So you finally make it to Batanes, the Philippines’ northern paradise. You marvel at the wonderful view, do the tours, and take Instagram-worthy photos. Then it rains. And rains some more. As a typhoon hits Luzon, the paradise turned into a wetland and you have to stay indoors. Worse, flights are repeatedly cancelled. You feel a little bit homesick and you worry about work piling up. You are officially stranded in Batanes.
That was me about four months ago. I stayed in Batanes for 8 days and 4 nights, 4 days longer than what was originally planned. I joked with some of my friends that they’d just have to visit me there because I’ll probably end up marrying an Ivatan or a cow and just live there. I love Batanes but being stranded was frustrating. Time is so slow in this place; it’s maddening. The main challenge is how to pass the time. Well, here’s how I did it.
Make friends
I manage to make at least one new friend when I’m traveling but when I was stranded in Batanes, it was inevitable. I stayed at Marfel’s Lodge with my sister Pam and six other guests. We toured together, ate most meals together, watch the news and movies together. By the end of the trip, we’re all Facebook friends and had snapped gazillions of groufies.
Monitor the news
Since the internet connection in Batanes wasn’t exactly reliable, we had to regularly watch the news for typhoon and flight cancellation updates. I’ve probably done my one-month’s worth of watching news in that one week.
Learn to entertain yourself
I mentioned entertainment items in my previous post and I would like to reiterate that it can get boring in Batanes if you’re just stuck inside a hotel room for days. If sleeping all day does not excite you, find things to do. Watch a movie, read books, do puzzles, play games on your phone, make friends.
Talk to the locals
Speaking of friends, talking and befriending locals is a must, whether you’re stranded or not. You’ll know a lot about a place’s culture by spending time with its locals. It doesn’t hurt that the people of Batanes are one of the kindest, gentlest, friendliest people on earth. Ryan Cardona of BISUMI Travels and Tours even prepared a free lunch for us once after he learned that our flight was cancelled again.
Go out when the sun’s out
During our trip, there were days when the skies are clear but it’s still not safe for flying. We maximized days like this by going out. Since we couldn’t do much, we just walked and ate out. A few times we returned to places we’ve already been to, like the Valugan Boulder Beach and Vayang Rolling Hills.
Take videos
This didn’t occur to me until I was boarding the plane back home but it’s something you can do whether you’re stranded or not. Document your stay by taking videos. Think Matt Damon’s The Martian. Okay, that was an extreme example but you catch my drift, I hope. By the end of the trip, you’ll feel like a legit vlogger.
Rest
No matter how frustrated you get, no matter how much you want to go home, no matter how much nagging your boss does, there’s only so much you can do. You don’t control the skies and airlines cancel flights for your safety. While stranded, get as much rest as you can. Vacations are made exactly for that reason.
The best tip I can give to you if you ever decide to go to Batanes – and you should! – is this: ENJOY. Soak in as much of this wonderful place as you can. Happy travels! 🙂
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