we expected to wake up before 6am on the third day since a lot of people we talked to mentioned this was a good time to go to white island. the rains let up already but it was pretty cloudy that morning we were fearful our pictures will turn out dark and gloomy. while waiting for the boat, van and i ventured to the big rocks that sort of formed like a barrier in front of paras beach resort and snapped some pictures. from these rocks, you actually have a perfect view of the paras resort and the rocks was a perfect location for some nice pictures. we were finished by the time the boat came back to take us to white island.
white island is like a small island of white coarse sand five minutes by boat from the shore. there are no trees on white island just the clear, pristine waters surrounding it. there was though makeshift huts with tables serving beer and seafood. when we got to the white island, it was still cloudy, but this didn't 
dampen our spirits. this patch of land was actually very beautiful and relaxing. we couldn't decide what pose, what angle will give great pictures so we decided to just snap endlessly. we ordered some san mig light and grilled (really big) squid/calamari to go with it. the combination was perfect and the the calamari was cooked perfectly - not rubbery. ali, van & i decided to take a dip in the clear, blue waters and we took some more pictures in & out of the water. i have to tell you that i was amazed how clear the waters were that you could literally see underwater and it makes for great underwater shots. wading through the water, it also was surprising that the water was still below my shoulders even as i ventured farther away from the shore. i think this is a very good place to go snorkeling. before we left, van bought some native necklaces i think 9 pieces for 100 pesos (after haggling of course). take note too that since we didn't have money with us on the island, the manong's just told us we can just pay the boatman when he brings us back to the mainland. wow, they were really nice. the white island tour was just an additional 400 pesos (for 4 people) part of the arrangement with our lodging.
when we got back to our cottage, we just changed clothes and was ready for the camiguin tour by kuya cris. we brought swimming clothes since we were going to visit some cold & hot springs along the way. our first stop was the walkway to the old volcano and via cruces where the stairs actually led to the top of the old volcano and had the stations of the cross along the way. we only made as far as the 3rd station but decided that the trek yesterday to the canopy walk was exercise enough for the week so we didn't bother to go up anymore. our next stop was the old church which was actually destroyed when the volcano erupted sometime in 1871. looking at what was left of the church, i can just imagine how devastating that volcanic eruption was back in 1871 since the church has been completely laid to waste. i was amazed since i was looking at piece of history right in front of me, 135 year old ruin. at the back of the church was the bell tower, also already in ruins and there was a giant tree planted which was breathtaking to look at. kuya cris told us that mcarthur landed on the shores of camiguin before when the americans liberated the philippines from spanish colonization. wow, we were standing there where history unfolded hundreds of years ago. when we were leaving, we chanced upon some lanzones that were being sold at 60 per kilo. we bought a couple of kilos and later on learned that during the real lanzones season (october), a kilo can go to as low as 10 pesos - wow!
our next stop was the sunken cemetery where we saw that a cross has been erected a few meters from the shore to mark where the cemetery was before the eruption moved that part of the land to the sea. kuya cris told us that you can actually see the tombstones when it is low tide but corals have already grown on most of them. we left for the sto nino cold springs where we also decided to take our lunch of fresh buko, chicken adobo and grilled pork. we threw in 3 big mangoes for dessert. we decided not to bathe in the cold springs and decided to just snap some pictures of us on the multi-cab. our next stop was the katibawasan falls - the water here was very very cold but we gamely waded through the waters playing while taking some pictures. we left a few minutes after happy & cooled down from the warm breeze. the plastic chamois ali & i brought at MoA nicely doing its job of absorbing the water from our clothes. before we went to our last stop for the day, we passed by one of the stores and hoarded boxes of pastel (bread with cream filling). i haven't really tasted this one but decided to buy 4 boxes (12 dozen per box) of it just caught up with everyone buying so many boxes.our last stop was the ardent hot springs where all of us enjoyed the warm water. there were actually a few other people but we didn't mind not having the place to ourselves. we had fun taking pictures while playing in the water and even took videos of us swimming and making funny faces & actions underwater. i think i've ROI'd the waterproof casing for my camera already - yipee! i was surprised to see that all that working out is paying off since my arms did have some definition underwater - hahaha (insert blush here!). unfortunately, all this playtime under the sun doesn't do my skin any good and i've noticed how dark my arms look now. you can see clearly the change from my shoulders to my arms - like really dark brown contrasting with my lighter-colored shoulders. damn, i need lots of likas papaya and whitening lotion na naman. we got home a bit beat from all the going around during the day. dinner was liempo and lechon manok, rice and coke. we slept early that night since we were in for an early ferry ride back to cagayan de oro.
our estimated expenses were a bit off probably by 500-1k since we didn't include tips and underestimated food costs a bit (or takaw lang kami), i think the trip cost like 7.5-8k (not including the plane fare). we also had additional expenses for renting a van (instead of taking the bus). but for all the stuff that we did and the places we visited, 10k isn't bad.
must have items :
digital camera + underwater casing (don't go for the kodak waterproof disposable camera)
at least 1GB of memory card
rechargeable batteries
cool outfits
for more pictures, click here : camiguin
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