The road took only 1 hour and a half. Sylvie has asked his voluble neighbor what was the best place to go on Mindoro. White''beach''she replied without hesitation. The name was inspired ... Then we are asleep, the flight seemed to us even faster! It dropped us at the ferry terminal. It was perfect because it's that we had to take a boat to the island of Mindoro. Touts do not fail to catch you. Mindoro''? Follow me!''We shouted one of them. With a slight doubt, we left to drive. Ribamabelle a teller waiting for us. We sold tickets to''white''beach. After having paid our's, then finally an environmental tax and a fee for the terminal (!), We embarked on a''''banca, boat whose hull is decorated with two additional floats made of bamboo. Surprisingly, the matelos sortirent des gilets de sauvetage et les poserent a nos cotés. La nuit arrivant a grands pas, nous avons pris le large. Un magnifique coucher de soleil agrémenta notre traversée. Alors que la nuit était rendue noire et que notre frele esquif ne disposait que d'un minimum d'éclairage (feux de positionnement vert et rouge), nous sommes finalement arrivés sur une plage le long de laquelle se succédaient nombre de bars et de restaurants. Le bateau s'est posé sur la plage et c'est les pieds dans le sable que nous avons débarqué a ''white beach''. Plusieurs rabatteurs nous proposerent une chambre. Sylvie porta son choix sur une femme qui lui inspirait confiance. Nous avons donc posé nos sacs dans une chambre qui gave And behind buildings. A little wet but acceptable to start! Then we went to eat before returning to bed.
The next morning we slept a little. By late morning, we went for a walk along the beach which is short of''white''beach. Nothing extraordinary. Just what we needed. On the mountain behind, the weather veered to black. We also took the time to inform us to admire the underwater surroundings. The dive center was manned by a French man who lives on the island seven months a year. We quickly agreed that we would be leaving the next morning to go snorkeling''of''. In rural of after-noon, a storm broke and we returned to our guesthouse. In the evening, when the sky had cleared to allow us to enjoy a golden sun is strain on the horizon, we went out to eat. At the center of the beach are several stalls selling BBQ leus of customers. The simple choice consists of calamari, chicken skewers or cook the roast makes you live (not forgetting to smoke out the way!) On his half-barrel covered with a metal grid. Simply perfect.
Wednesday morning, wanting to enjoy a little of the sea, so we transferred our bags in a room overlooking the water. After all, you do not come so far to find themselves in a dark and wet back yard! Then fitted with our swimsuits and our sunglasses, we have swallowed a cup of coffee before heading out to the dive center. At 10:30, we boarded a banca''and''were sailing on the azure waves. After about 1 hour by boat, our boat moored to a floating bar that was anchored in the middle of a small port. Of the divers who were with us went in the direction of wreckage that lay beyond. Sylvie and others, we bubbled around the boat. The place was far from being ideal for snorkeling''was''the cause of the many boats coming and going. If although I personally had a scare right when the shuttle (with a big 4cv!) accompanying clients to the shore I went over the bar while I went back to the surface. Fortunately, the boat gently up, everyone was quit for a good scare. The boat had nothing me either! All the same, after having taken refreshment in the bar, we headed farther or plunge the show was much more interesting. Crystal clear water, corals and many fish superb. Great! Then the current took us back quietly and effortlessly into the boat which had been at anchor a little further. Back
a''white''and after beach have been showering us and change us, we went to''surf''electronically to polish up some things, but mostly to telephone to my little mother to wish her a''Happy Birthday''in this day of 60th anniversary. Then we found two French who were on the boat, Francis and Sophie, with whom we were eating. Francis is married to the sister of Sophie and they live in Manila for a 18 month contract. As for Sophie, she took the Occasion to come see them for a few weeks. In talking, they asked us when was that we had arrived. Monday''''have we responded. Then you are'' arrivés apres le bateau qui a coulé?''. Quoi? Un bateau a coulé? En fait, la veille de notre arrivée (dimanche), un bateau identique a celui que nous avons pris pour venir de Batangas (il y en a des dizaines) a sombré. Le probleme est que nombre d'asiatiques ne savent pas nager. Une quinzaine d'entres eux ont donc péri noyés. Cela explique pourquoi les matelos nous ont donné des gilets lorsque nous avons embarqué!
Apres nous etre tout de meme délectés ensemble d'un superbe BBQ, nous avons convenu de retrouver nos compatriotes pour partager nos activités du lendemain, puis nous sommes rentrés nous coucher.
Le jeudi, nous nous sommes retrouvés tous les 4 late morning. We hired a tricycle''''(motorcycle equipped with a''sidecar''and acting as a taxi) to take us to the waterfalls located on the opposite side (east ) of the island. The 2 girls were crammed into the small''sidecar''while Francis and myself have taken place on the back of the motorcycle driver. However, even at 5, we were far from the record of filling. Indeed, it is not uncommon to see up to 10 people on such a machine: 3 on the bike, 4 or 5 in the''sidecar''and 2 or 3 on the roof. As mechanics goes, everything goes! After about 45 minutes away in positions not specifically comfortable, we finally got to those waterfalls. Upstream, large waterfalls pouring rainstorms. Downstream 2 pools were constructed where one could bathe. Our driver parked in the time we were going to refresh and then we paid the access fee for us to go saucer. The freshness of the water was welcome by a day as warm and as heavy. 1h30 after bathing, we undertook to return for our driver to return. But to our surprise, we tossed a lady asking for money. After a moment's hesitation, we realized (by reading it!) That enjoy the privilege of umbrellas that were on the site coutait quelques dollars (apres-tout, ne paye-t-on pas sa place sur un transat sur certaines plages cossues du sud de la France?). Apres avoir duement acquité notre du, nous sommes finalement remontés sur notre tricycle pour rentrer. En cours de route, nous nous sommes arretés manger a Puerto Galera, le port le plus important de l'ile. Il a la particularité d'etre niché au fond d'une baie abritée de la mer par plusieurs iles qui l'entourent. Le site est superbe. Rien d'étonant qu'il ait été convoité il y a plusieurs décennies par des navigateurs qui désiraient y abriter leurs navires. Et y cacher leurs trésors... D'ailleurs, plusieurs voiliers de belle prestance étaient au mouillage dans Bay and were available to look jealous lovers.
Finally, after having eaten, we found our driver waiting for us and have gone back to our beach''white''beach. We returned to our room to ask us. Sylvie has grown while I was writing on the terrace facing the sea Calmly, the sky darkens. Then suddenly, as soon as the sun swung behind the horizon, the wind rose. Gust of strong wind made flying billboards, plastic chairs and throwing stuff out and that was not securely attached. The sea was formed. Waves of increasingly strong breaking on the beach. So I returned the computer, a torrential rain began to fall. We were trying to wipe it all browser fears more than anything when he is alone in the middle of the sea: a real blow''tobacco''. Luckily, we were on land and property to the shelter. The storm lasted about 30 minutes. Armed with our raincoats, we have still been eating. 45 minutes later, the rain had ceased, the wind fell, and the beach was once again a peaceful place and creep. The''hit''of fluff was past! On the way to our room, we found Francis and Sophia along with several others who were with us on the boat the day before. So we stopped for a drink with them amidst the festive atmosphere that was reborn. It was in some ways''the festival after the storm.'' The bars were filled again. They had emerged from their speakers''was''to straighten the sheep who spat loudly hits the''top 50''one after the other. Transvestites (as many and as friendly as Thailand) did not pray to entice were friendly customers. Filipino vacationers donned the''San Miguel''stirring the rhythms that broke their ears. There was a''good boy''atmosphere quite pleasant. But being so young a few years ago (''The truth of Palisse''), we parted company to our guests to go to bed.
Friday morning, the weather was beautiful, we decided to go diving. At the dive center, we found Francis and Sophie who boarded too. We laid him in a one channel linking the sea to the Bay of Puerto Galera. A small channel of about 80 meters wide. Immediately in water, we were impressed by the current spinning. It feared nothing (the current would have pushed into the bay and not towards the sea) but we had to redouble clinical exercise to reach the shore. It was a great lesson has the effect it is useless to try to swim against the current. Instead, he is much smarter to use force to leave or bear the desired. I will try to remember in a few months! Still, as we approached the shore and we went up the beach on foot to get back to acids upstream of the current. There, at the shelter of rocks, we could admire at leisure the seabed. Then, when it was almost time to go back on board, we headed to the center of the fairway to leave us with the flow. Down in apnea and with outstretched arms at bottom, we had the sensation of flying at full speed over funds filled with coral et de mille poissons multicolores. Absolument magique!
Apres avoir bien joué dans l'eau, nous sommes remontés a bord puis avons regagné ''white beach'' ou nous sommes allés manger d'excellents spaghettis agrémentés d'une superbe sauce aux champignons (ça faisait des lustres qu'on en avait pas mangé!). En apres-midi, durant les heures les plus chaudes, nous sommes restés du coté de notre chambre ou j'ai pu continuer a écrire. Le soir, nous avons mangé une derniere fois un BBQ en l'agréable compagnie de François et Sophie. Puis nous avons fini la soirée sur notre min-terrasse avec une (petite) bouteille de rhum local. Pas aussi bon que le martiniquais (parole Sylvie!) but perfect to decorate a glass of Coke. Then we said goodbye to our friends so they can go to bed. For us it was our last night here. Tomorrow will be the retrour on Manila.
Saturday, May 30, so we raised the alarm to sound (beurk!) to make our bags before going to the beach to take a boat to Batangas. The beaters do not fail us (2 on a western beach at 8.30 am with their backpack!) And soon we had our tickets in hand. A coffee has a restaurant and it was time to board. Thus ended the already''Sea''portion of our journey Philippines.
continued ...
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