These are Talisay leaves picked up from the sandy floor outside where we stayed in Moalboal. They don’t stay these colours for long – soon drying out and turning brown.
Thu-8-Jan-2026
113-3341 – The rich colour of fallen leaves
113-3340 – Fish boat white beach
This sketch was done after a little walk down Basdaku Beach (also called White Beach), past the public area and a foreigner picking up trash…sufficing as a little exercise after stuffing a big fluffy fruit-filled and syrup-drizzled pancake for breakfast.
Thu-8-Jan-2026
113-3339 – Outside the bar that doesn’t open
I sketched this next to the room we stayed in the Ravenala resort where there is a bar – but which was never open…not complaining though…revellers would have kept us up if it was. I sketched this after we went to see the sardine run and turtles off Panagsama Beach. To anyone living in or visiting the Philippines, I would NOT recommend it! It was too crowded (you get flippers in your face), you don’t need a guide (which we were conned into paying for), people (guides and visitors) are not following environmental ordinances, it was noisy (with people screaming “OMG I swam with the turtles”), people were trampling on coral and taking selfies with GoPro’s (getting far too close to the turtles), with divers, snorkelers and free divers colliding…everything stressing the turtles which were literally being chased around. It was a horrible experience – the environment there is being over exploited. We later had a snorkel off the beach next to Ravenala – where there is a spectacular reef and was so much more peaceful.
Wed-7-Jan-2026
113-3338 – Ravenala view
I did this this sketch on our first day in Moalboal (at Ravenala Beach Bungalows) …which we spent chilling on the beach, enjoying the wonderful reef, reading and sketching. What a perfect and peaceful spot we found.
Tue-6-Jan-2026
113-3335-7 – Sweetcorn sellers, heads down and wobbly van sketch
Here are my sketches done on our trip from the Camotes Islands to Moalboal. We left the resort at 5am in the dark and rain and sheltered (partly) in a sari-sari store at first. There were at least three sweetcorn sellers at the port, so I started with a very quick sketch of them.Then the sun came up and people gathered at the landing jetty to bundle onto the ferry.
On the ferry back to Danao everyone seemed to be taking the opportunity to have a nap, as the ferry left at about 7am. It was congested with people and motorbikes, with the space starting off chilly (some morning drizzle) and gradually getting hotter and more humid, with the added smell of diesel fumes. Later my wife told me that the person next to her (behind me) was sick in a plastic bag…poor soul…thank goodness my cold meant I couldn’t smell it!
Lastly I did another wobbly van sketch. This time going from the south bus terminal in Cebu to Moalboal. The journey took a good few hours but I stopped this early as I felt icky. I finished off colouring the glorious orange corduroy covering the seats, at our resort in Moalboal.
Mon-5-Jan-2026
113-3334 – Rainy lunch at Lake Danao Park
This day started rainy so we waited to go out until lunch time and then took a tricycle to Lake Danao Park where we first had a hot drink (and where I sketched this), then lunch (Margherita pizza for me…I always end up eating a lot of pizza on holiday in the Philippines at it is often the only veggie option) at another restaurant. Eventually my wife encouraged us to take a paddle boat out onto the lake…and by some miracle the rain stopped. We saw some nice birds (a lovely striated heron for example) out there.
Sun-4-Jan-2026
113-3333 – Tulang Diot Island
I felt pretty grotty when I woke up (having had very little sleep) but with the help of some paracetamol and Mucobron I summoned some energy so we could go to this island. The resort owner (again) kindly took us the short trip down the road to the point where we took a ferry to the island. The snorkelling was limited but we ate our packed lunch and then came back in the afternoon and while my wife and daughter explored out resort and the beach in front of us, I slept.
Sat-3-Jan-2026
113-3332 – Mangodlong Rock Resort
On our first full day on Pacijan Island (one of Camotes Islands) the owner of the resort where we stayed, took us to this place where we had lunch (I had a nice veggie curry). This resort is popular because of the big overhanging rocks where (if you are brave enough) you can jump into the sea. After lunch we found a tricycle to take us into town to get some provisions from the Prince supermarket (which looked like a scene from a post-apocalyptic movie with goods falling off the shelves and scattered around) and the wet market. It seems like I picked up a cold along the way and had an allergy attack in the evening after dinner (when we were finally in the room we had booked).
This sketch is the first in a sketchbook make from Potentate 200gsm watercolour pencil paper (that I bought from Quatro Arts – see Sketch No.112-3312). It is cheap but unfortunately for me it’s too much like blotting paper with the ink from my Sailor Fude pen looking fuzzy without crisp edges. The paper also seems to block my Lamy pen.
Fri-2-Jan-2026
112-3331 – Breakfast view
We had a late breakfast on our first day in the Camotes Islands (when I sketched this). After-all we had got up at 3am the day before for the journey. We had to stay our first night in the neighbouring resort (Scott Camotes Beach House) because of a mix up with the bookings, so as compensation the owner picked us up from Consuelo Port, gave us a free late lunch when we arrived, and drove us to Mangodlong Rock Resort the next day (as well as paying for our rooms in the neighbouring resort).
Fri-2-Jan-2026