Batang Dagat 2

Batang Dagat 1

Anawangin Revisited

Day 6: Sunrise at Cloud 9

Day 5.1: Chasing a Rainbow

Day5: Watching the Waves

I got up at 5am. I went to the gazebo to savor the relaxing morning sea breeze. The sun hadnt risen yet. But the waves were already in surfing mode. I thought it was a good day to surf. The wind was blowing from the sea towards the shore. The waves were tall and white and foamy. And the roar of the surf was quite loud. Ive seen these kinds of waves in Sydney, where surfing is a national pasttime. Then i saw a dark tanned muscular figure approaching my location. I knew he was a surfer. Ive seen him countless times in the resort, together with his other surf dudes. His name was scott, and he comes from hawaii. He was checking the surf. He thought it was a good day to surf as well. Then came another surfer, Michael, the owner of the resort. When they began talking in surf lingo, i excused myself and headed straight to Cloud 9. It was a mere 5 minute walk, and as i approached the famed site of the annual surfing competition, the sun had began to rise. Darn, i forgot my camera. It was too late to go back to my room. I just had to capture the image in my mind. I took my shirt off, laid it on the sand and sat on it. I noticed two surfers doing some exercises by the shore. After a few minutes, they hit the water and rode their surfboards. I got these photos after breakfast. My telephoto lens didnt reach far enough to see the surfers in action. But i managed to get photos of the waves. This time of the year is like practice session for the surfers. Come September, according to the locals, the surf will be roaring mad.

Day 4: Bad Trip

Somehow i knew. I was already awake at 3am, anxious about the trip home. Im always like this, not getting enough sleep on my last day, of any trip, in any place. Im always excited to go home. It was still dark then, so I waited until daylight to check on the weather. The sky was gray and covered with rain clouds. And the wind was cold, and strong, gusty. We had packed our stuff the night before, so  when our ride arrived, we said goodbye to the staff and headed to the airport. Along the way, the weather had gotten really irritating. It rained like it was monsoon season already.   

When we reached the airport at 1030am, only one passenger had checked in. We checked in our bags and waited at the departure area. An hour after, the waiting area was full and all seats were filled. Most of the passengers were standing, huddled in groups, and talking aloud. The plane was supposed to have landed, but it didnt. I realized something was wrong when i saw the station manager suddenly appear in the center of the crowd, clasping his hands, and appearing a bit frightened. He announced, quite soft spokenly,  that the flight was cancelled due to bad weather,  a force majeure. He said we can have our flights rebooked in 2 days, which was the next available flight. I sat there motionless and  dumbfounded. This was the first time i experienced a cancelled flight. Had it been a different airline, they would have paid for our extended stay. Unfortunately, this was Cebu Pacific territory. Fortunately,  the staff did rebook us on the next flight. Other passengers were fuming mad,  but there was really nothing they can do. Either we fly back on Wednesday, or take the wooden ferry from Dapa or Del Carmen to Surigao, which is not a good idea at all, considering the personal accounts of the locals. When we got our bags, we hitched a ride back to General Luna in the back of  a pickup, owned by Michael, the owner of the resort we stayed in, who was taking the same flight to Cebu, en route to Singapore. When we got back to the resort, the staff were teasing us. We got our room back. Jr wanted a cheaper room, but i thought, what the heck, this is still a vacation, an extended one. We spent most of the day listening to our ipods. In a way, i felt happy, if only because i'd get to taste their fruit pancake with bottomless maple syrup again, which was so delicious ( not even pancake house can rival it!). Looking back, maybe it was another blessing. Experiencing big waves is one thing, flying in really bad weather  is another. Better Delayed than Dead.

Day 3.1 : Big Jump

When we visited  Taktak Falls in Allegria, we chanced upon a couple of kids, aged 10 or below,  who were doing more than just taking a dip. They were taking a dive, literally.   They climbed the trunk of a tree one by one, using their hands and feet, with the agility of a trained athlete. Upon reaching the top of the tree, and after realizing there isnt enough space for all of them and not enough branch to hang on to, they jumped one by one and free falled precariously into the cool mountain water below. After completing the dive, each one of them would come out of the water, shivering, climb onto the cement and ascend the tree again, repeating the dive over and over. The only reason  i stopped taking photos was that i feared i might  run out of space in my memory card.

Day 2 Sunset