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Published: February 4th 2006
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If you buy enough penny bubble gum you can spend a dollar. I know that sounds really stupid but that is essentially what my week or so in Romblon Province has been. Lots and lots of penny bubble gum. When I first arrived in Romblon town, I figured the best story I was going to have been about getting here. After being around here for a week though, I have a different story.
Romblon is the marble capital of the Philippines. Everywhere is marble. In the cheapest of guest houses you will find marble tiles and marble tables. I spent one day touring the marble craft shops, watching people carve and shape the marble.
Saturdays are spent watching a local soccer meet which is locals vs. foreigners.
Strangely Romblon for being a very out of the way province which doesn’t get many tourists has lots of ex-pats. Mostly Europeans, but I did meet some Americans in the Marble business.
I spent most of the week on the neighboring island of Sibuyan. Since it was a nice day I road on top of the boat on the way over and lost my hat to the ocean. Sibuyan is a very beautiful and poor island. The highlight is Mt. Giting Giting, a 2000 meter mountain. The whole island is only 95 km around. I know because I biked around it in two days. Mostly flat and easy roads, but I’m still pretty proud of myself. This bike trip was the highlight of stay in Romblon. I met so many interesting people. I was yelled at by a lady for taking pictures of the scenery and not her… so I took her picture. I don’t know how many lunches I was invited to join. I had coconut juice which is really wine. I watched people mill rice and split coconuts for making coconut oil.
One of the Barangays that I biked through was having their yearly feista. I finally got to see a cock fight. It was crazy, people were climbing trees to watch. I was asked by one guy, how many cocks I had for fighting.
In Madiowag, where I stayed most of the days, I helped with the fishing nets. Every morning and night when the weather is good they put out the nets. It takes a boat to put out the net. Then everyone gathers on the shore to help pull them in. By helping you get your share of the take. You get more based on how many people you have to feed, though my understanding is that the boat owner gets more. The people then dry these fish and sell them in the market. I of course turned down my share of the take.
In Madiowag I was also talked into Karaoke. Not that I like the stuff but its very popular and well, when in Rome. Ok and the girl in the restaurant that asked me to sing was very cute. Though not sure “Devil went down to Georgia” was the best choice for the Philippines…. Very catholic. Speaking of Catholic, I remember thinking Grandma would love Madiowag. Every night at 6PM they say the rosary. And the say it over the town loud speaker so you can hear it even if you don’t go the church.
Everyone that I met seemed to have 5 to 8 kids. Elementary schools would have 300 kids in a town with less than 2000 people. Not sure if that is Catholism or subsistence farming/fishing.
Like I said lots of little experiences with true, genuine Philippinos. I really enjoyed the hospitality that I experienced.
Ok now the story of the travel to this remote island and more travel.
Getting here started with a mad dash for a 30 minute cab ride to catch the 2PM bus to Bantagas City. Then after the 2 hour bus ride we found out that the ferry didn’t go to Romblon, Romblon on Fridays but it went to Odiogan, Romblon at 4PM… right now. Luckily it left late because they were welding the anchor chain back together. The ferry arrived in Odiogan around 1AM. Here we needed a Jeepney to Calitrava and San Augustin. But since nobody was on the ferry the Jeepneys waited at the port until the Manila ferry arrived at 5AM. So we slept in the Jeepney at the terminal. Well we tried to, it wasn’t very quiet. Ok then the Jeepney ride to Calitrava, and a few hours sleep on the floor of Jeremy’s hut. Then a quick dash for the Jeepney to San Augustin so I could catch the pump boat to Romblon. What a trip.
Now for the return trip:
Leave tomorrow at 12 PM on the big ferry. Arrive Bantagas City at 2AM. Two hour bus ride to Manila puts me in Manila around 5AM. Grab a quick catnap and then off to a superbowl party. Then make sure I’m in the Embassy at 3PM to get my passport. Then off to the airport to catch my flight to Perth where I’ll arrive 7AM Tuesday morning.
That is all assuming I don’t change my flight plans again and stay here.
For most of the pics you’ll have to wait for a better internet connection. This place just lets me upload one photo at a time and I’m too lazy for that.
Ok you will have to wait for all the pics, its just way to slow... sorry. I'll try tomorrow if I have time so until then.
Click here for the pics
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