Puerto Galera is not so known outside the Philippines, but has some great beaches too, countless bays to explore, mountains and waterfalls - as well as incredible Dive Sites in close proximity to Manila.

Having visited both within just a few days recently, when passing them during our Tricycle Trip, here is a direct comparison of the status quo, now during low season of 2009:

Boracay

Some changes first. My last trip to Boracay was quite a while back (in 2006), so I was surprised that there are no more Station 1, 2 + 3 to get to the island from Caticlan, the small town with airport attached.

Instead, the pumpboats (which run every 5 minutes from Caticlan jetty) bring you now to the Eastern side of the island, from where you have to take a 15 minute tricycle taxi ride to get you to White Beach.

Positive about that is that there are no more pumpboats allowed in front of White Beach, thus reducing your previously high chances of getting run over by one significantly, when snorkeling or swimming off White Beach.

On the other hand, it adds a now necessary tricycle ride (20 Pesos per head) to the already higher costs of getting to Boracay from Caticlan (50 Pesos Boat Fee, 50 Pesos Environmental Fee and 50 Pesos Port Departure Tax).

Even now in low season, Boracay is in full swing. Most restaurants are open and the infrastructure development made big leaps over the last 3 years. All hinterland roads have now either concrete or bitumen surface, hotel prices generally start at 1.000 Pesos per night and restaurant meals are typically in the 200-300 Pesos per head category.

Still there are some 250-Pesos-All-you-can-eat buffet deals available, while a bottle of San Miguel Pale Pilsen goes for 40-60 Pesos outside of Happy Hour.

Touts and Vendors are roaming the beach, selling everything from T-Shirts, sun glasses, souvenirs, boat rides, island hopping trips to massages and are as aggressive (or even more) than usual.

There are now 5 (!) banks on Boracay and even more ATM’s and 3G internet (both SmartBro and Globe Visibility) is generally available island-wide.

Another positive point about low season is the wind - others might disagree. For me it’s always good to have a refreshing breeze helping with the heat - and you actually have waves now!

If you don’t want to stay on Boracay over night, it’s also possible to rent Air-Con rooms in Caticlan for 600 Pesos/night and simply hop over to Bora for a day trip. This will allow you also to explore the interesting area from Caticlan to Kalibo or south to Pandan (tip of MJ).

Puerto Galera

My first visit ever to Puerto Galera just 2 weeks ago left me with mixed feelings.

First the sun was out and it reminded me somehow of Koh Phi Phi pre-Tsunami. The whole settlement is nested close to the mountains, all with waterfalls (check out beautiful Tamaraw Falls!), thick jungle and countless small bays with your very own private beach just waiting to be found.

Small lanes and alleys with a plethora of shops, restaurants and bustling with people in Sabang and Puerto Galera town. Puerto Galera actually got its name, because it offered a sheltered harbor (puerto) for the Spanish Galleons (galera), which ran regularly from the Philippines to then homeland of Spain during the Spanish Colonial times of the Philippines.

You can almost imagine the old galleons or even Pirate ships anchoring in PG’s beautiful bays.

The towering castle in Sabang (El Castillo de Sabang), is doing its part also. I really felt like Guybrush Threepwood on Monkey Island.

Then the Typhoon kicked in.

Suddenly there was a brownout - which lasted a whole 24 hours! I’m pretty sure that this was the longest brownout I ever experienced.

It was first raining cats and dogs for about 8 hours, then it was dripping somewhat for another 20 or so. Instead of lights, there were only candles everywhere and the whole scenery was somewhat completely different.

Do you remember that scene in “Pirates of the Caribbean - At World’s End” with Chow Yun Fat, where he said “Welcome to Singapore”? The whole place is black and rusty, it’s dripping water from every roof or hole, strange smoke comes from nowhere and you can only make out shadows instead of people, dogs and other inhabitants too strange to mention here.

That’s exactly how it felt in Puerto Galera during that Brownout.

On top of that - the infrastructure left much to desire, from the slippery and pothole-ridden streets to the overpriced food (whole meals in Sabang are generally in the 300-400 Pesos range for 1 person!). Many restaurants and shops were also closed and generally the whole place shuts down right when night falls (around 7pm).

Things look better at ‘White Beach’ (about 6 km west of PG town), which has more room towards the mountains and generally offers better value for money, although here also, most hotels and restaurants were closed due to low season and only some larger establishments (like VM Beach Resort) open permanently and offering good, delicious fare (e.g. Fish Sinigang w/ rice for 130 Pesos, SMB 30 Pesos).

Rooms with Aircon here start from 800 Pesos, while in PG town you can rent small apartment for around 600 Pesos per day, if you rent for a week or longer. Sabang is a different world and looked mainly populated by grumpy (Caucasian) Expats and Koreans.

Conclusion

There is no clear winner here. Both locations are worth to check out and offer different perspectives.

While Boracay has that “international beach destination thing” going for it - it’s a fully established, maybe even over-developed holiday destination; Puerto Galera offers a whole bunch of different activities on another, more intimate scale.

Jungle, mountains, even a golf course and all that in close proximity to Manila, make it an interesting alternative to beach combers and ocean lovers alike.

The nature of PG definitely makes up completely for its downsights!

Too bad that the RoRo ship from Batangas to Puerto Galera (Balatero port) doesn’t go during rainy season, so we had to make it back to Calapan to leave Mindoro for Luzon.

—

Tricycle Diaries - Repairs and Maintenance

• Bald Rear Tire changed in Caticlan, 500 Pesos tire plus 60 Pesos labor. During that occasion, the Rusi Mechanic ‘forgot’ to tighten the screw that fixes the drive chain. I didn’t notice either. The Drive Chain flew off the next day during a sharp curve down in the hills around Caticlan! Hair-raising, but thankfully no losses. Putting Drive Chain back per hand and rolling slowly down-hill. Due to lack of tools, screw then only tightened at next garage for 20 Pesos labor.
• reached 1.000 kilometer on a daytrip from Caticlan to Kalibo, yeahhhh!!!
• Kick Starter broke (really!) when rolling off RoRo Ship in Roxas (Mindoro), spare for 190 Pesos plus 20 Pesos labor
• Clutch Lining Problem (2nd time!) and Oil Shield defect in the hills of Puerto Galera, parts and labor for a total of 950 Pesos. Had to be pulled to next garage for 200 Pesos. Bummer!

—

To follow a more actual version of the Tricycle Route, check out this Google Map here, which is updated more often, than the posting frequency at nomad4ever currently allows. New pictures are constantly uploaded to Flickr here.

Related posts:

1. The Tricycle Diaries - RoRo from Negros to Panay and on to Guimaras Island
2. Manila oh Manila!
3. The Tricycle Diaries - Severe Road Punishment

Following the National Highway, you can enjoy marked middle lines, clear sidelines, an abundance of street and road direction signs and a smooth asphalt/bitumen surface, not the cheaper concrete surface, that only lasts a year or so.

It’s really a pleasure to drive on these roads - until you decide to leave them and take a smaller road. That’s what we decided to do, coming from Iloilo, to visit a Hot Spring along the way. Big mistake!

Bumpy Adventure

Coming from Iloilo on the National Highway, there is a small town called San Joaquin - it has a beautiful church, which was constructed in the 10 years following 1787 as a fortress against Muslim raiders.

Our ‘EZ Map’, which pointed out said San Joaquin Church and other interesting tourist sights, showed also a Hot Spring, right at the left tip of South-Western Panay.

As the National Highway seemed to be still under construction a bit further North, it seemed like a good detour; to check out that Hot Spring and join the National Highway some 60 kilometers further again.

Unfortunately after 10 kilometers of smooth riding the detour, the road slowly started to became bad also.

It also became very hilly, with a hill up quickly followed by hill down to a valley until the next curve brought another hill up again.

A few potholes here and there were soon followed by pothole galore.

Anyone ordered mud slides?

No problem! Sooner or later the road should become better again, right? No!

Closer to the shore it really was a scenic ride. You had the ocean just to your left and a hilly area to your right, riding the serpentines following the coastal shores.

The problem I was soon facing was the muddy surface of the road. Straight ahead it didn’t cause any problems, just up and down the hills, it was more like a mud slide - the bike was hardly controlable.

The back tire wasn’t in its best shape either - pretty bald - so sometimes it was hard to struggle for grip when trying to get one of the next hills up.

Sometimes you could just barely move forward by leaning wayyyyy back to put more weight on the back tire, which sometimes left the front tire of the bike without enough grip also.

Average travel speed went down to maybe 15-25 km/h in 2nd to 3rd gear.

Reaching the Hot Spring

That’s when shortly before the village ‘Anini-y’ it started to rain. Another 30 minutes later we reached the Hot Spring.

The Hot Spring was actually located at a very pristine location, directly at the shores of the ocean.

A Resort was built around it, which somehow seems to see only a few visitors. They charged a small entrance fee of 20 Peso and their room rates started at 600 Peso - so that shouldn’t have been a problem.

Probably more so the remote location.

The Resort Managers built a few pools to catch the Hot Spring water, which had a a very smooth consistency, with only little sulfuric smell. After using the pools for about half an hour I grew concerned with the way that still lay ahead.

After all, it was still another 30 kilometers to get back to the highway and it was early afternoon - too early to call it a day; but too late to waste much more time here.

So back on the road!? Yep!

On the road again

Better - back to the muddy road slides, which here were now under construction. Did I mention that it was raining also? Have a look at the picture to the right to get a glimpse of the road conditions.

Most was traveled in 1st or maximum 2nd gear only and at a very slow pace.

Due to the water and mud, it was hard to avoid or sometimes even see the potholes on the way.

The whole time, there was plenty of strain on the tricycle, the sidecar and my arms felt like heavy steel beams already. The Luggage and my passenger didn’t have it any better, being thrown around by the constant bumps in the road.

A few times we had to be pushed ‘over the hill’ by construction workers, as the power of the engine wasn’t enough and the wheeling tires struggled for grip. The gear lever was bent and my feet had wounds getting smashed back from the kickback of the kick-starter, when the engine succumbed to the mud and stones and died on yet another hill onslaught.

Then, just passing a small village about 10 kilometers after ‘Anini-y’ it happened:

The constant jumping and bumping through the potholes took its toll on the tricycle. The supporting rear beams of the sidecar broke at all 3 welding point with a screeching noise. The steel frame in the back acted as a guillotine and hacked through the back light (splittered off completely), as well as separated the license plate of the bike. In the front the metal squeezed the speedometer and front lamp down, so that the speedometer cable broke-bent, right at kilometer 759.

But do you believe our luck?

Just 2 houses away was a welding shop. Unloading the luggage and moving the wounded tricycle a few meters back - it took about 25 minutes to fix the metal frame and attach an additional supporting metal plate to avoid a similar disaster in the future.

250 Pesos later, we were back on the road and after another 10 km of horrific pothole tracks we passed the small town ‘Tobias Fornier’. Still another 10 kilometers of mind-numbing road-bumps the road conditions slowly improved and about 5 kilometers before coming back onto the National Highway the roads were as smooth as ever.

Reaching the next biggest town San Jose de Buenavista just shortly after nightfall, I fell deadbeat into my bed in cockroach and spider heaven - Casa Royal Pension House - the only place in town with vacant rooms. The next day allowed for an assessment of damages. We used again the local RUSI dependence, as we had good experiences with them in Dumaguete:

—

Tricycle Diaries - Repairs and Maintenance:

• Welding Costs: 250 Pesos (re-attaching/fortifying sidecar beams)
• Speedometer Cable: 160 Pesos
• Complete Backlight: 250 Pesos
• Gearshift Lever: 95 Pesos (broke, when trying to bend back)
• Labor Costs: 100 Pesos
• The (wooden) License Plate was simply re-attached via new screw holes

Even though the labor costs were surprisingly low, there were a few things which the RUSI mechanic couldn’t fix.

The front light doesn’t work anymore. He opened the lamp, took out the light bulb and even opened the light machine. There seemed to be the secondary coil of the light machine damaged. Also there must be some damage with the electronics or cabling. It was not possible to get the front light working again and he didn’t have a coil as a spare part.

—

Lessons learned

That day was the hardest one with the Tricycle so far. But it came also with some lessons learned.

It’s better to stick to the National Highway system and avoid smaller side roads as much as possible - especially for longer detours!

We decided also to drive from now on only during day light. You can avoid potholes better, don’t have to deal with missing street lights (read: pitch-black dark) and don’t have to be afraid of pushing Jeepney and Ceres-Liners, which race on the main roads and don’t care for other traffic - you! - even and especially in the dark.

Next post will be about Caticlan and Boracay - some days of relieve after this torture session.

—

To follow a more actual version of the Tricycle Route, check out this Google Map here, which is updated more often, than the posting frequency at nomad4ever currently allows. New pictures are constantly uploaded to Flickr here.

Related posts:

1. The Tricycle Diaries - RoRo from Negros to Panay and on to Guimaras Island
2. The Tricycle Diaries - an Idea becomes Reality
3. Mambukal Waterfalls and Sulfur Spring near Bacolod, Negros Occidental

It’s actually an easy and straight-forward process. You arrive at the RoRo terminal, buy a ticket for your vehicle, pay departure or port tax and off you go.

Drive your car, bike, tricycle or whatever vehicle you paid for onto a RoRo ship and you are set to make it to the next big island. From Bacolod on Negros there are several routes, but the most popular one is to get to the neighboring island Panay:

RoRo rules!

The whole trip was something around 400 Pesos. The RoRo ships from Bacolod actually land a bit further north-east, at an almost forgotten port called Dumangas. This one was established with the help (and probably money) from Japan, as was revealed via big advertising letters. A few kilometers to the west and you will reach Iloilo.

Iloilo is the capital and largest town on Panay Island.

Just south of Iloilo is Guimaras island located, a smaller island just between Panay and Negros - it’s most popular for its Mango fruits.

The Mangoes from Guimaras are mostly exported and even served at the White House in Washington or in Buckingham Palace in London!

Guimaras - Mango Heaven

I liked the mangoes here not only because of their sweetness, but they are also exceptionally smooth and practically melt in your mouth.

Ahhhhh - simply delicious!

Most people don’t know, that Guimaras also has white beaches to offer. We were about to find out.

How to get there? You guessed it! Via RoRo ship. This time one way costs around 300 Pesos.

White beaches are said to be found at Alubihod or Puerto Del Mar in the Southern part of the island.

Alubihod Bay is the most well-known white beach and boasts a very nice beach - almost similar to Boracay quality. The sand is just a little less white and not so powdery. But the beach is still stunning, even during rainy season!

The waters are clear blue and you can swim to the surrounding smaller islands or take an outrigger boat for island hopping.

There is a Coin Videoke box and cheap drinks are offered also.

Guimaras - the next Boracay? Not just yet!

Unfortunately the 4 resorts, which are located at that bay, aren’t so great. They all offer basically the same room rates, which start at 800 Peso for a simple room with bed(s) and CR in the room (but no fan or A/C) while Aircon rooms start only at 1.400 Pesos or even 1.700 Pesos.

Note that there is no TV in the room, no hot water and breakfast isn’t included as well. The rooms are basic at best and some are pretty rundown.

Although all of the resorts had troubles filling their rooms now during rainy season, most were not willing to give any discount on the room rates.

Anyway - as the weather wasn’t at its best - it was raining with only a few short breaks - we decided to stay only one night and drove off the next morning.

Somewhere I heard that in the north of Guimaras is a place called Rocas Encatada, which should have also some white beaches. So we drove across the whole island within just 2 hours. But same weather there also - and nothing to see far and wide of white, powdery beaches. No problem - back to Iloilo then.

Back to Iloilo and onwards…

The night was spent in the Riverside Inn in Iloilo, which was clean and good value for money (A/C rooms with Cable-TV starting at 800 Pesos). An early start into the next day should actually give plenty of room to explore and discover.

Little did we know, that this day should become the hardest day in the Tricycle Diaries so far…but sorry for now. You have to wait a while to read more about that in the next episode…

—

Tricycle Diaries - Repairs and Maintenance:

- At km 570, some heavy potholes in the north of Guimaras took their toll on the frame of the sidecar. One of the 3 supporting front beams, which connect the sidecar to the ‘butterfly’ (the frame of the bike), gave way and broke off at its welding point. Luckily, a Welding shop is never too far away in the Philippines, so that wasn’t too big a problem. After finding one, 20 minutes and 120 Peso later, everything was fixed again and we continued to roam the island.

- At km 640, the sidecar wheel got stuck in a deep side-road pocket just in front of the Riverside Inn in Iloilo - when with a sad ‘plong’ sound a supporting rear beam broke. Another Welding shop fixed that in 15 minutes for 150 Pesos.

—

To follow a more actual version of the Tricycle Route, check out this Google Map here, which is updated more often, than the posting frequency at nomad4ever currently allows.

Also - new pictures are constantly uploaded to Flickr here, if a good internet connection is available. So far either Smart Bro 3G/HSDPA, Globe Visibility 3G or the Hotel Wifi Connection did their job pretty well.

Related posts:

1. The Tricycle Diaries - an Idea becomes Reality
2. The Tricycle Diaries - Severe Road Punishment
3. Siquijor Island - let its magic enchant you!

It’s called Mambukal and offers 7 (!) cascading waterfalls, a nice climb through jungle forest along the waters, treetop climbing in the canopy, a sulfur spring basin to rest your aching bones and much more.

Besides those water and jungle activities, you can also have massage (and manicure/pedicure) here, watch gigantic fruit bats flying around in the area and hanging in the trees.

To get here, just leave Bacolod towards the East, direction to Murcia. It’s one of the main roads leaving Bacolod and hard to miss. From Murcia just follow the signs to Mambukal. You can either stay here at the resort starting at 900 Peso or simply come and use their facilities on a daytrip for a small fee.

Giant Fruitbats hanging in the trees

Fruitbats or Flying Foxes (how they are called as well) are very useful creatures, despite their sometimes scary appearance.

They pollinate flowers and disperse seeds which is very important to the environment. Unfortunately, because their homes are being cut down and they are hunted extensively, many species of Fruitbats are now seriously threatened of extinction.

Of the 25 or so fruitbat species found in the Philippines, more than half are found nowhere else in the world!

The ones here at Mambukal are seriously big, I would estimate they have a wing span from 50cm to 1 meter. Their color is mostly reddish-brown to dark brown, there are also some (fewer) very dark or black ones.

It’s moving in the Trees!

At Mambukal, not only the Bats are allowed to use the trees - you are also. And in ways other than you might think of right now.

Treetop Walking is possible via ladders and wooden grates and bridges which are affixed in the trees. They lead from tree to tree and sometimes even across rivers. All in all it looks like a fun activity and a complete different perspective of the surrounding area.

Although you are encouraged to wear a proper helmet and a safety rope, I saw nothing of that provided. The platform are between 3 and 5 meters high in the trees.

Sulfur Spring

In the rocky areas there are several points where sulfuric water is coming out of the ground. So what the managers of the resort did, is collecting it in pipes and leading it to a lovely basin, where people can swim in its hot waters.

It’s really a pleasure, once you get over the foul smell, which only disturbs for a little while.

The waters are said to be good for your skin and the fumes are healthy for your lungs and respiratory system. Besides, when you come here when it’s raining, it’s simply fantastic to swim or float in the hot sulfur water, while listening to the sounds of jungle birds and fruitbats in the trees beside you.

It’s really a wild jungle atmosphere with health aspects, haha!

There are 7 Waterfalls to visit

If you are fit for a walk, you can easily reach the first 3 out of 7 waterfalls.

They are just a short walk in the jungle, simply follow the trail along the waters. The other 4 are a bit harder to reach, although you don’t have to be a pro climber.

The trail will lead a bit higher in the mountains and some parts require some ‘acrobatics’ but nothing you can’t master.

The whole area features a nicely attached hand-rail as a guidance and cleanliness is exceptional due to heavy fines, if you should get the urge to litter.

In the later waterfalls you can even swim or cool your feet, which can be a welcome feat after the jungle trek.

The first 3 ones are not fit for that, due to rocks under the surface of the shallow waters and difficult accessibility.

The only nuisance near the waterfalls are a bunch of local (homeless?) kids, who try to accompany you and be your travel guide for a few coins. As everything is easy to reach and signs show you where to go and where not; this is simply not necessary. Also their behavior can be somewhat aggressive and invading to your privacy.

Conclusion

The area around Mambukal is definitely worth a visit. Whatever you do, a day trip or planning to stay here for a day or so; make sure you bring enough time.

If you get hungry, there is are a few food stalls also, or you can bring your own food and even use the public BBQ pits here. For people who don’t like natural rivers or springs - a public pool is available also.

Sit at the river and relax, float in sulfur water or dip your feet into a real water fall, watch the fruitbats or just the impressive surrounding jungle - Mambukal offers a spectacular trip for you, your partner or for the whole family.

Related posts:

1. Driving around Dumaguete, Negros Oriental
2. The Tricycle Diaries - RoRo from Negros to Panay and on to Guimaras Island

Of course you can do a daytrip or even multiple daytrips, but still you are limited to an area of close proximity for exploration.

In Bali that was never a problem, as the island itself is fairly small, yet allows for plenty of adventures in all directions. So even in 2 years you’ll never get bored. But nowhere else than in Goa that was more of a problem - it’s hard to get even out of Goa with 2 or 3 days to go, scenic and natural wonders aren’t simply in close range but miles and miles apart.

So this time in the Philippines, a different approach to explore the country was needed - one where you can go forward all the time - and never have to look back.

Thus the tricycle idea was born. Why not buy a vehicle, which can carry 2 persons and all the luggage to expand your circle of exploration beyond those 2 or 3 days around your base?

Of course you could buy a car - but the initial costs are steep and you are practically isolated from the surrounding nature, driving around in your own cocoon or capsule. A bike with more capacity would be nice!

What do the Filipinos do about that problem?

The Tricycle Principle

Simple. They use a tricycle. A tricycle can transport up to 10 people (Yes, I’ve seen it!) or 2-3 people and plenty of bags, coffers, crates, live animals and other luggage.

And what is a tricycle, you might ask? It’s nothing else than a motorcycle with a sidecar, but with a roof on top and a wind screen in front. Something like a Tuk-Tuk in Thailand or a ‘Bajaj’ in India or Indonesia.

So why not get something like that? And drive around the Philippines in a Tricycle? Exactly!

Ownership of a vehicle in the Philippines is not a problem, similar to Thailand or Indonesia, only India was difficult in that regard, that’s why I only rented there. To buy/own a used vehicle (motorcycle) in Philippines, make sure you will get the following documents from the owner or dealer:

• the CR (Certificate of Registration - that’s the Owners Paper which includes the type of vehicle, frame and engine number, date of first registration and else)
• the OR (that’s a paper which the Plate Number and the road insurance paid per year with the LTO - Land and Transport Office of the Philippines)
• a ‘Release Paper’ if the vehicle was used for a mortgage (very common in the Philippines, either the vehicle itself is mortgages and paid in installments, or used to borrow money from a lender, who in return is written into the OR)
• a ‘Dropping Order’ stamped by the Cityhall of your host town, if the vehicle was used for business purposes and you are now planning to use it now for yourself/private only (for instance, if the vehicle was used ‘for hire’, as a taxi service or tricycle taxi in the Philippines)
• the ‘Deed of Sales’ - a hand-written, but better machine/computer-typed paper which states the buyer/seller, amount paid, date and so on (best if undersigned/stamped by an attorney or notary of public)

To register a vehicle in your own name you will also need a ‘Highway Patrol Clearance’ and a ‘Smoke Test’ - all done at the LTO Office of your host city.

Motorcycle Purchase Options

Looking around the last 2 weeks here in Dumaguete it became apparent, that there is only a limited 2nd hand market. In Bali I simply bought a used 3-year-old Kymco Scooter straight from a Kymco dealer and it came with mobility warranty, good maintenance and all the papers issued in my name - all taken care of by the dealer. After using it for 2 years in Bali and putting another 25.000 km on the clock, it still sold for 90% of the price I bought it.

Visiting most brand dealers in Dumaguete (Honda, Kawasaki/Suzuki, Yamaha) it soon became apparent, that it was somehow never an option. Most dealers simply wanted to sell you a brand-new bike or cheaper Chinese Copy. There are almost no used motorcycles available - and if, only for outrageous prices.

Here are some examples:

• New Honda Wave 110/125cc - 53.000 Pesos (too small frame for tricycle use)
• New Honda TMX 155cc - 73.000 Pesos (perfect for tricycle use!)
• New Kawasaki/Suzuki 125cc - 69.000 Pesos
• New China-Bike (Ram-Star, Liliyan) 150cc - app. 59.000 Pesos (perfect for tricycle use, but stellar value depreciation in first years)
• New China-Bike 125cc - min. 39.000 Pesos (similar value depreciation)
• 2nd-hand Honda/Kawasaki/Suzuki 150cc - app. 50.000 Pesos (overpriced for a 3-5 years old)

The problem - if you buy new, you will only get 50% of the price back, when you try to sell it after 1 or 2 years. If you buy a good (branded) 2nd-hand bike from a dealer, you still pay something around 40-50K Pesos for the bike alone, which is pretty overpriced in my view. And you still don’t have a sidecar.

You can ask any welding shop around town (there are dozens) to custom-make you your very own (tricycle) sidecar, but it will cost you anything from 20.000 Pesos to 30.000 Pesos - and that’s if you bring the material!

The Tricycle Experiment

So the only way to go - with a limited budget - was obviously 2nd-hand from a private individual. After looking around for 10 days, I found an old guy in Sibulan, just north of Dumaguete, who sold an old tricycle sidecar for only 6.000 Pesos - cool!

He knew someone, who wanted to sell his old original Honda bike. Ahso!

And he could also build a custom-made “butterfly” (the frame to attach the sidecar to the bike) for a reasonable amount. Even better!

So that’s what I got in the end:

• The workhorse: Honda TMS 125cc (actually a bit under-motorized, but maybe o.k. for a start)
• Age: 10 years (old, verrryyy old!)
• Engine: 2-stroke, 4-gears, unleaded gasoline (1 Liter - 42 Pesos) (*correction - engine is 4-stroke, as researched by Dodong Flores)
• Most used gear: 4th
• Tank Capacity: 7 liters (plus 0.5l reserve)
• Est. Range: app 300 km
• Avg. Travel Speed: 40 km/h
• Max. Speed: 55 km/h (with sidecar attached and fully loaded; 2 people/luggage)
• Added Weight (to Bike+Sidecar): 2 persons, 4 piece luggage (app. 200kg)
• Price Bike: 20.000 Pesos
• Price Sidecar: 6.000 Pesos
• Build/Attach Butterfly: 2.000 Pesos (the sidecar is held by 4 screws only and can easily detached by yourself)
• Initial necessary Repairs: Frontbrake/Cable/Brake Shoe (was missing completely!), new Speedometer/Cable (ditto) - parts/installation - total all 1.100 Pesos
• Total Initial Costs Tricycle: app. 30.000 Pesos (equals 470 Euro or 640 USD) - I expect additional costs for repairs and maintenance in the coming weeks.

Ready, steady, go!

The initial goal is to drive from Dumaguete westwards to Bacolod, check out the area around Bacolod (volcanoes, waterfalls, beaches), maybe head over via RORO-ferry to Guimaras (island between Negros and Panay) and after seeing this one, RORO-ferry over to Iloilo on Panay, circumventing Panay, maybe revisiting Boracay and heading back east-wards around Negros to either Dumaguete or further on to Cebu Island.

Sounds like a plan? You bet!

The first day saw us driving 185km from Dumaguete to Sipalay through some heavy rain showers.

The roads were actually in fairly good conditions; just initially - Dumaguete’s main roads (the National Highway) is currently complete under road construction (with resulting massive dust and pollution) and just after crossing the regional border from Negros Oriental to Negros Occidental, the roads are getting worse again also.

There is only asphalt on the main straights, before all bridges and in the serpentines up and down the mountains there is only gravel road with plenty of potholes. I feel now that I have muscles in the shoulders and in other places I never imagined!

Besides that - easy driving - for now. Some updates will follow soon.

—

Update 13/06/2009:

Made it meanwhile to Bacolod, not without difficulties. At km 248, just passed the hills in the area of Mt. Malapanto, on the road before Ilog, the clutch thought that it had enough.

As it wasn’t possible to use any gear anymore, we had to be pulled to the next big town, which was Kabankalan. Thankfully there were 4 garages closeby (Honda’s Du Ek Sam, Rusi and 2 smaller ones) for parts and price competition. In the end Rusi won out (as before in Dumaguete).

All in all it took 4 hours, 200 Peso for the pull, 480 Peso for parts (clutch lining/discs, gasket, some wear and tear plates, bolts etc.) and 250 Peso for labor to get going again. A friendly crew at Rusi’s even posed for pictures and wished a ‘Save journey!’.

Arriving in Bacolod at 9pm after passing a heavy thunderstorm, horrible road conditions (constructions ongoing for miles with deep potholes, no street lights, oncoming traffic with high-beam lights and pushing Ceres Liners from behind). Great shoulder and underarm muscle training though!

Nice to be in a good hotel with fast and free Wifi for a change!

Driving around Bacolod today showed nothing much of interest at first look; except Robinson’s or SM Shopping Malls. So it will be either the Waterfalls around Murcia, driving further North on Negros, Guimaras Island (between Negros and Panay) or Iloilo as the next step.

Currently app. 410 km driven.

CNN Weather said today that there are even more thunderstorms coming from the East towards the central Philippines, this weekend should be the calm before the storm. Let’s see about that!

Related posts:

1. The Tricycle Diaries - Severe Road Punishment
2. The Tricycle Diaries - RoRo from Negros to Panay and on to Guimaras Island

The beaches were said to be of the purest and whitest sands, yet still undeveloped - surely the next Boracay in the making. At that time I was hesitating to visit, as Siquijor was something like a 2-day trip from Bohol away and I was just getting acquainted with Bohol.

Last weekend, with only a short ferry trip away from Dumaguete, there was no excuse anymore. Off to Siquijor!

Where’s Siquijor and how do I get there?

Siquijor is a quiet island to the South of the three main Visayans Negros, Cebu and Bohol. You can get there from multiple ports from any of those islands, the question is just how long will it take you. The shortest distance is probably from Dumaguete jetty, where a fast ferry (Delta Lines) will take you there in about 50-60 minutes time and costs only 160 Peso per person. There are also car ferries available, in case you want to bring your own vehicle.

After arrival in Siquijor you will notice at first the cyan-blue bay at the jetty!

Doesn’t paradise look exactly like that?

Then you will notice the touts and hordes of people, who want to sell you anything from accommodation, transport, rental bike or car. Making your way through them, this will be the only stressful situation you will ever experience on Siquijor, as this is the most tranquil and laid-back island I visited in a long while. Everything goes slower here, people talk slow, the traffic (what traffic?) is only a handful of tricycles and some lonely scooter bikes.

Watch out for domesticated animals like roosters, goat, dogs, water buffaloes or cows crossing the roads; as they surely are not used to speeds above 10 km per hour.

The roads are in remarkably good condition, there is a main road following the coastal line going all around the island. You can circumvent the whole of Siquijor in about 5-6 hours with a Honda Wave or comparable. The main towns (and also ports) are ‘Siquijor-Siquijor’ in the North at 11 o’clock of the island, Larena in the North East at 2 o’clock and Lazi in the South around 6 o’clock. Take San Juan at 9 o’clock in the West and there is no way you can get lost when driving around the island.

I’m here, now what?

Activities in Siquijor are few and far between and are mainly centered around doing nothing much - and that at a very slow pace.

Apart from Diving, Snorkeling and Swimming, there are some cascading waterfalls near Lazi called Cambugahay Falls. Those are a very pleasant day trip. You have 3 cascades (about 2-3 meters high) with pools below, where you can swim and refresh in the cooling waters coming from the mountains.

The waterfalls are very popular with the local youth also and you can make friends here very easily.

Another attraction of Siquijor are the countless caves scattered all across the island, which can be explored on your own or with local guides. Some were used by the Japanese during World War II as ammunition storage.

The beaches around Siquijor are really white, although usually very narrow and with only shallow waters. Only at high tide in the mornings there is swimming possible at most places, unfortunately that’s when the sun is up and burning down mercilessly. In the afternoons, the beaches to the West and North are almost completely dried up and the locals go looking for shells, crabs and other seafood caught in the little pools left at the beaches.

If you want to go for a swim in the afternoon or evening, you better make your way to the Eastern part of the island, where the effects of the tides are not that strong and the deeper waters allow for a swim or snorkeling at more pleasant temperatures.

Especially the beach near Salangdoong is very pleasant to visit and family-friendly on top of that. You can bring your own BBQ here, use one of the public BBQ pits and go swimming in one of 2 lagoons with the bluest water you have seen in a long while. Here are also fewer stones and nothing besides a bit of sea grass will disturb your swim.

To reach Salangdoong Beach you have to drive through Salangdoong Forest, which is a nice scenic drive under airy, light trees, where you can see colorful birds and other wild animals.

Siquijor is also said to be the center of Black Magic or Voodoo activities, especially in the mountainous areas inland. There are magic shows offered, where you can watch a Black Magic Priest or Shaman doing some tricks to paper puppets; but it’s up to you if you want to buy some magic potions, amulets or let the Shaman perform a ritual on you or against your enemies.

For many Filipinos those Black Magic rituals are a fearful thing and probably a good and bad effect for tourism and Siquijor at the same time. Many Locals refuse to spend a night on the island and only come for day trips, leaving the island with the last ferry to avoid getting under the influence of any spells.

Others come here especially to stock up on potions or have a specific ritual exercised.

Some people also say the Black Magic rumors are fired by the villagers themselves to distract outsiders and authorities from their weed plantations on parts of the island.

Who would think of that?

A fact is that I was offered ’smoke’ at various occasions during a 3 day stay, so the climate surely supports the necessary crop cultivation.

And food? I’m hungry already

Food and Restaurants are few and far between on the island. But that doesn’t mean you can’t eat very well for reasonable money. A very popular option is for instance the restaurant of “Das Traum Guest Haus” just next to the jetty in Siqujor-Siquijor. They offer a daily buffet of fish, chicken, beef, pork dishes with Chop Suey, Rice and Desserts to go with. You simply point on what you want and have it on a plate a few moments later. Pay only what you eat for very affordable prices.

The friendly stuff will also help you to find a place to stay or a rental vehicle (just make sure, the tires and brakes are alright, if you plan to rent their scooter for 25 Peso/hour, disintegrating wheels are not unheard of; see pic right below).

Somehow the island seems to be very popular with Northern Europeans: there is a Norwegian Dream Hotel and Restaurant near Larena, which offers very delicious local and international cuisine. The owner lady used to work 30 years in Norway and is very pleasant to chat with also.

There is also a Swedish Cottages & Restaurant - if I remember correctly, something like “Karlsson’s” or similar.

Then there is the Danish Lagoon on the West Coast, just North of San Juan. Jimmy and Johnny are 2 Danes, who opened a very stylish and exclusive small resort here complete with a sculpture of the little mermaid.

So far there are 4 cottage houses, themed on the stories of Hans-Christian Andersen, the famous Danish writer. The prices (3.000 Peso and above) are probably not for backpackers and maybe only for your honeymoon, but the food deserves a special recommendation.

Would you pay 200 Peso for an Hamburger? Probably not. But you should!

It will be the biggest burger you have eaten in a while and a very tasty one also. Jimmy the Chef here is making sure that only the freshest and best ingredients make it into their food, they ground their own beef, make their own sauces, the salad is cut only when the order comes in and the meat for steaks are only the best parts without any fat or cartilage.

Conclusion

So will Siquijor be the next Boracay? Probably not, as most of the prime beach property is already occupied and the tides don’t seem to allow for resort-like beach activities anyway.

But that is a good thing in my view, as Siqujor will most likely remain a small, mainly untouched island. It can even be your very own Robinson island, to allow for a relaxing and lazy stay, laid-back to the fullest in its very own way. The whole island is also exceptionally clean and the people are friendly, as well as cheer and helpful.

All the good things are here, affordable accommodation, local and international food options, friendly and hospitable locals, the white sands and crystal clear water of the tropics, some mountains, caves and waterfalls to cool down and even the smoke to blow your brains out, if that’s what you desire.

Countless Karaoke joints will make you sing the nights away, a big 1-liter bottle of San Miguel Pale Pilsen or Red Horse Beer cost only 60 Pesos, 2 songs go for 5 Pesos and you are set.

With an own outlet of the Immigration Bureau already existent you wouldn’t even have to bother to go back to Dumaguete to renew your Visa every once in a while.

I’m probably getting ahead of myself. So what do YOU think about Siquijor?

Have you been here or are you planning to visit?

(Click here for more pictures of Siquijor)

Related posts:

1. The Tricycle Diaries - RoRo from Negros to Panay and on to Guimaras Island
2. Driving around Dumaguete, Negros Oriental

If you liked that one, but don’t know how Lee Kuan Yew, Naomi Campbell or Egyptian queen Hatshepsut fit in the picture; you might want to check out also this earlier Q&A session with Epicurienne.

Meanwhile, ‘Mission Triycle’ is developing and will kick start probably this coming week. Stay tuned!

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Dumaguete is the largest city almost at the south-eastern tip of Negros. You can drive around the island via a main road, which closely follows the coastal line. There are a few roads going right through the island also.

Driving around with a rental bike over the last 3 days - here is what we figured out so far:

Driving around sleepy Dumaguete

Dumaguete itself is a charming university town with a very young population. Its more than 100.000 citizens sound more then it looks, but then, the whole city proper is covering a quite large area, the lack of high-rise buildings (most buildings are 2-3 stories maximum) let the city’s boundaries start right at the boulevard at the ocean and crawl up the mountains (like towards Valencia, a cooler suburban area of Dumaguete).

The boulevard is very popular after sunset - for chicken, seafood and other barbecue dishes. You have a handful of other affordable restaurants also, plus some karaoke joints and a disco in “Why not?” bar.

Most of the fastfood franchises like McD, Jollibee, Dunkin Donuts are located in the 3rd road, which seems to be the main road for traffic. Here are also a few pharmacies, beauty salons and shopping centers; although nothing too big. Lee Plaza is the main shop, while there is a Robinson Mall under construction further South from the center.

Several places offer therapeutic massage for 180 Peso/hour and up.

Just north of the city you have the airport and even further north a small port or jetty (Sibulan) with ferries going to Cebu island and other destinations.

Very pleasant, easy-going Traffic

Traffic is easy going, without any hectic and horn honking. In fact - just trying to remember, when I heard a horn last time today - it was most likely my own, when overtaking a smaller vehicle. What an awkward situation! In India you are constantly horned left and right, the horn is truly used excessively. Here people roll slowly their way, give way when necessary, wave you through with a smile, the traffic at intersection flows naturally and undisturbed. It’s a very harmonious and pleasant way to drive.

Beautiful Scenery

The surrounding scenery is also simply breath-taking! You have the mountains in the background, the ocean in front of you and can even see other islands near Negros.

That would be for instance Cebu (one of the main islands of the Philippines) just north-east of Dumaguete, Siquihor to the south-east (a mystic island, famous for its Black Magic and legendary Dive Spots) and smaller Apo Island (about 50 km south of Dumaguete, past Bacong, opposite of Dauin). From higher elevation near San Jose you can also make out Bohol Island in the far distance.

Beaches??

Beaches are only few and far between. They mainly are of grayish lava sand, as Negros is of volcanic origin. If you are looking for white/sandy beaches you came to the wrong place. The closest destinations with white beaches are Siquihor Island or Alona Beach at Panglao Island on the western side of Bohol.

Even Cebu features more white-sandy beaches than South Negros, as you can see on the picture further up to the right. But that shouldn’t stop you from enjoying a refreshing jump into the ocean.

On Saturdays and Sundays, local families seem to enjoy their love for the beaches in the Bacong and Dauin region. Hundreds of people were roaming these gray volcanic beaches, bringing their own full barbecue equipment and plenty of San Miguel and Red Horse beer bottles.

The treasures are in the mountains

In the mountainous regions around Dumaguete there are said to be waterfalls, cold springs and lakes at high altitude. Near Valencia there are 2 cold pools with pure mountain water designated as public swimming pools.

The village youth seems to like them and populate them during the day.

We also visited the Twin Lakes near San Jose, about 25 km north of Dumaguete. Just off the main road there is a sign “13.6 km to Twin Lakes”.

Doesn’t sound too bad, right?

Take your time!

The only problem are the road conditions, as maybe only 1/3 of the roads have a proper surface, the rest is loose gravel, sand and deep potholes.

So the 13 km feel more like a minimum 30 km, you should plan about 2 hours each direction, but they are fully worth it!

You will drive a long-winding road higher and higher and are rewarded with amazing views, changing landscapes and finally reach the Twin Lakes just passing a swamp scenery.

You can swim here as well - the water of the Twin Lakes is very refreshing and delightful.

On the way, there is cute restaurant at about kilometer 5 of 13, it’s called ‘Azalea’ and offers spectacular views and a nice coffee break option. It just opened 2 months ago and they are currently expanding to have a small hotel with pool opened within the next 4 months or so.

Also you can watch farmers going on with their work, plenty of cows, goat, chicken and water buffaloes living near the roadside. After all - the Twin Lakes make for a very worthy day trip.

You shouldn’t miss them, if you are in the area.

Which natural wonders did we miss so far? What would you recommend for seeing in or nearby Dumaguete?

Related posts:

1. The Tricycle Diaries - RoRo from Negros to Panay and on to Guimaras Island
2. Mambukal Waterfalls and Sulfur Spring near Bacolod, Negros Occidental
3. The Tricycle Diaries - Severe Road Punishment

Asked anyone who’ve been there about this city and its either a hate or love affair.

It is after all just another big city bustling with activities, filled with millions of people, cars, bikes, fumes, colors, smells - almost like any other metropolis in Asia. Or isn’t it?

Having been in Manila about half a dozen times for a few days only, the city still always captivates me with its energy and zest for life. The contrasts between rich and poor are obviously visible at every corner - but in my view, this has even more attraction to the wandering eye.

City with no limits

Everything is possible in Manila. Everything that you will allow to happen.

For an European setting foot into this city for the first time, things can be a bit disturbing. People will approach you wanting to chit-chat with you, everyone seems to sell something, from street vendors with mostly fried or sweet snacks, to money changers advertising their rates in person outside their offices, to vendors offering Viagra, lottery tickets, peanuts, cigarettes, newspaper or shabu, which is best to be avoided.

Manila, similar to Bangkok, is also a city to make old men feel young again. The widely use of the English language gives the city an edge over the other for many.

“Maynila” - how the locals call it - is somehow like a women, gorgeous and wild, capricious, sometimes grumpy, yet most of the time mysterious, hard to understand or even to explain.

My last visit to this place was about 3 years ago and somehow it feels less polluted, more colorful yet still the same chaotic and choking. The streets also appear cleaner, although that might be only my illusion, coming from India, which probably is a complete different league in that regard.

Ongoing construction and potholes are everywhere, as usual.

Crime, what crime?

Of course you heard all the horror stories, people getting robbed in broad daylight, kidnappings and hostage situation in hotels and all that. While that obviously isn’t something out of a science fiction novel, things on the ground look a bit different. You have to ask yourself, how often do these things happens (once in a blue moon) and what are the chances of being in the wrong place at the wrong time (which could be anywhere on this planet).

Police and even military personnel carriers with mounted guns show a strong presence here. But it doesn’t feel like a warzone or dangerous place to avoid.

The Manila mood is genuinely friendly - everyone is going after his or her own business. Policemen sitting on the roadside, smoking, laughing and greeting you the foreigner with a hand wave or friendly “Hello - how are you?!”.

Vendors in general know when to back off, they won’t bug you to buy anything too long, a friendly “no, thanks!” or hand sign is usually enough. I never had anyone following me more than 5 meters or screaming at me to buy something; very rarely - if at all - somebody touches you or pulls your arm; something that is pretty-darn normal in India or even in Bali for instance.

I never felt threatened or in danger at all here. Even walking around at night, people stay mostly friendly, just avoid eye contact with obvious drug dealers, if you are in a shady area.

Just follow common sense.

From my view, all you have to do is maintaining a low profile, wear casual clothes, no gold chains, Rolex watches, or wads of cash hanging out of your pockets; put on a smile yourself and let your genuine curiosity take over.

Respect the street people, don’t look down on them, be friendly, say “thank you” and “excuse me” when appropriate and people will respect you also and won’t invade your space at all.

Shopping, Snacks or Fine Dining

So what would you do, when you have a few days in Manila to waste? There is basically shopping, eating and nightlife. Manila hosts some of the largest malls in Asia and they are well up to international standards.

While Singapore certainly has the most shopping malls in the most dense area, it somehow lacks variety. In most Singapore malls you have the same shops and franchises over and over again. Giordano, Zara, Body Shop, Watson’s and Guardian, maybe a few Starbucks, Spinelli’s or Coffee Beans thrown in. Isn’t it funny that many Singaporeans love to fly to Bangkok or Hong Kong for shopping?

In Manila, variety rules. The smallest Robinson mall is an exploding experience of sights, smells and sounds. And I don’t even talk about the larger SM Malls or the gigantic Mall of Asia. Clothes, games, gadgets, telephony, music, beauty services - you name it, they have it.

Affordable food options are abound. Sure enough, you can find Westerner’s favorite fast-food chains like McD, KFC, Wendy’s, Pizza Hut and all also, but you would miss out. Most malls have also countless of other food empires, many of them you’ve probably never heard of back in your home country. You can get excellent international food for small money here.

Food Courts offer meal portions in the 80-200 Peso range, while smaller restaurants offer whole menus of Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Thai, German, American, Malay, Persian and of course Filipino cuisine. Eat Davao Tuna Dishes just side by side with Italian Pasta or Hong Kong Dim Sum.

Hope you haven’t spent your last dime yet? Because darkness is falling but the night is still young.

Nightlife to live out

Make your way to one of the countless karaoke joints, bars and nightclubs around. I prefer going to places with live music - and Manila has plenty of those. As we established already, Filipinos are talented singers - in most holiday destinations or hotel lobbies around Asia you will find mainly Filipino bands and singers.

And Manila is no exception. Just walk around before dusk and simply follow your ears.

If you are a single gentleman, you could combine this with hunting for other pleasures also. I don’t want to give you any ideas, but most Filipinas are a pleasure to the eye, always smiling, polite and friendly and deal gently with men. But everything is totally up to you, of course.

In the Ermita area, you could go for instance to the “L.A. Cafe”, which offers (besides one floor of freelancing girls and women) excellent live music on the 2nd floor. The girl to guy ratio in here is something around 25:1 and you will feel like a kid in a candy store.

Why not be King for a day, right?

Drinks prices are decent and you can simply hangout, watch the scenery and sip your San Miguel or Red Horse beer. This place is open for 24 hours with half-day long happy hours of discounted prices. If there aren’t many people in yet, you can even enter the stage and use the mic to sing your own song or two. Show those American Idol suckers who really has the best (or loudest) voice!

Where else in Asia can you have a feast for your eyes, listen to or make your own great live music and an ice-cold beer for 75 Peso all in one place?

Or are you feeling hungry again?

Head over to “G-Point Bar” for some Frankfurter’s, Wiener’s, Steaks or Japanese Sushi Dishes and some German EKU Pilsener, Oettinger Hefeweizen or other, local or more international beer brands. This place features a different live band every night and is a favorite hang-out place of butterflies, honey bees and other creatures of the night. Expect lots of sweet smiles, winking eyes and even chick fights during later hours as entertaining attractions. Hah, women and politics!

If you are in need of recommendations or even medical support (maybe your company grew suddenly to 3 and you’re feeling or *are* a 70-ish-year old), simply ask the friendly security guard or bouncer for quick, yet discreet procurement even at early morning hours.

Is there anything else you will need for your very own “Thrilla in Manila”?

Myself I like to stay in hotels near the airport or close to Roxas Boulevard. Here’s the most hotel competition and rates are more reasonable for what you get for your money.

You can find decent hotels or guest houses for 700 Peso and up per night.

A nice 4-star hotel, very clean and complete with kitchenette, aircon, stocked mini-bar, breakfast and cable TV and near Robinson Mall will cost you around 1.500 to 2.000 Peso per night.

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Staying in Manila for a few days, it feels to me like Manila is always on your side - but will you be on hers?

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As I’ve never seen any of them before in Asia, I naturally assumed that some crazy German came up with the idea.

After all, can you imagine a true-blue American or Australian BBQ Fanatic inventing something to simplify their favorite past-time - the BBQ experience?

BBQ is a science in itself. But there is always room for improvement.

Check out those pictures:

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The first invention is - you probably guessed it - a disposable BBQ grill. What a neat gadget!

No need to carry a huge steel grill or kettle, bring a sack of charcoal or a bottle of gas, or any other BBQ accessories.

You don’t need to clean the grill after the successful BBQ, simply roll it together and throw it in the trash. To lighten the charcoal, you won’t need spirit or other igniting liquids. Simply light the paper over the charcoals. It is soaked with some burning agent and will melt into the charcoal below, helping to get a slow-glowing set of coals.

Also no dirty hands during the whole process!

The whole gadget is built from a stronger silver foil, filled with charcoal and topped with a small grate.

It is called “Picknick Grill” here in Germany and costs anything between 0.99 Euro and 2.99 Euro, although my friends mentioned that not all brands are the same quality.

I can assure anyone who is sceptical, that this thing really works! In case this is old news for you and you used a BBQ grill like that already, bear with me - I’m simply excited learning about a new and easy way to BBQ.

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The second invention is something completely different and not related to food at all.

Actually it is about the complete opposite. So stop continue reading, if you still have a watering mouth - imagining some barbecued meat balls, a delicious steak and especially tasty sausages.

Driving with a bicycle around the small town here, I noticed a pink installation.

Check out this picture to the left.

What can that be? Oh no! It’s called a ‘Dog Toilet’.

Although it’s nothing where our 4-legged friends can go to do their small or big business, it’s more an invention for the dog’s owner. You can pull out small plastic bags here to pick up your dog’s fallout.

Here in Germany there are serious fines, if you walk your dog through town and leave its droppings lying around.

So not everyone is carrying a disposable bag and a shovel to big up those dog sausages. With the ‘Dog Toilet’ you have no excuse anymore. Simply get a plastic bag there, use it like a glove to pickup your dog’s business and dispose of the plastic bag in said pink installation.

Easy, isn’t it?

The positive effect is that you don’t see many dog droppings lying around town. So all in all it seems the ‘Dog Toilet’ has its uses and most dog owners behave as advertised.

Maybe some business idea to use in Asia also? In most countries here (maybe with the exception of Singapore) you have plenty of dog poo lying around, unfortunately mainly from stray dogs. So I’m not so sure at all, if there would be any change at all.

Maybe you have to combine the system with organized dog catchers, to reduce the numbers of strays and fine all dog owners, if they let their pets litter the streets with their waste. Sounds complicated.

Oh my! What kind of problems!

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