Rina

Itbayat was the team’s “angas” factor. Most tourists only go to Batan and Sabtang Islands because they’re the more accessible ones, but of course we were all gung ho about also going to Itbayat, which is the province’s largest island, the country’s northernmost town, and is also said to produce the best bawang. O, san ka pa?

Alas, such bragging rights come at a cost. Itbayat is 25 miles north of our main base Batan Island and could only be reached via a three to four-hour trip on a falowa, a type of Ivatan traditional wooden boat. We would have wanted to go there by plane, but our group wouldn’t fit in the 8-seater vessel and besides, it turned out that there were no flights because the runway was under construction. So, three or four hours in a slow boat to Taiwan, este, to Itbayat it was. Out of the ten of us in the group, one flatly refused to go by boat; another one woke up the morning of our journey and suddenly decided that she would rather not brave it. The remaining eight, feeling very adventurous though a little wary, pushed on.

Less than an hour into the trip Rom threw up. And threw up again, and threw up again. Abby, who was sitting beside him, stroked his back while he was throwing up, though both of us were wondering if that sort of thing really helps. I was the second one to throw up, then Tina, then Don. EJ and Tina promptly supplied the sufferer with wet wipes after each attack, for which I am utterly grateful.

The others had thrown up discreetly in Asian Spirit barf bags which they of course thought of taking out of the plane in preparation for this eventuality. I, on the other had, had to rely on the green sando bags thoughtfully provided by the boat, hanging by a hook in the center for anybody’s use (Well, okay, to be totally truthful about it, the first time, I threw up over the side of the boat because I was caught off-guard. The second time, I used the sando bag. Anyway.) I sat for some minutes clutching what looked to be my entire breakfast inside the plastic bag, wondering if another vomit attack is forthcoming. Ang tapang ko kasi. Hindi na nga nag-Bonamine, nag-full rice breakfast pa. One of the crew saw me holding the bag and told me to throw it overboard. “Baka mabutas pa ‘yan,” he said. I stubbornly clung to my bag of barf and said, “Plastic e,” whereupon the boatman had an exchange of Ivatan with some of the passengers, one of whom I thought said “Waste not, want not.” The boatman disappeared briefly and returned holding out a black plastic gallon, and I dropped my sando bag into it. I didn’t see whether he just turned around and threw the bag overboard himself, but Abby told me later that they were kidding about cooking it into kinilaw.

Four of us threw up during that ride, but it was only me whose vomit became the subject of a boat-wide discussion.

However, however – and forgive me for using a cliché here, it was all worth it. We loved Itbayat, and were sorry that we couldn’t stay long. We visited three sites: Torongan Cave, Mt. Karoboboan, and Brgy. Raele. Minor attractions were the plaza and the old stone houses in the neighborhood where we stayed, the Paganaman Port, where we docked, and the views around the airport-in-progress.

The Paganaman Port is more of a curiosity, though. Itbayat is described as an uplifted coral reef, meaning there are no shorelines or beaches but only limestone cliffs. The consequence is that the port had to be pretty steep and the cargo brought up to the main road by means of a cart, which is pulled by a pulley, which is pulled by a truck going uphill and downhill as cart went back and forth to load and unload cargo (ang hirap i-describe lech).

Torongan Cave has archaeological significance, being the site of the oldest artifacts ever found in Batanes. The cave has an opening leading to the sea and is said to be entry point of the province’s first settlers, Austronesians originating from the eastern coast of Taiwan . After visiting the cave, we climbed up to the fields above it and were treated to one of the most beautiful views our Batanes trip offered. Blue skies, blue seas, rugged limestone formations, well, just look at the pictures because I can’t ever hope to do justice to it with words, and even the pictures are just approximations. We also saw old burial stone mounds, one of several that can by found in the island.

After Torongan, we rushed over to the north to catch the sunset at Mt. Karoboboan, which is the island’s highest point. There was an also an ancient settlement there but we weren’t able to visit it, and instead just relaxed at the viewdeck and took pictures of the sunset. We were also hoping to catch a glimpse of Taiwan; no such luck though :)

The next morning saw us up early so we could still see a couple of sites before catching the boat back to Batan at around lunch time. We first visited the airport site. The airport itself is of course not much to look at but it is surrounded by gorgeous fields, which are lined with miles of stone walls serving as farm boundaries. They use stone hedges there, instead of the vetiver grass hedgerows used in Batan (The network of stone hedges, I understand, is also an important cultural feature in itself. The entire length of it is not known, and if anybody would just, you know, feed and water me at regular intervals and put me under some roof at night I'd gladly do the measuring job).

After that, we proceeded to Brgy. Raele, a quaint little neighborhood where every house seemed to be filled with freshly-harvested garlic. Lunch was in Brgy. Yarawan, in a quaint farm setting, complete with carabao grazing nearby. We ate on “kabaya” leaves, which we thought to be much better than banana leaves for eating because it’s sturdier, and can folded into a little cone besides so your food’s sauce won’t spill. It’s also great for “take out,” and we took full advantage by taking home our snacks wrapped up in kabaya leaves.

The journey home, well, the journey home was uneventful vomit-wise, because this time I took TWO Bonamine tablets and made sure that I was asleep for most of the trip. That did the trick, but I will insist, the next time I go to Itbayat (and I’m telling you there will be a next time), I’ll take the plane.