Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Weekend in Mindoro - Part One

I was more than ready for a getaway – my first overnight trip in Morocco, to Fes, was the second weekend we were in homestay. The only reason I lasted this long is that I was waiting for a holiday weekend! MRT to LRT to one of several bus stations in Metro Manila (the key is knowing what buses go where and where they leave from – but there are multiple options). It took about three hours to get to Batangas in at-times-stop-and-go traffic, and then an hour and a half on an outrigger-type bangka. These times would almost be reversed on the way back, either because the seas were choppier or because I took a different boat company (Golden Osprey was faster than Blue Penguin – well, that makes sense!) – so maybe by the end of my time here I’ll figure out what times I have to come and go in order to have the shortest bus ride and the shortest boat ride. On to the island of Mindoro and to Mary’s site, outside of Puerto Galera.

Puerto Galera is the main town, but there is a series of beaches that comprise the area; the closest one to Mary is White Beach. A mango shake was in order while I waited for her to walk over – in the meantime, several people approached, selling massages, pearls, Rolexes and the like. The town itself (well, really more of a strip than a town) has a good vibe (though there was a fair amount of trash on the beach – I should have brought my rubber gloves and plastic bags to pick up for sweptashore; next time!) – little shops and restaurants and hotels, a mix of Filipino and foreign tourists.

We walked over to Mary’s site, just off the next beach over but much quieter. I knew something was amiss when, as we emailed in New York, she mentioned that her individualized letter mentioned that for relaxation, it was a ten-minute walk to the beach and my letter mentioned that for relaxation, there was a mall a 30-minute jeepney ride away (that was for the original location – in the new location it’s a 20-minute walk away, which is a big improvement, but it’s not a nice walk, and it’s a mall, not a beach!).

Her site is truly paradise. I can only imagine what it would be like to be there for this six month period. I am just glad we’re friends, because I’ll be visiting her as often as she’ll have me! Her partner agency is the Stairway Foundation; we toured some of the facility, met the founders, dropped my things at her nipa hut and went to the beach! It’s rocky, but the water is warm, with waves at times and like glass other times. She swims in the morning while I am inside my little room doing yoga, and she swims in the evening while I am going on my exercise walk. We watched the sunset – a daily ritual for her – and then we walked along the beach to an Italian restaurant. Pasta! It had been a long time since I’ve had any. We walked back along the road since the tide had come up; the sky was filled with stars. I love seeing the Milky Way! And that was only the first day.

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