Michi Photostory: mountain

Showing posts with label mountain. Show all posts

August 13, 2024

Day 5 in Sydney Australia: Blue Mountain Tour

It’s been a month since my last travel blog post so let me continue my Sydney Australia series. We already finished our Sydney Big Bus Tours so we dedicated our fifth day to Blue Mountain. This is outside Sydney so some people spend a night here but since we had limited time, we can only do a day trip.

Read: 7 Days Trip in Sydney Australia

As per my research, here is the train schedule from Central Station to Katoomba Station.

6:23 AM

6:53AM

7:23AM

8:18AM

The travel time is almost two hours and the expected arrival time at Katoomba Station is 8:21AM. We wanted to ride the first train so we needed to be at the Central Station before 6:23AM so we left as early as 5:30AM.

We just walked to Museum Train Station from Hyde Park Inn, rode the train, and got off at Central Station. Then we just looked for the train platform for the Katoomba Station. When we arrived at Platform 6, the train was already there. I was a little bit surprised when I saw the train because it looked old compared to the trains that we tried in Sydney.

After two hours, we arrived at Katoomba Station and went straight to the Blue Mountains Explorer Bus office to claim our tickets. You won’t miss this because it is just outside the train station. I purchased Lyrebird Pass at Klook which includes the Hop On Hop Off Bus and Scenic World Tickets. I just presented my voucher and received my guidebook where my name was written and the number of persons. The guidebook is our bus ticket.

Blue Mountains Scenic World Ticket or Bus Tour

When we left Sydney the temperature was 15C degrees while Katoomba was 6C degrees so we wore layered clothes but when we arrived at Katoomba, we still felt cold. Good thing there is CafeXpresso, where we purchased our hot drinks. The price of the drinks ranges from 3.50AUD to 6AUD.

The first bus trip is at 9AM and the interval is every hour. There are 37 bus stops so just press the button if you want to get off the bus. We alighted at Bus Stop 11 where the Scenic World is. Our ticket includes unlimited rides to Scenic Skyway, Scenic Railway, Scenic Cableway, and Scenic Walkway but unfortunately, during our trip, Scenic Skyway was closed for scheduled maintenance so we were not able to experience it. Aside from that, Honeymoon Bridge, Bus Stop 8, Walk 9, Walk 13, Walk 14, and Walk 18 were also closed.

We arrived at 9:20AM but the Scenic World opening hours are between 10AM to 4AM so we waited for more than 40 minutes. I am afraid of heights but I had to face my fear at sayang ang bayad.

Scenic Skyway - the highest single-span cable car in the world

Scenic Railway - the steepest incline passenger train in the world

Scenic Cableway - largest and steepest cable car in the Southern Hemisphere

Scenic Walkway - longest elevated boardwalk in Australia.

Aside from these 4 attractions, you can also visit Katoomba Coal Mine and Dinosaur Valley.

We spent most of our time at the Scenic World and only walked to some tourist spots. But when we got tired we rode the bus again to continue our bus tour.

We hopped off at Leura Railway Station to eat our late lunch but changed our mind because we wanted to go back to the hotel already. Travel time is 2 hours so we wanted to be back in Sydney before the peak hours. We used the Opal Machine to top up our cards, the minimum top-up is 40AUD for adults and 20AUD for kids.

Good thing that we brought bread, pastries, chocolates, and drinks during our Blue Mountain trip so we did not feel hungry. We arrived at Museum Station before 5PM and went straight to David’s Kitchen so we could eat heavy meals. Rice is life.

July 26, 2022

Hiking Adventure at Synnørsfjellet Mountain

Time flies and our summer vacation is about to end at parang hindi ko siya naramdaman because I spent most of my days at home. I’m back to my routine life so I’m kinda missing our nature tripping when we were in Norway so let me share a throwback post.

For the past five years, my mom was persuading me to climb Synnørsfjellet but my answer is always NO because I’m not really into hiking. Having a sedentary life, I know that my body will ache after hiking so bakit ko pa papahirapan sarili ko. I still can’t forget our "Angel of Peace" experience.

But two months ago, I finally gave in and we climbed Synnørsfjellet. It just so happened that my youngest sister was home for a visit and wanted to climb the small mountain. So my mom, my son, my sister, and I traveled to Garten for a hiking adventure.

There is a car park near Gartbrua where you can leave your car. I mentioned in my “Trip to Garten” post that there are two ways to climb Synnørsfjellet, of course, I chose the easiest route. You can see the guide map at the parking lot too.

Sharing some photos so you will get an idea of how child-friendly it is. My son and youngest sister reached the top without problem but my mom and I need to stop to catch our breath and recharge our energy. Lol When you reach the top, there is also a logbook where you can write your names (if you want).

The weather was not good for the past few days so I’m happy that we were able to climb even though it was cloudy and windy. I am afraid of heights but still, I appreciate the great view. The mountain is only 74 meters above sea level but you can see Ørland landscapes, Garten, Storfosna, and Trondheimsfjord.

“The best view comes after the hardest climb”

Trivia: Synnørsfjellet has been part of World War I, it became a signal station for Agdenes fortress. This summit was occupied by Germans during World War II so when you climb the mountain, you can see traces of military activity.

April 03, 2019

Day 3: South Batan Island Tour in Batanes

I was deleting photos on my phone and I saw my Batanes photos so this reminds me to finish this series. It took me a few months to finish the series because it is hard to choose photos and videos, for this South Batan Island tour, I have 644 photos and videos. Waah! Anyway, if you missed my other posts, you can check the link below for Day 1 and Day 2 Batanes Tour.

Day 1: North Batan Island Tour
Day 2: Sabtang Island Tour

South Batan Island Tour Itinerary

Chawa Viewdeck
Mahatao Boat Shelter Port
Tayid Lighthouse
San Carlos Church
Homoron Blue Lagoon
Maydangeb White Beach
Ivana Municipality
Old Spanish Bridge
House of Dakay
San Jose De Obrero
Honesty Coffee Shop
Uyugan Municipality
Muchong Viewpoint
Songsong Ruins
Itbud Village
Alapad Natural Rock Formation
Old Naval Station
Imnajbu Village
Racuh A Payaman (Marlboro Country)

I thought that we really need a day to finish the South Batan Island Tour so we started our tour as early as 8:30AM but I was wrong. The list of tourist spots are so long pero hindi naman pala lahat babaan or I guess it depends on the tour guide din. We just passed some of the tourist spots so I only have pictures from afar and we stopped by dun sa mga popular tourist spots. So we were done before 1PM, hindi pa kami nagmadali niyan at 1 hour na nga kami kumain.

So I think, doing compressed North and South Batan Tour is okay. If you have a limited budget or if you have limited time in Batanes, you can do North and South Batan Tour in one day. Based on our experience, we only spent few hours visiting the tourist spots.

For our Day 3, I was worried at first because it started to drizzle on our way to Chawa Viewdeck but we’re thankful because the rain stopped. Yehey! Nakisama naman ang weather up to our last day of tour.

Chawa Viewdeck

On our way to Ivana Port, I already saw Chawa Viewdeck, Mahatao Boat Shelter Port and lighthouse. I find it beautiful so I was really looking forward to our South Batan Tour so I can see these tourist spots, up close and personal.

Ang ganda talaga sa Chawa viewdeck, you can see the West Batan Cliffs and the West Philippine Sea. Looking at the waves was relaxing but scary at the same time because the waves were strong. And because of the drizzle, we did not go down anymore because the staircase is wet and slippery.

Mahatao Boat Shelter Port

I was sad because we just passed the Mahatao Boat Shelter Port, gusto ko pa naman bumaba para magtake ng pictures. This port was constructed so in times of typhoon and strong waves, there is a shelter for the boats. I also saw a lighthouse from afar but I don’t know the name of the lighthouse.

San Carlos Borromeo Church

Next stop is San Carlos Borromeo Church, a church in Mahatao that was built in 1787 and was improved through the years. This is also the place where Katipuneros raised the Katipunan flag on September 19, 1898. It is part of National Cultural Treasure since July 31, 2011.

There is a blank book here where you can write your personal message. Within the area, you can see two old Spanish lamp post that serves as a lighthouse or guide to fishermen.

Homoron Blue Lagoon

We passed the Huhmoron, Homoron Blue Lagoon or Spanish Lagoon, it is famous because of the blue color of the water but during our visit, hindi siya blue. It is also called Spanish Lagoon because during the Spanish era, only priest or Spaniards are allowed to take a dip or swim here. But of course, now it is open to the public.

Maydangeb White Beach

We stopped by at Maydangeb White Beach, looking at the beach parang ang sarap na magswimming. But it was cold and we did not go to Batanes to swim, so we have to continue our sightseeing tour.

Old Spanish Tuhel Bridge

On our way to House of Dakay, we passed by Old Spanish Bridge in Ivana Town, it was built in 1800’s but it is still functional. You can also see other bridges in the area.

House of Dakay

House of Estrella or popularly known as House of Dakay is the oldest stone house in Batanes. It is one of the stone houses that survived after the September 13, 1918 earthquake (8.3 magnitude). The house is still in its original form except for the cogon roof because it is replaced every 25 to 30 years. The kitchen and comfort room are few steps away from the house. You can also rent a Vakul and Kanayi Vest for P20. Few steps away from House of Dakay is a souvenir shop so you can already buy souvenirs there.

San Jose de Ivana Church

Then we moved to old Ivana Port, in front of the port is San Jose de Ivana Church. Batanes is a small province but I was really surprised that everywhere we go, there is a church for the Ivatans. It was built in 1787 to serve the people of Ivana, Sabtang, and Uyugan but when Sabtang residents moved back to Sabtang, they closed some parts of the church.

Honesty Coffee Shop

From the church, we walked to Honesty Coffee Shop. It the famous coffee shop because the store is unmanned. Yes, there is no staff that will assist you. If you want to buy or eat, feel free to serve yourself but don’t forget to pay. There is logbook where you need to list the stuff that you bought and drop your payment at the dropbox. According to our tour guide, palaki ng palaki nga daw bahay ng may-ari ng Coffee Shop because it is indeed the most visited tourist spot in Batanes.

Maybe, even you don’t have to plan to buy something, mapapabili ka just to experience buying something at the Honesty Coffee Shop. It is good to know na nagwork ang Honesty Coffee Shop in Batanes but sad to know na hindi siya nagwork sa mga ibang gumaya like in Metro Manila. Bilang na lang ba ang honest sa Metro Manila?

Muchong Viewpoint

After exploring Ivana Town, we went to Uyugan Town. Our first stop is Muchong Viewpoint, another rolling hill in Batanes where you can enjoy the seascape.

Ruins of Songsong

We passed by Sitio of Songsong, which is also known as ghost barangay because the area was abandoned after the tsunami hit the town in the year 1954. You can still see the roofless stone houses but some of the ruins are already occupied. People try to restore and maintain the stone house.

Alapad Pass and Natural Rock Formation

We stopped by Alapad Pass and Natural Rock Formation, it is another popular tourist spot because it is where Richard Gomez and Dawn Zulueta shot their movie “Hihintayin Kita sa Langit”.

You will enjoy the different rock formations here, the two cliffs separated by the road, the Pacific Ocean view. In Batanes, you will always see “Blow UR Horn” sign if you will pass narrow curve cliff, hindi pa uso text lingo may ganung sign na sa Batanes.

Old LORAN (Long Range Naval Station)

From the Madangay Cliff, you can see the OLD Loran or also known at Little America. It will be reopened as the National Museum.

Lunch at Nanay Ching Restaurant

It was only quarter to 11AM, but we’re almost finished with our South Batan Tour. Lighthouse and Marlboro Country na lang ang kulang. We had early lunch at Nanay Ching Restaurant. It is park of our tour package, we had nilagang pork, chicken afritada, pork adobo, chopsuey, rice and camote salad. The serving was huge so we took our time eating at mahaba-haba pa oras namin.

Read: Where to Eat in Batanes

Marlboro Country

After one hour, we continued exploring South Batan and off we went to Racuh A Payaman or also known as Marlboro Country. It is a protected area where you can see cows, carabaos, hills, mountain, fields, sky, and sea. It is indeed a picturesque place and sometimes I wonder if this place is really in the Philippines.

Breathtaking Batanes it is, you can see the Tayid lighthouse at the left, Mount Iraya at the right, and enjoy the view of the Pacific Ocean. It was windy so it was hard for me to walk kasi feeling ko liliparin na naman ako. But even though I’m afraid, I try my best to walk so I can enjoy the view too. Kung hindi lang mahangin, we can stay longer here.

Tayid Lighthouse

Our last stop of the tour is Tayid Lighthouse, it is one of the three functional lighthouses in Batanes that was built in the 2000s. It is hexagonal shape lighthouse that guides the seafarers in the West Philippine Sea and the Pacific Ocean. The lighthouse was closed so we were not able to check the interiors.

Mahatao Wind Turbines

On our way back to the hotel, we saw the Mahatao Wind Turbines. It is not operational so nakababa lang.

Tawsen Souvenir Shop

Since we are early, our tour guide dropped us at Tawsen Souvenir Shop so we can buy some souvenirs or pasalubong.

Watch the video here

Dinner at Hudzan’s Cafe & Catering

We had dinner at Hudzan’s Cafe & Catering, we ordered Buttered Garlic Shrimp, Burger Steak, Crispy Beef Ribs, Rice and Softdrinks. It is part of our tour package so we did not pay anything.

That’s the end of my Batanes series. It is a hassle-free and memorable experience for us. Going to Batanes is not cheap but I have no regrets in visiting this province. I’m happy that I was able to cross this out on my bucket list and I am proud to say that we have this breathtaking place in the Philippines.

We paid P7200 per person for our 3 Days Tour in Batanes, which includes the tour, lunch, and dinner. If you want to save money, you can check my post here. You can also book your tour at Klook.

Read: Where to Stay in Batanes

3 Days North Batan, South Batan and Sabtang Island Tour P5,500
2 Days North Batan, South Batan and Sabtang Island Tour P4,800
North Batan Half Day Tour P1500
Sabtang Island Day Tour from Batan Island P2500
2 Days North Batan and South Batan Tour P3500
South Batan Tour P2000