It was past 05:00 PM when Ran and I left our accommodation to have a walking tour of downtown Basco all by ourselves. Hindi na kami nagbihis. We decided to walk out as soon as we returned to the lodge. Hapon na rin kasi. Malapit nang magdilim.

We just aimlessly walked until we reached the provincial capitol of Batanes. We already saw the capitol earlier in the morning when we were going to Harbour Cafe but it was not part of the tour itinerary. Good thing, our accommodation was conveniently located at a short walking distance from the town center, hence it was easy for us to do a walkabout and explore on our own.

The provincial capitol building of Batanes is also known as casa real, literally meaning royal house. Despite having structural changes through the years, the Casa Real de Batanes has been the official residence of the provincial governor of Batanes all the way since the colonial times.

It was already past 05:00 PM when we visited the provincial capitol, hence office hours were over. We were still able to take some photos in front of the capitol though.

After taking our photos in front of the capitol building, we set off to walk along the streets of Basco. Despite being the town center, the atmosphere in Basco was so relaxed. What we would normally call as rush hour in the metro is practically nowhere to be felt in the town. No heavy traffic, no pollution, no bustling noise.

We eventually found a place where to buy our dinner. We had our fill, then set off back to the lodge.

It was just our first day in the magical isles, and it was as if a lot has already happened. Day one, and the magic has already captivated us.

There is more to come.