A two hour bus ride south and an hour boat ride to Porto Gallero for a weekend jaunt with some fellows from ISM.
Boat on the way over or back - not sure. On many of the islands they have what we would call outrigger boats - outriggers to provide balance as many of the boats themselves are quite sleek. The seas get surprisingly rough for how small many of the channels are between islands.
Outriggers, typically made of bamboo and lashed together with plastic chords.
From the 2nd floor of the bar/restaurant of our hotel. Great venue to hang out in. Not sure what the hotel was called - this is diving territory so most of the accommodations were SCUBA oriented - there were about 8 on this little stretch of beach, including our place. I did get out for a snorkel and there was some decent corral right off the beach. At one point I came across a floundering little reef fish and dove down to see what was up. It was stuck in a net so I wiggled it free. Then I realized there were lots of riggling fish along this stretch of reef. Someone had dropped a 100 ft long 3 ft high bottom net (weighted to rest on the bottom and then floats up for about three feet from the bottom of the reef - most activity is right around the reef so it takes advantage of the density of this area). I began following the net and wiggling fish free - they were all little reef fish - not big enough to eat, so thought perhaps they were collatoral damage. It was then I heard a clicking sound and looked to see two Filipino guys about five ft away gathering up the net and the riggling fish. They did not appreciate my rescue mission and I then realized they must be catching them for aquarium sales ... a la nemo.
Posing - proximity to the beach.
These boats are the primary form of transport in the area - people and goods were deposited all day long by these boats onto the beach. Then get scooters and such to parts beyond.
Reminder to myself of the Riley show.
Second selfie of my life .. becoming very Manilian ... and techish!
Porto Gallero is on the northern tip of the island of Mindoro - just south of the island of Luzon where Manila resides. Three hour bus to Batangas in the south of Luzon, hour boat ride across the channel to Mindoro.
From the bus window on the way home - Lechon Jeepney
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