We had a nice lazy start to our holy week holiday beginning with an early (for me) snorkel, breakfast, browsing, coffee and sketching. This is the glorious view from where we stayed – peaceful and quiet, very few neighbours and a lovely verdant garden. No issues with the new paper – so far so good!
Sun-13-Apr-2025
Here is the first sketch I did on arrival at our AirBnb rental in Marinduque (for an Easter/Holy Week holiday) after our 12 hour journey. We set off at 4am to get to the port (In Lucena) and then waited for 2 hours to get on a ferry (roll-on-roll-off or RORO, which included the fun of backing the car into a space so narrow that I struggled to get out the door afterwards). I slept on the 3 hour ferry crossing and we made it to @BalaiLaHi after lunch having had something to eat in Mogpog on the way. First impressions of the resort: beautiful spot right on the beach and very welcoming hosts. First impressions of the new paper in a new sketchbook (Umae and Lady Bug 300gsm hot press): slightly more absorbent than Baohong – which I like – I will see later how good it is at blending and lifting, but my feeling is that it is a good, more affordable choice.
Sat-12-Apr-2025
Finally, here is my last holiday sketch done on the ferry on the way back. This time instead of sitting in the air-conditioned bit (which you have to pay an extra Php50 for) we sat in front of the snack bar – handy for coffee, biscuits, packet noodles etc. I am sure they do great business as for most of the two hour ferry ride there were lots of people queuing to be served.
Fri-3-Jan-2025
Our last and seventh day of holiday was spent travelling back to Manila. Although we had to wait a while at the port in Calapan the journey home was much smoother. Soon after I did the ink work for this we were ushered onto the ferry (run by Montenegro Shipping Lines).
Fri-3-Jan-2025
After our snorkelling on the sixth and last full day of holiday, I just had time to sketch this on the beach outside the place we were staying. Most of the time I was sketching this I was surround by a crowd of kids who were watching me, with some telling me how they like to draw too…that’s always one of the most enjoyable parts of sketching in public (once you have plucked up the courage). I wasn’t very happy with the sketch though – it somehow seems too flat.
Thu-2-Jan-2025
On our fifth day in Puerto Galera we tried to go to the Tukura Water Falls where you get taken to the falls in a cart pulled by a Carabao. Unfortunately rain and high water levels meant the Cart Association (the sign said “Cart Ass”, which made us giggle) wasn’t operating. I started the first of these two little sketches while we were waiting to find out if we could go. However we did stop at the Tamaraw falls (along the road) on the way back and then went on to see the weavers in the Iraya-Mangyan Village, where we bought some souvenirs. The second sketch was done on the sixth day of our holiday when we had lunch at a place called Robby’s, before we went snorkelling from a Banca hired from the Muelle pier again.
Wed-1 to Thu-2-Jan-2025
On our fourth day we went to the Muelle Puerto Galera pier to arrange for island hopping. It was easily arranged and great fun. Our boat-man (Francis) took us to three beaches and naturally I decided to do a quick sketch on each one. The first sketch is of “Heart Beach” (named after a shape in the cliffs you can see from the sea), where there was a washed up (huge) buoy. The second one is of a log (also washed up) on “Long Beach” and the third is of “Haligi Beach” (which according to the internet means post or pillar). The ticket I stuck in was given when we paid the “environmental user fee” (a fee that is supposed to be used to help local government address environmental issues) when entering Puerto Galera
Tue-31-Dec-2024
After lunch (upstairs at Lalaguna Beach Club and Dive Resort) on our third day, we went and sat on the beach again and I sketched this view of all the bancas lined up on the beach. A banca (sometimes spelt as bangka) is a dugout canoe-style small boat, with outriggers used by fisherfolk. If you look carefully you can see someone laying down reading a book in the shade of one of the boats. Round the point is another beach called Small Lalaguna Beach…hence the title of this.
Mon-30-Dec-2024
This is the second sketch I did on our third day when we moved from Sabang beach to Big Lalaguna beach. This little boat caught my eye immediately. In the water are little launches that lots of Chinese visitors were using to go out scuba diving…wearing some very odd looking outfits to my eyes.
Mon-30-Dec-2024