A welcome parting of the ways

In the last week at Raja Ampat I made the choice for another spell relaxing in the Philippines. As I’d half promised Jaslyn, Zoe’s daughter, a beach holiday I thought I’d keep my word. My disdain with the provincial side of island life had diminished, the events that caused me so much stress were long gone, and I thought to end this particular journey negating the unpleasant experiences. So arrangements were made, carefully to minimise time spent in Valencia again. All I did was to stop overnight before heading south to Negros, beach bound. A list of potential beaches had been weighed up to mix good swimming beaches and decent offshore diving. Apo island was first choice, claiming to offer everything I was hoping for and falling within my set budget. It was a bit on the pricey side, but not bad as it was to cater for three people. (Photo: Stag horn beatle, which was huge - Our beach bungalow, Sugar Beach, Sipilay, Negros)

 

OK, so it was the wrong choice! When we got there the accommodation was even more expensive than thought, and there was little to choose from. It wasn’t just the expense though, the beach was appalling, not at all picturesque and almost nothing in the way of sand or decent swimming holes. The diving was prohibitively expensive for my budget, even without diving I hadn’t enough money for the planned month. So it was down to second choice, Sugar beach, an out of the way beauty spot that was low-key and very quiet. If only prices reflected this. It was certainly not cheap, in fact the budget accommodation failed to impress while the stylish up-market resorts were shockingly high priced. But I found a nice looking place, that was devoid of other tourists. Being at the end of the season there were few people around, but prices hadn’t been affected. By bargaining hard I procured a chalet rather than a room. With a large veranda, spacious sleeping quarters and fully equipped kitchen it met all our requirements. The only way we could afford to stay a full month was to cater for ourselves. (Photo: We adopted some newborn kittens - Sugar Beach, Sipilay, Negros)

That actually made for a more pleasant experience, shopping in the nearest town each week and never eating out. Maybe the others thought I was being tight fisted, but my budget was over twice what I could live on alone, and that was eating out and staying in a similarly priced pad. No-one minded in the slightest, going shopping was great fun. Sipilay market was buzzing, we could buy all we desired. After the first week we were recognised and the stallholders knew what to expect. Primarily that meant I was a lot fussier over the food I bought than most Filipinos. Only lean meat would do, choice cuts of fish were all I’d accept, and fruit and veg was carefully hand picked to get only the best. I spent about £40 a week, which included cigarettes and rum. To eat out along the beach that would only last a couple of days, with booze and fags. As with Asia in general the prices are rising exponentially. Domestic tourism is on the rise, the middle classes have money to burn and delight in doing so. (Photo: A hand sized arachnid, which remained hidden behind our door - Sugar Beach, Sipilay, Negros)

 The beach is fabulous, golden sand gently sloping far out from the shore. You had to walk a couple of hundred yards to get out your depth, so it was really safe for kids. Jaslyn loved it. Not having the faintest idea how to swim she was a bit nervous at first, but soon turned into a veritable water baby. Seeing how much she enjoyed it was lovely, it was hard to keep her out the water. Hours each day were spent swimming, leaping off boats and hurling herself into the water with nary a thought for her earlier anxiety. Life hadn’t been going well for them in Valencia, it was a welcome break. So much so that by the end of the third week they’d managed to make arrangements to remain in the area. For me this was just the break they needed, a new start to life. She’d made friends quickly, being very gregarious, and was delighted at the prospect of living there. Finding work would be easy for Zoe, in the high season. During low season she’d find it hard, which meant she’d have to use her whit’s to survive. It still had to be better than being treated as a family slave by her sister. For me my job was done, a whole new life lay in front of her, it was up to her to make something of it. (Photo: Sugary sand and candy floss clouds - Sugar Beach, Sipilay, Negros)

By and large I withdrew to a certain extent, sticking my head in a book much of the time. The early days there I spent a lot of time helping Jaslyn overcome her fear of water, which she did admirably. Within a couple of weeks I could pick her up and throw her as hard and far as possible while she shrieked in delight, begging for more all the time. I like to think I made an impression on her, which is more than I seemed to do with Zoe by the end of the month. I found I had to detach myself emotionally, there would be no continuation of our fraternisation. It had been quite hard work for much of the time, a lot of demands made on me, which I grew weary of. She is full of life, and has a heart of gold, but is so misdirected in life. Though streetwise she relies on others to dig her out the mire, rarely making the effort herself. She almost idolised me, which I never find easy to handle. I’m just a simple guy living a simple life, I don’t ask for a lot more, do I? (Photo: My nightly light show - Sugar Beach, Sipilay, Negros)