Good that the first official Puerto Galera trip was not so typical as expected. Thanks to Angelyn - my highschool friend – their family runs a resort and restaurant in Sabang Beach and not at White Beach. Sabang Beach, is that part of Puerto Galera where the dive enthusiasts concentrate and a few meters away lang are the famous dive sites of Verde Island, Hole in the Wall and the wrecks in Sabang Bay. Sabang is also where the finest dive resorts/shops are located. Add to that, after a whole day of diving and snorkeling, you can end it by taking time to drink and relax on the nearby floating bars. As compared to White Beach, Sabang still has a few patches of paradise if one looks hard enough.
Leaving the Jam bus station at 6:30 AM, we arrived at the Batangas Pier at around 11 AM due to the horrific traffic kasi meron daw fiesta…We took the 12 noon boat trip to Sabang and arrived at around 2:00 PM. Angelyn’s place was easy to locate since the lady I talked with on the boat was a family friend of Angelyn and knew where the resort is. The last time I saw Gigi was on our highschool graduation and how after the many years have passed, walang nabago sa face ng friend ko. I was surprised kasi she had the same face, pati expressions, well kasi for most people nababago lahat especially after having kids and change of lifestyle. Well for Angelyn, she claimed she might still have that same skin glow cause she frees herself from stress, having lived in Puerto Galera after college.
Because I’m a friend, Angelyn I got the afternoon a free beach hopping tour courtesy of one of their outriggers. Bayanan Beach had the most sought after bathing and dipping experience, according to Ging, since it has the cleanest and coolest water plus the perfect sand granule size that would not get in your bathing suit. What I also noticed is that once you merge in the water, it gradually deepens to my ideal swim area height – around 4 feet – not the type of beach na you have to walk miles before you reach that point na perfect ang swim height. Next visit to Sabang, we promise to spend the whole day on that beach. Beware lang kasi the stretch do not have shades for you to cover up so bring a small tent. The beach is nothing extraordinary, pero kasi it’s free of the noisy crowds and asungot sa mga nakahilata sa sand. After the usual photoshoots and splishsplashing, we headed to the Galera – White Beach – that everyone is all so fanatic and ecstatic about. Ika-nga ni Ging, poor-man’s Bora daw…haha…Ging ha di ka bourgeois. Maybe nga kasi Galera is just a bus and a boat away, way cheaper as compared to flying na ang mahal mahal ng terminal fee, chaka naman ang airport.
As expected, the whole stretch was about a one-fifth that of White Beach in Boracay. Crowds comprise mostly of highschoolish and collegish types, purely gimmick ang habol and definitely not nature kasi it’s far less environmental as compared to Batangas. Ang activities mo lang sa sunud-sunod na araw would just be food-trip, muscle flex ang boys and pa-men (dami pa-men na naka-trunks habang nagvovolley), and sa girls naman, bootylicious and cleavage galore and shouting ang effort. Sabi nga ni Ging, that area on the west tip of the beach is called Jurassic cave, and that’s where the action is – you know what I mean, pero male to pa-men, transvestite o kung ano pa man. Before we got off the boat for White Beach, we even saw specks of pabibo-dudes and dudettes na akyat baba panaog sa rocks from the mouth of the cave na walang safety gear at mukang andun lang for curiosity, yun pala tatlong merong beach lang ang maaabutan on the other side.
After walking and people-watching, we headed back to our boat at 5:30. I looooove the boatride back to Sabang since you’re basked on the sun setting and the view was purrfect.
For some reason, early ang taps naming, out of pagod and katamaran siguro mag-disco fever or whatever they offer. We had a sumptuous dinner (care of Angelyn’s restaurant) of no less than my favorite Chicken Ala King and Ging had his Fish Fillet with mushroom sauce gulped with ice cold cola.
Waking up around 9 am, I had a brunch of ham, cheese and bacon omelette, while Ging had Tapsilog. Since the boat leaves pa at 1 pm, we had time to walk along neighboring resorts until we reached La Laguna. La Laguna is now better and more developed from the last time I’ve been there na puro low-rate resorts and girlie bars left and right. After shakes and ice cream at Pontefino, we headed back to the resort to shower and pack our bags.
From the boat station in Sabang, we took the one and a half hour trip to Batangas Pier on the Father and Sons boat, realizing later when I checked on the ticket that Rockey Ilagan was the proprietor – brother ni Angelyn. Hehe…we could have gotten free boat tickets if Gigi have introduced him to us and if nandon siya sa beach on our departure. The waters were A-ok, at the middle part of the trip lang ang roller-coaster ride. Once we barged at the Batangas port, we immediately went looking for the line of buses headed for Manila, no time for bathroom refresh or wiwi, We took the RRCG bus line parked in the dirty and mejo divisoria smelling ang temporary station, since it’s the only new-looking bus and from the outside seemingly malakas ang aircon, but to our dismay, hindi kinaya and full capacity ng bus. While waiting for the bus to be full, there were swarms and pulu-pulutong of vendors, with their unsurrendering kakulitan –meaning to say they would not leave your seat until you say no ten times. Pasalubongs for sale range from buko pie, shingaling, meringue, ampaw, tupig, peanut britol, panucha. Mejo nakakapikon kasi the bus was poorly airconditioned kahit na bago siya and most vendors who might have showered spit on our heads offer the same goods from the previous ones who got out already. I got a laugh when one vendor said “ pasalubong pasalubong para sa mga katulong” - maybe out of desperation to sell his goodies, rhyming kaya poetic pa ang words. And I realized that most of the passengers looked non-poor, most of them barkadas from call centers, well obviously kasi casual conversation e exaggerated Am accent ang drama and a few who have carry company-named duffel bags. After butt-aching and hita-mooshing bus ride, we finally reached the station at 5:30 PM. We rewarded ourselves with chicken mami and binalot. Minus the traffic, the trip was worth repeating.
With Angelyn and Andre before we took the boat back to Batangas...
Paparazzi...
Before the actual dive...
At Portofino's...
Touristy in Sabang...
The resto-bar...
Angelyn's...the best resort and restaurant in Sabang, Puerto Galera! Hooray!
Thank you Angelyn! I reeaallly appreciate it!
Before the sun sets.
Brainweed?
Veterano sa Sabang.
The floating bar.
Mini-katig.
"Thanks Master Pisces for the free ride. Dami ba maganda sa white beach manong?"
Veggie for the mermans.
"Delicacy..."
"Manong, sabi ko balut, hindi penoy!" No choice na ko, di na kita nahabol.
White Beach's neighborly sewage that doesn't seem to go straight to the ozienne.
The dancing sun and its worshippers sa White Beach.
The thinning pose.
Say "hi"!
Bayanan beach was our first stop. It had the most swimmer friendly waters
