And then we headed to Olango

Whilst everyone was squeezing eagerly into the mardi gras throng last Sunday, b1 suddenly suggested that we float off to Olango island. Earlier before the fleet, I was just craving for saang (spider or scorpion shell in common English, for the scientific name google it up for me please). I think because we were left to our impulsive selves that fateful day and the fact that we were trapped in Lapu-lapu because of Sinulog (oh, we are a crowd-phobic lot) so the nearby island became the perfect getaway.

We took a puj trip to Angasil- a Soong, Maribago multicab route, rode a trike to the litte port a few meters down Portofino beach resort and hopped in a motored boat that took us to Sta. Rosa. Initial damage in pesos/person : PUJ-11, trike – 7 and boat – 10.

We reached the little island after about 20 min. Fortunately, the sea was calm even it was a bit windy in the early morning and the previous day.
Transportation in Olango is not at all difficult but your haggling (and begging) skills are very much important so you could tour around the island by a habal-habal (those brawny bikes that could traverse even the roughest road) or by tricycle at a reasonable price. I prefer HH cuz it has a more adventurous feel, so I advise you try that too.

We stopped by a place that starts with letter M (bwek, I have slight amnesia…wait is it Matingi..bah memory fail..sigh) to gorge on seashells. You can also go to Cow-oy/Cao-oy for the floating restaurant if you have bigger budget. With the use of the great HH, we went around the isla. Mr.HH driver was also one animated tour guide aside being the obedient son of our saang’s cook but I regret to let you know that I can not memorize every name of the place he was trying to school us (actually I only remember the place called Maribagini which I read along our way to the bird sanctuary). But hey, it will take me 3 -7 days to be sort of acquainted w/ that land area – wiki says 10.3 km².

They say that Olango Island also supports the largest concentration of migratory birds found so far in the country. Birds from China, Japan, even Siberia which are flying off to warmer places such as Australia and NZ and back make this place their pit stop. I found egrets, kingfishers, various fishes, some mangrove jungle and an enthusiastic black dog who tagged along the sanctuary.

It was all a nice day. I’ll hop there again when I’ll yearn for saang. Haha.

baruk