Puerto Galera

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It's official. I'm addicted to the internet. Wherever I go it's alway in the back of my mind: I hope they have an internet cafe there. Here in Puerto Galera they have several.

This morning. from my hostel, I took a tram to Gil Puyat Street and from there I took a bus to Batangas (3 hours, with two movie onboard entertainment). The first movie, a Filipino movie was a mix of chick flick (a guy finds out his daughter is not really his) and action. In the end, there was a shootout, like in Scarface, involving nuns, no kidding! The second movie was "Baby's Day Out." It was moronic but it was a hit. I was kinda hoping they would show Kieslowski's Tri-Color Trilogy or DeSica's "La Strada" but that was not on the list.

Batangas was quick, they dropped me off at the pier and was led by so many people to their boats. I picked one leaving at 11. The catamaran took 1 hour to get here. As soon as the boat arrived, little kids, some younger than five dove in the water and climbed on the side of the ship. There were porters asking if I needed help with my bag, but I only had a backpack.

Puerto Galera's nice. Coming in was awesome, you see this mountain island coming towards you, filled with palm trees. You can almost hear helicopters and "Ride of the Valkyries" playing in the background.

My place is by the bay, to go to the beach I have to take a tricycle or a jeep (maybe to Sabang). Town center is cool. It's crowded but it doesn't have that big city grunge.

Not sure if I'm going to be here the whole week, depends on how cool the beaches are.

I'm still chicken when it comes to food. Today I ate my first, native, non -chain meal at the hostel: fried rice topped with a fried egg. There are Westerners here who are more adventures. I asked the Danish kids what they did for food in Manila and they said they go across the street, a local Filipino restaurant. They said it's good, it's filling and it's really cheap.

I've given up trying not to look like a tourist. I need my backpack with me, it has all my valuables. My knapsack, they can keep. Plus I walk around with a bottle of mineral water, just in case.

I met up with a Swedish couple at the restaurant. I told them about the time I went to Vasteras. They said it would have to be because of a girl, no one would go to Vasteras on their own. They were right. They live in China now, with their kids, working for a Swedish company.

I gotta break this internet addiction. I'm at the beach, hot and sunny and I'm here checking me e-mail.

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Comments

[Mara]

Internet addiction is ok as long as one stays online for short periods at a time. Looking like a tourist--that U gotta learn to avoid. So did U go to Vasteras because of a girl? :)

[mselim123]

Vasteras
I went there to visit Anja