Puerta Galera adventure/ Ponderosa Golf Club

July 23  3 pm Wednesday

Randal is off giving a boat tour to some New Zealanders so I get the computer for a bit!  So to continue with the Puerta Galera adventure…..

After Tamaraw Falls we went on to Ponderosa Golf Club with a stop first to pick up our new dinghy anchor.  Randal had supplied the materials for the shop to use and they made a wonderful little anchor.The labor cost $8.

clip_image002 The welding shop on the road out PG that went on to Calapan.

clip_image004 Carol with the anchor.  It looks vaguely like something to ward off vampires! 

Then on to the Ponderosa Golf Club.  Carol is a golfer and had been told about its beautiful setting on a mountainside. 

“Ponderosa Golf Club Puerto Galera has been cut out of the mountain, nearly 2,000 feet above sea level.

It overlooks the stunning  Puerto Galera and in the distance you can see Batangas on the island of Luzon.”       It’s a nine hole par 3 course.

clip_image006  This is the view from the top of the mountain.  One of those little boats is Doramac.

clip_image008 It was a lovely setting.  Not sure if this was a private home or part of the course.  We could see a wonderful empty room with a tile floor, and lots of windows as the top floor.

clip_image010  What a great room!  You could paint, do yoga, read, stare into space!

clip_image012  Not far from where Carol is standing is the T.  The hole is down the mountain!  Some tough course.

clip_image014  The owner was American and a fan of the show. (I think.)

Our next stop, and last of day 2 was White Beach.

Puerta Galera continued; White Beach

July 23, 2008  3:10 pm Wednesday

Randal and I had been to White Beach but Carol hadn’t so off we went after our visit to Ponderosa.  Plus we’d had a tip that the best Halo Halos were to be had at White Beach and where to find them.  That alone would have been enough for Carol and me.   And I have lots of photos of Carol eating her halo halo and there are lots of me eating mine.  None of them were the least bit flattering since one had to really open wide to get that stuff in.  So no photos of us chowing down the halo halo. But, unfortunately I didn’t take many other photos. 

Our first stop at White Beach was for a halo halo.  Randal had a beer.

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A little of this and that…                                                                        Lots of crushed ice………………….                                                 Milk poured on top and then Ube spread to finish.

After I had literally scraped my glass clean it was time to go for a walk along the beach.

clip_image007  Randal walked the plank.  I took off my shoes and walked through the water.

clip_image009   We watched several men move a banca out of the water.

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clip_image019  Then we watched the sun set. The end of our second day of adventure

I need to mention that I have mixed my photos and Carol’s together.  Obviously if I’m in the photo, Carol was taking it and visa versa.  Every now and then Randal took my camera, but not so often that I need to share photo credit with him. 

Our last adventure was a visit to the Moorings Hotel near the PG Yacht Club for brunch the last day of Carol’s visit.

Puerto Galera adventure last morning

Carol didn’t stay on DoraMac with us, too rolling for her since we were anchored out.  All of those bancas going by made lots of waves.  She stayed at the hotel just up the hill from the PG Yacht Club.  The Moorings was developing more facilities that would include space for conferences and more upscale demand.  Carol had asked if they would provide a tour and brunch for us Monday morning before she would leave.  They had agreed.  So after an early morning swim off the back of DoraMac, we all took the service boat back to The Moorings. 

clip_image002  Our private table

clip_image004 Our view

clip_image006 Presidential suite

clip_image008  Interesting art there too.  I think the owner was Chinese and American…or I’m making up facts again…

clip_image010 It really was a lovely spot surrounded by jungle.

clip_image012 Sadly, it was time for Carol to go back to Makati.  You can see Doramac off in the middle of the picture.  This is the banca she would take to get back to Batangas and her car.

clip_image014 Carol waving good-bye.

clip_image016  It was a great visit! 

As you can tell all of our adventures with Carol have been wonderful.  Saying good-bye was very hard……….But someday……….

So ends our Puerto Galera adventure with Carol Carino.