Puerto Galera x Earthquake

Last April 8, 2017, my friends and I went on yet another beach adventure. We spent three nerve wracking, adrenaline-inducing, sun-filled days at White Beach Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro. From Alabang, we rode a bus to Batangas Port, and from there we boarded a boat which in all honesty wasn’t my most favorite part of the trip to our destination. That 1 hour-or-so boat ride was too overwhelming for me since it’s my first time, but luckily, I was able to keep my nausea at bay so there wasn’t any throwing up involved. Each time my insides did a 360° turn and back I just closed my eyes and prayed to God to spare me and have mercy on the people within a 2-mile radius. It got better on the way home, though–I didn’t feel dizzy at all. In fact, I was able to munch on some snacks and succeeded in managing my whole digestive system.

At around 10 AM, we finally arrived after what seemed to be the longest 1 hour ride of my life; however, we had to wait for a little less than 2 hours for the check in time. We decided to grab some breakfast at a random restaurant which quickly became our favorite spot because of their superb customer service, not to mention their fire dancing skills. So we just hung out for a bit while our room was being prepared. I ordered tuna omelette (because duh, breakfast), while the others had pork adobo, japchae and a dish that looked more like a beef caldereta than beef stroganoff. Didn’t get the chance to take a picture of our meal because we were obviously too famished. As promised, we got settled in by 12 PM. The room was nice–nothing too fancy schmancy. In it were two beds that could fit a total of 5 slim people and possibly 2 toddlers, one very awesome bathroom because of the heater (not that I needed it lol), a small TV which would seem just like a big rock to a teenager, an old-looking closet, cupboards, etc. We took an involuntary nap because our flabby bodies needed a little energy to face the day ahead of us; however, we were awoken by a shake. It felt like someone was rocking the bed really hard and even before I opened my eyes, I knew what it was. Our room was on the 2nd floor and so we hurriedly ran down the stairs to look for an open space. As we reached the ground it was still continuously shaking and for a second there I didn’t know what to do because no matter how far we go, we were surrounded by water and you know what might come after that. Guests from nearby resorts were already outside the building when we got out and you can clearly see the fear in their eyes. We waited there for approximately 30 minutes and then went back to our room to fix our stuff in case anything crazy happens. The most frightening thing about it is it’s just been a couple of days since the last earthquake hit the same area (Batangas), and it’s really inevitable for a commoner like me to jump into conclusions. I’m honestly so proud of myself for not going into a full-blown panic attack. *pats self on the back* According to the news, the 5.6 and 6.0 magnitude earthquakes we experienced cannot generate a tidal wave and that’s probably where we regained our confidence to just enjoy our vacation with an aftershock here and there.

Here’s some photos taken from our phones :

Click here to watch Ian’s vlog

Our hearts grew very heavy knowing that it’s time to part ways with the sea. For me it’s almost the same as breaking up with someone you’ve been with for a long time, and leaving is just so hard and unbearable. Unfortunately, good things come to an end. This trip is definitely one for the books, though!

“commori tibi caelestes”