2018 Calayan Adventure - Day 02 - Traveling to Calayan Island (Claveria to Calayan)

01 April 2018

Happy Easter everyone!  Today is the day we board the boat on our way to Calayan Island, my dad's hometown.  It's exciting because it's been 10 years since we were last there and the kids don't probably remember much about that trip, so this is like a new experience for them...

This post shows you our journey from Claveria to Calayan... Look out for more of the rest of the journey in the succeeding posts... :)



We all got called for breakfast prepared by the Eldia Resort staff.  Everyone was in high spirits and I think my aunts and uncles were able to go to the 4AM mass for Easter.  While waiting for the go-signal that the boat is already at the Claveria port, the kids just frolicked on the beach and took more pictures at the resort.

We also spent time bonding with cousins, who caught up with us and just arrived from Manila.

  

Around 9AM, we were told to get ready because the vans that were to take us to Claveria Port were arriving and we have to get our gear loaded immediately.  It was only a short 10-minute ride to the port.

We had to wait a while longer though because they were loading the outrigger boat (lampitaw), New Era, with bags of cement.  It took an hour because the bags had to be loaded on a small launch to be taken to the New Era and it had to make a number of trips to finish the job.

Meanwhile, what do you do while waiting?  You just have a few snacks and snap some pictures :)

Photo by Lynne

Finally, we were all in the boat.  My first thought was that we should sit in the open so we don't get seasick.  The last time we traveled, we were in the lower deck where the windows had to be closed because water gets into them and it was horrible.  We were all throwing up and it was just horrible.

15 of us easily fit in this area along with our handcarried bags.  The rest of the boys were at the back of the boat, standing room only :)  Also, if you have a tendency to be seasick, make sure that you take Bonamine or Dramamine before the trip.  We actually took 2 tablets in case.  Dana ended up just sleeping most of the way there and I was pretty okay.

Let me tell you something:  Wear your rash guards/bathing suits/swimming trunks on the boat.  Prepare to get wet, as in drenched.  There is no escaping the water.  Put on sunblock too.  The trip this time took around 4 hours and the seas were rough.  Some of us couldn't help but throw up, which reminds me, keep plenty of barf bags with you just in case ;)  When we got wet, we also got chilled haha You think that it's okay because it's hot anyway, right? Well, no, not really.  The speed of the boat creates pretty strong and cold winds :)  We were pretty chilled by the time we reached the island.  But, hey, better chilled than weak from barfing, I say! LOL

Finally, we reached Calayan Island.  The boatmen lowered a makeshift plank from the boat to the sand so that we could disembark.  It was a bit scary because the boat and the plank were moving with the waves but the boatmen stationed themselves on the plank so that they can help balance us as we were going down.   It was a great feeling so see our relatives waiting for us on shore! :D

We all went to the house where a feast was prepared for us.  Even though we were soaked, no one had time to change because the food was just heavenly!  It was really a good thing we didn't feel seasick during the ride :)

After, the kids couldn't be stopped.  They changed into their suits and went back to sea for a swim :)

 We only went back on land when it was time for dinner hehehe

 

That was pretty much Day 02 of our travel to Calayan.  Look out for more of the rest of the trip :)