A man travels the world in search for what he needs and returns home to find it"-- George Moore
*Image is credited to Rain Tajon via www.bitlanders.com
Into the Valley I went,
Where the mountains look down at the vast ocean,
Where the trees are give me shade but not shady
Where the field are teeming with luscious greeneries.
Do you have another place you are calling home?
The shoreline of Claveria
*Image is credited to Rain Tajon via www.bitlanders.com
I have another, my second home that I consider. That place is in Claveria, in the province of Cagayan. A place where I have spent my high school days since I studied there for four years, in a school runned by SVD priests. And last October 25, I traveled 5 hours to get there and spent my birthday.
Where is Claveria?
Claveria, Cagayan or the Municipality of Claveria is the second town of the Province of Cagayan, that you can see if you are coming from Ilocos Norte. A third class municipality, according to the 2015 census. It has 41 barangays with just more than 29,000 inhabitants.
*Image is credited www.weatherforecast.com
What to see in Claveria?
The Municipality of Claveria is full of natural resources. You can see the mountains filled with trees and rainforests, you can enjoy the cold water coming from the water falls, the open sea, the rock formations and wild orchids hanging on the tall trees. The place to have enjoy the BEST OF BOTH WORLDS.
Here are the places you can check and enjoy.
1. Taggat Lagoon. This is the place where you can see some of beautiful natural wonders: the blue lagoon, waterfall and the legendary rock formations, "Lakay-Lakay"(Old Man) and the "Apo Baket". Accornind to the legend, the two lovely rock formations were created due to the couple's greed and selfishness. That when an old man asked for some, he was turned down and same thing with the mother, when an old woman knocked at their door and begged for food, she turned her down too. That when their olny child went missing, they look for him and saw him accross the waves in the east and had become a stone. The following morning, the wife blamed her husband for such greediness and selfishness, suddenly the husband turned into stone too and the followed.
The Lakay-lakay and Apo Baket
*Image is credited to Rain Tajon via www.bitlanders.com
The Taggat Lagoon
*Image is credited to Rain Tajon via www.bitlanders.com
Another view of Taggat Lagoon
*Image is credited to Rain Tajon via www.bitlanders.com
2. Sentinela Beach. This is the place where you can see another rock formation, the "Ubing-ubing"(Child). This is where the legendary "Lakay-lakay" and "Apo Baket" only son is found after he has became a stone after his parents' greediness.
In this part, you can see the "Bantay Kalbo" or Bald Mountain. Bald because it has no trees, but it has those shrubberies and unlike the other side of the mountain, it is full of trees. Clminbing it to the top will make you see the vast ocean and also the some kingfishers and the Sentinela Cove. And it just a scenic view with a relaxing feel.
3. Mabnang Falls. This is one of the well know falls among the waterfalls that can be found in the Municipality of Claveria. This is found in the Barangay of Mabnang, hence the name.
4. The Claveria Beach. The beach may not have the white sand, but you can enjoy the calm beach for free, with the sight of another island near to it, the view of both the sunrise and the sunset. And you can also witness how fishing is, from the fisherman's net to the helpful people pulling the net out of the sea filled with live fishes.
The beach of Claveria
*Image is credited to Rain Tajon via www.bitlanders.com
How to get there?
Coming from Ilocos Sur, I took a bus to Laoag, Ilocos Norte then another bus from Laoag to Claveria. There are opitons to choose from. There are non-airconditioned bus and air conditioned bus. The non-airconditoned bus can be little less cheaper, but the travel can take a longer time since they have to pick more passengers and also, some won't take me to Laoag, they might stop somewhere and asked to transfer to another bus. With the air conditioned bus, they were actually coming from either in Baguio City or from Manila, the travel time is shorter by 30 minutes. The fare ranges from Php100.00(Farinas) to Php126.00(Partas). There are also buses that can bring me from Ilocos Sur to Claveria, those buses that go to Aparri, Buguey, Lasam or Tuguegarao--towns in Cagayan Valley, but I don't take them since they don't get into the town proper where I live.
From Laoag, I usually take the bus and not the van. I have tried the van but it made me sick, and with the bus, I can enjoy the travel with the sights and the cold breeze for I can have the window open.
If you are coming from Manila, I can recommend Florida Busline. The travel can be around 12-14 hours.
With airplane, the nearest airport is the Laoag International Airport, from the airport, you can take a jeepney to bring you to the city of Laoag to the bus or van terminals that will bring you to Claveria.
Tip: I would recommend you to visit the town during summer and not during the "ber" months since those months are rainy months. And if you wanted to experience cold weather aside from Baguio City or Tagaytay, check them during the months of January and February, it can be as cold as you never think they have that kind of temperature.
Where to stay in Claveria?
The Municipality of Claveria can be small, but the places to stay are a lot if you check the Claveria Beach. You can see a lot of of accomodations lined up near the seashore. Most of them are not expensive and just right for the stay. If you just wanted a place to stay for the night, there is a transient houses too that could cost as low as Php500.00
What to eat in Claveria?
If you got there by summer time, you can have a feast of sea food, though there were not that much restaurants that can offer those, if you try to mingle with the local, you can get a taste of some and maybe for free, people in Calveria are very hospitable.
Since Claveria is in Cagayan Valley, there are small food stalls or eatery that offers "pansit batil patong", a famous noodles of Tuguegarao. And also, being near Ilocos Norte, you can also have their version of pansit miki and empanada.
With the vast resources from the mountains, you can have those wild edible ferns, and heart of coconut or palm trees, and you can have a feast of young coconuts.
The mountain and trees of Claveria
*Image is credited to Rain Tajon via www.bitlanders.com
Hope you can visit the humble town that I call home too.
