the chicken and the road
yesterday, i saw a chicken cross the road. i didnt have time to stop and ask him why he did it, however, because i was in a van going 120 km/hr to mamburao. i think the dirver was trying to pass as many jeepneys as he could to prove that vans are a better mode of transportation. while bracing myself with the roof of the vehicle, i also saw some other cool things. for instance, people drying corn on the road - not on the side of the road, but on the road itself. i guess there isnt enough space on the side. in any case, to keep crazy drivers like the aforementioned from scattering their grain to the winds, they put up these fake army roadblocks. there's a real roadblock closer to the port town of abra de ilog, where you enter mindoro from luzon. apparently, they realized that the only thing that makes dragracing drivers deaccelerate is a couple of 2x4s and a scary-looking grandma.
a couple great things about getting to mamburao, aside from the racing... on the ferry between batagas and wawa (abra de ilog's port), we saw some dolphins swimming by. very nature-y. also, got to see some nice islands from the ocean...very robinson caruso.
anywho, in mamburao, or technically speaking, just north of it, i found one of those paradise-type beaches with palm trees and sand and fishing boats and cottages. it's quite nice. decided to stay for two days so i could investigate the town a little. mamburao itself is really small, and not much of anything to write home about. again, as a white person im a walking attraction, but it's not nearly as offputting as in manila, nor as annoying as in sabang. the key seems to be staying where there arent so many people. five people looking at you isnt nearly as annoying as twenty. only real problem here is, and i didnt think it would be the case, a lack of english. apparently, fluent english is a thing of manila and the north, and even though im less than a day away from manila, some people cant communicate with me at all. so it seems in some ways we're back in taiwan. at least i have a hope of learning tagalog, however.
tomorrow ill be taking a bus to either sablayan or san jose...havent decided which yet. after this entry im off to the bus place to see what time they leave. in closing, id just like to say that, while this may be paradise, paradise is really, really hot.
a couple great things about getting to mamburao, aside from the racing... on the ferry between batagas and wawa (abra de ilog's port), we saw some dolphins swimming by. very nature-y. also, got to see some nice islands from the ocean...very robinson caruso.
anywho, in mamburao, or technically speaking, just north of it, i found one of those paradise-type beaches with palm trees and sand and fishing boats and cottages. it's quite nice. decided to stay for two days so i could investigate the town a little. mamburao itself is really small, and not much of anything to write home about. again, as a white person im a walking attraction, but it's not nearly as offputting as in manila, nor as annoying as in sabang. the key seems to be staying where there arent so many people. five people looking at you isnt nearly as annoying as twenty. only real problem here is, and i didnt think it would be the case, a lack of english. apparently, fluent english is a thing of manila and the north, and even though im less than a day away from manila, some people cant communicate with me at all. so it seems in some ways we're back in taiwan. at least i have a hope of learning tagalog, however.
tomorrow ill be taking a bus to either sablayan or san jose...havent decided which yet. after this entry im off to the bus place to see what time they leave. in closing, id just like to say that, while this may be paradise, paradise is really, really hot.
posted by bethany at 00:47
<< Home