SkimChix - island life

We've been told by our driver that someone will fetch us at our place for the island hopping at the White Island. We didn't wake up early because it had been raining really hard earlier. After the rain we walked to the jump off point of our banca ride to the island.

From the shore, we could see the White Island but the waves were big and the cloud was gloomy. For beach bums like me, bad weather can't hinder me from feeling the sand on my feet and taking a dip in the sea.






The island was great, I love the waters, even the big waves, and most especially the white sands. Indeed it was saving the best for last. After eating our breakfast, we packed our bags and headed back to CDO.






















Photos Courtesy of Raymond Lazaro

I woke up early to catch the blue hour (term used by photographers before the sun rises, but I'm not a photographer just a photography enthusiast) at the beach. Then our day started with our home cooked breakfast courtesy of our host cooking the dried squid we bought yesterday during our stroll.

Our vehicle for the day tour arrived and we have to bid good bye to our first home in Camiguin. We brought all our things and carried it with us for the rest of the trip (you don't have to worry leaving it with the driver because they'll offer to look out for it without extra charge).

We started with the old Vulcan, that has the 14 stations of the cross on its path, the top most would give you a better view of the sunken cementary and the open sea. Though on the 12th station we decided to go back since it was starting to drizzle and the thick clouds was beginning to hover above the peak.


Then we proceed to check the sunken cemetery. It was still drizzling and we chose not to go down the beach to get a lower view of the cemetery and we only took photos in the viewing deck.


We dropped by the Old church that was destroyed when the Old Vulcan erupted way back. The walls of the Old Church was there but the church itself was destroyed.


A small chapel was built in the middle of the ruins and the back of the church was filled with green grass, we stayed longer because it was a nice scene for some picture.


The sun was already above our head and we already felt the humidity rising. Good thing, we are already at the Soda Spring. It was a cold spring and the cool temperature was so refreshing and just in time to freshen us up.


After a quick dip, we went to Sto Nino spring. This time we opted not to take a bath since the first spring was enough to freshen us and the ambiance of this second resort is not that appealing. So we just waited for our lunch to be ready before we set to visit another site.


The next place is the Katibawasan falls. It was too far from the remaining spots because it is in the mountains of Camiguin. But the travel was worth it. The falls was tall and you can take a lot of different perspective. The water was very inviting, very clear but it was too cold when I attempted to take a dip.


Next stop was at Ardent Hot Spring. This time I took a dip in the hot water in the first pool (some say that there is another pool which is more hotter). But I think the water was just slightly hot to look warm. Nothing beats the Mambukal hot spring when it comes to hotness of the water.


After our ardent adventure we went to our second accommodation in Camiguin where we were originally booked, the Gamorot cottages.


This time, the place doesn't have a shoreline where we can stroll but a known Resort (Paras Resort) has a break water that is open to non-guest. We also decided to eat our dinner in Paras al fresco. Though the food is not worth the price we've paid.













Our second day at Camiguin ended.

One advantage of seat sale is we are given an opportunity to travel and explore different places. The last seat sale brought me to Boracay, this time we are heading to Cagayan de Oro.

Our plan, to experience white water rafting and explore the Islands of Camiguin. After arriving at CDO airport, we planned to go directly to Camiguin via Agora terminal and rode a bus for approximately 3 hours to Balingoan Wharf. From there, the wharf was only walking distance, so if you plan to visit Camiguin, ignore the tricycle drivers offering you a ride to the pier and start walking and appreciating the countryside.

The schedule of ferry is not really consistent so to pass our time for the ferry to depart, we took pictures and just relaxed in our seats. It could also be a time for you to mingle with fellow travelers and ask them to join you on the multicab (which cost 1500 pesos for a day tour) to cut the expenses. Which is what I did, since there was only me and my husband who occupies the 10-12 person capacity cab. But unfortunately, there was a few tourist and most have already booked their transportation.

When we arrived, we took a van for hire (P 50 pax) then rode a tricycle (P 10 pax) to the place we were suppose to stay. But we were brought to a different place with almost the same name, though we didn't know about this until we were able to contact the person who booked our room (there was no signal for sun network and we have to use the caretaker's mobile phone, because we haven't brought an extra sim for emergency).

But we opted to spend the night at Gamorot residence for a discounted price and we were the only occupants at that time. Then the following day we transferred at Gamorot Cottages. The nice thing about the first place was the shoreline. Even if it wasn't white sand, but you got to enjoy early morning walk at the beach. But the lather has cheaper rates and a much bigger place that can accommodate a whole family or barkada.

We opted to spend the day exploring the place and the community. We dined in the only foodshoppe in Barangay Yumbing that is budget friendly. We made a trip to the rice field and just simply refusing to take a ride with any transportation and enjoyed strolling.

After getting a glimpse of the sunset, which is really not the right angle at the place we've stayed, we retreated to our room and spent the night watching television. It was a long day for us, and we know tomorrow would be longer because its scheduled for our day tour in the Island.

Casay Beach is not new to people in the south side of Cebu. But for me, it was my first time to enjoy the white sand beach in the boundary of Argao and Dalagute. It's a very nice place to spend a peaceful and relaxing time at the beach minus the crowd.

It is managed by the Local Government unit of Argao, so entrance and cottage rate are very affordable. You can just bring marinated pork, chicken or fish to broil in one of their broiling site or ready to eat foods for your meals.

Its also a good spot for skimboarding especially during high-tide because the sand is fine and has sufficient wave big enough for gliding the shores. Though during low tides when the corals or rocks will start to surface, skimboarding is not a good idea because the rocks are sharp and can cause some serious injuries.

Going to the resort is easy. You can ride the bus bound for Dalaguete and beyond route (that's the southeast side of Cebu) and ask the bus driver to stop you at Casay junction. From there you can either walk approximately one kilometer or ride a 3 wheeled bicycled(the trisikad) going to the place.

For our Casay escapade, it was a fun filled day with good food and some boze. Or maybe not some, because the boze was overflowing that even on our way home, they were still consuming the drink in the bus. But never the less it was a very fun day with my mountaineering friends. Spending the weekend together but not on any peak, just under the sun and the sand.

It was a long weekend in the island and I was expected to join my hubby in their team outing at Bas Dako, Moalboal. They have been there since early afternoon, while I was still at work. So I was left to travel alone going south. I'm not really new to traveling alone and I have always enjoy the liberty of doing it. So I left work and waited for my bus going to the south west part of Cebu.

This time it was at a different resort, contrary to my previous visits at Moalboal where I only stayed at Delgado's Resort . It was at Magic Place Resort. The place was nice, just in front the sea shore and the accommodation was affordable. Though I brought my own tent to spend the night.

It was windy and it was my first time to experience the big waves of Moalboal. The big waves did not hinder me from enjoying the white sand and the sunny weather. I was playing with the waves all day, and I ended up, feeling the waves even I was already out of the water.

For trips to Moalboal, it is recommended to bring ready to cook food, or if you're bringing a vehicle you can always buy at their local market and enjoy their fresh seafood, vegetables and fruits.

And just in-case you're planning for a backpacking trip to Moalboal minus your private vehicle, bus fare would range from 80-100 pesos. And another 40-50 pesos for the tricycle. For beach bummers, this is another place worth wasting our time.

One of the interesting pictures that I got from Boljoon was the waves. The waves were strong when we were there and it would reach the rocks of the resort with a strong force.

I played with my camera settings to have different effects of the way and I would love to share that here.

My first picture was taken when the sun was high and too much available light, so set my camera to a smaller aperture (F10, if i remember that right) and fast shutter speed
(1/60). The second set of pictures was taken during twilight when the sun was out. The aperture was bigger at (F7) and very slow shutter speed that reached to 5" creating an enchanting water.

But then who cares about this setting especially if one is using a point and shoot camera. Actually you can still get these same effect on a P&S Cam by using the manual mode and adjust the shutter speed the rest will be set by the camera automatically.

I hope you enjoyed my pictures like I enjoyed shooting and learning how to get this shot..

I was busy snorkeling in the shallow waters of Boljoon Fish Sanctuary because the underwater has been very lively with a variety of colorful fishes and corals. And I made sure to take pictures from time to time, and document interesting creatures, corals or sites.

Later, a big fish got my attention and I tried to follow it to the deeper water. Bigger school of fish began to appear and was visible from my where I was. Though I can't get enough of it, viewing them from a far so I tried diving near the sea bottom to get a picture of big angel fish, and a lot of other fishes that I can't identify. From time to time, I have to resurface to get some air.

Unfortunately during my next gasp for air, I was met by a bunch of jellyfish right in-front of my eyes. Having traumatize by my last weeks itch still due to jelly, I instinctively tried to swim away from the jellyfish. But still, I got a chance to take a picture of one of the jelly fish.

From that time forward, I tried to avoid swimming in the sea water and enjoyed the pool instead. The climate right now is so hot that it triggers these jellyfish to resurface in our waters. So it is best to avoid them unless we want to experience the sting that they leave to our skin. I still got some red itchy spots due to that event but not as many as the previous.

To celebrate our first wedding anniversary we decided to go country side and experience the peaceful scenery of Boljoon town. We stayed at Club Fort Med. Luckily, since it was a weekday, we had the place all by our self.

We were warmly welcome by their crew and they made our stay really comfortable. They have a restaurant that you can just order your meals without the hassles of bringing the things needed for cooking your lunch or dinner. And the food was great. It was worth your money. All these are served in an open hut that doesn't deprive you from the beautiful view of the place.

Another good thing is that the resort is part of a marine sanctuary of Boljoon. Even at shallow waters, medium sized fishes of varying colors are found. The water is crystal clear and corals are visible on top.

















And if you're not on the mood for seawater they have a pool to cool off a humid day. Its free for use once you availed either there room or cottages. There rates are as follows:

Single Detached Room With Private Veranda	Php 2,300.00
Row - House Type Room	Php 1,800.00
Conference Package Room	Php 1,200.00 per head
All rooms are air-conditioned, hot / cold shower, single / twin - sharing
Maximum of two (2) adults and two(2) kids (below 8 years old)
Extra Bed	Php 400.00
Extra person	Php 200.00
Entrance Fee Kids below 7 yrs old	Php 50.00 per head
Entrance Fee Adults	Php 100.00 per head

:: Cottage Rental
Overnight Open Cottage Rental	Php 400.00
Japanese Dining Open Cottage	Php 300.00
Day use Open Cottage Rental	Php 200.00

For other rates regarding the different activities that you can do in the place please check their website http://www.cebu-clubfortmed.com.

So if you're tired of the buzzling city life and wants to have a serene time with self and loved ones then this is one of the best place to go.