My Second Home (Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro)

I woke up after my Anawangin trip and found myself in Batangas pier, waiting for a roro (roll in-roll out) boat, along with my good friends. The boat finally arrived and sailed its way to the island of Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro. A Nissan Patrol was waiting and inside Mr.Taylor, a Fil-American, who is a family friend of David, and the owner of Ponderosa Golf Club Resort. He welcomed us with a smile and brought us to a place, which I personally did not expect, to be situated on an island, I thought I was so familiar with. He dropped us off at David’s house and as I got down the vehicle, an astonishing view presented itself to us. His house was beautifully built, 2,000 ft above sea level, within a 9 –hole golf course, surrounded with luscious mountains, and with winds as cold as the ones in Baguio, 24/7. I immediately brought out my camera, as if the view would disappear in a snap. It was amazing.

It was late in the afternoon when we finished inhabiting my friend’s “palace” and since the clubhouse was conveniently located a few steps from the doorstep, we decided to check it out. I ordered cheeseburger and fries. After a few billiard games, we went down to check out the chaos that is in White Beach. It was still the same as I had remembered. Bars and restaurants crowded the shore and Lady Gaga kept on playing at the background trying to annoy us all. We chose a bar far from the swarm, and as the music shifted to reggae, the mood totally changed. I drank a beer (San Miguel Pale Pilsen), to start it off. What followed after my third bottle, was probably the highlight of my afternoon. The sun was beginning to settle down, when Manang Shirley laid her mat on the sand, and gestured to begin the massage. It felt good how she released all the stress I had from the previous week. I was forcing myself not to fall asleep to enjoy every minute of it but tired and a little tipsy, I fell into a snooze. I woke up, my eyes a little puffy from the quick nap I had. I felt like a new person, ready to take on new challenges or shall I say ready to be intoxicated in a few hours. It was indeed, invigorating. The car started the engine and off we went, back to the heavens.

A filling dinner of Sinigang and Grilled Chicken greeted us back at the club house.

The clear sky was generous enough to share a glimpse of the stars. It all glittered like diamonds on a black satin cloth, near enough for us to somehow reach. And as the clock ticked, the wind blew colder, making it impossible to stay outdoors to drink. The second option was, believe it or not, the empty swimming pool. Submerged about 5 feet deep, the pool blocked the chilly breeze of the mountains and alleviated the winter in the months of summer. I

covered my self with a blanket, it didn’t help. The weather was more powerful than my thin mantle. Frosted and hopeless, the indoors we thought was a better alternative.

Grand Matador, wasn’t able to hold the bull in place. The alcohol surged its’ way to my body giving me a hard knock in the head. I found myself exhausted from my amusement in this not so new but fairly enjoyable card game called bluff. I gradually fell into a coma.

The sun was at its’ peak when I decided to finally get on my feet. (I missed the sunrise; it would’ve been an experience beyond belief.) One by one we all woke to a good morning. What better way to start the day than a hot cup of chocolate drink. Everyone helped in preparing a sumptuous breakfast which we all enjoyed together. We were like a family and it felt comfortable.

Next on our “to do” list was golf. The lack of practice and the weather not suited for playing made it a lot more fun! It was like playing mini golf on top of the world. The 20 balls we had at the start all got lost and we were only able to last until the third tee. We hiked our way back to the house and played another set of bluff but this time with a dare at stake. The loser will have to eat all the leftovers for breakfast so that he/she won’t be able to eat a good lunch. Luckily, I didn’t lose, and unfortunately for David, a cold corned beef sauté with onions, one egg and a pile of fried rice served as his last meal in paradise

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As all good things must come to an end, the stroll down the pier was filled with silence. Everyone felt a sense of devastation; a sort of defeat from the norms of life. Helpless to grasp that reality must play its role in our mere mortality, we all made our way to the roro, then to the pier and then to Manila. I know it’s always good to be home but this time… It was different. I found a second home, not in Puerto Galera, but in the company of my friends.

A Moment in Anawangin Cove, Zambales

As the Fortuner rolled to a halt when it stalled in Pundaquit, I or shall I say We, were mesmerized with the breathtaking view of the mountain alongside the sea. It was not as green but its brown color still glowed exuberantly. Mang Iking, our all around boatman welcomed us and offered to buy Red Horse, ice, and rice that we will use for our camping.

The boat was just right, not big enough to fit 10 people but perfect for 7 big guys with luggage good for a week and 2 coolers (one for beers and one for fresh meat). As we approached Anawangin cove, at 930am, we all turned silent. The scenic view that the cove has to offer was indescribable. White sand, covered the roots of abundant pine trees along the shore and the stream of fresh water from the mountains created pleasing sound as it flows to meet the salt water at the edge of the cove.


We opened a bottle of Johnny Walker and started the day right. Cheers!

The sun was in full blast which gets hotter and hotter by the minute. Setting up the tent under “hell” condition is another story. Since we all have very limited experience in camping, we were forced to put up two tents, which we successfully accomplished after 30 minutes, a record a 7 year old boy scout would probably beat in a jiffy. We decided to explore the other parts of Anawangin cove after setting up the tents and cottage. We strode the stream hoping to find a route going up to the mountains. We got back to our tents and started to prepare for lunch. Thanks to kerosene gas, setting up the griller did not seem as difficult. Tilapia was our main dish and it really went well with grilled tomatoes, eggplants, salted eggs, mangoes and bagoong!





Full and sweaty, we decided to swim at the beach. The cool water was refreshing. It gave us back a bit of strength for us to hike a steep trek up the mountain. My heart was pounding faster, similar to what I usually feel when I ride a roller coaster, as we ascended to the top. The trek was slippery, almost muddy, which made it harder for mountaineer wannabes like us to climb. Finally, we reached the top. The feeling was triumphant (I can almost hear Viva La Vida by Coldplay at the background). It was all worth it to see the exhilarating view of the whole cove from the top.


Our exhaustion from the climb ended when we slid our way back to the beach. It was almost sun set, when we opened a bottle of Red Horse. Peaceful would be the perfect word for that moment, as the sun bid its farewell.



We started grilling right when we head back to camp. The darkness of the night made difficulty level climb up a notch. Everyone took part in preparing supper which made it actually a lot more fun! Black barbecue, maya maya (a type of fish) drenched with sand (thanks to Ralph), and hotdogs were what we had. It was almost 1 when we decided to hit the sack; and since the chilly weather offered a good environment for sleeping, we decided to bunk outside our tents. Drunk, full, and nostalgic from all the memories we had together for ten years, I closed my eyes with a smile on my face. Satisfied.

I unexpectedly rose from my sleeping bag quite earlier than expected, everyone was still asleep. I got a cup of coffee, which I conveniently bought from a small sari-sari store and lit a stick of Marlboro and witnessed one of God’s most beautiful creations, the sun rise. I took my ipod and played Kissing by Bliss while watching the sun gradually lit the whole of Anawangin. That was MY moment.


Capones island was next in our itinerary. The old Spanish lighthouse stood strong by the rocky hill and the view from the top was perfect for a Kodak moment. We went back to the boat and headed back to Pundaquit. The trip was almost over and my cellphone started beeping again. It felt good not hearing it for quite a while since Anawangin shooed away all possible frequencies. I saw the Fortuner again and it finally hit me. I’m going home and will be back to work the next day. It was depressing to see the breathtaking view slowly fade away from sight. I closed my eyes again, and pictured My moment in Anawangin cove as I slowly doze to slumber.