They’ve been waiting for me more than an hour after the agreed meeting time. I needed to withdraw pocket money and since LRT is not a safe place to do that, I traveled some kilometers away from home just to take some bucks because coincidentally the nearest ATM I know is offline. Er.

They’re calling me, sending me SMS. ‘Anong oras ka darating?’ I replied to Jema. ’2:17PM’ which is the actual estimated time to be at the Buendia slash Gil Puyat station. Later, I found out that they thought that my reply is an irritated remark which is of course not the case. ‘Naku, Jonas, ‘pag tayo magsasagwan nito?!’

We should catch the last ferry trip to Puerto Galera. It was off-peak season and the number of trips was stripped out a little. We’re lucky and the bus station flew immediately right after we jumped in not until the South Luzon Expressway slowed us.

It was 5:15PM and we caught the last and latest trip. Lucky strike 2. That was close. The ferry immediately swam the waters of Batangas to Mindoro. Thank you Lord. You really wanted me to experience this.

Sail by night just in a nick of time

This is my second time to Galera while Coleen and Jema would be their first. The excitement was still there with me because previously I went at Gale with a love pair and this time with six friends including Ronald, Chris, Joel and Jannie. Unlike the first trip, we’re traveling at the dark. We arrived at the capitol, I think of the municipality of the White Beach, after a stopover at the residence-filled town of Sabang.

We’re really hungry yet we still not sure of the inn where we would spend our nights together. (Crooning…Sharing the night together… oohh). Good thing is what Ronald reserved earlier exceeded our expectation. It was a better accommodation – three beds in a spacious room enough to hold us.

So we solved our gastronomic problems to a rice-all-you-can stall which was I ignored on our first trip because they serve usual canteen food. Well, for the people who are starving, big serving of rice is definitely a treat. I ordered three sticks of barbeque aside in case I won’t like their tapa. In fairness, the meal’s good and had the chance to watch the ending of Kokey. Wahaha! Kapamilya pa rin ang mga taga-Mindoro!

We went to the inner residential area of the White Beach to buy groceries. We went back and decided to spend the night with Magic Sing which Jannie brought. Since everyone’s tired, the real night life would push through on the next night.

Kainis nung kumanta na si Ronald! OMG. Galing. Nahihiya pa sya sa lagay na yun. He opened up one time that he had a 1:1 videoke showdown with his, ehem, partner Lala. Then I knew that time, he must be a song-er. Grabe. Ang dami ko ng kalaban! I feel that I would be always on the bottom three if there’s such a Videoke Idol on ERP. The videoke lasted when everyone (except me) decided to sleep. Hmpf.

The next day got more fun. They ate European breakfast to my dismay (and envy). We planned to dip on the Galera waters before lunch but Paris has invited us to have Barcode hennah tattooed us. I never had it since Galera and Bora so this would be my first. ‘Nagpunta pa ng Galera kung hindi ako magpapahennah.’. That also convinced Coleen too who had Heroes sign in the body also. Since we should wait at least an hour before exposing ourselves to the sun, we stayed at our room and watched Game KNB?

Sleepy Paris Hilton of Barcode Gallery

Heart w/ Cross. Rosary w/ Cross. Patrick. Heroes. Heroes.

The other three boys decided to plunge into the waters. The girls shop. Meanwhile, I took pictures and hunt wrong grammar signs. Puerto Galera never failed me and here’s what I’ve got. I’m going to have a Multiply album about similar signs. We ate lunch. They have decided to island hop after and not tomorrow morning. So we did.

Before dipping

Ronald is a very good negotiator. Nakakatawa siya kasi bad-trip-an ang style nya. Something that I can apply on salary negotiations when it’s time to. Wehehehe. So every salesman that comes near, we pushed them to Ronald. His previous visits made him knowledgeable on the kalakaran. 1000 bucks for covered boat good for a dozen is a good buy – only few bucks on top of what we paid before and sent us on farther distance. My snorkling now is better. We asked them to pull us and be superman flying on top of the coral reefs – better view on what I’ve seen before. We continued our island hopping and had a last stop on a whiter shoreline owned by Ayala and took photos.

The celebrants and financiers.

It’s almost six when we came back to our room to rinse ourselves from salt water. Then, we dined in to one of the rightmost stations. 300 bucks for grilled squid is really expensive compared to Gerry’s and Dencio’s but we’re in Galera so expect that’s the price. Visible from where we eat, there are gays on the other bar showcasing their talent – gymnastic talent. Katakot but Jannie is entertained.

We continued to stroll the beach waiting for the night life time. This is it. May called me and asked me to taste Mindoro’s Sling. And that’s our next trip. Some stayed at the room while waiting for the Ronald’s massage. But it’s a no-deal for Ronald when the price for a massage is 200 pesos. Ayun! Nagsour-grape na siya hehe. It would be a body scrub because the hands of the lady masseur are sandy. Tapos huhubaran ka pa sa madaming tao. Ipapasok sa kaloob-looban yung mga kamay nila. (That I remember Dionne of PBB2 and Hope Centeno of infamous Vicky Belo Tomas Morato) Eh buti pa nga daw dun, at least mabango yung gagamitin. Dito magiging biko ka. He’s referring to the coconut oil.

Lady masseurs eating their lunch before Ronald dumped them

So our plan B is to stroll further and farther to dim shores of White Beach. Jannie asked us to leave her because it’s really dark on that area and she said she would wait for her prince charming. I asked her to look back and said that one of those tomadors would be her destiny. When she noticed she would not love anyone from those circle, she joined us in our scary trip. By the way, Chris has seen a ghost while on our way to White Beach at the back of Coleen. With that story, this is going to be fun. Pinuluputan talaga ako ni Jannie para hindi ko siya iiwan pag nagtakbuhan na. Hahaha. But actually, the place is similar to the purpose of Sunken Garden at late night. Lovers, you know what I mean. When Jannie recognized that we’re not stopping, she requested us to go back. And that’s when the real thrill began. Since we’re trekking with dark behind us, pag kinalabit ‘tong si Jannie, magwawala yun. So I asked Ronald to scare Jannie. Tili talaga ‘tong si Jannie. Syempre ako, tangan tangan nya. So kaladkad naman ako. Tawa kami nang tawa nina Ronald and Chris. It’s spontaneous practical joke. We asked Jannie that don’t tell it to Coleen who we wish to victimize next.

We called those who are in the room to go out and drink. We ordered a pitcher of Mindoro Sling. What a nondrinker like me knows is that it’s a concoction of pomelo and alcohol. Ang tagay namin is that of the height of smallest taho cup. The crowd is generally peaceful except on the drama (teleserye) Jannie and Coleen are watching. The sound is now new compared to what to Irreplaceable-Don’t Matter back-to-back-repeat playlist I heard before. After the fourth cup, nahihilo na ako. But I said to myself, mind over matter lang ‘to. Sa kaka-mind over matter ko, nandadaya na daw ako. Nang-aagaw na raw ako ng may tagay ng may tagay. The two pitchers of Mindoro Sling were shared by Ronald, Chris and I. Tama ba yun? Tinamaan nga ako.

Lasheng na. Ganun pala yun. Alam kong daldal ako nang daldal. Pero sobra daw ako sa explanation. Lahat na lang daw pinansin ko. So starting from the spot where we drunk way up to our room, ang ingay ingay ko daw – raised to the nth power of the usual Jonas. Alam kong katext ko pa si Myk nun. So I stop walking once in a while to text. On reality and the conscious world, nagpapaiwan daw ako. Hinihila na lang ako ni Ronald nun. I don’t know if May called me or I called May. Basta the next day, they said I’m updating May daw on every activity my roommates are doing. Status update?! Hehehe… They continue videoke-ing on the room. Ang kulit kulit ko pa rin daw. I’m aware that I’m asking people to sing these songs for me which I usually do on despedida nightouts. Pero dun daw ang sabi ko, “Jannie, kantahin mo to ha. ‘Pag di mo ‘to kinanta, galit na tayo!’ Then, I threw up on the CR. I heard Chris saying “Ui, si Jonas nagkalat sa CR”. Syempre I defended myself that I’d cleaned the restroom. But I’m not aware saying that ‘Chris, wag mo naman akong siraan sa kanila. Malinis ang pagkakalinis ko dito.’ (I’m laughing when I heard this.) Then, I pulled Ronald to check what I did. Tapos ang kulit-kulit ko pa rin daw kasing ilang confirmation pa ba ang kelangan ko. ‘Eh kasi si Chris, sinisiraan ako eh.”. Wala na talaga akong matandaan nung nakahiga na ako sa kama, then eto daw yung huling eksena. Ronald had enough of me. ‘Fuck off’, he shouted. But Coleen who is currently singing thought that he was asked by Ronald to stop singing. So mega ligpit naman si Coleen. Jannie said ‘Coleen, hindi ikaw yun, si Jonas yun’. Tapos ako naman daw tawa nang tawa sa pangyayari.’ Nahurt yata si Coleen so tuloy na lang siya sa pagligpit.

I won’t take two-third pitcher of Mindoro sling again.

So the next day, I’m the bida. Should I say kontrabida? Hehe. Well, that’s the price. I’ve warned them that I’m not drinker, someone who is not among Ronald’s categories of drinkers – social drinker, birthday drinker and fiesta drinker.

I won’t take two-third pitcher of Mindoro sling again.

After we ate our breakfast, we bummed at the beach while others building their sandcastle. After an hour, I bought souvenirs for my mom, HP Parokya friends and memorabilia for Kapuwersa – the same task of giving items like those in the Bora. The shop owned by a La Salle alumna retouched my Heroes tattoo.

Spoof Bottles for Ma-BOTE-ng mga Kaibigan

We rinsed again just in time for our 12PM departure. We were brought again to the capitol via tricycle. A personnel of the ferry recommended a carinderia/turo-turo. Since mayaman naman daw kami sabi ni Jannie, so we ate our lunch to a cozy-European-themed restaurant. The price of the food is skyrocketing high as that of the White Beach. This is because that area is the parking lot of the yachts in Puerto Galera – a harbour point.

We went back to Batangas pier with a bumpy ride. We needed to stop in a while because the waves are really shaking the ferry. It’s fun actually. I saw two dolphins to my delight. The other six didn’t see that though. We reached the pier past two. All of them bought pasalubong, sweets and pastries, but I opted not to. Hindi naman sila mahilig sa ganyan and madami sa Bulacan except those piyaya’s.

The group split into to Cubao and Buendia bound. It is six in the evening when I reached home and sad.

It is a realization that Ronald, Coleen and Chris left company. I feel Jannie’s sadness because even I have personal moments with these people. I don’t normally go out with them daily but I’m always welcomed. Kapuwersa has always a special place in my heart. I’ll be missing my first crush, Coleen. Hindi lang natuloy. Ewan ko ba? Those churva quotes on decision making. I won’t forget that. Chris would always be my favorite rakista among HP jammers. Rock on! Pag nakikita kong pumuputok na yung fit shirt mo, sabi ko, may pag-asa pa ako. Si Mr. Ronald po is my best Kapuwersa buddy. Makulit at keri ang pagiging isip bata ko. I will definitely miss those times you join me eating kahit ako lang yung kakain. And of course, the G4* and L7* issues where I also learned from you.

Aalagaan ko si Jannie dito. Basta. I love you guys. Kung nasabi ko man ito nung lasheng ako, eto serious na. ‘Till we meet again.