Sugar Beach - Negros

The flight into Dumaguete was quite interesting.  The plane came in for the approach on a sharp angle, swooped down below the trees and landed rather quickly.  It was like landing on an aircraft carrier - Very short runway that disappears into the sea...

I spent a few days healing my swollen leg in Dumaguete and watched the Giants win the Superbowl in dramatic fashion.  Finally, a Superbowl that lived up to its name!  Then it was off to Sugar Beach via the gateway village of Montilia on the west coast of Negros.  Getting to Sugar Beach is half the fun.  After taking a bus for 5 hours, a tricycle (motorbike with sidecar) for 4km, I had to cross the broken bridge by foot, then hike thru a remote village another 1.

5km, before arriving at another river.  This one was crossed by boat.  Then another 500 meters on the beach before arriving at the Driftwood Village.  The first night I stayed in a tent, then the next 4 nights in a nipa hut.  As you can see from the photos, the ladies of the Driftwood could make any traveller want to stay longer than he had planned.  I spent 5 days hanging out with Madeleen from Amsterdam, Thor from the UK, and the wonderful ladies of the Driftwood.  Many people say the beach here is one of the best and actually rivals that of Boracay, which is the most famous beach in the Philippines.  The water is crystal clear, the sand is white and the hammocks in the shade can swollow you alive.  Days on the beach and in the hammock, nights in the bar (sand floor of course) shooting pool, playing foosball and the hammering nail game (What's that you ask?).  Hammering nails into a log, but with the backside (very thin area) of the hammer.  Much harder than it looks and even funnier the more you drink....

Sugar Beach was a nice getaway for 5 days and very therapeutic.  Seems the water sucked all the swelling from my foot and it was healed.  But now I had simply traded one problem for another, as my stomach turned ill.   Like I said before, its always something in Asia....

So then it was back to Dumaguete.....