(After a month of blog silence, I’m back. Better, smarter, and more good-looking. Haha. Read on.)
Whew! Just got back from a 3-day vacation in Galera. Yup, my long-awaited getaway finally went thru. I managed to tag along Kitch and two of her girlfriends, Vida and Diana, right after San Vicente’s fiesta which I don’t miss every year. A few days back, I visited my grandfolks in Bataan with Kitch. Hah! That’s me making the most of my vacation leave!
The trip was uneventful until we got into a boat and went on a Moby Dick-ish ride to the island. Puke of all colors (and flavors, yuck) were flying from all sides of the “giant banca” I was close to thinking it’s still seawater splashing. Morbid.
After two hours of enduring swishing through the waves, we finally arrived on the island. The crewmen were slipping over the mess made that looked like somebody splattered a bucketful of Wendy’s Chili con Carne all over the floor. Believe me, it was ugly.
It was my first time going to Galera. I was the schoolkid who brought all the requirements on the first day but forgot his ID… his teacher made him stand in the back facing the wall. So, let me share you some things I learned about going to places like this. Your teacher will be so proud of you.
Never forget the ID. Yeah, like a towel and other toiletries. It’s a good thing I brought along three other females. Believe me, they have everything: soap, shampoo and other girlie stuff that I really don’t know where or how they use.
Haggle. The beach is like Divisoria over sand minus the blackhead melting (yuck) heat and the “sun scent”. Rule of thumb: the farther you go, the cheaper things get. I deviated from this rule though, as I unconsciously haggled an 1.5L bottle of softdrink for 60 bucks instead of the overpriced 80. The bar is run and managed by “queer” people and that’s how I got the discount says Kitch. No, it’s not what you think. I just seem to have this weird thing about gay people.
Sucking up the UV Rays. The place is perfect for people who live their everyday lives like the household lizard, deprived of any UV ray given off by the sun for free (Oh yeah, thank you ridiculously-large ball of fire!). Just do it on the far end of the beach where there’s less human traffic and less nosy locals trying to catch a glimpse of your “oh-so-white” skin. Believe me, I had a hard time trying to “guard” Kitch against the “Evil Eyes”. Just don’t stay near the rocky part way past sunset. It is said to be haunted by a girl who drowned trying to save her brother and is now out to get 11 (yes exactly 11) people every year. Freaky, huh? Thanks Veeds.
Bring your own goggles. on a piece of paper with plastic cover. You don’t wanna miss the garbage-free sea floor. The locals charge you 75PhP/hr for a set of snorkel and goggles. I said no. I later found out that they sell goggles somewhere along the island Divisoria a few bucks cheaper. That was on the last day, damn.
Get tattooed. Tell me, when was the last time you had a henna tattoo on a beach?
Why gorillas don’t have pimples. They ride banana boats (Lame, huh?). Just don’t be a group of less than 5 or else you’ll find yourself falling off it every 5 minutes. You have to steer a second after the same way the speedboat tugging you steers to whatever direction it decides take. It’s a hell trying to get back on the banana boat. You’ll feel an endless ache on your arms after the whole 20-minute ride that seemed forever. Oh one more thing, don’t do this if you’re having your period. (Hi Diana!)
Extremes. Like I said, it’s hot, but not Manila-Hot. Inside the water, it’s freeeeaking cold, no matter how hot the sun is. At night, the sea air’s damn cold but the sand’s warm. Tip: bring an SPF 60 lotion and a jacket without your company’s logo.
Sunglasses, duh? Yuf. We even had to buy our own pair on the island for 70 bucks! It’s a steal for something that looks like an original pair of Oakleys or D&Gs.
Drink. Even if you don’t. The bars have a lot of drinks that you get on half the price in a usual club back in Manila. They come in pitchers that look too pretty to drink and you only get the kick after a few shots. Try the island specialty with lots of neat things inside, it looks like a typical ginpomelo conc, but it tastes extra special when served out on the beach with sand hugging your feet. (Oooh, you could just imagine reading this behind your desk inside your boring office.)
Eat smart. The food’s quite pricey here, but you wouldn’t dare miss out on the 90 pesos kebabs sold every night along the beach. One kebab’s good for two, unless you’re one of those people who eat five cups of rice (and still manage to stay bamboo-thin). Happy fiesta to the creepy crawlers in your digestive system.
So much for a first-timer. I’m sure I’ll learn more on my next beach vacation. I bet you guys reading this are wondering why you’re still reading this and not planning a vacation of your own sometime in the next few days of summer. Now, get up and get tanned! 
As for me, I’m back to the corporate world clockwork. Lucky me.
Thoughts