May 2009
Summer was almost over, a typhoon came in the country just 2 days before our flight to Busuanga. A threat for everyone but me, nothing and no one will stop my little getaway come typhoon or shine.
I arrived in terminal 3 on a perfect sunny morning at 7:00am (my friends were joking around the night before doing the sun dance…I guess it worked!) We boarded the small plane on time and everyone was a bit scared as they are used to airbus plane type. Again, I was not rattled even for a bit, my dad was a pilot and I grew experiencing riding smaller than the one we boarded that day, my dad would fly cesna planes when he was still at the service and he would always tag me along with him…I would be literally strapped at the back of his chair, it’s a 2 seater plane (for my dad’s co-pilot/trainee) and that’s not the highlight of it…but the fact that the plane has no door and believe me I enjoyed it! 
It was an hour flight, we arrived in a very small but very clean Busuanga airport. We got our things and met with our van service as we went on to a 30 minute land trip to the port. I saw road construction on the way, obviously the town of Busuanga is getting ready to be a tourist friendly spot, and it’s a good thing, I just hope the ambiance wont change. The road was surrounded by mountains, trees, green grass, and I saw a ranch with cows and horses, if it wasn’t just with the people I was with on the van, I would rather have the trip with open windows.
The port was also under construction, but I still noticed the beautiful place as it is like its been placed on a middle of pure nature, Coron is definitely one of the amazing places in the Philippines.
We were told that it was going to be a 45 minute banca ride. I didn’t mind, the weather was still blazing hot and I just couldn’t wait to reach our little island.
On the way, there are still little islands that looks untouched, so it was very serene for me and never mind the 45 minute ride.
Finally we saw our island, I could see few people standing like they were waiting for us…as we came closer, I was right, the welcome band wagon! I first saw a bald white guy, wearing nothing but his white linen pants, he looked uber cool as I see him smiling from afar. He turned out to be the owner of the resort. He welcomed us together with his local staff and 2 huge dogs (half Doberman half Rottweiler) named Shadow and Anina. The dogs started to sniff around us and in our bags, the owner Andy Powland joked that they are just checking for bombs and drugs. He was very friendly and accommodating, if its all part of the PR, then its working, the man is very good at it. 
We went straight to the dining place and we were welcomed by fresh buko juice with gumamela flowers on top, pretty nice. I scanned the place for a quick look around…I fell in love with it immediately. In front of you there’s the beautiful white sand and the light green and bluish sea water, at the back, a rocky hill with trees and vines surrounding it, a very well maintained resort with bermuda grass, the best part of the place….I could spot hammocks everywhere. I thought…my vacation has begun. 
After drinks and chitchats and quick photo opt with the friendly guard dogs, we went to our rooms. I was assigned to stay with 4 girls in a separate villa. Separate means, really separated from the rest. As the rest went on to their rooms in front of the beach, 4 of us girls were lead to a wooden bridge.
As I learned in their website, the only way to our villa was the hanging foot bridge or by kayaking your way through it. The bridge was made from bamboo and lumber jacks and if you’re not brave enough, or not up for the adventure, the room isn’t for you. It’s actually not safe for kids because they can easily fit in the side railings and they can fall off on rocks and water beneath the bridge and not just any rocks, they look like they can slice you in half if you ever fall hard on it.
The Lambingan villa assigned to us is a three story nipa hut, it also comes with your own private beach, and 2 beach bamboo lounge chairs.
View from our villa and thats our private beach
The villa has an open air bathroom, it was like going inside a cave, 5 steps to go down to shower, if its wet it is very slippery, so always, always watch your step. The first floor has a dinner table, 3 hammocks, one swing made of wood, a mini bookshelf (wasn’t able to check on the books but later on by the bar, I saw books about diving, Philippine islands and some German books). Second floor is a bedroom and a private bathroom with only a sink and a toilet bowl (clean bathrooms and I’m pretty particular with bathrooms). There are two beds, one single and one double, a dressing table, a refrigerator, a set of instant coffee and chocolate powder, and a hot water thermos on top of the refrigerator.
On the third floor, there’s a closet, a double bed pulled together so it fits 4 people, a flat screen tv, but there’s nothing on it, I guess they are still working on getting a cable connection and of course there’s the view. The view from the windows on the top floor was just okay, you couldn’t really enjoy it, dark screens covered most it, but it was still pretty nice. At the back, there’s nothing but a cave like stones that surrounds the back of the villa. The only thing I didn’t like about it was the stagnant water beneath the cave so yes, it can also be called mosquito villa and also the fact that you have to walk maybe 5- 10 minutes or so just to be with your friends or go to the bar.
After settling in, we changed to our bikinis and put on our hiking get up. We were scheduled to go on a hiking by the mountains that afternoon, but first…lunch. The food was great, since it’s just you and the nature, the island offers a full board meal, don’t worry cause you won’t be sorry as every meal we had was just perfect and oh so delicioso!
Right after a hearty lunch, we rested for a while to get ready for a hike. Except for another girl from work and I (we’re both sporty, competitive and adventurous…I wonder why we don’t get along that well…) all the people who joined in the trekking are first timers. I used to go mountain climbing so I know what was in store for us, especially the hike would mostly be on a rocky hill. The weather that afternoon was like a confused gay, not sure if he’s coming out or not, one minute sunny, next minute its drizzling.
I walked through one of the tables and chairs in front of the resort, got my camera and take few shots.
Around 2 in the afternoon, the sun finally came around. The trek group gathered around as we waited for our guide…I was expecting a young local man instead we were introduced to "manong" (old man in tagalog). We were told to speak louder than the normal tone, Manong’s suffering from old age deafness. At first look, you’d feel sad that Manong is still doing that kind of job, I mean, he is old and I was a bit worried but when he started climbing those rocks…man oh man! He could swap jobs with spiderman any day! The old man can jump from one rock to another like a pro rock climber…and he was only wearing rubber slippers all the way…now that’s pretty impressive!
We started the climb right from the back of the resort. There’s no trail or safety guide for climbers, just climb at your own risk. We were laughing and joking around while manong leaves us behind, he would even stop to wait for us, pretty embarrassing for the young ones. Only few rocks at the start, I could feel my heart pumping already. The rocks were steep and sharp, you have to be careful where you hold on, you have to make sure it’s strong enough to carry your body weight before you lift yourself up through the rocks. Just few feet from the bottom of the hill, it started to drizzle. Everything became slippery, the rocks we hold onto, the mud, even the leaves on the ground. It was hard to climb, but for me it was one of those adventures you wouldn’t want to miss. I was wondering if every one of us were feeling the same way, I was second online on our trail, I looked back at the girls and the three guys who were trailing behind us, they seem to be struggling but also exchanging jokes on each other and it seems everyone was having fun.
While the two of us in front (both girls) seemed to be cool about the rain and the slippery trek…not even minding the muddy hill and the mud all over our precious shoes and legs.
As it continues to rain, I became worried of leeches and snakes. I wasn’t prepared and will never be when it comes to that. Just as I about to shake off what was on my mind, I almost touch a frog, it was on a rock that I was about to grab on, good thing the frog blinked! It was just there! Peacefully positioned on a rock and having the same color as the rock made it harder to notice. When I saw it, it was only an inch away from my face (hmm…come to think of it what if that was my prince charming? And I let it passed! What if?!!!!anyways…) Every rock I step on I could see huge black ants and leeches, I have to ignore all my imaginations of leeches, im not really fond of something eeky on the skin, I could touch a cockroach, but don’t give me a leech or worms or snakes!
We passed through swamp like with only coconut leaves to hold on, I could hear everyone’s shoes squeaking with water, it was like going through flood and mud…I looked at my dear Nike…the white and blue shade of my shoes now looked like army shoes…lovely!
After rock over rock over muddy spots and snails and mosquitos, Manong stopped to tell us it won’t be possible for us to finish the trek. We stopped and he pointed us broken lumber on the ground, it’s been raining for days and some of the man-made stairs that were connected to some areas were broken. We went back as we left manong behind as he told us he would still pick up some vegetables (not sure what kind but he let us went back to the resort without him guiding us)
The boys were now leading us, but they would always stop to check where we were, and they never asked the girls if anyone knew the trail (men do have issues about asking for directions) I went forward and took lead of the group. I climbed up so fast, I left the group behind, I didn’t realize until I couldn’t hear the jokes and whining behind me. I even have to shout where I am so they can trail behind me and I have to wait for them.
We got back on the resort ground safely, no casualties, good!
The group then decided to swim for the afternoon at the lambingan’s private beach! Took some crazy pictures with the girls (the non-stop 8 shots, 9 here on the collage)
After few more shots, it started to drizzle, I ran for the safety of my dear camera. The girls then went back to their own rooms to shower. By 6pm we were all looking forward to dinner. As I mentioned before, every meal I had in Sangat was superb. After dinner, some of us stayed for cocktails and few beers by the bar. It was pretty laid back as we listened to Jack Johnson songs, played pool (some played cards), drink cold beer and enjoyed an evening with the very pleasant owner Andy, he had few beers with us before he retired for the night and said good night to all of us. That’s another thing I love about the resort, the owner and the rest of the staff are just too friendly. They’d treat you like an old friend so even if you’re alone and you visit the island, you’ll be fine.
The next day, Lambingan camp, 2 girls on both floors, the 2nd floor girls were up early. Ina and I who usually get up early (in every trip we made, we never had a problem about waking up together). We heard someone walking on the 3rd floor, maybe one of the girls upstairs heard us. On our first night, Ina and I were able to sleep soundly in the villa (we learned that the girls upstairs didn’t do well). I fixed us up our morning caffeine and went downstairs on the second floor to enjoy a cup of joe on a hammock, it was one of those mornings where you just want to extend morning for the whole day, but time was running. We decided to hit the beach for some wakeup shots. Ina and I walked through the cold morning by our private beach, the sand was still damp, but the morning breeze was just amazingly fresh knowing you have the best of nature and you’re on it. We could hear birds chirping at the hill just right beside our villa and the serene water of the beach, it was beautiful, just beautiful.
We then walked to the rest of the group on the other side, we found them already walking around the beach and also taking pictures. A perfect weather for our scheduled activity for the day, island hopping.
took a nap after this shot
Everyone went straight in the dining area, excited as the rest, we packed up real good for breakfast. During the banca ride, I settled on the netting stretched over both sides of the banca (it can hold up maybe 5 adults) I grabbed my cowboy hat and I had the perfect spot to rest, enjoy the ride and sunbathe at the same time (on the other side, I think there were 3 people doing the same thing). Our first stop was at the Kayangan Lake.
We were told that we have to climb up the hill to reach the lake. It was muddy, slippery and steep. After more whining we finally reached the top with a splendid view of Coron and I took lots of pictures. After taking pictures I was looking for the lake…the lake was down right on the other side of the hill…so now we have to go down. Pin slipped but I was able to grab her and she got hold on to the bamboo rail (good thing she didn’t take us both down). Few more steps…I saw the lake and it was beautiful! Just beautiful!
the water was too deep so it’s not for everyone, but if you put on your lifevest and brave enough you’ll be able to go around the lake. The water was warm and clear. We hang out around the lake for a while before we headed off to our next stop. It was almost lunch and the resort had our food packed.
see those nipa huts...thats where we had lunch
We went to another small island with only 2 or 3 nipa huts where we can eat our delicious lunch. They served us the ultimate Filipino dish…it was just too much to describe, every time I try to remember that trip…my mouth salivates not just because of the experience I had but also the food was just to die for. It was worth all the travel. For our next island stop, the place was called the Twin Lagoon. The water was a bit high so most of the girls stayed in the banca. I went down to check what was on the lagoon. Underwater you can feel that the temperature would change from warm to cold. According to our guide, that’s because they are different layers of the water, lake and sea water. After I’ve gone on the edge of the lagoon, there was nothing much except for the beautiful hills that surrounded it. I went back to the banca and waited for the rest who went down. For the last destination, it was just a typical beach where people could swim without the lifevest. This time I didn’t bother to go down, instead I grabbed a cold can of mango juice. The island trip was worth it although as I’ve researched there are still other islands that we were not able to visit, so maybe next time.
That night, after dinner, the girls and I stayed to play pool, drink German beer and I flirted my last night on the island.
On our last day, the girls and I played with underwater shots courtesy of Marge’s water proof camera. Ina and I also spent some time kayaking on the other side, the water was just high enough for us to go farther. It was just beautiful. There were vines hanging from the trees and we could clearly see the corals underwater.
Sangat Island Resort
We left the island before lunch, it was heartbreaking...Andy thanked the whole group, waved at us as we boarded the motorized banca to take us back to reality. Leaving the little paradise was a bit depressing for a beach junkie like me, cause it’s like leaving home, over the next 3 days, the Sangat people treated us so well, it feels like a little family. Andy and the rest of the people in Sangat Island resort are living my dream life and I will for sure come back to visit again…maybe stay a little longer this time.
For more info, please check out this website: http://www.sangat.com.ph/
Within our stay, we were able to swim with the fishes, weird sea creatures, sea snakes, explore the clown fish village and see Nemo 10,000 times, watched and be amazed of live corals in different shades, fishes with weird faces…and long noses, but the awesome thing that happened to me when I was there…I got to swim with tortoise! Large ones! I chase and took their picture…and our guide, Ruel even took my picture while I go and try to get closer with a tortoise. It was an amazing experience for me…What more if you get to swim with Butandings in Sorsogon?!!! 
The next day, my cousin arranged for 5 motor bikes to take us to the other side of San Jose. As I hang on to our driver, I sandwiched my kid between my legs and sang him his favorite song. I usually do that when I feel that he’s starting to get nervous. We arrived on a beautiful beach in San Jose, where residents of Romblon quietly live in front of a long stretch of white sand and clear blue sea water. It was haven for me. There was no resort, they told us that they will just wait for us while we go for a swim. Although the waves were strong at that particular day, I fell in love with the place. After an hour of playing with the waves, we all went back to our resort and enjoyed a quiet afternoon.
After lunch, we stayed under the coconut trees in front of our resort, I enjoyed having my new phone with me, as there was wi-fi around the resort, so that was a good thing. Enzo played his gameboy and I catch up with some friends online. 
For the next few minutes our jaws dropped as we stare at some luxury cars parked outside Starbucks. Every 5 minutes another one will arrive. From Audi to Ferrari to something that looks like the bumblebee character in the movie transformers, they were all parked side by side. The owners having a laid back Sunday morning coffee inside Starbucks. They all looked like middle aged men to me…maybe early 50’s to late 60’s. Finally Pin arrived. As I took one last picture through the glass window, kuya started the car and off we went up North. The morning started with a beautiful weather, but as we approached NLEX, it started raining for few minutes, by the time we got ourselves in the highway, it was sunny again.
