The Sweet Melo Touch: Batanes 05082014 Day 1

Ever since I decided to be a traveler way back late in 2012, Batanes has been in my bucketlist. Stories of how the place retained much of its traditional ways attract me, not to mention the many times I saw beautiful photos of Batanes in magazines and newspapers which elicited this deep desire to explore this paradise one day.

I really wasn't expecting to be there this year but one day I received an invite from a former travel buddy who was part of my Sagada adventure. She was someone I looked up to mainly because she travels out all on her own most times. I think I caught this so-called travel fever from her. Listening to her stories of beautiful secluded beaches inspired me to have the courage to go out and see the world for myself. One thing led to another. Before I knew it, friends were already labeling me as a traveler, much to my delight.

So despite not having recovered financially after my consecutive travels from January to early March, I said yes to the invitation. It was a good thing she agreed to book my ticket, too, otherwise I wouldn't have had the resources then to do so. Being poor is the biggest hindrance to traveling but I don't use it as an excuse. Instead, it motivates me to work hard [BUT play harder].

So anyway, since we were not able to fix our itinerary, we decided to go along with tour groups. It sucks but we simply didn't have that much time to talk about our traveling plans. Also, at that time, I was extra busy with volunteer work and everything else was put in the periphery.

Before we boarded the plane, we contacted one tour guide named Ryan. By the time we landed, I was already able to get a reply and shortly after we checked in at Marfel's Homestay, we found ourselves inside his van touring South Batan with four other persons.

Because Batanes is, as they say, a photographer's paradise, I think it's best to post more pics than write texts. Below are some of the places we've been to. It is an understatement to say that wherever in Batanes is photogenic.