The many cyclists along the way indicated a cycle race. Seeing a participant
walking his bike, I assumed it polite to ask if he needed help. Luckily, all he
needed was an inner tube, and soon he could be on his way. In hindsight, he
might not have been overly pleased with the uncalled-for help!
Shortly past the town of Argao, it started raining, and spotting a sign to the
Blue Pot Resort, turning off to enquire came naturally. The complex wasn’t
much of a resort, merely a few bungalows, but a good enough spot to hide
from the rain.
Blue Pot Resort – Moalboal - 130 km
The route to Moalboal ran 130 kilometres along the coast, past familiar roadside
gasoline stalls selling petrol by the litre. Amazingly, the price was similar to
what you’d find at gas stations. But, judging by the number of motorcycles and
tricycles frequenting these stalls, business was booming.
In the meantime, crops were being dried upon the tarmac, taking up one lane.
It wasn’t that the road was used for drying produce that surprised me, but that
no one ever drove over it. Instead, busses and trucks came to a complete halt
and carefully manoeuvred around the crops before continuing.
Panagsama Beach was nearly four kilometres from Moalboal, a real diver’s
hangout offering plenty of accommodation and dive shops. In addition, a few
bars and restaurants lined the single dirt road. This made Moalboal an easy-
going village where the beers were cheap and dive boats eagerly waited to take
divers off to nearby Pescador Island.