If almost everyone wants to reach Batanes, because it’s their “Philippine Dream Destination”, this is my Batanes: Camiguin’s Sunken Cemetery. Because I am fascinated by the fact that there's a community submerged underwater that I can see or experience. Like the lost City of Atlantis.
I don’t like traveling. I only travel for work, and I loathe all the times I need to pack and unpack, plus all the mornings I need to wake up early or nights that I won’t be sleeping on my own bed because our pull-out is at 11 pm. I also don’t like spending tons of my savings on something I know I wouldn’t enjoy or not my cup of tea. But one night, before I totally hit the sack, as I was scrolling through my feeds as I always do, I thought of going to Camiguin.
Prepped everything, looked for a local tour guide that could accommodate a solo, introverted traveler, then got frustrated because Philippine Airlines has no direct trips to the island. If I am paying, I want a convenient trip as much as I can have. But there’s nothing else I could do about PAL not having Camiguin flights (they used to, though!). Anyway, good thing the only delayed flight I experienced was when I was about to go back to Manila — the one from Cebu since all my flights were connecting.
As much as I wanted to ask what happened when we reached the Sunken Cemetery. I couldn't bring myself to do it. I think it’s because it’s a fucking tragedy. It’s hard to talk about it, no matter how long it has been. It was in 1871, at 6 pm, when Mount Vulcan erupted again — after multiple occasions in 44 years that had already claimed lives each time. In a span of 20 minutes, the community cemetery and the whole town of Cotta Bato were submerged under the Pacific Ocean. (Cotta Bato was the capital during the Spanish era.)
View from the back. You'll see Mount Vulcan (left if I remember correctly) and Mount Hibok-Hibok (right if I remember correctly). This cross is already manmade, built by the government to serve as a landmark. The real cross is black and lying in the middle of the ocean. You can be lucky to see it with the tombstones and corals when low tide. There's no entrance fee to view the cross from the wharf or the view deck, as the owners of the property didn't want to collect fees as well.
See this head? I was told this is a prop from Jolina and Judy Ann’s Ouija movie.
Tourists can also snorkel to see those corals and tombs up close.
The Old Guiob Church Ruins in Cotta Bato. All of these are already the top parts of the church. The top of the convent and the belfry. The walls and the belfry are made of egg white, corals, limestones, and sand to keep them sturdy.
I love(d) this Kiping sold outside the ruins. It tasted different from what I had in Quezon and I like it better as it’s sweet (even without the syrup). Syempre, since si Althea ako, I’m a mess when eating.
The Super Tall Century-old Camel Tree
Despite the long overdue and strong desire to see it firsthand, seeing it up close made me feel somehow uncomfortable. How come a tragedy became something… profitable? Profit at the expense of lives lost, but it seems it’s the best thing you can get out of it.
With two lines of souvenir shops welcoming you from the entrance, then a couple of boatmen lined up, offering to take you to the landmark, the cross, this tourist attraction in the vastness of the open waters is evidence of God’s wrath: killing hundreds of people, sinking a whole town, only leaving ruins, making you remember every time what happened — and that it can happen again. Worse, you don’t even know when. Now my brain won’t stop thinking that it’s the reason the tarpaulin outside the Sunken Cemetery’s entrance ends with, “But the story doesn’t end there.” But it can always be seen with a positive note that despite the tragedy, Camiguin continues to thrive because of its people’s resiliency and, perhaps, grace.
But if that wasn’t anger, I no longer know what that was.
The locals may not feel the same way as I do. I’m an outsider looking in — but I just can’t help but ask if this second-smallest island in the country, surrounded by majestic waters (that are much, much clearer than my future), deserves all of that.
The White Island and Its Turquoise Waters. Should’ve brought my goggles.
Mas malinaw pa sa kinabukasan ko mga tubig sa Camiguin!
With a total of seven active volcanos, you’ll expect they have a number of cold and hot springs and falls. They do. But the routes to them are also filled with tarpaulins showing evacuation plans for the town, and mountains with walls (being) built around them to block falling rocks and help diminish the catastrophe a landslide may bring.
Walls being built around a mountain’s feet.
Ardent Spring. Before, you can boil eggs directly from the hot springs. The water now is just lukewarm but it was still relaxing, especially when you just dipped. I almost drowned (part 2) in one of the springs, by the way. If I didn’t panic, for sure, it would’ve been easier for me to float. That’s me forgetting my swimming lessons, and that I have high buoyancy because of my fear. It’s recommended to go here early in the morning. Fewer people. I had the springs for myself for like 30 minutes!
Soda Water Pool
They said the water here tastes like soda; carbonated. But I didn’t feel it. I tried to get some in their drinking area but I spit it out after (because I don’t drink soda anymore). Just wanted to check if I would feel the sting, but there was none. Also, I almost drowned part 1 is here.
Sto. Niño Cold Springs, Tuasan Falls,
and Katibawasan Falls (Camiguin’s tallest falls)
Katunggan Park. More or less, the boardwalk is 60 meters. I remembered my foundation days because boardwalks are my nemeses in all eco-tourism sites. I had a hard time walking on them. I feel jittery despite wearing shoes. But here, I didn't have any problem. Perhaps because the steps aren't curved. Aside from cottages and food services, I would like to suggest (even if no one is asking for my suggestion) that they could add mangrove planting for guests — if that's allowed. Some of the eco-tourism sites from my past work do that.
This isn’t a pity for the province but questions to a higher being. You don’t pity a community (and its people) that’s so picturesque and wonderful that I did not even expect myself to utter a loud Wow the very moment my feet touched the sands of White Island as my eyes wandered its turquoise waters (coming from me, who doesn’t like the waters), and how my eyes went big when we stopped by the Tongatok view deck.
You’ll already see the Sunken Cemetery Landmark as you near the 15th Station of the Cross, if you'll trek through the Walkway to Old Volcano. With the province’s small land area and mountains, you’ll feel like you’re on top of the world.
#GanitoPalaYungTourist. First stop, Tongatok View Deck
I have seen a lot of view decks in my entire existence, from all the provinces I’ve been to. But for reasons I can’t explain, Tongatok’s was exceptional. (There might be something in the air, eh?) Each overlooking I’ve stopped by at Camiguin, even the waters I witnessed while I was at the back of the motorbike, either took my breath away or brought an upward curve to my lips despite the sun burning my shoulders.
My tour included a visit to Mantigue Island but as a kid who is not really fond of the beach and I felt that I would just be doing the same thing, I opted not to go anymore.
Tour Guide: Cioke Caserez - patient, on time, tells you stories, takes your photo and videos as many as you want (in different modes pa!), excellent driver, and even waited alongside me for more than an hour, as the airport gates opened, and when I was already inside in case I would suddenly need a ride to buy something because of my going-home-baggage.
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What do you think, Awesome?