Philippine Travel Notes

Here is one story that would probably be my first on the convergence of us Humans (our curiosities) , Nature (the unadulterated world around us) , and, AI (new technology) . As I walked on the beach at Mika's Beach Resort, fascinated, I took this picture... Right there, I uploaded it to my AI Chatbot and asked " What is this crab-art called? " The reply opened with "indeed it is crab art" parang tao rin, trying to pull my leg! And went on to tell me that it has many names depending on the speaker or the location. I learned anyway that those are called (any of the following):     ☺ sand balls     ☺ sand ball patterns     ☺ sand pellets     ☺ sand pellet patterns     ☺ feeding pellets     ☺ crab feeding pellets     ☺ sand wreaths     ☺ sand rosettes     ☺ crab tracings and many more, depending on who's talking! So, oo nga, the names are descriptions. And dependent ...

Time to stroll around Gamay's town center. But first this, at 6:36AM still at Mika's: Already much different from my ' morning has broken ' views more than an hour ago! I didn't know I was riding that van at left, c/o Sonny (the resort's manager), because yesterday, his son gave me a ride to town (to buy lunch) on board their own scooter. Free rides but nakisabay lang . They were really going to town anyway! Is it far? Is 'downtown' far from Mika's Gapo Beach Resort or Marcela's Resort Hotel ? I guess it is more than 2 kilometers, the first 2 of which, is on a highway along empty fields! Why not walk? Empty vast fields nga on both sides of the highway. It's lonely and might even be... Well, there's the New Gamay Terminal, and after some distance, the Gamay Doctor's Hospital, but they're both "in the middle of nowhere". Civilization is at Gamay Bridge! Yeah, alive moving things only start at Gamay River,...

From Nathalie's Resort on Araw Beach , a morning snack at Marcela's Resort , it was then time for check-in at Mika's Gapo Beach Resort , still in Gamay, Northern Samar. Finding the resort. Where is this place? Aw, an expansive beach property just behind Marcela's. While it is still distant from the highway, you won't miss their signage in big and bold letters. Here here, for clarity, I grabbed an image from google maps' street view. Got it? No? Aw, bahala ka sa buhay mo, malaki ka na haha! Sige na nga, let's describe the arrows: Starting from the right... White Arrow - the southward way to Lapinig, Arteche, San Policarpo, Oras, etc. Black Arrow - the northward way to Gamay proper, Araw Beach, Mapanas, Palapag. Red Arrow - the entrance gate and swimming pool of Marcela's Resort Hotel. Yellow Arrow - that perimeter wall signage shown in the picture above. Blue Arrow - the multipurpose, convention, events, whatever hall at Marcela...

This is a new one, not many yet, even from Gamay, know about the existence of this resort. I chanced upon this place on my morning stroll of Brgy. San Antonio, Gamay. Yes, Brgy. San Antonio, where Araw Beach is - north of Gamay town proper - not the now known Mika's Beach Resort at Brgy. Cagamutan Del Norte, south of poblacion. Which incidentally per plan, is where I'm going immediately after Araw Beach. Wow! It was too early (wala pang alas-siete), so I told my self to come back, and I did! I quickly recorgnized, that this is the only all-concrete resort on Araw Beach, so far. The upper floor is a wide open space. That must be great for parties or events. Ground level has 4 rooms only, I didn't see any other, although the place is wide. I seem to 'espy' that the '4-rooms-only' structure seem to be still a 'market-test'? Pag dinumog at umaariba na, dagdagan. But while waiting for that, 4 rooms is no-sweat ! Parang nakikinikinita ko ang ...

My home at Araw Beach, Gamay, Northern Samar. This was not my choice amongst many , for this was my only practicable choice among a handful ! But I liked it anyway! I went to Araw from Mapanas without a booked nor definite place to stay. I did have an idea of a resort, thanks to some friends, but when I got there it was not available . Sayang, because it was/is the most ideal for me (remot est quiet est ), though a bit in disrepair. So I backtracked to the 'entrance to Araw from the village', that is Nathalie's. Cottages at Nathalie's (this entire beach strip actually) look something like this: It is usually "good for many" - they do not normally care how many ever you are in a group, as long as none of your members "stray" unto other cottages. Overnight yan. This one has a smaller table. I purposely stood a bit farther to capture the ladder. What is up that ladder? Your room! As in your sleeping quarters, 'good for many' too! T...