My second month-long trip to Philippines in the past four months is coming to an end. As our last destination we decided to check out Puerto Galera, where I would often come as a college kid to enjoy the beach for the week end ; it was one of the few destinations which was relatively affordable (ie. no air travel required) and had a nice beach with clear, blue water. Given the horrendous changes I witnessed elsewhere in the country, I was expecting something similar in Puerto, but lo and behold, the beach is still lovely, in spite of some empty bottles left in the sand, remains of a night of drinking by the water. True, the accomodation and dining options have increased, but are not yet encroaching on the beach as they do in El Nido, which once one of my favorite destinations in the world. The most pleasant surprise, however, was the water, teeming with fish and coral. I have no recollection of such lush marine life; either I was too broke to buy/rent a snorkel and tube back then, or I suffer of some college collateral amnesia. Either way, the view under the sea was as charming as above. Bravo Puerto Galera !