RO-RO TO CALAPAN !!

During the last part of November Mifu’s study team consisting of 7 members were supposed to visit for their RAA (rapid area analysis). The place chosen for the study was Calapan city. It’s a sea-side town located in Oriental Mindoro. The study tour was for 1 week.
Mifu wasn’t sure if I & Raheel could accompany the team. After consulting the team members it was decided that I could join the trip! I was delighted as it would be my first visit to a Filipino city outside Manila. Since Calapan is situated on a different island, we had to travel by the ferry as well. Early on the morning of 30th Nov, the team members met at the lobby of AIM. Chola & Gucci (Mifu’s team mates) brought their SUVs that would take us to Calapan. The group split into two & got into the vehicles. While Gucci had a driver, Chola car was driven by Titan (another Filipino team mate). We were in Chola’s Land Rover.
The drive to the port of Batangas took about 2 ½ hours. By 11.30 we reached Batangas & all agreed to have an early lunch before boarding the ferry. After a hearty meal in a Max’s Burger outlet, we were on our way to the port. Incidentally, Batangas port is one of the busiest in the Phils. Very soon we boarded a Ro-Ro for a 2 ½ hour sail to Calapan city! RO-RO is short for Roll on-Roll off. It’s basically a big ferry which can carry cars & small trucks as well. The upper deck has a spacious AC passenger lounge with television and even a mini snack bar.
The RO-RO lifted anchor at 2pm from Batangas. We made ourselves comfortable in the lounge. But as the ferry began its smooth sail, none of us could resist the temptation of climbing up to the second level of the ferry to get a feel of the cool sea breeze. Pictures were taken and video recordings were done by most of the team members to capture the lovely seascape of the Phils! Margaret, the 1year old daughter of Gucci, became the star attraction of our journey. She was accompanying her dad to Calapan which happens to be her grandparents’ home. Little Margaret moved about fearlessly & kept all of us in amusement. The sea wind soon made everyone sleepy & so most of us tried to doze off for a while.
After almost 2 hours, we caught the first glimpse of Calapan at a distance. As the RO-RO made its way towards the port, we noticed small boys not more than 11 or 12 years swimming near the ferry. They called upon the passengers who were looking down at the waters to throw coins. The boys were quite expert divers & had the swiftness to search the coins from under water in no time!! However, once the coins are thrown those become the property of the young divers! Chola almost emptied her coin purse to relish the expertise of those amazing boys.
We headed for the Anahaw Island Resort after disembarking. The resort was located in the outskirts of Calapan city. There was a private beach & the atmosphere was serene. Both Raheel & I were excited as we could enjoy the beach which was so close by! Having checked in at the cozy bamboo cottages of Anahaw, we took an early dinner. The resort’s restaurant was just by the sea & one gets a real feel of the waves lashing so close.
The next seven days were grueling for the study team. They left for work after an early breakfast and returned late in the evenings. Raheel & I had a good time at the beach meanwhile. Though Raheel wasn’t too enthusiastic to get into the water yet he gradually went ahead on seeing the other kids having such a great time. I enquired about the city market from the hotel staff & was informed that it was only a 10 minute drive by a tricycle. So we called a tricycle (remember the one used in the movie Sholay?) and soon we headed for downtown Calapan. Raheel was too amused to ride the tricycle. It is the most convenient way to move around the place & is also quite cheap! The market place was big considering the size of the city. There were roadside vendors selling local products, even Chinese toys & accessories. We discovered the only department store of Calapan & did some window shopping! There were wholesale shops selling toys, bags & even casual wear. In fact the place turned out to be quite a less expensive shopping delight.
Near the market stood the majestic Calapan Cathedral. A short walk took us to the City Plaza. It has a nice park with a small fort & a fountain. The park is dedicated to Jose Rizal, one of Philippines’ national heroes. Moving around Calapan city market was fun & all for just 10 pesos to reach there!
Having stayed at Anahaw for 4 nights, it was decided that we shift to another resort called Parang Beach Resort. So we moved to Parang on day 5. The independent cottages of the resort are neat & cozy. Here too there’s a provision to dine outside while enjoying the sea breeze & the lashing of the waves. This resort, however, is a little farther from downtown Calapan & it cost me 20 pesos to ride a tricycle from there.
Ms. Remi, mom-in-law of Gucci, invited all of us for dinner at her farmhouse while at Calapan. Her late husband was the ex- governor of Calapan. The farmhouse is a sprawling one with many fruit trees & a big vegetable garden as well. The food was obviously lip-smacking! Gucci’s wife is a chef at a hotel in Manila & she took the pain of coming to Calapan especially for the dinner hosted by her mother.
The day 7, being a Sunday, the team decided to take a trip to Puerto Galera. It is a two hour drive from Calapan. Puerto Galera is a beautiful town with lovely white sand beaches. After arriving there we met the members of another MDM team who were doing their RAA in Puerto Galera. We headed for the famous white beach at once & had a good time there. Later lunch was served at the guest house where the other team had put up. Chicken Adobo & sea fish were devoured hungrily by all!! Having relaxed for a while, our team thought of taking a boat ride in the sea. It was indeed an awesome experience. The breeze was strong & the landscape breathtaking! Taking us at a great speed for almost half an hour, the boat slowed down as it approached a small island. In fact it was a perfect spot for snorkeling & diving. The swimmers in the team volunteered to get a view of the marine life & put on the snorkeling gear quickly. The non-swimmers like me & some others remained on the boat & admired the beauty around us. Some 20 minutes later the swimmers were back & said that the underwater view was simply amazing with coral reefs, colorful fish & marine vegetation. The non-swimmers sulked as a life time chance was missed! We got back to the white beach by 4.30pm & went to the guest house to freshen up. By 5pm, we were heading back to Calapan as the next was going to the last day of work for the team.
In the afternoon of 8th Dec, we bid goodbye to the little city of Calapan. Boarding the RO-RO from the port we sailed back to Batangas & reached Manila around 7.30 in the evening. A memorable trip to a beautiful island city of the Philippines!