This travel experience shows that travel isn`t always easy peasy

The boatride from Odiongan to Tablas Point Resort

After our 3 days in Romblon we were back in San Augustin on Tablas Island. Unfortunately we missed the jeepney to Odiongan, but caught a tuk tuk that could take us there. Definitely the more uncomfortable and noisy option for such a long distance, but it was still a travel experience we will not forget so soon. A tuk tuk ride in the Philippines is a small adventure in itself anyway.

The island of Tablas offers an extremely diverse nature. On our trip we saw a lot of green, a hilly landscape and many rice fields.

It`s a pity that I didn`t take a closer look at this island in advance and used it only as a stopover to get from Caticlan to Romblon and back. If we will ever make a trip to the Philippines again, I would definitely plan more time on the island of Tablas. Also the sunsets at Tablas Point and this part of the island in general are said to be beautiful. Unfortunately we missed them on both evenings, but I`ve seen photos of them that speak volumes.

That`s how the adventure ride was

In Odiongan our biggest adventure of this 3-week trip started. First of all we had no idea where exactly the responsible staff of the Tablas Point Resort would pick us up, so we took a look around the small harbor. Immediately we got company from some Filipinos with their scooters and tuk tuks. They were curious what we were looking for and wanted to help us. Waiting for a banca, we answered them. There`s no more Banca today, only tomorrow. If they should help us to find a place to stay for the night, they asked us. We explained to them that we didn`t want to get a public banca, but to be picked up from our resort.

So we spent the next hour waiting. It can happen sometimes, we thought.Not everywhere in the world is the Swiss punctuality (not even with me ;-)). More and more people showed up to pick up their loved ones from the last banca of the day.

It was very interesting to watch how the people were picked up by their families and friends and who and what fit in and on the sidecar of a tuk tuk.

When the crew of Tablas Point arrived, we were very happy. It was already quite dark when we could board.

Ahm yeah, technically we could have made it back without any problems before it was completely dark, but not if the crew tells you that they have to go and fill up the petrol canisters first… The man who wanted to help us shortly before offered to take her to the next gas station with his tuk tuk.

Okay, we figured. What the heck. It’s not gonna take that long. Wrong thought, almost another hour later the ride could finally start.

In complete darkness on the open sea

The last daylight was saying goodbye and the waves had still not calmed down completely because of the storm. Anyway, the 1.5 hour will pass by soon. Again wrong thought. The front light of the banca was somehow unsteady and didn`t work most of the time, which meant that one of the crew had to lay down in front of the bow with a flashlight and at least helped the captain to get some light like this. Also he was able to observe the waves at the same time. The darker it got, the less we saw and the slower we sailed. I felt more and more queasy. I`ve never been out at sea in complete darkness. Sometimes we were near a coast, which was good for my nervousness. At least that way we would be found sooner, in case something happened, I thought in silence. But sometimes we were in the middle of the sea, which was quite a disturbing feeling.

Bravely I squeezed my husband’s hand until he whispered to me a little later, asking me if I was not so comfortable either. Well, then I`m not the only one who`s scared, I answered him.The journey lasted what felt like an eternity. But then it was only about 3 hours.

Finally this travel experience came to an end!

When we finally had solid ground under our feet again, we were really happy. Yes we wished for an adventure, but a little less action would not have bothered us. 😉 Tasha asked us immediately why we only arrived now and we explained the situation to her. She couldn`t understand the crew why they had not filled up the tanks before departure. The fact that they picked us up too late unfortunately happened because they had to pick up other guests before us and this took a little longer than expected because of the turbulent water. But the crew is very experienced and has the banca under control even in extreme situations and if it should be too dangerous, they won’t send them. We felt well taken care of by them on the high seas, but of course we were uncomfortable in spite of it.

We were glad to be back and were looking forward to a delicious dinner.

Tips:

• Don`t forget to take a light windbreaker and a functional jacket. It`s partly quite windy during a trip with a tricycle and a banca. And in the waiting halls of the airport, the air conditioners cool down extremely.
• Don’t forget to bring a protection for your ears. The motor of the tricycles are extremely loud (I also used them a lot during the rides with the bancas). I`m a big fan of the Happy Ears brand from Sweden. I like that the part that sticks out of the ear is transparent and the small box is very practical. It`s always in my wallet and has been my loyal companion for years. I bought it in an Amavita store back then. My husband likes the wax balls very much.