Weekend in Mindoro - Part Three

I went on my first tricycle ride! We went down the road to a trail leading through a Mangyan (one of many indigenous groups throughout the Philippines) village – houses on stilts, women weaving baskets, others washing their clothes in the stream) – to a path (actually, a non-path!) leading to a waterfall. Lonely Planet said it was fine for swimming, so I decided not to worry about schistosomiasis. The hike was great – a Mohonk-like rock scramble but without the red arrows, following and at times crossing the stream, going up and around and over the rocks. It would have been a great hike even without the waterfall at the end, but that was icing on the cake. We stopped at a place with two waterfalls and two swimming pools and swam in both the upper one and the lower one. The water was cool but not cold, refreshing after the hot (but not too humid – those ocean breezes really do make a difference) hike. The hike back down was a bit more of a challenge – I had been following Mary on the way up and she seemed so sure of what she was doing that it was only on the way back down that I realized that there wasn’t a set path and that she was just picking her way, having been shown it once. Her Birkenstocks did not live to tell the tale, but my nice-looking-enough-for-work but they-told-me-they-would-stand-up-to-hiking-and-water Tevas performed as promised.

I bought a basket from the artisans in the Mangyan village (what can I say?) and a keychain (which I needed) that the Stairway boys had made. Then I went to White Beach for a power-shop to buy some sarongs to have as guest towels (they have more uses than actual towels) – maybe next time, a little more exploration or a meal in White Beach or one of the other little Puerto Galera beach strips, though it’s so nice where Mary is that I’m not sure I need to. She suggested a hike to the golf course, which has a great view, so that’s first on the list for next time. There are also more waterfalls to hike to; she hasn’t done those yet. Another swim in the ocean, another sunset, another dinner, another round of stargazing – she has a great site; that’s all there is to it. Sunday brought another leisurely breakfast in the hut and a short swim and then it was time to go. It was great to have a three-day weekend, but it would still be manageable for a two-day weekend. I even got home within the Morocco grace period (well, almost), although there’s no restriction on night travel here.

And yesterday, I’ll admit, I was a little blue to be back. Manila is dirty and polluted and the charming part is nowhere near me and sure, it’s Peace Corps and yes, it’s only for six months, but I felt sad to be here. Fortunately, I like the work (and am still reveling in the novelty of saying that after not feeling that way for so many years). Still, I kind of went through the motions yesterday – and decided I needed a treat. So last night’s walk to the mall led me to California Pizza Kitchen, where I drowned my sorrows in a cup of my favorite soup and a half-order of my favorite salad. That hit the spot!