After that several hundred km long road trip with folks I met at the hostel, we had dinner at a local eatery, and asked the owners what they had. Someone asked if they had lobsters they could take back with them to Manila the next day, and soon after, a neighbour pulled up with a pair of battered styrofoam coolers - deep sea catch from the local fishers, at something like P500 a kilo. Situationally, and possibly, the best steamed lobster I have ever had.
On a day trip from Puraran Beach to the capital, Virac, we visited the local museum, then headed out to several nearby towns.
The simple truth is that, to me, Catanduanes felt rugged, distant and painfully beautiful - like a person you want to forget, but can’t.
