Trev's Adventure

[Jukie]

Just a quick few pics as I have discovered that Mobile Phone coverage here is fantastic. Unfortunately Mobile Broadband is crap.

OOohhhhh and the Gastro has finally hit me. Not to bad actually just
feeling crap (pardon the pun), running tummy. So watching what I eat
and drinking lots of water (Sorren all those tips from previous climbs
are coming in handy). Drugs next if it persists. Well elections tomorrow so we shall see what it brings......

Take care all.

The "bus" service.



One of our local transport means. About 50c to $1 to get around our area.



The local Catholic Chapel. Very strong Catholic
>presence here.

[Jukie]

Well have had gastro for the last 3 days. Not real bad but enough to
 give me the shits (pun intended…). Feeling a bit crap, runny tummy> have to watch what I eat.

 Drugs come out of the medical kit tonight. I’ve had enough.
 
 Well election day and it is organized ciaos. Went for a walk to the
 polling booth this morning for a look see. See the attached pics.
 
 Okay here is some of the local food I have been eating.
 
 Pork with blood jelly. Pork cooked with Pork blood with some herbs,
 spices and vinegar. Eaten with rice. Actually very nice.
 
 Also eating lots of fish (Milk fish (Bangus local name), Galunggong
 (poor mans fish)) with rice (well some anyway as the appetite is still
 missing in action). The fish is fresh and then pan fried. Bangus was
 marinated overnight first and then dipped in Soya sauce with kalamansi
 (local lime). All very tasty.
 
 Tonight it is Tilapia (another local fish) which is fried and served
 with rice and the Soya / kalamansi dip. And all the fish are fresh
 water fish.
 
 Went out for dinner with Guy’s school friends the other night and had
 a full sucking pig carved and served with herbs and spices. Was very
 nice as well.
 
 My walk round the neighbor hood was interesting as each section has
> everything, Church, Police, school, polling booth, medical centre,
> mechanics (car, jeepney, bikes (motor and ride)), hardware, food
> vendors, bakery, basketball court, etc.
>
> Was great to have Jerry as the tour guide. He pointed out all the
> local “attractions” and had me in a sweat as we dodged all the
> traffic. Standing in the middle of four lanes of traffic trying to
> cross the road was interesting.
>
> Ooohh and watch where you walk. Excavation holes in the footpath are
> un-marked. No OH&S here.
>
> As for my tea drinking. I was drinking 12-15 cups of tea a day back in
> AUS. Tea is just not drank here. All coffee (The American influence)
> So I have gone from my 12-15 cups to none or one a day (we found a box
> of tea bags). Struggled the first few days with a caffeine headache
> but pretty much recovered now. It is just to hot to drink hot drinks
> anyway.
>
> But at the Mall the other day we found a café that sold “Chai Tea”
> (hot or cold). So we had to try one. MMMmmmmm the idea was there but I
> guess it was better that nothing.
>
> And my diet is basically now also dairy free. There is no fresh milk
> here. All coffee creamer (powdered). No cheese or yogurt. Diet really
> is rice with fish, pork and chicken. Ooohh and sweet bread rolls baked
> by the corner backer each night.
>
> We are sleeping lots at the moment 8-11hours a day. With the heat and
> just getting used to a whole new environment (huge culture change for
> me) is exhausting. But I must say that with all this sleep, eating
> healthy food and no more tea caffeine I am actually feeling
> “healthier” when I am awake (gastro excluded…). Oooohhh and not
> working might help a bit tooooo. And even loosing a few kilos too.
>
> Hope all is well with you all.
>
> Great to get your emails from home and lands far away. Keep them coming….
>
> Cheers

[Jukie]

The pig 



Trev's Room


The walkway

[Jukie]

Hi all

Well we have been getting out and about a bit now. Was out looking at a property estate on Tuesday about 45km outside of Manila. Have been also looking at apartments in a new complex out by the harbor (the good area of town), just out from the city centre and next to the Mall of Asia (Philippines biggest Mall).

We are not looking to buy but this now gives us a benchmark for when we are looking for our bungalow on the beach. Basically you are looking at about $65,000 for a fully furnished 1-bedroom high-rise apartment with outdoor pool, games area, private cinema and courtesy air-conditioned bus service to downtown and the airport.

The estate house outside of Manila is about $50,000 for a three-bedroom two-story place. OOooohhh and three bedrooms here is about the same size a one and a half aussie bedrooms so quite small houses really.
We also ventured to the Green Hills Mall, which was advertised on the plane as the place to buy Pearls in Manila. Basically it is a market / mall that is divided into sections (Pearls & jewelry, Cloths & Shoes & Handbags, Mobile phones & accessories, Cameras & computer stuff). Makes it so easy to find what you want. Must say the Pearls were impressive and no we didn’t buy any.

They also have a Paddies Market section but it was closed.

I loved the camera section saw a very nice “Pearl colored” Panasonic GF1 going cheap….. And no I didn’t buy it…..

Also in the mobile phone section you can buy any phone you want unlocked and for half of the price you pay in Aus. The only phones that still commanded a high price were the iPhones. 16G unlocked was about $800 Aus.

And if after you have all your Pearls, cameras, phones, cloths, shoes, handbags and jewelry and your feeling a little vulnerable for your safety your can get Pepper spray for $5.00 a can or a SIG 9mm auto with all the licenses to carry it unrestricted for $1,200 aus. And no I didn’t buy one……..

Well back at the Mall again today at our favourite cafe. We love it as they don't mind you sitting here for hours with your laptops plugged into their power. And they serve a nice Mango Iced Tea. OOohh and they have a 5 star toilet (it has a seat and loo paper). Very handy for me in my delicate state at the moment. All the standard Mall toilets have no seats and no paper. They are clean though.

I'm still getting over my gastro. Last antibiotic pill tonight. So we shall see. I also wanted to stock up on antibiotics as I realized I only had one course with me. In AUS it requires a visit to the doc to get a prescription for the pills (which were about $30?). Here you walk into a chemist and walk out with the pills. Got a pack of pills (3 pills for 1 course) for $12. So have cheap spares now.

Guy now has a sore throat and a cough so we might delay our departure to the provinces for a few days. Will decide tomorrow, Friday. It is rather nice that we can come and go as we please with no deadlines.

Visited the provinces down south on Wednesday with Beth and family (they took the day off work) for a local towns patron saint’s feast (locals cook up a feast and share it with all who visit). Spent most of the day with a friend of Guy's who we will spend a few days with on the way south. No running water (well water with hand pump in the house), no air con, no flushing loo...... Typical province living. Was a reality check for me but good as it has made me rethink what we will take with us when we do head down south. I only really needed a 1/3 of what I brought over with me. Learning how to live simply very fast.

Also visited a local market and bought some Jack fruit, Green Indian Mango (Tastes like a sweet apple), Buko Pie (young coconut meat) and pineapple. And all came with a free tasting first. All very sweet and refreshing.

Will let you all know when we head south once we recover from our current welcome to the Philippines teething challanges.

Cheers

Guy (with a cough) & Trevor (to scared to cough for fear of a rear end explosion….)

[Jukie]

Hi All

Well tomorrow (Monday) is the day we head bush for the white sandy beaches experience. We delayed our departure a few days to enable us both to recover from our ailments. My gastro which still isn’t 100% but manageable and Guy’s cough and she also had a touch of the gastro.

We are heading by bus to the port of Batangas where we will catch the ferry to the island of Mindoro. We arrive in Puerto Galera which is known as one of the diving Mecca’s of the Philippines. Turn left and you head to all the diving resorts. Turn right and you hit the beaches for “the beach bums” according to the Lonely Planet. So right it will be for us.

Accommodation will be at cheaper hotels and home stay (bit like a B&B) and either on or close to the beach. Transport round the islands will be a combination of Bus, Jeepney and Trik. So should be a bit of an experience for us both.

From here will explore Mindoro for a week or two and then catch another ferry across to Marinduque for another week or two. Then onto Boracay, Bohol and Palawan as the fair winds take us. If we like a place we will stay a while and if not we can just move on. No set time table at all.

The heat here is pretty dam hot and humid at the moment. Guy and I are “coping” just (thank god for Malls). The days are extremely hot especially from 1:00pm to 4:00pm (high 30s to low 40sC everyday). Have been talking to the locals and even they are finding it a struggle. Apparently this is the hottest it has been for many many years and all due to the El Nino effect. Trust us to land in a heat wave but if we can survive this we can survive anything.

Once the sun goes down at 6:00pm (same every night year round due to close to the equator) it isn’t too bad as you tend to get a bit of a breeze. We tend to go for walks round the neighborhood at night. It is very pleasant as everybody comes outdoors into the streets to enjoy the cool. To sleep we have the air-con just to cool the room and then sleep with just a fan on.

Everybody is waiting for the wet to start in a few weeks (June). Will be wet and sticky but at least will cool things down a bit. And then of course we will be waiting for our first Typhoon experience (well me anyway).

Remember the pics I sent with all the election banners, well 99% of them are now all gone. You wouldn’t know there had been an election. I’m impressed actually with how they cleaned everything up.

Ooohh and speaking of interesting election happenings. In our neighborhood the Mayoral candidate (who lost) handed out 1500PP ($37 AUS) to all the Trik operators to buy their votes. And in the province where the existing president Arroyo was running for congress, she paid each family in the slums 3,000PP ($75 AUS). Rumor has it that she must win the seat so she is immune to corruption charges. While you are still holding a public office here you are immune to corruption charges.

Maybe Aussie politicians’ could learn a thing or two……….

Well at our favorite mall café at the moment escaping the midday heat and purchasing our last few supplies for the great adventure that awaits us.

We are really looking forward to our first white sandy beach and a swim to escape the heat. And a sea breeze at night to cool things off as well.

Not sure when will next be online as communications could be sketchy on the islands.

So till next we meet take care all and enjoy your winter…..

 
Trev & Guy
PS: Sorry no new photos this time.

[Jukie]

Hi all

Well we left another stinker of a hot one in Manila on Monday. Caught the bus just round the corner from home so was good not having to go to far in the heat. A quick Trik ride got us to the station with all the luggage (two day packs and one 85 litre pack)….

Then a 2.5 hour air-conditioned (Yyyeeeaaa) bus trip to the port of Batangas. During the bus ride it stops for comfort (toilet) stops along the way where all the food vendors come on board and try to sell their wares (apples, caramelized peanuts, Pork crackling, cold drinks and other stuff I have no idea what it was).

From here we caught a motorized Bangka (see pic of the boat) to White Beach. Now I’m not a fan of boats at the best of times (I get sea sick) but I must admit that the 1 hour Banka ride was actually quite good. They are long wooden boats with Bamboo stabilizers out each side so they cut through the wind chop without any rock and roll. This is going to be our chief mode of transport for a while now as we island hop.

A quick Trik ride to Mengie’s resort (as recommended by the Lonely Planet) right at the western end of the beach away from all the big resorts, bars and tourist spots followed by our first swim which was pretty dam good.

Mengie’s is run by a very talkative but helpful lady who will cook you a meal anytime (24x7), organize a massage, be the bar maid, organize “her” guides for exploring and a hike to the local water falls, organize “her” Trik boys to take you anywhere and look after you and anything else you want.

We were only the 4th & 5th “tourists” checked in so had the pick of the rooms. Ours consisted of a ceiling fan, bed, cold shower and toilet. No TV, no fridge, no cupboards. But hey for $15 a night and 50m from “our” private beach who can complain. We spent all of time on the beach anyway under the coconut trees 10m from the water. But you need to beware of falling coconuts…..

It is definitely cooler here with the sea breeze so glad to leave the sweltering Manila behind right now.

Looks like we will be here for a few more days (Till the weekend at least). We were going to go down the beach to another resort but after an inspection today we found out it is quite expensive and full of “tourists”.

But we did discover that it does have free Wi-Fi so hence this email. Also I’m still struggling with my gastro and Guy still has her cough so what better place to recuperate.  

We are spending our days lounging on the beach lounges (made out of bamboo but quite comfortable), swinging in the hammock, swimming to keep cool and our evening walk up to the other end of the beach. Mengie keeps us fed and watered with nice local fresh food and cold bottled water with the odd Coke thrown in.

Ooohhhh I had a one-hour massage by a lovely little old lady under the coconut palms on the beach who has very strong and slightly rough hands. It was like having a massage and body scrub all at once. Got the full head to toe treatment for the princely sum of $6.50. It was very very nice. Quick swim after and all was good. Might have to indulge in one more before we leave…

Well today the power was out all day. They call them brown outs here. Power goes out and your not sure when it will be back on. But being on the beach all day who cares.

And one other thing I have now noticed. Have a look at your wallet / purse and count up all the cards you have (Credit, Debit, Medical, Auto Club, Other Club, etc.) I had heaps. In my wallet now I have two cards. A Credit card linked to my account back in Aus and a Debit Card for our account with the Bank in the Philippines. I also have an emergency numbers contact card (With AUS and Philippines contacts on it) and cash. My wallet has never been so thin. Love it.

Take care all as we watch the sun go own over the ocean....again.....

Trev & Guy

PS: Broadband is really bad on the islands so we have to seek out free Wi-Fi at expensive hotels and steel some of their time. Till next time…..

Guy and I in our best red life vests for the Bangka ride to White Beach. Yes that it is a nervous smile on my face



Me hard at work under the beach shade in the cool of the night. That lovely necklace I am wearing is actually the room key. I’m not that feral…yet… Now where shall we go tomorrow?

[Jukie]

Hi all
Wednesday 19th:

Well just enjoyed another glorious sunset as we devour a very very tasty Pork chop with gravy and veggies dinner from Mengie’s. The go now is that we see what Mengie is cooking for the family each day and we join in. Works for her and us.

It’s 8:00pm ish (Wednesday) at the moment as we watch the squid boys out on the bay squiding. The way you squid here is to firstly let off skyrockets which attract the squid to your area and then get them to the boat with LED flashing coloured lights. Interesting fun process and great for the spectators. Though I suspect that the skyrocket thing is just so the boys can have some fun. Mengie informs us it is fresh squid for dinner tomorrow night, provided the boys catch some.
 
Thursday 20th:

And fresh squid it has been. We had grilled bay squid stuffed with tomato and then adobo squid (squid cooked in its ink with coconut vinegar) served with rice for dinner tonight (Thursday). And it was delicious. Even my doggie tummy liked it.

Did our walk down the beach tonight (Thursday) and ventured to the other side (White Beach) where all the popular tourist resorts are. See the attached pic. We are so glad we didn’t finished up there.

Our days at the moment pretty much consist of getting up between 9 – 10am and having brekkie. Our favorite is Mengie’s fresh mango pancakes with local wild honey. Then a swim and our morning nap under the palm trees and my run to the loo. Lunch is a few snacks that we have with us before a swim or two and then the afternoon siesta between 1-3:00pm back under the Palm trees. This is the hottest part of the day and things pretty much grind to a halt in the quieter parts of town.

Round 4 ish it starts to cool down a bit ready for our afternoon walk with dinner at 7ish. Update our travel diary after dinner and in bed round 10ish.

And no air-conditioning all week so starting to acclimatize but it is a struggle with the heat. We have a ceiling fan in the room that works great at night though.

Now I have been known to not be able to sit still for too long but you will all be very impressed, I am actually able to now while away my days without any strenuous activity. Being bloody hot and a bit crook does help to curb my desire to do too much.

And another brownout (blackout as known back in AUS) tonight (Thursday) for several hours. Thank god for Petzel Head torches. We finished up eating our squid dinner by candlelight. Very romantic…

Friday 21st:

Well miracles do happen. Day two and the gastro bug has disappeared. Knew sending the email for help would scare the bug off. If I get through tomorrow (Saturday) with all things normal Guy & Trev are going to celebrate.

Saturday 22nd:

Today has been the coolest day we have had since arrival. Was very pleasant under the palms with odd swim to keep cool but not stifling heat. Also noticed that the nights are starting to get muggier as well so looks like the build up to the wet maybe happening. Supposed to start in June.

Tomorrow we hit the road again after 6 days R&R and all the bugs now sorted. Three days clean for me and Guy’s gastro and cough all good too.

Leave Mengie’s and head for Sabang Beach on the northeastern side of Mindoro. A couple nights here and then we head south to hit Pinamalayan by Thursday to catch the Bangka to Marinduque Island.

Looking to stay at Calapan on the way down and explore the local tribe who live in the area called the Mangyan. They are mountain people and still live in their traditional ways.

We will be arriving at the port of Gasan south of the capital Boac on Marinduque. Then head for Boac where we are meeting up with friends of Guy’s from Manila who are visiting for the weekend. The week after will be exploring the island and see what we can find as this is one of our possible final resting places

Other Stuff:

Booking our accommodation is pretty simple here in the provinces. You find out the mobile number of the place you want to stay and text them with the dates and type of room you want (Basically air conditioned or not). After a few texts it is all booked. No phone calls, no credit card deposit. Works a treat.

One thing we have to get used to is we are now living in a “cash” society. Out here in the provinces it is all cash, no credit cards (apart from the major resorts). So we have to make sure that we have ample cash with us between ATMs. These are usually located in the capital of the island but not all islands.

So as we have to carry a reasonable amount of cash with us we have our little system of breaking down the cash to 4 stashes. One goes in each backpack and we each carry a stash on us. My credit card is feeling very unloved and I’m loving it.

Till we next find some free Wi-Fi.

Trev & Guy

[sydmonster]

keep it up guys! 

[Jukie]

Hi All

Tuesday 25th:
We arrived in Calapan today after a two-hour Jeepney ride from Sabang (one Jeepney change in Puerto Galera). The road was okay but had some rough dusty bits and was very windy.

I was feeling a little car sick when we arrived and it was the hottest part of the day, siestas time it was. After our nap we headed out to explore Calapan. Started walking to the Pier but it turned out to be further than expected so we got a tour of the town on a Trik.

Calapan is the capital of the second province on Mondoro. The main town is away from the pier and is just another city. No beaches to speak of. Just  another city. We stayed at the Ricelands II Inn just off the main drag. Was okay with a nice restaurant with good food. We scored a room with air-con, cable TV and free Wi-Fi. Luxury…..

So tomorrow we have decided to head straight for Pinamalayan ready for the Thursday morning Bangka to Marinduque Island and more beaches.

26th Wednesday:
Decided to take an air-conditioned mini van to Pinamalayan over the Jeepney. Cost was only 20PP (50 cents) more in the van so a no brainer. We were stuffed in the van like sardines but at least it was cool. Arrived at 12:30pm so off to the local café for lunch and back to the room for siesta.

We are staying at the Blue Waves Hotel (no air-con or TV just fans) on the beach just down from the pier. We are on the first floor with a little balcony overlooking the beach and it catches the cool sea breeze nicely. Also the Trik man gave us a free ride to the hotel. When we told him where we were going said why go there, as there is nothing there. That was music to our ears as this is what we are looking for.

The beach here is the black volcanic sand so very hot during the day and also makes the water quite dirty at the shoreline so not good for swimming. But at about 4:30pm all the locals arrived for the cool sea breeze and stayed till well after dark to eat, swim and just chill. Pinamalayan  is a largish fishing village with two Bangka’s that go to Marinduque so is our kind of village. We walked round the town and it has everything including a couple of ATMs so we are all cashed up for the next few weeks now. All we want is a Pinamalayan with a white sandy beach. We are getting closer……

There was also a festival down by the pier tonight. Had a DJ for all the local young kids. Was great to watch and seeing everybody having a great time. The Philippinos like do like their dancing and Karaoke. Oooohhh and their food. Haven’t had a bad meal yet. Early start tomorrow as the Bangka leaves at 8:00am ish. When we arrived at the pier today to checkout the Bangka the crew offered us the night on the Bangka for free if we wanted it. Let me tell you the only way I would be sleeping on that boat would be in a dry dock.

27th Thursday:
Well we made it on board the cargo Bangka with all the chickens, rice, salt, Bananas, Mangos, wedding presents & dress, other stuff and all the other passengers. You had to get aboard via a dingy which ferry’s you to the Bangka and you then climb aboard with all your gear. Guy tested the boarding process with a bit of twirl as she boarded which had all the Bangka boys hauling her aboard.

Leisurely 3 hours cruise across the bay with the occasional flying fish showing us a display of their talents. These fish are amazing. They come up out the water and glide a foot or so about the waves for a 100m or so. They also bounce off the waves to keep going. Quite entertaining.

Arrived at Gasan and the chaos of unloading continued. All these tiny Bangka’s pull up next to the boat and you throw your gear in with yourself and off to the wharf where you have the boys haul you and your gear up the 5 foot high wall. They even managed to get two new 175cc motorbikes on and off the Bangka with this process. Guy had a good chat to two locals on the way over and we got some good advice on the island.

Today we meet up with Charlin and her husband Joseph (he’s American) who are staying at the same hotel as us. The story is that Guy started corresponding with her via the Internet via the Marinduque website. She and hubby work in Seoul, Korea, but own a house (where her mum & dad and two brothers and sister live) just down the road from the hotel. As there is a festival in town (see the pic) the tradition is to watch the parade and then have a big cook up and share all the food with friends and family.

Charlin was very gracious in inviting Guy and I along to meet all her family and enjoy some fantastic food. Once again I can’t say enough on how friendly and sharing the people are here. But Guy said that it is traditional hospitality that is being shown to us by the locals and something that happens everywhere in the Philippines.

Friday 28th:
Well a bit of a sleep in today. Got up at midday, had breakfast in bed (nuts & Polvoron (local thing)), sent this email, then time for siesta till after 3 ish.

Going into Boac later to catch-up with one of Guy’s friend’s husband who has arrived for his school reunion.  Also checking out the local tourist centre about home stay on the island (Like B&B in Aus).

Well siesta time.

Take care all.
From a very relaxed Trevor & Guy.

One for the Ducati Guys & gals. What to do with a 175 single Suzuki. Actually saw the guy riding this. Check out that rear drum brake. Ooohh and no Ducati’s yet…….


Roadside Barbie. P12 ($0.30) for a Pork Barbie stick



Our trusty Bangka from Pinamalayan to Gasan.

[Jukie]

Hi All

Quick update as we maybe out of contact for a few weeks. Going bush.

Friday 28th:
Well we made it in Boac and explored the Tourist info centre and the Museum, which gave a great insight into some of the history of Marinduque. The island has a strong Spanish past and this is certainly reflected in the Cathedral / fort that still stands on the highest part of town. Had a look and it is indeed very impressive and dates back to the 18th century (was thinking of you Ian B as I took a few snaps…).

Ooohhh and they have a mountain bike club on the island. Saw some pics of the riding and it looks pretty good. Just dam hot. So big tick for Marinduque from me (no 29ers though Ivan and Kim).

Caught up with Philip (Guy’s best friends hubby) and as it turns out tomorrow (Saturday) he is lending us his car while he is at his school reunion. So with his son (Guy’s god son) and nephew we are going to do a road trip round the island (only 120km in total) and scout out some places to explore over the next few weeks.

And the bonus is that Aura (Philips wife) sent some chocolate brownies and French pastries down for us. They are dam good, as we haven’t had any of this stuff since leaving Manila.

Had our first rain today as well. 4:00pm it fell down and at 5:00pm it stopped. So hopefully the wet is on the way. Was great as it settled the dust and cooled things down a bit although was a tab muggy.

Another two brown outs today / tonight. Thank goodness for Mac laptop batteries…..

Saturday 29th:
Today we had Angelo (Guy’s godson) and Jerry (a nephew) take us on a road trip round the island. We did the whole circumnavigation including the southern peninsula, which involved 25km of rough, dusty dirt road (we were in a 4x4). Got a good feel for the island and its layout.

Right at the tip down south is a place call Elephant Island. Now this is an island that has a six star resort for the rich and famous. As the Lonely Planet says:

Try the newly-opened 6-star Bellarocca Island Resort and Spa located at Elephant Island (formerly Isla Perro) in Buenavista town. Guests are treated in this resort in a very Mediterranean way that resembles the vibe of the Greek island of Santorini. Amenities include seaside pools and Jacuzzis, a 9-hole golf course, a function/dining hall and bar. From the Marinduque airport, guests are transported to the island via a private yacht or helicopter. Rooms and terraces cost from $350-$1,100 USD (food not included).

See the pics. It is very impressive but just a little over our budget.

Also managed to check out the hot springs outside of Buenavista on the mountain road to Torrijos. We are heading there on Monday for a few days. The springs hold medicinal powers so we shall be swimming in them purely for medicinal purposes.

The next stop after that is about 5 km outside Torrijos (east side of the island) at the far end of White Beach at a home stay called Marilous home stay. Now home stay here is different to B&B in Aus. Here home stay means that you take over the home and stay in it.

Anyway Marilous has a stretch of land that goes from the main road down to the ocean (about 500m long). On it she has her cottage up by the road and a “shack” down by the waters edge. To get to the shack you have to go through three gates and dodge the cattle having their siesta under the shady trees.

Now this is a real Robinson Crusoe shack. It consists of two bedrooms with bathrooms (no flush toilet and only cold water) side by side with a huge veranda out front that has a gas cooker, a fridge that works whenever the power decides to work and some pots and pans. Twenty steps off the veranda and you have your own private white beach with coconut palms for shade.

You have to supply all your own food and drinking water from town (5km away). You can also apparently walk over the small headland to the far end of White Beach for basic supplies but that hasn’t been confirmed yet. Oohhh and there is an Indian Mango tree loaded with fresh mangoes that are free for the taking. We brought a few back with us and are eating them right now. They are eaten green and taste like a sweet apple. Very yummy and we will indeed relieve the tree of a few more.

Other than that you’re on your own. So we are going to spend a week there after the hot springs and go Robinson Crusoe for a while.  Marilou also informs us that we can get fresh fish from the fishermen who peddle their catch of the day by the beach over the headland. She has enough dried coconut husks to barbeque a ton of fish (coconut husks are burnt as fuel for the barbie).

Also there is a hammock but needs a bit of work so might have to be my task for the week to fix it.

Sunday 30th:
A leisurely midday swim and off to Gason (where we arrived) to visit the German restaurant for a late lunch and a bit of good old German food. And very nice it was.

And as luck has it there were 4 other expatriates (Finish, Danish, Aussie (actually Danish Aussie from Melbourne) & Pom) there who all now live in the area. Seems that the Gason area is a popular “retirement” area for foreigners. 

The Pom was full of knowledge on who lives where and what is for sale and rent. Very good info actually. So we swapped numbers and on our return in a few weeks we are going to look at some possible leads. His wife is about to complete a long-term rental, fully furnished cottage on the beach (black sandy beach) just down the road from Gason which will have a look at.

Then a quick trip to Boac to get a cheap goggles & snorkel for our Robinson Crusoe beach later this week and time to pack ready to leave in the morning.

Stuff:
Marinduque is known as the second most peaceful province in the Philippines. Crime is almost non-existent and the people are all very friendly and helpful. The island has a really good “vibe” about it that you can actually feel. If you’re looking for nightlife forget Marinduque. If you want the quiet life this is a good place to explore. We still have some waterfalls and caves to explore yet.

Now as we are heading to the mountains for the hot springs and then over to the east coast we maybe out of touch for a few weeks. At this stage we haven’t found any Wi-Fi on the east coast so will be back in contact on our return to the west coast and it’s free Wi-Fi.

Ooohhh mobile phone coverage is fine is these areas so if you have any exciting news from home text me……

Take care you all and see you in a few weeks (hopefully sooner if I can find a connection).

Trev & Guy

Low tide waiting for the sunset. You can hire these “rafts” for the day and they will paddle them a few hundred metres off shore for you to picnic, swim and snorkel off


Another sunset from our balmy beach walk after dinner


The market in Boac where we get our fresh fruit for snacks


Six Star resort anybody? Send me the chopper James


The rice paddies are all dry at the moment but once the rains come all this turns a lush green. Waiting for the day….


Cathedral that was started in 1580 and completed in 1792.

[Jukie]

Hi All

Wwwooo hhooo we found Wi-Fi in Torrijos. You just never know when and where it will pop up.

Monday 31st May:
Left Eastpoint Hotel this morning and caught the Jeepney south to Buenavista where we then had to transfer to a Trik to get to the Hot springs. Upon arrival in Buenavista we walked to the pier and were sitting under a shade enjoying the cool sea breeze when Guy struck up a conversation with one of the locals.

We were going to eat at one of the local eateries before heading to the Hot springs so were enquiring on where to eat. Well this guy recommended a lovely local spot called Curba Grill, just out of town, and organized a Trik who would take us to the grill, wait while we ate and then take us to the Hot springs all for the sum of P60 ($1.55 AUS).

So Curba Grill it was. Well this is a great little spot where we had a Lomi (thick soup with pork meat and liver, veggies and noodles). A Pork bun was also utilized to soak up the yummy thick soup.

As a few of you know I also like a slice of lemon with my drinks. So out comes our ice tea with a lemon slice (lemon is not big over here). I was in heaven with great food and my “lemon” ice tea. And all this food and drink for a total of P160 ($4.10 AUS). Absolute bargain.

Made it to the Hot springs, which is a very pretty little place with gardens and bamboo nipa huts in the grounds. It has 3 hot pools (2 big and 1 small), which are fed by a hot stream coming out of the mountains. And they are hot. But it is very refreshing when you swim then get out and sit in the breeze. We repeated this process many times. Then time for our afternoon Siesta.

Beautiful evening so we walked back to Curba’s Grill (40 minute walk) and enjoyed a Halo-halo (made up of ice, milk (tinned evaporated), ice cream, purple yam, coconut, gelatin, crunchy rice, sago and other sweet fruits). Very nice treat as you can’t always find them out bush. Curba Grill is this little restaurant on the first floor that catches the breeze and views of the surrounding fields with a loud stereo playing mellow music and very relaxing with very friendly staff. Trik ride back to the hot springs and a leisurely dip before bed.

Tuesday 1st June:
Bit of a sleep in, breakfast (some yummy coconut small buns locally called hopia) then hit the springs. 1:00pm ish we headed for Curba’s once again for the main meal of our day, lunch.
 
As it was a very balmy coolish day (low 30sC) we decided to spend the afternoon at Curba’s in the breeze watching the locals. We were entertained by a guy and his buffalo with skid trailer and the local kids carting bricks, cement and building supplies from the road to about 500m up in the dry rice paddies for somebody’s new house.

These little kids would hoist 1 and some times 2 bricks onto their shoulders and off they would go. Each time they arrived back it was a contest to see who could carry 2 bricks.

And we were entertained by this little kid with an old motorcycle tire that he would guide along this narrow twisty cement path in the rice fields with only a stick. He was pretty dam good at it getting round all the corners without stopping. Ooohhh and we managed to have a couple of Malibu and Pineapple juices Sandy L and Lynne A while we were at it.

I managed a quick nap on the bamboo bench seat (this practice is acceptable here) before we finished off with a Halo-halo. Then a stroll back in the cooler evening air. We purchased tomorrow’s breakfast (some more coconut buns) then back to the hot springs for a dip to cool off in the hot water.

Wednesday 2nd June:
Another hard day at the office. Breakie, hot springs, Curba’s for late lunch, nap, explore Buenavista (on the coast), Curba’s for Halo-halo, hot springs and bedtime.

Today we meet the guy who runs the hot springs and had a great chat to him on the history of the springs and the real-estate market in this area. He also took us up the back of the resort to pick some organic Sineguelas (Small sugar plums). If you eat them slightly red they are slightly sour and crunchy. If you eat them dark red they are sweet (almost like mango). Tried both reds and both very refreshing although I like the sweet ones. We have a bag full to take to Torrijos with us.

The history of the hot springs was that it was a bit of a dive until 2007 when Francis (The administrator come developer, come designer) took over running the resort for the owners. He completely redeveloped it, as it had been the local dump for the neighborhood. So he buried the dump and built two new pools, landscaped the grounds and updated the accommodation. He made the resort self sufficient in one year. They have 9 hectares of land with only 2 being developed at present. He showed us the next stage of development that is another pool with an island bar for private use by the high-end users (well you can have private functions there).

Had a bit of a storm last night with thunder, lightning and very heavy rain along with the usual brownout. The days are now cloudier (stormy clouds) and a bit cooler (at long last) but still pretty muggy. So hopefully the wet is on the way. The locals are all waiting so they can plant their rice crops.

Thursday 3rd June:
We left the hot springs sadly and headed for Torrijos (about 30km away on the east side of the island). From there it was to the far end of White Beach at our home stay home called Marilou’s. Guy did her usual hard negotiation with one of the local Trik boys and we ended up taking the Trik for about a $1.00 more than the Jeepney ride and far more pleasant.

It was a very pleasant ride through the mountains. On the home stretch Trik boy switched off his engine and for 12km we just coasted down the mountain taking in all the sights and sounds. When we hit Torrijos he waited while we got 2 x 20 litre containers of water and some supplies and then transported us to Marliou’s front door. All for the princely sum of P300 ($7.75 AUS).   

This is one very cool place as we have our own private beach with a 300m walk over two headlands to get to the resort area of White Beach. Luckily we are far enough away from White Beach that we don’t hear or see them but we can walk to get supplies.

The local fisherman sell their catch at White Beach as well so looks like fresh fish on the Barbie tomorrow night cooked with coconut husks. Ooohhh and we got some coconut vinegar for the fish. I am a vinegar lover from my childhood and this coconut stuff is pretty dam good. It has chilies, garlic and other secret herbs and spices in it.

Our shack is 20m from the waters edge with lots of shady coconut palms and a larger veranda out the front, which houses the kitchen and “lounge”. And it catches the cool afternoon sea breeze.

We also have a private cook if we need her. You negotiate with her what you want (local food only) and she will get the required ingredients and come and cook it right here for us. For her to get the food and come cook it here, you are looking at about P400 ($10.00 AUS) for two days worth of food for us. We will be utilizing her services.

We had an afternoon “wet” storm and due to it being that heavy we were able to shower and wash our hair in it while standing in the “front yard”. Yep we are going feral. After the storm passed we picked some fresh apple mangoes for our dinner. Don’t get much fresher than that.

Balmy evening watching the lightning show off shore and the Fireflies light up as they buzz past us. Then off to bed under the ceiling fan.

Stuff:
We now have a whole new eating regime. Basically we eat a light breakfast (9:00am ish - fresh fruit or some sweet bread buns) and make lunch (1 to 2:00pm ish) our main big meal of the day followed by light snacks for dinner (6:00pm ish). If we snack (which we hardly do) in between it is usually nuts or fruit

No more cheese, biscuits, cakes, chocolate, tea/coffee or any of that other great western food. This is working for us about 90% of the time and we actually feel pretty good. 

And we now have a mascot travelling with us. I found a little teddy bear on the beach today so we washed him off and he now “hangs” on the veranda with us and will now accompany us forever. Oohhh he is named “Toddy”. Yep Todd Stafford he is named after you and your teddy that went on every race with you come rain, shine or hail.

Take care all.
Trevor & Guy.

This kid was good with controlling his tire.


We now head inland away from the coast into them hills and the hot springs.


Petrol by the Coke bottle. And you get tree sizes P21, P30 & P53. Just don’t forget what’s in the bottles and try and have a swig. Oohhh and thongs are P180 as well.


Showering in the afternoon “wet”. Very refreshing, and yes i did put this up for my enjoyed


The secondary hot springs pool.


Toddy our new traveling companion.

[Big T]

Hi all from a land far away.

Well I got off my butt and have finally setup a blog.

http://trevorkloeden.wordpress.com/2010/06/

Go here and you can see the last 6 or so posts (go to May Archive for older ones) with the latest one being Day 118 of retirement. Will be adding the old posts to the blog over time.

Having a great time over here. Guy and I are have "acclimatised" now on many fronts and have fine tuned our traveling procedure.

I'll let your know each time I update the blog.

Still lurk in the forum and it is great to see all the new members. Still miss you all but the other day we hired a 125cc Kwaca and rode some 200km round the island and over two mountain passes. Aaahhhhh what I would have given for a Multistrada.

But we had a blast.

Ride safe you allllll.....

Big T

[Jukie]

Miss you big time Trev, was just thinking of you the other day. So keep on enjoying life and its adventures 

[Big T]

Hi all

Day 123 of retirement has been added to the blog at:

http://trevorkloeden.wordpress.com/2010/06/

View at your leisure.

Retirement is good.

Cheers

Trevor & Guy

PS: Missing my Jukie as well...... Missing the big hugs from the little bomb shell...

[CairnsDuc]

Very interesting reading, great to see it is all going well!