Sun 8th Feb – Felt like going out somewhere for the day, but after considering the
options to go somewhere local, made up our mind to go a little further and take
some things to stay overnight. Went to Pansanjan, which is in Laguna province
and has one claim to fame with its waterfalls. A Jeepney up to Dasmarinas, and
then had to wait for an FX van to fill up with passengers before heading off.
Not too bad a journey although mainly the super highway for most of it. Once
you get closer to the southern side of the Laguna lake, the countryside is
lovely, with hectares of rice paddies surrounded by palm trees and attractive
hills.
The Fx
stopped at the market and transport station, a couple of kilometers out of town,
and surprised in finding a smart tourist office/ Nipa hut there. This was a
sign that this area is different to most of the other places I had been to on
the mainland. A nice guy arrived and opened up and was keen to tell us what the
area had to offer. He made a call to his wife, who shortly arrived and escorted
us back to town on a tricycle. She then showed us around a few accommodation
options until we were happy, a really kind touch and not what I expected. We
stopped at ‘Al’s’ place across the Balanac
river in an apartment for 1000 pesos including breakfast for both of us. A
private balcony overlooking the river and nice facilities. One of the other
places, the ‘La Vista Hotel’ across from where we stayed, was a clean looking
place too but wanted 1300 pesos inc breakfast.
The main
reason for coming here was to visit the falls, an hour ride upstream in a
canoe. Every hotel and guest house here can organize the trip, but there is a
saga going on about it. Up until last year the price used to be 660 pesos per
person, but it was increased to 800 pesos and will rise again on April 1st
to 1000 pesos. The town has 3,500 Bangkeros / boatmen who are licensed to offer
the trip and the fee is structured by the local government to attempt to
prevent the tourists being scammed. The present mayor of the town has
instigated a project to build a central boat station, due for completion this
year, and is keen to clamp down on the ‘flaggers’ who hawk the incoming
tourists. The problem is that the increases in price are not received by the
boatmen, but are siphoned off by the middle men, and so the boatmen are
complaining continually about it. Understandable as there is little else to do
in this town unless you are a boatman, or operating or working for a hotel or
guesthouse.
After
settling in we went for a walk around the town. A small a cozy place and
friendly. A few nice restaurants serving local dishes as well as some street
stalls for snacks. It even has a seven-eleven store, showing that it is on the
tourist map! Had a nice bowl of delicious Arroz
Caldo, a
traditional hot rice soup made with ginger. Joined by a couple of boatmen who
spent most of their time complaining about the boatride price. Another treat on
the way back of ‘Halo-Halo’, which is a desert made from shaved ice and
condensed or evaporated milk, which has sweet beans and fruit added to it.
Although it can be made all year round, it is generally only seen in summer.
Mon 9th Feb – After a nice breakfast, we organized the trip up the river with Al and set-off
at 9:30. Luckily, it was quiet and the hour long ride upstream was
peaceful…apart from the rapids. Well, they call them rapids. Don’t expect some
grade 5 white water rafting experience. They are fairly gentle but for the
boatmen. a hard slog having to pull the boat. with us in it, up some tricky
climbs against the force of the water. They certainly earn their pay. At a
number of times along the way, the head man
kept saying…don’t forget your boatman…extra special pay…we don’t get
paid much…don’t forget. I made no promises as we had paid 800 pesos each
already, and thought that was enough. This is the scams they come up with to
make you part with more cash. Soon after starting out, a boat came up close and
was offering drinks for the boatmen…they get thirsty…drink for your boatmen!
Then another one selling souvenirs, then a stop at an impassable section when
they offer food for your boatmen…and so it goes. After the one hour ride we
reached the actual falls, which team over what is called the ‘Devil’s cave’.
For an extra 90 pesos, you could take a bamboo raft into it, and under the
pounding pressure of the water fall, but didn’t bother. We were the only ones
there and so swam instead.
Heading back
downstream we were passed by numerous boats full of Koreans and a few other
foreigners. We had been lucky to get the place to ourselves. The return trip
only takes about half an hour as the boat just follows the flow and the boatmen
just have to steer. More exciting than the upstream trip as it builds up a n ice
speed and you get soaked as the water fills the boat.
After
recovering for a while, we made out exit from Al’s and walked back through town
to the transport station. A nice walk as it passed some interesting local
sights. The paddy fields will not be ready until August for harvesting, but
now, they were a verdant carpet of green, dotted with pretty Nipa huts, one of
which was a real postcard image.
A guy pulled
up in front of us as we walked and introduced himself. He was Australian but
had spent a long time in the UK. As an Expat living here, he was part of the
law enforcement squad, trying to enforce the use of safety helmets and general
safety on motorbikes. Obviously driven by the need to improve his own safety
whilst living here.
Returned from Pansanjan to Silang in an FX and
slept for most of it..zzz…
Tue 10th Feb – Domestics day after being away, so not much happened.
Wed 11th Feb – In the evening I met up with a group of expats to chat about what goes
on in the local scene. Was an excellent evening of being shown around a few
different places. Started with a place referred to as Les's bar...he died about
3 or 4 years ago, but his bar lives on. He was one of a small group of
foreigners who decided to set up the expats group, and so it went on from
there. Next was Manos's Greek taverna in Tagaytay. We were late as most had
gathered from around 5pm for a meal and it was now around 8pm. An indian guy, a
couple of british guys, and some others from other parts of Europe, as well as
the guy who was showing me around, Ivan from New Zealand. He runs a generator
hire and repair business close to where I am staying in Silang.
Next to
G-Point and met the manager who had taken the place over not long ago and
rebuilt it. Tonight there was a live band playing some nice easy music, and the
drinks were flowing. Starting to fly now....
Final place
was Knuckles bar, a new venture that we had seen advertised along the road but
had no idea where it was. Took some finding and was nowhere near the address on
the street banners, so was empty...no wonder really! Chatted with the manager
about why his bar was empty. The nightly band started at 10:30 and went through
until around 3am, but you had to either know where it was or find it by
accident behind Starbucks and down a flight of stairs in Tagaytay... Its
address was Silang crossing?
A nice
evening and learnt a lot although too much for one evening. The group meet
every wednesday and many are also involved in the Rotary group doing local
projects, which I could get involved in if I wished. They certainly have plenty
of important local contacts who could help in doing just about anything.
Thu 12th Feb – A couple of really nice local places to while away an hour or two on
the main highway. The walk there is beautiful apart from the crazy traffic, as
it is a continuous stream of garden centres in full bloom. Gorgeous colours and
masses of Orchids make great photo backdrops. The 'Abundant place' is a
restaurant and also a shop selling craft goods and local produce such as coffee
and vinegar plus clothing. Further along the road is the SSD, a Seventh Day
Adventist headquarters with peaceful grounds and mock nipa hut and rice
terraces. Lovely setting for photography, so dressed up a little. They also
have a couple of reproduction wooden arches looking like something from
Thailand.
Fri 13th Feb – I had been making comments for ages that the Philippines has no good
bakeries. There is one however, the French baker in SM mall, so made a
pilgrimage there and stuffed my face with great bread and cakes, plus plenty of
take-out to last a few days...French stick, Chiabatta, etc... yummeee!! There
is a reason for the lack of good bread... The Filipinos aren't bothered and
only want cheap bread...it is yuk! Next, to buy some cheese to have with this
lovely bread. Fortunately, not so difficult to find, but expensive as it is all
imported. They don't make good cheeses here...none.. :-(
Whilst at the
Mall I took the opportunity to visit a dermatologist as I had picked up a small
skin infection that had been lasting too long now. Simple enough to fix with
some Clobetasol ointment, but not available without
prescription. Cost 650 pesos including the consultation fee.
The problem
with buying something you haven't had in ages is that it is difficult to
stop...too much good cheese and bread! Will pay for that later!!
Sat 14th Feb – Today is Valentine’s day, and so a nice day of lazy stuff. In the
evening went to Recuerdos on the Aguinaldo highway - A combined site comprising
the Tita Boots restaurant and also
selling traditional furniture and artifacts set amongst a group of buildings
and Nipa huts. During the evening an announcement was made that the deputy
mayor and his wife plus a group were present from the national TV company GMA7.
The famous director Joel Lamangan was there as well as an also famous actress
that I later saw on TV in a drama series.
Entertainment
was provided by a keyboard player and a couple of female vocalists, but later
in the evening, audience participation was welcomed and so Sheira talked me
into doing a turn, so obliged...well what choice did I have considering the
distinguished audience I had. Had a great response with the crowd enjoying my
performance. A group were also there who knew Sheira and so were invited for
some drinks before we had to leave as up early tomorrow to catch a flight.
Sun 15th Feb – Up early to catch the flight to Busuanga Island in Palawan, departing
from Manila at 12:45 (which I managed to
get for 971 pesos all inclusive). After check-in at Cebupacific, the usual
terminal fee before you enter departures of 200 pesos. A nice little 72 seater
prop plane, arriving at 1:45pm. Cebupacific always have in-flight games and I
won a little bag on one game. Had emailed the Kokosnuss
Garden resort to make arrangements for being met at
the airport. The road to Coron town from the airport is fairly rough, with
cattle grids made of wooden logs that have broken up and take some slow
navigation to get over. Some sections of the road are being concreted, and I
assume over time will extend all the way to town, cutting the transit time from
45 minutes to 20 minutes or so.
A
pleasant surprise at the Kokosnuss as it is a nice chilled place, with a few
alternative styles of accommodation ranging from 450 pesos a night to 1880 for
the full works, with separate chalet and mural decorated walls and our own
large Gecko and spiders for night time entertainment.
Despite
being told that this place was too far out of town, it was only about 15 minute
walk down the main National Highway...in this place...a narrow single road!
Passed a frtui stall on the way selling 'Star Apple, for 2 pesos each. Only
just come in to season and delicious, so bought some to eat on the walk to
town. A soft white pulpy interior that is just sucked from the soft outer shell
after ripping it open with your fingers. Green and purple versions are
available.
After
a walk around the town for half and hour...not very big...Eat at 'La Sirenetta' restaurant, at the end of a pier and overlooking Coron island.
From
here you can see the 'Coron' sign, illuminated like Hollywood on a small hill above the town.
On
the higher mount Tablas adjacent to it is an Illuminated
cross, which will make an interesting walk for
sunset one evening.
The
initial walk around the town shows that this place is more expensive than expected, and also on the
verge of development. A new market area is being developed on the waterfront,
that is only in its initial stages at present. It marks what I see as the
beginning of something big here.
Another
thing this place is becoming famous for is diving, having some of the most
unspoilt sites in the Philippines. During the 2nd world war, a large group of
Japanese war ships were sunk here, and so have developed a great infrastructure
for wreck diving. I plan to make a couple of dives whilst here.
Another
unique thing is the area north of Busuanga island on Caluit Island. A colony of
imported animals from Kenya was inaugurated in the early 1970's as the only
wildlife reserve in the whole of the Philippines. It is an expensive trip to
make, but a worthwhile one as I am getting withdrawal symptoms from having not
seen much wildlife in a long time.
Mon 16th Feb - A short tricycle ride from us is Horse riding at Horse
Valley, so went there in the afternoon. It was a funny experience, as the
horses are wild and left to run around an area of jungle, so the guy had to
fetch them first. He took half an hour to bring in three horses, which then
fled once again when he hadn't roped them to anything, so he had to run after
them again. The horse he was going to put me on was called Charlie, and he
couldn't even control it himslef, so I told him it was going to be his horse.
Shiera got 'Valentine' because it had a white heart between its eyes and was
pregnant! I got June, who was quite appropriate in that it seemed to always
want to be in front and quite a feisty character. We were out about three hours
for 600 pesos each and stopped off at a hillock where the illuminated Coron
sign is. The return stretch was nice as it went off road through a quiet area
of Nipa huts and plantation. After a hot and sticky, but enjoyable ride, we
returned to Kokosnuss and relaxed the rest of the day over some local coconut
snacks and cheap bottle of Filipino brandy and coke and Shiera got pissed.
Shame on that girl!
Tue 17th Feb – Lazy day involving some research for tomorrow.
Wed 18th Feb – Had researched the alternatives of how to get to the Calauit Nature Reserve, located on a
separate island to the north of Busuanga. Chartering a Bangca costs 11,000
pesos and can hold upto 11 passengers, but unless you form a group it is very
expensive. Another way is to hire a van for 6,000 pesos and share with upto 10
passengers. The problem there is also getting sufficient people to join. Now is
quiet and so not easy to do. The final alternative is to go by motorbike. You
can hire a driver for 2,500 pesos, also expensive considering the bikes only
cost upto 600 pesos including gas and we wanted to stay overnight on the
island, which would have made it difficult. The remaining alternative was to
hire a motorbike myself and go it alone…the cheapest alternative, but one that
was to prove the least favourable option, as will become clear! Many operators
in Coron town will hire motorbikes of varying standards, from 500 to 1000
pesos. I Hired our motorbike from Boyet motorcycles for 500 pesos per day and
collected at 8am. He is a nice guy and full of good information. The main piece
of advice he couldn’t really give, and the one I wish he had was…don’t do it…it
is hell unless you are a really proficient motorbike rider, which I am not.
Something that I am now clearly aware of!
Full of
confidence and armed with some light changes of clothing for the overnight
stay, plus a reasonable hand drawn map of the island as no proper map
exists….set off into the unknown. There is a major project by the present
governor to provide a paved road all the way north, aimed for completion
sometime next year…in time for the elections…he will not stand for re-election,
and so it is likely he will want to see it finished for his term comes to an
end. This piece of information I did not have and when the concreted road ran
out after around 10km out of town, I was surprised. Coming from the airport was
rough road for most of it, but I hadn’t allowed for the majority of the 80km to
Calauit being rough road…very rough road, and beyond my capabilities as a
rider. Not being perturbed by the terrible condition and also struggling with
the bike, I soldiered on. Had a small accident some way ahead when the gravel
was so loose and slippy, that I lost it and had a couple of deep cuts, some
abrasions and broken wing mirror as a souvenir. Shiera escaped with a small
abrasion or two. Confidence rattled and the temperature rising a lot, slowed
down to between 10 and 15km per hour! Now, the locals are claimed to do this in
1 ½ hours, something I find impossible….
On the way,
numerous bridges where only broken wooden boards are flimsily in place to ride
across on. A few that are decent enough to not be worthy of comment. A few
interestingly named villages along the way…Conception…Salvation…. I got to know
why they chose those names…Salvation from the bloody crap roads! At a small
village we had to find a clinic for me to get cleaned up….disinfectant on a
couple of the wounds was a reminder that I hadn’t lost any of my sense of
pain!...ouch! At Conception we needed
feeding and headed for the pier. Located next to it was a haven at the Palace Pier restaurant. The only resort
in the area and very nice indeed. The rooms look to be good, and a monopoly in
the town as there is no other accommodation. Could have visited the waterfalls
from here, but decided to stop on the way back, so onwards with plenty yet to
cover. Even though I thought the conditions couldn’t get any worse, they did.
It got to the point that I was so tired and unhappy with the road, that we were
lucky that a passing guy on a motorbike would drive the rest of the way to the
Calauit pier for us. Turned out to be a lucky meeting as he was also the guy
who operated the Bangka that crossed the water over to the island…Jhum was his
name.
At his house,
his mother made us coffee whilst he went back to collect his bike. On his
return, we made the crossing in a tiny boat the short (5 minute) crossing to
this small remote island.
Between us we
had come to the conclusion that I wasn’t going to make the return journey to
Coron tomorrow, preferring to hire Jhum’s services to drive us back there, and
so set about negotiating a price. The standard fee for the boat crossing is 200
pesos per person..not negotiable. Agreed on 700 pesos all inclusive for the
return tomorrow with some stops along the way. A bargain I reckoned.
On arrival on
Calauit, we were greeted by the admissions man…350 pesos for non-locals and 250
pesos for Filipinos. The accommodation is cheap at 200 pesos each. As is turned
out, we were the only ones visiting, so we had the attention of everyone
personally…superb! Jhum took us upto the guy who was the manager of the
project, and I instantly felt like I was back in Africa! I will tell you a
little about the project shortly….
The lady who
runs the accommodation showed us our room in a dormitory style
building…comfortable enough, and with mosquito nets provided. The manager’s
daughter runs the shop and restaurant facilities. The system is that you choose
your food from the shop and they cook it for you. Not a massive choice, but
this is remote and cannot be expected to be much more. One of the guys kept us
supplied with Buko (Young coconut) drink through our stay. Wandering around the
place is like having your own savannah to explore. Giraffes, Zebras and
Calamian Deer roaming freely and in reasonable numbers. A separate compound for
a few Giraffe, who are undergoing treatment. After settling in and showering
after an ordeal of a journey in getting here, it was time to explore before
dinner at 7pm. No noise other than the birds and insects until the generator
started at 6:30pm. Heaven on Earth!...
Dinner was
interesting…Pancit (noodles), Corned beef, Rice, Buko and a warm beer…no ice to
provide cold drinks… And then Videoke! As the generator had started, the
nightly entertainment you cannot escape…anywhere in the Philippines!....The
peace of the Savannah broken by Videbloodyoke!...Goodnight….zzzzz……and then the
sounds of more interesting nocturnal activity…animals fighting outside and more
like Africa….zzzzz….
A bit about
this project……..
The ‘Calauit
Game Preserve and Wildlife Sanctuary’ CGPWS began in 1976 when the Philippine
government (under the control of Marcos), chartered a project to find an
isolated island to accommodate animals that had been donated from Kenya.
Calauit was remote, isolated and very much like an African Savannah land. Over
time, the animals…Zebra, Giraffe, Eland, Impala… all from Kenya, plus
Alligator, Porcupine, wild boar and Bearcat from Mindanao, were located here.
Breeding has been successful with the giraffes and Zebras, but others have
suffered losses. The Python is common here and managed to eat some of the wild
boar, deer and Bearcat. Many have now been relocated into caged areas for their
protection.
Thu 19th Feb – Set the alarm for 6am so that we would have breakfast before going on
a tour of the island. Except that Shiera hadn’t slept much and suggested we
went to see the sun rise. So, at 5am we were out and aiming west in the dark.
The faint outlines of the Giraffes and the glowing eyes of the Calamian deers
reflecting in my head torch made for a nice start to the day. The glistening sheen of spiders webs on the
ground added to the atmosphere. At about 5:45am a stunning sunrise made the
early start worthwhile, and also allowed us to see a herd of Zebra coming in
for early feeding. Back for breakfast…corned beef, eggs and rice plus coffee
and Buko again…yummee….
Back out for
the morning guided walk….not charged for this! It was lovely to have this to
ourselves… Fed the Giraffes as well as some deer. Managed to spot some Eland
although they are timid and couldn’t get too close. The guide’s party piece was
to play with some of the animals to get them to move, otherwise they were
fairly dormant. Wasn’t too happy with this…they are not performers! Anyway…a
Really nice walk and talk for a couple of hours in the wonderful peace and
isolation of this part of Philippines heaven.
Got collected
from the island at 10am by Jhum and off on a har-raising trip back to Coron.
With his mate driving a second motorcycle and us clinging on for all we could,
I think this was a White-knuckle ride at 50 to 60km per hour over pseudo-lunar
landscape not to be forgotten.
We had agreed
to be dropped off once the road turned to concrete and that was a major relief!
On the way,
we stopped at the Conception waterfalls for a very pleasant swim. The falls are
very pretty and the water cool, but not freezing.
The feeling
of a refreshing shower on getting back to Kokosnuss was beyond description…so
won’t try!
Off into town
later to eat and check out the options for getting to El Nido on the Palawan mainland, sometime over the next few days. I
had read about a shipping lines company running a boat once per week, but that
had left on Wednesday. The word in the town t=was that it doesn’t run
anymore….but it does. The problem here is that everything seems to be geared
around getting as much money out of the few tourists that visit. Bangkas make
the journey to El Nido almost every day, but the price is 2200 pesos per head.
A flight used to go but that was abandoned some time ago, and so now, the only
choice is the extortionate 2200 pesos for the 6 hour trip.
Fri 20th Feb - Started the day with a brief stop at the adjacent hospital to get my
wounds treated, followed by breakfast at the Seadive resort in the main town area. Fully booked for a while, so
wasn't able to stay there, but worth considering next time...free wi-fi,
limitless free tea and coffee, and the best range of food in town, and good
price.
Wasn't sure
about the options for moving on from here. Had considered El Nido being the main option, which is on the main Palawan Island.
Checking around showed that the flights that used to exist have all been ceased
due to cost, so only flights to/from Manila now exist. The passenger boats to
El Nido have also been pruned back. Two large Bangkas exist; the Jezebel and
the Overrun, which cost a fixed 2,200 pesos a head, with nothing included and
no stops, taking around 6 to 8 hours and leaving at 8 or 9am on alternate
days... changeable. The 'Asiente' shipping company runs a once a week ferry
leaving on Wednesdays at 10pm, taking 10 hours and costing 950 pesos (booking
office on the main road near the port. Wanted to consider the options for a
while as would have also liked to do some diving before leaving Coron, although
not essential.
Picked up a
tricycle to check out the main port and then decided to go to the 'Hot springs'
for a dip. Lucky to get the place to ourselves, something we seem to strike
lucky with often. 100 pesos admission each, but worth it. The location is
beautiful overlooking the lovely scenery of surrounding islands. One main thermal
pool has two smaller higher temperature pools attached. Comfortable and
slightly salty, we spent a couple of hours relaxing and taking in the views.
On the way
back to town, stopped by the Landbank, the only place in town with an
ATM...unfortunately, it is only for their customers and doesn't take
visa/mastercard etc. Shame...the only way of getting money in the whole island
is to bring it or have currency to exchange. The day an ATM appears, will be a
major step forward for tourism here.
Dropped off
at a travel agent and was made aware of another option. Instead of going to El
Nido, we decided to change plan and head for Puerto Princesa instead. Super ferry run the once per week sailing,
leaving tomorrow at 6:15am and with price options. Bought the economy tickets
including three meals for 950 pesos. Seems ironic that we will travel much
further, with better standard and meals for less than half the cost of going to
El Nido.
Happy to now
have an arrangement and tickets in hand, set off to enjoy the rest of the day.
A great lunch
back at Seadive Resort, and then took a detour to explore the old Coron
village. A pretty and rustic collection of shanty huts built over the water,
with rambling broken wooded pathways to reach them. Some paths are so rickety
that the whole thing shakes with every step, and almost seems to be ready to
collapse.
Afternoon and
evening back at Kokosnuss and getting
ready for moving on. A fun evening of Videoke over a San Miguel beer. Getting
into it now and sing whenever I can.
Mosquitos are
a pain here and so nets are available, but still need to cover up and use
plenty of repellant before going to bed...zzzz....
Sat 21st Feb - Up at 4:30am to catch a tricycle to the port. Had
to pre-arrange this as the tricycles normally don't start until around 7am. Supposed
to get under way at 6:15am, but was delayed until 8am, due to security baggage
searches...sniffer dogs used as a first pass, plus luggage searching of
everyone then body frisking.
The ship was
a comfortable ride. Breakfast was simple,
but adequate,
with better food available at extra cost. Top end accommodation is available in
a 'State room' as well as a nice air-conditioned restaurant, albeit at a higher
price. The cheap accommodation we were in was ok, but noisy and warm, so not
easy to get any sleep. For an extra few hundred pesos the 'Tourist class' was
available, with more solid bunk beds and aircon.
Arrived
in Puerto Princesa at 9:30pm'ish. A sea of tricycle drivers ready to pounce as
we exited the port boundary. Had seen on a map that the main town is walkable
from the port, so dodged the hawkers and carried on. Looked at a couple of
accommodaion options nearby but they were expensive (best was the Puerto
Pension at a minimum of 1300 pesos including simple breakfast), so ended up
getting a tricycle anyway. Finished at the nice Ardent hotel (1150 pesos per
night with free wi-fi but no breakfast), a little way out of town as everything
else looked a bit dire. Decided to only stay one night and get out of town to
Sabang in the morning.
As
usual, the information is rubbish....one person, confirmed by another, told us
that the buses to Sabang would leave at 7am, 9am, 11am etc thru until 3pm.
Minivans and Jeepneys are all available for the same route, and all leave from
the central market. That bit was correct...
Sun 22nd Feb - The Ardent has a super range of food available as well as
a spa and sauna. Thinking we had plenty of time, we took a leisurely breakfast
whilst checking email. Was about to head for an ATM and asked again about the
Sabang transport, to find different staff on today who told me a different
story. The last bus was at 11am, with maybe another one at 3pm, but not
certain. With an hour to go, decided to rush to the central market bus
terminal. The hotel were kind to take us there....to find that the 11am bus
wasn't going to happen and there would be no more buses for a while. The only
option would be a van at 2,500 pesos or a Jeepney for 300 pesos each, and it
turned out that would not leave until 12 noon, so a long time to wait. It just
proves that most of the Philippines, and especially this area, is hopeless for
planning anything, as it continually changes, and even the locals have no
reliable idea on what is running.
So,
squashed into a Jeepney and stocked up with some snacks for the journey, we set
off....
Was
surprised to find most of the road was concrete, with a few stretches of tarmac
and only a small percentage unmade surface. Arrived at Sabang in around 2 1/2
hours, to what seemed like a village being built. The transport terminal is on
the waterfront adjacent to the Tourism centre, and is currently being made into
a proper paking area. For now though, it is a mess. A guy approached us asking
if we wanted accommodation, and dismissed the places I mentioned as being no
good. Not unusual, but decided to follow him and check out what he was
offering. Sabang beach follows a bay that seems to trap strong waves and is
windy. We were lead to the far end of the arc, to Mary's cottages. Got a Nipa
hut for 600 pesos. Cold water only, but in a beautiful location separated from
everyone else and peaceful. No mosquitos here, but nets provided if required.
Soon
after arriving, the done thing was to go for a swim...something that should
carry a very strong warning! Undertow is very strong here. That is, the waves coming
in, are counteracted with a strong flow back out under the surface, that you
don't see, but is strong enough to sweep you out and no matter how hard you
swim, you struggle against it. We got a taste of it very rapidly, and had to
battle to avoid being swept out to sea. Was a shock and not a good start, but
survived it...phew...
Walked
back to the village later. This place is very basic, and only one resort, the
very attractive Daluyong, exists. The rest are just nipa huts. Another even
bigger resort is under construction, and I guess will dominate the future
development here. At the pier where we had arrived, the scene changes as the
beach gets dirtier and then vanishes, to be replaced by the stony mess of the
real Sabang village. The nipa huts here are ocals only, and a different story
to the beach area. I expect that it will remain this way for a long time
without the beach to attract visitors to this stretch, and hence no developers,
only a couple of backpacker cottage owners.
A
few nice choices of eateries along the front and in town, fish being the main
diet here....shark, tuna, mahimahi etc
No
electricity throughout the day and power only when generators are used. The
strength of the waves and accompanying wind increased as the night progressed,
and a very breezy walk back to the cottage later on, with almost no light to
guide the way, but a superb starry sky due to the lack of light pollution.
Went
to sleep to the sound of the waves and little else, with our cottage only
metres away from the beach....zzzz.....
Mon 23rd Feb - A lazy day planned today ahead of a day sightseeing
tomorrow. Nice breakfast overlooking the sea, and then off for a short walk,
after watching the locals saddle up a Caribou cart...the lazy way to travel!
Mary's
cottages couldn't be in a more perfect location. We had heard of another beach
close by, and we were also at the starting point of the 'Monkey trail'. Within
a hundred metres is a superb flat white sand beach, with almost no development,
plus a much safer beach. The most interesting feature though, is a small island
outcrop that shows the evolution of this rugged landscape to perfection. A
stratified mound that must date back millions of years, multicoloured with the
different solidified sediments. The view along the coast from here is a
postcard image. Perfect white sans and rugged landscape, surmounted by the
limestone mountain behind. It is this that brings visitors to the area...the
famous St Pauls Undeground river. 8km of it, and accessed from the Monkey trail
or by road. For now we just stayed on the beach and swam in the warm sea, so
much safer than the other beach. At times we had the whole beach to ourselves.
Back
to Mary's for lunch and a bit of catching up in a hammock overlooking the
waves.
Tue 24th Feb - Underground river via Monkey trail
Wed 25th Feb - This morning's objective was to finalise tomorrow's transport
to El Nido. This is when you come to realise how much the tourists are riped
off here. For example, coming here we paid 100 pesos on the Jeepney. Foreigners
are charged 300. At the wharf there are Tourist Transport Service vans that try to charge 9,000php for the 8hour journey using toyota Hi-Ace
aircon vans. Using a bit of negotiating skills we managed to get this down to
6,000 in a 10-seater. The problem then was to get 10 passengers. Not easy when
people are spread out and not around. Ended up leaving my mobile number around
some places. The other option and the fall-back option is to get the 7am
jeepney out of here to the Salvacion junction on the higheay, and catch the
passing bus from Puerto Princesa, which should pass around 10 or 11am. Total
cost maybe 350pesos, and so the cheapest. Mayor Edward Hagedorn is the guy who
is spearheading much of the development here. The problem is getting the locals
to support a fair system, as they are so greedy to get as much as they can. I
am always disappointed when approached by children who ask for money for a
photgraph. It happens here already, and the attitude isn't as friendly as found
elsewhere in the philippines, as I think they resent the foreigners coming to
take over their town. A Filipino term I learnt this morning is 'Thick
face'...which means not shy and can talk to anyone, so they are the only ones
who can communicate with the tourists. A couple of 'thick face' guys stand out
after a couple of days here, who are obviously on commission as they were
trying to push people into taking the expensive 1,700php option to go by
Bangca.
At
the other side of the wharf going around the bay, you reach the old town with
the Dabdabs and Blue Bamboo cottages backpacker places. Had an interesting chat
with the lady who owns blue bamboo. Land here used to sell for an average of 50
pesos per sq m. Now that has risen to between 500 and 1000 as all of the
beachfront land has been sold to developers, such as Sheraton and owned by
foreigners...not one Filipino. Mary's cottages has been here 25 years although
the original owner Mary is dead now, it is still owned by relatives. The wharf
project should be completed by end 2009, the 154 room Sheraton within 2 years,
and who knows what else is in the pipeline. The main emphasis is to take
advantage of the St Paul's underground river, as there isn't much else in the
area. No diving available and any snorkelling is some way off towards other
islands. A short way past the blue
bamboo cottages is the Esplanade resort, which is showing its age as another of
the oldest here. Through it is a chinese Tao temple that is also trying to take
advantage of a view across the bay at what they call the 'Sleeping Buddha' - a
land formation that does put your imagination to test to see what they mean. We
sat and stared across the bay from that side to imagine what this place would
look like in say 5 or 10 years from now. It will never be another Boracay, as
it doesn't have much to offer. The sea is too strong for most of the year for
it to offer good swimming, and as I said, no real dive opportunities.
Bought
a nice fish for 60 pesos from a stall in the town to cook for dinner later, and
then strolled back to Mary's to chill the rest of the afternoon.
At
11pm was in bed and my mobile rang. The driver we had organised for the morning
wanted to increase the price from 6000 to 8000! I'm sure he knew he was too
late for us to do anything about it. Couldn't contact any of the others in the
group, and so were stuck. Through some arguing we managed to get him to agree
on 7000, but then he still didn't seem happy. Will have to see in the morning.
Thu 26th Feb - Got to the tourist assistance centre at the agreed time,
and no van...no Lui the driver. Rang him and he was in Puerto Princesa, 2 hours
away. Annoyed with him, and feeling let down, we argued again and he agreed to
get somone there, but not him. Wasn't bothered to wait around for a couple
hours as had lost faith in anything he now had to say. The wharf area was full
of local boatmen keen to sell us a trip to El Nido for 11,000 pesos. Other van
drivers now wanted to charge us 12,000 pesos knowing we were theoretically
stuck. They wanted 2,500 pesos to juske us to Salvation junction! The tourist
centre didn't want to know...much use they are...crap...only interested in
taking money for fees into the park! Nobody wanted to help. What was even more annoying
was that half the group who were also supposed to be going with us, didn't turn
up, so there were only four of us now. Spotted a truck loaded with a few school
children pull into the wharf area and so I ran over and asked if they would
take us to 'Salvation Junction' on the highway, and the driver initially
refused, saying it was a school trip. I offered him some money and he changed
his mind! Over the next half an hour the truck stopped at a couple of schools
and filled up with around 100 children and a few teachers and parents. Standing
room only, as there were so many. It was great fun and they thought it great
that we were ther with them....full of smiles and play. They were on a trip to
Puerto Princesa for the day, so lucky for us. For the next hour and a half we
bounced around stood up in the back of the truck with them. Where the road
turned to dirt track, the billowing dust clouds filled the truck and the heat
baked on a layer of dirt. Arrived at the Salvation junction at 10am and
luckily, the El Nido bus hadn't passed yet. Plenty of Sari-sari stores there to
stock up with snacks for the journey. Only had an hour to wait, as the bus
arrived at 11am with plenty of spare seats. 300 pesos each for the 5 hour ride
from there, had paid the school truck driver 100 pesos each, and so the whole
trip cost 400 pesos! This fiasco needs a letter to the minister for tourism, as
it is painful, extortionate and to be honest, not worth the cost of going to
Sabang. They want it to be the seventh wonder of the natural world. What they
really want is to make the locals realise what they are doing to their own
prosperity by stuffing up the tourists! My advice is...be prepared for a rough
ride...in many ways!
The
initial part of the northward journey was fairly smooth concrete surface, and
so the driver threw the bus around every corner. He of course knew what was
coming up ahead, as the road changed to rough dirt track occasionally broken up
by short sections of concrete. The billowing dust was choking for most of the
time and the temperature rising as we progressed. A couple of toilet stops
en-route in Roxas and Taytay, finally arriving in El Nido at 5pm.
It
is no wonder the state of the buses are dire, as the conditions are terrible
for most of the time. It does confirm though, that the price charged by the
tourist vans are a total rip-off. The cost of gasoline here is no different
than anywhere else I have seen in the Philippines, currently around 31pesos per
litre of diesel and 36 for high grade unleaded.
The
couple who had travelled with us from Sabang were from the uk and enjoying the
adventure, having only only been in the Philippines for a few days now...a
rapid introduction to a less organised and smooth transport system than
experienced in the UK!
Accommodation
on the beach isn't too bad at 800 a room on average, with most only cold water
as usual. Most places are on generator for most of the time as there is no
permanent electricity. Stayed at Casa bena in a clean room which was above a
family home. Nobody there for most of the time, and really hot with inadequate
ventilation, and a hot shower that didn't work, but seems as though most are
like that.
Fri 27th Feb - Up early to see the sun rise, but didn't see much as it
appeared from behind the limestone karst hills that tower above the town, and
then vanished into the clouds. Gave us a nice view over the bay though, which
is pretty.
This
place used to be a backpacker haven, but it seems to have overrun and is now a
bit too expensive for most I guess. No ATMs still, and cash advances against
visacard only available at the Art boutique for a whopping 10% commission or
the Caltex garage around the corner for 6%. A few dive shops such as Sea Dogs offering 2 dives for 2,800 and
3 for 3,500 pesos all inclusive of equipment and lunch. The main activity here
seems to be island hopping and snorkelling, plus chilling of course.
That's
it for now folks......
