Rounding Biliran Island

This was it! The real purpose why I was in Naval. Roam around the whole island!

How did I plan to go about this? That was a challenge. With me alone, to hire a van or any 4-wheeled vehicle was out of the question. Expensive and I had no assurance it would have been practical (I heard roads on the east and northeast were not yet quite done). But taking it from my Camiguin experience, I toyed at the idea of renting a motorbike and hiring a motorbike riding guide! Hard to find but, thankfully made possible by one of the waiters cum room boy of Marvin's Seaside Inn itself! Where I was staying, yes! Therefore, closer to home!

Maybe they had a hard time looking for what I wanted and they probably said 'let's just do it ourselves'! So off we went a roaming, the waiter in his own bike (as my guide) while I on a rented motorcycle (owned by his colleague, a cook?, am not sure now). I knew they are not experts as to places or things to see in the island (by the nature of their work) but I relied on the many things I have read on the web.

So, the plan was: go from Naval to the northern town of Almeria, onwards to Kawayan, cross to Maripipi if possible, back to Kawayan, eastward to Culaba, down to Caibiran, further down to Cabucgayan, westward to the town of Biliran and back up to Naval. Whew! Exciting!

Oops! Meters away from departure, I immediately noticed a hitch. Something I already realized sometime ago but somehow eluded my memory this time hehe! That is: I could not freely snap pictures of where I passed because I was myself driving hahaha! I got too used to riding front seat on air-conditioned Ceres, Bachelor and Rural buses all over Central/Western Visayas and Northern Mindanao, to realize that what I was doing now was a gross disadvantage!

I couldn't just stop anywhere I wanted since my guide was up ahead. I couldn't also drive ahead of him for I did not know the way! Kaya nga guide sya di ba?! So our stops were pre-determined or pre-planned and I cannot just holler to say let's stop here for a while since he wouldn't have heard me! Oh well. I should have done this just riding habal-habal style. Am sure it would have even been cheaper.

Anyway, it was still a wonderfully fun and exciting tour. Hours after the roam, I felt like my hands were still shaking. That feeling like I've been holding a jack hammer the whole day hahaha! Ikaw na mag-motor around all kinds of roads for a whole day! Unforgettable experience just the same!

The stories next, promise!

For a chronology of stories on this Biliran travel, please click the following: