What's in a (Business) Name? Veintidos

Bad hair day? Go curl up and die dye.

Spotted along Imus Avenue, Cebu City

For more amusing business names, please visit Go Random.

Going Solo

Going Solo

Roald Dahl 

Most people know Roald Dahl as the author of children's books such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, Matilda, and Fantastic Mr. Fox. These four books were made into movies. But that's not all Roald Dahl wrote. He wrote books for children, teens, and even adults.

The first Roald Dahl book I read was Going Solo. Roald Dahl's memoir written for adults. What was on the backside of the book that made me decide to read it?

"In 1938 Roald Dahl was fresh out of school and bound for his first job in Africa, hoping to find adventure far from home. However, he got far more excitement than he bargained for when the outbreak of the Second World War led him to join the Royal Air Force (RAF)."

With only 210 pages, I finished it in no time. His experiences were, to use his words, "totally enthralling." This is the book that got me reading as many Roald Dahl books as I could get my hands on. If anyone has his other memoir, "Boy", do let me borrow. Please?


For more book recommendations, please visit Go Read.

Mt. Pinatubo: Things that Matter

Location Matters
Mt. Pinatubo, a volcano located in Luzon, is bordered by the provinces of Tarlac, Pampanga, and Zambales. If you were born before the 90s, then you know that it erupted in 1991. Before the eruption, its summit was at 1745 meters (5725 feet). Now it's at 1486 meters (4875 feet) above sea level.

Mt Pinatubo before the 1991 eruption (Source)

To get there:
1. Take a bus to Capas, Tarlac (buses from Cubao going to Baguio, Alaminos, and Lingayen will pass by Capas) and ask to be dropped at Capas Junction. From Cubao: Five Star Bus schedule every 30 minutes. Travel time: 2 hours. Fare: Php 172
2. At Capas Junction, hire a tricycle to take you to the tourism office in Sta Juliana. Travel time: 45 minutes. Fare: Php 300/tricycle/3 pax

If you need to fly in, the closest airport to Tarlac would be Clark Airport in Pampanga. From Clark, take a taxi or any public transportation to Mabalacat bus terminal. At the terminal, take a bus bound for Dagupan or Pangasinan and tell the bus conductor you will be getting off at Capas, Tarlac. The bus ride will just be an hour.

Mt. Pinatubo's Crater Lake, May 2013

Time Matters
How this trip actually went...
0100 Left Cubao Terminal (bus)
0300 Reached McDonald's Capas Junction, Tarlac; breakfast at 3AM
0400 Left McDonald's Capas Junction (tricycle)
0445 Reached Tourism Office in Sta Juliana
0500 Tourism Office opens
0530 And we're off on a 4x4
0630 ETA 7km from crater lake
0730 ETA 1km from crater lake
0800 Crater lake! Take photos, eat, snooze
1000 Started walking back to where we left our 4x4
1030 Drove back to the tourism office
1130 Reached the tourism office in an hour since we didn't make any stops
1200 Went back to Capas Junction (tricycle)
1245 Reached McDonald's Capas Junction; lunch
1400 Caught a bus to Cubao
1600 Arrived in Cubao bus terminal


Money Matters
Five Star Bus from Cubao to Capas, Tarlac Php 172
Tricycle from Capas Junction to tourism office in Sta Juliana Php 300/tricycle/3 pax
4x4 vehicle (can fit up to five passengers) Php 3000/vehicle
Guide per 4x4 Php 500
Conservation fee Php 300/person
Packed lunch Php 200/person
Aeta community Php 150/person
Bus from Capas to Cubao Php 167

A parade of 4x4s

Other Things that Might Matter

♦ Check the weather. Have a Plan B. Your trip to Mt. Pinatubo could get cancelled a day or two before your schedule, depending on the weather and the condition of the area (heavy rains can cause landslides, rendering the way impassable).

♦ Book your 4x4 ahead through Wendell Mercado (former president of the 4x4 association in Tarlac) at 0919 608 4313. You can also check out his website for more information.

♦ Avail of a packed lunch (also thru Wendell Mercado) for Php 200. Pricey, yes, but it exceeded my expectation. It was a complete lunch! It had rice, fish, pork, eggplant, tomato and salted egg salad, and a banana. It also included a 500ml bottle of water.

♦ Tourism office opens at 5AM. If you go on a weekend or on a holiday, it is best to be at the tourism office as soon as it opens so you can start ahead of the others.

♦ Go pee before you get on your 4x4. Toilets (fee of Php 10) are available at the store across the tourism office. Once you get on the 4x4, the next available toilet is still 24 km (or two to four hours) away.

♦ Bring something to cover your nose. It's going to be a long and dusty ride (one to two hours per way).

♦ Bring a hat. It'll be a long ride under the heat of the sun. Lucky if it's cloudy.

♦ If you're a lazy bum like us, pray for really good weather and pray that the 4x4 can make it all the way to a kilometer from the crater. Then you'd only have to do an easy 20– to 30–minute walk to the crater.

♦ There will be times when the last stop of the 4x4 is 7 km from the crater lake. Prepare to walk for two to three hours across streams, loose rocks, and boulders, with no trees to give respite from the heat. Best to wear hiking sandals.

♦ Bring a liter of water (or half a liter if you avail of the packed lunch) and some trail food in case you have to do the 7 km hike.

♦ Nothing doing at the crater. No swimming. No boating. Just eating—there's a store selling drinks and snacks—and snoozing.

♦ Locals say it usually rains in the afternoon and heavy rains could be dangerous. Listen to your driver and guide. They know best when to leave.

♦ You might want to wash away the thick layer of dust on your skin after the trip. Bring towel, toiletries, and extra clothes. You can use the shower room at the store across the tourism office for a fee of Php 50.

♦ Lastly, get enough sleep before the trip. Do not be like us—just two hours of sleep...on the bus!

Mt. Pinatubo:
Good News/Bad News
Things that Matter (you're here!)

Mt. Pinatubo: Good News/Bad News

Good news. Seat sale! Here's my chance to fly in to Clark and go to Mt. Pinatubo, a place that's been sitting on my list for a long time. Travel date: five to twelve months in the future. No problem, I can wait. One month comes and goes, two, three, four months. 

Bad news. One month to go before I can cross Mt. Pinatubo off my list and I receive a message from the airline that the route I booked has been cancelled. The options they give me are to either cancel the ticket for a refund or to book to another destination. The next nearest airport that the airline serves is Manila, two hours from the jump–off for Mt. Pinatubo.

Good news. I reroute it to Manila and, from the original four days, I shorten the trip to two since my only intention was to visit Mt. Pinatubo. This, at least, will save me from spending for extra days and save my vacation leaves, too.

Bad news. Of the original five that have agreed to go on this trip, only three push through. That means each of us will have to add a bit more to the budget for the common expenses (4x4 vehicle and guide).

Good news. The day has come for me to fly to Manila. Planning on sleeping for a few hours once I get to Manila.

Bad news. Flight is delayed. That means no more time to rest before getting on the bus to Tarlac.

Good news. My good friend, who is based in Manila, picks us up at the airport, we go to her house and repack our things. We check that we have everything we need, zip our bags, then jump in a cab and catch the bus to Tarlac. As soon as we settle in the bus seat, sleep takes over. Our slumber is interrupted two hours later: we are already at McDonald's Capas Junction. McDonald's is open 24 hours, we go in and have breakfast—at 3AM! The earliest breakfast I have ever had.

From McDonald's it's 45 minutes by tricycle to the tourism office. It was still dark when we got there, with one lone light coming from the container–van–cum–office. As the clock slowly approached 5AM, 4x4 vehicles started coming and the officer–in–charge finally arrived.

We were asked to sign some forms and pay the fees. In half an hour, we were churning up a cloud of dust, kilometer by kilometer, on a 4x4 jeep (it's 25 kilometers to the crater from the tourism office). We ate no one's dust—we were the first group to go!

Some scenes along the way

As we approached the start of the hike, seven kilometers from the crater, the 4x4 that had overtaken us a few moments earlier, parked and its contents spilled out, ready to walk. We were aware that it's a seven–kilometer hike on a bad–road–day, but our driver, taking a chance, continued and saw that it was passable. Wheeee, the lazy bums rejoice! We wouldn't have to walk for seven kilometers! With a grin, we pass the hikers and I watch them until they disappear from view. Some minutes later, I see a 4x4 some distance behind us and laugh as I recognize its passengers—it was the group that had started walking. So we weren't the only lazy bums around!

 One kilometer from the crater

Six kilometers of loose rocks, boulders, and streams, and the 4x4 stops. This is the last stop for the vehicle. And we are left with just a kilometer of hiking.

We were the first group to reach Mt. Pinatubo's crater lake and had it all to ourselves for a good 30 minutes. The lake was green, not the turquoise I was hoping for, but click, click, click the camera shutter went, recording every possible angle. (I have always wondered why the color changes. If you know why, do tell me!)

A green crater lake

Swimming in the lake is not allowed. Boating activities have also been stopped—the boats were all padlocked in a shed. We had nothing else to do but bring out the mat, devour our packed lunch at 8AM, then rest under a tree with stomachs full.

Packed lunch turned breakfast part two (left); resting under a tree (right)

One last look before we leave

We only spent about two hours at the lake. Reaching the place where we had left the 4x4, we were amused at the sight: there were more than forty 4x4s! And I thought we were lazy.

A 4x4 convention!

Some photos taken on the way back

Some crazy bikers going to the crater lake under the heat of the scorching sun

Thanks to the sun who was shining at full power, it was the longest ride back to the tourism office. We reached the tourism office sweaty, sleepy, and covered in dust. The store in front of the tourism office will surely make some money if all the other groups arrive in the same condition as us—thirsty and grimy. Aside from selling cold drinks and food, they charge for the use of shower rooms (Php 50) and toilets (Php 10). Such enterprising people.

We traced our way back to Manila the same way we had come: tricycle, bus, cab. At my friend's house, we hurriedly washed up, took a nap (we'll just wake up at 6 for dinner) that turned into a good deep sleep. We woke up at 6....in time for breakfast.

Mt. Pinatubo:
Good News/Bad News (you're here!)
Things that Matter (Itinerary, Budget, and Tips)

Seven Questions and Two Brains for Coron

Brennan of Baktin Corporation has been trying to get me to cooperate in something blog related. He suggested an interview. No way! How about be part of his 7–Questions blog entry? Uhh… I gave many excuses to not be part of any blog entry where I have to answer his (or anyone’s) questions—I am allergic to interviews, including job interviews; it makes my mustache droop.

A month later I receive an email from Brennan with seven questions about Coron (in Northern Palawan). And a deadline. The deadline became an imaginary gun poking my brain. With mustache drooping, I type my answers as fast as I possibly could and here's the outcome...

Why go to Coron?
[Brennan] My quick answer to this is that you can embark on a variety of adventures at Coron: beach bumming, island hopping, shipwreck diving, among many others. But despite the many activities that the island has to offer, it still exudes a charming and laidback feel. It doesn’t pretend to be the next Boracay. And I do hope that it stays that way as well. 
[Mustachio] My quicker answer to this is: Why not? :D

How do you get there, and how do you get around the town?
[Mustachio] Grow wings or gills! Impossible? Then grab a ride on something with wings, like a plane. Cebu Pacific and PAL Express fly to Busuanga (Coron) from Manila and Cebu. Or if you’re coming from El Nido and don’t mind floating around for eight hours, take the boat! There are daily boat trips to and from El Nido for Php1500 per person. In Coron, you can get around in three ways: walk (if you have a lot of time on your legs), hire a tricycle, or hire a van. 
[Brennan] Coron town is small, so everything is just within ‘walking distance.’ ;)

What can you do there?

[Brennan]  Don’t leave Coron if you haven’t experienced the Coron island loop tour, climbed Mt. Tapyas to catch the sunset, and dropped by Nanay Lita Escarda’s backyard cashew factory. You can book your adventures through your hotel/inn or the many tour providers by the town center. The fees, including the bangka (outrigger boat) and trike rental, are fixed so you would not feel ripped off in any way. For backpackers, you can also form/join a tour group through Owen Ferrer’s DIY site. It has all the information (tour packages and travel advisories) that you would need in finalizing your itinerary. 
[Mustachio] I am sure you will get sore muscles from Brennan’s suggestions (too much swimming during the island loop tour plus climbing the 700+ steps of Mt. Tapyas). Loosen up those muscles with a good soak in Maquinit Hot Spring and you'll be up and running the next day for more adventures: get a tan in the surrounding islands (Malcapuya, Banana, Calumbuyan), check out the former leper colony in Culion Island, or see zebras and giraffes in Calauit Island.

The view from Mt. Tapyas

Where can you spend the night?
[Mustachio] Depending on the ability of your wallet to spew money, there are many options from high end ones to really cheap ones. I stayed in Patrik and Tezz Guesthouse, a simple place that serves my purpose, a place to sleep in. The guesthouse has only four rooms (Php500-600/room/2 pax) and all four share two bathrooms. Tours can also be arranged through the guesthouse.
[Brennan] I highly recommend Mommita's Lodge, a residence-turned-backpacking-friendly-lodge owned by the very motherly Mrs. Esther Reyes. It is located right along the national road and is just a few meters away from the wharf and Mt. Tapyas.

What food stops should you not miss? 

[Brennan] I’ll name three: 

♦ Try the pitik (slipper lobsters) that are offered in various restaurants in town. It is cheaper compared to the usual lobsters but you can save some more if you can request your hotel/inn to cook some for you. 
♦ Danggit lamayo, for me is the ultimate Pinoy breakfast. It is the product of the curious marriage between marinating and then drying danggit (rabbitfish). You can have one at Foodtrip, an open-air eatery near the public market. 
♦ Savor on Filipino dishes at Kawayanan Grill Station, whose interiors are largely made out of bamboo. The incessant playing of an album from Tribu Calamianen, a local band, completes its semi-exotic vibe.

[Mustachio] May I suggest a shopping stop? Don’t forget to visit the market and buy some danggit lamayo to send to me when you get back. Thank you.

What would you do differently, next time?

[Mustachio] Definitely stay longer.

[Brennan] Me too!!! I’ll also find a way to get to Cabugao Lake, the largest lake in Coron, without disrespecting the Calamian Tagbanuas who consider it as a sacred domain.  I would also like to stay with a Tagbanua family even for just a few days. I drool every time I read Jacob Maentz's stunning narrative of his encounter with them.

Rate your Coron experience.
[Brennan]  It’s 8/10 for me and that says a lot already considering that I am actually not a 'water person.' ;)

[Mustachio] 5/10 only because I haven’t seen the other half of it.

Just so you know, the town of Coron is in the island of Busuanga and not in Coron Island. Both islands are part of the Calamianes Group of Islands of Northern Palawan, which also include Calauit, Culion, Malcapuya, Banana, Calumbuyan, and some other smaller islands.

Brennan has consistently (and regretfully, or so he claims) declined my travel invitations. Maybe I did not invite him nicely. Next time I shall invite him oh so nicely with a gun poking his side. Or maybe not. Because if he gives in, it could result in another 7–Questions blog entry. And the cycle will never end.

Curiosity Led Me to Master Kitchen

Does a restaurant with all tables occupied (and mostly by foreigners) pique your curiosity? Master Kitchen, along Gov. Cuenco Ave. (near Banilad Town Center), got me wondering what was cooking in their kitchen. Next chance I got, it was to this kitchen I went.

Ahhh...so this kitchen serves Mongolian rice bowls, pizza, and baby back ribs. A strange mix of food. But a strange mix of affordable food it is. Keyword: affordable. Could it be the reason why I often see this place packed? The 9–inch pizzas go from Php99 to Php139, Mongolian rice bowls from Php49 to Php89, and baby back ribs from Php55 to Php149.

I wanted to try the pizza, but the Filipino rice–eater in me won. Spicy chicken rice bowl it is. Regular or large, what's the difference? Same size bowl, but more chicken. I stop eating rice when my viand runs out, so I get the "large" one. My friend picked the ribs, but chose just one piece with extra rice (regular meal is one piece with two cups of rice).

Spicy chicken (large) and one piece rib with rice (right)

The spicy chicken rice bowl lived up to its name... spicy! I downed my half–liter of water midway through my bowl and had to buy a bottle of softdrinks to try and put out the fire in my tongue. I tried a small bit of my friend's rib and thought it tasted okay with the right tenderness. My friend's comment? More sauce and it would taste like Casa Verde's baby back ribs.

Affordable good food will make it in my book (and, I would guess, in everyone else's book, too). Affordable? Yes. Good? It wasn't Master Chef, but alright for its price. And if I wake up at three in the morning craving for ribs or a rice bowl, there will be a kitchen to invade: Master Kitchen.

Master Kitchen Banilad
Gov. Cuenco Avenue, Banilad, Cebu City (near BTC)
(032) 238 9799 / 0923 691 1116
Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week


How curiosity killed the pocket:
Large spicy chicken rice bowl Php 69
1 piece baby back rib Php 55
Extra rice Php 15
Bottled water Php 20
Softdrink Php 25 (if I remember right)

The JRG Halad Museum, A Museum About Music

The first time I have heard of and visited the JRG Halad Museum, a museum "where Cebuano musical heritage comes alive" (the museum's tagline), was in 2012. But this museum has been around since 2010. I remember I wasn't hiding under a rock then, how come I did not know about it until 2012? Maybe I should go out more. And maybe you should, too.

The JRG Halad Museum

Corner V Gullas St. and D Jakosalem St., Cebu City

(032) 268 2579

Tuesday to Saturday 9AM to 5PM

Monday by appointment

Admission fees:

Child/Student Php 10

Adult Php 20

Senior Citizen Free

Jeepneys that pass in front of the museum: 14D, 01K, 03A, 03L, 62B, 62C, 13B

 

"In this internet generation, we are being cloaked over and over with the trappings of modernity, and we are increasingly lost amidst interwoven foreign influences. There maybe no reversing or stopping this global trend but we must not entirely lose our own native identity, which defines who we essentially are." (An excerpt. Click photo to read entire passage.)

The museum is a tribute (halad is Cebuano for tribute) to Cebuano music. It tells about some Visayan music artists and Cebuano 20th century composers. What I liked best about this museum is that it has listening stations where you can listen to some old Cebuano music through modern means: a laptop or an mp3 player. Unfortunately, when I came to visit again two days ago, none of the mp3 players were charged :-(

Learn about Visayan artists and listen to their music

LP records of Pilita Corrales (left) and a listening station (right)

The museum also has phonographs, vinyl records, radios, and musical instruments on display. I didn't see any portable cassette players (you probably know this as the Walkman) and cassette tapes. Maybe I should donate my old cassette tapes. I know the children of today don't have any idea what cassette tapes are.

A working phonograph (left) and vinyl records (right)

An old–school phonograph (left) and a Balalaika, a Russian folk stringed instrument (right)

An accordion (left) and a Gusli, a Russian multi–stringed plucked instrument (right)

There is a door that opens to a stairwell. There is no sign that there's more to see upstairs, but explore it! Here you will find music-inspired art and some Philippine traditional musical instruments. Try your hand on the Maranao Kulintang Ensemble.

 

 Some traditional instruments (left), Kulintang (center), and music–inspired art (right)

There are other sections in the museum that are not related to music. One shows paintings depicting Cebuano life events. If you understand Cebuano, I urge you to read the Cebuano descriptions for each painting...I tried that and found there are so many Cebuano words that I have not heard of. My friends and I tried to guess what some of the words meant and checked if we got it correctly through the English description. (Yes, there is a description in English, I just want you to read the Cebuano one first!)

Paintings showing Cebuano life events

The JRG (Jose R. Gullas) Halad Museum is owned by the Gullas family, who also owns the University of the Visayas (UV) and The Freeman newspaper. The museum also has a small gallery that tells about Jose R. Gullas, The Freeman newspaper, and about the UV chorale.

 

After taking a bunch of photos, I spot this sign.

(Today, I found out through facebook that picture taking is allowed, just without flash.

Whew. Good thing the flash on my seven–year–old camera is broken.)

Boljoon's Little Secret: Granada Beach Boutique Hotel

I have passed Boljoon many times but never knew this place existed. There are no billboards advertising the hotel. No directional signs on the highway. Granada Beach Boutique Hotel, Boljoon's little secret. Not anymore.

Granada Beach

Brgy. Granada, Boljoon, Cebu

0939 476 7762

With only eight bedrooms (rooms are good for four persons; Php3000/room), Granada Beach Boutique Hotel is ideal for an intimate family/friends get together or a team outing. But you can't barge into the hotel without warning. Besides, you wouldn't know how to find it. Do make a reservation and you will be shown the way.

Food and drinks? Granada Beach has a restaurant and they also have a bar by the pool. But you are welcome to bring your own food and drinks.

Activities? If the beach doesn't appeal to you (shore isn't sandy), you can jump in the pool. If you fancy a massage, you can request for a therapist (Php300 for a one hour massage). If you just want to relax, you can climb up the Baluarte, a 15th century Spanish watch tower located within the hotel compound, or just hang out in the breezy little deck near the pool and nurse a drink while looking out to sea. All these we did for a weekend of relaxation, just two and a half hours from home.

The breezy little deck (Photo by C. Alvarez)

CMYK Dessert House

CMYK Dessert House

Archbishop Reyes Ave., Waterfront Drive, Lahug, Cebu City

(032) 260 2182

Mondays to Thursdays 10AM to 11PM

Fridays and Saturdays 10AM to 12MN

Sundays 1PM to 10PM

CMYK

For artists and designers, it stands for Cyan Magenta Yellow Key (black).

For this dessert house, it stands for Chocolates Make You Kiss.

Clockwise from top left: browniezzle, deconstructed mango cheesecake,

choco caramel funnel cake, ube cake

For this mustache, it means...

C for Creative. I have to give it to them for their presentation, especially of the deconstructed mango cheesecake.
M for Melting. All four of the desserts we ordered were melting. Of course. It had ice cream.
Y for Yucky or Yummy or Yawn. It wasn't yucky (I didn't puke). It wasn't yummy (I wasn't wowed). It was... (yawn).
K for Know what I mean?

But if it's true that Chocolates Make You Kiss... I better eat a lot of chocolates. Maybe just not from this place.

How cute desserts don't come cheap:
Browniezzle Php 120
Deconstructed mango cheesecake Php 109
Choco caramel funnel cake Php 155
Ube cake Php 130

Away from the Madding Crowd: Hambil Beach

Ever dreamed of going to Boracay before the mall and big hotels popped up on the island? You can stop dreaming when you find a way to travel back in time. Tell me when you do. In the meantime, why don't we go to...

Reads "Carabao Island: Town with discipline and good manners."

Carabao Island is part of the province of Romblon. This island, also known as Hambil Island, lies on the southern end of the province. It can be reached by pumpboat from Tablas Island, Boracay Island, or Caticlan.

Click to enlarge (Source)

Going to/from Carabao/Hambil Island:

• From Santa Fe, Tablas Island — One trip daily at 930AM. Travel time: 1 hour. Fare: Php100. The trip back to Santa Fe is at 6AM.
• From Caticlan — One trip daily at 9AM. Travel time: 1 hour. Fare: Php80. The trip back to Caticlan is between 5AM to 6AM.
• From Boracay Island — One trip daily between 2PM to 4PM (no fixed schedule). In our case, it was at 330PM. Travel time: 45 minutes. Fare is Php50, but if they know you're not a local, they might charge you more. Boats can be found in Station 1, in front of Real Maris/Zuzuni. If you can't find the boat, ask. The trip back to Boracay Island is between 530AM to 7AM.

Note that the pumpboat will either dock at Brgy Lanas on the western side of Carabao/Hambil Island or at the Port of Said in Brgy Poblacion. Brgy Poblacion, on the eastern side, is where you want to be. This is where Hambil beach is. If it docks at Brgy Lanas, you'd have to hop on a motorcycle (fare is Php60) to get to Hambil beach in Brgy Poblacion.

Map of Carabao/Hambil Island. Click to enlarge. (Source)

Port of Said in Brgy. Poblacion

Hambil Beach

Hambil Beach. No malls. No restaurants. No hotels. No electricity (well, there is, a few hours daily). Camping on the beach is possible. But if you'd rather have a bed, these are the three places I found that can accommodate visitors:

Homestay

Php 500 for 2 pax

Contact Rebecca Bandala Zapra 0999 499 8757 / 0927 610 9457

The house is just across the beach and this is where we stayed for two nights. Since electricity is limited to a few hours a day, it can get quite stuffy in the room. On the second night, we took the mattress from the room and moved it near the veranda for some breeze. For food, Rebecca offered to cook meals.

Republic of Inobahan

Php 750 for fan room

Contact Edison 0918 330 3718

This is also across the beach. This place is owned by the mayor.

EJR Eatery and Lodging House

0921 466 1905 

Located at the town proper, it's just short walk to the beach. The eatery is closed on Sundays.

I prefer a beach like Hambil...

 ...quiet, save for the sound of the waves...

...and the wind whistling through the trees...

...no crowds...

...just some local kids frolicking in the water...

...clean with just the natural flotsam and jetsam washed ashore...

...perfect for a giant mustache!

How peace and quiet can be easy on the pocket:
Boat from Boracay Island to Carabao Island Php 50
Motorcycle from Lanas Beach to Hambil Beach Php 60
Two nights homestay at Hambil Beach (Php 500/night/2 pax) Php 500
Food (five meals) Php Php 353
Port of Said terminal fee Php 10
Boat from Port of Said to Caticlan Php 80


Carabao Island, Romblon:
A Minute on an Island
Away from the Madding Crowd: Hambil Beach (you're here!)