Ivatan garb | Thoughts, Tales, and Whatnot

This is where we had our lunch during our Day 2 in breathtakingly beautiful Batanes. Note that this lunch is included in the Php 6,200 tour that we got from Noel.

Our lunch was not yet ready when we arrived so my friend and I took turns donning the whole traditional clothing of the Ivatan people, which was displayed on the wall.

I already shared a teaser post of me wearing a vakul (an abaca fiber-made headgear worn by Ivatans as protection from the sun or rain) on my Day 2 post. This time, I’m sharing photos of me in full Ivatan garb.

While vakul is typically worn by women, I chose to wear kanai (vest) and tangkal (hat) plus a native basket where they put their catch for the day. According to Kuya Jun, the vest and hat are usually worn by men, but they make better props for a shoot so I had them. Te he!

When our lunch was served, I was amazed at the variety and serving size considering that there were only two of us.

Isn’t it nice how the food was served in breadfruit leaves? If only I knew of this as a child, I could have spared myself the task of washing dozens of dishes at home. He he.

We had fish escabeche, grilled fish, battered chicken in sticks, seaweed soup, and breadfruit in coconut milk, then bukayo for dessert and fresh buko (young coconut) juice for our drinks.

I loved the battered chicken, soup, and breadfruit in coconut milk. And the coconut juice was sweet and its meat just right. The escabeche was salty (I prefer my escabeche to have the right mix of saltiness and sweetness) while the fish was overcooked and tough. Nevertheless, it was a good meal, especially when we had this view.

Note that Monica’s Cottage also offers accommodations for as low as Php 300 per person per night. It’s cheaper than what Basco accommodations cost, but you’ll be far from the town proper. Nevertheless,you get close access to the beach (just a couple of steps from the cottage).

The beach was predominantly rocky, especially during low tide, but the water’s clear. It’s also swim-able, though you have to go farther up to avoid the rocks. Plus, it has a good view of the mountains.