Weekend in Mindoro

The Typhoon-Santi-postponed trip happened last weekend and it was worth the wait! We would have had a three-day weekend two weeks ago, and this time it was just an overnight, but it was short and sweet and absolutely wonderful. The bus ride was smooth, and we got on a boat that went directly to White Beach rather than to the main town of Puerto Galera first – it was as if the universe knew we didn’t have a lot of time, so it provided easy travel there and back.

We arrived and stopped at a place for mango shakes and lunch – I had rosti, which was very good (a reflection of the number of German tourists who come!). Saturday is a work day for Mary, but she came to meet us and showed us the theatre-in-progress. It’s really coming along! I hope to go back one more time and see the finished stage. What a great project she has! Mary wrote a grant for solar lighting for the theatre – it wasn’t in the budget – if you want to contribute, check out www.peacecorps.gov/donations and then search for the Philippines.

Julie and I got settled at Stairway and went back to White Beach – she wanted to do a little shopping and I wanted to pick up some trash. As I was doing so, a restaurant owner asked Julie what I was doing, and when she told him, he invited me to have a cold beverage (and he also took the bags I filled!).

We then walked back to the beach by Stairway and swam for a while. Sitting on the beach, looking at the water and the islands on the other side, we wondered why it took so long to get ourselves there – Julie has been here since the beginning of September and this was her first beach trip! I’ve had others in between, but I hadn’t been to Mindoro since August, and something about it is very laid back and comfortable.

Mary joined us late in the day, and we watched the sunset (which she doesn’t usually do – I think I would do it often!) with Lars, the founder. I had mentioned brainstorming about marketing to him last time and he does want to talk – but he also is strict about not working on weekends. Maybe next time. I allowed myself to wonder what I would do if he decided he wanted a marketing PCRV who would stay on-site for a couple of months, starting in late winter. I didn’t ponder much beyond posing the question though.

We went to Luca’s for an Italian dinner – again, a nice walk there, under the stars. This time we stayed in the Yellow House, where Stairway guests stay, rather than in Mary’s hut; we went up to the hut for a leisurely breakfast. Both Mary and Julie had served in Macedonia – they didn’t overlap, but they know people and places in common, and although I have talked to each of them, listening to both of them talk to each other gave me more insight. I want to go to Macedonia now!

We might have been able to do the waterfall hike or at least go to the Mangyan village, but instead we just sat on the beach and took a couple of swims and relaxed. We had a final mango shake, and then it was time to go back to Manila. Great visit! Had to get back, though, because the PCVs coming in for the Peace Corps Habitat Build were arriving Sunday evening! I’ll write about that when I get back, but maybe post some pictures now.