The Ruggedness and Antiquity of Sabtang
DAY 2
Around 6:00AM the following day, we headed off to San Vicente seaport to catch the ferry ride going to Sabtang island. Falowa is the Ivatans very own motor boat. The ride was relatively smooth despite the occassional not-so-big waves that approached us every now and then. This didn’t alert me to worry because aside that there are life vests in the boat, I could see that the young bangkero navigated the sea adroitly.
The Deaprtment of Tourism hailed Sabtang as one of the 12 best detsinations in the country, because it remains undisturbed and unspoiled. The island has long stretches of white sand beaches, steep mountains and deep canyons with small level areas just along the coastline. In contrast to the smooth, well-manicured slopes and plateaus of Batan, Sabtang’s terrain is generally rugged. The traditional Ivatan houses we saw here though have distinct charm. Probably this is attributed to the remoteness of the island.
After sailing for 45 minutes, we finally disembarked at the seaport of Baranggay Sinakayan in Sabtang. We headed off right away to the canteen of Ate Nita Lagundino’s canteen to have our lunch prepared. She had 2 live coconut crabs ready for us, although we were all craving for lobsters then.
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We proceeded to the small village of Savidug. Because of my fascination for old houses, I instantly fell in love with the place. It was an exhilirating experience to have tread the pathways of Savidug; to behold and touch the resilient stone houses that stand proud for withstanding the passing of time and the devastations of typhoons and earthquakes. Yet, there’s a sense of humility in that village and houses. Perhaps, it is the simple lifestyle of the residents there…
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The next village we went to is Chavayan. This is where the indie pinoy flick "Batanes" was shot. For those who didn’t know, the lead characters were Iza Calzado and Ken of F4. Compared to the place, the movie wasn’t really memorable. The road leading towards the village surprised and awed us with steep green mountains, cliffs and picturesque seascapes. Too bad I can not post the pictures here now, for friendster limits the posts to 50 at maximum. We also passed by another Idjang along the way. But it’s quite far for a trek going there that we decided to capture it in our lenses instead. Unlike the first village we stopped to, Chavayan is more populated and there are "newer" houses.
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We traced back our tracks going to the seaport and had our early lunch at Ate Nita’s papag that is situated few meters along the shore. We feasted on java rice, steamed coconut crabs, sweet and sour blind lapu lapu, sauteed veggies and a fresh buko juice in its shell. The lunch costs 250 per head.
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After a bountiful feast we headed off to the most remote village in Sabtang - Sumnanga. This is referred to as the small HongKong of Batanes, because the houses are built on top of big rocks. If Hong Kong is such place, that I really don’t know. I haven’t been there yet nor have I travelled anywhere outside the country. The village didn’t really fascinate me. If not for the cove of the Duvek Bay I would have regreted for sparing almost an hour drive going there.
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Our last stop was at the Naangat White Sand beach. The place is famous for its Nakaabuang Ark - an arch-shaped rock formation along the shores. After taking few pictures, I frolicked with the sea and the sand ,while my companions couldn’t stop clicking their cameras to every angle all over the place.
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We went back to Batan through the same not-so-rough waters and waited for the sunset along the shores of Batanes Seaside Hotel where we were staying.
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Oh, I almost forgot to mention… when you happen to stay in the same hotel, don’t forget to try their Uved. It’s an appetizer made from ubod and fish meat; rolled into a ball and steamed. It’s like eating a chinese dimsum with a flavor that is uniquely Batanes.
