Roaming around Legazpi

"The mountains are calling and I must go..." - John Muir 

We met Ian Jay (me and Lanie's grade school friend) at Legazpi City. ian Jay is working as an accountant in the Philippine Navy - Legazpi Office. As I have told him I'll be in Bicol, he said we can meet and tour me around the area (thought I was on a solo trip) :D he and his friend Sir Eric was kind enough to accompany us to our home in Pili CamSur. Imagine the 2-hour drive from Legazpi to Pili. And Sir Eric is on duty that night at 12midnight. Aww thank you Ian and Sir Eric. :) Cheers!

Black Sand Beach - Along Bacacay Coast (inside the navy's office), where Ian almost drowned, not once, but twice!

Black Sand Beach

Ian Jay (in yellow) tells
about his drowning moment/s :)

Dinner at 1st Colonial Grill to have a taste of their not so ordinary ice cream flavors especially Sili ice cream!

Joy (orange), Lanie (Pink), Me
Sir Eric (Green), Ian Jay (Yellow), Sir Chris (Blue)

Sili Ice Cream! Hottie hot hot!

Different Flavor Ice Cream
Malunggay, Pili, Dalandan

Ligñon Hills - I am used to trekking but this one, is a sort of punishment? Holy week was over but why do I have to sacrifice? Haha, we detoured in Kapit-Tuko Trail, the shortest way but 'twas a sort of jungle. There was no trail. Wah! Thankfulness we came our of it safe and alive hahaha! :0) A lot of activities to do there like the ATV and Zipline. But since the ATV rent is expensive, we tried zipline instead.

never ending pathway

rest / pictorial mode...

View from the top of Ligñon Hill

Random Shot...

Kapit Tuko Trail

City View, Ligñon Hill at night

 Embarkadero - Similar to Baywalk in Manila. 

Our Lady of the Gate Parish - Located in Daraga, Albay. This church was built in 1773 by the Franciscan Missionaries and is also known as Daraga Church.The National Historical Institute of the Philippines declared the church as historical site as a National Cultural Treasure.

now playing: like a rose - A1 ♩♪♫ You treat me like a rose You give me room to grow You shone the light of love on me And gave me air so I can breathe You open doors that close In a world where anything goes You give me strength so I stand tall Within this bed of earth Just like a rose..♩♪♫

DIY Donsol, Sorsogon Itinerary

Wanted: buddy

Believe if or not, I am a licensed scuba diver but I don't know how to swim. I have this fear in water that if my feet does not touch the bottom, I'm rattled. I dunno why. Tried several swimming sessions to overcome this fear. And still, I can't confidently regard myself as a swimmer. But I love being underwater! Ironic as it is but yeah, it's the truth. 

As I haven't met the gorgeous and colorful fishes for quite a long time, I planned to dive the Ticao Pass in Masbate. To see the famous whale shark in Donsol also enthused me. 

Research led me to meet Ms. Ruby Lita of Bicol Diving Shop. I asked her to give me a backpacking package since I thought I was alone on this trip. Renting the boat would cost too much. But it so happened that my friends accompanied me so hooray! :D

Anyway, Ms. Ruby gave me a reservation in Woodland beach resort. The guy in the reception thought I was Korean. He kept talking in English. Hehe, I told him that I am a Filipino so there, he spoke Tagalog na. Can't blame him for doing so, most guests were foreigners. Nosebleed uh-oh!

Whale Sharks and Manta Rays were so shy to see us. They never showed up. :( I am so dismayed. I went there for the butanding and manta but I haven't seen any. And the coral reef was not astonishing. The foreigners were not amazed either. They said that the diveshop just collects money for nothing. And why do they take snokrles there. There's nothing to see and that was terrible! I am so sorry to hear that. But they were right. I am also dismayed. I just told them that diving in Batangas, Bohol  or Coron will be better. And they were excited as Ditte and Bryan are going to Coron. As I have seen much beautiful reefs, I guess I am hard to please. No butanding, no manta, I have seen nemo atleast! And oh, the fireflies at Ogod river, very enchanting! A must see especially now that we can't see fireflies here in the city. 

Ms. Ruby Lita
Bicol Divers, Donsol Sorsogon
09219293811

Below is our actual Donsol Itinerary for a group of 4pax. Expenses drafted as per head unless indicated.

Day 0: If you're from the Legazpi airport, take a tricycle bound to the Van/Jeep terminal 

I took the 1245H flight of Cebupac and met my friends in Gaisano Market. It is possible if you still want to roam around Legazpi, but take note of the time. The last trip of Vans bound to Donsol is 6PM depending on the availability of the van. Sometimes, last trip is 5PM.

LGP Airport - Terminal : 50Php

Van LGP - Donsol - 100Php

Dinner from SM Hypermarket - 100Php

Day 1:
Brunch: 555Php/4pax
Whale Shark Interaction: 835Php (including fins rent. Around 900php if you will rent the snorkeling set)
Dinner: 920Php/4pax
Firefly Watching: 500Php
Tricycle rent to roam around Donsol: 380Php/4pax (St. Joseph Parish, Immaculate Conception Station of the Cross, Plaza)

Day 2: As my friends opt to stay at the hotel and bum at the beach, I went early to the tourism office for the 0630H call time for the San Miguel + Ticao Pass 3Dives of the day. And since we cannot baord the last trip bound to Legazpi, we rented a car for 1200Php.
Breakfast: 180Php
Dive fee: 4000Php
Car rent: 300Php
Woodland: 2d/2n = 4400Php/4pax

The Woodland Resort

The Whale Shark Interaction Briefing

The Butanding Spotter.. 

with the French couple Alex and... errr I forgot the girl's name,
but it starts with letter J! so hard to remember her unsual name  :)

Joy the Librarian
Sir Chris the Physics Teacher
Sis Lanie the former FMM nun to be... now a Values teacher
:)

common whale sharks, come out now!

lanie and me

corals...

sea urchin!

I found Nemo!!

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my hot pink fins by aquamundo...

marlin!

Sir Chris....

St. Joseph Parish

Stairway to heaven

Immaculate Conception Chapel

Kneel and pray

Chillax at the resort

Donsol.....

Donsol...

believe it or just believe it, it's a firefly! 
hard to capture them wahh

mine!

Ditte and Bryan... the Danish divers

San Miguel Island

Ditte and Bryan

the shirtless guy, I forgot his name haha,
he's Michelle's bf,  they're the Canadian Couple

San Miguel

ready to dive

Michelle's back :)

Now Playing: Invisible Man - 98 degrees - ♩♪♫ I wish you'd look at me that way Your beautiful eyes looking deep into mine Telling me more than any words could say But you don't even know I'm alive Baby, to you all I am is the invisible man Oh, you don't see me baby...♩♪♫