When Daragang Magayon Removed Her Veil

Legend says that Mayon Volcano marks the grave of the most beautiful princess in the whole Bicolandia. She is so beautiful that the legend only refer to her as Daragang Magayon or “beautiful maid.”

I feared that I will not see the beauty of Mayon Volcano during my visit to Legazpi City. The volcano is always hiding behind the clouds. I waited for a long time but the weather is not improving. Rains, fogs and cloudy skies accompanied me in the days of my stay in Legazpi.

However, in one rare moment, Daragang Magayon heard my plea and removed her veil. At least I saw her beauty!

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I even saw the world-famous perfect cone of Mayon Volcano.

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Mayon Volcano's perfect cone.

Now I understand why Bicolanos of old made the story of Daragang Magayon the legend of Mayon Volcano. The volcano is indeed beautiful. It is way prettier than Taal Volcano of Batangas.

The legend of Mayon Volcano is a tragic one. Daragang Magayon, because of her beauty, has many suitors. She turned down mighty warriors, datus, and rajahs. She fell in love with a Tagalog prince named Ulap. One of Daragang Magayon’s unfortunate suitors became angry and killed Ulap and Daragang Magayon. The two lovers were placed side by side in a grave, which rose higher and higher until it became Mayon Volcano.

Daragang Magayon is known for her beauty but I think the tragedy of her life made her a cruel maiden. Mayon Volcano spewed smoke and lava since time immemorial. The volcano buried many towns, one of which is the town of Cagsawa that I will talk in the next blog post.

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Mayon Volcano's veil is creeping back.

Seeing Mayon Volcano’s beauty should be the top priority when visiting Legazpi City. Thus, you should visit Legazpi City before the onset of rainy season. Go during the season when there is no cloud that will block the view of Mayon Volcano’s perfect cone.

As for me, my visit to Legazpi City is somehow complete. I am glad that Daragang Magayon removed her veil even for just a moment.

Wrong Timing in Masbate City

“You are two weeks early for the rodeo!” This is the greeting made by our guide when we met him outside of the Masbate City airport. Indeed we are too early and I was saddened by that fact.

I was surprised the first time our guide told us about the Rodeo Festival. I thought that the Filipino cowboys can only be found in Bukidnon. We passed by a statue of a man ahorsed while we were going to the guide's house. The statue confirmed that Masbateño cowboys are real.
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(Photo by: Scott Stevenson)

Masbate City is the capital of Masbate, which is the southernmost province of Bicolandia. Our guide said that Masbateños are more Visayan than Bicolanos. I think that what he said is true since Masbate Island is close to the Visayan islands of Samar and Leyte.
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How to Reach Masbate City

Visitors can reach Masbate City by sea or by air. There are RoRo vessels and ferry boats that connect Masbate City to other ports in Bicolandia and the Visayas. People from Metro Manila can ride the RoRo bus that will cross sea on a RoRo ship from Pilar, Sorsogon. Another alternative is to ride a boat from Bulan, Sorsogon to reach Masbate City. I just did that but on the reverse route when I traveled from Masbate City to Bulan.
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The boat Kulafu about to leave Masbate Port for Bulan.

I reached Masbate City by riding a Manila-Masbate flight of AirPhil Express in the early morning. Our guide said that AirPhil Express has one flight in the morning. Zest Air, he said, uses the Masbate Airport in the afternoon.

Very Short Tour around Masbate City

I went to Masbate City for some office errands. What I like with Masbate City is that it still has clear seas, which should be envied by inhabitants of Manila. Clear seas means that the city also has plenty of beach resorts. It is sad that I went to city of clear sea but have no time to swim because of work. Sobs!
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I just made a short tour around the poblacion just to ease my “itchy” feet.

Visitors who reached Masbate City by the sea route will be welcomed by this arch outside of Masbate Port:
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My tour was uneventful. The only interesting place that I visited is the Masbate Cathedral.
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The cathedral was established Spanish missonaries in 1578, which made it one of the oldest structure in the whole island. It was re-constructed in 1954. Masbate Cathedral was dedicated to Saint Anthony of Padua.
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Aisle and altar of Masbate Cathedral.

I went to the Masbate City hall, their city park and markets but I was not able to shoot some photos. I will do it the next time I will visit Masbate City. I will take photos of the sea, beaches, and of course the action-packed Masbate Rodeo:
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Bull riding during the Masbate Rodeo. (Source: Masbate.com)

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Pili-made Pasalubong from Camarines

Whenever I travel from far-away places, it is customary for me to bring home some pasalubong. My trip to Camarines is no different and I also bought some pasalubong items that can be found in the area. Pili nuts are commonly found in the Bicol that is why most of the pasalubong items their made of pili.

In a previous post, I talked about pili tart that is the usual pasalubong of my Bicolano office mate whenever he go back to the office after a vacation in Bicol. I am not a fan of pili tarts that is why I did not bought any of it in Naga City. The pasalubong items that I bought are pili bar, glazed pili, pili coated with linga, and mazapan de pili.

Pili Bar

Daday's pili bar.

Pili bar is a sort of bread made of grounded pili. This is my most favorite pasalubong item that I brought from Camarines. My family and beloved liked it too and it is the pili-made pasalubong that first go missing into their mouths. Pili bar is not too sweet and this is what I liked about it.

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Brown-colore pili bar. Yum yum.

Glazed Pili and Pili with Linga

If Baguio City has peanut brittle, then Bicolandia has glazed pili. This pili-made pasalubong is made by cooking the meat of pili nut with sugar syrup until the mixture became golden brown. The Pili with Linga is cooked similarly but with the taste enhanced with linga seeds (sesame seeds).

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Sweet glazed pili nuts.

Glazed pili and pili with linga can be bought from vendors at the Naga City Bus Terminal. These pasalubong items are usually wrapped with plastic and sold to passengers at the bus terminal. If you want to buy these pili-made pasalubong items, I suggest that you haggle with vendors so you can buy them at cheap prices.

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Pili nut with seasame seeds.

Mazapan de Pili

Mazapan de Pili is a pili-made bread, like the pili bar. The difference is that it is softer and easily broken to pieces as compared with the pili bar.

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Mazapan de Pili.

I don't like the Mazapan the Pili much because it is easily broken and much of it fell to floor. I was forced to use a spoon just to eat Mazapan de Pili from its box.

I bought a lot of pili-made pasalubong during my visit to Camarines. I know that Bicolandia has more to offer when it comes to food. These pili-made sweets are preview to the other sweets and dishes that Bicolanos love. I hope that I can taste more Bicolano dishes when I return to Bicol.

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Do you want to know more about pasalubong? Read about the pasalubong items I brought from Cebu.

Wandering Around Camarines

In the previous posts, I talked about my travel from Metro Manila to Naga City by riding a Philtranco bus. The reason that I went to Naga City is that my office sent me to do some work around Camarines.

Camarines is composed of the provinces of Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur. Camarines serves as the gateway to Bicolandia because it is the northernmost area of the Region 5. The province of Camarines Sur is famous for its patroness, Our Lady of Peñafrancia, whose feast is celebrated every September. Unfortunately, I have been busy with my work around Camarines that I failed to visit the famous Basilica Minore in Naga City. The basilica is the church where the image of Our Lady of Peñafrancia is located.

I also failed to visit tourists sites around Camarines like the Lake Buhi that is famous for tabios, which is the smallest species of fish in the world. I also failed to visit the famous Caramoan Beach.

I failed to visit the famous areas in Camarines but that doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy the whole duration of my stay there. I enjoyed learning about the Bicolanos and the way of life of the people of Camarines. What I like during my visit in Camarines are scenes like this:

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The people of Camarines still enjoy the lush environment that I miss in Metro Manila. Rows and rows of farms and plantations are present in Camarines. These scenery can still be seen even in urbanized part of Camarines like Naga City.

Another scenery that I like is the sea of Camarines that is still clean as opposed to the smelly Manila Bay.

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Clean sea of Camarines. Mount Isarog is at the background.

I saw a large number of jellyfishes while I cross the San Miguel Bay from Camarines Sur to Camarines Norte. Our boatman said that catching jellyfish is one of the major livelihood in Camarines. Many fishermen catch white jellyfishes, which are dried and imported to other countries.

I feel that my visit to Camarines is incomplete because I failed to immerse my self to the culture of Bicolanos. Though my stay is brief, I managed to have a preview of what Camarines is. I wish I can go back to Naga City this September and join the feast for Our Lady of Peñafrancia.

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On the Road to Bicolandia from Gumaca

This is the second part of my long trip from Manila to Naga City in Bicol. For the first part please read, On the Road to Bicolandia by Philtranco Bus.

Traveling by bus is hard because you can't stretch your body that much. That's why I am glad that the Philtranco buses have stop-over at an eatery somewhere in Gumaca, Quezon. I went down the bus so I could stretch my legs and to warm myself a little. We reached the stop-over during wee hours of the morning but many people are awake.

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The eatery at Gumaca stop-over. Sorry for the dark photo.

Be warned that the eatery sell food and drinks that are priced way above the suggested retail prices of those products. We left the eatery after a few minutes stop-over.

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Other Philtranco buses also had stop-over at Gumaca.

I noticed that we had a different driver when we resumed our travel. The reason is that it is the original driver's turn to sleep while it is the assistant’s turn to drive. The assistant already slept while we are traveling from Philtranco Pasay to Gumaca. A friend of mine commented that this scheme of driving and sleeping is hazardous because the driver is alone and no other person that he can talk to and assure that he will stay awake while driving.

I was able to sleep while we travel from Gumaca to Naga but I woke-up whenever the bus stop because I am always checking my belongings located on the baggage counter above the seats. There are instances where passengers accidentally get other passengers belongings during a long trip and I am making sure that no one will do that mistake on my belongings. I also have this nagging thought about those communist brigands that are common in Bicolandia and the province of Quezon. There is news that those criminals torch buses owned by companies that don't pay “revolutionary taxes.” Fortunately, there is no unsavory incident occurred during the Gumaca to Naga part of the trip and I reached Naga City before 7 in the morning.

I had no bad experience when I traveled via the Philtranco bus. I also rode a Philtranco bus when I went home from Naga City to Manila and I also have no bad experience. I traveled from Philtranco Pasay to Naga City for about 10 hours and traveling through the night ensured fast voyage because the bus will not stop along the way just to pick passengers up. Travel time will increase during the day because of the traffic and the usual picking-up of passengers by Philtranco buses.

My travel by Philtranco bus had been good. I may choose Philtranco again if I have another travel to Bicol in the future.

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On the Road to Bicolandia by Philtranco Bus

I made my first visit to Bicol last December when I got the chance to visit the town of Bulan, which is part of the province of Sorsogon. I thought that it will take years before I got another chance to visit Bicolandia. I was wrong because I was able to visit Camarines in the previous month.

Unlike my first visit, I reached Bicolandia via land transportation, specifically by riding a Philtranco bus. Philtranco traces its beginning in the year 1914 when a two Americans, Albert Ammen and Max Blouse, established a bus company in Iriga, Camarines Sur. Now, Philtranco is one of the biggest bus company in the Philippines and its buses ply the between Metro Manila and the areas to the south like the Bicol Region and the Visayas. Philtranco buses also travel between Metro Manila and Pampanga.

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(Source: Philtranco Radio Portal)

I am fortunate to travel to Camarines in the middle of the year because I avoided the peak travel periods that usually occurs during the Holy Week and Christmas Season. Weeks ago, I read a blogger's complaints regarding Philtranco when traveling during peak travel season. The blogger complained about the crowded and noisy Philtranco Pasay terminal. I am glad that I did not experience such an ordeal. On the contrary, I found the Philtranco Pasay terminal half-filled with people when I went there.

If you are planning to ride the Philtranco bus, It is recommended that you buy your ticket an hour or more before your chosen departure time. If you are traveling during the peak travel season, then it is recommended that you book your trip weeks in advance.

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No queue in front of the ticketing counter of Philtranco Pasay terminal.

Philtranco buses have wide windows that allow its passengers to see the sights while traveling. And because of the long travel time, Philtranco buses have an on-board comfort room so passengers can pee while traveling. I did not use the comfort room because my urine might pour on places other than the toilet bowl because of the shaking inside the bus. The bus also has reclining seats that allow passengers to sleep more comfortable during the whole trip.

I chose to travel during the night that's why the bus' wide windows are useless because it is too dark for me to see the sights outside. I also traveled in Philtranco's air-conditioned bus that made me shiver and wish that I should have brought a jacket. I also tried not to fall asleep because I have some fear that I am not able to wake up. I have that fear because buses here in the Philippines are known to be accident prone. Many provincial buses fell over cliffs or collided with other vehicles because the driver fell asleep or the breaks malfunctioned.

My voyage is fast because of the absence of heavy traffic. I am glad that no unfortunate thing occurred while we traveled the road to the Philtranco’s first stop in Gumaca.

Second part of this post is the stop-over in Gumaca and the second-half of the trip to Naga City.

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Finally, A Visit to Bicolandia

I am a half-Tagalog and a half-Bicolano. My mother lives and grew in the city of Marikina. My father grew in Bicol before he and his family migrated to Manila.

Even though part of my genes came my Bicolano side of my family, I never had any chance of visiting the homeland of my father. I grew up as a Tagalog and I never learned the Bicolano language. I always crave to visit Bicol and see the great sights in my father’s hometown. That is why I became excited when I discovered that our ship would have a stopover at the town of Bulan, Sorsogon.

For those who do not know about Bicolandia, please visit Wikpedia's article about it. Bicol is famous for its beautiful Mayon Volcano, which has the perfect cone as compared to other volcanoes around the world. Bicolandia is also hailed because of the Bicol Express, which is a very spicy dish filled with siling labuyo.

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Welcome to Bulan.

Bulan, Sorsogon is a small coastal town located about three hours travel from Sorsogon City. The town is one of the busy ports in Bicolandia and is a place where ferry and cargo vessels take goods and passengers to be delivered to Masbate and other parts of Bicol.

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San Miguel Beer being loaded for delivery.

Well, the town is not that big or famous for it’s scenery. Major establishments in the town are located on the sides of the major highway. In fairness, the town has Jollibee, which is the only fast food in the area.

Like my other travels, I made it sure that I visit the town’s church.

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The Church of Bulan.

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People waiting for the Mass to start.

It was just a short visit. We just ate our lunch (at Jollibee because my good friend missed eating at Jollibee and he is tired of the food from the galley) and bought some supplies for the ship.

Bulan Lighthouse.

No matter how short our visit was I could still say that I finally set my foot on Bicolandia.

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