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The Philippines: Hundred Islands & Bolinao Adventures
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| Governor's Island, the most developed of the Hundred Islands |
Hello there,
There are two things I know for sure--bacon is delicious beyond reason and Philippinos are just about the friendliest people on earth. I just returned from my winter vacation with Laura, our last couple's trip for a while, and it is bittersweet to be back.
I only have three weeks left in South Korea before my next traveling adventures start with Jin Thompson. After that I'll move down to Austin, TX with my (rather fantastic) boyfriend. I have been looking forward to the aforementioned events so much that I forgot to get all weepy and nostalgic for everything and everyone I'll miss in Korea, until now. You can expect some very emo tribute posts in the near future.
Now, onto the trip! The first place we went was the Hundred Islands in Alamino City. It was a seven hour, gritty bus ride north of Manila and by the time we got there I was starting to question my decision to go off the beaten path, but once we were on the private boat tour around the islands the next day, my feelings couldn't have changed more.
If you get a chance to go to the Hundred Islands, I highly recommend it. It was amazingly beautiful and completely deserted! We were the only people on almost every island, which meant tanning on private beaches and amazing photo opportunities without having to block out other tourists. It was definitely an overlooked treasure. Naturally, this elicited an unprecedented number of high fives and self-congratulatory remarks.
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| Hundred Islands tour |
We stayed in Alamino for a couple of days at the Island Tropic Hotel. It was a nice place and the Manager, Jerry, was very helpful. After that, we went an hour away to Puerto del Sol resort in Balinao for the remainder of our stay.
Puerto del Sol was gorgeous and I've come to the sad realization that I probably won't ever stay somewhere that cushy again, even on my honeymoon. Thanks a million to Mr. & Mrs. Lastoskie for giving Laura and I the RCI hookup.
The one downside was that you weren't allowed to bring in outside food or drinks, so Laura and I had to sneak in our contraband and eat our graham crackers like criminals in the night.
On the other hand, the staff was amazingly friendly. One of our waiters, Bon, would apologize every time he left our table to help other guests.
I wish I could say that I was adventurous on this trip, but other than kayaking for a grand total of 20 minutes and an even more pathetic attempt at snorkeling, we lounged hard.
There was lots of delicious food, sunbathing/food comas, quickly followed by more food. What can I say, we like to treat ourselves right.
We went into town one day and saw Bolinao's famous Saint James Fortress Church that was built in 1609. It was full of history... and animals. There was a "guard dog" that looked like he couldn't be bothered to move if his life depended on it and some bats swooping around in the rafters but it was still beautiful and worth a visit. There wasn't a whole lot in the town other than the church and a street market.
They have the most delicious ice cream in the world in the Philippines made with ube. Ube is a purple yam paste they add to desserts with a surprisingly delicate taste. They sold it in vats in the market. I wish I had thought to buy some. Yum-o.
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| Ube paste |
Overall I had such a great trip, but at the last moment, tragedy struck. As I hurried off the bus to the airport, I left my favorite Vans hat on it, forced to watch helplessly as I realized my grave error and knowing we would part ways forever more. RIP sweet chapeau, you are missed more than you can imagine.
Thanks for reading and have a great day!
-Genevieve
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