It so happened that my partner was assigned in SM Naga City for a plantilla setup. It was May 2009 when she left, having a 6-month commitment for the company. After a long wait, I came to her again on her birthday. It was my first time to travel 8 hours straight via public bus.
I boarded Amihan Bus lines bound Naga at 10:00pm. I bought Champ burger from Jollibee for my snacks. It was a boring trip since all I can see is pitch-black on the window. I can’t even see a view. Nervous at first, can’t even identify exactly where the bus is, though I know that it already passed by Quezon province. It was like being inside a freezer when air conditioning was set to full.
Naga City Tour
I arrived at Naga City earlier than expected, 4:00am to be exact. I called my partner and she was amazed how fast my trip was. I came to catch here around 6:00am.
We stayed on a city hotel nearby. Had a little snacks and headed for a quick city tour.
Naga is the weirdest city I ever seen. People seem to be elegant, rich, yet doesn’t talk much. I felt I am still in Manila. The city proper is lively. Plenty of establishments and shops to check. We had dinner in Purple Bell (a pizza outlet). The food is great and expensive!
Another thing that I’ve noticed is the cheap rate of public transport. We’ve paid only Php 20 for a short city trip. Compare that for a Php 40 in some provinces.
CWC, a Man-made Lake
Our day started with a tour at Camsur Watersports Complex (CWC). A man-made lake known for wake-boarding. It was a 15 minute travel from city proper and happened to be near my partner’s staff house.
CamSur Watersports Complex
Going there, we rode a jeepney bound to Pili. We dropped off near Concepcion and rode a tricycle that took us to the complex. It was an acre of sports activity center. The place is being visited by locals from different parts of the world. At first it was cool but eventually we got bored. We just bought some refreshments and watched how wake-boarders perform their stunts.
One (1) can of pineapple juice costs Php 100! Yeah! food and drinks prices are world class as well. We didn’t had any snacks since we are on a tight budget. We just came there to see the view.
We headed to a nearby Zoo and continue site seeing. The place is cool yet lacks maintenance. It was 5:00pm when we headed back to the hotel.
Majestic Mayon
After taking a rest for a night, we woke up early in preparation for our next destination. A public van, bound to Legazpi City carried us to by 7:00am. Terminal is just across SM City Naga. We went for the front seat so we can even have a great view while the wheels roll. Had a little chat with the driver. One of the majestic tourist destination in Albay is the world’s perfect and active volcano, Mayon. Can be already seen from a distance while nearing Albay.
Perfect cone indeed. By 10:00am when we reached Daraga. Boarded off the van and rode a tricycle to get us to Cagsawa church. Trekking to the area reminded us the havoc of the previous eruptions of the volcano. It was a dusty and rocky road.
Perfect Cone and Couple
We’ve reached Cagsawa in no time. A Php10 entrance fee is mandatory for all visitors. The place is very quite even at mid-day. We had some snacks while watching the view. It was our lucky sunny day and we are able to clearly see the cone. It was almost a week that the perfect cone is invisible to tourist due to cloudy skies.
The Ruins of Cagsawa Church
A 14 year-old boy came to us and offered us “trick” camera shots. He is indeed an expert of photography. Even more cool for sure on DSLR cameras =)
More magic shots
He imparted us that he used to do this to earn a living and sustain his schooling. Inspiring one.
“Magic” shots of the little boy
We had a quick look of the “ruins” of the year 1814 eruption. Debris can still be seen around the place. There are gigantic rocks and sands that gave us a clue on how destructive it was. A huge wooden cross stands not far away from the church. Locals said that it was built for the thousands of people perished during the eruption. We bought some souvenirs before we left.
What was left after the destruction
We headed next to Ligñon Hills. If the view of Mayon is great from Cagsawa, it was even more spectacular up. It was a steep 30 degrees climb bare foot. We had to stop several times to catch our breath and take some rest. It was a sunny day so the climb is even harder.
At the top of the World
At last we reached the top. A commercial area is currently being built (Chowking they said). Land surface area is roughly 2 acres and gave us a 360 degrees view of the entire Legazpi City, Daraga, Camalig, Guinobatan, Ligao City, Tabaco City, Malilipot, and Santo Domingo.
Panoramic view of the Legazpi City
But the most unforgettable experience is the great view of the Mayon Volcano. It was just like a wall painting sketched in front of us.
Majestic Mayon
After we took some pictures, my partner decided to try the zipline. It was a hundred meter steel cable stretch. I wasn’t brave enough to try it myself only my partner did! hahaha! It was Php 300 person charge.
In the line of Zip
While we are on our way down, we passed by a man-made cave. This served as a hiding place, quarters for the Filipinos who fought the Japanese regime during World War II.
Tunnel landmark
We were told that it stretches through the other side of the mountain. There were still a lot of undiscovered chambers inside the cave. They only allow visitors to enter the ones that are accessible. The cave naturally is preserved by a natural “moist” inside, this makes the foundation and walls solid until now. Ambiance inside is cool even at sunny day.
Tunnel entrance
After she “landed” we descended to Albay Parks and Wildlife, located just at the foot of the hills. There are tigers, lions, and other endangered species that are kept and preserved in the zoo. I am just not comfortable that they built a domestic airport near the area.
Albay Parks and Wildlife
We hopped in a bus that carried us back to Naga City around 4:00pm. We reached city proper at 6:00pm. Tiring but great day for adventure seekers like us. Since it was a long trip, we took and nap and suddenly realized it was already 8:00 in the evening. We tried some bar hopping in Magsaysay area. It was still early for the band to perform and we caught them rehearsing for their next song. Kinda bored so we just decided to get back to the hotel.
The following day, is my last day of visit. Before lunch, we started packing things up ready for departure. I stayed there until 1:00pm while waiting for my partner to swipe in that started her normal day of work. I left around 2:00pm boarding Amihan Bus lines bound Cubao-Manila area.
Though the adventure is cool, I still had felt that I am leaving alone knowing my partner will remain in Naga for couple of months more.
Travel Adventures and Misadventures 