Give Scuba Travel Ventures props for something amazing: Getting a coveted police escort to cut through legendarily tough Manila traffic. Well, also let's give a shout-out to the Philippines Department of Tourism. Between the two groups, getting out of Manila's International Airport, onto the Manila Skyway and motoring south to the Southern Luzon town of Batangas proved to be miraculously fast.
The fleet of vans which met our dive group was shepherded along by a group of Manila's finest, riding motorcycles and displaying flashers and sounding sirens -- for the first 30 minutes of the ride. For those of you who haven't yet visited Manila, imagine a sprawling metropolis characterized by rivers with mangroves (Manila's name actually comes from the Tagalog words "may" and "nilad," which in English translates into "many mangroves") and flowing, intricate maze-like streets connecting hundreds of barangays ("neighborhoods"). Throw in a population of more than 10 million and add every kind of vehicle imaginable, from jeepneys and tricycles to buses and cars to the highways and streets and you've got a challenging snarl of traffic not too unlike what you may have experienced in Southern California. You get the feeling of being overwhelmed and fascinated all at once -- that even if you spent your whole life in Manila, it would take several lifetimes to explore the endless paths the city lays before you.
After being whisked south to the city of Batangas -- about a two-hour trip -- we boarded another bangka to head to the island of Mindoro to Sabang Beach, where another Atlantis Resort awaited us. The coastline near Sabang is reminiscent of the waterfront near Catalina, in Southern California, or the Mediterranean skirting the coasts of France and Italy. It was a 180 degree turn from sleepy Dauin, where nothing but beach lies within reach. Sabang is clearly a resort and tourist town, with plenty of dive shops, bars, restaurants and discos -- oh and did I mention hawkers who meet your boat, with every kind of merchandise in tow, from sunglasses to imitation Rolexes and earrings and woodcarvings?
One man, just trying to make a living, tried flattering me into buying from him, saying I looked like President Obama. I made the mistake of saying I might buy something from him someday, though I had no intention of doing so. Hopefully, he had other customers today and the days that followed.
And if you're wondering why you're starting to see photos from me again...I must again give serious thanks to the staff at the Atlantis Resort in Puerto Galera who, after hearing my lost camera sob story, allowed me to rent an underwater digital camera for the duration of our stay, at no charge. Big thanks to Andy at Atlantis for helping arrange that. Utang na loob (see previous posts to learn the meaning of this all-important phrase).
Photos Copyright Gil Griffin 2009.
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