We are staying on a lovely quiet long
stretch of beach in the north of Mindoro. There are only two small
resorts here and no shops, restaurants or bars. It's perfect.
Around the headland is another beach called “White Beach” which
is where the party is. Dozens of boats arrive everyday depositing
groups of Filipino revellers and gay couples from Manila at the bars
and resorts of White Beach. We have visited a couple of times since
we arrived. To get there, you can either scramble over the rocks like
we did the first time, or walk along the dark road which we did the
second time or take a tricycle which seems hardly worth it for a 5
minute journey.
The first time we went there, we were
just there to have a walk, look at the market and maybe get a drink
at a beach bar. The bars line the beach and are very lively. What we
didn't expect was that most of the staff would be lady-boys! The
staff are very friendly (especially to David!) and sometimes tell us
their stories. Nicky is from Visayas and works at a Mikkos Bard on
White Beach for six months of the year. She chatted to us while she
worked the beach generating interest from passersby in grilled meats
and the the nightly transvestite dance show.
“Are you on your honeymoon?” she
asked us
We laugh. “no, we have been together
a long time”
“How long have you been lovers?”
Lovers! This also gets a laugh! We
tell her how long we have been married.
“You must have many babies”
We disappoint her: “no, no children”
“Why?” she asks “you don't want
to lose your figure?”
That's a new one.
I do what I always do: make up a reason
and change the subject.
A while later: She sits fanning herself
“Wow, it's hot”
I nod
She whispers to David with a
mischievous grin: “but you are hotter”
Ayana is a waitress-come-pole dancer
and bats her extended eye lashes at passers-by to get them into the
bar. She really seems to love her job. We are sitting on a bench
right on the beach and Ayana skips to the bar with our order smiling
and winking at everyone she passes. They must both make good tips.
Nicky, Ayana and her friends are very glamorous and scantily-clad.
It's easy to forget that they are actually men. In addition to being
good waitresses, they are great dancers. We stayed for one show where
the staff performed all the camp favourites with several costume
changes: Whitney Houston, Gloria Gaynor......
