So after Christmas we headed to Siargao for 5 days...and it was paradise! It's a small island in the southern part of the Philippines mostly known for it's amazing surfing. It's fairly remote as it requires a layover in Cebu to get there and there is no ATM on the island. The first day we arrived at about 11:30, had lunch, and then walked the beach near the resort checking out the massive surf waves and watching the local kids collecting things from the rocks on the beach.
Day 2:
The next day Bob and I went diving. It was really hard to find someone to take us and when we did we couldn't go where we wanted due to the large waves - they told us it was unsafe - and when they say that here - it must be REALLY bad. The dive we ended up doing was interesting as it was very different than anything we have seen in the rest of the Philippines. It was volcanic rock with really interesting caves and chimney's and you could feel waves under water (at 20m!). It kinda made me sea sick. There were hardly any fish most likely from the dynamite fishing that we heard while we were under the water - I hate that! In the afternoon we did some island hopping - stunningly beautiful and no tourists! That night Karen ordered a crab dinner. Bob was salivating and really excited when she couldn't finish. While Bob was whacking his crab with a mallet he was yelling "Do your homework!" I guess you had to be there but it was really funny. After he whacked it, the crab went flying in the air and off the table. The waitress came by to show him how to crack the crab properly (apparently brute force is not needed!).
Day 3:
We decided to rent motorcyles for the day. I rode on the back with Bob and Karen rode on the back of Dodo's bike (our guide). We rode for the whole day seeing the amazing beaches, countryside, rice fields, carabao, remote villages, and waterfalls. This was by far the best way to see the island. It costs $12/day to rent the motorcycles. Karen paid $20 for the guide and his bike. We had to buy the gas, which was P60 per liter sold in glass coke bottles on the side of the road. We stopped at one beach and out of the hut came a couple of older ladies with their faces totally covered in birthday cake - they were hammered. They invited us over for lunch. We decided to pass and we stopped by a sari-sari store (small store in front of people's homes) and got some chips, crackers and cheese and ate at a nearby waterfalls. Along the sides of the road, people had their pigs and goats tethered to ropes eating on side of road. Dogs and kids were playing in the street. There aren't many tourists on the island so when people saw us drive by they would yell out "Hey!" and start waving and smiling. There are very few cars on the island so the main transportation is motorbikes and jeepneys. In many areas, the houses are built on stilts as they are located in the mangroves in which the water rises and falls with the tide. We stopped at a cool and unique place where you could swim in large tide pool during low tide. The reef was all around you and you could dive off the reef into the pool. Needless to say after 6-8 hours on the bikes - our butts were so sore! The staff at the hotel was so nice and brought us cushions to sit on at dinner. That night I had chicken mango curry - oh my gosh! Live changing!
Day 4:
We decided to try surfing. The first thing that was strange was that these waves are in the middle of the ocean (no islands or beach nearby) and you have to take a boat to get there. The waves break on a shallow reef. The waves looked much bigger than what we usually surf but I thought maybe I was being a wuss. I paddled out and got pummeled by the first wave and the next 3-4 waves. I seriously thought I was going to die. I would take a deep breath when the waves came and it felt like I was in a washing machine. I would come up and the next one would hit. I got rolled around so much I didn't know which was was up and it ripped my hair tie right out of my hair! I also hit the reef and scratched up my leg. Needless to say, I swam for the safety of the boat and watched the pros surf and snorkeled. We headed to the next surf spot and I wished I would have started at this area, it was much smaller waves that I would have liked to have tried but I was too tired and scared to give it a try so I just paddled out to the side and watched the locals surf. They were amazing!
Day 5: Time to go home. If we could have stayed longer we would have but flights only come to the island 2x week and we had to head back to work in a couple of days. On the way to the airport we rode in a jeepney. It was raining and it was really interesting to see all of the things that double as hats; rice bags, a bucket and a banana leaf! The airport in Siargao is very small. It's basically a ceiling with pillars (no walls). The security check is two officers who open your bag and take a look. There is seating for about 15 people inside. We boarded the plane and headed for Cebu. During our layover we had lunch nearby restaurant and hit up the casino. We got on the plane to Manila and immediately knew we were in trouble. There was a coughing, SCREAMING child in the seat behind us. After 45 min of coughing, screaming, kicking our seats, and pulling my hair and sunglasses the kid finally passed out. I leaned over and told Bob "we are never having sex EVER again" hee hee. When we walked off the plane I noticed that the mother had earplugs in. I was so pissed off!
Hands down, this was the most beautiful, laid back, clean and non-touristy place we have been in Philippines. It's island living at it's best and I can't wait to go back!
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