Philippine Travel Notes

Getting out of Palompon? Not as I would have wanted it. But there were alternatives! Happy and full with that delectable lunch at Wemdee's , I proceeded to the transport terminal, just diagonally across Wemdee's at an intersection on main road JP Rizal Street. About 11:40AM I was already asking around at the transport terminal where the vans going Tacloban would be. Only to be told, they were right in front of me pala. Pahiya ako! 😶How easily I forgot, this is the very same place I arrived at yesterday from Tacloban! BUT.., none was taking-off until 2PM! Folks in the area told me that 2PM on a Sunday until 5PM even 6 or 7PM is the "rush hour" for those who work or study in Tacloban. Thus, oo nga naman, vans instead opt to queue for passengers at about those times - where they are always sure to have a full load of passengers without waiting that long. Not a thing to worry about though. Oh ha?! Yabang moment! Having been in and out of this region the past 10 m...

While having lunch at Wemdee's , I got a call from a good friend (long time client) who just woke up in Palermo (Italy) where she has meetings with her boss. She asked "when did you say would you be visiting Kalanggaman Island ?"! Ibang klase maka-timing 'no?! So, I said "I just got out of your dear little island and now having lunch at Palompon"! Thus, we talked. She was in the first place one of the reasons why I visited the island. Hmm, wasn't that supposed to be secret? Shhh, don't tell her I am telling you now hehehe! But I gave her a litany of my fresh Kalanggaman Island experience! Here are some of what I told her: It is a very small island, probably only a kilometer long including the sandbars. If you are bringing a ship with 3,000 passengers, they could be killing each other for every inch of space, OR, your little island will sink to the deep, whichever comes first! And we laughed! But seriously, I said 300 vacationers on the islan...

Having arrived at Palompon about 'elevenish' (11AM) from Kalanggaman, lunch was in order. Timely! 11AM is just about the right time for my royal highness to have lunch. While I've been away for about 6 years now, I'm still used to my Metro Manila routine where I took lunch about 11AM, because at 12NN, the restaurants, canteen, cafeteria, fastfood, turo-turo and whatever else that served food always had "long hungry lines". Anyway, walking away from the Palompon eco-tourism office, I knew just where to go. I have seen this restaurant twice yesterday - as I walked from the van terminal towards the eco-tourism office, and as I walked from the church looking for accommodation. And that is... Wemdee's! Wemdee's is some kind of a native-looking restaurant by design, both inside and out. Call it 'baduy', but I liked the ambiance in this place! Very 'Pinoy'... Foremost are the walls and ceilings. Those are real and genuine woven bamboo...

If you don't have the time, or if you don't want to spend all day at Kalanggaman Island, read the important lessons below. It is not after all easy to return just anytime you want. Depending on your circumstances, going to the island, "pala", yes I realized, means, you have to make sure you plan to enjoy (in whatever way you want) the whole day, or you could become a 'prisoner' on/of the island for that whole day - if you don't have P3,000! My story continues from the previous post ... Before 10AM, I was out of the sandbar and proceeded to the boat docking area, to take a ride back to mainland Palompon. OMG! No boat seemed to be leaving anytime soon! I approached a man who looked like an eco-tourism staff (I wish they all wear uniforms, so it would not be hard spotting who is what, especially when help is needed). Good I guessed well, though I didn't recognize if he was a lifeguard or "in-charge" here or both! I told him I wanted to ...

This was my view as we approached the island. Of course the whole boatload of all of us were excited! Almost a commotion as everyone tried to take shots of the whole island! And this is one reason I tried my best (schemed actually) to be seated front of the boat! Teka, for those not in the know, my picture above (low-res of course so that no one starts using it for their own commercial purposes), is not off-center. Look closely from middle of the picture to the right edge. That is the white sandbar Kalanggaman is famous for. Here was our (video) approach to the island: Okay, so I arrived! I took a picture of our boat while the last passengers were still disembarking... Look at the sand, not that fine, right?! Dito lang yan, but on other parts, its gorgeous! And then I looked to the left (west side)... ah well, breathtaking enough, right? To the right (east), meaning behind this camera position, is the famous sandbar, but I did not take a pic (yet) as camera would face the sun...

While waiting to be boarded, passengers (me included!) stood around, sat anywhere they could, excitedly chatting, posing for groupfies and selfies, to while time away. Aside from snacks and coffee, good that these eco-tourism grounds are instagrammable enough! Just a hand signal from the boatman and everyone queued-in to board! In just about 4 minutes, all of us passengers were on board. That quick! Excited eh! By the way, that lady at their desk? Yep, si Ms. Bawal Reservation ? Remember her? When boarding started, she really looked around for me, just to tell me that it was boarding! Whatever she meant with that, I did not anymore care. I was just excited to go! I boarded last, so I would be seated at the very front of the boat... I planned this! I did not just plan, I schemed for this hehe, to be at front-most position! For the views - and to avoid catching other passengers in my shots! Why? Because this was such a small boat - once seated, you are shoulder-to-shoulder and ...