After a few miscarriages, the Puerto Galera trip finally pushed through. Twas my first time to Puerto Galera and I enjoyed immensely, a welcome respite from my flakey urban existence.
Getting to Puerto Galera
We agreed to leave Manila by 8:00 AM Friday. I think we left Cubao at 9:30. The bus trip from Cubao to Batangas Pier was a non-event. I was either fighting to stay awake to catch a glimpse of Independence Day or stretching my legs and neck in the very un-ergonomic bus seats courtesy of ALPS Bus Lines. We arrived at Batangas Pier a little before noontime and proceeded to buy roundtrip boat tickets to Puerto Galera. There were a lot of people going to Puerto Galera that day…and we didn’t have room reservations. That scared me more than the basnig ride over relatively choppy seas.
The smile says it all…
The beach beckons…
Touchdown
I could see beach bodies all over. But the one thing on my mind that time was to get a room. We must have inspected 4 rooms and walked a kilometer in total. Special shout out to to Mr. or Ms. Don-Don for being the patient tourist guide. Mabuhay ka! Although at 1500, I would have hoped the room was closer to White Beach. Hey, when supply can’t reach demand one can’t be too choosy. I heard 1-3 star Puerto Galera resorts don’t normally charge that high but it was a long holiday weekend… Tip for first timers who don’t know anyone in Puerto Galera, book your room reservations a week in advance. Don’t mind if you pay extra.
Puerto Galera at Night
That night, I had my first taste of Puerto Galera nightlife. Nothing fancy, just a few bottles of beer and good conversation courtesy of Ner, DJ and Sharm. I forgot where we had dinner but I can still remember where we hanged out afterwards. You wouldn’t forget too if it had a name as catchy as Tipzynakuu.
Quick lesson in corporate identity 101 - get a catchy name.
Puerto Galera Day 2
We got up early around 8 and headed straight for the beach. First order of battle was to get tattooed, one of the definitive Puerto Galera rituals I just couldn’t pass up. I couldn’t select a design from the ones in the artist’s catalog so I picked one from his photo album of satisfied customers. It looks tribal slash Polynesian. Re: its meaning, don’t ask me…I don’t know what the fuck it means :) but I like it (I like it so much I kissed it a couple of times for good luck). The artists (we forgot to ask their names) have a tattoo parlor in Mandaluyong, though I forgot exactly where. I asked them if it hurt to have a barcode tattooed on the nape, and they said sisiw lang daw. I just might get one. Chips Ahoy barcode. Astig!
Growwwl! Angas!
Sharm had her dolphin tattoo. You’re such a (water) baby. It looks good on you too sweetie.
The glaring thing about Puerto Galera restaurants is their speed of service. I think it takes an average of 30 to 45 minutes to get served. This is probably what separates White Beach from the the more upscale resorts in Puerto Galera.
If you’re a grilled meat and seafood fanatic, Puerto Galera is heaven. If you’re ordering liempo, pork kebab and the like, order direct from the barbecue stations. Some restaurants add an additional 30 pesos. For drinks, get the 1.5 liter ones, you’ll save more. And since it’s summer, always get extra ice every 30 minutes. There’s nothing worse than grilled liempo and lukewarm soda.