Advance Happy Chinese New Year to all! whoa! it has been more than a month since I've uploaded a story here in my blog..what the heck! hehehe! well, well, well... It's 2012 and I know this year will be a great year for me. (Positive thinker lang) Now, for my story, I started out my 2012 with a bang! a water bang! that is a waterfall visit to Itbog falls, also known as the twin falls of Buhi, Camarines Sur. Actually, I wasn't able to start my so called "lakwatsa" mode on the first week of this year because of those research papers and other school works that I need to submit for my graduate studies. Ah, yes, I'm a full time worker and a student and most of my vacant time is usually during Sundays only. So that means, most of the year, I'll be travelling on a day-trip-only kind of travel.. yeah, yeah, I know that's boring, but hey! pwede naman akong umabsent sa class di ba? or wag muna magtrabaho?hahaha! but Anyways, let me continue with my story about the waterfall trip. Buhi is a town known for sinarapan or tabios, the smallest edible fish in the world, which thrive in Buhi Lake, and Buhi is also known for Itbog falls, it is a twin falls.
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| Itbog Falls, Brgy. Sta. Cruz, Buhi |
Me and my friends started out our journey from Iriga City, Camarines Sur. And since some of my buddies for this trip are from different municipalities and cities around Camarines Sur, we can't leave very early since some of them will be travelling for 1 to 2 hrs by bus or by van. At around 10am, me and 5 of my friends are now all in Iriga City and we now boarded a jeepney bound for Buhi, Camarines Sur. The jeepney ride is about 20 to 30 minutes, about half of those ride is through poth holed roads. Masyadong maalon ang byaheng ito, parang sungkaan ang kalsada. But anyways, the fare from Iriga City to Buhi is 24 pesos.
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| View of Mt. Asog |
Upon arrival at Buhi, we proceeded to the public market near the lake and boarded a boat.We also asked the boatmen if he knows someone whom we can pay to be our guide to the trek and he volunteered his son, his grade 6 student son. Child labor to..hahaha! We rented the boat for 300 pesos to bring us to Barangay Sta. Cruz. and to bring us back to the town. The usual fare is 20 pesos one-way ride, but since we don't want to wait for other passengers due to time constraint, we just then rented the whole boat. The boat ride from the town proper to Barangay Sta. Cruz is about 10 to 15minutes only. You will be travelling across the Buhi Lake. After we arrive in Barangay Sta. Cruz, we asked our grade 6 student guide and his father how far our trek will be, and how far the waterfalls is, and they replied and said that it is only a 30 minute walk.
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| Our boat ride. Typical passenger boat in Buhi Lake |
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| Our boat ride. Typical passenger boat in Buhi Lake |
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| Our boat ride. Typical passenger boat in Buhi Lake |
Okay then, we started our trek, our muddy trek to the falls, sobrang maputik ang daan na tipong bumabaon ang mga paa namin sa putikan at hindi na matanggal. At ang dinadaanan namin na putikan ay isang muddy soup na nagkahalo halo na ang putik at tae ng kalabaw. That is so organic! hahaha! Anyways, 30 minutes had past and we still can't hear any sign of the waterfalls and our guide said it's not that far. An hour past, and then after an hour and a half walking in the super muddy trail, we finally reach the waterfalls. Wow! a twin falls! that was what my mind silently said upon seeing the waterfalls. I took some pictures and then suggested to my friends that we take our lunch first and then swim. It was nearly 1pm when we arrived at Itbog falls, and since we informed our boatman to fetch us at around 3pm or 3:30pm and our trek lasted for 1 and a half hour, that means we need to leave the waterfalls by around 2pm. So we only have 1 hour to enjoy the beauty of the twin falls. 1 hour to swim and take our lunch. So we maximize our time and ate our lunch quickly so that we can enjoy the water. The water in Itbog falls was cold and refreshing. Time flies when you're enjoying that sad to say, matapos ang ilang minutong pagtatampisaw sa tubig, we already need to leave in order to be at the boat docking area by around 3pm. So by 2pm, we started our trek back to the boat docking area and we arrive there at around past 3pm due to long trek. It was a tiring trek since we need to walk barefoot due to the muddy situation. Hindi kami pwedeng magsuot ng tsinelas kasi naiistuck sa putik, at kapag nastuck sa putik ang tsinelas kailangan pang hanapin since di mo na makikita ang tsinelas mo sa putik. Potek tlaga! hahaha!
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| The muddy trail |
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| Lake Buhi, with the view of Mt. Asog |
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| Lake Buhi, with the view of Mt. Asog |
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| Itbog Falls, Brgy. Sta. Cruz, Buhi |
So upon arrival at the docking area, we need to clean up our muddy feet, and we washed our feet into the part of the lake which is kind of malumot. So in short, amoy lumot at putik na kami since wala namang facility sa area para makapagbihis or makapaghugas man lang ng malinis na tubig. But it's okay, buti na lang sanay naman ang aking mga kasama sa mga sitwasyon na ganun. We then boarded the boat to bring us back to the town proper. We asked the boatman if there is a place where we can change clothes or makapaghugas man lang but he said there's no facility near the public market. We then decided na huwag na lang magbihis at umuwi na lang na basa at sa bahay na lang namin sa Iriga City magbihis. Some of my friends are going back to Naga City and other nearby town and naawa naman ako na basa silang babyahe sakay ng bus, so I offered na sa bahay na lang magbanlaw at magbihis. But hey, we still rode a jeepney from Buhi to Iriga City na basa ang aming damit. At mukha kaming dugyutin since lahat din putik ang aming bag.hehehe! how awful sight! haha! To be considerate naman to other passengers na tatabi samin, we used our towels bilang pangharang para di naman mabasa ang katabi. O ha? napakaconsiderate namin di ba?hehehe!
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| NakaBUHI park |
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| Municipal Hall of Buhi |
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| St. Francis of Assissi Church and Belfry |
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| St. Francis of Assissi Church and Belfry |
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| Sarikaw Statue |
After we arrive at Iriga City, we then boarded a tricycle to bring us to my house para makapagbihis naman ang aking mga kaibigan before they travel again to their respective hometown. Some of them are from Naga City and it's another 1hr bus or van travel so it will be kind of a discomfort for them kung hindi sila magbihis ng hindi basang damit. So that ends our adventure and my first travel adventure for this year and hopefully by next month, another waterfalls naman ang mapuntahan ko. I'm planning to check those waterfalls in Albay province and hopefully hindi masyado umulan para hindi masyado muddy and trail. Til the next destination. Happy Chinese New Year to all! Byes!
How to get to Buhi.
By Plane:
Cebu Pacific, Air Philippines and Zest Airways have several daily flights to Naga Airport. From Naga Airport, located in the town of Pili, you can ride a bus bound to Iriga City. After arriving at Iriga City Terminal, ride a jeepney bound to Buhi. In Buhi, go to the public market near the lake and look for boats bound to Itbog Falls or Barangay Sta. Cruz. Fare is 20 pesos per person but you can also rent the boat for 200 to 300 pesos if you don't want the boat to wait for other passengers. From the boat docking area in Brgy. Sta. Cruz, you still need to trek about 2 to 3km or 1hr trek to reach Itbog Falls.
By Bus:
From Manila, there are several buses bound to Bicol region. Ride a bus going to Iriga City, Camarines Sur. Or you can also ride a bus going directly to Buhi. DLTBCo, Raymond Bus and Philtranco Bus has regularly trips going to Buhi. From Iriga City, ride a jeepney bound to Buhi and then at the Buhi public market, you can ride or rent a boat going to Itbog Falls or Brgy. Sta. Cruz. from the boat docking area in Brgy. Sta. Cruz, you still need to trek about 2 to 3km or 1hr trek to reach Itbog Falls.
If you want to hire a guide, you can just ask the boatmen to guide you to Itbog falls or you can just ask around in the public market for a guide. You can just negotiate for the price since there is no specific price for a guide fee. Also be informed that there are no facilities near Itbog falls. There are no facilities to change clothes or a shower room, bathroom, or comfort room and there are no stores near the falls. You must buy and bring your own food before going to the waterfalls or before riding the boat bound to Itbog falls.
By Train:
The PNR has a regular train schedule for the Manila-Ligao City route. The train departs at Tutuban Station in Manila every 6pm and 8:30pm and arrives at Ligao City at around 6am the next day. Ride the train and get off at PNR Iriga City Station. The last station is Ligao City station which is 45 minutes away from Iriga City so be sure to get off at Iriga City. The usual travel time is 10 to 12 hours. From Iriga City PNR station, ride a tricycle and tell the driver that you're going to Iriga Jeepney Terminal. The fare is 8 pesos. From the jeepney terminal, ride a jeepney bound for Buhi. The travel time is 15 to 20 minutes.
In Buhi, go to the public market near the lake and look for boats bound to Itbog Falls or Barangay Sta. Cruz. Fare is 20 pesos per person but you can also rent the boat for 200 to 300 pesos if you don't want the boat to wait for other passengers. From the boat docking area in Brgy. Sta. Cruz, you still need to trek about 2 to 3km or 1hr trek to reach Itbog Falls.
Additional Link:
http://www.buhi.gov.ph
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