To go to Batanes on February during a cold front

February 24, 2012, 0920 hours

BATANES TRIP

In fact, am typing this blog from Basco, Batanes (Viola Internet Cafe, Basco, Batanes).

Sabi ni JH (my mentor) no Bachelors Degree Diploma needed here, just expressing my self.

Since i just learned 2 hours ago that my plane from Basco to Tuguegarao will be arriving by 11 am, i decided to find and internet cafe to check on my emails.

JH's topic: ADVANCED AND BEGINNERS, keep on writing... hhhmmm we'll see.

Work brought me to Batanes on Feb 21, flying Tuesday, by NorthSky from Tuguegarao City.  NorthSky is being operated by the Florida Bus Company. If you are a traveler to Region 2 (Cagayan Valley Region), it is the pink bus company with station along Earnshaw, Sampaloc but the plane is not pink, though.

It was showering and bonecold in Tugue on Monday and I was confirmed to fly on Tuesday   at 7 AM to check in at the Tuguegarao Domestic Airport, the weather was still cloudy and cold.  I was previously in Manila last Feb 17-19 for the 19th Travel Tour Expo and was back in Tugue on Monday ( the TTE will be another story). Suffice to say that the 19th TTE  is one of the country's biggest travel show and Region 2has to be there, it's where the action is for the travel industry.

Okey, now am flying to Batanes on a ten seater plane leaving Tugue a little before 9 am in  the morning (oo na, late nga), with cloudy skies and some showers. According to a website I've been using to check the weather, there is a three-day cold front starting Monday hovering over the North Luzon area of the Philippine Islands. The day I am flying was the second day of the cold front.

Arriving in Basco, Batanes after an uneventful flight ( yah!) because i dozed off the past hour or so, ganun ka light ang trip, i woke up with a numb right arm which i used as a support while leaning at the glass window.  Did i described my plane? It was a ten-seater Dornier, there were two pilots on the first row, of course! To my left is Marivic, a staff of the airline company and that makes me as the only paying passenger for  this trip.

There were 5 rows of seat, behind  me are crates of eggs and other food supplies like chips, vegetables and other boxes flying with me to Batanes. Now you have an idea what goes in to the plane if there are not enough passengers to ride them.

The pilots were looking over the windshield, (is that what its called?) of the plane for the airstrip. The red roof of the Batanes Resort was a positive signal that the plane is now above land, i thought so because there was a murmur of Ivatan words and high-fives when the lighted (reflectorized ata) airstrip was in full view, and i saw the roofs of the resort myself when the plane passed over them.  Why the roof sign, you will know what it feels like when you see water under you when the plane is about 400 meters high above it. These things you won't experience when flying a bigger plane, the 32-seater planes.

I arrived in Batanes with the rain showers and was glad to have chatted with Mr. Wily Cabitac, the Batanes Airport Manager who shared some good news  about Batanes flights in the future.

Promise to let you in on that as soon as the details will be confirmed.

Meantime, just to let you know that the reason i was in Batanes was the arrival of the Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA)  familiriazation tour. The group was headed by PHILTOA President, Mr. Cesar Cruz, and other equally important personalities and the media group.

The day was spent finalizing the requests for and in behalf of the PHILTOA Group. A lot of help was extended by Mr.Elmo Merin, the Supervising Tourism Operations Officer of Batanes and Ms. Juliet Cataluña of Batanes Eco-cultural tours.

As usual Ms. Lydia Roberto was at her happy-best mood kahit ika-ika sa sakit ng katawan nya. Her restaurant, Hiro's Restaurant hosted one dinner for the guests and was the venue for the very successful Travel Exchange Meeting between the private sector managers and the tour operators.

 

Where do i stay when in Batanes? At the Batanes Resort, great place! Contact Elmo :)

Pwede ka din mag order kay Elmo ng beef tapa at one day old flying fish to bring home... enjoy!

Have a good life, always!

Fanibeth