Tuesday, June 18, 2013

An Afternoon with the Boulders

Last Saturday afternoon i asked a relative in my place to bring his small car so we can go to the beach at the other side of our mountain. We were six in the car, i had my teenager nephew and niece. Two cousins joined us on a motorcycle. Our town looks like a peninsula or a tongue protruding from the mainland, so we are almost surrounded by water. The west side is facing a bay which is more tamed  than the east side, which has currents from the Pacific Ocean. Hence, it is in the west where a lot of resorts are established. These waters are famous mostly for scuba diving and windsurfing. It is a marine protected area, so diversity is preserved. Many diving sites are famous in these waters and scuba diving in Anilao is famous even among  international divers.

It is a little embarrassing that I am not really very familiar with our area. I have only reached the other side thrice in my lifetime. The circumferential road is now already finished facilitating continuous drive along the coast, which prompted me to explore a bit. When you work in the big city far from your place of birth, this is not unusual. I have reached a lot of other places far from us, but not my own place. The song "I've been to paradise, but I've never been to me", fits me well.

 Big rocks occupy a large portion of our shores, so if you're looking for fine sandy shores, we will disappoint you here. But of course, there are some sandy coves although these are short and not very fine. Some areas though are improved to cater to these young tourists and family groups.

The area on the horizon is an island of another town. It is only 30 minutes by boat from us, but i confess, i haven't been there. The other faint bluish island at the back is already the island of Mindoro, 2 hours by boat from Batangas City International Port.  Our 2nd tallest mountain in the country is in that island.

These areas are famous for scuba diving, and the above two boats are waiting for their divers now still under water. Diving sites are actually very near the shores. These waters are protected areas and marine biodiversity is so plenty that makes these sites well known in the world.  I've read that there are also marine species which are only seen in these waters. 

Vegetation from the shore to the mountain is also good, not destroyed except for some populated patches. Forest areas are still present. Just like in the area above, I've seen some beautifully colored butterflies. Being a butterfly chaser in our garden, i didn't know they can also find nectar in seashore plants. 

Above is a bushy tree growing so luxuriantly near the shore. Every shoot is also producing lots of blooms, white as they are, flowers look so nice against those wide, shiny green leaves.

I have not taken lots of pictures, as we were busy gathering abalone and other shells we are fond of as a delicacy on our tables. But of course, my niece kept on pestering me to take her remembrance. Sure, as we might not be able to come here soon, the next time she might already be an adult. 

And to give you a more complete visualization of the place we've been to, it is beneath this area on the left, down there at the shoreline. This view is from Mt. Gulugod Baboy (Pig Spine), an old picture, to show you the protected marine areas. The island I mentioned in the first photo is that group of islands at the middle.

Our World Tuesday Graphic

   signs of season

30 comments:

  1. i should really go to Mabini soon! i know the beaches here are gorgeous!

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    1. If you will just stay overnight and 2 days, i might be able to suggest a cozy little place with accommodating hostess and good food. I am also a tourist in my place, so when friends wanted me to join them I was able to look around, and i also asked the help of my tourism officer friend for a good place to stay. Hindi naman ako napahiya sa friends ko.

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  2. Hi there - thats a great looking post and a great looking place - although i would rather be on the shore than in the boat.

    YOu can no longer walk to end of the point - too much damage to the oxygen generators!

    Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne

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  3. Beautiful post!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

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  4. Why is it that we tend not to explore the area around us, but are so frequently off to explore far away sites? Your rocky beaches look wonderful - I'm perhaps odd in that I prefer rocky beaches. There always seems to be so much more sea life there.

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    1. We are the same, i prefer the rocky shores, it has more character. My Japanese blogger friend and wife scuba dived here for 2 weeks and they are very impressed with the biodiversity just immediately after they get off from their cottage. I feel very much deprived because i don't scuba dive.

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  5. Interesting travel with wonderful images.

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  6. "I've never been to me" either. Sad but true. I really like the very verdant vegetation. The water looks choppy. Don't you have to dive for abalones, or they just wash up on shore?

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    1. Yes most of us searched the world outside, when "all the answers are within". Water here is choppy when it is calm at the east, vise-versa. Men with goggles search abalones in wast to chest deep waters, but i stay where only my feet get in, so i only see the lost abalones or the cast-off!

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  7. A rugged, beautiful coastal area.

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  8. Enjoying your shots. Wonderful rocky beach.
    Thanks for dropping by :)

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  9. Very pretty!
    Thanks for the tour!
    Lea
    Lea's Menagerie

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  10. Its a wonderful beach. I've come across rocky beaches such as this in Sardinia, Italy and in Toronto. We helped my friend to collect the rocks for her garden. Abalone is an expensive item and much valued by the Chinese as a delicacy. Imagine, picking abalone just like this. I thought divers need to go deep down into the waters to harvest them.

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  11. great shots; have a nice Wednesday

    much love...

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  12. I love a rocky shore. Great shots!

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  13. looks a bit scary with the boat so close to the cliffs. It is a beautiful place and your nice is gorgeous. :)

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  14. What a beautiful coastline! The water looks choppy to me, I would much rather be on shore. Your photos are beautiful.

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  15. I so love your shots and the information that goes with it. My heart skip a bit when I saw the second photo riding with banca and the water is rough brings a lot of memories. Thanks for sharing.

    Thank you for joining Water World Wednesday
    Kim,USA

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    1. That roughness of the sea is just normal, it is not yet a cause for worry, haha. You should see the waves during typhoons, OMG, it is really scary. No wonder i am afraid of waters, so i only swim is freshwater swimming pools, where there are barriers for protection.

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  16. Your niece is beautiful as is the scenery. I think it is common that we don't visit the places close to where we live.... Thank you for linking into Nature Notes..... Michelle

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    1. Yes Michelle, most of us travelers have been to unique places abroad, but alien to those close to ours. I appreciate what you said about my niece, she will love that!

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  17. What a beautiful area. Sometimes I miss living near the ocean.

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  18. What a spectacular place you visited and your niece is such a pretty young lady.

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    1. Thanks Donna for what you said about my niece, she will like that, haha!

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  19. You have been born in a lovely place, but I am wondering what happens to it during storm, hurricane, tsunmai? Are you in math field? I am in also.

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    1. Hi KL, thanks for dropping by. We have more than the letters of the alphabet in numbers of annual typhoons visiting us. They are just ordinary events for us, nobody goes to shore or to sea when there are typhoons, but there are a few passenger boats which doesn't obey warnings of nature and/or regulatory bodies, so a few of them perished. What do you mean by "math field"?

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  20. Hi Kalntikan, my math field, I meant your area of specialization. I saw the math equations in one of the pictures of "post you might like." So, I was thought you are in that specialization. :-)

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    1. haha, yes i remember that equation KL. It is a common equation in getting species index or maybe biodiversity index of an area. Even ecologists, horticulturists, agronomists, biologists and hobbyists, etc use this equation. I actually am not good in math, even then we have to get lots of them because they are in the curriculum of all science courses. Thanks.

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  21. Thanks for the lovely tour, you live in a beautiful place.

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  22. Your niece is as beautiful as the scenery; I'm glad you shared her photo with us. -Jean

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