TIM eMagazine Vol.1 Issue 3
Batanes remains almost unadulterated. There are no
modern buildings save for a handful of contemporary
houses. Old churches that date back to the 1800s have
been preserved.
Spanish-era stone houses with thatched roofs
still abound. Houses and Churches Buildings are
traditionally of two-storey in height and are made of
lime and stone with meter thick cogon roofs believed
to last 60 years. These stone houses, found all over
Batanes, are worthy subjects for photography.
ESCAPADES
If one were to look for adventure, the island offers a
lot of fascinating places to walk out on or explore like
Spelunking at Chawa Cave in Mahatao, Crystal Cave
in Mananoy, Mahatao, Sarokan Cave at Itbayat and
Nakabuang Cave, Sabtang.
Trekking in the like of Marlboro Country &Naidi
Hills; a ditch in Surfing at Madiwedved, Mahatao;
Mountaineering, trekking & trailblazing of Mt. Iraya.
A feast to the eyes is Bird watching of cuyab, the
migratory birds from China that flock the islands.
They stop over in Batanes for a day or two before they
continue their flight in search for warmer climate.
Sometimes they are called Virgin Marys birds as they
appear only on October during Our Lady’s birthday and
celebrating the Kapayvanuvanua ritual in Diura at the
start of the fishing season.
Batanes is very often visited by typhoons and it is the resiliency of
the Ivatans that made them unique in adapting to the condition. This
unique characteristic of being resilient have made the people of Batanes
developed a distinctive bonding amongst themselves.
Stone Houses along
Chavayan, a UNESCO
World Heritage Site
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