Philippine Travel Notes

I came chauffeured c/o Sonny, you know that from my last story ! So, I arrived here: He wanted to drop me off at walking paths on either side, so I would be nearer. But I requested that I be 'ejected' here! He instantly got it and even said aw picture-picture ! That's the St. Michael the Archangel Parish Church of Gamay Northern Samar . The park likely belongs to the church, as with many towns and cities in the Philippines. I say that because there is the statue of St. Michael the Archangel in the very middle. Notice that where that statue stands is a street, but I guess not for big vehicles: I went to that 'plaque' (or whatever that is called) , expecting I would read something about San Miguel or the parish or why he is the patron saint. Aruy, wara mana wara! It's just a very detailed, meticulously written monument of " epal ity" ! Hahaha, oo hindi lang politicians ang epal sa atin! It's part of our culture, salamat ke Padre Damaso?! ...

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...

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! ...