Batanes: Undiscovered paradise up north

Batanes is uncharted territory to many. But this remote province can provide the most romantic of backdrops for any vacation. As the 32-seater SEAIR Dornier plane we were on broke through the clouds as we made our descent, the islands of Batanes beckoned. We were making our way to a land literally detached from the Philippines; but with distinct Filipino charm and hospitality.

It was unusually sunny after several days of rain. And Mt. Iraya was clearly visible when we touched down at the airport. We booked our hotel in advance to make sure we got picked-up at the airport.

As soon as we settled down, we arranged tours of Basco and the rest of Batan Island at the hotel counter. You can rent a van for yourself but we opted to share expenses with other guests of the hotel who wanted the same tour. It can save you a lot since there’s lots of room in the van anyway.

The itinerary for the morning was a tour of the provincial capital Basco which took us to places like Rolling Hills, the Naidi Hill Lighthouse, the town proper and Valugan Beach.

Rolling Hills was picturesque and the winds were strong and refreshing. You’d see cows grazing along the steep slopes, which is an iconic image of Batanes.

Many people actually think that the lighthouse in Naidi Hill and several others date back to the colonial period. But they are actually of recent construction, part of a project of former Batanes congressman Butch Abad. From the top of the lighthouse, we were afforded a bird’s-eye view of Basco and the fishing activities down at the coast.

In Basco town, we got to visit the cathedral and the colonial period provincial capitol building. Batanes churches actually have a distinct look which reminds me of colonial mission churches in the Americas.

We made one last stop at Valugan Beach, which is actually composed of large boulders and not sand, but with a breathtaking view nonetheless. Lunch was at the hotel before we proceeding to visit more of Batan Island.

Part 2: Marlboro Country, Mahatao Church and more from Batan Island
Part 3: Batanes stone houses in Savidug and Chavayan, Nakabuang Beach and more from Sabtang Island
Part 4: Batanes hotels and restaurants plus exploring Batanes by bike

Japan: Shinkansen from Tokyo to Kyoto, Japan

The Shinkansen, more popularly known as the bullet train, is a network of high-speed railway lines of Japan. It was quite exciting that we were taking the Shinkansen to Kyoto. We could have opted for the much cheaper and longer bus ride. But the group was after convenience and the experience. Sadly though, we didn't get to see Mt. Fuji and much of the scenery since it was dark by the time we passed by.

One can purchase Shinkansen tickets from most stations. In fact, we bought ours at the airport station. The ticket for a reserved seat from Tokyo to Kyoto was ¥13320. We had to rush to the Tokyo Station to catch our train since we didn't give much time for allowance. Don't do that in Japan since everything is on time all the time.

Navigating through the station was a bit complicated because of the massive network of trains which passes through it. And you sure can get lost! Just ask around for the Shinkansen and people can point you towards the right way. If you have communication problems, just show your ticket when asking for help.


We finally found the Shinkansen area, the right platform, and the boarding area for the particular cabin we had the board. Unless you are holding a non-reserved ticket (meaning you can board just any time), make sure to check the time of your train because you might board the wrong one. Trains are so efficient, they arrive at the station a minute or two before the scheduled departure and leave on the dot. Anyway, seats are very comfortable and we were in Kyoto in no time.

If you are taking more than one trip on the shinkansen, it might already be cheaper to get the 7-day pass even if you're not staying for seven days. The ordinary 7-day pass is ¥28,300. There is also a 14-day pass (¥45,100) and 21-day pass (¥57,700).

The multiple-day passes are actually cool since you just hop-on and hop-off the Shinkansen which depart from most stations so frequently, you need not worry if there are enough seats. And because of the speed of the trains (up to 300 kph), you get to various parts of Japan in no time. That would have been really fun if we had a longer stay.

Japan: Sensō-ji Temple in the Asakusa District (Taitō, Tokyo)

Asakusa, for most part of the 20th century, was the major entertainment district of Tokyo. Today however, other colorful districts such as Shinjuku have taken over. We trooped to Asakusa to visit the famous Sensoji Temple, said to be the oldest in Tokyo. We went straight there after we checked out from the youth hostel which was just a station or two away.

Sensoji Temple is dedicated to the bodhisattva Kannon, more popularly known Guan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy. The entrance to the temple is called the Kaminarimon or "Thunder Gate." On the gate is a massive paper lantern painted in vivid red-and-black tones suggesting thunderclouds and lightning. It's a very popular and important temple obviously gauging from the crowds we saw there.

After the gate is a long row of souvenir shops. The street is called the Nakamise-dori where one can find a great selection of souvenir items and food. I enjoyed the many snack items on sale and bought some for tasting. These shops themselves are part of the heritage of the area having sold to pilgrims who walked to Senso-ji since the 18th century. The street is about 250 meters and has close to 90 shops.

After walking around the temple grounds, we had a late lunch at one of those vendo restaurants. You selected and paid for your food through a vendo machine and gave the printed out ticket to the staff who serve as both cooks and waiters. It's efficient really and it keeps costs down since minimal manpower is needed to run the place.

Anyway, after lunch, we proceeded back to the youth hostel to get our luggage. Several of us were going back to Manila. While others were taking the 4 p.m. Shinkansen to Kyoto.

Part 1: Konichiwa from Tokyo, Japan!
Part 2: Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo, Japan
Part 3: Tokyo is a candidate city for the 2016 Olympics

Japan: Tokyo is a candidate city for the 2016 Olympics

Who could imagine that I'd get to visit three of the four candidate cities of the 2016 Summer Olympics this year? I was in Madrid, Spain in April and May. In June, I got to visit Chicago, USA. Now I'm in Tokyo, Japan. If Tokyo wins, it will be the second time the city will host the Summer Olympics.

The selling point of Tokyo is that it will be "the most compact and efficient Olympic Games ever." And I wouldn't be surprised, if given the chance, that they'll pull it off! So the countdown to October 2009 begins when the IOC will announce the winning bid!

Part 1: Konichiwa from Tokyo, Japan!
Part 2: Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo, Japan
Part 4: Sensō-ji Temple in the Asakusa District (Taitō, Tokyo)

Japan: Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo, Japan

Talk about waking up early to see a fish market! The Tsukuji Fish Market is the biggest wholesale fish and seafood market in the world. So don't be surprised if this fish market has become a big tourist attraction. We had wanted to see the world-famous Tsukiji fish auctions but we learned they stopped allowing tourists at the auctions early this year due to health concerns and to avoid any disruptions in operations and other trading activities.

Besides, we could not leave the youth hostel we were staying at before 6 a.m. since they had a curfew. Doors were locked from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. After the conference, we vacated our five star hotel (sigh!) and transferred to the Sumidagawa Youth Hostel on the opposite side of town. A bed here was ¥3600 a night. But members of Hostelling International get a ¥600 discount.

Anyway, we were out of the hostel a little past 6 a.m. If you're going around Tokyo for a day, it would be convenient to get the one day subway ticket which is ¥710. If you want to include the JR Line in your day pass, you'll have to shell out a little bit more. From the Asakusabashi Station, we were at the Tsukiji Station in no time.

The main market of Tsukiji is about a kilometer from the subway station. On the way to the inner market, you'll pass by Tsukiji's outer market filled with wholesale and retail shops that sell seafood and other food items, kitchen tools, and restaurant supplies, and restaurants that sell sushi and other Japanese delights. You'll have to come early since shops in the outer market are closed by the afternoon, and those in the inner market even earlier!

At Tsukiji, the first thing that greeted us was the constant traffic of forklifts and small vehicles moving about. The scene looked like it was pulled out of a Star Wars movie! We walked about enjoying the different seafood on sale. The fish market is said to handle more than 400 different types of seafood from tiny sardines to 300-kilogram tuna, from cheap seaweed to the most expensive caviar!

After exploring a good part of Tsukiji, we heard our stomachs rumble and it was time for breakfast. On the menu was sushi of course! We got ourselves some breakfast sushi boats which range from ¥1000 to ¥2000 each. After that sumptuous seafood feast, we made our way back to the youth hostel to catch up on sleep before our 10 a.m. checkout.

Part 1: Konichiwa from Tokyo, Japan!
Part 3: Tokyo is a candidate city for the 2016 Olympics
Part 4: Sensō-ji Temple in the Asakusa District (Taitō, Tokyo)