Isla Gigantes Adventure

This years Holy Week was the best of a kind.

I was invited by Cyndy from Alta Vista de Boracay to join them on this island trip. good thing it was a long holiday which coincide also during my day off. We partially agreed to travel on 23rd since it was the start of the Holiday celebrating the Martyrs of Aklan and would stay overnight in Roxas. But was rescheduled on 24th.

When i heard Cyndy cancelling the 23rd made me think that " O God, is this a sign that this adventure won't push through? Then i got a message from here telling that only 7 from 10 will be joining the adventure since 3 had backed out. See? Do you see the pattern? So i just said okay. I will wait until the night of 23rd to hear from them cancelling the entire travel. But happy to say we pushed through and we meet, finally at Caticlan Jetty Port where the Van had waited for us.

I was the first, as usual, to arrived in the meeting place. Because i really cannot afforf to be late and that somebody would mormoring about late people hahahaha. I ate my breakfast at Andoks, as usual, the very BAD service they have ever. Waiting for your order 40 minutes. Anyway Andoks should out of this topic since i was badly eating my Bfast just for 3 minutes for the fact that we are about to leave.

We left Caticlan past 7AM and arrived in Estancia Port around 1PM. We took our lunch while waiting for the tour guide Jovy. Bought some foods for dinner. Fish, dried fish, Pusit, Eggs, etcetera. 

Its a very long and tiring trip going to this Island. We are so bored in our boat with 7 pax joining us. Bored as in I am bored that by time i opened my eyes malayo parin ang Isla. Boat travels approximately 1 hour and thirty minute to two hours.

Finally, we arrived at Brgy Asluman. Where most people are living there. A people of 4 thousand.

The boredom has totally gone when i am about to step out of the boat. Seeing the bed of shells. The shore has been covered by sea shells. So I asked the guide is the the main business here is export? Shell export? He said yes sir, SCALLOPS.

Wow, so scallops would be the main dish during our stay? But i never asked that way hahahahaha. When step down my slipper eventually retired. Good thing there was a store and i bought a pair. The guide to told us to wait for the motorcycles to bring us to our resort. About 10 minutes ride. What? Malayo pa? The guide said no no no, less than 10 minutes lang. Then the habal habal had come and brought us to Gigantes Scallops Front Resort. The guide lead us to our rom, a Kubo. A two rooms with 3 beds and single beds located in the corners. Parang group kayo eh so bahala na kayo saan kayo mahiga. So maasar ka, kasi hindi daw un ang room namin. Our room had been given to other group. And the guide told us to transfer the next day. Okay, na Jovy, pwede na kami dito. Of course, girls should be on the bed. So sa gigilid kami. Lalo na ang Hotel Manager ng Alta, seeing him uncomfortably laying himself hahahahaha. 

After settling ourselves we took our merienda, a fried ripe banana, gottcha, there was a videoke machine that will surely compliment our stay. Thank to the househelp for a wonderful service and hospitality. Superb, we feel like having our Yayas. After a few songs Cyndy and her son Clyde with Sir Arie started to stroll at the beach. We were wondering what people were picking. As we walk towards them you can see a lot of star fishes. Then we are too picking seashells and crabs. Just make sure you bring plastic bag dahil sobrang dami nang makukuha ninyo. Since we do not have a bag i decided to take out my sando, ayan yun ang ginawang bag. Poor.

Then dinner came, amazing, we did not expect that they have given us free seafoods. Wasay-wasay. It was very mouthful,savory. Booosog. Then ito na tagay tagay na. 2 bottles of Tanduay and a Coke over a videoke where i spent my 200 pesos alone hahahaha. Happiness.

I have a weekly routine which is jogging, so i planned it the next morning. Honestly i was not able to sleep the whole night. Namamahay ako. And given the space i have that you need to be awake when turning yourself at kung hindi tiyak pupulutin ka nalang. Since i cannot make any nap even just for a five minutes, i hear them snoooooring there and here. Jason parang barko, si Sir Arie naman virgin kung virgin humulik. Sir Rene parang praning lang nagguulat hahahahaha...nakaka aliw talaga sila pag masdan. Ito namang si Ms Cyndy hala, parang may katagpo sa labas. Labas ng Labas. Yun pala iihi lang.

3:40 am some phone was ringin, alarmed. God, why its too early. I took a biogesic for my headache and waited for 5 am for the weekly jog. So came 4:40am. i readied myself, put on shoes and the sleveless. Clyde, the 9 year old boy woke up and want to go with me. So come on boy, lets run and walk for a healthy body and mind.

We dont know where to go, the place was still dark. ang daming asa, but, God, they are all friendly. So we continue our walk-jog-walk far enough from the resort. after 2o minutes, I noticed a lot of habal habal coming. I think it was the first trip from the port and we just continued. Clyde told me that he something tall, maybe the lighthouse. I said really? where? I cannot see it where as he can? I feel different, baka maliligaw kami. Or parang paglalaruan kana ng maligno kasi we are in between the big tress in a forest. But still i hear more habal habal coming in and out and the sun starts to rise so i should not be worried about it.

Then we saw habal habal drivers at the endpoint. I think it was their waiting area. Now again, i feel terrified baka ma kidnap kami. They smiled and said, taga scallops yan. Sila lang nakita ko nag jojogging dito, said the other driver. So we passed on them and continue to walk dahil rough road na siya at d na maka pasok ang motor. after 5 minutes we saw the Lighthouse. Tsaraaaaan, nandito na tayo. We talk some picture down and nakiusap sa ibang guest kung pwede makisabay going up kasi 2 lang naman kami and the family of 4 smilingly said yes.

After our jogging, and a visit to the lighthouse which was schedule on this day ay nagawa na namin. Going back to the resort around 7AM now this time riding the habal habal since our call time for the breakfast is at 7am and the Island hopping at 8am so baka ma late. Superb breakfast, pusit, tuyo, coffee. Very simple, but busog.

Island hopping in this islets was very memorable. And i really enjoyed each visits. First was the Sand Bar, which is hidden when high tide. and the next island was the _____ where the tourism agency had its banner for promotion. The next stop where the _______ island. And we took our lunch there. Thank you Scallops resort for the Crab, and lumpiang scallops awesome.

While waiting for the boat that has been repaired we swam and even tried the banana boat. Where Clyde had been making noise to go back and stop the ride after nalaglag si Sir Arie, poor boy natakot ata siya malaglag. But We made it, and he too. Bravo Clyde.

Another stop and final visit was the Lagoon. Great, i feel like in a  ______ great rock formation. Monkey are everywhere and us hahahaha.

This adventure is one of my best experience. Great island. Amazing Island of Iloilo. 

Thank you Nanay Bebing for a superb hospitality. Our accomodation was great too, not complaining on our rooms and not even transferred to our original room because we are really okay in our room. I mean they are, because i slept in the other kubo when the guest their departed around 1AM.

Tourists Kuno!

Cyndy Agbayani
Clydd Agbayani
Ezey
Rene Sagun
Arie Sena
Gold Pangan
Jason
Ronnie

to be continue......