Kuya Joseph picked me up around 5 am. I hadn’t had breakfast yet. We planned to do the ATV ride first before it got too hot. When we reached the jump-off point, he let me choose the ATV I wanted to ride. I chose the black one. Then I registered and paid the staff there, Php 2,050.00, which included the guide. They let me try the ATV, and although I struggled a bit with the controls since I’m not used to handling them and don’t ride motorcycles, I quickly got the hang of it. The guide oriented me on the do’s and don’ts and the hand signals for when we were driving, making sure I always stayed behind him. The whole trail took more or less two hours. Overall, the ATV ride was fun and worth the price, especially since my guide was excellent at taking photos and videos. I gave him a Php 100.00 tip.
After the ATV ride, I asked for a place to eat because I was hungry and not used to skipping breakfast. I had a Bagnet Meal for Php 75.00 near Cagsawa. Then I went to Cagsawa Ruins. There were photographers available who knew various poses to suggest, and you just had to give them a tip. The entrance fee for Cagsawa was Php 20.00, plus another Php 20.00 for parking.
After Cagsawa, we went to Quitinday Hills, which is famous for resembling the Chocolate Hills of Bohol, but with green hills. Quitinday is the name of the place. There was a small hike up, and the view was beautiful and refreshing. There were shops at the bottom where I bought water because it was really hot. The places we visited were all open areas.
After Quitinday Hills, we went to Jovellar Underground. The entrance fee and guide for a solo visitor were Php 665.00. The place was beautiful, and the water was cold. I enjoyed soaking in it. I had brought a change of clothes since I had been told that we would get wet at Jovellar.
After that, we went to Solong EcoPark. Kuya Joseph was right about the places being far apart and requiring dedicated visits. It was a good thing I listened to him. We arrived at Solong EcoPark past noon. The restaurant didn’t have cooked meals yet, so I went on a hike with the guide while waiting for the food to be ready. There was a crystal cave inside, which I enjoyed because it was beautiful and I had it to myself. The guide had a solar light to illuminate the cave. The hike to the top took about an hour. It was scorching, so I used an umbrella. It was like I had just bathed in Jovellar, and now I was drenched in sweat again.
When we came down, the food was ready. We ate, and the meal was delicious, or maybe I was just really hungry. The cooking fee was Php 325.00, which was cheap considering the serving was good for 2-3 people. They also had Crispy Pili Nuts available, so I bought some as a souvenir. We rested a bit before leaving. We went to Daraga Church and took some photos.
I got back to the hotel around 5 pm. I took a nap and woke up around 6:30 pm, then got ready to go out for dinner. I planned to try the famous sili ice cream at 1st Colonial. I had dinner at SM Legazpi, of course, at 1st Colonial. I ordered the Sili Ice Cream, which came with different levels of spiciness; I chose Level 2, the middle one. I also ordered Pasta Bicolana. The wait was a bit long, but it was worth it. Both were spicy, even the ice cream, which left a lingering heat in my mouth. My dinner cost Php 324.00. The fare from SM to my hotel and back was Php 80.00.
I felt a bit stressed when I got back to the hotel since I didn’t have an itinerary for the next day. I wanted to go to a beach with pink sand in Sorsogon or even in Legazpi, but it was too expensive when I inquired. I should have booked ahead. In the end, I decided to go on a city tour in Sorsogon instead.
