We arrived at the Batangas City pier at around 8:30 am. That was our reward following a successful elbow match with fellow passengers in the Kamuning bus terminal. But no! The next available boat was at 11am. So, we have to stay in the terminal for two hours. Phew! We end up staring at our beat up feet and throwing jokes while sipping lukewarm coke. Well, it ended up well, since we have to wait for Rupert until the very LAST second. I already gave up on him: it was almost boarding time but he's still a kilometer away caught in traffic. Then, I almost made my first step on the wooden plank when he called me up and joyfully declared "We're here". Some things never change. Rupert never made it early, I swear. I skipped the sermon that day; its his birthday after all and that is the reason why we were going to Galera. So Rupert and June joined us: Richard, Chuck, Momon, Jofer and me. The Fellowship was complete.
Finding a place was pure anguish as well. We ended up in an Undone Concrete house which is pretty cozy in the rural sense. Before that, we were offered Rickety Shanty and Mug-Me Please No-Lock House. I immediately said no. Undone Concrete House is better...my baby will be safe from lurking bandits. Undone Concrete House is the typical house I always see in the province: linoleum floors, poor paint job but very airy and spacious. Thank God it has running water. Despite its imperfections, we liked it. Undone Concrete House rules!! We settled in at 4pm. I'm glad that we had a good lunch before we go a-house hunting. Everyone's spirits and tempers were still in check.
We went at around 7pm to have dinner. What followed, of course, is our usual galera agenda: two rounds of Mindoro sling (the signature drink of the beach), dancing on the floor, drink some more, rest on the beach with or without puking, laying on the sand. At 2 am we called it a successful night out. I was drunk. And happy.
The next day we had a nice, long brunch. We went out of the Undone Concrete House at around 10am and stayed at Lenly's for several house while we wait for our banca. We transferred to another bar when the waitresses started giving us an evil eye. We already ordered everything that interests us in the menu (the Rossti was marvelous!) but we kept our table because we don't want to get fried by the afternoon sun. I got a henna tattoo on my right deltoid while Momon got one on his hand. It was my first time to get one. I had a patient who had a severe hypersensitivity to henna which really got inflamed when I saw her. I have skin asthma so, I was trying to avoid henna for the longest time. Well, I got it anyway and I'm still smiling right now. Astig, man.
We got home at 12mn. The boat John Clea was 2 hours delayed! If he were alive that night, he could have choked on his dinner. Our curses traveled with the waves and to his stinking neck.
Best thing I got when I got back from galera is this shot and finally, attached.
