27h February - Coron to Busuanga Bay Lodge - motor boat to Huma Island Resort - therapy dog

Friday 27^th February 2015

Getting from Coron to Tasmania was, to say the least, complicated.  We had tickets booked for March 4^th and we thought – oh naïve fools – that it would be very simple just to make a few changes.  Not so much… It is peak season for tourists in the Philippines, plus Chinese New year week, and all of the planes out of Coron were booked solid, until 5^th March.  The Sunday 2GO ferry to Manila was also packed solid. 

In the end we got tickets on the 8-seater seaplane which flies from Manila to the islands and back, on a more or less regular basis.  Our friend Maine, in the travel agency, helped us make our booking.  But…we would have to move from Coron to Busuanga Yacht Club, because the plane would leave from Busuanga Bay Lodge at 11am on the 24^th.  Thus hasty arrangements with Dingong, change of mooring, a bit of rushing about.

But we were all sorted, or so we thought.  Dingdong sent a little banka to pick us up at 10 to take us to Busuanga Bay Lodge to wait at our leisure for the plane… A rather anxious young bloke on the dock said, in a soft voice, “Hello ma’am…I do not think the plane is flying today.  It only flies Mondays and Thursdays…”

I hope Dingdong brings in my washing...

And yes indeed…Kenny, the manager, made some enquiries and indeed the plane wasn’t coming to Busuanga at all.  The good news is…it was leaving at 3pm, from…another island across the way. 

Too far to swim…

Pete had been talking to Mike Batchelor, the owner of Puerto del Sol resort, and of the moorings in the bay, when I went up, trembling a bit, to interrupt with the unwelcome news that the plane wasn’t coming.

Mike Batchelor

He didn’t seem to think there was any great problem – nothing he would like better than to zoom off between the islands, in his sturdy speedy motorboat.

Icey

His lovely girlfriend, Icey, had never been to Huma Island Resort.  I asked her if she knew it and she said, “Oh yes, I have seen it on TV!”  So it was very thrilling for her, being allowed to set foot in this $1000 per night resort, and to have lunch in the beautiful restaurant near the beautiful pool.  (OF COURSE we invited Mike and Icey to have lunch with us! It was the very least we could do.)

More re the this saga tomorrow…

And today I met the BEST therapist in the Whittle Ward: Jack!