SE Asia 2018, June 7-11 - Day 3, Moalboal

June 9.

I was told that it would be an early morning, but since I didn't need too long to get ready, I was woken up shortly before we were ready to leave.  I'd been told that there would be multiple family members going, but when I opened the door to confirm that I was ready to leave whenever everyone else was, I saw that the entire family, almost literally, was coming with us, and we weren't riding in a caravan.  We would be traveling Filipino-style, which means everyone piles into the back end of a truck with benches, towels, pillows and blankets, and enjoys the drive to wherever we're headed.  It wasn't something I expected at all, because we just don't do it that way in the Western world, but far be it from me to complain about something that the vast majority of the world seems to do without blinking an eye.  And hey, when in Rome.  I'm not one to complain about things being different, or weird, I just simply accept that things are different in other places and I'm perfectly okay with that and will happily go along with it.  It didn't feel any more dangerous to be on the back of that truck than it would in a normal car, and besides, I was with people legitimately having fun and enjoying themselves, and who was I to ruin their fun?  So I got into the truck, sat down, and enjoyed the trip that ended up taking way longer than an hour and a half (not like I was counting, or complaining).  So there I was, in a truck with 29 other people (no lie, we were 30 people), headed to the beach.


What made the trip out to Moalboal take that much longer was a pit stop in the market town of Carcar, which happens to be known for selling the best lechon in Cebu.  If you're not familiar with the Philippines, lechon is roasted pig.  It's a delicacy across the country, but Cebu lechon is supposed to be the best of the best.  So if you tell someone in the Philippines you got a lechon from Carcar, everyone knows immediately that you got the best of the best.  So guess what was picked up for lunch at the beach.

A vegan's worst nightmare.  Which is why I'm not vegan.  This stuff is f'ing delicious.

Along with chicharon (spelled Filipino-style; I've always known it as chicharrón, though there's literally no difference in meaning, just the way it's prepared) and fresh mangos and more rice, we were ready to keep moving on with the trip.

Pink and white bougainvillea in Carcar

YAY OCEAN

This is why the Philippines exports so many coconuts.

Again, I'm obsessed with coconuts.  And the trees they come from.

The trip ended up taking us over 4 hours, not including the pit stop in Carcar to pick up lechon and other comestibles that took over an hour.

But it was so worth it once I saw this:

Because there is nothing better than turquoise water, a blue sky, and white coral sand.

First order of business was to eat all this delicious food, and I felt awful my digestive system was still deciding not to work properly, but I ate everything that I could, including dessert, because lechon is incredibly delicious, the rice wonderful, and the fresh mangos divine.  And as long as I ate as much as I could and audibly voiced my appreciation after every bite, there were no accusations that I was one of those weird Americans who doesn't eat food she's never come into contact with.  I pride myself on being willing to eat just about everything, whether I end up liking it or not, with the exception of most cheeses (which actually does make me sad that I can't stomach it because cheese is a point of pride for so many European cultures).

I believe this isn't quite what's called a Boodle Fight in the Philippines, but close enough.

After that, it was a typical day at a tropical beach (albeit with somewhat choppier waves than normal due to the storms in the Pacific), complete with hanging out with random people you meet through sharing a wall with another "cottage" who keep offering you shots of brandy that was originally thought to be rum, who then do their best to reiterate that they don't represent every Filipino, just the speaker, but who still show you a wonderful time just like everyone else.

Moalboal beach panorama

Typical Cebuano fishing boats used for ferrying, moored due to the fact that the waves were so rough

I really could not get enough of the views.

PINK PLUMERIA!

The wonderful thing about this beach was that though there were a few foreigners, the vast majority of beachgoers were locals.  I loved that.

My obsession with palm trees is legit.

It was an exhaustingly exhilarating day.  Tropical beaches with turquoise water and coral sand are things that I will never grow tired of.  Having spent the vast majority of my life in places where we do not have coral beaches and a true tropical experience, I relish every experience I have.  Both Martinique last December (my first official taste of the Tropics and the Caribbean) and the Philippines.  The weather was slightly better in Martinique and the beaches were nicer as a result, but Moalboal certainly made me excited to want to spend so much more time in the Philippines than just a few short days.