Springs and falls

Above: Approximate routing of today’s explorations.

Exploring along the coast

Today I explore the northern part of Camiguin by motorcycle with a driver.  I’m pillion bitch 😊

The driver turned up a little before the appointed time of 0800 with a spare helmet.  We headed west and took a photo stop before a proper stop at the Walkway to the Old Volcano and Stations of the Cross.

It was a very sweaty walk along the concrete steps, which then became a incline and then unpaved sandy hillslope.  It took 30 mins for me to pass all fifteen stations of the cross to get to the last one.

To my surprise, the track ended there.  I expected that the last station of the cross to correspond or lead to some sight related to the Old Volcano.  There was no lookout or anything related to the volcano.  I was a little disappointed.

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I made my way back down at a slightly faster pace.  We continued to the next stop, then Sunken Cemetery.  This part of the island submerged into the sea during the volcanic eruption of 1871.  The cemetery is now underwater and is commemorated with a large cross.

 

Not far along was the Old Church which was ruined in the same eruption.  Only the ruins of the main church remain (roofless) with the adjacent belfry and convent.  No one could tell me the name of the church!

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Inland springs and falls

We continued in the same direction before turning inland.  First stop inland was Soda Water Pool.  It looked very nice but with two more pools and two waterfalls ahead, I felt it would be too much of the same to pay to enter this one.  I was till hot and sweaty from the hike up the Old Volcano and I’m sure it would have been very refreshing.

Next up was the Santo Niño Cold Spring.  The place was beautiful with a large pool amidst a backdrop of a tropical forest dotted with coconut palms.  I had about 30 mins in the clear refreshing waters.  It made me feel like new again!

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At the next stop, Tuasan Falls, I was a little disappointed.  The waterfall was quite high (20m) but somehow it didn’t look too picturesque.  Perhaps it was just the fact that I already had a nice cool dip.

From here, we headed uphill through a pass to get from the western side of the island to the north.

At the Katibawasan Falls, I was in awe of its high drop (70m).  That’s more than three times that of Tuasan and the pool at its base was just so picturesque.  Even better, I had the place all to myself.  I couldn’t resist and took my second swim of the day in the cool clear waters.

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Finally, we headed to the Ardent Hot Spring.  The water wasn’t hot but simply “not cold”.  I took a cursory and called it quits.  It wasn’t refreshing.  Set in the woods, there wasn’t much sun. There was netting to stop leaves from falling into the pool.  The darkness kinda detracted from the place.

 

I got dropped off at my accommodation around 1300, five hours after setting off.  The excursion definitely gave me a good taste of Camiguin.  The island, while lacking in good beaches, certainly has a lot to offer in terms of springs and falls.

Highlights

The highlights of the outing was definitely the Katibawasan Falls followed by Santo Niño Cold Spring. The latter was unexpected as I had thought it would be too cold. Instead I had thought that the Ardent Hot Springs would be more enjoyable, perhaps swayed by the photos I had seen on the internet.

My bad diet

Finding food in Davao and Cebu hasn’t been the easiest in parts of the city.  And in Camiguin, I have an extra complication, ie. budget.

Before arriving in Camiguin, I worked out that I may just have enough money for the rest of my stay in the country.  I decided not to withdraw any more money.

In Yumbing, where I was staying, no one would change money and ATMs are the rip-off private ones that sting you with a fee and then with a bad exchange rate.

I had to eat simply to ensure that I didn’t run out of money.  For the first 3 nights, I had a chicken or pork BBQ with rice at Rocky’s Grill a few steps from my accommodation.  With their meat portion being quite measly, I had to finish my rice with a mix of soya sauce and vinegar, the standard table condiments here.

Tonight, knowing that I have enough money, I decided to order meat and vege.  Sadly, they told me 30 mins after my order that the vege wasn’t available.  That left me with just two measly pork skewers.  I topped it up with an order of chicken.

I hadn’t had a single shred of vegetable since my first breakfast in Camiguin. Fortunately, I’ve had a mango a day so far.  Without a knife, I peel it like a banana and then eat it in the shower.  Plus an apple a day to keep the doctor away too.