantastic!!! We can only see the beachside nung paakyat na kami. And it was stunning, but the other side of the island was breathtaking. One can see how the Pacific Ocean (I hope I’m right that it’s the really the Pacific Ocean hehe) collides with the rock formation and how it creates splashes of waves, how the Dos Hermanos Islands (2 separate islands) collectively looked like a sea monster (for me, scary!!!).  And how the lush  landscape at the other side of this mountain looked like a bed (of green grass). Oh WOW! Just wow! I am here in Paranaque making this blog and just thinking about that place made me sighhhhh. Oh how I wish I could go back anytime soon! Hayyy if only I’m rich I would go back asap hehehe. I am sure if I invite my friends here, they’re also going to be in awe.

5. KM 642 Marker – this is the last kilometer marker in Luzon. I almost missed having a photo op with this marker. Para akong tanga, hanap ako ng hanap kung ano yun, inaway ko pa ang asawa ko nung sinabi nyang ito ung maigsing poste na kulay dilaw na may markang 642 KM. I found out from my him na it’s just a marker erected to show how far a place is from Manila (in kilometers). Kaya pala KM 642, meaning we travelled 642 kilometers from Manila. Okay shungangerks ako sorry naman hehe. I thought it’s something extraordinary. Sabi kasi sa mga blogs, be sure to have a picture with this marker. Hindi ko na ata nakita kung ano ung ichura kaya I had no idea haha

Those are some of the places and spots na nakita and napuntahan namin sa cagayan. Oh by the way, there are lots and lots of promotional materials (billboards, tarps etc) that you will see eto ung SURVIVOR CAGAYAN – Beauty vs. Brains vs Brawn. Have a picture with the billboards 🙂 ako naadik magpapicture dito nawalan tuloy ako ng money .I was going down the car for the photo kaya lang di ko napansin nahulog na pala ung money ko. nakakalat kasi sa seat hindi ko agad naitabi. Naalala ko na lang nung nasa lodge na kami. malapit lang sa port so we went back, and syempre wala na yun. I’m pretty sure nahulog yun after our trip kasi I still have the money after we left the boat so I’m sure where and when I lost it. 5k din ung nawala sa akin huhuhu shunga talaga. So the lesson is of course, be mindful of your things. Minsan sa sobrang excitement, nakakalimot kaya dapat laging alert sabi nga ni hubby.

The trip to Palaui was fun but was dampened by the incident of losing money. Malaki na ang 5k kaya sa akin 😦 But now I’m just laughing it off now. Basta may lesson akong natutunan okay na yun. So anyway, if you’re still deciding whether to go or not to go sa Cagayan, well I suggest wag ng magdalawang isip. just do it!!! 🙂 And you’ll have a  wondreful time!

Til my next post!

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