Our day started out with drizzle, bothered whether we will still pursue this day’s itinerary or not. The tourist guides are bothered because the weather is unpredictable at this moment. It was such a blessing when the rain stopped after we had our breakfast that's why we pursued our island hoping.

We immediately headed to Port San Vicente, our jump off point to different islands in Sta. Ana.  

The view from the port is already breathtaking. Indeed a great view far from the tall buildings and busy streets of the metro.

If you purchase this on the local market, this will cost you P 30.00 per bilog only. Good deal for every seaweeds fan out there!

We used two motorboats to reach Palaui Island.

Little information, dear wanderers! This is the island where the Survivor: Blood VS. Water took place. How cool is that? :)

This is my first time to ride a motorboat ever! Please bear with my ecstatic face. Hee hee.

Thank you to the people who took care of us while we're on the sea!

Here are the other breathtaking views while we are at the motorboat. I wish I could turn back time and see these beautiful views again.

 Touchdown Siwangag Cove!

Stepping on the island gave me little goosebumps! They say that this cove played some part in the history of the country.

We saw local people spending their day by the sea side. It was a great experience to see how they spend their day on the island. Simple and quiet.

Bayawak up close and personal.

If I’m not mistaken, they call this bird Tangad. One local told me that he is going to tie a thread to the bird so her little girl can play with it. But he said, at the end of the day, he is still going to let go of the bird. So no animal cruelty involve friends! 

Q&A: How do you see yourself spending your day on this island? Comment below! :)

Saw this tiny little creature by the cove!

Our next destination is the Cape Engaño Lighthouse. It is located on a different island, 30 minutes away from this cove.

Cape Engaño Lighthouse is located on the top of the hill. For people to reach this lighthouse, they need to climb 236 flight of steps. No sweat!

We paused on certain levels of the stairs to check out the breathtaking view. I bet you will also love how serene the view is! 

Upon reaching the peak of the hill, the façade of the Cape Engaño Lighthouse slowly shows up. Another first! It's my first time to see a light house. 

Too bad this light house is not functioning anymore. At least the scenic view on the side is still beautiful and breathtaking.

From this lighthouse, you can also view the Dos Hermanos Island which is also another place you can visit.

We were quite saddened to see the interiors of this lighthouse. What supposed to be one of our most cherished tourism places in the country, this light house became obsolete due to the lack of budget of the local government.

Soon as we arrived inside the main lighthouse, we saw lots of vandalisms on the walls. I hope that the Department of Tourism lends their hand and restore the light house' beauty.

Proceeding with our adventure, our tour guide told us that we are doing a 4-hour trek to the snorkelling site in the island.

As we go along the trail, I can’t help myself to stop and stare at the view! It was as if I'm not in the Philippines anyomore.

Meanwhile, we saw a mud crab trap in the trail.

What makes the trail fun is that aside from walking in the land, we also get to walk in the water to reach our destination.

Soon that we reached the site, we first had our late lunch because it’s around 3 pm already! Are you ready for a quite exotic lunch, guys?

Here are the local delicacies that we tried. First, Sinigang na Malaga. (Correct me if I’m wrong!)

Next, Kilawin na Baby Octopus.

This is the first time I've ever tried eating a kilawin. I like the thought that the baby octopus is cooked well. It does not come with other garnishing that’s why the sour flavor comes out naturally as you munch it.

Next, Dinuguang Pusit.

I’ll always be a fan of broiled squids, but not the Dinuguang Pusit. Though it is very yummy, I didn’t like how my friend’s lips became similar with Ursula’s because his lips were filled with the squid’s ink. 

But hey, don’t be fooled by my kaartehan. The squid is very delicious. Hee hee.

Right amount of sourness + Tenderness of the squid = one happy tummy!

Next, Raw Sea Urchin.

I want to prove how adventurous I am when it comes to food, that's why I tried eating the raw sea urchins. But I ended up with a swelling upper lip and itchy skin later on. Beware of your allergies guys before eating such. 

Anyway, I still liked how the sea urchin tasted because it is unexpectedly tasty, too. It’s just that it was only once that I tried it because I am still having doubts.

Next on the list is the Cooked Crabs. 

The crabs are so meaty and fresh that I ended up eating much than I expected.

Next is the Kuhol. 

You just have to pull out the meat and cut the hard part to eat it. It is as tender as the squid. It’s actually a nice snack to dig in whenever you’re watching TV or playing board games. 

Next is the Tortang Gamet (Scrambled Egg with Black Seaweeds).

Another revelation. I always hated my mom's cooked seaweeds. Since I’m a very picky eater, I never tasted one and hated it ever since. But this! This made me love seaweed now! 

I think what made it at its best is because how the egg was seasoned. Plus I liked it more because it comes with lots of onions and tomatoes. Great way to boost my appetite! :)

Now here is what we had for Dessert. This is called Bilog-Bilog. This is very similar with Biko. The only difference between the two is that Bilog-bilog is not made up of malagkit rice.

So much for the delicious foods, here is the main activity that we did for today, Snorkelling!

Another first time! I am so excited to wear the fins! I couldn’t wait to witness down the sea and swim with the fishes. :)

This site is a marine reserved area that’s why it is rest assured that you will have a great time watching lots of fishes swim underwater! Also, there are lots of colorful corals for you to see deep down under the sea.

Too bad I wasn’t able to photograph under water. People have to see how gorgeous the world is down there with the lovely fishes and corals.

Here are the rates if you are interested in going to Palaui Island:

Before I end this blog entry, I would like to give a million thanks to some people who made this escapade a very possible one.

From the Flashbang Project: Sir Jason Tejada (and his family in Tuguegarao), Creative Director

                                            Sir Francisco Garduque (aka RD), Regional Director

                                            Sir Eduardo Dejacto (aka Sir Eddie), Regional Staff

From the Local Governement Unit (LGU) of Sta. Ana, Cagayan: 

                                            Ms. Ederlina Tagum (aka Ms. Eds), Project Development Assistant

                                            Ms. Florence Obiano, MENRO

                                            Mr. Danilo Rugrug, Jr. , MENRO Staff

                                            Mr. Gervic Mata, Academe Representative

All of you made our experience in Sta. Ana, Cagayan a very memorable one!

This is the end for Day 2! I will reveal the next two days of this escapade soon. ;P