Gala ba kamo? Sa Puerto Galera na yan!

According to dear Wiki,

Puerto Galera is the northwesternmost municipality in the province of Oriental Mindoro, Philippines. It is located at the southwestern end of the Isla Verde Passage, about 130 kilometers (81 mi) south of Manila.

Definitely! And the only one so far in RP! Woooh!

Let's break it down. It's in Mindoro so you have to take a boat! Wiiiii! Despite how much I love the sea, it has never loved me back (and even 'tried to kill me' in several instances). It is near the Isla Verde Passage which has been termed as the "Center of the Center of Marine Shorefish Biodiversity". Diving spot? Definitely. Puerto Galera has also received the "Most Beautiful Bay in the World" Award and the only one in the Philippines to receive such award so far.

What a beauty. ;)
Death-defying-ly taken while in the back of a
tricycle while it goes uphill.

I start most of my trips in Manila where a myriad of transportation services are available to and from the provinces. Also, I usually travel in a group to cut down on the expenses although I am planning to do solo trips soon so my blog can be helpful for those who want a soul-searching kind of adventure.

Ride the earliest bus trip you can get into that is bound to Batangas Pier. Ours was on the road by 4:45 AM. Bus fare is around 133 pesos. Always bring your student ID, they still work wonder with discounts. Since it's early morning and the road is basically a drag race route, we were in Batangas Pier by 7 AM, just a two-hour trip. Since we have to wait for one of our friends, we were only able to start paying for our terminal fee and buying our tickets around 10 AM.

I love you, Sea. Love me back, please?
(c) Lopez

Here, the haggling by personnel from the different liners will start. I think this is a better option than buying your own terminal ticket and going to a paying booth of a liner since you only have to pay once (terminal fee of 30 pesos and transportation fee of 230 pesos) and they will do the queueing for you and you have the tickets! Just make sure to follow the guy and count the tickets before falling in line to get into the terminal. While waiting for your trip to be called (listen intently though since there is no PA system announcing the liner that is currently boarding passengers, just plain ol' shouting), you can just sit, sleep or - our personal quirkiness - stare at a baybayin tattoo, translate it and call out if the person looks back at you. 

The boat holds us much as 145 passengers and the best seat is probably the middle ones. Why? In case of a wavy ride, the possibility of getting wet is low to nil compared to the poor lads at the sides who get a surprise from Neptune although they have the better view from their seats. The whole boat ride is only about an hour and once you reach the port, you have to pay the 50 pesos for the environmental fee.

Ooops. Just the aftermath of the ravaging.

We arrived just in time for lunch so we ate at an affordable karinderia literally a few steps from the port and they serve the best porkchop liempo for only 75 pesos! House water is free so drink as much as you like since drinking water is a bit pricey in Puerto Galera. We stocked up our water supply by buying two 6L and one 10L mineral water bottles back in Batangas Pier and bringing it with us.


To save up on transpo fees, our group decided to hire tricycles to take us around the locations in our itinerary and also to drop our bags in our place for 200 pesos per tricycle. Remember to book a place to stay BEFORE heading off. Booking at the last minute may add to the adventurous vibe but it's better to book early than not having a place to stay at all. 

Backpackers' haven!
(c) www.bedandbreakfastworld.com

We stayed in Paddy's Bar for two nights at a rate of 200 pesos per night per person. Since there weren't much backpackers when we got there, we basically owned the floor (and the shared comfort room, which is clean and decent by the way). The staff is very accommodating and so is the Australian-Irish owner. There's also a bar on the 'lobby' and WiFi for those who can't get off the grid for too long. You can check (and book, too!) them here. 

If you prefer to commute from Muelle (or the town proper), you can ride a jeepney for 20 pesos which will take you up to Sabang and a habal-habal (motorcycle ride) for 20 pesos from Sabang to Sinandingan (where Paddy's Bar is located). The habal-habal fare is reasonable since the slopes are very steep for a loaded tricycle to climb.

Or maybe the waters are the tears of
Tamaraws mourning their
Critically Endangered status in the IUCN Red List

Not wanting to waste any time, we went straight to our first destination: Tamaraw Falls! As I've said before, we hired a tricycle to take us around and we were lucky that our driver was a kind and friendly guy for taking our pictures (he even recommended good picturesque locations), suggesting cocktail mixes and helping us to look for fresh tuba or palm wine. Environmental fee for the place is just 30 pesos and you can enjoy the cool mountain water as long as you want! Fresh buko for 25 pesos a piece is also sold near the highway. Legend has it that tamaraws used to roam the area but has since went higher up the mountain, hence the name Tamaraw Falls. There are cottages for a fee but you can opt to find a spot to leave your things WITH SUPERVISION and swim your fish-heart out. Though you can't take a dip in the pool nearest the falls, you can swim in the pool downstream which has been riprapped to make it 1.5 meters near the edges to about 3 meters nearest the source. There's a 'kiddie pool' further downstream for people who love the water but water keeps killing them in return (like me!). The view near the kiddie pool is breathtaking and no picture can justify the beauty of this part of Mother Nature.

This is a groupie, does it count as a selfie?
Water is cool and you can play 'Save the Drowning Man'
if one of the guys (I am, in our group) is a non-swimmer.
(c) Desabille

Have your picture taken with the tamaraw with the Tamaraw Falls behind you!
(c) Lopez

Ok. Maybe not my last selfie. But damn, the view is just awesome!
Parang may scoliosis ata ako?! (c) Cayton

Fresh buko juice with the most awesome people. Ever.
(c) Cayton

Taken by our tricycle driver. And he also chose the spot! Verde Island in the background!
(c) Cayton

As a sidetrip suggested by our tricycle drivers, we dropped by Virgin Beach which is basically free if you walk down a stony cliff face that leads down the beach and also to a grotto of the Virgin Mary. If you want to feel closer to the sea without getting (too) wet, you can get closer to the waves and feel the spray of the salty waters on your face. Or if you want to really relish the sea, you can take a dip in the clear waters of Virgin Beach. The beach is littered with medium-sized pebbles and corals comparable to the coast along the beaches of Hugom in San Juan, Batangas. Not your typical fine-sand beach but all the same good.

My heart yearns for the open seas but my body is a natural landlubber. Sad.
Virgin Beach reminds me of Hugom beaches with their coral and pebble-lined coasts.
(c) Cayton

And we're still best friends after all this ka-jeje-han. These people. <3
(c) Cayton

Photo with the AHS Asylum-esque Virgin Mary (look at its eyes)
(c) Cayton

And it's night. Sabang is known to be the red-district of Puerto Galera and we're lucky to be a just few hundred meters from this bustling night life. After grabbing dinner (I'd suggest a better dining option later) we were guided by one of the hostel's staff, Jowar, along the alleys of Sabang. Given the limited commercial spaces, you literally walk along alleys bound at the sides by disco bars, night clubs and an isolated souvenir shop or sari-sari store every once in a while. In the end, we decided to do it au naturel: drink beers by the beach. No fuss, just chillin'. The idea that we were in the middle of the red-district of Puerto Galera and we ended up buying several bottles of beer and hitting the beach may be funny but in hindsight, it was pretty fun and practical: we're not too drunk to oversleep the next day AND we got to continue drinking at our rooms (we had a couple of beers and half a gallon of tuba before we decided to call it a night. Well they did, not me. Haha!).

Affordable meals. Good service.
And they have WiFi for
technology-bound people.

Day two and we're up early so we decided to grab a bite in Sabang while our friend Jowar called on his friend who offers water activity packages. Here's the best dining option we found in Sabang so far. It's so good and affordable that we decided to eat our meals here until the next day! The menu ranges from the affordable breakfast meals (that can be lunch and dinner for frugal fellows ;) ) to sizzling meals and high-end steaks. 

This is your ticket to heaven.

So let's get to the point: the silogs range from 65 to 115 pesos, depending on your viand. And their servings are enough for a meal given the affordable cost. My personal favorite is the longsilog. House water is free so chug 'em with no hesitation! The fruit shakes are also heavenly and still earth-grounded-ly cheap at 85 to 125 pesos, the higher end being the chocolate banana shake which will surely bring you to heaven and back in every sip.

Meet my technology-bound friends. Kidding. Update your Facebook status and tweet how much fun you're having while waiting for your orders to be served.

These are the good guys. Call them up! :D

Hereon, things got a wee bit interesting. Before stumbling upon Teo's, we were approached by these guys offering packages of water activities. We told them that we would think it over AND WE NEVER AGREED THAT WE WOULD CHOOSE THEM. Later on, while having our, brunch Jowar and his friend who also caters water activity packages approached us and actually made a better deal so we accepted his deal. The next day, those guys from yesterday who we NEVER ACCEPTED THEIR DEAL came jeering at us, telling us that we made a deal with them (AGAIN, WE NEVER MADE ANY) and that we dastardly broke it. Ugh. Their nerves. Thankfully, one of my friends kept her cool and ended the hullabaloo. For future references, those guys are 'stationed' across Mang Inasar (yes, it is spelled with an 'R') in front of a white Korean resort just before the archway to the beachfront. The guy looks like a toad (he does look like a male version of Umbridge). Enough with the negativity, let's move on with the highlight of the day!

He has this awesome calling card featuring the proprietor himself, Kuya Boy!
At matte-ish ang feel ng calling card.

We boarded the Narwen Boy to our first destination: an underwater cave. While driving towards the rendezvous point with the smaller bangka that would bring us closer to the rocky coast near the cave, we were treated with the wonderful beaches along the Puerto Galera coasts. It is indeed deserving of the 'Most Beautiful Bay in the World' award with its wonderful bays, coasts and coves alike. 

All aboard the Narwen Boy!

Beautiful, innit?

We transferred to smaller boats that took us to the underwater cave. When we got there, the coast was already filled with other boats and people are already falling in line to get inside the cave so better line up fast enough! The queue runs along the spiky cliff face and sitting is not an option unless you want some pointy stone up your arse. Our guide-slash-bangkero was really helpful because he carried our valuables while we wade inside the cave and even became our ad hoc photographer! 

Those are spiky. Really really spiky.

Being the non-swimmer that I am, I was immediately gripped by fear when I heard that the water is underwater not underground like that of Puerto Princesa's but to my relief, the water inside the cave is only neck-high for me or about 1.5 meters. There is a short tunnel where you have to go underwater for a bit and rise only when you get across it or you'll get a very painful whack from the blunt but still very hard stalactites. So rise very slowly and make sure you're already in the spacious cavern before going up. There are openings from the cave where you can have your picture taken by your guide. And a very kind vendor offered us a free taste of sea urchin! It was salty-sweet with a hint of lansa. Probably an acquired taste but definitely a must-try for foodies out there.

Dat oculus shot.
(c) Lopez

Thanks to our guide/bangkero/photographer!
(c) Lopez

And they're eaten raw, by the way. You can even feel the spikes moving while you scoop away their innards. Happy eating! (c) Lopez

Magical fishy hands of the bangkero.
(c) Lopez

Next stop, fish feeding! Since we were told that fish feeding is one of the activities included in our package, we decided to buy some bread at the port. Before throwing bits of bread in the water, the fish lazily swim around minding their own business but once you throw bits of bread in the water, they just go loco and start swarming around the bread! But if you tried holding out the bread for them, they just ignore the treat and go back to swimming but one of the bangkero has some fishy charm and were able to attract the fish with the bread while holding it!

I envy thee, swimmer friends.
(c) Agullana

A few water sprays away and we were led to a giant clam garden where man-sized giant clams can be seen from the surface. But don't refraction fool you, remember that these clams are almost man-sized and seeing them as palm-sized from the surface gives you an idea how deep they really are. Landblubber body-self tried to snorkel (my first time, though) but upon seeing how REALLY deep it was just immediately went back to the boat (and stayed there for good. Haha!). Swimmer friends were more adventurous and requested to be 'dragged' alongside the bangka while we return to the bigger boat for some island hopping action!

We're off to Fridays, a private island, so we only have to 'park' the boat, take some shots of the beauty that is Fridays beach, and scoot away. When we got there, they were making standees of the letters of Fridays out of some wood and the staff were kind enough to have our pictures taken at the standees. Aside from the installation, the island boasts of fine white sand and probably a good resort (maybe pricey though since it's a private island).

Every night on this island is a Friday night.
(c) Cayton

Our eyes were surely full with everything we've seen but our stomachs were sadly not. So after footing the bill for the package worth 2500 pesos all-in (and since we're six in the group, it makes 415+/pax! It really pays to travel in groups and to scour for great packages), we went back to Teo's for another round of silogs before heading back to take our afternoon siesta. As much as we want to explore the area in the afternoon, the weather was quite balmy and most, if not all, bars were still closed. AND we need to charge for another round of night life this time in White Beach. 

Just look at the sunset in White Beach. Hayyyyyy.
(c) Cayton

While napping, our good friend Jowar arranged for our tricycle transportation to and from Paddy's Bar AND we just have to call them if we wanted to be picked-up. More like a personal service, eh? And all these nice deals for 200 pesos per tricycle, and we hired two so we won't have to bother who would take the back seat while still woozy from all the alcohol in the system. Meeting new people in travels is a nice experience especially when they're from another country so you can swap stories and compare cultures. We met Tshamanny, a Colombian sanitary engineer and an avid traveler and also our floormate in Paddy's who apparently checked-in while we were having our afternoon siesta! What a coincidence right? He tagged along with us that night, hopefully not boring him. 

Post-dinner, pre-bar hopping faces
(c) Desabille

We had dinner in an rice-all-you-can along one of the many food kiosks in White Sand Beach. It has tables made out of jetski, if you want to spot it easily. Meals are good at a range of 110-150 pesos and the viand - usually a combination of itlog na pula, a spoonful of atsara, and two other viands, mine being biya and longganisa - are very tasty. It took me five cups of rice to demolish that plate. Haha! We also got to know more about Tshamanny or Manny and his work as a sanitary engineer (stop with the janitor jokes, ok) and how nondescript the profession is in the Philippines seeing how much we need them to ensure that environmental impacts from infrastructure building are minimized. He also talked about his trips around the Philippines and around the globe, as well. He's a seasoned traveler at 24 and he's currently going around South East Asia under a 1000 dollar ceiling! This man is probably one of my backpacker idols and he gave us some helpful tips in travelling: Travel light (read this post of one of my friends who've mastered the art of packing) is a no brainer but a tricky one for newbies. Take night bus trips so you can save on one room night and you get to your destination faster.

After dinner, we headed straight to our first stop of the night: The Liki Tiki!

It was early for any bar time
standard on a Saturday night.

The Liki Tiki is a floating bar almost customized for a party. From the beach, you will ride a boat to get to the Liki Tiki, complementary service of the bar. On its lower deck is the main bar with the DJ also acting as a bartender and several tables and high chairs are available. The atmosphere is like that of a chill bar, since it was just around 9 PM and the dancing poles are still devoid of any action, except you get a bit woozy with the waves lapping at the sides of the boat AND there is a springboard! The second floor offers a minibar and most probably the party area of the bar since there are no tables. There's another springboard for those who want a higher dive and two slides that plunge you straight to the sea. 



Price-wise, their drinks are competitive like that of other ground-based bars. To think that they have to spend on diesel to get their alcohol from the shore, the price difference isn't that large. A 330mL San Mig Pale Pilsen fetches around 70 pesos. A glass of margarita cocktail at 180 pesos. You get bar prices with an awesome and probably unique bar experience and view to boot! Staff is also friendly and the Australian owner is also very kind - although I did expect a round in the house since Jowar used to work here as a boatman - to welcome us personally. After some chilling, we decided to hop on one of the bars in the shore to try the signature cocktail of the place: the Mindoro Sling!

Getting goofy with a random Brit in the bar.
(c) Cayton

View from the deck. With an ice-cold beer on hand.
(c) Lopez

One of the many 'open' performances
in the bars along the shore.
(c) Cayton

To our dismay, there weren't any tugsh-tugsh bar along White Sand beach but more of like comedy bars without much interaction from the performers/hosts and the audience. They do their skit - very daring especially the 'Girl on Fire' one which employs the chorus of the song, a dash of flammable liquid and undaunted skills to stay near it - while the performers who just finished theirs moonlight as waiters/waitresses that cater to the orders of the customers. Their stages are practically side by side so one might get auditory overload from the booming speakers of the adjacent bars. Being our faithful guide (so better look for one if you're there), Jowar found us a good deal in one of the bars: 700 pesos for a tower of the infamous Mindoro Sling and a pizza on the side. 

Looks and tastes innocent.
One too many shots and BAM!
(c) japaneseadobo.com

Mindoro Sling looks very innocent and tastes innocent, too, because you can't taste the rum as it is drowned by fruit concentrates and Sprite. But get your toe beyond the line and good bye rationality for you. We paced ourselves that night because the night was still young and we're still up for one more bar to hop. After the pizza has been ravaged and the tower emptied, we looked for a CR to flush out alcohol out of our system. We passed by several shirt souvenir stores and it was our bad not to have bought shirts there. Souvenir prices in White Beach are actually much cheaper than in Sabang and there are more variety to choose from, so buy there!

Fire dancers! You can have a daring
picture taken with them for a tip.
(c) Lopez

Last bar of the night. Awesome!
(c) Lopez

El Kapitan Videoke Bar and Restaurant was our last stop for the night (in White Beach, that is). Since it was almost 1:30 AM, there were few people left in the bar and we have the videoke all to ourselves, except for some guys in the next table who we ended up singing along until the the last call. A Red Horse Stallion is 50 pesos so not bad for a bar in Puerto Galera. El Kapitan is located at the right end of the beach (yes, we trudged our way up to that place just to look for a CR and a videoke haha) and you can spot it when you hear tipsy/drunk people singing their lungs out.

We called it a night after El Kapitan and we called for our tricycle which duly appeared as they promised. Probably it was the travel back Sabang but we've sobered up a bit and decided to go for one more round of bar hopping, this time to a tugsh tugsh bar which Sabang is known for. Alas, we found none at 3 AM and found ourselves in the 24-hour Big Apple Bar at the beachfront of Sabang. Although in the pricey end because of its foreign market, the servings for pulutan like buffalo wings is as good as a meal. I ordered one of their 'Build Your Own Burger' with an Angus Beef patty base, and bacon and tomato add-ons. Boy, was it big and the sauces they have to offer were top-notch: A1 Steak Sauce, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce and the usual tomato ketchup and honey mustard. And we then called it a night for good. I mean they did, I waited for the sun to rise and my early morning snack to drop.

That 20-peso bacon add-on is worth it.

Last day and we had our last meal in Teo's and ordered the heaven that is banana-chocolate shake to celebrate our three-day stay in this beautiful island. After haggling for pasalubongs and practically running our way back to the port to catch the boat, we're off to Batangas and back to Manila. Back to our doldrums of lives but thanking that this squall of a vacation liven us up, even for a few days.

Time to go home! Until we meet again, PG!
(c) Cayton

Until my next travel blog! Thank you for actually reading up to this point! :D

- Paulo