First, there were around 15 prospective participants. As the date neared, the drop-outs increased for various reasons. Finally, there were four adults and one child left. The adults were prexy Rey Cuyugan and his wife Jo, probies Lhei Pineda and Jen Chan. The child was Andrea ‘Dia’ Viray, a neighbor of the prexy. Both Lhei and Jen were first-timers, while Dia was on her second trip to the island. She was with her family when they were invited to join the trip last May, this year.
Jen, Lhei, Jo and Dia onboard M/B St. Paul on the way to Isla Verde
Isla Verde in sight after rounding Matuko Point
The resthouse is shown in the middle
Anyway, the trip pushed through Saturday, November 29th to Sunday, the 30th. The planned lechon (spit roasted pig) and Kalderetang Kambing (goat meat cooked a particular way with sauce) were cancelled earlier. Luckily, the prexy had not made any firm arrangements during his earlier trips to the island, otherwise, the five of them would have had lechon and kaldereta running out of their ears. Of course, the neighborhood friends would have liked it.
As usual, the group had packed-lunch on day one, soon after arriving on the island just after 1100H. Rey, Jo and Dia set up a summer-type gazebo-tent at the still roofless extension to the future ‘clinic’ and vacation house owned by the couple, while Lhei and Jen set up their shared dome-type tent at the open space between the room and the breakwater. At the time, these seemed like good moves: the sound of the waves, the cool breeze, and the open sky.
Tent set up by Lhei and Jiggs
After lunch, the ladies went to the beach area accompanied by local friends Linda and Lita. Rey had arranged for Lita to provide kitchen services for the group. Rey stayed behind to putter around.
For dinner, they had pork adobo prepared at home by Jo, and charcoal broiled eggplants with sauteed bagoong (tiny krills in fermented paste form). The adobo, two kilos of it, were meant only for D-1 dinner. It lasted well until breakfast the next day, with enough to share with the families of Linda and Lita.
Bedtime in the island, as in all rural areas in the country, comes early. What with the barangay operated generator providing electricity only from 1800H to 2100H. When the club first started visiting, the only power came from solar panels for those lucky enough to have afforded these (P14K back in the early 90’s, now at least P60K for the bare system).
The first night started out real cozy, with the stars showing and the strong breeze refreshing. By midnight, occasional wind-driven shower fell and the roar of the breakers came louder. By 0200H, the shower had changed into a continuous drizzle, the winds had grown stronger, and splash of the breakers were forcing seawater into Lhei and Jen’s tent. Amazingly, Jen managed to stay asleep until woken up by Lhei. Rey, Jo and Dia were getting wet under the flimsy summer-gazebo. By 0300H, succor came. Couples Luteng and Linda came to ask the group to move over to their place, thinking, correctly, that the group must be getting wet. Only Dia and Jen managed to sleep through till daybreak. Lhei, Jo and Rey waited it out conversing with Linda.
The relocated dining area
The gazebo after the evacuation
Day-two, Sunday, was overcast and drizzly, but the ladies managed to go into water, go paddling, and, later in the day, visit inner parts of the island. Jen and Lhei went into a spending spree, buying local products: buri woven mats and bags, and pakaskas.
The last item is a sweet product made from the cooked sap of the buri palm. Isla Verde is one of the few places where the product is still made. Children love to eat this by scrapping off the sweet (’kaskas’ means to scrape off) from the container using their teeth. Except for the bit of plastic twine used to secure the cylinder-shaped container, everything in the product comes from the buri palm tree.
The rubber boat comes in. Girl in the water is Mai-mai, Dia in the boat and Jo standing by on the left.
Lhei and Jen in a borrowed 'parao' trying their hands at paddling. Elbert, son of Luteng and Linda, keeping them company.
Jo and Dia after trying the rubber boat.
Lunch was rice with tinolang manok-Tagalog. This is native chicken cooked in broth with green papaya cubes. Since Rey had long arranged for two native chickens, there was enough to last till dinner-time again and still give portions to the same families. For merienda (afternoon snacks) they had tamales (local version of the Mexican tamales) and suman-sa-lihiya (glutinous rice soaked in water with lye extracted from wood ash, wrapped in banana leaves and boiled in water for four to five hours) sweetend with latik (syrup made from coconut milk and brown sugar, or preferably muscovado). The tamales came from the Batangas City public market, while the suman were earlier ordered by Rey and made by Linda and Lita.
After a day of swimming, snorkeling and looking around, the group had fried, freshly caught alumahan (a variety of mackerel) and more of the tinola for dinner. Since the sun never really showed up the whole day, the group decided to break ’camp’ and spend the last night at Luteng and Linda’s place.
Early Monday, 1st of December, the group was up by 0320H, had early breakfast of bread, cheese and coffee (except Dia who had choco-drink). By 0430H, they were at Mahabang Buhangin (literally ‘long stretch of sand’) waiting for the motor boat St. Paul which arrived at around 0510H. By 0610H, they were back at the docking area in Tabangao, and were soon on the way home. Rey, Jo and Dia were home before 1000H. Lhei reported getting home before 1030H.
Jen and Lhei waiting for St. Paul in the early morning. Linda and Lita keeping them company
Jo and Dia sit out the wait
Despite the early morning evacuation, the group enjoyed their stay in the island.
Note: All photos were taken by Rey Cuyugan which explains why he is not in any of the pictures.
