Revisiting The Hundred Islands

Note: prices are as of the time of the writing of the article

It has been more than twenty years since I've been to The Hundred Islands in Alaminos, Pangasinan. Years ago, there were still islands which you would consider as untouched. They were simply islands that your boat lands on, and you're pretty much on your own. If you didn't bring a tent with you, you'ld have to sleep under the stars. And there were no portable toilets on the island, so you would have to find an area where you could pee or poop privately.

Now, there are stores on the island and portable toilets. Some vendors will even offer to cook crabs for you at 300 pesos a kilo. And most of the islands that have beaches you can land on have some kind of cemented wall stating the name of the island. Some islands now have lights powered by solar panels. Some have concrete cottages that you have to rent for 600 pesos. Some islands have zip lines so that you could travel from one to the other. The islands now also have a marshal. And I guess the biggest change for me was the statue of Christ which can be seen from the Alaminos port.

There are so many people now. It might be because everyone was on vacation during the Holy Week. But it is hard to appreciate a beach when there are a group of people every ten feet. Years ago, we only shared a whole island with one or two families.

The boat ride now has a flat fee of 1400 pesos plus 80 pesos per head. There were five of us so we had to pay 1800. The trip from the Alaminos port to one of the nearer islands would probably be about an hour away. And you have to make sure you take a trip early in the morning. By 3 p.m., the port refuses to give boarding passes to tourists because the waves can become too dangerous for travelling.

I asked our boatman how long he had been doing his job for a living. He said that he stated out when he was 17 years old and now, he is 55 years old. I asked him if he ever got tired of it. He said that it helps feed his family, and that tourism is only viable from December to May. He fishes for the other months of the year.

I wonder if the government can help out these boatmen by providing them with solar panels and electric motors for their boats. That way, they could save on the cost of diesel or gasoline fuel. I've seen a diesel motor boat in Venice converted to a solar powered electric motor.

We only spent a few hours on the island unlike before when we slept on the island. A vacation that is full of stress isn't a vacation at all. Perhaps the 2000 plus pesos we spent could be better used on a hotel room with hot water, air-condition, cable TV, wifi and a swimming pool.

Amansinaya 2013

So you've heard that the Amansinaya resort has a zipline, wall climb, and mudslide facilities. You've also heard about their various sized swimming pools. You've booked one of their promos on Metro Deal. Now what?

Getting to Amansinaya located in Batangas will comprise of several hours of travel from Manila. If you are going to commute, the bus trip from Cubao to Tanauan will take about 3 hours. Then, the jeep ride from Tanauan to Laurel will take another 1.5 hours. You'll be lucky if you can get the jeepney driver to take you directly to Amansinaya, for an extra fee of course. So going as a group might be an advantage. Otherwise, you would probably have to pay for an extra tricycle ride from Laurel to Amansinaya.

The schedule of activities is usually fixed (these three main activities are interchanged if there are many people visiting the resort). 10 A.M. to 12 P.M. is usually reserved for the zipline, wall climb, and mudslide. These activities are all located in one part of the resort. There are even additional military-like obstacle courses like a rope which you can try swinging across over a water/mud filled ditch. There's a 10-feet wall you can try to climb over - different from the wall climbing activity which is about 3 to 4 stories high. There are parallel ropes which lovers or pairs can try to cross by working together. There's even a gigantic soccer ball which can roll over people.

For the wall climb, make sure to wear gloves (bring your own if your a sanitary freak), to protect you from burning your fingers due to the heat of the sun warming the climbing pegs to a very hot level. Some climbers have been unable to reach the top because the pegs are simply too hot to touch.

The resort only has one meal facility and you are forced to pay for it, even if you eat food you yourself have brought. They have a 2000 pesos fixed fee as of the time of this writing which you can consume or just flat out pay, but still eat your own food. Their group meals are okay - an assortment of grilled fish, squid, pork, beef, and vegetables. But since the resort seems to be understaffed, do not expect excellent and responsive service. Most of the time, you'll have to get that glass of water refilled yourself. If the park wants to improve, they might want to invite 3rd party branded food establishments to deal with this dilemma. Then, they can focus more on park activities.

After lunch, you have the option of joining the waterfalls tour - a two hour trek through the forest and rivers to reach the falls seen from their main building, perhaps about two kilometers away. Since I did not participate in this tour, I can tell you about their pools instead. They have a pool about 200 square meters in area with varying depths. One section has been converted to a kiddie area. Another section has a basketball ring where groups can play "water basketball", and still another section has bridges serving as shades against the intense heat of the sun. Food can also be ordered from the main facility and you would probably spend around 200 pesos for a tuna sandwich and 30 pesos for drinks. (Again, prices are as of the time of this writing.)

There are also two hotel like structures across the road from the pools which people can rent overnight. Checkout time is at 12:00 P.M. the next day. Rooms good for 2 people are priced at around 3,000+ per night while rooms for 4 people are priced at around 4,500+ per night. Rooms have air conditioning, TVs, hot-showers and refrigerators. Again, food can be ordered from the main facility.

Shuttles can periodically take your from one point to the other, free of charge. The waiting time can range from 15 to 30 minutes per batch.

Finally, returning to Manila can be a challenge past 3:00 P.M. if you commuted. Jeeps heading back to Tanauan are no longer available after 3:00 P.M. So your only option at this point is to ride a motorcycle to the bus stop at Tagaytay, then take a bus headed for Manila from there. The motorcycle ride will cost 150 pesos per person. The resort will request a group of motorcycle riders to bring the guests from the resort to Tagaytay city. The motorcycle ride can be considered the most "risky" ride of the day. The roads are not all concrete. And there are very steep inclines not for the faint of heart. But the trip will only take about 15 minutes from the resort to Tagaytay. I would only recommend this option for the young and the adventurous. Take this option at your own risk. Otherwise, stay overnight, and leave for Manila the Tanauan route the next day.

From Tagaytay, traffic and travel can be long and monotonous. The bus took about an hour to get from Splendido, the motorcycle drop-off point, to the main part of the town where the Filipino dish, Bulalo, can be availed of. Tagaytay's Bulalo is one of the best I've tasted in the Philippines. So instead of spending hours in traffic, you might want to have dinner first, then sleep on the bus ride to Manila. Even Army Navy burgers and burritos and Yellow Cab pizza are available in the town for those with an unadventurous palette.

Overall, I'd give Amansinaya a 3 out of 5. Decent, but when overcrowded, it just losses its appeal.

Corregidor 2012

It is nice to be able to visit a place you haven't been to in a very long time. My memories of Corregidor when I was young have become fragmented and needed refreshing. So it was nice of the Lord to provide me the opportunity to be part of a tour of Corregidor this past week.

I remember climbing up World War II cannons during my childhood and I remember the Malinta Tunnel. But I no longer had any recollection of ruins of U.S. military barracks and buildings that are located all over this tadpole shaped island. Why dd the U.S. invest millions in making this island a military fortress? Perhaps because of its strategic location, being a bastion at Manila Bay.

What was once a prison, not unlike the "Rock" or Alcatraz, has been converted to a tourist destination. After disembarking from a ferry, fleets of open-air buses await visitors who have signed up for the tour. Each bus has a designated tour guide who will gladly assist and explain to the passengers the history related to each destination and pit stop on the island. We were lucky to have been under Mr. Joe Banal, a long-time guide on the island aware of its rich history.

We passed several battery locations, seeing different kinds of U.S. cannons used during the second world war. I was also able to climb up the Corregidor light house for the very first time which offers an excellent panoramic view of the entire island as well as its neighboring islands, (Carabao Island, Caballo Island, and El Prayle Isand). There are also newly built tourist destinations such as the Eternal Flame of Freedom, Japanese Memorial Garden, and the Pacific War Memorial.

The people with me were looking forward to the zip line ride on Corregidor. Sadly, this service seems to have been discontinued due to safety concerns. And if you have a white sandy beach envisioned, you might be better off going to Boracay. Corregidor's beaches are better for rock balancing activities than for swimming.

But if you are a World War II history buff, Corregidor is a rich treasure trove of WWII memorabilia and information. Make sure to prepare a bit of cash though since prices are steep compared to city prices. There are also no commercial establishments such as McDonalds or Starbucks on the island. You either eat at the local hotel or local restaurants on the island. As soon as your ferry gets back from the island, these usual food destinations are available at Manila Bay.

A day is enough to cover all tourist spots as long as you start early. Make sure to allot about 2 hours of travel to the island by ferry, and 2 hours back.

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Boracay 2012 Kite Surfing

Perhaps one of the best tourist attractions I saw in Boracay was a shore filled with kite surfers. Since the waves in Boracay are not as strong as in Hawaii, surfers need to take advantage of the wind in order to generate fast surfing speeds. And with the right wind, the speeds they attain are comparable to a jet ski, and sometimes, if they are lucky or really really skilled, they can launch themselves around 6 feet up in the air, perhaps even more.

I was amazed at how the kite surfers were able to avoid bumping or tangling into one another, in what appeared to be a shore filled with surfing enthusiasts. I was able to speak with one of the kite surfing business owners and you actually have to have a license in order to rent kite surfing equipment. They also provided 3 level training lessons, from beginner, then intermediate, then expert. And the beginner lessons are supposed to teach the aspiring kite surfer the lessons on safety and surfing etiquette.

The lessons don't come cheap though. Beginner lesson's prices cost around 3,000 PHP (for 1.5 hours of training) while the Intermediate lessons cost around 14,000 PHP (for 7 hours of training). I didn't even bother asking how much the expert level lessons would cost. The equipment costs around 80,000 PHP but I was able to see some signs around the island stating they were selling used equipment for around 500 USD.

At the time of this writing, the surfing spots were at the Northeastern coast of Boracay, but I was also informed that they shift to the Southwestern shore then cycle back once a year.

If I could afford it and if I had more time, I would have loved to learn how to kite surf. Perhaps someday, if the Lord chooses to bless me, I would be able to do so. And if you already know how to, then you are blessed.

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Boracay 2012 Vacation

I am thankful to the Lord for a vacation I never imagined I would have in my lifetime. Boracay is a really nice and clean beach to spend a few days of vacation if you can afford to. It is an island located near the Northwestern tip Aklan, Philippines. If you are coming from Manila, your air travel options are either a plane to Kalibo Airport or a plane to Caticlan Airport.

Kalibo Airport is the older airport and is farther from Boracay. You will probably have to allot 2 hours of travel time from Kalibo to Boracay. From the airport, you can either spend the night in Kalibo, especially if you are arriving late in the evening or even in the wee hours of the morning. Most of the boat rides from Caticlan's port to Boracay are from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. so it is better to travel during the daytime so you can enjoy the boat-ride scenery. The van ride from Kalibo to Caticlan will cost you about 100 Php per person while the boat ride and port fees (Terminal fee and Environmental fee) will set you back by about 155 Php. And then from Boracay's port to the beach, expect to shell out another 100 Php (no distinction whether group or individual) to tricycles to bring you there.

Caticlan Airport was constructed to improve tourism to Boracay. Landing there will shave off an hour from your travel time. And once you get from Caticlan airport to the seaport, it all becomes similar to the previous guide above.

Once you are at the beach, finding a suitable place to stay in would probably be your first priority. We were fortunate enough to have been able to book the place we were staying at online, before coming to Boracay. We stayed at the Luna Rosa beach resort. The room was clean and decent. Air condition, Cable TV, and a hot shower are usually all I am after and all these amenities were present in the room. I would say this though, the staff could use a lesson or two in customer service.

Boracay's long white sandy strip is divided into three stations, dubbed Station's 1, 2 and 3. And just like in marketing, this division is meant to segregate customers into classes A, B, C, D and E. It doesn't mean that people can not move from one station to another. But in terms of spending, I think that you would have to have more money to stay in Station 1 than in Station 3. Station 1 boasts of the high-end hotels and restaurants. Station 2 is the place for the middle class, where familiar eating spots like Starbucks, Yellow Cab and Shakey's Pizza are available. This is also where the D'mall is located, where you can shop for clothing and souvenirs. Stations 1 and 3 are much quieter in my opinion than Station 2.

There are lots of daytime activities to keep a tourist preoccupied. Beach volleyball and soccer are popular activities for big groups. Kayaking, sailing, and "banana" boating are also options for individuals who want to spend time above the water. Helmet diving and snorkeling are options for those who want to spend time underwater. If you want to just lie down on the beach, there are masseuse and tattoo artists willing to lend their services while you relax. Food stalls and shops are abound so you will never go hungry as long as you have money to spend. And the local resorts have their own private pools if you happen to be their guest. But if I had the money to spend, I would have loved to learn kite-surfing, a really expensive but fun-looking sport that I will probably write about in another post.  

At night, people would usually eat at an all-out seafood buffet. Just make sure to ask which items are included in the buffet. You would think that giant crab, giant lobsters, and giant shrimps should be part of the all-you-can-eat experience, but these are usually paid for separately and are paid for by the ounce (or by the gram). Nighttime is also singing and performing time. A lot of bands, and acoustic performers come out to entertain dining guests. Fire dancers also display their talents. I've also seen bands turn into Karaoke services, inviting dinner guests to be their lead singer, and this often turns into a funny scene, and results to the chagrin of some listeners.

Overall, Boracay is really an enjoyable experience. It is like placing the amenities of a local mall beside a white sand beach. So go get that mocha frapuccino and then find a spot on the beach and watch the quiet waves as the sun sets. And through all of this may you find God's peace and rest.

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