Langub Beach (Sugar Beach), Sipalay, Negros
Trip Start
Mar 29, 2008
1
7
9
Trip End
Apr 08, 2008
Sipalay,
Visayas,
Philippines
Friday, April 25, 2008
Matka jatku viimeks Dumaguetesta minivanilla kohti Sugar Beachia. Noukittiin matkalla viela Dauinista Nadinen kaveri Mark kyytiin ja kolmen ja puolen tunnin paasta oltiin Sipalayssa mista otettiin vene kohti Driftwood Villagea. Sipalayssa meil oli viel pizzatauko Driftwood Cityssa mika on ravintola siin rannalla.
Driftwood Village oli meian resortin nimi siella Sugar Beachilla ja sen omistaa Peter ja Daisy, joiden haihin me paastiin myos kuokkimaan. Peter on Nadinen, Raffin siskon, Sveitsin kamuja ja niinpa paikan paalla oli paljon sveitsilaisia ja osa Daisyn filippiinisukulaisia, oletan ;)
Me saatiin nipa hutti resortissa joka makso 800pesoa yolta. Hutit oli sijotettu puutarhaan ja koko paikka oli siks tosi kiva, erakkomainen niinku Robinsonin koti konsanaan. Paikka oli tosi rauhallinen ja valilla meil jopa oli tekemisen puutetta ennen ku loydettiin bilispoyta ja tikkataulu ;) ja olut..
Me viettettiin viis yota Driftwoodissa. Saa oli tosi huono, sato ekat kaks paivaa melko lailla koko ajan, aamusin paastiin uimaan mut muuten lueskeltiin kirjoja, pelattiin jotain tai hengailtiin muitten vieraitten kaa.
Me oltiin aika innoissamme et paastiin osallistumaan sveitsilais-filippiini haihin Driftwood Villagessa. Haat oli siis sunnuntaina ja sillon saakin sattu suosimaan. Mentiin kaheks viereiseen kirkkoon (tai no ne vieraat jotka mahtu, me oltiin muutenkin vahan kuokkavieraita ja pysyttiin ulkona) missa Daisy ja Peter vihittiin. Paikalla oli hirveesti kylalaisia ja sit tietty sukulaiset.
Driftwood Village and approaching storm
Haat oli ilmeisesti vahan suuremmalla mittakaavalla valmisteltu kun yleensa ja siks paikalliset oli mielenkiinnolla kattomassa paikan paalla mita siella tapahtuu. Morsian tuli sen perheen kanssa vesipuhvelin vetamana paikalle. Ne siis seiso sellasen bambukelkan paalla ja Tractor (vesipuhvelin nimi) veti ne kirkon eteen. haha.. oli aika hauska naky.
Yli tunnin paasta paastiin vihdoin rannalle jatkamaan haakemuja. Rannalla meiat aseteltiin istumaan, kaikki oli hienosti laitettu: poydat, ruuat, kaakut jne. Ja tietty koko yon grillattu kokonainen possu! (saatiin esimakua kun kuultiin sen raukka possun teurastus edellispaivana ja ma vannoin etten koske siihen lihaan...)
Daisyn ja Peterin sukulaistytot ja pojat oli hienosti pukeutunu. Miehilla oli paikalliset juhlapaidat ja morsiusneitokoorilla upeet iltapuvut. Ja tietty itse juhlapari naytti hyvalta myos! Raffi tais heittaakin et Peter on kun Anthony Banderas..haha.
Morsiusneidot esittikin hauskan tanssin ensimmaisena ohjelmanumerona siina syomisen ohessa. Ruokana oli paljon erilaisia lihasooseja ja grillatun possun lihaa, mika olikin hyvaa! :) Kivaa oli myos et ymparilla pyorineet kylalaiset paas myohemmin syomaan myos ylijaaneita ruokia mita olikin ilmeisesti paljon.
Morsiusneitojen tanssin jalkeen tais olla kaakun leikkuu ja viinipullon avaus. Kaakku oli ihan sairaan hienon nakonen...oikee maiskis maiskis vaikka se loppujen lopuks jaikin kai syomatta. No Raffille saatiin piffattua jostain pala mut muuten se "numero" meni ihan ohi kaikilta vierailta.
Morsiamen kimpunheiton vuoro tuli ja me Nadinen kanssa osallistuttiin vastahakosesti siihen.
Nature's colors
Mulla oli ensinnakin sellanen tunne et oon kuokkavieras mut menin sit kuitenkin ja sovittiin et seistaan takarivilla mihin se kimppu ei ainakaan lenna. Sen lisaks siel oli melkein kaikki morsiusneidot ja muutama muu eli ainakin paljon sinkkunaisia jotka varmasti nappaa sen meian edesta. Mut kavikin niin et se kimppu lens suoraan kohti meita (kts. Raffin todistefoto..;)) Nadine loikkas tarkotuksella pois tielta ja, noh, pakkohan mun oli se napata ettei kaakku mun takana menny pilalle..haha..selityksia...mut joo, se tuli suoraan kohti, niin simppelia se oli. Sen jalkeen ma jouduin esittelee itteni koko juhlavaelle, olin varmaan ihan punanen niitten sadan ja risat ihmisen eessa. Ja niin oli kyl Raffikin..haha.. ei hitto. Ja kun ma lopulta paasin Raffin viereen istumaan ja sanoin Raffille et varoo sen muovituolinsa kanssa et se kaatuu kohta ja Raffi heitti yhen parhaimmista vitseistansa et sil on mut ottamassa sen kiinni..haaahaa. ;D Kuulin loppuillan kommentteja millon on haat jne. Paastiin kuitenkin kaiken nauramisen jalkeen eteenpain ohjelmassa. Daisy ja Peter vapautti viel kaks kyyhkysta ja tanssi hitaan. Sen lisaks oli viel puheita.
Ruoka korjattiin suht nopeesti ja bandi jatko viela soittamista. Myohemmin oli viel rantadisco valoineen kaikkineen. Oli tosi kiva osallistua naihin haihin ja oli aika hienot rantahaat..romanttinen ymparisto vaikken mikaan romantikko ookaan. :)
Viini ja olut tais menna kuitenkin paahan niin nopeesti et mentiin suht aikasin meian bungalowiin nukkumaan.
Seuraava paiva meni chillatessa ja sita seuraavaks saatiin aikaseks snorklausretki.
Welcome to Driftwood Village Resort
Meressa oli hirveesti vaaleenpunasia suht isoja meduusoja matkalla meian snorklauskohteeseen. Snorklatessa nahtiin muutama vihasen nakonen pallokala ja pari pienta meduusaa. Snorklauksen jalkeen mentiin Easy Diving resorttiin kolalle ja vahan hengailemaan. Koko sen venematkan naky hienoja valkosia rantoja ja harmitti kun meil ei oo sen enempaa aikaa Filippiineilla teha beach ja isle hoppingia. :) Keskiviikkona oli aika jattaa hyvastit Driftwood Villagelle ja Raffin siskolle, joka jai viela lomailemaan sinne muutamaks paivaks. Ja taytyy sanoa et oli oikeesti tosi kivaa olla siella ja meil oli oikeen hauskat pelikorttisessiot kolmisin. :)
Sipalaysta otettiin paikallinen busa ja jouduttiin vaihtaa se pari kertaa matkalla ennen kun oltiin Dumagueten bussissa. Ekan vaihdon jalkeen seisottiin ihan taydes bussissa aika pitkaan. Katto tuli vastaan meita pitkia ja oltiin kun sillit purkissa ja nopeet soi hitaat kun paikat vapautu. Raffi seiso oviaukolla koko matkan ja siellahan on siis ovet auki koko matkan. Ma aina pelkasin et koht se tippuu ojaan sielta kun kuski pistaa hanaa...haha..mut joo, paastiin ehjana perille vaikka hermoja valilla kiristikin. Vika bussi oli kutenkin suht tyhja aircon ja sillon viimestaan helpotti. Dumaguetessa oltiin yo taas Worldview Pension Plazassa ja seuraavana aamuna jatkettiin lautalla Boholiin vikalle rantakohteelle.
Norsu
English:
Halloo.
So the minivan ride continued up until we reached Sipalay. On the way we picked up Mark, Nadine's friend, in Dauin.
The wedding begins
After three and half hours we were in Sipalay and had pizza in Driftwood City resto on the beach boulevard. Driftwood Village was our resort called in Sugar beach and it is owned by Peter and Daisy whose wedding we also got to participate in. Peter is Nadine's Swiss friend and Nadine is Raffi's sis (to clear things up if you haven't read previous entries). So there were lot of Swiss and Pilipino guests, relatives there. We stayed in nipa hut that cost 800pesos per night. The hut was very nice and airy and were located in a garden-like atmosphere, like Robinson's home. The resort was very calm and sometimes we were in lack of action. That was before we found the pool table and darts and started playing cards with Nadine. :)
We stayed in the resort for five nights. The first two days the weather was poor, it kept raining and we only swam in the morning when it still was clear. Otherwise we read books, played something and just kept hanging out with other guests.
We were pretty excited to participate in a Swiss-Filipino wedding in Driftwood Village by chance. The wedding was on Sunday and even weather happened to be good. The blessing started at two in the local church. There were numerous villagers and wedding guests there and we simply stayed out of the church since we were the kind of uninvited guests. The wedding were very interesting to the locals as I assume they hadn't experienced similar event earlier, not at the same measurement anyway.
Bride&parents dragged to church by Tractor
The bride and parents arrived on a bamboo sleight dragged by Tractor, the water buffalo. It was very musing! Over an hour later we headed to the beach to continue the wedding reception. The settled people down to tables and everything just looked lovely. And there was the over night barbecued piggy too! (we had foretaste the day before when they butchered the poor piggy and I said I won't touch the pork meat..) Daisy's and Peter's relatives were nicely dressed, men in local shirts and bridesmaids had beautiful eve gowns. And surely bride and groom were very lovely too. Raffi even joked about Peter looking like Anthony Banderas, and yes there was some similarities! :)
The bridesmaids had great entertainment number as they had made a dance show while we ate. Food was very meaty but good, with different meats and sauces, rice and pork meat chunks that were great! I also liked the fact that the locals, villagers received some food too after guests were finished and I think there was pretty much left so it was nice. After the bridesmaids number I think the newlyweds cut the cake and opened a wine bottle. The cake looked delicious! Raffi managed to have one piece later but otherwise the cake and food disappeared so fats we missed it.
After cake cutting there was the bride threw the bouquet. First of all felt like a gatecrasher at the party and was a little reluctant to attend to that but went with Nadine after all. We had a plan to stay in the back row so that we don't in any case get it.
Bride
Besides us there were all the bridesmaids and few other unmarried woman and so the chance of having the bouquet was very limited... ;) But did it happen that the bunch of flowers flew straight to us, Nadine jumped away from it and I just had to grab it before it hit the cake.. I know, explanations... hahah.. but sincerely, it came straight towards us.. see Raffi's pic. After that I had to introduce myself to all the hundred and more guests and and I must have been as red as rose at that point! But so was Raffi too!hahaha... When I finally got to my seat and mentioned to Raffi to watch out in his chair as it looked like it's falling in the soft sand and he laughed saying: I have you to catch me up! hahaha...very funny.. so I most likely earned another nickname too, the Catcher.. ;D
After all the laughing there was other numbers still in the programme. Peter and Daisy released two doves, slowdanced and few guests had speeches. The band kept playing and later there was beach disco with lights and all. It was a pleasure to be part of the wedding day and we did enjoy it. The beach atmospehere was very romantic even though Im not into cheesy stuff. ;)
We turned in quite early though, it must've been the wine and beer that caught us.
The next day was chilling out and the day after we went snorkkeling with others. There were so many pink jellyfish in the sea on our way to final destination! Luckily we only saw two small ones in the end. More like two evil looking bufferfish and others. After snorkkeling we had cola in Easy Diving Resort. The beaches we saw during the boatride were beautiful and it's a pity we don't have more time in the Philippines to do beach and isle hopping!
On Wednesday it was time to say goodbye to Driftwood Village and Nadine, who stayed there still few more days. I must say in the end I enjoyed the peace and quiet there and it was fun especially playing cards with nadine and Raff, we had pretty good sessions there, singing Chasperli (however you write it. ) ! :D
From Sipalay we took a local bus to Dumaguete, although we had to change buses twice. After the first change we had to stand nearly the whole 1,5hours. The roof met our heads Westerners are we are and it was very intimate as more and more people filled the bus. Raffi stood at the entrance and they have the door open in the bus the whole ride so when the bus driver hit the gas I was afraid Raffi will hit the ditches sooner or later..haha.. we survived the trip and the episode was behind us as soon as we jumped on the next bus with aircon and lots of space. In Dumaguete we spent one night in Worldview Pension Plaza again and the next morning took a ferry to Bohol, our final beach location in the Philippines.
Nora
