View of the storm secure Puerto Galera Bay, from my room on Badladz Adventure Resort
A warm tropical rain fell as I stepped off the boat in Puerto Galera some days ago. Since then it has been some rain, but now the weather is more stable with mostly blazing sunshine. Around the sweaty 30 degrees in the shade.
The hotel was fine spite of its relatively simple standard a positive surprise, with a view of Puerto Galera Bay (named by the time the Spanish galleys were here in the safe shelter during tyfoon seson). I had booked in advance online and chose this place because of the situation, at the small harbor, close to beach and entertainment resort of White Beach on the west and diver-Eldorado Sabang up on the peninsula in the northeast.
The small harbor Puerto Galera, Muelle, is at number 1. The city at 4, Yacht Club 3, Sand Bar Beach and White Beach 2 number 5.
Begins to acclimate myself and the heat is not so conservation at night in the room where the window has mosquito nets and a large ceiling fan cools. If you want it cooler, only to turn the air conditioner and close the wooden blinds. The room is cleaned when you ask for it and the toilet, the shower is fresh. Have only seen one cockroach and a lightning fast little lizard. Here live the most athletic people who spend their money on diving courses and excursions. The activities carried out by scuba divers from Britain, Ireland and South Africa. Service in general of young Filipino girls and guys who are happy and helpful, with decent English skills.
Nightlife is almost nonexistent right here, at least this time of year. It’s dark and quiet after 22-23 in the evenings. Anyone who wants entertainment may take a tricycle (motorcycle with sidecar) or jeepney (minibus) 10 minute drive away to White Beach ore Sabang where at least the weekend is said to be full speed, with a lot of charter tourists from Korea to unleash and compliment karaoke bars with their sweet voices.
If diving, snorkeling at the coral reefs and white beaches do not appeal, there are other activities. Guided tours along the trails, visiting local tribes, mountaineering, excursions to the caves by the sea, forest reserves, and more.
For my own part, it was first of all a short trip with free-ding from the port into the mangrove swamp where the sailing club has its bridge. A staircase through the dense vegetation and the park leads up to the clubhouse in the old colonial style. Here I was the only guest at noon, but on Fridays it is obviously a lot of people in the bar. Both club members and others.
Then moved up to the magnificent newly-built hotel The Manor at Puerto Galera on a high hill, whose views were like a picture and the pictures below says it all. There is a swimming pool as a few friends, an American couple, had to cool off in a few hundred pesos. Check out online what the rooms will cost, and now before the season really taken off the price down below 100 USD for a double room – in the luxury class. Link to more facts, interiors and booking .
Then I went down to the shore of the isthmus at the Sand Bar, which also has a boat club, a restaurant, open for everyone.
Took my first swim there before I went back down to the main road, turned down umpteen offers of a ride with tricycle and suddenly became so hungry that I went into one of the most spartan roadside restaurant are. The owner asked for sake if it was the Filipino food I would eat.
She lifted the lid on the pans set up, with pre-ground chicken or pork stew, vegetarian mix plus rice. Only the rice was served hot and pork and vegetable mixture into small bowls tasted good, but neither was particularly strong spiced. The price was 1o0 pesos.
After a few days of eating all sorts of “street food” it feels like my stomach is still good after all. Have tested boiled small eggs, probably quail, fried fish balls, small mini rolls with cheez, balls deep fried and deep fried eggmix and banans.
The most a few per serving and you have enough to eat on the go without having to pay more than a fiver. One serving of rice costs 50-10 pesos in the simplest places.
Otherwise, there has been a lot of steamed or fried rice, with or without vegetables and chicken, fried or in curry stew (unfortunately rarely strong) which is regular feature at regular restaurants, for around 150-180 pesos. The daily price 35-50 pesos for an icy cold bottle of San Miquel is cheap for a Swedish, but the locals seem to select the brandy rom or genevre instead, with a liter price barely above the beer.
Speaking of restaurant prices vary so it is great along the small but bustling during the day (and pedestrian) port route. A new fine-dining restaurant with white interior and italianskt kitchen is three times more expensive than the older places.
According to my friend, the Russian as tourism has not taken off here yet and he is not sure if it does, everything becomes more expensive, especially in Asian visitors’ eyes. Some dealers who in any case have lost their clientele are the guys who heeled old (believe it if you want to) Spanish coins and “black pearls”, as if they were great treasures. “It’s been really bad lately,” said Sab, which comes from the sothern islang Mindano, and looks unhappy.
I suggest that he sell anything to me because he apparently can english, and the large filipino main language tagalo. I want to purchase words and phrases and I get a dedicated language teachers for a first lesson.
So now I know how stubborn sellers refused to be friendly to tagalo with an “indirect salamat” – no thanks.
Paalam, Godby, of you dear readers, I will soon with more text and pictures.
Sand Bar, Boquete Island. Puerto Galera. No crowds here. But a very nice hotel.
