MANILA, Philippines?Let?s give way to Erlinda E. Panlilio, our guest writer this week:

I?m not a photography buff, but I recently took Mandy Navasero?s three-night Batanes photo safari.

Ever the diligent teacher, she couldn?t resist giving us tips: ?It?s the brain that takes the picture,? she said. She meant not to shoot faces and scenic spots mindlessly.

Batanes lived up to our expectations, with its rugged, windswept landscape, and stunning views of rolling hilltops dropping dramatically down to the sea and heaving toward the shore.

Our final day was spent in Sabtang, where we saw the Unesco-protected stone houses.

At Sabtang, while waiting for the falowa boat to take us across, I read stories to students at the Sabtang Elementary School hall. I found the experience rewarding.

We returned to Manila the following day with a lot of photos that will remind us of our memorable experience in Batanes.

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Join the Batanes Photo Safari on April 9-12 and 19-24 or May 6-9 and 13-16. Visit mandy-navasero.blogspot.com, or call 899-1767.