Bicol Express Trip

Another national site had been conquered. One down from the checklist of my dream destinations.

This trip to the Bicolandia has been one of my exciting experimental adventure. From the rather costly connecting flight to Naga City which is our point of destination, I came to plot a more exciting one... using the combo trip --sea, air, and land-- ala Amazing Race in a slow-mo mode. Looking at the possible options in going to Bicol, the combo transport emerged as the most economical.


We left Surigao 7pm via Cokaliong Shipping Lines and arrived in Cebu 6:00 in the morning. Though I want to take the fast craft stationed in Pier 3 to cross us to Mactan Island where the Mactan Cebu International Airport is located, a friend happened to fetch a guest at the Cebu Port so we just hitched a ride.




From Mactan Cebu, we boarded the Cebu Pacific Air flight to Legaspi City. Approaching the Legaspi Airport was rather a wonderful experience, with the amazing aerial view of Mayon Volcano greeting as we get near.



From the airport we rode a tricycle to Jollibee where we had our lunch. Thereafter, rode a jeepney plying the Guinobatan route right across the street fronting Jollibee towards Cagsawa Ruins in Barangay Busay. Heading to Cagsawa was rather an easy trip. From any point in the downtown, one just have to take the P10.00 Guinobatan, Camalig, and Polangui jeepneys which usually passes by Cagsawa junction at the right side of the higway. From the crossing, one has the option to either rode a tricycle down right to the ruins of Cagsawa or walk the 2 kilometers stretch. And we chose to walk to experience the dust from the dried lava.



The souvenir shops lined up at the roadside hinted that the site is getting close. True enough, we were there in not more than 10 minutes.





Cagsawa Ruins appear like a graveyard to me, with the big crosses from behind the remnants of the Cagsawa Church. Everything is like a reminder of the disaster caused by the eruption of Mayon Volcano. But still the captivating beauty of Mayon with its almost perfect cone gives a picturesque landscape.



But then, catching its breathtaking full and clear view without the clouds clinging around its peak needs right timing. Since we arrived in the afternoon, we waited for many hours with anticipation for the clouds to spare the full view of Mayon. The resident tour guides and photographers who are mostly youngsters said the best time to catch Mayon's clear view is at 7am. These youngsters who sold postcard photos also offers free assistance to the tourists on how to play camera tricks to catch a fun photo with the view.




After having enough of the sight, we bought souvenir items, some are cheaply priced like the T-shirts, but some are also unreasonably priced like the keychains. Then we went back to the downtown to proceed to our next destination: Naga City.