Day 2 – April 2, Wednesday
Our third day in Batanes was the South Batan tour, the last part of our tour package. We rented a drone for the day, though it wasn’t us flying it. Someone from the tour controlled it for us. South Batan is known for its wide cliff views, and some of my favourite views were at Mutchong Viewpoint, Madangay / Alapad Rock Formation, and Racuh a Payaman (Marlboro Hills). These were where we had most of our drone shots taken. At times it even felt like we were doing a little prenup shoot, posing for both the camera and the drone with the dramatic landscapes behind us.
The day was a mix of nature, history, and little joys. We saw centuries-old stone houses and churches like Ivana, Itbud, and Mahatao. The San Jose Spanish Bridge from the 1800s was also along the way. In Mahatao, I finally got to have a warm cup of taho, something I had been craving since we arrived. The church there also has the Batanes Blank Book Archive, shelves of hardbound books with empty pages where visitors can write their thoughts. We wrote in notebook no. 407, which matches our wedding date, and left our messages behind. Hopefully one day we’ll return and find them again.
Nature was everywhere we turned. There were the Toblerone-shaped hills, and Mount Iraya in the distance, its peak always hiding under the clouds. At Marlboro Hills, most of the cows and carabaos were too far away, some even staying inside their sheds, but the scenery was still beautiful. Along the way, we passed plenty of goats, horses, cows, and carabaos grazing in the fields or right by the side of the road. I also loved seeing the “Blow Your Horn” signs scattered on the drive, a little reminder of how quiet and open the roads were.
By the time we got back to our inn around 1 PM, we were completely drained. We rested until late afternoon, only going out again around 5 to walk around town. Since it was raining that night, we ended up at Noods for hot ramen. A simple, cozy way to end our last full tour in Batanes.
hazygrains 
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