Picture Perfect: Rock Fortress

The Rock Fortress

Whenever I drive from Mambajao to Sagay via Catarman, these rock formation beside the circumferential road between Bonbon and Catibac always invites me to stop and rest a while.

And who wouldn't? The sea is calming, the area is peaceful. Someone even built a bench here. Perhaps he thought of the motorcycle riders who needs to a break.

The bench invites us to rest awhile.

I've made it a habit recently to sit here. While i sat there, I often wonder what could have caused the rock formation. My theory is that these rocks got spewed by Mt. Hibok-Hibok when it erupted last 1948. But who know really?

Whatever the reason for its creation, it's a sight to behold. When I think about it, what's so special about rocks? They're just rocks.

However, considering the types of rocks we have in our seashore, they're really quite special. Our seashore is overwhelmed with small rocks smoothed by seawaves. Big rock formation such as these are uncommon.

A few years from now, the waves of the sea will claim these rocks and the rock fortress will be no more.

But before that happens, I wanna go down the cliff and experience these rocks, not just appreciate them from afar. Too bad I drive alone. I don't want to go down there by myself. Someday I'll find someone to go down there with. A little swim wouldn't hurt as well.

There's a little path that let's anyone brave enough to go down and play in the Rock Fortress.

If you ever come to Camiguin, don't forget to drop by the Rock Fortress before it's gone.

Fun Things to Do on a Stony Beach

People don't usually rush towards stony beaches to have fun. That's because they have not discovered how to have fun in a stony beach! Here are some suggestions:

1. Stone Hunting
I've lost count how many hours flew by whenever I go stone hunting. The anticipation of finding the perfectly-colored perfectly-shaped rock is like shopping for the perfect little black dress. Looking through each rock to make sure you haven't missed out on anything offers a thrill thousand times safer than taking drugs.

2. Stone Sculpture
The kids I saw at the beach gave me this idea. They seem to be having a lot of fun building their fortress. I'm not much of a sculptor but this should be fun.

3. Stony Walkathon
When my younger sisters visited me last summer, I made them walk on the stony beach from one baranggay to the next. It was more than a kilometer and we passed by an estuary as well. It was like an obstacle race making it a memorable bonding experience for us. I imagine it would be real fun if there were lots of people walking along the stony beach.

In my Arts 9 class, we made Cave Art by making images on rocks.

4. Stone Cave Art
Inspired by an art project I had with my class, carving pictures on stones was indeed fun for my students. I bet you'll have fun with it too.

5. Stone Messages and Throwing
I don't know why but my kids love to throw stones whenever we go to the beach. There must be something therapeutic about it because they seem to throw it with a lot of angst. This must be a great way to relieve stress. Remember that John Lloyd-Bea movie where Bea writes her frustrations on a stone then leaves them behind. But instead of leaving them, why not throw them instead?

That's just what I can think of right now. If you ever decide on doing any of these, remember to RETURN THE STONE TO THE BEACH. Camiguin is strict with its environmental policies.

Sagay's Stony Beach

When I was young, I thought all beaches are stony. As I grew older, movies and television showed me that it was otherwise.

For a while, I resented our stony beach. Why can't it be sandy like most? How many slippers have been destroyed while walking on its rough terrain? How many sand castles should I have been able to make in my childhood? How many romantic walks along the beach have I missed in my teens?

If you survey the whole island's coastline, one would realize that only Sagay has an all stony beach. Mambajao, Catarman, and Mahinog have black sand beaches along with their stony ones. Guinsiliban has the most diverse coastline because it has a white sand beach as well.

Despite that I had spent a lot of hours having fun with my family and friends on our stony beaches. Empty gallons served as my bouy as I swam on it for hours turning my skin chocolate brown. Our stony beach is also abundant with shellfish, squid and sardines that fed our family especially in our trying times. Plus, it was fun looking for multicolored and perfectly shaped rocks.

With these in mind, I wish we could come up with a fun activity to do in our stony beach. Perhaps that should be the subject of my next blog.

•○♡♥♡○•

My mom, big sister, niece and daughter helped free the sardines from the net. We went home with free sardine afterwards.

Actually, it's still romantic...

Picture Perfect: House by the Beach

Another view captures my eyes...

While waiting for my seamstress to finish some alterations on my uniform, THIS caught my sight. I had my camera so I felt the need to come closer and explore.


So much fun with the swing..

As I approached, I realized they had a swing! Every kid needs to ride on one before adult nausea kicks in and take all the fun. Soon some kids gathered and swung back and forth. They didn't seem to mind that I was taking pictures.

I went closer to the seashore and another scenic view greeted me. No wonder why most Camiguingnon crowds the shoreline. I myself wouldn't mind a few days of an angry sea if I have almost a year of serene beauty.






While sitting in their bench, I felt the sea breeze, I heard the children's laughter, I saw what beauty there was in living simply. I remembered some lines from our province's hymn.

Ikaw ang gihandum ko kanunay
(I always long for you)
Gimahal ko bisan imong huyuhoy
(I love even your gentle breeze)
Pagkatam-is magpuyo ning imong landong
(How sweet it is to live in your shade)
Diin kalinaw maoy nagahari.
(Where peace reigns)

How lucky these people are for having what they have!


I loved the place so much I just had to take a selfie.

Picture Perfect: Catarman Shoreline

During our Earth Camp 2014, we had a coastal cleanup activity in the beach fronting Camiguin National High School and Catarman Central School. I was captivated by their crescent beach line. It must have been great for the the people who live here to take a walk along the beach. I imagine many young ones having a stroll or beach party or just look at the wide expanse of the sea.

The water is crystal clear too. Another thing I love about it is the pebbles. In Sagay where I grew up, we have big stones all over our coastline.  Here the pebble are just the right size for swimming and having a good time at the beach.

Our YES-O members collecting two sacks of inorganic trash.

Picture Perfect: Camiguin Convention Center

One of the goals I have for this blog is to find picture perfect places in Camiguin where tourists can take their photos and say "I'VE BEEN TO CAMIGUIN!" If cities  have various man made skyscrapers, in Camiguin Mt. Timpoong is the highest peak we have.  I've tried various locations but the best so far is the one taken at the pool of Camiguin Convention Center.

What I love about this shot is how it captures the essence of what I feel Camiguin is about. The pool reflects how one can enjoy the various tourist destinations in Camiguin while relishing the verdant rural view.

About the pool of Camiguin Convention Center:
Entrance to the pool is absolutely free but you have to write a letter to the governor's office if you wanna take a dip. The pool's water is not chlorinated because it's flowing. But because of that algae grows fast. So a letter to the governor's office is required to have it cleaned right before you use it.

I hope you come to Camiguin and take your photo here!

Macopa Flowers

On my way to school, I passed by this macopa tree that has she'd it's flowers creating this surreal enchanted scene.

Around this time on year, you'll find this pink flowers all around. I wish you could see them. You'll be transported to the land that only exists in your imagination at least for a second.

I love Camiguin!

Here are the flowers up close. Aren't they lovely?