Good Morning Aroma!

Aroma? Who is it? What is it? Don’t panic kaibigan! That is just the name of the sandy stretch from Sikatuna Beach Resort all the way to 'beyond the airport vicinity'!

I woke up to a wonderfully fine morning on this beach. Which, prompted my itchy feet to walk the stretch as far (and as long) as I could. To see what? Nothing really, just a walk by the water’s edge, excited to see the calm waters and feel that faint breeze from the sea. But I did encounter many curious things to fill the brain?! Here we go…

6:15AM. Mothers, fathers and children just hanging around on the beach. Some may still have been half asleep but already transplanted by their feet to this lovely place...
wonderful early morning view of the beach, people hanging around or swimming, with a boat and the sea in the background at Aroma Beach San Jose Occidental Mindoro
Oh, aside from that one already wading in the water, two other kids were already wet and would keep darting to and from the shore. Can you guess which ones?! Later I saw that, eventually, all of them kids you see here went for a swim too! Ah Saturdays…

When I looked to my left, this was the wonderful twilight view…
left side beach and sea view from Sikatuna Beach Resort just before sunrise in San Jose Occidental Mindoro
Where the beach makes a curve is the center of town, the market area. San Jose lies on the southwestern edge of Mindoro, so I was sure sunrise would be coming from that area where the skies are a bit more orangy, behind the island.

When I looked to the right, this was the even more wonderful view…
right side beach and sea view from Sikatuna Beach Resort just before sunrise in San Jose Occidental Mindoro
A very long stretch of uninterrupted sandy beach… inviting…

I already wanted to go for a walk towards wherever this beach leads, but I thought that might take time, so I decided to wait for breakfast, about to be served anyway!
early morning view of the beach the sea Illin Island and Ambulong Island from Sikatuna Beach Resort in San Jose Occidental Mindoro
That’s Illin island, and the smaller one behind it (right edge) is Ambulong island. Hmmm.., I stood a bit there thinking... should I or... should I?

That little speck of an islet in front of Ambulong is called White Island. Hmm, again…
another morning view of Illin Ambulong and white island from Sikatuna Beach Resort in San Jose Occidental Mindoro
Where was I getting all these information? From the friendly waiters and waitresses of Sikatuna Beach Resort who were already busy darting here and there! Good that the ‘kulot salot’ waiter of last night was nowhere in sight. A real Good Morning!

Seated by the al fresco tables, under a trellis, I played with my lowly digicam’s zoom.
view of Illin Island from the open air restaurant of Sikatuna Beach Resort in San Jose Occidental Mindoro
Yep, that is Illin island. Oh hey, resort guests (only) can sit and hump on these balusters for a clearer view of the sea and beyond. Take note, "guests only". Gosh and hehe! I believe its for security, privacy whatever… therefore fine enough!

And my breakfast came… yep, corned beef, fried rice, egg and hot-choc (Milo Sachet!)
set breakfast at Sikatuna Beach Resort in San Jose Occidental Mindoro
The corned beef was Purefoods, yeah! But probably just 1/4 of the small can's contents :) Good enough I thought, since am not a very avid fan of breakfasts anyway.
corned-beef silog at Sikatuna Beach Resort in San Jose Occidental Mindoro
If my tanguigue dinner was hefty, this breakfast seemed 'mahal ang corned beef'!

Mind you, I am getting to like traveling more because of breakfasts! I don't know... I eat breakfasts when I'm on a roam, while I never even glance at it when am home! The doctor says ‘always eat a heavy breakfast’, therefore, I better be going places everyday of my life, so that I keep eating breakfasts, and "der Arzt" will be "zufrieden"!

Teka, masarap ba? Did I like this breakfast? Ah eh, just see my plate! Purefoods kasi!
empty plate cup water bottle - after breakfast at Sikatuna Beach Resort in San Jose Occidental Mindoro
Hey, while still seated waiting for the stomach to feel a bit lighter, I saw the resort’s guard kindly request that manong boatman to get off the baluster. He obliged without any violent reaction. Guests only, remember? What a privilege hehe!


Let’s go have a walk?


Scrutinize this lovely scene... as I said above, all kids eventually took a plunge!
children playing on the shallow waters by an outrigger boatof on Aroma Beach San Jose Occidental Mindoro
But two mothers opted to just be on the watch! Feeling 'life guard'?!


Hey there is me! Shadow nga lang hehe!
families enjoying the beach on an early morning at San Jose Occidental Mindoro
Nice to see folks of all ages in this one shot. Luv it!


Lovely morning bonding…
nice view of a father mother and daughter sitting by the beach looking out to the sea all under the wash of early morning sun at San Jose Occidental Mindoro
Kayo, where do you find yourselves and your family at 7AM of a Saturday?


That one flat on the sand is also a girl, I think (long hair kasi). Naka-jeans?
view of the length of the beach and the sea at San Jose Occidental Mindoro
Hangover probably hahaha! Last night was TGIF!


Boats also still asleep? Probably!
boats on dry land at Aroma Beach San Jose Occidental Mindoro


These students are doing some kind of a cleanup brigade. Some of them, at least!
students doing a clean-up drive at Aroma Beach in San Jose Occidental Mindoro


Fun to see too many cottages lining this beach! Each one can fit groups of people.
commercial cottages lining up a stretch of Aroma Beach in San Jose Occidental Mindoro
They look like individual restaurants – not for a single group but for a lot of groups!


Here are 3 of them… middle cottage's signage says “Luz&Vic CAFEHAN SA AROMA”
closer shot of three commercial stores on the beach in San Jose Occidental Mindoro
Each one has its own videoke machine, sometimes 2 or more! I can’t imagine…


That dude on the right is walking his bike and I saw plastic bags hanging on the bike.
fishing boats docked on the beach at San Jose Occidental Mindoro
He probably bought fish or the likes form those boats!


I continued walking… just enjoying the things I saw…
fine grayish sand and little lapping waves at Aroma Beach in San Jose Occidental Mindorofine grayish sand, little stones and the lapping little waves at Aroma Beach in San Jose Occidental Mindorofishing boats out at sea in San Jose Occidental Mindoro


Until I realized there was no more road parallel to the beach and the place felt like it was not anymore inhabited by humans. Duuu!

So I merrily walked back to where I could see the concrete road parallel to the beach. Had to temper my zest to walk even onwards lest I reach Mamburao hahaha! But seeing that concrete road, I got curious on what vehicles pass there, so I checked it out. For a while… there was none.

Then a tricycle came, probably on its way to town center, and driver stopped to ask if I wanted a ride. I don’t know what came to me, I said yes and hopped on!

While on this trike, I realized I must have walked already too far. How far? Way beyond the airport vicinity! Ah, see this video as we traversed the road back to Sikatuna Beach Resort – note video did not start from the time I rode on this trike, and it finishes way before the resort!


Well, I enjoyed the long walk… and ride back!


More of this roam in the 'next issue'!

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