Travel Diaries: Faro De Capul, Capul, Northern Samar

The year 2019 finally brought me to the Faro De Capul! Yahoo! It's been a long time coming! 

I could refer to this place as Parola ng Capul or Capul Island Lighthouse but I love the Spanish ring in Faro De Capul so I used it instead. :)

Some people travel because they want to look at the scenery or some of nature's wonders. Some do it to experience sports like surfing, hiking, zip lining, etc. Others do it to put their buns out in the sun. That's not me children, that's not me. I'd rather be trapped inside a library, a museum or other historical structure. It's always amazing to be in a place that helped shape the lives of people. Anything ancient calls to me. But ghost stories freak me out, okay, so let's stop right there.

The Faro is one of those places that I've been wanting to visit ever since I set up camp in the North. I experienced this place under the heat of the 2 o'clock sun and boy oh boy was I out of breath while descending those steps. But first, I thought this place would just be close to the town's center. News: it's not. The Faro is located at the northernmost tip of the island. We took a habal-habal ride for what seemed like forever. And we're not talking about a smooth ride huh. It was bumpy with a lot of ups and downs and good views of cliffs. Yikes! I'm aware that the manong driver is a pro went it comes these winding roads, but still!!! Anyways.

According to the inscription, this lighthouse has been guiding seafarers passing through the San Bernardino Strait since the 1890's. That's a lot of history there, and lot's of lives saved too, since judging from the strong current, this strait isn't an easy breezy place to navigate. The recognition from the National Historical Commission declaring it as a National Historical Landmark in 2013 is well-deserved. You can read the rest here. ⇩

And because of that, I couldn't resist my daughter's wish that we climb up the lighthouse tower. I forgot I had a fear of heights; I was curious too. Regret came raining down on me as soon as we were on the  third step of the spiral staircase, but my daughter was oblivious to it. Climbing the stairs was the least boring thing she'd done all afternoon. It was a short climb but it got steeper and steeper towards the top and I swear to God I thought we were going to fall off! 

We emerged to this breathtaking view but I only took a few seconds to appreciate it because fear of heights finally struck me. Moreover, I also had to worry about our way down. Jeskelerd! My mind was like: #NeverAgain.

If there's a view from the top, I also have here the view from below. Again, I was out of breath during the descend. I forgot to count how many steps there were. 

⦿Guys and gals, make sure you keeps yourselves hydrated when you come here, especially during the summer. Bring your own bottle of water. 

From down here I got a clearer view of the sea and the rugged coastline. I bet it would be a lovely experience to walk around the whole place if the sun isn't burning up. Sunset, anyone?

There's is also this rock formation on one side which seems to resemble a huge foot. In fact, it's locally known as the Big Foot. My daughter believes it's a giant's, just like the ones from Giant Country in BFG.

Despite the challenges: from the bumpy habal-habal ride to the scary steps in  the spiral staircase, this visit was an enjoyable one. And if I ever get a crack at that lighthouse tower again, I'll try to relax more and just leave my daughter out of it. Ha ha. Seriously I was scared enough for two persons there because she was oblivious to the danger.

Kids!

XOXO,

Carissa