Eight Friends, Hundred Islands and a Thousand Stars

It was that time of the year again when my college friends and I celebrate our anniversary of passing the CPA Board Exam. And though it wasn't summer in October, but a long weekend with just the right weather in store for us, we deem it again a perfect time to escape from the hustle and bustle of the metro. So off we went to a place oh-so-famous in our Hekasi books but not so popularly drawn now by tourists, a place largely contributing to the 7,107 islands of the Philippines- The Hundred Islands of Alaminos, Pangasinan. 

Hundred Islands is fairly accessible as there is an hourly trip from either Victory or Five Star Bus in Cubao or Pasay to Alaminos. Fare costs around Php403 when riding from Pasay. Roughly a 5-hour trip, we reached Alaminos at around 8 in the morning. We went to eat some breakfast first at Angie’s Bulalo, Tapsi and Panciteria. They have some affordable and delicious food with a hearty silog dish at around Php50. The bus terminal is also walking distance from the public market. We went to buy some camping food and supplies first at the market. From the market, there are many tricycle cabs who will offer their services to Lucap Wharf. Standard fare is at P20/head. 

When arriving at Lucap Wharf, make sure to register at their Tourism office. This is really helpful as it enables government to monitor the people going in and out of the island. They will also get your contact number including your guardian's so they know who to contact in case of emergencies. There are also standard prices for boat rentals and even renting tables and chairs when you reach the island. For an overnight stay in the island, you will need to pay for a camping fee and boat rental that will cost around P1,800 for a tour of the three major islands- Governor, Quezon and Children's Island. In our case, we had an agreement with our boat operator to add Php400 to tour other islands as well. 

We rented a large tent for Php1,000 inclusive of 3 gallons of fresh water and 2 gallons of drinking water, 1 cooler and kaldero. We really haggled for this since we were informed that that there was no fresh water when you reach the island. We also rented snorkeling gears at Php250/head. 

ü  Water (both drinking and fresh water)

ü  Food

ü  Tent

ü   Boat

First off was Governor's Island. This Island is famous for its PBB House. This is where Kim Chiu, Gerald Anderson, Mike and Claire of the first edition awaited the results of the competition. 

There is also viewing deck in this island where you need to trek a hundred or more steep, rocky and a bit challenging and exhausting steps to reach the peek and get the best view of the Hundred Islands. Admittedly, all the sweat was worth it. Another of God's artwork was set before us. A feast both for our eyes and soul. And not even the sun's scorching rays could keep us from taking pictures. 

This one’s for the memories. And although we did have a number of pictures taken, I must say that not even the lens of the camera was able to capture its beauty.

Next up were a number of islands:

1. Turtle and Crocodile Islands. These two islands are against each other's backs. As stories have it, the turtle and crocodile had some misunderstanding and refuse to face each other. 

2. Monkey Island. Monkeys inhabit this island but are only visible in the afternoon.

3. Bat Island. From the boat, we can see a number of fruit bats hanging from the tree branches. 

4. Cathedral Island. This is a beautiful island whose rock opening/formation is comparable an outline of a church. 

5. Romulo Island

6. Lopez Island

Second drop was in Quezon Island. Majority of the tourists stay in this island as it is partly developed. There’s a large cottage built in the island housing a number of tables and chairs for rent. Island goers typically have their lunch here as there is also cooking area and a few vendors selling cold drinks and chips. Arriving in the island by noontime, we prepared our lunch and already grilled the meat for our dinner. We had to prepare in advance knowing there wouldn’t be any electricity by night time and would be difficult to cook by then.

After our hearty lunch, we headed to Marcos Island, an island famous for its extremely adventurous cave diving at Imelda Cave. Dropping off from the island, you will need to climb your way to its cave/tunnel-like opening. From there, adventure seekers dive their way down to the seawater. It’s a long and dangerous way down but the water looks pristine and cold. Being one with fear of heights, I was the last one to jump off the 70-feet cave. It was one hell of a ride, but once I was down there in the water, I never felt so alive and “gay” as what my friends say (couldn’t count how many OMGs I uttered there). Once you’re down there, you will need to swim your way back to your boat. The current can be strong but good thing we had our life jackets on.

Our next stop was on an open sea where we had snorkeling. They say there are numerous species of corals and fishes in the area but unfortunately we were only able to catch a few corals and only two varieties of fish swimming in the area. It was a disappointment for us and even for some of the foreigners diving in the place.

We headed back to Quezon Island as it was getting late and we needed to set up our tent. The evening in the island was beautiful. As there was no electricity, the place was dark and it was a starry night, a perfect time to lie down and just gaze at the stars. There were countless stars up there and the sky felt so close. It was heavenly. And as we kept our eyes open, one, two, three shooting stars appeared before us. It was again magical.  

As morning came, we again headed off to two more islands, Children’s Island and Cuenco Island. Children’s Island was named as such since water in this island is shallow and is suitable for children.

In Cuenco Island, we went inside a cave that was historically known to have some gold hidden under by Japanese soldiers during World War. It was told that tourists before was able to bring home gold from the place. We had our pictures taken but we were warned that maybe we’d have some creepy Japanese soldiers stand in our photos.

Believe it or not, we did. I don’t know if this is real or was photoshopped by my friend who denies it. In any case, its creepy.

That was our last stop before we headed back to the wharf.

Our overnight stay in the company of eight friends, a hundred islands and thousand of stars is something worth keeping down memory lane. That in our hearts we say that this Philippine attraction is not just something we’ve read in our books, but where a hundred and more memories were made by a crazy group of friends who think they’re all casted in the teen drama, Dawson’s Creek.