Philippine Travel Notes

Let's do a recap of the 'resorts' and 'rides' part, of my fun travel to the Pacific Towns of Northern Samar, since that's where most of the "kakaiba matters" in my notes are! Disclaimer: Whatever I say below, I will insist this corner of Samar Island is paradise in its own right; as of now worth a visit; definitely evolving (if you know what I mean) ! Ah! Yes, you have to know what I mean: the more developed a tourist destination is, the more crowded, showier and noisier, the lesser it is a respite for peace and quiet. Unfortunately, more crowds mean more earnings for the tourism service providers. So, go now! Aw, in the next dry season hehe! The Rides Going There: We have extensively discussed how to approach those pacific towns: by air, then by bus or van earlier , right? Slow, few and fading are the jeeps, but mini-buses are a hit! We said (oh, did I?) , that riding a private vehicle (owned, borrowed or hired) is the best for g...

Potong, Lapinig, Northern Samar . This was my next destination on this 'tour' of Northern Samar's Pacific Towns . And I stayed at this barangay's busier place (dadalawa lang naman sila!) - Momoy's Resort ! Not sure about the "correct nomenclature"! That billboard says Momoy Beach. Then I heard some friends call it "Sinulog Beach". But, the only two resorts in this location are beside each other - they are "Momoy Resort" and "Sinulog Resort". Ta, nga linop! Nano ngaran san beach?! Pending any "official clarification" (why do I sound so legal-minded today), why don't I just call this Potong Beach , since this is at Brgy. Potong, Lapinig, Northern Samar ! That way, in this story, I can say Momoy Beach Resort and Sinulog Beach Resort at Potong Beach . But I stayed at Momoy's, so my stories will mostly revolve around it. Fact check: that is Momoy's Resort behind the signage. Sinulog Resort is to ...

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...

From Araw Beach , near the northern end of Gamay, I was en route to Gapo Beach, at next-to-last southern-most barangay of this same town. Before entering the gate to Mika's Gapo Beach Resort though, I saw the inviting gate of Marcela's Resort Hotel . I told my driver "let's pass there first, to check it out". And so, we entered ! Nicely done, therefore 'enticing entrance' to a hotel/resort in the middle of nowhere. Yet dumb, because not easily readable. I call that material "the damn stainless steel" . There are many of that all over the world. The latest I can recall are Adamson U, UP Tacloban, Brgy Sampaguita Village, Oakridge Business Park, Adoration Convent etc. Some of those who sought my advice had to paint them over so the letters wouldn't reflect anything! My joke: "di lahat ng mamahalin ay mabuti"! But stainless steel lasts. Anyway, 'wag na natin pag-deskitahan yan. It's artsy anyway. Let's go in! ...