New Years Day ended up being almost an exact duplicate of NYE, as it turned out. All tours cancelled, curry for dinner, Rasta Bar, barkada.. by now we were all becoming good friends. Being with such an eclectic group was fun... I was especially bonding with my new French friends.. they were Parisians and spending about three weeks traveling the Philippines. I believe Damion and Annelue were a couple... and I also think Damion might have been brother to Alexandra.. but I didn't press that subject, being more interested in what they did for a living, and their political views, and their travels. Anyway, they were intelligent and fun to be around. Annelue in fact, holds a pretty high level position in the French government working directly with the Prime Minister... so there's a lot to talk about there, right??
Anyway, the highlight of this day was a wonderful one hour massage I received on the beach for less than $10US. I read a lot... and of course spent the evening with curry, then barkada... then bed.
Perhaps the next day would be better... the skies were certainly clearing.. if only the sea would cooperate!
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
Monday, January 5, 2015
New Years Eve Surprise
So if you are following this, you'll understand that when I awoke the next day, it was 12/31/14. I did have two nights booked in el Nido, but remember that I arrived a day early, giving up a night in wondrous Port Barton. After checking out of my initial flop, I moved to the place I had reserved online... the Doublegem hotel, about a mile or so out of town on a beach called Corrong Corrong. Before I left, I did have a chance to walk into town only to discover that due to high seas, the Coast Guard had cancelled all tours. Bummer... the rain was falling and it was pretty gloomy overall. Boo!..
I made it to the Doublegem but imagine my surprise when they take me, not to the facility advertised in Trip Advisor, but to a nipa hut right on the beach... and when I say that... I mean the water was like 6 feet away at high tide!!! Well.. that looked promising right? This was a rather expensive place.. I think I paid upwards of $50US/ night. The nipa was basic, with outdoor toilet and shower... but it looked adventurous! As it turned out it was, but for the wrong reasons.
Without a tour, there was not much to do here.. particularly outside of el Nido proper. So, I read, walked along the beach between the raindrops and generally got my feel of the environment. I went into town for lunch... went back home... showered, changed, and then went back to town for dinner (more curry, yum!) Well, of course it wasn't long before I found myself at the Rasta Bar... and lo, who should be there but my complete barkada!!!! And they were waiting for me... even saved me a seat right in front of the stage!!! I tell you, some great people here!!! Well, it was New Years Eve so of course we drank beer and had more laughs and the music played..... and I had more beer but it wasn't long before I started feeling the same feelings I was feeling on Christmas Eve. Anyway, things were jamming on the beach and in the bar.. and the fireworks... I mean soooo many fireworks.... ridiculous amounts.. like a war zone... Anyway.... I left... was home before midnight, drunk and feeling rather miserable about things.
Ok... so the weird part starts now... this nipa hut Im in... what I didn't mention is that it is one nipa, split into four units... each separated by a network of palm fronds and bamboo..... so.. essentially, there is this illusion of privacy right.... but audibly.... well, you can hear just everything.... every.thing..... Ok.. so it starts getting pretty awkward when the first couple arrives (american, from Iowa, as it turns out... I gather this without much trouble mind you...) and they start going at it....
And then the second couple arrives.. I had met these folks on the beach earlier in the day, they are from the Czech Republic.... and they start.... well all this action might be interesting if indeed, I weren't feeling so down and out about my own situation, right?!! But I had to leave this aural orgy... this, this cacophony of desire.... In short, I had to leave the room I paid for.... at like 2am.... and it was raining... and well.. that was how I spent New Years Eve 2014.
I made it to the Doublegem but imagine my surprise when they take me, not to the facility advertised in Trip Advisor, but to a nipa hut right on the beach... and when I say that... I mean the water was like 6 feet away at high tide!!! Well.. that looked promising right? This was a rather expensive place.. I think I paid upwards of $50US/ night. The nipa was basic, with outdoor toilet and shower... but it looked adventurous! As it turned out it was, but for the wrong reasons.
Without a tour, there was not much to do here.. particularly outside of el Nido proper. So, I read, walked along the beach between the raindrops and generally got my feel of the environment. I went into town for lunch... went back home... showered, changed, and then went back to town for dinner (more curry, yum!) Well, of course it wasn't long before I found myself at the Rasta Bar... and lo, who should be there but my complete barkada!!!! And they were waiting for me... even saved me a seat right in front of the stage!!! I tell you, some great people here!!! Well, it was New Years Eve so of course we drank beer and had more laughs and the music played..... and I had more beer but it wasn't long before I started feeling the same feelings I was feeling on Christmas Eve. Anyway, things were jamming on the beach and in the bar.. and the fireworks... I mean soooo many fireworks.... ridiculous amounts.. like a war zone... Anyway.... I left... was home before midnight, drunk and feeling rather miserable about things.
Ok... so the weird part starts now... this nipa hut Im in... what I didn't mention is that it is one nipa, split into four units... each separated by a network of palm fronds and bamboo..... so.. essentially, there is this illusion of privacy right.... but audibly.... well, you can hear just everything.... every.thing..... Ok.. so it starts getting pretty awkward when the first couple arrives (american, from Iowa, as it turns out... I gather this without much trouble mind you...) and they start going at it....
And then the second couple arrives.. I had met these folks on the beach earlier in the day, they are from the Czech Republic.... and they start.... well all this action might be interesting if indeed, I weren't feeling so down and out about my own situation, right?!! But I had to leave this aural orgy... this, this cacophony of desire.... In short, I had to leave the room I paid for.... at like 2am.... and it was raining... and well.. that was how I spent New Years Eve 2014.
Rastaman Vibrations!
I was being teased by Mother Nature... shown the beauty of Port Barton only to be forced away due to an impending storm. In some ways, it made those few short hours even more precious to me than if I had stayed. Thank you God!
Ok... so thankfully, the trip to el Nido (arranged by Dan) was far more pleasant than the trip the previous day. This time, I travelled by van and, even though the weather was worsening, the trip was far and away more pleasant - and of course, I moved at a much more rapid pace. In the van with me were other tourists - all european, all very very kind. It wasn't long before we arrived (approx 4 hours) and I sighed with relief... I had made it to my destination ahead of the storm! I roamed the streets for awhile, taking in the sights and getting lost on more than one occasion but found a decent, but inexpensive hotel. It was a nice place, in town. There was not much to do though, since the rain was pouring from the sky. As night fell, the rain briefly stopped and I made my way to dinner where I grabbed some curry. As I was sitting I got to talking with a German guy who was solo as well and who was really quite friendly.... amazingly so, I might add. In fact, I will say that nearly without fail, everyone I had run across was awesomely cool... German, Russian, Aussie, New Zealander, Italian, and French. So, as we ended dinner, he asked me what my plans were. Having none, he invited me to join him as he was planning on meeting with some other friends at a bar in town. Sure, why not?!Here is a picture of the place he took me to:
Ah, so my Peace Corps experience was finally coming full circle in divine order! That is, the cultural experience of my first tour (the Caribbean island of Antigua) was meshing with my second experience.. the Philippines - here in el Nido! This "Rasta Bar" is an exceptionally cool destination, located as it is, at the end of the earth! You find all manner of people here, mostly those seeking adventure, nearly all with interesting stories to tell.. the kind of place you might brush with celebrity and vagabond alike. In short, radically hip!! It wasn't long before I fell in with a great 'barkada' (Tagalog for 'group of friends'). Each person of this group of 8 (not including my German friend), as best I could tell, had been traveling solo around the world for the past 15 months - even though, there seemed to be 4 couples - I recall there was a couple from Portugal, one gal was from Prague, someone was from Budapest.... all over. Anyway, while one went to say, New Zealand for a few months, the other went to Amsterdam, one to Madagascar, while the other went to South Korea... like that. They all worked with an international organization that promotes environmental education, and I believe they work to promote school programs. Every now and again, they would meet together as a group... couples reforming... and have a few weeks of fun before heading out again.... independently. I swear.... the experience they described sounded intoxicating in itself!! Talk about living with a capital L!
After all this traveling, they could not have been more kind... and soon we were all laughing and playing some card game I had never played before.... the live Rasta music jammed... the beer flowed.... it was so much fun! I really felt like a rock star.. I have to admit! Here is the view looking the other way from the Rasta Bar. Yes, the water was that close!:
So... somewhere this first night, as we were playing cards and laughing, who should appear but the FRENCH group whom I had first seen on the bus heading to Port Barton. Well, what I didnt mention in my last post was that in PB, as I was sharing happy hour with Dan and his fam, this group arrived at Cassandra's Cottages looking for a place to stay. I got a chance then to meet Damion, Anneleu, and Alexandra. They seemed like great people but were having trouble finding a place to lay their heads. Anyway... here they show up again at the Rasta Bar... and I quickly introduced them to my other group of friends..... well, this was turning into quite the party, huh!??
Ok... so thankfully, the trip to el Nido (arranged by Dan) was far more pleasant than the trip the previous day. This time, I travelled by van and, even though the weather was worsening, the trip was far and away more pleasant - and of course, I moved at a much more rapid pace. In the van with me were other tourists - all european, all very very kind. It wasn't long before we arrived (approx 4 hours) and I sighed with relief... I had made it to my destination ahead of the storm! I roamed the streets for awhile, taking in the sights and getting lost on more than one occasion but found a decent, but inexpensive hotel. It was a nice place, in town. There was not much to do though, since the rain was pouring from the sky. As night fell, the rain briefly stopped and I made my way to dinner where I grabbed some curry. As I was sitting I got to talking with a German guy who was solo as well and who was really quite friendly.... amazingly so, I might add. In fact, I will say that nearly without fail, everyone I had run across was awesomely cool... German, Russian, Aussie, New Zealander, Italian, and French. So, as we ended dinner, he asked me what my plans were. Having none, he invited me to join him as he was planning on meeting with some other friends at a bar in town. Sure, why not?!Here is a picture of the place he took me to:
Ah, so my Peace Corps experience was finally coming full circle in divine order! That is, the cultural experience of my first tour (the Caribbean island of Antigua) was meshing with my second experience.. the Philippines - here in el Nido! This "Rasta Bar" is an exceptionally cool destination, located as it is, at the end of the earth! You find all manner of people here, mostly those seeking adventure, nearly all with interesting stories to tell.. the kind of place you might brush with celebrity and vagabond alike. In short, radically hip!! It wasn't long before I fell in with a great 'barkada' (Tagalog for 'group of friends'). Each person of this group of 8 (not including my German friend), as best I could tell, had been traveling solo around the world for the past 15 months - even though, there seemed to be 4 couples - I recall there was a couple from Portugal, one gal was from Prague, someone was from Budapest.... all over. Anyway, while one went to say, New Zealand for a few months, the other went to Amsterdam, one to Madagascar, while the other went to South Korea... like that. They all worked with an international organization that promotes environmental education, and I believe they work to promote school programs. Every now and again, they would meet together as a group... couples reforming... and have a few weeks of fun before heading out again.... independently. I swear.... the experience they described sounded intoxicating in itself!! Talk about living with a capital L!
After all this traveling, they could not have been more kind... and soon we were all laughing and playing some card game I had never played before.... the live Rasta music jammed... the beer flowed.... it was so much fun! I really felt like a rock star.. I have to admit! Here is the view looking the other way from the Rasta Bar. Yes, the water was that close!:
So... somewhere this first night, as we were playing cards and laughing, who should appear but the FRENCH group whom I had first seen on the bus heading to Port Barton. Well, what I didnt mention in my last post was that in PB, as I was sharing happy hour with Dan and his fam, this group arrived at Cassandra's Cottages looking for a place to stay. I got a chance then to meet Damion, Anneleu, and Alexandra. They seemed like great people but were having trouble finding a place to lay their heads. Anyway... here they show up again at the Rasta Bar... and I quickly introduced them to my other group of friends..... well, this was turning into quite the party, huh!??
A station break
So, I would like to pause from this narrative to relate some other interesting tidbits...
First, I wanted to report that the gift giving experience before I left Lagonoy was really rewarding, especially for me. Although I received no physical presents myself, the gifts I received through giving were precious beyond measure. As it turned out, prior to departing for Palawan, I did become "Americano Santa", walking up and down the street with my bag of gifts for the children, who were all out, excited and celebrating Christmas day.
How do you think that scene unfolded? Imagine all of the children in the street, and then I walk up and give a small "hot wheels" car to an excited 3 year old boy? Was I mobbed? Were kids jumping up and down asking for their treat, or were they indifferent? I was curious myself how the whole thing would unfold, actually. I'm pretty sure I know how it would play in poor streets of the US, or Antigua, another country where I have lived. Anyway, here is what happened:
I pulled out the hot wheels car and gave it to the small boy who always yells "americanooooo!" when he sees me. Other children were about..... none of them held out their hand, asking for THEIR toy.... they just looked at the the boy who had been given a toy and looked as amazed as he! So then, I passed out a t-shirt to another boy, some crayons to a little girl, a pop up book to another... and continued walking until I had given out everything I had. I ended up giving a plate to Ericella, an older woman who is grandparent to a little 2 yr old girl whom I had given a dress (because this little girl is always gleefully running down the street naked as the day she was born!). Ericella was very grateful too... they all were! On my way home for lunch today, my little friend who yells "americanoooooo" was there in the street... playing with his hot wheel! It made me happy! All in all it was a very cool moment in my Philippine adventure!
Ok.. two other pieces of Philippine trivia that are completely unrelated:
Fact #1: I have eaten a ton of rice since I got here. Filipinos eat a ton of rice! I mean a lotttt of rice! Its amazing that they are so small and thin - you should see them shovel the rice!!! Ok... how much? Take this into consideration: as a country the Philippines imports only 10% of the rice it consumes as a nation. That is, they self produce 90% of the rice they consume. Got that? Ok, next fact: as a country, the Philippines is the largest importer of rice in the world! Put your head around how much rice that is!!! I was pretty astounded by that statistic.
Fact #2: The Philippines flag is the only national flag in the world that is flown in two different positions. This way, when they are at peace:
And this way when they are at war:
I know, pretty geeky, but I thought that was interesting. Anyway, back to my story!
First, I wanted to report that the gift giving experience before I left Lagonoy was really rewarding, especially for me. Although I received no physical presents myself, the gifts I received through giving were precious beyond measure. As it turned out, prior to departing for Palawan, I did become "Americano Santa", walking up and down the street with my bag of gifts for the children, who were all out, excited and celebrating Christmas day.
How do you think that scene unfolded? Imagine all of the children in the street, and then I walk up and give a small "hot wheels" car to an excited 3 year old boy? Was I mobbed? Were kids jumping up and down asking for their treat, or were they indifferent? I was curious myself how the whole thing would unfold, actually. I'm pretty sure I know how it would play in poor streets of the US, or Antigua, another country where I have lived. Anyway, here is what happened:
I pulled out the hot wheels car and gave it to the small boy who always yells "americanooooo!" when he sees me. Other children were about..... none of them held out their hand, asking for THEIR toy.... they just looked at the the boy who had been given a toy and looked as amazed as he! So then, I passed out a t-shirt to another boy, some crayons to a little girl, a pop up book to another... and continued walking until I had given out everything I had. I ended up giving a plate to Ericella, an older woman who is grandparent to a little 2 yr old girl whom I had given a dress (because this little girl is always gleefully running down the street naked as the day she was born!). Ericella was very grateful too... they all were! On my way home for lunch today, my little friend who yells "americanoooooo" was there in the street... playing with his hot wheel! It made me happy! All in all it was a very cool moment in my Philippine adventure!
Ok.. two other pieces of Philippine trivia that are completely unrelated:
Fact #1: I have eaten a ton of rice since I got here. Filipinos eat a ton of rice! I mean a lotttt of rice! Its amazing that they are so small and thin - you should see them shovel the rice!!! Ok... how much? Take this into consideration: as a country the Philippines imports only 10% of the rice it consumes as a nation. That is, they self produce 90% of the rice they consume. Got that? Ok, next fact: as a country, the Philippines is the largest importer of rice in the world! Put your head around how much rice that is!!! I was pretty astounded by that statistic.
Fact #2: The Philippines flag is the only national flag in the world that is flown in two different positions. This way, when they are at peace:
And this way when they are at war:
I know, pretty geeky, but I thought that was interesting. Anyway, back to my story!
Idyllic
Arrived in Port Barton around dinner time.... gotta be the most remote place I have been, excepting a tiny little island in Greece (Anafi) that Jean and I once had the pleasure exploring for a week.
Here is the view looking the other way
When I arrived, I was greeted by the sweetest little girl, Kassandra was her name. She informed me that these were, in fact, HER cottages! Kassandra was 8 years old and, after allowing me through the gate, she introduced me to her father Dan, and mother Ethel. After 10 minutes in their company I quickly understood why this place had received the honor it had. What hosts! Dan (probably around 45 yrs old), an americano from Chicago, had moved to Port Barton about 18 years ago. Somewhere along the way, he met Ethel (certainly no more than 28 yrs. old). Now, I have to say... Dan has a very very enviable set up going on... First off, Ethel is absolutely stunning, in both appearance and spirit. And along with his daughter Kassandra, and his location on one of the most amazing beaches I have ever visited... well... its a perfect gig!
He invited me to happy hour on his deck along with his family; Kassandra offering me a piece of cake that she said she had just made for my visit! He and I easily sat there together, laughing and talking and watching the sun go down. Ethel, for her part, alternatively played with a kitten, practiced yoga positions, and generally shined her light while Kassandra was pleased to show me the artwork she had created from pieces of driftwood and other sea stuff.
It was just about perfect. There was only one problem looming on the horizon... I had booked two nights in this idyllic spot, but there was a tropical storm fast approaching! I had every reason to be very concerned that my exit from this paradise would be delayed... after all, it was sheer hell getting here, right? What would that road look like after 10 inches of rainfall? Crossing rivers instead of streams, landslides instead of unpaved road? Even though I had just arrived, I understood that given the speed of the storm and the need for prudent decision-making, I must leave the following day, if I was to be assured a visit to el Nido, where I had also advance purchased two nights of lodging. Oh, this was a very difficult decision from one perspective, but a rather easy one from another. As much as I wanted to stay, and as road weary as I was, I could not stay trapped in Port Barton! So, the next morning, after eating a couple bananas and drinking freshly brewed coffee (!) with Dan, I made my hasty departure from Dan, Ethel, Kassandra and Port Barton. El Nido awaited, and I would be there for New Year's Eve, come rain or shine!
There is nothing here, excepting beauty - and Dan, Ethel, and Kassandra. As I've mentioned, I'd reserved space in Port Barton - one of two tiny cottages on the beach, called Kassandra's Cottages. This past year, these cottages received a coveted award from TripAdvisor, receiving the highest honor for accommodation in all of Palawan. And I had reserved 50% of their available space. Here is a picture of where I stayed
Here is the view looking the other way
When I arrived, I was greeted by the sweetest little girl, Kassandra was her name. She informed me that these were, in fact, HER cottages! Kassandra was 8 years old and, after allowing me through the gate, she introduced me to her father Dan, and mother Ethel. After 10 minutes in their company I quickly understood why this place had received the honor it had. What hosts! Dan (probably around 45 yrs old), an americano from Chicago, had moved to Port Barton about 18 years ago. Somewhere along the way, he met Ethel (certainly no more than 28 yrs. old). Now, I have to say... Dan has a very very enviable set up going on... First off, Ethel is absolutely stunning, in both appearance and spirit. And along with his daughter Kassandra, and his location on one of the most amazing beaches I have ever visited... well... its a perfect gig!
It was just about perfect. There was only one problem looming on the horizon... I had booked two nights in this idyllic spot, but there was a tropical storm fast approaching! I had every reason to be very concerned that my exit from this paradise would be delayed... after all, it was sheer hell getting here, right? What would that road look like after 10 inches of rainfall? Crossing rivers instead of streams, landslides instead of unpaved road? Even though I had just arrived, I understood that given the speed of the storm and the need for prudent decision-making, I must leave the following day, if I was to be assured a visit to el Nido, where I had also advance purchased two nights of lodging. Oh, this was a very difficult decision from one perspective, but a rather easy one from another. As much as I wanted to stay, and as road weary as I was, I could not stay trapped in Port Barton! So, the next morning, after eating a couple bananas and drinking freshly brewed coffee (!) with Dan, I made my hasty departure from Dan, Ethel, Kassandra and Port Barton. El Nido awaited, and I would be there for New Year's Eve, come rain or shine!
Onward! The trip to Port Barton
Again… I have to stress that because of several factors, travelling here can be difficult.
- Language barriers
- Filipino’s always say ‘yes’, even when the mean ‘no’
- There is an aura of disorganized complacency that is almost comical if it weren't so frustrating.
For example, Puerto is not a large city. It was easy enough to catch a tricycle from my pension, and the driver said he knew where I needed to go to catch the only bus of the day which, according to the internet leaves at 9a. The driver understood english enough and dropped me off at the station and after confirming with a few people standing there, told me that this was where I needed to be. Of course, I had arrived around 2 hours early because I needed to plan for the unexpected.
While I sat there waiting, I spoke ‘the international language’ with a nice fisherman who was sitting there with his wife and family. He was a rugged looking guy, and he assured me that where I was standing was the spot to be to catch the Port Barton bus. So, I sat, paced, ate some crackers, drank water…. and waited. While I was sitting a lovely young woman came by and asked if I wanted a mani/pedi while I waited. Tempting, to be sure but I decline. Imagine my surprise when my fisher friend accepts the offer! So, he’s sitting there getting his mani/pedi and the clock is tick, tick, ticking away. 9a passes and I am surprised that I am the only person who has shown up for this trip. I mean, I know Port Barton is rather isolated… but this is the only bus all day that is heading there….. So, as my heart rate begins to rise, I start asking more and more people about the location for picking up this mysterious bus. Finally, a man tells me that I am in fact, NOT in the right place and where I need to go is across the road and down aways.
Holy S***! I grab my bags and fly on over, feeling certain that at 9:15a the bus had surely gone, dashing my plans to go to Port Barton. Did I mention that I had pre-paid for a room in Port Barton? If I didn’t get there, I would forfeit my room and be forced to pay for an extra night in Puerto, which as far as I was concerned, I had seen and done.
In this condition, the bus creaks and cranks out… we get gas and begin to move… slowly. How slow? Guess! The distance from Puerto to Port Barton is 64 km away (39.7mi). How long do you think this trip took? Ready? Did you guess 8 hours? Do we have a winner?!!
I am feeling nervous by this time… I mean, I was stuck in the middle of nowhere, the only tourist… what is the plan if the bus breaks down completely? This is a contingency for which I had not planned!
So anyway, the gentleman ‘fixes’ the belt. Well, sort of! In fact, the bus would break down two more times before we finally made it to Port Barton!!!
At some point along the way a small group of 3 tourists joined this circus. I am too far away to discern their nationality, but for whatever reason, feel comfort in the fact that I am not the lone passenger on this bus without a clue.
Arrival
The adventure within the adventure began on time. Caught the night bus to Manila. The ‘Manila’ bus essentially comes in three flavors: 1) there is the plush Air Con bus complete with deep reclining seats and bathroom, free wi-fi and even a movie. 2) then there is the Air Con bus. As best I can tell it is the same bus but without the bathroom, wifi/movie. Finally, there is the non-air con bus which I can only imagine is hell on earth to ride. There are only two reasons you would opt to buy a ticket for bus type 3 - either you haven't the money for upgrade, or you are buying a ticket for someone you want to torture. During the typhoon scare, the PC splurged and set us to Manila in luxury. I opted to return from Manila, and also take this trip on bus type #2. This is perfectly fine for me. There are several small stops along the way where they allow you to disembark, serve nature, and even eat a small meal. As I think I mentioned these trips are long affairs…. upwards of 11 hours from door to door and sleep is elusive at best, even with the comfy seats. Anyway, the trip went off without a hitch and I found myself in the bowels of Manila at around 4:30am. I was nervous of the unknown but caught a cab easy enough and was quickly at the airport where I waited for the 1:10pm flight… I am going to do a separate posts on waits… you just wait!
Anyway, we all had a great time… I met some new friends and it ended up being a full day adventure. I got back to my pension at around 5:30p and was exhausted. A quick dinner, a few beers and it was lights out for me….. Next morning, I would leave early for Port Barton!!!
So, I finds myself in Puerto Princesa after about a 1hour flight. Caught a tricycle and began scouting for a room. I had done my research before hand and had a list of potential places in which I was interested (thank you tripadvisor.com). I settled on a place called the Color Mansion: close to the action, air con, clean, nice owner, shared bath (~$15/nite). Of course, I had heard by then that there was a tropical storm out there moving my way, so I had that to occupy my thoughts. How exciting!!! Nothing like a new years eve tropical storm to juggle your pians, right?! Anyway, I was pretty exhausted, so after a quick bite to eat and a few beers, I retired.
I awoke early and was eager to learn about the storm. It was indeed looking bad. Over 50 people had perished overnight on the island of Bohol (where I went last time) - a giant mudslide just took them out. So sad. I swear, someone must have cursed that place. Anyway, this storm was showing no signs of losing force and fears were that it might just increase in intensity as it approached. It was far enough away for now though and my vacation plans called for me to do a trip to Sabang to visit the underground river. Well, nothing on the internet nor my Philippines guidebook mentioned that these trips leave at 6:30am and that it is best to book a day ahead! After some long walking and talking, I just resigned that I had missed out on the underground river. At some point, I got to talking to a very sweet Japanese woman who was traveling with her family and she suggested that I might be interested in doing an island hopping tour like they were doing. Hey, that sounded great, and besides, I didnt have any other ideas. Thing is, as nice as I was, they were traveling as a family and wanted to keep it that way. Thats fine… this solo traveling doesn't scare me! Well, it wasn't long before I had jumped a tricycle headed for a snorkeling excursion that would allow me to visit 3 islands in Honda Bay!
Got to the dock at Honda Bay to witness absolute chaos! There are literally hundreds upon hundreds of tourists queuing for this boat or that boat, this tour or that tour. No (zero) organization - and these tour guides do this every single day! I mean, don't misunderstand, the filipinos working this scene could not be more honest or polite, but the scene is madness because THEY are the only ones who know how the day is going to end, right??? So many languages, lets see, easily this crowd had: French, German, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Russian (I say Russian but there were probably 10 countries in that mix of what I would generalize as ‘Russian” because to my untrained ear, the languages sound too similar). Oh, I almost l linked in with a group of italians, but that fell through at the last second. Oh and I talked with a nice couple from New Zealand for awhile. (Ive got a new place I want to visit, by the way!)
Ok, so I was able to get the help of a nice filipina gal named Emily and she linked me with a great group of folks. Me being solo helped I might add because I was easier to slip into the boat/group/guide, I rented my snorkel and mask and we were soon on the water. There were probably around 15 of us on this bannka… 2 dutch couples and the rest a mix of asian cultures and languages.
These islands were amazing… and they just kept getting better with each one we visited. At the second island, we were treating to a most superb lunch of grilled fresh fish, prawn soup, rice, bananas, pork…. awesome… I mean really amazing!
By the way, Honda Bay gets its name because it is so very deep.. I think Honda means deep in Tagalog! Who knew?! Well this made the snorkeling fun because when you ventured off into the water, it wasn't long before the depth dropped, and it dropped rapidly! This made for some great sites!
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