The towering windmills in Bangui town in Ilocos Norte is more than just a tourist attraction. These windmills actually shoulders 40% of the town’s electricity. Sadly, this is one attraction that I have yet to view with my own eyes having only seen them through pictures.

These majestic structures front the seashore on the road to the white beaches of Pagudpud. My buddy Ceblogger was the first one to introduce them to me after his roadtrip to Pagudpud. I’ve wanted to traverse the same roads he drove on for some time now but due to my schedule and the skyrocketing fuel prices, my planned road trip has been shelved indefinitely for the time being.

I do know however that the year won’t be complete unless I’ll be able to go to this town and see these things for myself. There’s one option open to me now but it will involve some manipulation and subterfuge on my part. Heh. One of my pals is fortunate enough to be assigned a company car with unlimited gasoline allowance. The trick however is how to spin the trip I’m about to propose so that his missus won’t complain. The guys have already used my stag party story so many times that I think their wives are already suspecting that I’m some pervy polygamist.

Looking at the windmill pictures and imagining the absence of people makes me think of Don Quixote and his eternal battle with the windmills. Perhaps I should dress up as a knight and bring a lance too. It would be cool if I can manage a horse in this day and age. Hmm.. I think my photographer friends wouldn’t miss that one.

Enough with the pointless thoughts.

The Bangui Windmills, there are 15 of them, apart from being a tourist attraction is something that this country badly needs to replicate all over the Philippine Islands. With electricity rates soaring through the roof, God knows we could all use some cheap source of energy that doesn’t have the burden of creating greenhouse gasses. Which is what windmills is all about. Harnessing free wind energy, and converting them to power that could light up a town is such a no-brainer that I sometimes wonder if something like this isn’t worth giving up a little bit of the government’s time that’s being overused raising and uncovering one corruption scandal after another.

I think one of the things that the Aquino government needs is to balance the negativity that’s coming out of the papers everyday with some real cheerful news like, I don’t know, the creation of another wind farm perhaps? Really we are all too engrossed with the misfortune of others that it seems aside from the crab mentality that we accuse each other on a regular basis, I think we have a severe case of schadenfreude with the way we discuss amongst ourselves the misfortunes that are about to befall people with so much glee.

Gee whiz, we need to look at the beautiful and breathtaking scenes every once in a while. And if you’re reading this, you really need to get a load of this…

from digitalmabuhay.com

Palawan is an unspoiled paradise located on the Philippines’ western border. Also known as the Philippines’ final frontier, Palawan is the country’s ecotourism capital and as such, is visited by millions of tourists, both foreign and domestic, year after year. Bestowed by nature with white sand beaches, virgin forests, coves, and improved on by the local government’s contribution of wonderful festivities and developed wildlife parks, there is a little bit of everything for every Palawan visitor. What takes the cake however is the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park.

Located in the quiet village of Sabang in Puerto Princesa, capital of Palawan, the Underground River is a must-see destination for every Palawan visitor. Considered to be the world’s longest, this subterranean river winds through 8.2 kilometers of astounding cavernous limestone formations before flowing directly into the South China Sea.

With its unique natural features and its importance to Palawan’s biodiversity and to ensure that it is preserved for future generations to enjoy, the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park has been inscribed to UNESCO’s (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) list of Natural World Heritage Sites.

Getting To Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park

First Stop Puerto Princesa:

Local airline carriers from Manila and Cebu City arrive at the Puerto Princesa Airport daily. There are no direct international flights to Palawan. So if you’re a foreigner who wish to visit the Underground River, you have to go through either Manila or Cebu City. Local airline carriers Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines and Air Philippines have regular flights going to Puerto Princesa.

Booking flights are now made easy as you can reserve a seat online. It is important to reconfirm booking a day prior to departure just to be sure. Fare ranges from P3,300 and up depending on the rates offered. The transportation from the Puerto Princesa airport to other destinations is through tricycle, jeepney or rarely taxis.

It is also possible to reach Puerto Princesa by boat as WG&A Superferry and Negros Navigation shipping lines have regular trips with stopovers in Coron. Boat trips from Puerto Princesa to Cuyo and Iloilo aboard M/V Milagrosa are also available. The ferry trip is about 22 hours long. Fare ranges from 1,100pesos up to 5,100 depending on the type of accommodation you choose.

You can check their respected websites for cheaper fares and online bookings.

Next Stop Sabang

Once you’re in Puerto Princesa, you need to go to San Jose Terminal, near the new market. Travelers get to the terminal by tricycle and usually they pay P30 per person but there is no set price. From there you can ride a jeepney that leaves at 7am and bus at 9am going to Sabang. The trip takes about three hours and it costs P125 for Filipinos and P200 for Foreigners.

But if you are traveling with your buddies or a group bigger than 10, I suggest you hire a van. Full day cost of a private van is P3,500. Van drivers can wait till the next day if you pay them an extra of P1,500 or you can negotiate with them. The hotel or guest house where you’ll stay can book for you also if you ask them in advance or if they offer transportation services.

The cheaper option is to hire a multicab, which costs about P16 to P20 per person from end to end.

Final Stop The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park

Now that you’re in Sabang, you need to ride a Bangka (small motorized canoe) to get to the underground river. The smaller motorized canoe can accommodate 6 persons while the larger ones can accommodate 12.

There are Underground River Tours available, price ranges from 1,500 and up which includes prearranged bangka rides, lunch and other tour fees. But if you want to go on a tour without a package, you can hire a small bangka for P750 and P1350 for the larger canoes. This cost is shared by the passengers.

However, when the weather’s tough, small boats aren’t allowed to sail. Larger ones are permitted but they can only carry a few passengers.

If you enjoy walking, then you can save yourself the cost of Boat fare by taking the Monkey Trail. It is a 5.2 km trek one way which takes up about 2 hours and 30 minutes or less. It is a wonderful adventure because you’ll definitely see monkeys along the way. And not just that, squirrels, different birds and other rain forest flora can be seen too. It’s a little muddy during the wet season so you may want to think twice before taking this trail.

Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park

Actually going into the Underground River will entail another round of entrance fees;

Underground River Fees:

Foreigners P200
Filipino P150
Seniors P75
Age 18 to 20 P75
Age 13 to 17 P50
Age 6 to 12 P30

The underground river tour takes about 40-60 minutes depending on various factors, the disposition of the guide you get, the number of visitors there, and sometimes even the weather weighs in on this adventure. Just a quick heads up to those who have claustrophobia though, YOU DO NOT WANT TO GO IN THERE. Trust me, I know. I’ve always thought that I don’t have any phobia or whatever but just one hour inside the Underground River turned me into a raging claustrophobiac! At first I thought everything was pretty cool, but fifteen minutes into the cave, I had real difficulty breathing, and I felt like the walls were closing in on me. Classic claustrophobia right? Unfortunately I was with someone that day and I didn’t want to spoil the fun for both of us. How I managed to survive for another 30 minutes or so was beyond. One thing I do know for certain, I ain’t going back in there.

Minus my screaming claustrophobia, the underbelly of the underground river was really nice. There were limestone formations that you could interpret into whichever way you want depending on your imagination, the water was cold and light emerald green, and then there’s guano- bat turd. One can’t go into the Puerto Princessa Subterranean River and not say that the experience wasn’t an assault on one’s senses. Whether that experience is enjoyable is something for you to decide.

Places to Stay:

There are lots of affordable places to stay in Sabang if you’re on tight budget. But if you are the type who splurges on luxurious getaways, well, there are those types of places too. Some recommendations include:

Dab Dab Cottages and Restaurant – from P400 – 1500

Green Verdi Inn – from P600 – 1000

View of Taraw Vista Lodge and Restaurant – from P500 – 1500

Daluyon Beach and Mountain Resort – from P4000 – 9000

Other Places to Visit:

There are lots of places to visit and things to do while you’re in Puerto Princesa.

- You can visit the Mangrove River Tour that costs only P150 for a 45-minute boat ride. Don’t forget to bring umbrella and some insect repellants. It is best to go sailing at early morning as it tends to get hot later in the day.
- For animal lovers, Dolphin watching for only P600 is something to think about.
- Honda Bay Island Hopping and Snorkeling for people who only have few days to spend in Puerto Princesa. The tour package costs P1100.
- For breakfast, go to Itoy’s Specialty Coffee House for a cup of Cappuccino for only P50 and Pork Adobo for P64.
- If you love International Cuisine, then dine at Chef Tan’s Kitchen for some Chinese food at reasonable prices.
- If you are a vegetarian then Ima’s Vegetarian serves fresh vegan dishes such as Tofu Burger for P60 and Ginger Tea for P20.
- And if you want some cool groove music at night while you eat, head up to Tom Tom club, owned by a Swiss guy, for some T-bone steak.

The best time to visit Palawan is during summer, from April to July, as storms and rains usually come around the second half of the year. So plan your vacation ahead of time as summer is fast approaching!

Welcome to Rali’s Grill and Bar, home of the best REAL burger in town. So says the sign in this roadside restaurant. I’m having my second breakfast here in Subic.  The first breakfast occured 2 hours earlier along the NLEX.  Don’t get me started.  I wasn’t exactly here to take them (Rali’s) to task on whether they have, in fact, the best REAL burger in Subic, nor was I even here to taste their food.  I was here because, well, for lack of a better reason, I was bored.  I’ve been working from home the past two days and apart from the unmade bed in my room or the unbelievably messy computer monitor staring at me 24/7 I haven’t really seen much of the real world lately.  Working from home, while entirely idyllic to a whole lot of cubicle dwelling corporate types, can be quite lonely.  You don’t see a lot of cleavage nor do you get to do a lot of real time chitchat with officemates.  I do the occasional skype and some google talk, but apart from that, there’s practically no physical contact that places me in the direct vicinity of somebody else’s bodily projectiles.  Whatever that means to you. So to shatter the images of monotony playing in my mind, I made a spur of the moment decision to do a quick roadtrip.  A destination that’s not that far, just a few hours drive from Manila.  Subic was the obvious choice.  I was actually watching Jack Bauer suffering from the effects of a weaponized chemical something something in 24 season 7 at 1 in the morning when I got my so called epiphany.  I took a quick shower, grabbed my spanking brand new laptop (not mine actually), charged Bruno (my trusty Canon DSLR), and prepped Bamboo 2, that deliciously awesome iron horse carriage that’s less than a year old.

NLEX/SCTEX At Dawn

Driving down the North Luzon Expressway was a breeze at 4 in the morning.  There’s barely enough traffic and nothing was impeding my assault on that long superhighway stretch.  What made driving more exciting was the fact that I don’t have any money in my wallet.  I have a few bucks left but I was pretty sure it wouldn’t cover the cost of gas and the NLEX toll fee.  I had exactly P800 bucks, but with the fuel level indicator already blinking, I knew I had to gas up and find an ATM machine real soon.  I stopped by the first gasoline station I passed and asked the gas attendant to fill’r up with P500 worth of the least expensive unleaded fuel.  I now had P300 left and getting desperate to get to an ATM machine as I still have to pay for the NLEX & the SCTEX toll fees. I arrived at the NLEX toll booth without passing by any ATM machine.  I kept thinking what excuse I would give to the authorities if the toll fee exceeds 300 bucks.  Thankfully the NLEX end to end toll fee was only P138, leaving me with P162.  I was driving real slow hoping against hope that an ATM machine would miracurously pop out of nowhere, you know, like an oasis in the middle of the desert.  But those things only happen in cracpot movies and of course after a 45 minute drive the SCTEX toll booth was looming large in the horizon.  But it seems the heavens was smiling on this home-office-locked/bored road-tripper as I was only charged 128 for the SCTEX toll, which meant that after all the expenses associated with getting to Subic without the aid of an ATM machine, I came out on top, with still P34 to spare. I’m not really sure if the numbers are correct so don’t bet your life on it.

At Rali’s Grill and Bar

Rali’s didn’t happen by accident.  Sometime in the past, the significant other and I had dinner here.  We’ve just returned from a road trip and we were craving for meat.  We happened to pass by Rali’s and thought the ambience was romantic so we pulled over.  I haven’t returned since.  So when the urge to drive to Subic struck me, I knew Rali’s was going to be my destination. Rali’s as I’ve mentioned is a small bar by the sea.  It’s beside the fishing point of recreational fishermen who just go through the motions of casting their lines and hope something bites.  I’m not sure if they really catch anything here aside from sunburn but I’m not really sure.  I could have brought my fishing gear I suppose but seeing that my fishing buddy has decided to abandon me by going home to Cebu, I wasn’t really that motivated to fish. This little resto however is a perfect place for breakfast, even if you have to come from Metro Manila just to enjoy the atmosphere.  The food is not really that spectacular but the ambience is.  You get fresh air, and you get to stare at the granite sea which I swear cleanses the mind.  Call it detoxification of your polluted brain or whatever.  Just come.  There’s not much people around so if you want to have some privacy with somebody you want to keep private (if you get my drift), this is the place to be. Rali’s is along Argonaut highway inside Subic Bay Freeport.  If you’re driving from Manila, just make a left when you reach the Petron junction. You’ll reach it in two minutes.  Just watch out for those colorful banners to your right.

Intramuros is one of the historical sites in Metro Manila that continue to attract tourists. It’s most notorious claim to fame is that it was the last hang out of Dr. Jose Rizal, Philippine’s National Hero, before he was fed hot lead by the Spanish conquistadores just outside of Intramuros’ walls. Unbeknownst to most non-history buffs, Intramuros was also one of the old world’s poster cities for discrimination. Only a selected few were allowed to work much less live there. Check out this entry from wikipedia.

Only persons who were legally classified as ‘blanco’ (white) were allowed to live in Intramuros. These persons were the filipinos (Spaniards born in the Philippines), peninsulares (Spaniards born in Spain), the tornatrás (persons of Spanish, Malay, and Chinese descent), and mestizos of Spanish-Malay descent.

Only white men were legally allowed to marry non-white women. White women were prohibited from marrying non-white men as it was against the social mores of the time. If a mestiza de sangley (Malay-Chinese) or india (Malay) married a Spaniard (filipino or peninsular), she was legally classified as ‘white’ and was allowed to live in Intramuros with her husband and children.

Illegitimate mestizo children of Spanish men were legally prohibited from living in Intramuros unless they were adopted by the men themselves.

Only mestizos de sangley (persons of Malay-Chinese descent) were allowed to enter strictly for employment purposes, but were required to leave and return to their section of racially segregated Binondo at the end of the day. Whites were legally exempted from paying taxes. Indios (Malays) paid the base tax, mestizos de sangley (Malay-Chinese) paid twice the base tax, and sangleys (Chinese) paid four times the base tax.

Despite the steady destruction of the old that progress is taking on Metro Manila, Intramuros continues to struggle to preserve its historical structures or whatever’s left of it. I went around Intramuros yesterday and all I can see was a lot of wires and a lot of people. Some of the structures were still standing, some with a few renovations on them, while some have been completely overhauled and looked like wounds in an otherwise flawless skin.

There was still the moss covered walls, a few cobbled stone streets, the impressive churches, but sadly modernization is not something that went well with this once snobbish little city. Where one would hope to find harmony between the new and the old I only find dissonance and garishness. But that’s progress for you, it may not be always pretty but we all hope and pray that it’s a step in the right direction.

Inland fishing is one of the more available pursuits when you’re in Manila. The absence of readily accessible fishing spots in the Metro is one of the reasons why those who love to fish, go for pond fishing or inland fishing. Pond fishing is not just limited to the small square of brackish water that readily comes to mind when the word fish pond is mentioned. The pond where I go inland fishing every weekend for example is a pretty large affair.

See pictures below.

This fish pond operated by Kap Larry is situated in Coloong, Valenzuela. It is a favorite of avid recreational fishermen because for one, it is pretty large, two, it has a few cottages that the whole family can gather together, and of course it’s very affordable. It is common for families near the area to go over there when celebrating special occasions. They just bring their food with them, eat, and at the same time enjoy some inland fishing.

Kap Larry's Pond

If you’re an expat in Manila (or even if you’re a local) and you enjoy fishing AND you don’t have a lot of time but you want to catch yourself a little fish, you might want to do a little inland fishing at Kap Larry’s Pond. Here are a few details about Kapitan Larry’s pond.

- The place is situated in Coloong, Valenzuela (see map).

- The place is open from 5 in the morning until 6 in the evening
- It has at least 5 cottages the cost to rent range from 300-500 for the entire day.
- Entrance fee is 50, but this is waived if you rent a cottage
- Price of the fish you catch is as follows:
– Tilapia P75/kilo
– Bangus P90/kilo
– Pangasius P100/kilo
- You have to bring your own fishing rods
- There’s an area where you can grill your own fish
- If you want your fish to be grilled for you, that can be arranged as well
- If you caught nothing the entire day, you can actually buy tilapia from there at the same price of P75/kilo
- Better bring your own transportation as they have a parking area

Catching and Eating The Pangasius

Last weekend my good friend Ceblogger and myself were quite excited to go back to Coloong after 3 weeks of absence. We arrived at 3 in the afternoon which means that we only have 3 hours to catch anything.

An hour and a half after and we still have squat. We were already entertaining thoughts of going back the following day when I got a bite. It was a beautiful half-kilo bangs and it put up a good fight before I finally reeled it in. Ceblogger on the other hand was still holding his breath. Moments later he felt a tug on his fishing rod and I can see that he caught a big one as his small fishing rod was almost bent to breaking point.

I thought he caught a really big bangus but when I helped him by scooping up his catch with a fishing net, i saw a flash of pink and thought he caught a big tilapia instead. As it turned out, it was a big Pangasius with its protruding belly.

The thing about the Pangasius though, once you’re reeled it out of the water, it completely gives up the fight. Unlike the bangus who would continue the fight even when it’s no longer in the water, the Pangasius just stayed still as if it has already accepted it’s fate and knew that the only place that he would be going to next is the dinner table.

We went home satisfied with our bangus and Pangasius that night. Something weird though, once we arrived home and cooked the fishes, I can’t bring myself to eat them. It’s not pity or anything but somehow they just looked very unpalatable to me. Not sure if that’s normal.

But anyway, for sure next weekend we will be back in Coloong again and chase after their fishes there. I think with fishing, we are reminded of our primal instincts to hunt and eat our prey.

Join us next time!

Growing up in a small coastal town in the Philippines, I spent my early childhood years cutting classes to bathe in rivers. The weekends were spent with an early morning swim in the sea. I didn’t have any idea that there were white sand beaches then. Our beaches in our part of Northern Mindanao were anything but white, but it didn’t make a difference to a young kid like me. All I knew was how much fun I had floating on the water, and baking under the sun. I didn’t even have to put on any sunblock or sunscreen. Sunburn was something that came naturally if I overdid swimming so I always knew when to stop.

The river near my place was also a place where the neighborhood ‘labanderas’ would wash their clothes every weekend. There was not much talk then about how detergents would poison the rivers. Going to the river to wash was something that was done for generations. I do not see these labanderas now when I go back to the province but the bridge which used to shade this labanderas and which people used to cross from the main town to a little barrio was still there.

It was this bridge where I learned how to fish. Back then, the only fishing rod I know was the bamboo kind. You tie one end of string to the end of the bamboo, put a hook a the end of the string, skewer a little worm with the hook and you’re good to go. I only caught little ibis then but with volume this little ibis fishes were something that can actually provide a meal for a small family.

Years have passed and though I am living in a big bad city now, memories of me fishing on that river has remained fresh as if it’s only a weekend ago when I last cast my bamboo rod and felt the tugging of those little ibis fishes. So when my friend invited me to go fishing with him one Saturday night in a bar, all those fond memories came flooding back in. My friend, along with his wife has become quite enamored with fishing and every chance they get, they fish.

Now the problem with being in the big bad city is that opportunities for a good fishing experience is few and far between. I thought the only way that I could do some respectable fishing was to get out of Manila and go to the neighboring provinces where the rivers or the lakes has not gone the way of the Pasig river. I do know that Subic could be a good fishing spot having seen a few folks casting their rods there whenever I pass by the place.

After my friend’s fishing invitation, the subject has been coming up regularly overtime we and some other friends with us meet up. I even went so far as to propose to my own circle of friends that we go on a fishing trip. I didn’t have any idea yet as to where to go but it seems the idea has hit a receptive audience. I guess in their case fishing evokes of Ernest Hemingway and his Old Man and the Sea, although truth be told I don’t have any fantasies of doing battle against a huge sea monster. If I can get my hands on a little fish that would look appetizing on a grill, then I would be happy.

My first fishing trip in Manila came a few weeks after my good friend’s invite. We were supposed to go to Pulilan as recommended by another friend but as that other friend could not make it to our impromptu trip, we followed another friend’s advice and went to Lakeshore instead. Lakeshore, if you haven’t gone up North in your life, is in Mexico. The one in Pampanga, not North America.

I think it’s one of the few privileges in life when you are able to live in a subdivision, or a community, if you will, that has a fishing spot. Some subdivisions might offer a tennis court or a basketball court, but rare is a subdivision that has its own lake for fishing. Of course we’re talking about Mexico here and not Mandaluyong (though you’re very much welcome to fish in the Pasig River if you must).

We arrived at Lakeshore shortly before 5 in the afternoon. The lake, which is the subdivisions fishing spot is pretty, scenic even. And with a few tents by the lake, I am inclined to believe that it is a very popular spot for weddings. When we went there, there was in fact a wedding going on. I assumed that it was a rich couples wedding judging by the three helicopters parked beside the tent.

Unfortunately for us however, we arrived too late for our fishing plans. Lakeshore does not allow night fishing and they close at 6 pm, which made our three hour drive from Manila futile. But nevertheless, after seeing the lake, I knew that it would only be a matter of time before we make a comeback. If only we didn’t have to drive that far.

Next up! Good fishing spot in Manila, Philippines.

I didn’t expect my return to Anawangin, Zambales to be in such a terrible state. My head was like a pimple that’s about to burst, I was awake for more than 30 hours, and I was drunk like a proper alcoholic; having been drinking for 6 hours straight. Ok, perhaps there was more talk than beer, but still, I was pretty wasted.

It all started with a send-away drink for a colleague who was set to fly to distant lands on a Sunday. As Filipinos, it was a matter of national pride for us to make sure that our guest, even to the very last minute, enjoyed her stay in our islands. But since my colleague had been working her ass off for our company the whole time she was here, she really didn’t have time to see the sights. She only allocated a day (Saturday) for her shopping ritual.

So after work last Friday, we were pumped to give her a good time, drinking, a little crash course on Filipino humor and of course, Filipino hospitality. We were determined to make her drink until the sun comes up. As nightshift folks, our drinking started at around 1:00AM and by the time it was around 7AM, after a whole lot of talk and more beer, some drunken guy asked our visitor point blank if she’d rather spend her last Saturday in the Philippines shopping or sprawled in a tropical beach. She said beach. A show of hands ensued and it was agreed that four drunken colleagues will be heading out to Zambales to take her to Anawangin. Unfortunately, one of those who raised their hands was me. I didn’t really wanna go but seeing that most folks were raising their hands, I decided what the hell, might as well go crazy for once.

We didn’t pack for anything. We just followed the road and took turns driving. We reached Subic around 12 noon and bought our swimming outfit there. We then proceeded to drive to Pundaquit where the usual bancas are rented to go to Anawangin. We parked our car in Canoe Beach Resort and arrived at Anawangin Cove around 2PM.

Without even putting on a beach towel (I had none), I crashed on the sand and started snoring right away. My colleagues were happily swimming while I passed out under the shade. I woke up an hour later and saw them drinking some more. A lot of looks were thrown our way not because of my unbelievably good looks but because our colleague from distant shores was in a string bikini and she looked absolutely like those models you only see in glossy swimsuit magazines. I couldn’t really care less as to how she looked (rrright), I was too concerned about my hangover and where I could score some aspirins to cure it.

It seemed to me that Anawangin is no longer the secret spot that it used to be. There’s a store selling stuff there now. The creek and the pine trees are still there, but there are more tents pitched unlike the last time I visited it. I’m not really crazy about its beach, but for a quick getaway, it’s still pretty much acceptable.

After three hours in Anawangin we went back to Canoe Beach Resort to retrieve our stuff and go back to Manila. By some inspired move, we decided to stop by the new Marquee Mall near the Clark Exit in NLEX so our colleague was still able to do a little shopping.

We arrived in Manila around 12midnight. The other guys still wanted to go to Fiamma and Embassy but I was literally bombed so I begged off. Not that I enjoy going to those places anyway.

Going to Anawangin in a drunken stupor was really irresponsible and stupid though fun and enjoyable in a painful way. But I guess it’s alright to do these kinds of things every once in a while if only to confirm that we are still in charge of our individual lives.
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It is El Nido without the pain in the ass. Literally. None of those 8 hour rides over crappy roads or wasted time waiting for the same road to be passable (totally worth it though).

I was in Caramoan for a total of 24 hours but within that period of time, I’ve already experienced a gamut of emotions that you’d think I was living life in steroids. I was:
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- sleepless, having driven to the airport straight from my nightshift work,
- drunk, had a couple of beers before the airport drive (kids don’t do this or you’ll end up giggling like a hyena most of the time, cool, but for all intents and purposes, stupid)
- fatigued, my travel buddies said I snored through the 45-minute plane ride
- soaked, yep after donning on copious amounts of sunblock, the heavens opened up. But what the heck, we decided to island hop anyway.
- deathly frightened, did an impromptu rock climb just to spot a wild mother bangus (see story below)
- amazed, the caramoan peninsula’s water is like liquid copper you’d think you can scoop them up and they’d be like jelly in your hands
- touched, our homestay hosts were so accommodating that I wished my mother is still alive
- victorious, after conquering that rock and taking a glimpse of the mother b, I felt like I stared death in the eyes and made him blink
- voracious, after all those adventures I was raving hungry and thanks to those awesome folks at Rex’s Tourist Inn, I consumed food like you won’t believe
- and of course drunk again, one of the super cool kids concocted a drink called Boracay out of emperador, condensed milk, coffee, and crushed eyes. I think he missed his calling.

I think I've seen these hills in my dreams. No kidding.

Now about Caramoan. I wasn’t really expecting anything much. I’ve been to El Nido and have righteously assumed all beaches to be inferior. I think I’m not alone in that perception. Caramoan however has a few aces up its sleeves. For one, there’s the survivor shoots, during the time that I was there, Survivor Hungary was holed up in Bag-ing island. There were not so subtle signs admonishing island hoppers not to take photographs. Are you frigging kidding me? This is our turf! And you’re telling us not to take pictures? Of course I took pictures! But only after I was safely ensconced in our little banca and driving away. Teehehehe.

So I'm a wuss. The survivors are behind those clumps of vegetation.

Because of the very limited time we have (only a half day’s worth of island hopping) our island hopping guide decided to just bring us to the three awesomest islands within striking distance. The first was in Bag-ing (see above), then in Lajos, and lastly in Matukad.

Weird rock formations in Lajos

Like I said this is not ideal for swimming.

Though you certainly can find some wonderful swimming spots.

Kal El was here. Remnants of the planet Krypton

Lajos, well I thought this is a Cebuano term and probably it is. This island is like a bald man’s head. You know some cluster of hairs on both sides while the center is totally smooth. Lajos has rock formations on both sides and white sand in between. Thus you have two beaches to choose from, one in front and one in the back. There is ample space for a little swimming but I think it’s best snorkelled than swam. Still the water is crystal clear and my cam whore friends had a blast taking photos and showing a little skin. I’d have preferred for them to remain clothed though.

Better swimming spots here.

Matukad is by far the most varied of the islands that we went to. It has its secret lake as well. This is the lake that I risked life and limb for just so I can see that mother bangus. Bangus = Milkfish (just in case you’re not familiar with the local name).

Just to see this motherf.. err.. bangus. I'm telling you it's one big mother.

Ok a little trivia why this particular bangus is called Mother. Bangus fry, in case you don’t know, is usually caught in the open sea. You might think that because bangus comes in a fish pond, it was born and raised there. Au contraire, they may have been raised there but they certainly were not born there. This is where the bangus fry fishermen come in. These fishermen are those who wake up very early in the morning, bring out their fine-meshed nets and trawl the waters near the beach. They are after bangus fry. Now where do you think those little bangus fry came from? Yep it’s the mother bangus’ doing. They’re usually big assed fishes who live in the wild. It’s going to be a very sad day when these mother bangus (banguses, bangii?) are included in fishermen’s catch. They should throw them back in the water or worship it even for all the good that it’s doing.

This is the natural barrier that we had to climb to get to the lake.

The rock that we had to climb is not actually a rock. They’re limestone formations that have been forged by father time over hundreds if not thousands of years. So their edges are really sharp. In our case, these formations sort of served as a very high wall (I think around 40 ft high give or take) to protect the lake. There’s no way around it. If you want to go near the lake or even just to try and get a glimpse, you have to get over that wall. And nope there are no set footings prepared for city boys like myself. However when our tour guide asked if we want to see the mother bangus I immediately said yes. I only realized my folly when I was almost at the top about to clamber down. It suddenly dawned on me that were I to slip just even once, I will not be able to see future generations of me. Anyway I pushed all those nasty thoughts aside and concentrated on being careful to save my ass (again, literally). True enough there was the secret lake but from where we were standing (almost 50 meters away) we couldn’t see a bloody thing. Only the murky brownish green water. After a while our guide said ‘Here she comes!’. And there she was, shaped like a shark, streaking through the water like a hot knife on butter. It was a glorious sight. Even made glorious because of what we had to go through to see it. Of course there were pictures for posterity with the lake as the background. But since my butt crack(kidding. or not) was showing (I insisted on being photographed from the back), I’m showing here my friend’s picture instead.

This is the secret lake. And no that's not me.

Surprisingly, going down was by far easier than going up. I thought it would be the reverse. But thank God for that. It took us half the time to climb down that rock. With only a few scrapes on our hands, no broken bones, and our bodies glistening with sweat. I think we looked awesomely manly (bilbil and all) to our lady companions. Of course we had to exaggerate to the max when we recounted our climb. But there was general great feeling all around. Coming out of a death-threatening situation can do that to you.

Clear aquamarine waters

By far, Matukad was the awesomest island we went to. There was a good spot for swimming and again the water was very clear. I think we could have gone on exploring other islands but alas, darkness was fast approaching.

I thought about all the island hopping tours I’ve gone on and so far this one comes a close second. El Nido will always be number one.  Although in terms of convenience and proximity from Manila, Caramoan is a very able substitute. If you haven’t been there, there’s really no excuse not to go. Fare is low, accommodation is cheap, and you can totally enjoy it over the weekend.

Our itinerary:

Saturday 6:30 AM – Flight To Naga
7:30 AM – Arrival
7:45 AM – Van to Guijalo Port (for the boat to Sabang, Caramoan)
8:45 AM – Arrive in Guijalo
9:00 AM – Depart for Sabang
11:30 AM – Arrival
Sat aft. 1:30 PM – Island Hopping
5:30 PM – Back from IH

Sunday 9:45 AM – Depart for Sabang
10:15 AM – Depart for Guijalo
12:15 PM – Arrival

Note:

While we were in Caramoan, we were supposed to stay in Rex Tourist Inn, but because they were fully booked, they assigned us to one of the homes there who offer homestay. I think it turned out pretty alright. Our hosts, Engr. & Mrs. Elvin Sacil were very accommodating and their house was very nice. We occupied two rooms (both fully airconditioned) with a private sala to boot! Something you wouldn’t get at Rex (hehehe). There were two bathrooms which was really cool. Theres a garden outside the house, plus a few caskets. Kidding about the caskets. Lol. Actually, I’m not kidding. There’s a shop just outside selling caskets. But don’t be put-off by that. There’s no wake there. It’s just a business after all so none of that weird stuff.

The important thing is you get to have a very homy atmosphere and some very cool hosts. In fact had we contacted them directly, I’m sure we could have saved a lot of money instead of going through one of those tour organizers. If you want to talk to the Sacils directly, here’s their number (09084633101).

So what did we do Sunday Afternoon in Naga? Why, we had to go wakeboarding in CWC of course!  But that’s another story.
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I finally have enough time to do a more decent report on my Baler trip. The last post I had about this place was so hurried and using the awful Globe Tattoo connection that there’s pretty much little I could say. Anyway, here it goes;

Baler is not something that you travel 6 hours for just to find a really good beach for swimming. This picture below should already explain why.

But when you’re there, you’ll notice that it aint half bad as well. It’s just not that kind of place. Plain and simple it’s that place that you go to with surfing primarily in your mind. And not that kind of surfing either. As mentioned in my earlier hurried post, the waves there are not that big to entice the thrill-seeking surfers to congregate. The waves are too small to do that.

If you are a wannabe surfer however and you want to hone or discover your as yet undeveloped surfing skills far from the prying eyes of surfing pros, then this is the place to be. As a beach it has a really long shoreline and a wide beach front but be sure to take note that if you dislike anything that’s un-white, this is not the place for you.

Fine Gray Sand

The sand here is superfine but they are definitely not white. They’re black. This gives off a darker shade to the waters as well. The water is basically clean but because the underlying sand is dark, it gives off a murky color. Still if you’re particular with the seabed that you stand on when you do your swimming, this beach does not disappoint. You will be standing on fine sand when you do your swimming and none of those disgusting seaweeds or those painful stones that make you hesitate on whether to take a dip or not.The water’s temperature is fine as well, it’s certainly not as warm as the Boracay waters but they’re warm enough if you’re cold enough. And it does get warmer the more people take to the water. I wonder why, hmmm..

Taking A Breather

There are already decent resorts in the area that provides for good accommodation. The resort we stayed is called Bay’s Inn resort and their rooms are clean and they have a restaurant that offers good food at very reasonable prices. More importantly beer is only P35 bucks so if you want to get sloshed by the beach, this is as good as it gets.

Beachfront Resort

The only thing I regretted going there was that I did not have my own transport. I’m pretty sure that I would have enjoyed stopping by the road and taking snapshots of the grand Sierra Madre mountain ranges. They do look mysterious and seem partially covered by fog most of the time.

Sierra Madre

95% of the time the road is paved and even those that aren’t are very tolerable unlike the roads that we had to navigate when we went to Surigao Del Sur.

I’m sure there are plenty of surfing areas that are closer to Baler but for a mixture of swimming and surfing (and privacy for that matter), I think Baler is one destination that could give the more proximate surfing resorts (like Pundaquit in Zambales) a run for their money. You just have to deal with the longer travel time.

Baler, Aurora

One thing that’s oft forgotten about the place is that Baler is the birthplace of Manuel L. Quezon so of course he has a statue in front of the Baler Museum facing one of the main streets. The only thing is, right across the street, he’s looking at a huge blank, unpainted side of a building. I’m pretty sure he’s not enjoying that sight.

Manuel L. Quezon

Baler is also the site of the movie, well, Baler, starring Anne Curtis (who looks more Castellan than the Spanish character portrayed by Jericho Rosales). Anne by the way, is sooo into me. Don’t ask. Leave me alone with my fantasies. Lol.

We also visited the Baler Museum of course and I tried going retro with these B/W photos.

Guardia Civil

The Missing Link

Waiting For Godot

Hope you like the photos and the place of course!

Lady luck certainly smiled upon me today. I was worried all week long that my trip to Baler, Aurora in Quezon Province would be welcomed by showers of rain. Manila has been a wet place the entire week and I was concerned that such condition would extend over the weekend. Fortunately, it did not.
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Baler IS a beginner surfer’s paradise. The waves are small enough to not daunt the noob surfer but not that small to daunt the scaredy cat. I’ve got so much to tell but for the meantime, here are pics of my buddies doing their thang on the waters.
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