Singapore River Cruise

In a recent “unplanned with no expectations, but to chill trip” to Singapore, I was delighted to have surprise highlights of the spree – 2 museum visits and an experience of the Singapore River Cruise.

From a very shallow intention of just to “kill time” until the National Museum opens, we were brought to a cruise of discoveries that is reminiscent of the past and a glimpse to a vision of a future. Among the sweet finds while on the cruise are the Asians Civilization Museum for which was only a walk away from our port of embarkation and debarkation, and a short history lesson of Singapore through the educational video on board. My friend (who is also an epistemophile) and I were like kids in awe of the knowledge barrage for which was music to our soul.

The visit to the National Museum made us appreciate the river more as it brought us to its once cataclysmic past. The United Nations once described the Singapore River as an “irreversible environmental disaster”. Today, it freshly flows with pride of ditching its devastating past. In the beginning, former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew’s call to clean up the river fell on deaf ears, but with his boldness and pursuit for greater things, and the participation of local heroes, he led the irreversible disaster to endless possibilities.

As I ponder on Singapore River’s inspiring transformation, I can only hope for our very own Pasig River. It is with sadness as I think of it. For now, I can only continue with my small acts of mindful consumption, disposal, and re-use.

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© rooks 2019

San Vicente, Palawan

In our 4th year of annual vacationing, we did not intend to go to Palawan (again) as we went to El Nido in 2017. But, unavoidable circumstances redirected us to Palawan. And in a span of only 2 weeks preparation of flight and hotel rebookings, we were all set for San Vicente, Palawan. We have bookmarked San Vicente in our bucket list to visit but not this soon. However, the group is excited and happy to venture into San Vicente.

San Vicente is located at the north west of the island of Palawan. It is 186 kilometers away from the capital of Palawan – Puerto Princesa. On June 21, 1969, the municipality of San Vicente was created by virtue of Republic Act 5821. It is politically divided into 10 barangays – Binga, New Canipo, Sto. Nino, Alimanguan, San Isidro, New Agutaya, Poblacion (San Vicente), New Villa Fria (Kemdeng), Port Barton, and Caruray.

We took the Manila to El Nido flight through AirSwift as direct flights to San Vicente are not yet available. Then a van took us to San Vicente. It was previously contacted through the resort where we will be staying. It takes 2-3 hours from El Nido to San Vicente. Direct flights will soon be available in the second half of 2019.

We stayed at Club Agutaya. The resort morphs with nature. It is an environment conscious green resort where they use state of the art Sewage Treatment System (STS) to convert toilet waste to reusable water and solar and LED lights combined with solar and wind power to generate a significant amount of power for the resort. One thing noticeable during our stay is that, the foundation of the resort is built with solid concrete, which makes it ideal for structures constructed near the shoreline.

The room where we stayed gave a lasting impression. The bed runner is newly washed. One could still smell the detergent used. The beddings are crisp and clean – a very delightful sign that every guest gets a first use in their stay. This is important for me to write because of some unfavourable experiences from other starred resort stays.

Another remarkable experience is the menu at Café Lily, the resort’s restaurant. CEO and Chef Propriétaire, Maria, created the menu and personally prepares the food. The menu gave a good selection of Filipino and some international dishes. Homemade bread is freshly baked and served as appetizer during lunch and dinner. Dip them in melted butter – it made my day every time. Dining at the café is always a surprise to the palate. Simple and fresh flavours. On all our meals, we picked personal favourites to reorder on our last meal. Chef Maria would go around the tables to chat with the guests and ask how the food was. One late night, an hour before the café will close, tired but fulfilled with our day’s activities, we were clueless of what to have for dinner, Chef Maria suggested an off the menu dishes – mussels in broth with an aioli dip, and tinapa. It was exquisite. If there is something to improve, it is their breakfast buffet variety and to hire a good barista. Accompanied by friends who know their coffee, we were not as enthralled as compared with the experience of the sumptuous meals we had. But, these 2 things for improvement are minute for us because of the overall excellent service. They make you feel comfortable and at home; and they constantly ask if you are happy every after a trip or experience.

Kuya Mark, the driver, tour guide, and arranger of our trips, was not only all of those but he gave us meaningful trivia of the life around San Vicente and life in general. Aside from his endless jokes that made us laugh (or not), it was the educational experience we had with him that made the trip also memorable. Among those he shared that made an impact to my endless quest for learning are these: (1) Every captain of the boat for island hopping in San Vicente undergoes the yearly 1 mile certification swim. (2) The boatman feels the temperature of the waters first before letting the tourists go for snorkelling or swimming. This is to ensure that there are no deadly jellyfishes lurking around. If the water is hot, they are likely to be present. This is a very important reminder for tourists to always follow the instructions of their boatman as unlikely incidents have already happened.

Previously, San Vicente is most visited by Europeans rather than by Filipinos, but, is now becoming more popular and visited. With the new airport about to open, it will be more accessible. I am not sure if I should be happy or sad or both about it. The dreadful thought of it as becoming the next Boracay terrifies me. The current state of downtown El Nido devastates me. There is an urgent call for responsible tourism. Hopefully, the master plan of Palafox Associates preserves its beauty.

San Vicente is lovely. Beautiful is an understatement.

Vacations give us time to relax and refresh, but it can also be enlightening if we deeply ponder and listen closely to the people and the environment. One of my realization in this trip is that, do not go cheap with your tips, especially if they really give good service. It provides dignity to work. It boosts the morale of the locals. In fact, the experience gained through their good service is priceless. So, be extra generous and kind.

San Vicente, you are love that gets better. Keep being beautiful.

Nota Bene
We had 2 island hopping tours and below are the places we have visited.
Photos with “summer buddies” inscription are from the random shots of my friends in this vacation.

Exotic Island

Maxima Island

Inaladelan Island (lunch and farther in between the islands is swimming with the turtles)

Sandbar

Bigaho Falls

Sunset at Port Barton

Barangay Sto. Nino (overlooking the 14 kilometers long beach of San Vicente)

Bato ni Ningning

Lazuli Kitchen for brick oven pizza

Village Island (lunch and swimming)
Unscathed. Picturesque. With no other tourists, simply perfect. This is where I swam to my heart’s content. What is not to love with our islands?

Kambingan Island

New Agutaya River (Kayaking for 2 kilometers)

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© rooks 2019

Puerto Galera: Amihan Villa, Luca

Puerto Galera is a country’s treasure that is situated at the North West of the Municipality of Oriental Mindoro, Philippines.

One of its beautiful resorts is Amihan Villa, a hilltop luxury with panoramic views of the white beach, Mt. Malasimbo and the West Philippine Sea. The name of the villa must have originated from the Northeast Wind, Amihan, that dictates Philippine weather during the months of September to June. The windy experience of the Amihan at Puerto Galera detoxifies your body especially your lungs from the polluted air of the city.

Amihan Villa is a 5-bedroom only resort at Aninuan. The villa’s few rooms makes it exclusive and private. It is a hundred peso tricycle ride from the white beach or port which is a fair price because of the uphill road. As it is situated on top of a hill, a clear pathway provides its guests for a comfortable hike. You can ring the bell at the gate so that the staff may help you with your baggage. Cold drinks are served when we arrived. One thing noticeable is that Gemma, the concierge, speaks very good English. And the staff is friendly and accommodating.

I am very grateful that the villa looks the same as that of the photos provided by Agoda – the booking channel for which we have made our reservation. I am pleased with the spacious room, the balcony, the view, the pool, the food, the staff and the silence it brings to introverts like me.

The walk from the villa to the center of the beach is an adventure of its kind. We took a shortcut as directed by a tricycle driver. The alternative route guided us to a private beach where it is peaceful and some foreigners are sun bathing. We strolled by the seashore to get to the heart of the beach crowd. In between the long stretch of calm and noise are rocks for which we have to pass through. Yes, no pain no gain. With determination and beach slippers instead of hiking shoes, the journey with the rocks, wind and some sea will remind you that life is not always smooth sailing as you would want it to be. No matter how trivial it might be, it is your purpose and mission that will drive you to its fulfillment. In this hike, our resolve to reach the other side of the shore [and have our afternoon snack] motivated us. With approximately 300 meters more before setting our feet on beach sand again is a beautiful rainbow. Indeed, the Lord has His own grand way of welcoming us.

On the second day of our stay, Levi, the driver of the villa drove us to the trade center of the place as some of my companions needed to do some errands. The drive is soothing. Trees, fresh air [we opted to turn off the car aircon], sun, scenic views… For me, countryside driving is always conducive for contemplation.

As it was about to be noon, Levi brought us to Luca Cucina Italiana. The Italian cuisine and noon beach view is splendid. Wow! I consider it as the highlight of the vacation.

We envisioned our Puerto Galera trip to be relaxing. An experience similar to that of a lazy Sunday afternoon and more. I am blessed to have more than what I have asked for.

We came at the right place and at the right time. The weather is perfect and the beach is tranquil.

Puerto Galera. Amihan Villa. Luca. These are dwelling places for respite.

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© rooks 2014