Rob and Anna's travel adventure

San Antonio and Biri Islands, N. Samar, Philippines

SAN ANTONIO ISLAND

Anna's entry:

LOVED the island and the place! Peaceful, easy going, beautiful, welcoming... Even now, many months later writing this blog, I could still feel a complete sense of tranquility. We have seen a lot of extraordinary places, this particular island would not compete with top notch scenerey, but the soothing location quality was simply amazing. And, staying in a creatively engineered half-thatch-house-half-tree house was also a special touch. We brought a nice supply of food items with us, which helped greatly with the budget and variety. We would snorkel in the morning, afternoon, and evening in beautiful warm waters - the ocean was about 10 meters away from our lodging, and at night we could here waves gently caressing the sandy shoreline. The location and facilities were primitive, which I think gave that special touch to the place.







LAVEZARES - on the way from San Antonio to Biri Islands:
We had to wait for a few hours for a local boat to cross the treacherous San Bernardino Strait on the way to Biri Islands. While waiting, we met a group of lovely local kids, who were performing a high degree of acrobatic pirouettes, jumping from the wall edge into the ocean. They seemed to be very honored to have us their audience, and tried to impress us with new tricks and jumps. We also chatted with two young kids - a brother and sister, whose mom had apparently moved to Texas, U.S. in order to earn the money, and consequently they were adopted by their grandma. They waited with us for a boat, shared their story, told us some jokes, practised English, and then when the boat departed, kept waiving us good-buy and sending us air kisses. Another special person we met on the way to Biri was Grace - a local lady who is married to an Australian guy. Later on, we would meet up on the Biri Islands, take walk together on the coast, and sample freshly cut from her trees coconut juice. I still have the sea-shell necklace that Grace so kindly presented me with as a token of friendship.




BIRI ISLANDS

Another excellent stop, and most definitely off the beaten track. We met only two other westerners (two NGO girls), who were shocked to see us there, they have never seen western travelers in this area (which I am not surprised about). Biri islands (or to be exact Belicuarto Islnd) are known for amazinf rocks formations that were created by pounding ocean waves. During the low tides, the rock formation are exposed and become accessible tide pools with an amazing see life including large tiger sea shells, see stars, soft corals, and numerous tropical fish. They almost looked and felt like underwater canyons with tunnels. We brought snorkeling equipment with us and explored numerous canyons for hours.
To get to these amazing rock pools, we hired a driver with a motorbike, and all three of us took off along the bumpy road. Then, we had to walk through the muddy flooded area for about 1/2 km, and Rob and I frequently wondered what kind of creatures we may not be seeing under out feet while walking in the murky muddy waters (shoes were out of the question) - but it was worth the effort, and once we reached the fantastic rock pools with crystal clear ocean water and marine life, we were happy.
Another entertaining thing was the place we stayed at. The hotel called Villa Amor was located right on the ocean shore - the most peculiar thing was the hotel animal inhabitants. Actually, there was a lot of drama between the three of them, so called "love triangle". A tiny dog was in love with a female cat (who also seemed to have exhibited reciprocal feelings), as well as the other male cat who was also trying to conquer the heart of the female heart. It was very entertaining to watch the dynamics of the trio, and the locals and us were privileged to witness the unforgettable love story...
To return back to N. Samar, we caught a ride with the local fishermen. Though the boat seemed stable enough at the shore, I must admit feeling a sense of worry when we were crossing the straight with our boat being thrown almost vertically against the waves a few times. Fortunately, we arrived safely, but unfortunately the boat landed a few kilometers from the town center, so we ended up walking in the heat of the day with our large backpacks, sweating like working mules (used to it by now).
Before catching a local bus on the way to the next Island of Luzon, we ended up finding a street market with surprisingly tasty food options, and having satisfied our tummies and thirst, we were back into a good mood, ready to continue on...

posted by Rob and Anna @ 12:00 AM