After months and months of waiting, I finally found my (missing) blogging mojo, hence, my pivotal return *lol*. And now, allow me to continue...
The Senora Cleotilde Beach Resort in Bulalacao was our fifth stop over, it was a case of mistaken beach identity. One of our motorcycle drivers con tour guides spoke of a white beach island in Bulalacao which we thought he knew where because he almost splendidly described it as a paradise, that's why I grabbed his bait and traveled for hours just to see it. When we were on the road, it didn't occurred to any of us that we were headed nowhere (yes, even a wee bit), well, it did dawn on us the moment we reached our sixth pit stop which I will elaborate on later. But seeing the beach resort was not a waste of our time, it was a very welcome mistake, first we got to rest our already numb butts (due to our rigid motorcycle ride), second our kinda-lost driver had the chance to ask for some directions and third, we all got to see the beauty that is Senora Cleotilde.
The place seems to be a part of a mangrove forest (most of which were still visible afar) that was cleared and re-created to be a beach resort. The water was clear but the silhouette that the trees created made the water looked greenish and deeper than it was. Frankly, as tempting as the water seemed at the time, I didn't dare to plunge, (maybe) it was just me but it was kinda freaky. Note to thy self: "You are scared of deep waters because you don't know how to swim!"
The girl on the above photo was one of the locals who were swimming at the time of our visit, I asked her to posed for me and so she did. The resort is open everyday from 6am to 6pm, to get in, all you need is five pesos if you're all grown up and two if you're a little tot (affordable to the max, right?), cars and other four-wheeled vehicles have to pay a 5php parking fee while bicycles, motorcycles and the likes have to drop two silver pennies.
Photo below was the landscape in front of the resort's gate, the stone hill in the middle of the road was carved and decorated to look as such. I admire the men and women who worked on this project, imagine the time, energy and dedication that they poured in just to make it look this good.
After ten to fifteen minutes of sitting on a (non-moving) bench, we decided to head back on the road, to go and see the promise land (pun intended). And so, we reached our destination, not exactly how we featured it in our minds but the sixth pit stop, nonetheless.
This is what we saw (refer to the photo above), yes, there was a body of (clear, bluish) water, a big one at that but not the same one that we had in mind. Me, my riding buddy and designated driver walked on to look and asked around (still holding on to that slim chance of a hidden white sand paradise in the area) but the rest of the pack just stood there, gawking and sighing, a picture of boundless fatigue and frustration (actually, it was somewhat funny).
One step forward and a slight turn to the right, I saw (and shot) this (refer to the photo above), I don't know why but I was so enthralled by its serenity, so, personally, mistakenly setting foot on the vicinity was a blessing in disguise.
A little side story: I live in a place that is surrounded by water, sadly, I didn't get the chance to see its beauty when it was still there, but if I were to believe the stories of ripened relatives and family friends, Navotas' waters can compare with the photo above. By now, all that I can see are murky and black waters with floating garbage and junk, another of nature's gift that was put into waste. That's why seeing any clean and clear body of water is a refreshing experience for me.
Pit stop number six was the mini-port in Bulalacao, it was (and maybe still is) under the MBL Port Resources and Services, Inc. which is a service provider of the Philippine Port Authority. Small and medium-sized fishing vessels were anchored in the area and most of the men that we've seen were weaving nets, so, I presume that the place was a docking and business area for the fishermen, but more than that the port have boats for rent (boatmen included *grins*) that will lead you to Tambaron Islet White Sand Beach (yes, you got it right, the one that we were looking for, albeit we knew it in a different name). The boatride will cost you 800php, it may vary depending on the number of your group, but good 'ol haggling skills can bring you lots of savings, the fee is for the trip to and from the island, travel time was estimated at about twenty minutes.
You might ask why didn't we go ahead and give the island paradise a visit, well, the answer is very simple, we were not prepared.
The boatman together with some of the MBL employees told us that early morning is the most expedient time to go to Tambaron Islet to be able to enjoy and indulge on the privacy of the island, visitors of the island should pack all that they will need - food, water, medicine, toiletries, plastic bags for your trash and other waste and other handy paraphernalia that you think you might need, as it was (hopefully, still is) a deserted island, no urban conveniences can be found there (does survivor, the tv show, comes into mind?). The common set-up with the boatman consist of a trip that will bring you on the island, after setting up and checking your stocks and supplies and deciding that all is alright, the boatman will head back to the port and then fetch you and your group at your specified time, therefore allowing you full privacy and control of your adventure.
A good enough reason to come back to Mindoro Oriental this coming summer vacation *grins*.
There you have it, pit stops five and six. There are four more in the list, so stay tuned.
