Climb Up Yoga Camp

The Yoga Camp in Calicoan was supposed to be a retreat haven for yogis and people who would like to meditate. The place is perfect for meditating activities because it is situated in the middle of a forest, on top of rocks a lot of feet above the ground, and facing the Pacific, which means 1) you breathe in pure, unadulterated nature 2) you get a beautiful scenery, and 3) there is silence and peace.

However, it closed two years ago because tourism was still sleeping in Guiuan; no one would avail the services of the Yoga Camp. But you can still climb up and look around the Yoga Camp if you want to, you just have to ask permission from the Tourism Officer (in the Tourism Center near the Town Plaza) and ask for the keys and a guide.

into the forest w/ a guide

climb up the hundred stairs

see rock formations along the way

the terrace on top of the world

the view from up there (The Pacific Ocean)

♥♥♥

The Karayapan Festival of Guiuan

Karayapan is an old Waray-Waray word which broadly means "for all" and closely related to the concept of community. Karayapan Festival is a colorful festival depicting how the early Guiuan townsfolk enjoyed nature’s bounties, rich marine life, fertile land, and verdant forest. It is also a thanksgiving to our Patroness, the Blessed Virgin Mary.[adapted from the description in www.philippinefiestas.com]

This Festival usually features a street dancing parade by groups from the primary and secondary schools of Guiuan. The parade ends at the Town Plaza where the various groups compete for the trophy and cash prize. Usually, this occurs in March; however, the schedule was changed to December in line with the fiesta of the Imaculada Concepcion (the biggest fiesta of the year). I will research and post soon the updated schedule of this festival.

Here are some photos of the dance group from St. Mary's Academy of Guiuan:

the ladies with their big fans that has the image of the Lady of the Immaculate Concepcion

colorful costumes and props

the leader holding a small statue of the Lady of the Immaculate Concepcion

grace and colors

jellyfish props :)

 little crabs 

Here is a photo of the group from Homonhon National High School: 

lively ground presentation at the Town Plaza

(photos by Mano Tati Tan)

Ten Reasons Why You Should Try Surfing In Guiuan:

1. The waves are amazing and consistent throughout the year. I was told by an Australian surfer, who has been living in Calicoan for a long time now, that they seldom experience flat spells in the surfing spot, even if it's off season. Another professional Japanese surfer told me that the flattest state the surf spot can ever get is 3 feet. And the biggest waves can reach beyond a triple overhead level. Whoa.
2. Even if the waves get really nasty in the outside, surfers can still play in the inside because the waves tend to reform. 
3. Not crowded. There are less than 20 people in the line-up, which means:
1. you don't have to worry too much about dropping in on someone, or not finishing your ride.
2. less fights over a wave.
3. there are less chances of cracking someone's skull with your fin, or running someone over with your board.
4. less clappers and cheerers of your wipe-outs.
5. you can get the waves you want (not just the left-overs)
6. more wave count!
4. When the main surf spot gets really, really nasty and difficult, you can transfer to another surf spot. There are many spots just a little farther from the Surf Camp and one in Banago, Sulangan. You can ask the locals for tips.
5. No touristy vibe. Just chill and organic and very natural.
6. You can feast on silut (coconut) or tayum (sea urchin) after you surf. The place is surrounded by these delicacies.
7. You can choose between two living conditions depending on your taste. If you want a comfortable, royalty-type experience, and you have the funds for it, you can check in at either of the two resorts in the area- one is very majestic and expensive (Surf Camp), the other one is a little less cheaper and a chiller (Villa). Or if you are a survivor, you can choose to live with the locals! We camp and chill in our small kubo located right in front of the surfing area. We only have one faucet for fresh water, a couple of hammock, a set of coal-black cooking materials, the sea, the coconuts, no electricity, and pure local fun!
8. The scenery is simply breath-taking- the tall green coconut trees, the long stretch of white beach, and the clear and unpolluted blue skies. You have to be at the line-up and look at the beach from there to know what I am talking about.
9. The locals are awesome and nice! ♥
10. Finally, you will witness the most graceful and best wahine ever- Cindy Balbuena; and awesome little big-wave surfer kids- ages 10-7 (they can't even carry their boards on their own hahaha!).

Important Information:

• How to get to Calicoan from the town proper: 
•  You can look for a multicab or jeep heading to Sulangan at the public market (near Viva Commercial Center or Rochelyn Botique). Fare is 30php, and travel time is usually 30 mins. Ask to be dropped at the Surfing Area near Calicoan Villa.
• You can rent a tricycle for a fixed price (you have to negotiate w/ the driver).  
• Private vehicle: 20 minutes travel time
• Walk. Just kidding! But really, some pilgrims decide to walk from the town proper to the miraculous Sulangan Church (which is waaaay beyond Calicoan) as part of their saad or panata. Just saying. :)
• Surf Lessons info:
• Visit the local surf club "headquarters" located at the little kubo after the Calicoan Villa. There should be a sign that says: Surfing Area or Guiuan Surf Club. The club is offering affordable lessons. 200 for board rental +200 for the instructor. 
• The Surf Camp is also offering surf lessons. 500 for the board rental and X for instructor.
• Season:
• Peak season: September-First week of November
• There are waves all throughout the year! :)
• Chill waves during the summer ♥
• We recommend you to visit sometime in December to February if you 1) want to commit suicide 2) are a bigwave rider 3) want to be the only one in the line-up. :))
• Reminders:
• The spot has sharp reefs on the ocean bed. It's not really a problem (well, because we've been surfing there barefoot and we still have our feet) but if you want to avoid scratches and pain, you might want to bring with you a pair of booties.
• The nearest cheap eateries and market are 10 mins away (in Sulangan)- the Villa and the Surf Camp tend to serve expensive but delicious food. Near the surf spot are small sari-sari stores nearby that sell junk food, soda, cigarettes, ice, and a limited supply of red horse and gin. You might to buy stuff at the town proper first. Or you can buy raw meat and ask the locals to cook them for you. Eating with the locals in a boodle fight is a priceless experience!
• Bring a flashlight or a lamp if you intend to stay for the night. Don't worry, you'll be alright even if you sleep out in the open. No criminals or anything.
• Bring drinking water and a blanket. You'll survive with just these things if you intend to sleep over.
• There is a shortage of boards on the spot- especially long boards. So you might want to bring your own board if you have one.
• The Calicoan Surfing Experience is a test of your basic survival skills. You might want to bring a prepared self. :)

 PHOTOS: 

(photo by Julius Aranas) me and cindy getting ready to paddle out ♥

 (photo by Myoho) Calicoan in late June

(photo by Myoho) Calicoan in late June

 (photo by Myoho) Calicoan during the start of the season

(photo by Myoho)

 (photo by Myoho) The only person who paddled out that day

 (photo by Myoho) Kiwi taking off one sunny day in Calicoan

jeep that passes by the Calicoan surfing area

local surfers with the European visitor who donated his board to the club

eating survivor style :)

tambayan area

champions of the local competition, Alvin & Cindy, w/ MSA peeps and the little surfers

(photo by Myoho) Cindy ♥

 Locals in a drinking sesh

boodle fight

local surfers before the inauguration of the Surf Club officers

♥♥♥

Useful Waray-Waray Words and Phrases

Basic greetings:

• Maupay nga aga - good morning
• Maupay nga udto - good noon
• Maupay nga kulop - good afternoon
• Maupay nga gab-i - good evening
• Salamat hin damo - thanks a lot
• Maupay! Papalita daw. - Tao po, pabili nga/ Anyone there? I'd like to buy please.
• Kana, pangaon kita - Tara, kain tayo/ Come, let's eat!
• Bulig hit sarayaw! - Sali ka sa sayawan!/Come, join the dancing!

Person:

• Mano- Sir; old man
• Mana- Ma'am; old woman
• Utoy - younger male
• Uday/Iday -younger female
• Idaps/ Padi - Pare/ Dude (?)
• Sangkay -Friend

Public Places and Transpo, and Tourist Destinations:

• Merkado - market place
• Sawang- town proper
• Campo Santo -cemetery
• Surpingan - Surfing Area (haha but i'm not kidding)
• Pot-pot - pedicab
• Honda - tricycle
• Baluto - small boat
• Karaunan- eatery
• Kagugub-an - forest \
• Lungib - cave

Money Matters:

• piso, dos, tres, kuwatro, singko, sais, syete, otso, nuybi, dyes...
• shin - one hundred
• doshintos- two hundred
• mil - one thousand
• dos mil- two thousand
• kinimil-kimil- limpak-limpak/lots of money
• waray kwarta/salapi - no money
• ibani gad - bawasan mo naman; give me a discount
• dugangi pa - dagdagan mo pa; 

Common Words and Expressions:

• Agi! - Aray!/ Ouch!
• Ayaw gad - Wag naman/ No, please (?)
• Hira - Sila/Them
• Kita -Tayo/Us
• Kamo - Kayo/
• Palihog/palihoga -please
• Ambot ha imo! - Ewan ko sayo!
• Pasaylu-a ako. - Forgive me.
• Ginhihigugma ko ikaw - I love you
• Maul-ol ha ulo! - Sakit sa ulo!
• Karuyag ko ikaw - I want/like you
• Makaaringit ka - You piss me off
• Makatarawa ka - You are funny
• Hubog ka na - You are drunk
• Oo- oo/yes
• Diri - hindi/no
• Waray - wala/I don't have
• Bangin - baka/maybe
• Puydi - pwede/can be (?)
• Ambot la- Ewan ko lang
• Ayaw (stress on the last syllable)-  huwag/don't
• Sigi - sige/okay
• Maraksot- ugly
• Mahusay - pretty
• Maupay - good/nice
• Maraot - bad/ugly
• tiksas - bubblegum
• Sparkul- Sparkle (seriously, when you want to buy the drink you have to say it like this, otherwise, the mana will not understand you)
• anay - hintay/waitsi-a! - yuck!

Common questions:

• Makain ka? -Where are you going?
• Hin-o ka? - Who are you?
• San-o.. - When..
• Kay-ano? - Why?
• Diin..- Where..
• Inaano ka? - What is wrong with you?
• Nagiinano ka? - What are you doing?
• Tagpira? - How much?
• Hain iton nga lugar? - Where is that place?
• Aanhon ko pagkadto? - How do I get there?
• Puydi mo ako buligan? - Can you help me?

Popular Curses and Bad Words:

• Im iroy - Ina mo/Your mother (hahaha)
• Yawa ka/ Panulay ka- You're the devil
• Puta ka han im iroy - Tangina mo
• Piste ka - You're a pest
• Manunulay ka - You're a tempter/temptress (from the root word sulay w/c means test/tempt/move or challenge one away from the right path)
• Birat ka - never really figured this one but it is used similar to piste ka.
• Sisikaran ko tim nawong - I will kick your face
• Tataplungon ta ikaw - I will slap you
• Waray ka gud kamamatay - (sort of:) Why don't you die.
• Malipong tim ulo/ Kulang-kulang ka! - You're crazy!
• Uwatatits! - (meaning: you cannot fool me); sometimes it is Uwatatits, butiti ka! (You cannot fool me, you are a puffer fish!)
• Piyos ka - supot ka/ you're a loser (?)
• Im mata! - Your eyes! (used when you think the idea or the act of the other person is stupid.)

But don't worry, most Guiuananons can understand and speak Filipino. Some can understand and even speak Cebuano and English. :)

Guiuan as shown in the Map of the Philippines

 

The Philippine Map

Zoom-ed in with legends

What you need to know about Guiuan, Eastern Samar

For starters, lemme tell you a few basic things about Guiuan. I got some of the info from (I am ashamed to admit) Wikipedia, and some from my own heart and soul. 

Profile:

• Guiuan is a town in Eastern Samar. Eastern Samar is in the island of Samar-in Region 8-in the Visayas-in the Philippines-in South East Asia-in the Asian continent-in the World- in the Solar System..la la la. You get the point.
• Seriously though, it is located at the southernmost tip of Samar Island. It is bounded on the north by the municipality of Mercedes, on the east by the Pacific Ocean, on the south by the Surigao Strait, and on the west by the Leyte Gulf.
• Guiuan is 109 kilometers south of Borongan (the capital of the province) and 154 kilometers from Tacloban (the nearest city; 3-4 hours travel time)
• Guiuan has 60 barangays; 45,000 inhabitants (more or less); and 7 major islands.
• Locals are called Guiunanons; we can speak Waray-Waray (our man language), Filipino, Tagalog, Cebuano and English.
• Our main socio-economic activity is fishing. 
• We are surrounded by water and coconut trees.

Basic Info on History and Culture (detailed entries to follow):

• In 1521, Ferdinand Magellan first set foot on Philippine soil in Homonhon Island (one of the major islands of Guiuan).
• In 1944, the American Forces landed on the island of Suluan where they fought their first battle in the Philippine territory three days before Gen. Mac Arthur stormed the beaches of Leyte.
• US Navy and Army set up a base in Calicoan Island during WWII (evidence: a 3km runway). In fact, it was one of the biggest Naval Base in the Far East that time
• The United Nations placed 5,000 Russian refugees (fleeing from Communist Russia and China) in Tubabao Island in 1949-1951.
• The town has one of the oldest baroque churches in the Philippines- the Immaculate Conception Parish (built in the 1700s).
• A major festival is held on October during the town fiesta.
• We throw crispy peso bills around a couple dancing the Curacha Mayor or the Aminudo. Yes, this is our tradition. 
• We believe in aswangs, tikbalang, agta (kapre), kataw (sirena or mermaid), enkantos, and higantes. In fact, we still have tambalans (traditional healers) to heal the victims of these creatures and we still use lana (sacred oil) to ward them off.
• In relation to the previous point, we have a rich folk literature.
• We have local sweets and delicacies that are made out of silut or buko.
• We still do the harana.

Tourist Activities and Spots:

• Surfing. You can visit the popular surf spot in Calicoan Island- the only spot in Guiuan with local surfers; the "Philippine Dream" surfing spot featuring the "Jurassic Waves" in Suluan Island; or Homonhon Island. Or you can just drive around the coastal areas looking for your perfect spot where you can surf naked and get wiped out w/o anyone to laugh at you.
• Spelunking. You can visit the popular caves in Buro-Buro, Calicoan, and Suluan Island (in folktales, it is the home of the giant, Macandog). Or, again, you can drive around to look for a cave. I'm sure there are more waiting to be discovered.
• Hiking/Climbing. If you want to see the Pacific Ocean from up above, climb the rocky mountain in Sapao or Calicoan. You can also climb up the red-desert-like (due to mining) mountains of Homohon and Manicani islands. Again, go, explore and discover your own trail.
• Heritage spots - the old church in the town proper; the Magellan's Cross in Homonhon Island; the miraculous church in Sulangan; the 3km runway of the US Navy; the old Light House with 200+ steps in Suluan Island; Macandog's huge (out of this world) footprint in Suluan Island.
• The majestic cliffs in Calicoan
• The popular beaches in Dumpao and Sapao
• Watch the sun set in Tubabao Island and rise in Sulangan
• Boating in the calm waters near Tubabao Island
• Mercury Drug- the only famous commercial store in Guiuan. It's the local SM. loljk.
• Barrio-style clubbing at DJ Disco in Brgy. Campoyong
• White sand beaches in Calicoan (not recommended for leisurely swimming due to the crazy waves), Suluan, Homonhon, and Manicani Islands.
• Snorkeling in Pearl Island.
• Fishing. duh.
• Scuba Diving.
• Yoga Camp. It is already closed but you can still climb up and get a breath-taking view of the Pacific.
• Star-gazing and swimming at the Pagnamitan Bridge
• Bars/Restos: 
• Match Point- rockeoke and disco bar
• DJ Disco- oldest disco house in Guiuan; kubo-style architecture; near the sea; plays old-school music
• The Lugay St. Strip and Lactason St. Strips- strips of karaoke bars and barbeque places
• Tanghay View Lodge - near the sea; can watch the sunset
• Misty Blue - tropical vibe resto with a sea-water pool; the only resto to serve pizzas?
• Calicoan Villa - average rate resort in Calicoan, near the surfing spot.
• The Surf Camp- elite resort in Calicoan with beautiful Balinese structures and an infinity pool; offers surf lessons.
• A Private Resort in Sulangan (found out about it through a friend) - very beautiful building with an outdoor resto; owned by an Italian cook; serves heavenly Iltalian dishes and desserts..by request.
• The Public Plaza - offers yummy streetfoods such as isaw, dirty ice cream, bbq, bodigon (rice wraps with coconut meat), ice crumble, popcorn, etc.
• okay, there are A LOT of things to do and go to. :) One tip is that you GO AND EXPLORE. That's the beauty of Guiuan- there are a lot of hidden treasures.

Things you might worry about (especially if you are a city person) but don't need to:

• Cellphone. Yes, we have cellular sites of Smart and Globe. No Sun Cellular, sorry. Here's what you should worry about though: the signal dies as you go farther away from the town proper. In the islands, you have to climb the mountain (or any high place) to get a signal. No kidding.
• Landline. Yes, we have PLDT landline. The area code is 055.
• Internet connection. Yes, we already have internet access, and a bunch of internet cafes. We even have wifi in certain restos. However, internet is only available in the town proper.
• Electricity. There is electricity in most parts of the town, even in the islands. However, we frequently experience brown-outs, and the electricity in the islands are not full-time (they turn it off in the evening).
• Water. We have lots of that here. We are surrounded by water, remember? :)) Seriously though, we already have a water system like the one in Manila, and water stations for purified drinking water. 
• LBC. There is one located across the town plaza.
• We have Mercury Drug that sells drugs (duh), sunblock, beauty products, wipes and other kaartehan, liquor, high-quality chocolates, chips, ice cream, etc.
• Liquor. Well..we have the common liquor brands such as The Bar, Red Horse, etc. What we do not have are the more sophisticated ones- Absolut, Jack Daniels, etc.
• Party. Hmm. We have some clubs (if you can even call it clubs)...and a rockeoke place.
• Souvenir Shops. we have the Tourism Center that sells all kinds of souvenir stuff and pasalubongs. You can also visit the area near Sulangan Church for one-of-a-kind shell crafts.

 How to get here:

• From Manila: 
• by plane: you can take Philippine Airlines, Zest Air, and Cebu Pacific to reach Tacloban City. The cheapest, usually, is Zest Air. For surfers, please note that PAL asks for expensive board charges and I was told that Zest Air doesn't allow boards at all. Cebu Pac is the best option.
• from Tacloban City: you can ride a van going to Guiuan- the two famous companies are Duptours and Van Vans. The usual fare is 200-300php. It will take you 3-4 hours to reach the town of Guiuan.
• by bus: you can take Silver Star or Eagle Star in the bus station near Farmers, Cubao. The fare is usually 2000-3000php one way. It will take you 24hours (more or less) to reach Guiuan.
• by private car/road trip: this is definitely more fun than any means of travel! anyway, I haven't memorized the route. I suggest you get map. What I'm sure though is that you have to ride a barge/roro from Allen to Matnog to reach the island of Samar. 
• From Cebu:
• by plane: same shit as the one above. 
• by sea: you can take the Supercat to reach Ormoc; then ride a bus in Ormoc to Tacloban; and finally, a van or bus from Tacloban to Guiuan. You can also ride a ship from Cebu to Tacloban City; then ride a bus or van in Tacloban to reach Guiuan.
• by bus: i'm not sure if there's a roro in Cebu going to Tacloban or Ormoc. I think there is. 

So there you have it. A really short introduction of Guiuan to tourists and travelers and wanderers and pilgrims like you. :)

See you soon!