THE BEGINNING

FIRST ARRIVED IN THE BIRI ISLANDS ABOUT 1990 , BUT THATS ANOTHER STORY .
I WOULDN'T SAY I WAS THE USUAL LOW LIFE AUSSIE FERAL / BOGAN WHO VISITS THE PHILIPPINES [ ANGELES CITY , PAY MY BAR FINE MISTER ] BUT MAYBE I HAD SEEN IT ALL BEFORE , BORACAY[80S] , PUERTO GALERA[70S], PALAWAN AND BUSUANGA [80S] , MINDANAO AND SIARGAO [ BEFORE THE HEY DUDE BRIGADE ARRIVED AND TURNED THEMSELVES INTO CLONED AFRICAN AMERICANS "HEY BRO "  ] , ALL THE VISAYAN ISLANDS , CLIMBED MAYON AND HIBOK HIBOK AND MORE BLAH BLAH BLAH FIL TRAVEL .
THEN IN 1992  I REVISITED THE BIRI ISLANDS ,  MET AN OLD AUSSIE SURFER THERE , WHO THRU HIS WIFE I MET VILMA AMOR "THE REAL CHANGE AND LOVE OF MY LIFE" . WE MARRIED IN OCTOBER 1992 , AND HAVE TWINNS JAKE AND RACHEL  .
THE EARLY YEARS IN BIRI WERE SPENT BEHIND THE LOCAL HOSPITAL ON THE FARM  , WASH BY BUCKET FROM THE WELL , IMPORT BLOCK ICE FROM THE MAINLAND OF SAMAR TO KEEP THE DRINKS AND FOOD COLD , KEROSENE LAMPS FOR LIGHT , SNORKEL IN THE OCEAN AND TREK THRU THE HILLS AND RAINFORRESTS FOR EXERCISE [ STILL LOOKING FOR THAT URBAN LEGEND , YAMASHITA GOLD ] . FISH AND RICE FOR BREAKFAST , LUNCH AND DINNER , SOMETIMES A CHANGE TO CRAB , SCHRIMP , LOBSTER AND SQUID WHEN AVAILABLE . ALL COOKED OVER AN OPEN CAMP FIRE . ALL COCONUTS ,  BANANA , AVOCADO , SWEET POTATO , KALAMANSI , TARO , KASAVA COME FRESH OFF THE FARM . wanting more info on biri just mail me    jakerachel22@yahoo.com.au

THE WORLD IS FOREVER IN A STATE OF CHANGE AND THIS IS TRUE FOR BIRI ISLAND .
FOREIGN INVESTMENT , ELECTRICITY , MOBILE [ CELL ] PHONE TOWERS , IMPROVED COUNCIL INFRASTRUCTURE HAVE ALL CHANGED BIRI .
ON ARRIVAL TO BIRI NOW YOU CAN CHECK INTO OCEAN FRONT ACCOMMODATION AT VILLA AMOR [ 500 PESOS PER FAN ROOM , AIR CON AVAILABLE ]  .
DURING THE DAY TRY THE MANY DESERTED BEACHES OR ISLANDS AROUND BIRI , TREK THRU THE INTERIOR OF THE ISLAND , VISIT THE MANY ROCK FORMATIONS [ BEL-LOT HAS A GOOD NATURAL OCEAN POOL ] . AT NIGHT BIRI HAS A COUPLE OF KAROKE BARS WHICH CAN BE INTERESTING .
MAKE SURE TO CATCH THE BIRI SUNSET OVER THE MAYON AND BULASAN VOLCANOS .
BEST TIME TO VISIT BIRI IS AROUND THE ISLANDS FIESTAS , THESE START AROUND MAY AND GO THRU TO THE END OF JUNE  [ BIRI FIESTA IS ALWAYS 23 , 24 , 25TH  JUNE ] .
MANY FOREIGNERS HAVE MARRIED LOCAL GIRLS , THESE GUYS ARE MORE THEN HAPPY TO HAVE A BEVERIDGE OR 2 WITH VISITING TOURISTS , SO DONT BE A STRANGER .
GETTING TO BIRI IS QUITE  EASY THESE DAYS , PAL EXPRESS FLY 7 DAYS A WEEK TO CATARMAN [ CAPITAL OF NORTHERN SAMAR ] , FROM CATARMAN TAKE A TRIKE TO THE LAVERZARES MARKET . AT THE MARKET WALK RIGHT OVER TO WHERE MANY SMALL BOATS ARE MOORED , LOOK FOR THE BOATS MARKED BIRI N SAMAR AT THE REAR , THESE ARE GOING BACK TO THE ISLAND , REMEMBER ALWAYS NEGOTIATE A PRICE BEFORE TRAVELLING IN THE PHILIPPINES  [ TRIKE 400 PESOS , BOAT 50 PESOS ] .
FINALLY IF YOU WANT TO GET AWAY FROM THE USUAL TOURIST TRAPS OF BORACAY / PUERTO GALERA / BOHOL etc , WHY NOT TRY BIRI ISLAND . IT CERTAINLY CHANGED MY LIFE , MAYBE YOURS TOO ?
NEED MORE INFO ON BIRI , MAIL ME    jakerachel22@yahoo.com.au