Day 115
We are up at 5am so we are in time for all the bargains and miss the crowds which appear after first mass has finished. We pick up an odd but friendly German (I think) man also called Goldie and it turns out him and Phil and Sue have a little rivalry for who can get all the best produce at the market, all in gest of course :)
The first one we go to is a vegetable market from the growers up the mountain and it's so colourful. I could eat it all. Sue goes round, grabbing bits and making deals and it's so fun to watch. Once the veg is got as well as some beautiful flowers, we drop these bits off at the car before heading to the uncover market to get everything else. This is also where we are having breakfast and it's of hot chocolate with warm sticky rice and mango and it's delicious. I'm quite keen on mangos at home but these are something else and if I ever spot any in the UK I'm going to buy a truck load. We are having a traditional Filipino dinner tonight and that's what Sue is trying to get fish for, no luck but we do see a very yummy (according to Ben, not me) spit roast.
Once we are back and after second breakfast, we grab the bike as there is more of the island that we want to see. First on our list is a zip line which goes over a lagoon, it's on the other side of the island and the ride there is as beautiful and interesting as it was the other day. After driving for about 30 minutes a sign points us up a dirt track on a steep hill, but when we get there the zip line looks deserted, so no zooming for us. Luckily our next thing we want to look at, the Clam Sanctuary is close by so it's not really a wasted journey.
We do get a little lost looking for this, as we are to mp busy nattering to pay attention to signs but we find it and after going down a very bumpy and then up a steep road, we arrive. It doesn't cost a lot to go in and for a little more, I think a £1 or so you can get a guide to take you snorkelling to the best parts and see the clams in the sea. First things first is going to the nursery to see the baby clams before they are put into the sea which also currently has a baby shark in, very cool. After learning a bit about the clams (did you know the colourful stuff on them is actually food? And they change sex depending on their age) we grab our snorkels and follow our guide to the beautiful blue sea.
Wow, just wow. It's got to be the best snorkelling I've ever done. First you go around the giant clams that are absolutely massive, then you make your way to the shallow nursery area but on the way we saw some absolutely huge coral and all manor of brightly coloured fish, including clown fish, parrot fish, Dorys, black and white ones and so much more. Annoyingly the battery died on the camera so we did get many pictures but it was really cool. Next you go to the shallow area and here you see some larger clams closer up and more of their first neighbours.
We were easily snorkelling for 45 minutes and it was amazing, even with the over amorous crab who wouldn't leave me alone. We come away both stunned and in awe and decide to grab some lunch before we take anything else in. I manage to burn my leg on the exhaust when we get back as I forgot what side to get out, idiot and ouch. After a quick lunch we go off to find a waterfall.
It's around the island a bit and we have to go up another nice, steep hill which the bike wasn't too keen on and I thought at one point I'd have to get off and walk but we made it. It cost us about 60p to go in and it an other oh my kittens in beautiful. I know I've said that about most of the island but really, it is amazing. Here, due to the mist from the waterfall, there are loads of dark leaf plants and brightly coloured flowers all surrounded a 70ft waterfall, that plunges into a pool you can swim in. Ben's desperate for a dip but I stupidly forgot to pack a tee, only my bikini (Filipinos are quite conservative) so I sit on the side and take snaps for him, he says it's refreshing which means cold so I'm not too fussed :D
We head back now for our feast and oh my we are spoilt. We have kinilau which is like raw fish in vinager and onions, aubergine salad and Ben has some of the yummiest beef he's swear he's even eaten. We sit around and chat for hours and it's so lovely as Phil and Sue are so nice and so friendly that they make us feel like family and it made me realise how much I'm missing mine.
Day 116
We are off for another adventure today and another island, Mantique. Now this is somewhere that I went to when I came before and one I actually remember, I know this is definitely going to be paradise. We are spoiling ourselves and getting a private boat from the guy next door, Bob, which will take us straight to the island from just outside Golden Sunset. Luxury.
The wicker picnic basket is out and Sue has made a delicious spread to take with us, including salad, pie, boudin cheese, faux caviar and crackers, yum can't wait to eat this. We set off with Bob and his girlfriend coming to in his glass bottom boat. It takes about an hour to get there and the boats loud but gives me chance to take in the scenery and check out all the fish that swim underneath. As soon as we docked, we went over to the picnic table and spread out the contents of the frankly delicious wicker basket. There is also a sneaky bottle of wine and a peanut fruit salad which we devour.
We eat and chat for so long though that we only have half hour to snorkel and I'm not even sure about that as I'm so full of food but we don our masks and set off. The first 5 or 10 minutes of swimming out you don't seen much apart from dead coral and the occasional fish but as you get closer to the jetty which is just at the edge of the snorkel area the place comes alive! There is bright coral underneath us and schools of fish of all shapes and colours swimming around us, it was amazing. The edge of the snorkel area just drops off and we see divers heading into its depth. We swim around taking snaps for ages and we are both in love but don't want to leave everyone else waiting so head back to the shore. It is easily the best underwater experience I have ever had and we both can't stop talking about it.
The trip back was a little rougher and a lot wetter than the way there and we all get soaked but it still can't dampen (get it?) our spirits. Bob is interested in Ben's snaps so after a quick dinner tonight we head over and Sue teaches me how to play a cool marble whilst Ben downloads the snaps. Another brilliant day in paradise.
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