Canhugas: A Different Kind Of Paradise

On my way to Borongan this morning I had a chance to drop by Canhugas Nature Park somewhere on the Pacific Coast of Hernani in Eastern Samar. All I could say was "oh wow, our country also has this"?

For the past 2 or 3 years, I've been seeing signage along the road, pointing the way towards this place. That early, I already wanted to come and see this place. But, there was just no opportunity, until today!

Why the interest? Ah well, I'm a beach lover, many of you know that. And seeing that the arrows on the road pointed east, I said "this Canhugas thing must be along Eastern Samar's Pacific Coast. Tingnan"!

So, thinking this was some strip of "sandy beach", this was on my bucket list for quite a time. And this opportunity was even just an attempt to "make my bad day become a good one". A "stop gap activity"!

Thus, I did not ever think this was going to be "one fantastic day of discovery"!

Y'know politicos, my morning meeting in Borongan was cancelled, and the advise came via a 'txt msg' while I was already somewhere in Marabut coming from Tacloban! So I switched to my 'tourist mode'!

Driver was quick to suggest "ano Sir, Sulangan, Calicoan, Jagnaya, Asgad"? I laughed that he's abreast with my favorite places to visit in Eastern Samar! But I said 'no' as I would definitely enjoy any of them too much, that I might be late for another meeting, also in Borongan, set at 2PM, by another politician!

We opted for places and things to see just along the way to Borongan after turning left at the junction in Buenavista (Quinapondan). First was the nice white-sand beach of Garawon but we didn't stay long. We've visited that beach many times before anyway. If I stayed again, I'll have to explore the shallows.

Then I saw those Canhugas billboards again. I just glanced at the driver, and we turned right from the highway. It was even this driver that spoke my mind saying "Canhugas, kon ano ka man, adi na kami"!

So we arrived. My first sentence was a mix of bewilderment and sarcasm saying "OMG ano ini"?

That hut (reception) is beside the entrance sitting way above the waterline, where I could see no white sandy beach but a range of craggy ridges. Just looking at it, you'd know you can't easily move around!

But we were already there, so we continued to look around the place, still wondering why... hehehe!

Yet part of me was saying "for the LGU to build these nice cottages, there must be something here"...

Good that there was this enthusiastic staff who came to describe and explain the whole place to us.

He kept referring to that ridge as some kind of THE highlight in this place, inviting us to check it out.

So we did, with him as our guide of course! Caution: the rocks are sharp, don't run or romp around!

That guide - probably being very used to this place (or probably just really physically fit), seemed to be just strolling on the way up, while me (and my driver too) would even crawl on all fours at some areas!

At one point, guide (already atop a rocky ridge) was eagerly pointing things to me:
Guide: kitaa it nga mga balud, sir! [Translation: look at the waves, sir!]
Me: anay ga nga panulay ka yadi pa ak iginkukuri! [Translation: wait!] 😉
Everyone (including some kids watcing us): hahahaha hehehehe!

Seriously, that is why I said 'caution' above, because anywhere on those ridges, those limestone rocks are very sharp, whichever part of my sexy body touched them, even my palms, I was pierced. Masakit!

But when I got to the suggested viewpoint (there are many) I saw that the views are really amazing!

You somehow feel you're on a big boat being rammed by giant waves of the deep blue Pacific Ocean!

Everywhere (left or right) is a 'different kind" of picturesque. A weird fantastic sensation! Look at this:

Focus on the 'white froth' from the waves, then look at this next scene (below) to see the difference...

That splashing big wave (in the middle) was not even halfway to its maximum height, but it was tricky, tough actually (for me at least) to shoot a succession of shots while standing on uneven sharp crags!

On hindsight, I should have recorded a video. It's not just the sight of those gigantic waves battering a rocky promontory. The thunderous roar followed by a crackly splash makes you cringe and love it too!

It's a different kind of frighteningly fun sensation. Makalilisang!

Well and aha! I have reson to come back next time, because I did not take videos this time. Di ba?

The crazier part was that this enthusiastic staff who self-appointedly became 'my personal tour guide' (o ha?), knows the best places in this area to capture or pose for pictures or videos. And it wasn't hard to imagine what he meant. The (my) problem was, it's not easy to move around this lovely crazy place!

One time he said "saka ngadto" [go up there], and he asked for my phone, telling me he'd shoot photos of me as it's a nice photo-op area. I attempted but failed! Told him instead to "go up I'll take the photo"!

Yep, I believed him, that is such a nice photo-op area. That pic could have even been greater. Because, before that happened, he was saying "aro-atras pa sir, para kita it dagat" [move a bit backwards, so the ocean will be in the shot]. But I said "NO, nga mananap ka, ngin mahungkog ak"? [I can't translate that]!

But I understood what this guy meant. That "shot (supposedly of me) on a craggy promontory with the Pacific Ocean way down below" would've been fantastic. But I don't gamble my life just for a good pic!

Ano yan, buwis-buhay na pictorial? Never butig!

All that time, the driver who disagreed to the practicality of this "adventure" anyway, was just watching us, laughing his innards out due to my noisy protestations, while trying to stay motionless at where he stood. One can't move much in this area! Can't even sit anywhere as the pointedly sharp rocks do hurt!

Yet the views are one of a kind. You'd be sorry to let pass some of the hard-to-reach photo-op nooks!

Yes, like those holes howsoever mother earth crafted them! The staff told us we could go behind that rock and peep at any hole, especially the round one in the middle. Nice but I said pwede kayo na lang?

It wasn't far from where we stood. And my shoes were getting used to the sharp pointed rocky terrain. But it has a hollow underside w/ waves ramming every second. Their sound alone is already terrifying! I said 'better sorry no picture, than falling off the ragged high cliff down unto the raging deep blue sea'!

Ah, a weirdly fantastic experience like no other. BUT not for the very young nor the very old, I suppose! Panoramic too. Resort staff (my guide hehehe) told us: photographers with big and expensive-looking equipment come to this place, at times spending the whole day, just to take photos. That's believable.

Here is some kind of good news: I noticed the resort/park management is making 'safer paths' along the face of the rocky ridge, by chipping-off some of the dangerously sharp and pointed rocky portions. How do they do it? They chip-off the pointed rocks with a bolo, until they become smooth. High-Tech!

Okay, done taking in the fantastic views - AND the crazy buwis-buhay pictorials, we returned to one of those nice-looking, well-built cottages. We would have been delighted to order yummy lunch, but alas, dimalas, this facility does not have food (yet). Guests are expected to bring their own food and drinks.

But I was still happy with that "challenging experience with a view among the craggy ridges".

Alright. We were hastening to leave when the staff (guide) asked if we didn't anymore want to see the "other side", the "main area" of this nature park. Driver and I looked at each other wide-eyed surprised.

I clarified "so, yung cottage at pictorial doon sa burol, hindi pa yan ang resort"? Staff smilingly said "ah para han mga challenging la iton, sir"! My goodness! So I said "kadna dali, let us go and see it now na"!

We went down to the area (leftwards after going down the stairs from that nipa hut entrance above).

As you can see, it's obviously the main area of this resort. I was a little embarrassed that we didn't see that earlier. Well, honestly, I was already happy to have experienced those crazily rocky ridges hahaha!

The staff who was still with us (personal tour guide ko na nga sya eh), told me: that corner is the most photographed area in this resort (I thought that was obvious) and to the right is going down to the sea (that was obvious too). But I asked what is up atop that stairway. He said "wala, viewdeck lang". OMG!

I ran fast to the top of the stairs, and true, there's really nothing, just a view where you see this...

I was silently laughing and saying "lalanglangin mo lang" eh ang ganda kaya ng view dito"! That is one lesson I learned during my travels (by the way). What locals may think as "nothing really" could be the best you'll ever see or experience in your life. This was an example of that! A wonderful view, no deck!

Maybe I should name that thing as "stairway to nothing"! As in "stairway to nothing but earthly beauty! Eh there's really nothing there. Just the stairs going up. There is even no platform or deck or anything!

Mr. Guide followed me, so I had the chance to ask him about things seen from that point. Information overload na yata. I heard many new things. But, I tried to recall them as much as my lowly utak could!

Like: why is the sand yellow? That's not sand, that's hard coral. Aray ko! They're inhabited by moss and other underwater flora, rendered yellow by the sun's rays, because, that whole area dries-up at lowtide.

Wow! I didn't know there's something like that! Glad I was hearing them now.

People can walk around to play in the same area during low tide. And that is also where visitors swim during high tide. I asked if it's really that shallow (there's water, but those people are walking). He said "nahubas na" [tide is ebbing out] and in about an hour the whole place will be without water. Coolness!

Nice that I also learned (not the usual) necessary precautions from him. He told me that all should be careful when walking around (no running) as some portions will naturally be slippery due to the moss.

Those who don't know how to swim should still be watched by swimmer companions since there are portions where the coral is non-existent. OMG wow that's good to know. He even pointed those to me.

His explanation... the "yellowish ground" that you walk on isn't actually the 'seabed' but the top area of these coraline growths from thousands of years. Wow, that was a profound thing to know. Look at the green parts at right, those are without coral growths. When it is high tide, one could fall unto them and realize it is actually already very deep! And that's what we common folks refer to as "uneven seafloor".

When it is lowtide like in the picture, we uninformed people think, those depressions or holes are nice natural pools to hang around at. That's fine & true, even young fish and other sea creatures also do so.

I asked for more descriptions, to understand well. So, coral limiestones (the "yellow ground" we see in the picture above and below) are like lush Talisay Trees (flat-looking on top) and that's where we walk. If we step on areas with no leaves, we fall to the ground - that's similar to the green spaces in the pics.

WOW! I was like listening to a topic on Oceanic Geography 101. Very useful information. Eto pa...

These "holes" do not usually get literally dry, since water is trapped - that is why baby fish etc. thrive in them. We also like sitting in them, right? We sometimes call them 'mini-jacuzzi', 'mini-spa' or 'hot tubs'!

But, when water is a little higher due to hightide, and we are not aware of those non-coral-growth area, we may not see them, and while walking, we could "fall" unto them. No issue if we know how to swim.

Wow again. Mighty-important learnings! I'll try to remember all of those.

Anyway, I was curious why in this area, water is calm and clear, while on the other side of those "rocky islets" (where we came from), waves are big, raging and rampaging, even creating frightening sounds.

He paused, then said "aw sir, kanan Diyos na iton pag-burut-an" [aw sir, that is already God's will]. Da!

That is another fascinating thing about this place. Look at the 2 photos above again. Can you imagine that those big waves, creating the white froth, are just on the other side (right side) of those rock hills?

Amazing. I should come back here on a low tide to see more of this left side of the Nature Park.

Imagine that, umakyat lang ako sa 'hagdan na walang patutunguhan', ang dami ko nang natutunan!

So.., that means.., I'm not done yet! More kwento pa!

Turning left on that corner with the staircase, we "actually" entered the picnic areas and saw this...

Yes, we were just entering the picnic areas of this "resort" - and I already had such a long story above!

Like what you're probably thinking now... my first reaction was "is that a cave"? Yes it is. Or, even more appropriately "Yes they are"! The picnic areas are situated in limestone rocks that have been carved by the elements through time. They avoided built constructions in this area, to preserve a natural setting!

The hollow portions of this "almost-like-a-cave-system" were cleared, to serve as resting places where folks relax comfortably, instead of having real built-up cottages. No need for roofs as you're in a cave!

Fallen trees were cut to become tables, stools and benches! A very natural setup we can call 'organic'!

Of course you can walk down to the water and swim. As I said earlier, this side of the 'nature park' has a calmer, shallower, swimmable body of water, protected (I think) from the waves by those hilly rocks.

Ah, in one corner of the "caves", I saw freshly-fallen earth that created an opening on the top portion...

That open part up there is the 'ground level' which (I think) is walkable to/from the main entrance! And if you were up there looking-down (that's about 20 to 30ft), that is actually a true & real "sink-hole". Du!

Yes, ganun! And it looked "new" hehe! Well, I could see that the part that caved-in was all "earth" (lupa) with no limestone support, while where we settled was domed by limestone rocks. Nagmarunong na! But I guess the LGU wouldn't have opened it to the public if it wasn't checked for safety yet. Kulba 😱!

The rest areas, by the way, are windy cool, as air rushes ang gushes through the cave-like formations.

Eto pa...

I even enjoyed looking at the surroundings, especially the seemingly loose earth of this cave system.

There are interesting-looking formations that look like fossils of creatures of yesteryears. Doesn't that look like some mandible of a whale or something? They amazingly look like fossilized teeth to me. Da!

Here's another one with a seemingly unnatural "specimen" clinging amid the rocky face of the cliff...

Looking at them is already entertainment enough - if at all they're not fossils waiting to be discovered!

And here's an example of what I said are minimal built-up constructions in this 'cave-system' area...

They have concreted those little steps to make it safer for everyone. And that is actually the exit point!

In all, this was such a place of too many discoveries for me. Nasa ESamar lang pala!

So we left. But as we went out of this Canhugas Nature Park, my driver told me this place is similar to Balangkayan's Minasangay (another nature park, also along the Pacific Coast). That gave me an idea.

And I said "oo nga ano, tara, let's go there"!

So, my dear readers, followers, subscribers.., you know what's my next story will be! Abangan...