Early morning in Legazpi

Day 5
November 30, 2011
Lagazpi City

Before dawn the next morning, I, Migs, and Susanne went up the Lignon Hill for about 30 minutes to see what was called the best view of the Mayon volcano. It was indeed a great view; however, the cable of the zipline across the hill almost ruined it, depending on where you are positioned (For the pictures, I had to either look for spots where the cable is hidden or just zoom in my lens until the cable is out of the view).

And that was it...the greatest 5-day vacation! It was one of the best experiences I had and Bicol is probably the best place I have been in the Philippines so far. We have not even left Bicol yet, but we already made plans of going back on January 2013!  But I think I will be back sooner... if I find anyone willing to go to Caramoan this coming summer.

Total expenses:

ATV to Mayon

Day 4
November 29, 2011
Lagazpi City

Finally, I got to see Mayon volcano! I've heard of the perfect-cone volcano since I was in grade school and have made several plans in the past to see it (I have had at least 4 teammates from Bicol these past few years and the trip to Bicol came up a lot of times).

After a long photo shoot at the Casagwa ruins (complete with an artistic director we just met there),  we went to Hoyop-Hoyopan cave. There was not much to see here except for a few rock formations.

Later on, we made a brief stopover at  Daraga church for a quick photo shoot.

As if the physical activities of the past 2 days were not enough, we tried on riding ATVs. I thought this was the best place to try ATVs with the Mayon volcano as backdrop. The adventure lasted 3 hours and as we started late, it was already dark when we started to head back. The terrain was at times dangerous but the sights along the ride were amazing.

Wakeboarding in CamSur

Day 3
November 28, 2011
Naga City

We left Donsol early the next morning again to transfer to our 3rd and final hotel - Vista Al Mayon Pensionne. After checking-in, we travelled for about 2 hours to get to Panicuason hot spring in Naga city, where we enjoyed the cold spring water and the hot sulfuric water.

Later in the afternoon, we went to CamSur Watersports Complex or CWC. I had no idea what CWC was nor what wakeboarding was so I was pleasantly surprised to see the place. The first thing I noticed was the first-class ambiance of the resort. There were a lot of foreigners - there were actually more foreigners than Fillipinos. It felt like I was on another country.  Now I know why there are very few foreigners in Manila - they are in CamSur.

As it was already late in the afternoon, we immediately proceeded to the beginner's area to try wakeboarding. Unfortunately, it was under maintenance and after an hour of waiting, we all just went to the main lake where all the professionals were and instead tried kneeboarding, which was easier than wakeboarding. It was an exhilarating experience though a bit hard (some of the girls fell off the board and they were just starting!). I would return to Bicol just for this.

Later on, us boys were able to try wakeboarding while the girls enjoyed massage, before we called it a night.

Swimming with Butanding in Donsol

Day 2
November 27, 2011
Donsol

We left Sorsogon city very early in the morning since we thought there was a better chance of seeing the Butanding whale sharks if we get to Donsol early. Given that it was not a peak season (peak season was February to April), we wanted to improve our chances of experiencing the sharks. At past 7 am, we arrived at Aguluz homestay where we will be staying later for the night.

At 730 am, we were already at  Donsol tourism office which apparently does not open until 830 am so we had to wait for an hour before we were entertained. The good news though was that Butandings have been sighted by fishermen that morning, the first time in days (or weeks)!

After registration and a brief orientation, we boarded our boats and started the search for the whale sharks together with the Butanding Interaction Officer in charge as well as another spotter and some crew. It did not take long for the spotter to find a Butanding. The shark passed by very quickly however and you had to be at the water at exactly the right time to see it. It was on the 2nd sighting that I got to see a glimpse of it and on the 3rd and 4th sightings that I finally was able to see the whole shark. At one point, I think I could have touched it if I reached down my arm. It was that close.

Later in the afternoon, we went back to Aguluz homestay to wash up and rest. A sumptuous dinner of crabs and shrimps was served for us at night. Later on, we walked towards the Ogod river and rode the boat for the firefly encounter. I cant be sure if I have seen fireflies before but I was amazed by the light emitted by all the fireflies. It was a great night - cool breeze and good music brought by the newly-formed band - the Curse.

Lazy Afternoon in Sorsogon City

Day 1
November 26, 2011
Sorsogon City

It was while hanging out at Starbucks' that the trip to Bicol initially came up. I did not expect anything to materialize after that night but a few days after, a flight was already booked for the group - Ryan, Migs, Marianne, Susanne, Jovie, Vhy and Grace. Apparently, the discussion that night was serious. Thine, Aimee, and Marc later on decided to join the trip.

We arrived at Legazpi airport at past noon and  immediately booked a van to bring us to Sorsogon city where we  planned to stay for the night. Our flight was actually moved (at least we were informed a few days before) so that left us only the afternoon to roam around Sorsogon city.

Along the way, we made a brief stopover at the  fifties Hollywood-inspired Bigg's Diner, the biggest food chain in Bicol. The restaurant has a wide array of food to choose from - pastas, sandwiches, pizzas, chicken meals, and other dishes.The food do not exactly correlate to the ambiance of the place but they tasted great anyway.

Less than an hour later, we arrived at Fernandos hotel - a nice little inn with a rustic atmosphere. After a brief rest, we set out to wander around the city. We were supposed to go to Bulusan lake and national park but we had to cancel the plan since it was already late in the afternoon. We instead went to St. Peter and Paul cathedral and Sorsogon baywalk.

To Boayo Korea

Day 7
November 2, 2011
Busan

For our last day in Busan (and Korea), we went to Haeundae beach, a well-known beach in Korea, made more famous by setting a Guiness world record for the number of beach umbrellas set up at one time.

Before heading back to the hotel to checkout, we ate lunch at a restaurant near the beach (as much as I want to indicate the names of the restaurants where we dined in Korea, I can't since most do not have English names. Some of the time, I did not even know what I was eating).

To Boayo Korea!

Total Expenses: