I was lucky to have been sent there for work in April 2005. Having run out of direct flights from Manila ('cause we only got the assignment early May), plus a relatively tight budget, we resorted to driving all the way to Laoag and catching a flight from there.
The drive from our office in Makati to Laoag took us around 12 hours, I think. That already includes stopovers for food and bladder relief (hehe). From the Laoag airport, we bought tickets to CHEMTRAD, the airline that flies 8-seater planes to and around Batanes. It wasn't exactly a cheaper alternative as each of us had to pay around P6,500 for our roundtrip tickets whereas a roundtrip ticket from Manila via Asian Spirit would cost around P10,000.00. The slow plane takes 1.5hrs to get to Basco, Batanes from Laoag. It flies slowly, as in scary-slash-can-get-you-quite-impatient kind of slow. Haha... But it was fun, nonetheless. Nothing beats sitting directly behind the pilot, breathing down his neck. ;)
That was the first time I got to stay in a guesthouse where we had to share the bathroom and toilet with the other guests. That was a new experience for me as I've always been assigned to the more popular hotels/resorts during my 2.5 year stint in the travel channel, but I didn't mind it at all. Actually, it was perfect that I had that kind of lodging in Batanes as it gave me a better sense of the place and its people. (And then now I realize that that was my introduction to the backpacking style of travelling :D)
We stayed at SHANEDEL'S INN, paying just P250 per night for our beds. We got to fill up two rooms - one for the girls and the other one for the boys. They had a restaurant/bar downstairs which served nice food and cheap drinks while giving you a great view of the sea.
Food and whatever else around the island comes at the same price you get them in Metro Manila as they are all actually imported from Manila. The exceptions are the vegetables and animal produce they get from their own.
Being a photography enthusiast, I was stoked to indulge in its landscape with my 35mm SLR. Unfortunately, my camera conked out on me after just ten clicks. Good thing my Sony Ericsson P900 served as a great back-up camera. At least I still got to capture some visual memories I can share with the rest of the world. :)
In Batanes, I got to mingle with the locals. We went to visit the boat-builders, the fishermen, those who worked on handicrafts - the elders. Yup, the elders. I was overwhelmed by their passion for their respective crafts, but at the same time I felt a pang of sadness in realizing that not much from the younger generations cared much to practice, or let alone learn, the skills.
Life is simple there. People go fishing day and night. Farming also happens all year round. There is no white sand beach where tourists flock to, but there are breathtaking cliffs, peaceful stone beaches, and lighthouses that give you panoramic views of the island.
It's a place that will just leave a smile on your face, no matter what you do, no matter where you look. Landscapes, seascapes, smiling locals, frolicking animals right at the top of the hills. It's very different from most of the Philippines topographically speaking, but the warmth and hospitality of their locals is very much as Filipino as the rest of the country is.
