San Juan By The Bay

Coming from Eastern Samar returning to Tacloban, I saw that highway signage again, just before the approach to San Juanico Bridge. I have seen that signage a number of times, of course I was curious.

Driver told me he did some asking around and learned that it is purportedly a restaurant and a tourist attraction being promoted by the Samar Provincial Tourism Office. Hmm, so we went to check it out!

Entrance is about 300 to 400 meters from the national highway along a (narrow) barangay road. A bit tricky to find, but there are signs (some already faded), yet it was easiest to ask people along the way!

This is the big signage at the entrance area. Oh okay, also a Gina Lopez supported tourism project!

The restaurant is a bit distant - about 500 meters of a stroll on a boardwalk above a mangrove forest.

This is that hut on the right edge of the picture above. It's here where visitors pay the entrance fee..,

You see the bamboo path at left? That's the 'boardwalk', raised from the water and supported by stilts also made of bamboo. And THAT is where you walk for about 500 meters to the restaurant by the sea.

Its a nice 500 meter walk over shallow water amidst a mangrove area (they're even planting more)!

No rush. You can't possibly run on a "bridge" of creaking connected bamboo poles anyway, can you?

And if you are lucky like we were on this gloomy afternoon, you'll get a free tour guide with four legs!

No joke. This cute little doggie just appeared and walked in front of us as soon as we stepped on the bamboo boardwalk. I observed its actuations, it really looked like it was guiding our walk. It stopped to wait when we had to take pictures. It kept an eye on me while negotiating the bamboo boardwalk!

I'll post a short video clip on that doggie here soon!

It really looked like he/she was leading us to where we should go (the end of the boardwalk anyway)!

And the crazy me somehow even expected that the adorable mongrel might speak, explaining to me the importance of mangrove forests and why people should be serious in growing / cultivating them!

We reached the restaurant anyway, without the doggie annotating my mangrove forest walking tour!

Oh, so it's a floating restaurant buoyed by those empty blue plastic oil drums, on the fringes of the San Juanico Strait!The smaller hut at right which floats separately is (did you gues it?) the "comfort room"!

Monobloc chairs were all 'wrapped' like gifts, so I asked if there was going to be an event of sorts.

The "nanay on duty" told me there was no event, that's just the way they "present" their restaurant! Da!

The dog sat and rested by that entrance, occasionally looking at me, as if to see if I was alright!

This is the "front office" cum concierge, bar, store and everything about (in) the floating restaurant!

The only 'downside' I saw (if I may call it that) is: they have no fridge nor freezer yet. When I asked for SanMigLight, the lady took it from inside a styropore box full of "ice-water", thus, my bottle was rusty!

They also sell handicraft souvenirs made by residents of the village! As for the food in their menu (the usual seafood fare of Pinoy seaside rural restaurants), they prefer to be called in advance, so they can properly prepare. I imagine they cook on land (500 meters away), since I did not see any kitchen here!

I saw a charcoal grill though, so, sugba-sugba (ihaw-ihaw) is probably best here.

I looked around and realized the dining area (above) is not all they have to offer. There are these too:

Smaller floating cottages for more privacy or exclusivity if you come as a small group. I tried sitting in all of them - each time I did so, the dog would stand up and watch me. Caring and vigilant sya heheh!

On that last cottage (smallest too), the whole thing rocked and wobbled when I stepped unto it! AND, the doggie barked as if in a panic! O ha, forget humans, I now know, at least one dog cares about me! That little cottage by the way, is just wobbly, but I think it won't sink or topple over, even with 8 people.

Except for the big one with the store, these floating cottages can be pushed/towed farther out to sea, but still have to be tied to shore with a long rope, because of the strong current of San Juanico Strait.

See the kayaks in the above pictures? Visitors can rent them and paddle around the mangrove areas. There are limited areas for kayaking and swimming that you must follow due to strong sea currents.

Captivating views - this is supposed to be the highlight of/at this floating restaurant by the bay..,

I believe that. Because even on this gloomy day (late in the afternoon), the views were indeed lovely, especially looking at that famed longest bridge in the country, the San Juanico Bridge. Can you see it?

Here.., I cropped the pic above to make the bridge more visible! Samar on the left, Leyte on the right!

At times you may catch people on jetskis or speedboats zooming around this placid area, even going under that bridge. But "San Juan By The Bay" does not have those kinds of dandy cool water toys yet!

Done with your visit? Well then, walk on 500 meters of a bamboo boardwalk (again), back to dry land!

My driver kind of warned me saying 'visitors should not get drunk at that restaurant'! Why? Because, (I don't have to overemphasize), when walking on that bamboo boardwalk, one false move and.., splash!

By the way.., I did not say anything, I did not even look for it, but when we started walking back to land on that boardwalk, my doggie tour guide suddenly appeared in front of me "to lead the pack". Really!

That is actually the 4th picture above!

A good enough place. I'll try re-visiting on a brighter day, or perhaps even a night time!

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