Sabang

After a week in chilly Hong Kong, we decided to go somewhere warmer and took off for the Philippines. We flew into Manila, a 2 hour flight, then drove two hours to the southern tip of Luzon. From there, we took an hour long ferry to the island of Mindoro, where we were staying in a town called Sabang. When I heard the word "ferry" what came to my mind was a Hong Kong ferry: shiny, new, mostly made of metal, and can fit 200 people. This "ferry" held about 40 people, was made of all wood, and had bamboo outriggers for stabilization. At the end of the day it was a nice ride, but just an interesting surprise.  Not sure what Brian and Karen thought when they saw it. Probably, "where are we going again?"

The main form of long distance transportation was a jeepney, a remanent of World War 2. It had a jeep face, but the back was extended to fit 20 people jammed in like sardines or about 10,000 bananas, whatever your cargo might be. Each one was very elaborately decorated, but apparently they aren't incredibly fuel efficient. And I can't imagine spare parts are easy to come by either. But we saw hundreds of these jeepneys cruising around both Luzon and Mindoro.  

The main form of short distance transportation were these tiny tricycles. You would see whole families fit in these things, with mom and the kids inside the car while the dad sat behind the driver. It was amazing those little engines could move so much weight! In the end, we never had to experience a ride in either the jeepney nor the trike, as we had Gerry to drive us everywhere, and boy am I glad for it! I don't think I'd fit in that tiny cab. 

Sabang itself is a small touristy town filled with dive shops, restaurants, bars, and discos. We had a great time trying out new places and new dishes. Filipino food is absolutely delicious. Lots of pork, seafood, and rice with the most delicious sauces. The two most popular dishes are chicken adobo and beef caldereta. The first is a sauce of soy sauce and vinegar, while the second is a sauce of tomato and peanut butter. Both delicious!

                                                                                     

On Christmas eve, Brian and Drew had some fun sitting on the back of our truck and throwing out spare change to the local kids. They were so excited and snatched it up faster than you could blink. Brian and Drew also were yelling out Merry Christmas to everyone, to which we almost always got a Merry Christmas back. The Philippines is primarily a Christian country, so they were celebrating as much as we were. 

 

Our dive shop was located at White Beach, about a 30 min drive from our house in Sabang. The drive was worth it though. White Beach was stunning, with a much better beach than Sabang. It was nice before and after our diving lessons to relax in such a beautiful place.

Merry Christmas Everyone!