Kalanggaman Island

Sunday, June 29th

     Today was the much anticipated trip to Kalanggaman Island.  The tip in total would take about 3 hours there and back.  We rented a van for the trip there.  It was a scenic drive there and we were able to learn about the different Barangays as we drove through them--thanks to our tour guides, Obet and Sir Aldim.  It was so interesting to see the different barangays and how the people lived.  There were many small shacks and Nipa huts, which are huts made from the Nipa plant.  Many of these huts were on stilts to allow for water to pass beneath in case of typhoons.  We also saw a ton of green trees and plants on the drive, nothing like Chicago. 

After traveling by car for a couple of hours we arrived in Polompon.  We took a Banka, or pump boat there.  It was a fun ride, I made sure to sit up front to get the best view, I also got a good spraying of water up there, salt water stings the eyes!  The neat thing about the island is how the sand bar stretches out into the water, and it's gorgeous. I was able to take a walk around the island as well and it has a 2 mile circumference and about half of the island's shore is made of rocks.  The water felt like being in a bath, it was so warm.  The last part of our day was a wonderful dinner with another host family.  They were so welcoming and excited for our visit, it was a nice way to end the night.  The Philippines is made up of many gorgeous and as Obet says, "unspoiled" islands, and they truly represent the beautiful nature of the Philippines.