Second day of my Albay-Sorsogon series was scheduled for a day tour to Sorsogon. But with my visit to Albay Tourism office, I was undecided if I would continue the day tour. Four days are not enough to visit the attractions of Albay as per the tourism officer. Tired from the flight and hike to Ligñon Hill the other day, I woke up as early as 4:30 AM to prepare for the Sorsogon trip. I was already in Legazpi Grand Central Terminal chasing a bus going to Bulan, Sorsogon around six.
I only have a little knowledge about exploring Sorsogon based on my online research. To make the tour more interesting, I just listed down the tourist attractions to be visited by not getting too much information on how to get there. It was about trusting my navigation skills and getting to communicate with the locals. I continued sleeping inside the bus. Although it was not an air-conditioned one, the air was so cold by the fact that the hi-way traverses some forest areas.
I was riding the bus for about 3 hours when I saw the “Welcome to Irosin” marker. I asked the woman beside me where I can go down the bus if I’ll be going to San Benon Hot Spring. The woman answered that we were only a few meters away and volunteered to notify the driver. After a minute or two, she shouted that someone will be going down the bus. I thanked her and immediately got off the vehicle. Going to the resort, you can pass by the PHILVOCS Bulusan Observatory center.
An entrance fee is being collected: 35 pesos for a day tour, 40 pesos for night swimming, and 20 pesos for children below 4 feet. The resort has 3 pools: for kids, a lukewarm spring, and another hot spring. Cottages are also available for those who want to spend long hours at the resort.
It was my first hot spring experience and I enjoyed it even for just an hour. I texted the tricycle driver who dropped me at the hot spring around 10 AM for him to pick me up. From Irosin, I rode a jeepney to Matnog, Sorsogon and arrived at the municipality around noon.
Matnog is the southernmost municipality of mainland Luzon and serves as a jump-off point to Southern Philippines. Unfortunately, the tourism office was closed and the rain was still pouring heavily on my arrival. I was not able to visit the white sand beach of Tikling Island, Juag Fish Lagoon, and the pink sand of Subic Beach.
I asked the tricycle drivers if there is a place in Matnog that offers a great view for taking pictures. The result of the conversation led me to charter a tricycle to Padang Hill. The road leading to the hill is not developed so expect a bumpy ride. The Tikling Island I was supposed to visit can be seen from the hill that is not far from the mainland.
On the other hand, Padang Hill offers a semi-view of Batanes in my mind, the green grass fronting the sea that you can feel the cold breeze of the wind. A copra plantation is also located near the hill that serves as a source of income for some of the locals. On a clear day, you can also see the northern tip of Samar Island, the municipality of Allen.
After taking some photos, I decided to go back to the town proper and headed back to Sorsogon City. I also passed by the Old Spanish House in Juban with my ride to Sorsogon City but didn’t have the opportunity to get down the jeepney and took some photos.
My Sorsogon day tour ended inside a bus going to Albay with a 20 peso worth of bread I bought from Sorsogon Grand Terminal watching Chinese Zodiac. From this trip, I learned that sometimes we also need to experience getting lost for us to learn something and get back on track.
