Sunday 29th May
At 2am I made my way out to the bars to watch the Champions League Final. It wasn't as busy as I expected but the bar I chose got busier towards kick off and a bit rowdy, and soon enough two drunken English idiots decided to start a fight with eachother so I just walked out. Sad, pathetic people. I went to another bar that was empty and they soon closed, but by then I had realised what channel it was on that I could watch it on Cable TV in my room. A good game and the best team won.
So I got to bed at 5am, so there was no way I was moving on today. Slept till lunchtime, then after porridge I got a jeepney to Puerto Galera and started walking towards White Beach. Along the way I enquired at a tourist office about getting to Alba tomorrow, and they told me about a much quicker and cheaper way than I had planned so that's good.
I walked a bit further but it was a bit silly trying to walk all the way to White Beach so I jumped on a passing tricycle, sharing with a local.
White Beach was busy, with small restaurants and souvenir and diving shops facing the beach. I had tapsilog and read my book while looking out to sea. I couldn't swim as I had my valuables on me so got a trike and jeepney back to Sabang and went snorkelling again; more colourful fish and better visibility than yesterday. The blue starfish looks solid but they can bend their arms(?) to cling on to the coral.
Monday 30th May
After porridge, got a jeepney to Puerto Galera then tricycle to Balateros Pier. (Phillipinos are lovely people but I get a bit fed up of the tricycle drivers always trying to overcharge me like the guy did this morning). Listened to my football podcast until the motorised bangka was ready at 10:30am. About 30 passengers, including just guys and some families. We passed White Beach and some coves and could see the hills behind; a picturesque view from the sea.
At Abra de Ilog, the dishevelled old bus waits for the next ferry to turn up before leaving, so I had rice and eggs ('Yes sir', said the waitress in a lovely Filipina/American accent, 'The rice is served with 2 fried eggs. Sunny-side up'). Watched the local guys play pool under the bus station forecourt.
The next ferry was big, and a bus and a jeepney rolled off it, as well as loads of foot passengers, and our bus was soon full up, and off we went. The road was pretty good and not really bumpy, although I still had a sore bum by the time we arrived in Sablayan. It's a nice little town with a river and a fresh food and fruit market, so I got some fruit for tomorrow. I took a walk over the suspension bridge to the other side of the river and followed the footpath among the wooden residences, and down to the beach.
The main reason for coming to Sablayan is to hop across to Panban Island tomorrow.....
Tuesday 31st May
The end of May? Already?
From right outside the hotel, I got on a small motorised bangka captained by one guy, with his son helping out. The only passenger sat on a raised seat in the middle of the boat and holds on to fixed wooden posts on either side. We went quickly into the South China Sea, just about 2kms, across to North Pandan Island.
The private island is owned by Dominic, an older French guy, and apart from him, his 4 or 5 staff and a mexican couple, I was the only one there. On approach it looked like a desert Island, although when you get there, there are quite a few wood and brick buildings. I literally had the whole beach to myself; it is the off-season so very quiet. I set myself up in a hammock under some trees, completely shaded from the sun.
I spent the day looking out across the sea at the green hills on the mainland, reading, snorkelling and eating peanuts and fruit (pineapple, oranges, bananas). You can stay the night but it's expensive and I guessed the food would be too so I brought my own. I did pay 120 pesos ($3) to spend the day there.
The snorkelling was good, not exactly crystal clear waters but with some perseverance I was rewarded with the sight of many different types of fish; there was a big colourful one bigger than a baseball glove, and some really small ones that were glowing blue. And I saw a 'Nemo' clown type fish, except it's body was dark. I hovered above it for a while and the whole time it hung there staring straight up and back at me from about a metre away. Cool.
I went for a pleasant walk around the back of the Island, the water seemed clearer but it was really shallow and just sea grass. Apparently there are turtles there, but I didn't see them.
At about 3pm I asked the staff to arrange a boat back to the mainland for me, and the same bangka from this morning turned up at 4:30pm and brought me back.
They obviously don't get many white people here in Sablayan, since most people I pass do a double-take and whisper to whoever they are with, or they say 'hello', or 'hiya, what's up?', thinking I am American. The attention is a bit annoying, but that's just how it is.
At 2am I made my way out to the bars to watch the Champions League Final. It wasn't as busy as I expected but the bar I chose got busier towards kick off and a bit rowdy, and soon enough two drunken English idiots decided to start a fight with eachother so I just walked out. Sad, pathetic people. I went to another bar that was empty and they soon closed, but by then I had realised what channel it was on that I could watch it on Cable TV in my room. A good game and the best team won.
So I got to bed at 5am, so there was no way I was moving on today. Slept till lunchtime, then after porridge I got a jeepney to Puerto Galera and started walking towards White Beach. Along the way I enquired at a tourist office about getting to Alba tomorrow, and they told me about a much quicker and cheaper way than I had planned so that's good.
I walked a bit further but it was a bit silly trying to walk all the way to White Beach so I jumped on a passing tricycle, sharing with a local.
White Beach was busy, with small restaurants and souvenir and diving shops facing the beach. I had tapsilog and read my book while looking out to sea. I couldn't swim as I had my valuables on me so got a trike and jeepney back to Sabang and went snorkelling again; more colourful fish and better visibility than yesterday. The blue starfish looks solid but they can bend their arms(?) to cling on to the coral.
Monday 30th May
After porridge, got a jeepney to Puerto Galera then tricycle to Balateros Pier. (Phillipinos are lovely people but I get a bit fed up of the tricycle drivers always trying to overcharge me like the guy did this morning). Listened to my football podcast until the motorised bangka was ready at 10:30am. About 30 passengers, including just guys and some families. We passed White Beach and some coves and could see the hills behind; a picturesque view from the sea.
At Abra de Ilog, the dishevelled old bus waits for the next ferry to turn up before leaving, so I had rice and eggs ('Yes sir', said the waitress in a lovely Filipina/American accent, 'The rice is served with 2 fried eggs. Sunny-side up'). Watched the local guys play pool under the bus station forecourt.
The next ferry was big, and a bus and a jeepney rolled off it, as well as loads of foot passengers, and our bus was soon full up, and off we went. The road was pretty good and not really bumpy, although I still had a sore bum by the time we arrived in Sablayan. It's a nice little town with a river and a fresh food and fruit market, so I got some fruit for tomorrow. I took a walk over the suspension bridge to the other side of the river and followed the footpath among the wooden residences, and down to the beach.
The main reason for coming to Sablayan is to hop across to Panban Island tomorrow.....
Tuesday 31st May
The end of May? Already?
From right outside the hotel, I got on a small motorised bangka captained by one guy, with his son helping out. The only passenger sat on a raised seat in the middle of the boat and holds on to fixed wooden posts on either side. We went quickly into the South China Sea, just about 2kms, across to North Pandan Island.
The private island is owned by Dominic, an older French guy, and apart from him, his 4 or 5 staff and a mexican couple, I was the only one there. On approach it looked like a desert Island, although when you get there, there are quite a few wood and brick buildings. I literally had the whole beach to myself; it is the off-season so very quiet. I set myself up in a hammock under some trees, completely shaded from the sun.
I spent the day looking out across the sea at the green hills on the mainland, reading, snorkelling and eating peanuts and fruit (pineapple, oranges, bananas). You can stay the night but it's expensive and I guessed the food would be too so I brought my own. I did pay 120 pesos ($3) to spend the day there.
The snorkelling was good, not exactly crystal clear waters but with some perseverance I was rewarded with the sight of many different types of fish; there was a big colourful one bigger than a baseball glove, and some really small ones that were glowing blue. And I saw a 'Nemo' clown type fish, except it's body was dark. I hovered above it for a while and the whole time it hung there staring straight up and back at me from about a metre away. Cool.
I went for a pleasant walk around the back of the Island, the water seemed clearer but it was really shallow and just sea grass. Apparently there are turtles there, but I didn't see them.
At about 3pm I asked the staff to arrange a boat back to the mainland for me, and the same bangka from this morning turned up at 4:30pm and brought me back.
They obviously don't get many white people here in Sablayan, since most people I pass do a double-take and whisper to whoever they are with, or they say 'hello', or 'hiya, what's up?', thinking I am American. The attention is a bit annoying, but that's just how it is.
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