CARAMOAN, part one : Getting There

Get ready for a long, rough trip,
it's almost 600 kilometers from Manila to Caramoan!!!

but every long minute you spend waiting
for your delayed flight to finally take off,

or every interminable second
of your 10-hour bus ride to finally end,

every uncomfortable moment in the ferry or pumpboat,

every hard bounce of the jeepney on the stone (not dirt!) roads,

will all dissipate the moment you take in your first view
of the islands of the Caramoan Peninsula!

We decided to use LEGASPI as our base
(rather than via the traditional route through Naga)
since it was much closer to Polangui, Albay;
hometown of our indefatigable tour guide
and host with the most, Dr. Elmo Isip.

Besides,
going to Caramoan via Naga
would have made us miss one of the "New 7 Wonders",
MAYON VOLCANO!!!






So we took the longer, but more scenic route;
from the Legaspi airport,
we proceeded to the town of TIWI,

home of the most famous Halo-Halo in Bicol,
DJC : the mix-mix with cheese and corn!!!






From a small beach where our bancas were anchored,
we took the almost 3-hour (!!!) ride in a small pumpboat,


crossing the vast Albay Gulf
with Daragang Magayon receding in the background,


as we drifted off slowly in the sparkling azure to
to the Port of Guijalo,


the access point to our final destination,
the Caramoan peninsula!!!!







Our first view of the Camarines Sur landscape
was a fitting preview of our dramatic destination...


...and then we finally hit land,
where frantic construction has begun on
a new and improved pier for the projected
massive influx of tourists over the next few years.