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| sunrise from the bus window |
Our trip to Alibijaban started on a Friday night. We were at Starmall Alabang bus terminal aboard a non-air conditioned Barney bus bound to San Andres, Quezon. It was half-past nine and there are still lots of empty seats. The bus will leave the terminal at exactly ten o’clock even with the empty seats. With a travel time of ten hours, I assumed that we will reach San Andres at six in the morning.
Don’t expect a pleasant bus ride going to San Andres. We let our windows open due to the heat, but it was a bad decision as we experienced drowning in the night’s air that it made it impossible to get some sleep. Passengers also came in and out of the bus regularly that you would always hear the conductor walking back and forth asking for fare and shouting at every destination. The light was also left out open almost the entire night.
Before five in the morning I can already see the clouds turning from dark blue to a dark pink color signaling the start of sunrise. My friends are still sleeping as I watched the changing color of the sky. At around five thirty, I can already see the sun just behind the tall coconut trees. We reached the San Andres terminal at six in the morning. We took a trike going to the market to buy food that we can cook at the island and to get some breakfast.
If you want to cook some fish, it is much cheaper to buy at Alibijaban Island than at the market in San Andres. You can ask your contact person in Alibijaban to help you buy fish from the fishermen at the island. Aside from fish, you can buy pork and chicken meat and vegetables at the market. From the market you can already take a walk going to the port to meet your bangkero. The people here are friendly and accommodating so don’t be afraid to ask for directions.
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| market scene at San Andres |
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| the port of San Andres |
For accommodations, you can choose to pitch a tent or rent a room from the locals. Tents can be pitched along the shoreline and enjoy the breeze. And if you’re not comfortable in sleeping under the sky, you can rent a room from the local and sleep in comfy beds.
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| our accommodation |
Electricity and water are the expensive commodities in Alibijaban. Electricity came from generators and can only be used during the night; once the sun is up, electricity is shut down. Water that is used for cooking, cleaning, washing and baths are also being sold. A pail of water can cost to Php 30.00. Water came from a dam that is being filtered and sold to the locals. Cellphones, tablets and other gadgets can be charged for a fee at a store.
Do not worry if you are unable to buy food at San Andres because there are sari-sari stores in Alibijaban where you can buy the basic commodities. The town’s people are all nice as they will also let you borrow their cooking utensils. If you don’t have any cooking skills, you can ask them to cook for you; just remember to return the favor.
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| the beach scene at Alibijaban Island |
The people in the island are all kind and accommodating to their guest. You can roam the whole island by yourself, and the villagers are very kind enough to give out directions. Remember not to take it for granted and always return the favor.
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| one of our guide while in Alibijaban Island |
