 |
| White Beach Puerto Galera Mindoro |
So.. it's been two weeks, and my blood is pumping on the road..
The initial plan was to head to Lubang Island in Occidental Mindoro, but earlier the night, I received a call from the resort owner and was informed about the travel time. According to her, a weekend is not enough as i'd end up just sleeping there. She also said she has a waterfall right behind her resort, which made me quite excited. I had to put it on another date.
The night before the trip, I was still clueless as to where to go. The next alternative, I was initially thinking of spending overnight in
Mt Balagbag Mountain Resort where I can just sit in the pool while enjoying the view of the Metro Manila city lights, but rain was pouring hard.
It was dawn, and rain was still pouring. It was already almost lunch time when I woke up. There was no other option but Puerto Galera.
I don't have that much appetite with Puerto Galera as it has been a traditional destional. I could just imagine the crowd. But then again, I have no choice. My feet are itching to move.
 |
| The ride to Puerto Galera (the last time I went here in 2001, it was a ferry and not a boat) |
It was already almost 1pm when I reached the Araneta Terminal in cubao. There was a heavy traffic in Edsa such that It was already 5pm when i reached Batangas port. I took the 5:30 Minolo Shipping last trip, and it was almost 7pm when I reached Puerto Galera. We were dropped in Muelle and from there, we took a free jeep transfer to white beach.
When i reached white beach, I immediately scouted for my shelter. There were a few I've asked, including one nipa fan room for P400; It was quiet and offside, but, I was thinking of the wifi; So, i took the P500 offer from Islas de Natividad. Ms Juliet, the owner, has offered me the bigger room for the same rate as she doesn't have anything smaller (Though I almost left as her collector was irritating; looking like boy abunda and with his eyebrows going up when he heard I'm paying only P50; Had to remind me sarcastically that I can't bring anyone since I'm paying only P500). There are other more offering fan rooms for the same rate, but I thought being closer to the pubs was better in case I overdrink.
I took some shower, had barbeque for dinner from the same resort, and off to my alcohol just on the bar next to this resort.
There were a number of impersonation performances from the nearby bar, but a little while later, I thought about checking out the rest of the pubs.
 |
| my P130 peso dinner. P90 for the grilled chicken; P10 for the rice; and P30 for an eggland i missed in this pic |
 |
| Zoom for other food prices in Islas de Natividad |
I brought my bottle and took a walk.
A little while, I spotted some foreigners talking to a man with his monkey. I was intrigued at what they were trying to negotiate, so I walked closer. By the time I get very close, the expats left. I took the time to ask manong. Mr Local has a number of monkeys which he sells to tourists :-(. He claims there's a good population of monkeys freely wandering around the island, and some white monkeys on a cliff he pointed eastwards (towards sabang).
 |
| trying out the fire dancing |
 |
| The boring bar |
 |
| The better performers from the boring bar |
 |
| my P195 mindoro sling |
After some pics with the monkey, a little more walking and saw Mystica performing in a not so classy bar. The other performers are just as nuts. I met some people later in another bar who had the same comment about the performances on that bar.
After tirelessly walking back and forth and checking out where I can settle for more alcohol, I went back to the bar next to my resort, sat at the bar, ordered my Mindoro Sling, and met a group working from Acquire. Thanks for their company I was awake jumping from a bar to another til 4am.
It was past 10am when I woke up the next day. There wasn't really anything I found spectacular to see further so I cleaned up and took the 12noon boat back to Batangas Pier.
 |
| And where is the terminal in here? |
*Ms Juliet may be contacted on 09174820505
*I initially intended to stay in Tuna Joe's Backpackers (where internet says there's a night for US$3). But I was informed later that this is in Sabang.
*Fare from Batangas Pier to White Beach is P275 one way, but if you take both ways right on, it will be P500.
*There is a P50 environmental charge in Batangas Terminal for local tourists (I think expats pay higher as they have a differently colored receipt). Terminal fee is P30 in Batangas and P10 in White Beach (though there is really no terminal there).
*On the way back, I had a sight of the other coves, and If I were to go there on a group, I might as well beach on these secluded areas rather than white beach. The sand isn't as white, and it felt like I was in Morong, Bataan with the sand and water and waves.
|
| White Beach Puerto Galera Mindoro |
So.. it's been two weeks, and my blood is pumping on the road..
The initial plan was to head to Lubang Island in Occidental Mindoro, but earlier the night, I received a call from the resort owner and was informed about the travel time. According to her, a weekend is not enough as i'd end up just sleeping there. She also said she has a waterfall right behind her resort, which made me quite excited. I had to put it on another date.
The night before the trip, I was still clueless as to where to go. The next alternative, I was initially thinking of spending overnight in
Mt Balagbag Mountain Resort where I can just sit in the pool while enjoying the view of the Metro Manila city lights, but rain was pouring hard.
It was dawn, and rain was still pouring. It was already almost lunch time when I woke up. There was no other option but Puerto Galera.
I don't have that much appetite with Puerto Galera as it has been a traditional destional. I could just imagine the crowd. But then again, I have no choice. My feet are itching to move.
|
| The ride to Puerto Galera (the last time I went here in 2001, it was a ferry and not a boat) |
It was already almost 1pm when I reached the Araneta Terminal in cubao. There was a heavy traffic in Edsa such that It was already 5pm when i reached Batangas port. I took the 5:30 Minolo Shipping last trip, and it was almost 7pm when I reached Puerto Galera. We were dropped in Muelle and from there, we took a free jeep transfer to white beach.
When i reached white beach, I immediately scouted for my shelter. There were a few I've asked, including one nipa fan room for P400; It was quiet and offside, but, I was thinking of the wifi; So, i took the P500 offer from Islas de Natividad. Ms Juliet, the owner, has offered me the bigger room for the same rate as she doesn't have anything smaller (Though I almost left as her collector was irritating; looking like boy abunda and with his eyebrows going up when he heard I'm paying only P50; Had to remind me sarcastically that I can't bring anyone since I'm paying only P500). There are other more offering fan rooms for the same rate, but I thought being closer to the pubs was better in case I overdrink.
I took some shower, had barbeque for dinner from the same resort, and off to my alcohol just on the bar next to this resort.
There were a number of impersonation performances from the nearby bar, but a little while later, I thought about checking out the rest of the pubs.
|
| my P130 peso dinner. P90 for the grilled chicken; P10 for the rice; and P30 for an eggland i missed in this pic |
|
| Zoom for other food prices in Islas de Natividad |
I brought my bottle and took a walk.
A little while, I spotted some foreigners talking to a man with his monkey. I was intrigued at what they were trying to negotiate, so I walked closer. By the time I get very close, the expats left. I took the time to ask manong. Mr Local has a number of monkeys which he sells to tourists :-(. He claims there's a good population of monkeys freely wandering around the island, and some white monkeys on a cliff he pointed eastwards (towards sabang).
|
| trying out the fire dancing |
|
| The boring bar |
|
| The better performers from the boring bar |
|
| my P195 mindoro sling |
After some pics with the monkey, a little more walking and saw Mystica performing in a not so classy bar. The other performers are just as nuts. I met some people later in another bar who had the same comment about the performances on that bar.
After tirelessly walking back and forth and checking out where I can settle for more alcohol, I went back to the bar next to my resort, sat at the bar, ordered my Mindoro Sling, and met a group working from Acquire. Thanks for their company I was awake jumping from a bar to another til 4am.
It was past 10am when I woke up the next day. There wasn't really anything I found spectacular to see further so I cleaned up and took the 12noon boat back to Batangas Pier.
|
| And where is the terminal in here? |
*Ms Juliet may be contacted on 09174820505
*I initially intended to stay in Tuna Joe's Backpackers (where internet says there's a night for US$3). But I was informed later that this is in Sabang.
*Fare from Batangas Pier to White Beach is P275 one way, but if you take both ways right on, it will be P500.
*There is a P50 environmental charge in Batangas Terminal for local tourists (I think expats pay higher as they have a differently colored receipt). Terminal fee is P30 in Batangas and P10 in White Beach (though there is really no terminal there).
*On the way back, I had a sight of the other coves, and If I were to go there on a group, I might as well beach on these secluded areas rather than white beach. The sand isn't as white, and it felt like I was in Morong, Bataan with the sand and water and waves.
