Riding in Tandem: Meandering Marinduque

While at Mindoro, we were told that Marinduque is also just a ferry away from Metro Manila. We told ourselves that the Moriones region will be our next destination. It was fortunate that some of the members of #MoTour decided to revisit the island, so we finally got our chance to explore the island. As they say, “if you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” Together with 12 other riders, we headed to Marinduque in two wheels.

From Taguig, we headed to Lucena port to catch the 3:00 PM RORO. We should be expecting a 4-hour travel, according to Google Maps, but we got there an hour early.

The port didn’t have that many people, but the ferries leave exactly on their scheduled time, and we were a minute (yes, a minute) late. Therefore, we had to wait for two more hours to get on the ship.

The ferry ride took around 2 1/2 hours. The cabins were airconditioned, but there was not sufficient ventilation, so it was an uncomfortable trip. That is why, it was a big relief when we finally got to the port:

By the time we got to Balanacan, it was already 6 in the evening. We wasted no time and headed straight to our hotel accommodation, which took another hour.

We were dead tired, but the tree-surrounded roads and the smell of misty leaves kept us going. Plus, it was almost sunset, and I’m a sucker for sunsets.

The obstructions in the roads were interesting. First, we saw a goose in the middle of road, looking above it. The goose didn’t barge as we passed by. Next, we saw a cow, and it didn’t bother moving either, so we had to drive around it.

After arriving at the hotel in Sta Cruz, we took off all our riding gears and went out to eat. Just beside the restaurant, we saw these swarming by the walls:

It’s hard to tell in the picture, but these are birds. The local there said they collect the birds’ saliva and use them for soup. He even mentioned that it’s used for gourmet dishes. I can’t really imagine how that would taste like, but they claim it’s tasty. I don’t dare try.

We ate at Lhiam’s Place in Santa Cruz, Marinduque. After a satisfying meal, we headed back to the hotel. We were hoping to go straight home, but we were told that we have to take a mandatory photo at the town’s famous morion statue:

The province takes pride in its Moriones festival. You will see morion masks all over the town. That statue is the biggest memento we found.

The next day, we started our journey around Marinduque. We decided to circumnavigate the province, rather than go for an island hopping. Maybe, we can do that next time. Our first stop was the Balanacan View Deck.

The trip took around 20 minutes. The view was to die for. It’s got the view of the mountain ranges and the islets. Atop, you could hear the birds chirping. I can’t remember how their chirps sound like, but it’s almost un-birdly (I can’t find the right word, but this sounds much appropriate).

After which, we headed straight to another view deck, but it was a bit more challenging than the first:

To get to the Luzon Datum marker, we has to take a 468-step climb. It was challenging, but there were rest stations along the way, so we had time to catch our breath every once in a while.

When I reached the top, I realized that Luzon Datum is an important marker for the Philippines. It is also one of the reasons why Marinduque is being considered as the heart of the philippines (funnily, one of our co-riders called it heart center of the Philippines). At the top, this monument can be found.

We were told by one of the locals who accompanied us that the stone on top reads 0 in the compass, which made it the basis point for all the maps in the country.

This is the first time I’ve ever heard this, and it felt good to have seen such an important piece of history.

We rested for Luzon Datum for a while eating the best and freshest guyabano I’ve ever tasted, and headed to our lunch destination.

We were hoping to eat at a restaurant (that is known for it’s crispy pata) near Boac Church, but we were told that the wait time is 45 minutes. The local we’re with figured that it will take the same amount of time to get to another lunch destination. So, after taking some pictures and saying our prayers in Boac church, we decided to move forward and continue our travel.

We ate at Curba Grill, and we did not regret it. It’s ambiance is nice, and the food was affordable and yummy. This is highly recommended.

After we’re done eating, we headed straight to the beach. Here are some of the pictures I’ve taken along the way.

We rented a shared room at the place for 2000 pesos. The rest of the group (9 of them) shared a room for 4500. The locals who accompanied us opted to stay in their tent. The lodging had moriones masks, so my company decided to take advantage of these for photo ops (yup, he works out A LOT.)

The beach was nice. It’s got white sand, a view of the mountain, a free kayak, and clear waters. Just beware of the sea urchins, and you’ll have fun.

The next morning, we woke up at 4am to catch the 8am ferry back to Manila. As any trip, the ride back is the hardest. We didn’t want to leave the forest spreads and the fresh air, but we had to go back.

We enjoyed Marinduque, and we’ll definitely come back to enjoy this amazing province some more.