HOPPING ON ISLANDS @ HONDA BAY, PALAWAN

I was a member of a group of scientists conducting baseline studies for an environmental impact assessment study.  We have been working in the area of Sofronia, Espanola situated south of Puerto Princesa for 10 days in the jungle, coastline and the communities of different stakeholders.  We got caught right in the middle of a conflict between two competing companies but luckily came out of it in one piece.

We got the job done and now it's time for some R & R.  The different members of the team came from different disciplines consisting of air, water, land, wildlife and people.  I was the water quality consultant for the project.

Our itenerary for the day was island hopping in Honda Bay.  Our team leader  arranged for a boat in the Honda Bay Tourism Assistance Center.  The best thing here is we don't have to haggle the price for the boat as boat operations are regulated by the local government.

Honda Bay is a beautiful bay embracing the coastline of Puerto Pricencesa.  Its water is so crytal  clear that it is so enticing to jump in.  Many islands dot the bay which makes it ideal for island hopping.  Although we were not able to land in most of them because some are private while some require a certain fee upon landing.  Our destination was Snake Island. I'm not sure how the island or the bay got its name.  It was probably named after some Japanese guy.

Snake island is a marine sanctuary.  The water is crystal clear and the fishes are so carefree that they will come up to you so close you can get to touch them.  More so if you have food in your hand.  I got so excited in feeding the fishes and swimming all day that I swam the entire afternoon and got so burned.  The experience was all worth it.

 What I wasn't able to do was to explore the island's interior and get more pictures of it.  Probably what prevented me was the thought of snakes in the island were it was named after.  The intense heat of the sun was also another factor.  But overall, the island hopping experience was a great one.  Hope I can come back someday to feed the fishes again.

This is the EIA team.  We are a blend of young ones and young once with the same environmental philosophy.  Make sure that we report the true environmental condition of the place to ensure that if projects create impacts that change the ecology, stakeholders should have a concerted effort to restore and maintain the environment the way it was before so that future generations will still have the benefit of enjoying the resources in their own time.  If we will not  give accurate details of the environmental conditions at the start, then how can we implement mitigation and restoration if impacts occur?  What are the original conditions of the place?  How can you say if changes occur if you have no baseline info to compare it with?  What is the extent of the changes caused by the impacts of the project?  All these questions  can be answered by an environmental impact statement. And that is what we provided. A management tool for everyone's guide.

Of course, all work and no play makes a scientist a dull person.  So at the end of the project, we all unwinded down for some serious rest and recreation in the comfort of the beautiful islands of Honda Bay, Palawan

While cruising down the sea, we happened to pass by several islands with which seemed to be private resorts of wealthy individuals.  We were just able to admire their beautiful seaside dwellings from a distance.  Sometimes it brings back memories of the news surrounding the death of the famous actor Rico Yan, who died of mysterious causes while on vacation in Palawan with some of his friends.

Another headline news that I recalled was the abduction of several foreign tourists also in Palawan perpetrated by the notorious Abu Sayaf group, a group of Muslim terrorists who demanded ransom for the release of the hostages.  The ordeal went on for months until one of the foreigners escaped which resulted to the death of his spouse and the end of this long standing ordeal.  This incident caused a significant dent in the tourism industry in the country particularly in Palawan which was beginning to be the last frontier of Philippine forests and wildlife.

Despite the negative publicity of Palawan, visitors remain unfazed if the risks and still flock to this nature paradise.  Maybe this place has such a magnetic charm that people will risk life and limb to enjoy first hand the beauty that Palawan has to offer.  And with developments rapidly encroaching the islands, it will be no surprise that we will see the day that Palawan will become a bustling place crowded with people from all walks of life.

One thing that Palawan is proud of is the super cheap cost of lobster.  One can get the chance to savour this thousand pesos crustacean at a very cheap price.  So right after the island hopping, we immediately proceeded to the marketplace and bought ourselves several kilos of lobsters to bring back to the trip home.

Fresh fish is abundant in the island and we somehow were overfed with so much fresh fish during our 10-day expedition that I was no longer craving for it by the time we were going back to Manila.  By this time, my body was craving for hamburgers, lechon manok and liempo.  What a bummer!

That's it folks! the Palawan adventure is one for my bucket list.  This trip has provided me the needed escape from the personal problems I was experiencing during that time.  It was a soul-searching journey for me and at the same time work with leisure.  This adventure taught me many lessons on environmental conservation, and the real story behind the Palawan landscape and wildlife.  I hope that people of Palawan stand up for their right to their natural resources but they should use it sustainably otherwise their future generations of children will no longer be able to enjoy it.  Everyone gets to be the loser at the end.  Until next and the next adventure, this is DocFun saying "Travel. Live Life and have a healthier outlook in life!

EXPLORE A MYSTERIOUS ISLAND: THE ISLAND OF CAPONES

Situated off the coast of Zambales is the mysterious island of Capones.  This island is a sentry point where a light house has been constructed to guide sailors thru the night along Zambales western seaboard.  The boat ride to the island has certain risks especially when going in the late afternoon as wave begin to increase in height and sailing around the island's light house can be a little bit risky.

 As we approached the island of Capones, we were greeted by clear, blue waters, glistening white sand and rock formation so inviting to climb that everyone was excited to get off the boat the moment we landed.

 A quick gaze around the island shows that it is not generally inhabited since we did not see any signs of permanent dwellings.  There were already some people on the beach and were sheltering themselves in the undercuts of the huge limestone cliffs nearby.

The vegetation of the island was predominantly grassland with sporadic clusters of trees.  As soon as you reach the middle of the island you can immediately see the other side and enjoy the scenery in blissful isolation.  We proceeded on the other side since we determined that there are more shady portions on that side where the sun is no longer situated.  From there we started to venture along the coastline.

The island is studded with limestone cliffs, white sand coastline and patches of grass dot the landscape.  For safety precaution, the boatman advised that it would be safer to land and disembark in the southside of the island where the wind is blocked by the island's cliff walls and waves are fairly small.

 Since there are just a few people on the island, it is ideal for picture taking especially if the theme is all about isolation, seclusion, meditation or just plain peaceful serenity.

The fun part of this island visit are the fun moments in the many limestone formations scattered around the island and just play around like children without any care or worry about sunburns and injuries.

Finding shelter from the sun such as this one is enough for me to have fun in Capones.

I wouldn't be going in this adventure alone because it is best explored safely and merrily in the company of close friends.

 The temperature during that afternoon was so hot that as much as we would like to venture more the peaks of the hills in the island to get a more panoramic view, the heat preventyed me from venturin further. So I just took pictures as much as I under the protection of an umbrella from a buddy.

 This is the beach on the other side of the island, still barely untouched by man, vegetation still wild, the shore studded with sharp rocks but generally beautiful in its raw form.

Having numerous rock formations such as this, there were many photo opportunities to catch around.  You just have to contend with the blistering heat of the sun and get an ugly sunburn if you plan to have countless pictures to shoot and of course a patient photographer as well.

And as the afternoon sun fades away, we begin our way back in to the boats and wonder if we will ever get back to this island paradise in the future.  And if so, will we ever see the same rugged beauty of Capones that captivated the hearts of each and everyone of us.

While writing this portion, I often become frustrated to realize that there were only few good pictures shot on this island.  Often we say to ourselves that if ever we would come back another day, that next time will surely be better.  However, it is often rare that one gets to have another chance to visit this place.  So remember, whenever visiting a place for the first time, always treat it as your last visit because you will never know when you will be coming this way again.  So people, shoot as much as you can.  SHOOT FIRST! ASK QUESTIONS LATER!

The Capones Adventure was a memorable one as this person behind me will attest.  We went here in the afternoon, tired from the Anawangin camping adventure yesterday but it sure deserves a slot in my BUCKET LIST of adventure!

CAMPING IN THE RUGGED OUTDOOR OF AWESOME ANAWANGIN

Anawangin Cove is a crescent-shaped cove with a glistening white sand beach. What makes the place so awesomely unique is the surprising vegetation of tall pine trees flourishing around the area. There are no roads leading to Anawangin. It is only accessible by a 30 minute boat ride from Pundaquit, San Antonio, or by a six-hour trek through hot, open trails thru the Pundaquit range. The cove's relative isolation has kept it free from development.  There are no resorts on this rugged piece of natural beauty, save for a few huts and deep wells. Just behind the beach is the pine forest and a marsh, where one can find natural springs feeding to the sea. The area is home to a number of bird species.

Our journey was a drive along the newly opened SCTEX (Subic-Clark Expressway), where we passed thru Clark, Subic then proceeded to Pundaquit, Zambales.  I was then driving my red Corolla McDudes 1300 which encountered engine trouble when we exited NLEX.  Fortunately, McDudes was still able to complete this ardous journey until its engine conked out due to loose compression.  I had many fond memories with this old jalopy that until now I don't have the heart to sell it.   This trip was the last long distance trip that McDudes did for me.

We arrived at Pundaquit, Zambales at noontime and parked my car at the residence of the boatman to whom we had arranged to ferry us to the cove.  A quick observation of the fishing village shows the entire place to be relatively clean compared to the beaches of Cavite which is full of plastic trash.  You can even opt to bathe here since the water is still clear, that is if you don't have the money to reach Anawangin.

The boat ride was relatively smooth.  Everyone in the expedition was in high spirits although there was a bit of delay caused by one of our companions which caused anxiety among some members of the group.  Nevertheless, nothing can stop this trip from proceeding at this point.  With me is my trusted guitar and I always bring this favorite musical instrument of mine during expeditions because it helps me express myself on cam and inspires me to sing songs to mother nature to the delight of my friends.

When we arrived at Anawangin, the sun was blistering hot so we proceeded inland to pitch our tents. It was only in the late afternoon that we were able to frolic in the beach.

Aside from the land trek in the cove, another great activity in this expedition is the island hop to Capones Island.  This island is where Marian Rivera shot the commercial for San Marino Tuna.  We will be going to that story in my next blog.

The waters of Anawangin is sparkling clean.  There are rocky areas, sandy areas and grassy areas.  The place is teeming with life as we marvel at the underwater world while snorkeling in this area where I am standing now.

Another fun activity is climbing.  There were many rock formations where you can have fun posing for pictures.  If you are physical enough, you can even climb to the highest point to get a breath-taking view of the entire cove.

 

I got to pitch my tent in a nice shady spot within the forest's interior.  There were also many campers around so it was a little bit crowded and there was not much privacy to enjoy during that time.  It would nicer probably to come here in the off-season where you can get to enjoy nature with the utmost serenity.

Anawangin is awesomely beautiful.  It makes you feel like you're in a temperate forest in the middle of spring when the snow has just melted and life is in full bloom.

The best part of this summer escapade is having the company of your closest friends with you to savor this moment. 

Every person has his or her preference whether to live the moment alone or not.  Sometimes I wish also some moments of solace and isolation but ultimately after feeling the euphoria that you derived from a place as beautiful as Anawangin, the next thing that you would wish is that a loved one or a close friend is right beside you to cherish moment.

With so much wilderness around you, one fun activity is rock climbing.  This is one activity that I would really like to experience because of the risks involved in climbing.  However, being physically-challenged,  rock climbing still remains as a dream to be accomplished.  Probably if I could shed off some extra weight, I would be able to try out this very challenging task in the near future.

When night time fell on camp, other campers became busy preparing dinner and preoccupying themselves thru storytelling and jokes among comrades.  Me, I started to pluck the strings of my guitar and singing country songs.  Everytime I could take along my guitar with me, I never pass on the chance because it becomes part of the the memorable experience of having to sing songs in front of the fireplace.  There are moments that I was not able to bring my guitar with me and all I can do is just whimper and whine with regrets.

Anawangin is so beautiful.  The chance to see this place in its pristine condition is reward enough for me.  It makes me feel like I am in another country with all the pine trees around me.  All that is absent is the occasional visit from your friendly bear who would try to steal your food and scare all the campers away.  It is just so sad to think that every year, the number of visitors in this place increases rapidly, that soon the number will exceed the carrying capacity of the place and environmental degradation soon creeps in all over.  There are already incipient signs of garbage accumulating at the edge of camp, courtesy of irresponsible campers and poor management of caretakers.

Apprehension aside, the best part of this camping expedition are the light moments of fun that spontaneously burst among the weary but still euphoric campers.  These are the priceless moments that make the experience unforgettable.  I was so engrossed by the beauty of this place that I didn't notice there was a hole in my shorts.  AWKWARD!  Sometimes, there are misunderstandings and conflicts among the campers but friendship still prevails over these challenges and that is what is most important.  Because even with all difficulties arising,  true friendship  will still prevail in the end.

Well folks, that's my story about my Anawangin experience.  What has it contributed to my health and well-being? A lot! The expedition was a little bit physical and cardiovascular but I made it through.  But most of all, the emotional  euphoria of enjoying nature at its best is the most rewarding of all!  So remember, travel the great outdoor for longer life and have a better appreciation of nature around you!

PUERTO GALERA: THE ULTIMATE SUMMER GALA OF FRIENDS

 Puerto Galera is the northwesternmost municipality in the province of Oriental Mindoro, Philippines. It is located at the southwestern end of the Isla Verde Passage, about 130 kilometers (81 mi) south of Manila.

It has a captivating charm with a soothing vision of shimmering seas surrounded by lush mountains. It is considered one of the most beautiful and developed beach resort community in the country.

The journey to Puerto Galera began with a drive along the newly constructed Star Tollway which significantly shortened the trip.  Upon reaching Batangas City, we parked our cars in the residence of a student who lives there, and from there boarded the ferry en route to Puerto Galera.

The ferry ride was not so smooth as we encountered bumpy waves halfway through the trip.  They provided all the passengers with life jackets for safety precautions.  Overall, we arrived safely at the other side of Batangas Bay.

Our summer destination in Puerto Galera is White Beach of course.  And we were accommodated at the Basilica Hotel which is just in front of the beach.

One of the difference between Puerto Galera and Boracay is the way the ferry disembark their passengers.  Any boat can just land anywhere along White Beach and  off drop passengers nearest to their accommodation.  In Boracay, there is a central terminal for ferry boats and no boat can just land anywhere along White Beach.

When I arrived at Puerto Galera I was mesmerized by its beautiful beach.  No wonder people flock to this place to flaunt their beach bodies.  There were lots of people around.  The place was bustling with activities from sunrise to sundown and from dusk till dawn.

Filipinos dominate the area unlike in Boracay where foreigners seemed to be the primary citizens of the island.

The sand may not be as white and powdery as Boracay sand but it is glsitening white in the midday sun.

The place is so majestic that it makes people display their beach bodies with pride whether big or small, fat or thin.  We are sure to have lots of fun and adventure  throughout the day and in to the night.

The highlight of course of our gala in Puerto Galera is none other than the BANANA BOAT RIDE!  This was the first time for most of us to ride this exciting thrill ride and with all smiles, we had one of the most exciting and thrilling rides of all time and best of all, I experienced it together with the closest of my friends.

At first, everyone was nervous about how the ride will come out.  And as we head out into the sea and the speedboat began tossing and turning us over, the next scene was a gory and scary moment of screams, shriek, shout, laugh, cry and everything you can belt out under the sun!  YIPEEE YAHOOOOOOO!