Sometimes you just need to put the laptop away, ignore the never-ending to-do list, and dedicate a full day to the family. That’s exactly what we did today. We headed down to Moalboal for a proper "family day" of swimming, relaxing, and, of course, a bit of exploring. It’s been a while since we’ve just checked out like this, and honestly, it was much needed.
We started our day at White Beach. If you’ve been to Moalboal, you know the drill: pay the tourist fees at the office, find a parking spot, and hike down. I ended up carrying Liam part of the way, which is a workout in itself! White Beach is a beautiful, sandy stretch, but as a local, I have mixed feelings about it. When it’s clean, it’s paradise. But since everything eventually washes into the ocean, the cleanliness is hit-or-miss. Today was reasonably clean, though I still wish they had people raking the sand as they do in places like Thailand. You’ll still find cigarette butts and garbage if you look too closely, which is a bit of a shame for such a popular spot.
While Jessa and Liam went for a swim, I did what I do best: found a nice spot with a view, grabbed a coffee, and caught up on some Netflix. Jessa was looking great in her beach gear, and watching her and Liam enjoy the water while I had some peace and quiet was perfect. It’s one of those moments where you realize how lucky we are to live just 25 minutes away from a place people travel across the world to see.
After White Beach, we moved on to Panagsama for a bit of snorkeling. The weather wasn't ideal for it—a bit overcast and choppy—but I was excited to test out some new equipment. I managed to see a few tropical fish, though the conditions made it a bit of a challenge. Jessa, the "tough mountain girl," actually struggled a bit getting out of the water today, which gave me a good laugh!
One thing that really struck me today is just how much Moalboal has changed. The number of tourists is absolutely insane—it feels busier than it was even before COVID. Walking through the streets and seeing the crowds, I felt a huge wave of relief that we don’t live right in the middle of it anymore. Our land in Ronda is the perfect distance away; we can enjoy the amenities of Moalboal whenever we want, but we can retreat to our quiet mountain view when we've had enough of the chaos.
We ended the day with a bit of a "meat disaster." We stopped at the local market in Moalboal to buy some pork for a Norwegian-style dinner that Jessa and I were planning. Usually, the market meat is much better than the "Mama pig" stuff you get at the mall, but this time, we got unlucky. By the time we got home and Jessa asked me to smell it, it was a lost cause. Straight into the trash it went. A frustrating end to the shopping trip, but that’s just life here sometimes!
We finished the night at a nice bamboo-style restaurant with some live music. We sat outside to escape the volume—I’m one of those foreigners who actually likes to be able to talk to my partner while I eat! I had some decent spare ribs, Jessa had tuna, and we just soaked in the last few hours of our work-free day.
It was a great day of recharging.
