Thursday November 28, 2024 EST | |
a nomad in search of... | |
November 2012 BlogsThe Fabulous People of Roxas City (Nov 25-27, 2012) After an overnight boat trip from Tablas, Romblon to Culasi, Roxas City, I finally reached the Iloilo harbour. I benignly asked a fellow passenger, Nick Bartolome, how I get to Iloilo City from the pier. What followed was an engaging conversation where he offered to give me a lift to town. I was then invtied to join him and his lovely family for breakfast, and was again unexpectedly invited to join them to celebrate the 77th birthday party of Rems' Dad in Sisabsaban in Quartero - a good ride away from the city. Of course I said yes, curious to see how things are done in the interior of the province...more »» Bonbon Beach, Romblon Island (Nov 21, 2012) Bonbon Beach is just a short tricycle ride from town...P10 and I've heard from the people here that it's one of the best beaches on the island. Furthermore, the cool folks at 3P Diving told me that north of the sandbar connecting Romblon Island to Bangug Island is a perfect snorkelling site. With that, I was sold...even if I had to squeeze it in between tight working schedules...more »» The Remnants of Fort San Andres, Romblon Island (Nov 21, 2012) Elevated on top of the north side hill overlooking the harbour, Fort San Andres is strategically located to guard the town against the enemies, against pirates, and also to reinforce the Spanish dominance on the general population during that era. An ambitious P500,000 restoration and site development project is underway to bring the ruins back to its former glory. According to the town sign on Freedom Park, its completion date is December 2012...more »» The Ruins of Fort Santiago, Romblon Island (Nov 20, 2012) I don't really know who "Santiago" is, but his name pops up in Spanish forts. There is a Fort Santiago in Intramuros, Manila and I found out there is also a Fort Santiago here in Romblon Town. It's perched on top of the hill across town opposite Fort San Andres. This way, with 2 lookouts armed with canons, the harbour is protected against marauding pirates (or foreign invaders)...more »» The Stations of the Cross to Calvary, Romblon Island (Nov 20, 2012) Calvary is on top of a hill overlooking Romblon Town. On the way up are the 12 stations of the cross where devotees can do their stops and offer their prayers. This mountain theme is similar to the one I saw in Camiguin. The Philippines being a staunch Catholic country, such themes are fairly common...more »» Beach Life at Punta Corazon, Romblon Island (Nov 17-19, 2012) After staying 4 days at The 3P Resort / Ducks Diving doing nearly 2 scuba dives daily, I packed up to a more quiet destination - the secluded resort of Punta Corazon. After 2 nights, I left the resort and headed back to Romblon Town. It was relaxing in those 2 days. Even if I wanted to do something else, I couldn't. It forced me to just let go and appreciate the surroundings without thinking about the other things racing inside my head. I guess I needed that...more »» Scuba Diving in Romblon Island and Alad Island with The 3P Divers (Nov 13-17, 2012) After 4 days in Romblon Plaza Hotel, I moved to The Three P Holiday & Dive Resort to finally do my scuba dives. I thought this was it - my chance to dive the Blue Hole. That was the reason for my coming to Romblon in the first place. Back in Dumaguete, an acquiantance told me about his dive in the Blue Hole - a vertical hole that goes down 30 meters and opens up to the sea! Whoa!...more »» Island Tour - Logbon Island and Alad Island (Nov 11, 2012) Heinz, the German guy I met on the boat from San Agustin, hired a small pumpboat to take him to the nearby islands. He wanted to split the cost so he tagged me along. The plan was to reach Cobrador Island, but the water was choppy. We settled for the closer ones - Logbon Island and Alad Island....more »» Crossing the Water to Romblon Island (Nov 8-10, 2012) Finally, I was able to finish my work backlog in Odiongan, Tablas. It was time to move on to Romblon Island and discover what they say about its dive offerings. What struck me as the boat was entering Romblon harbor, was its look and feel. It looked like a scene from St. Tropez or Nice (south of France). It had an almost European flavor to it - quaint buildings along the harbor as boats are moored on the sea wall lining up the coast. It had an almost Mediterranean feel to it..more »» Hanging-out in Odiongan, Tablas, Romblon (Nov 4-8, 2012) A marine biologist once told me a story in Dumaguete that he went scuba diving down a vertical hole as wide as a room in Romblon. He went down 30m until it opened up to the open sea. I was fascinated by the story. Now that I was in Roxas, Mindoro, I was only 4 hours by boat to Romblon. It was my chance to experience that eerie dive for myself. The gateway to Romblon was Odiongan, Tablas - my first stop..more »» «« back to October 2012 | forward to December 2012 »» |
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