Destination: Albay Provinces (Legaspi, Daraga, Malilipot and Camalig)
When: May 9 ,2008 – May 12, 2008

Route:
(disclaimer: take the non-aircon bus at your own risk :P . I will not do that again)
Cubao, Manila –> Legaspi City (05/09/08 10:02 PM – 05/10/08 9:54 AM) ETT 11 hours 52 minutes
Legaspi City –> Daraga City (17 mins Jeep ride)
Daraga City –> MRT Taft avenue (05/11/08 8:04 PM – 05/12/08 5:28 AM) ETT 9 hours 24 mins

Who:
Keen (in my room before going off to Albay)

Things brought:
Money – spent around 3.5k max, whoa! Looking the breakdown below it’s just supposed to be around few thousand. Where did the thousand go? That’s between me and Mike! hahaha :)
PSP with Cam loaded with Riot and All We Know is falling albums
Extra clothes
my favorite travel backpack
the map I found in google and my overall guide to Albay :)

Why: to discover Bicol and see Mt Mayon. I also wanted to see how it has been there since typhoon reming. Back in the college days, my block made a 2 week class to class campaign to gather rehabilitation goods for Reming victims. See Project Reming Thread for more info in Blockmates Community.

Moments with cost management

The travel
Ali Mall, Cubao Bus station to Legaspi, Albay – P400.00
Daraga, Albay to Pasay Bus station – P350.00
Fare around Legaspi city – P7.50

People met
Jenny- HS student going to Rapu rapu island to meet her tita. She is very proud of her hometown Legaspi. To quote “Legaspi is just like Makati with less billboards”. And so there di na ako nag comment :) haha
Ramon – going home from Cavite to Liboh, Albay with his wife and 2 little daughters
Miss Silvia – Angola Coliseum architect going home to Tobacco, Albay to see her family.

Legaspi experience
Room for rent (c/o Linda’s Carenderia and dorms)– P100.00
Linda’s Bicol Express meal – P16.00
Linda’s special ginataang sitaw – P16.00

People met:
Melinda Garaje – Owner and cook of “turo-turo” restaurant

Mike Garaje – young single dad and local guide I met in Linda’s Carenderia

Ate Eden – room maid, cleans the rooms for rent.

The Mayon Volcano experience.

Isa lang masasabi ko “amf ang mga ulap”, in English darn the clouds.haha I only got a clear cone view when my camera no longer has batteries. ;) Viewing Mt Mayon is a calming and exciting experience all in one.

Busay falls

Busay falls is located deep inside the barrio of Malilipot, Albay. It’s a favorite gathering place for locals esp during summer. Seeing and hearing the waterfall is very relaxing. The water is cold and many people are enjoying a dive to the center of the falling water.

Entrance to Busay Falls – P5.00
Legaspi City to Malilipot Municipality – P15.00
Malilipot highway to Busay Falls site (via “Padyak”). SeeVideo below for track- P50.00

People met
Jonathan Rariza – serious but funny drive of pedicap aka “padyak”

Detour Brgy Padang and Aquinas University
Padang is a barangay in Albay that was erased from the map. It was believed that all residents were buried alive when typhoon Reming struck.

Albay Park and Wildlife and Lingnon hill
Entrance to Animal Park– P20.00
Legaspi City to Daraga and vice versa P7.50

Entrance to Lingnon hill – NO entrance fee! – you just need the guts to take the 25 minute uphill climb. Lingnon hill has a spectacular view of Legaspi, Daraga and Nearby cities in Albay.

(pitstop shack for climbers)

(In the Nas Residences with Ruel and Rachel. They own a pup named brownie)

People met:
Rolando Nas – Owner of a small shack and store on top of Lingnon Hill
Liza Nas – wife of Mang Lando
Ruel and Rachel – the industrious, happy and kind Nas’ children

Tonnet and Marimar – kids I met in Lingnon hill who helped me took pictures

Cagsawa Ruins Trip
in 1814, Mayon Volcano erupted and sent lava flows cascading down its sides. The townspeople of Cagsawa fled to the church where they perished when it was engulfed in the fiery flows. Today, only the church tower remains as a memorial.

Entrance Cagsawa Ruins – P10.00
Legaspi City to Daraga City- P10.00
Daraga City to Cagsawa Ruins highway – P7.50
Cagsawa Ruins highway to Cagsawa Ruin Site – 15.00

People met:
JayR and Chris – children selling Cagsawa photo souvenirs and they helped me take cool pictures of the city including the superhero trick and leaning tower trick.

Hoyop hoyopan cave

Located in Cotmon, Camalig, Albay (11.8 Hoyop-Hoyopan Cavekm from the town proper), the crystal caves are its central attraction. Visitors often experience: “eternal whispering breeze” from whence its name was derived.

Legaspi City to Camalig Municipality– P18.00
Camalig highway to Brgy Hoyop hoyopan – P12.00
Brgy Hoyop hoyopan to Cave site (via DTD or door to door single motorcycle) – P20.00
Cave site to Camalig City (via DTD) – P50.00

People met
Romeo – My tour guide
Lola lilly – Cheerful old lady and 1/3 of the owner of Hoyop hoyopan cave site
Alwin – one of the friendliest tour guide and tripper in the site.
Marife – Alwin’s cousin, her family is 2/3 of the owners of the mountain cave site
Denver – owner of the Honda single motorcycle Wave100 DTD (door to door) service
Frank Martinez – Driver of DTD service, and eventually became my tour guide and cameraman around Camalig City. He also recommended a great place (Lets Pinangat) to eat the local delicacy Pinangat.

Lets Pinangat
Located in Camalig National Road. They offer one of the best cooked Pinangat and Bicol Express in town. “Masiramon ni Pinangat!” In other words “ang sarap ng Pinangat”


Pinangat – P50.00
Bicol express – P30.00

Person met:
Aling Sally – sister and cook of Lets Pinangat!

Learning:
Peanut is a root crop! Tsk tsk
Barangay Padang and Purok 4 was wiped out in the Albay map after typhoon Reming
StalaC(ceilng)tite is the rock formation above, StalaG(ground)mite is the rock formation in the cave grounds. :P

Special thanks, my greatest gratitude for your hospitality… Unfortunately, I lost all your contacts because my 3310 travel phone stolen on my way home, errrr. Thanks anyways.

Mike Garaje, for touring me around Legaspi City and assisting me locate Busay falls
To the Nas family who entertained most of my Mayon Volcano and Reming questions in Lingnon hill
To the Garaje family, for letting me stay in their humble home
To my new friends in Barangay Hoyop hoyopan who assisted me in the caving adventure.
The kids at Lingnon hill, thanks.