Why stay when you can go
... to Ginatilan
Staying home too many weekends in a row is good for my wallet but not good for my sole. The hand holding my wallet couldn't do anything to the body and the feet it was attached to (but it could have dropped the wallet, which my other hand would have picked up anyway). My feet dragged myself and three friends some 135 kilometers away from home to a municipality on the southwest side of Cebu: Ginatilan. My feet weren't crazy enough to walk that far, but it was smart enough to go to South Bus Terminal in Cebu City to step inside a bus bound for Ginatilan (3.5 hours, Php 162).
Why hurry when you can relax
Bahinting Beach House
(032) 478 9035
Php 1500 AC room for 2-4 pax
Why hurry around Ginatilan when you can relax and enjoy the breeze by the sea? It's nice to take things slow and not hurry around like you're in a race. My three companions agreed with me...or maybe they were just trying to humor me. Whatever the case, I am sure we were all glad to have found a place to stay in that was quiet and clean and just a few minutes walk from the town center (where the church, plaza, and market are).
No fine white sand, but broken corals
Why wade when you can jump
Inambakan Falls
Entrance fee Php 10
Habalhabal (Julie 0943 053 7738) Php 30/person/way
Why wade when you can jump? Because you're a daredevil. The drop of daredevil blood in me has been sucked away by a mosquito, so I say why jump when I can wade. Thankfully half of Inambakan Falls' basin was just neck high and that's where I let myself turn into a prune while my friends and two dogs (the only other creatures stirring that morning) were shivering on the rocks watching the unceasing crash of water.
Mt. Hambubuyog
Habalhabal (Julie 0943 053 7738) Php 100/person/way
Why hike for long hours from Inambakan Falls to Mt Hambubuyog with the possibility of getting lost when you can just ride a motorcycle to get there?
The long and rollercoaster-ish roundabout ride from Ginatilan through Samboan and back to Ginatilan via a more direct route is an adventure in itself. Because we wanted to reach the Divine Mercy Chapel on Mt Hambubuyog in time to catch the sunset, we took this adventure on wheels. The road was an unending tongue as we drove our way into the maw of nature: rolling greens and blue blue sky, with nature's breath whipping our hair into a big knot. We reached the chapel with crazy hair and a crazy view of the mountains turning from green to gold with Tañon Strait and Negros island on the horizon.
The long and rollercoaster-ish roundabout ride from Ginatilan through Samboan and back to Ginatilan via a more direct route is an adventure in itself. Because we wanted to reach the Divine Mercy Chapel on Mt Hambubuyog in time to catch the sunset, we took this adventure on wheels. The road was an unending tongue as we drove our way into the maw of nature: rolling greens and blue blue sky, with nature's breath whipping our hair into a big knot. We reached the chapel with crazy hair and a crazy view of the mountains turning from green to gold with Tañon Strait and Negros island on the horizon.
Up the steps to the Divine Mercy Chapel
All awash in gold
4 WHYs. The splendors of Ginatilan.
ReplyDeleteAbi nako nag camp ka didto. Buenos días Mustachio.
Hi Ian! Wala koy tent plus tapolan na kaayo ko maghike hehehe
DeleteThe 5th - "Why get lost when you can ask for expert help?" ;)
ReplyDeleteHambubuyog is a deceptively easy mountain to summit. But I've already read 2 accounts of mountaineers getting lost in reaching the peak. Perhaps if they enlisted the expertise of a local guide, they could have seen that golden sunset setting behind Negros Island.
Keep on my friend!
Good one Brennan!
DeleteSayon ra diay ni ihike? Basin imong sayon, lisod para nako. Hahaha
i've only been to ginatilan once and that was ages ago. what i do remember about it though was the crystal clear waters. we were on this boat that had clear fiberglass on the bottom so you can see the corals and the fishes swimming underneath. it was a quiet and beautiful place. one of the things that amazed me was how fishermen would catch fish using spears because of the strict fishing regulations set by the government. i don't know if that is still being strictly monitored now. i hope so. it would be a shame if not as ginatilan really is a nice place to unwind away from the crowd.
ReplyDeleteOooo intriguing...Ganahan ko magsnorkel dira! Asa kaha na dapit (and how long was "ages ago"?)
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