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 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: Island Trip

When i woke up, i walked towards the balcony, my eyes half closed, eager to see what the weather was like. The sky was blue and the sun was about to burst out of hiding. A perfect day, i figured. We still had no plans that morning. And so, the only logical choice was to go visit the islands. After breakfast, we got our stuff and headed towards the blue boat docked by the shore.

As the boat headed towards deeper water, i began feeling dizzy. The boat was shaking a bit. We were passing the area of Cloud Nine Resort, site of the annual Surfing Competition every September, and the spot surfers frequent. The ride was uncomfortable for about 20 minutes, then it calmed down. As the boat glided along the coastline, my gaze was fixed on the seemingly infinite stretch of white sand and coconut trees surrounding siargao island, until it was interrupted by a vision of people, huddled together over something. It was a funeral, in the local cemetery, by the beach. A couple of kids were happily stomping their feet in the water. We had reached the town proper of General Luna. And in front of us, lies our first destination.

From afar, it looked like a piece of white trash floating in the water. As we got nearer, it was a small island, probably 200 meters in length, surrounded by blue green water. There was not a single tree standing, nor any structure that provided shade or shelter, unless you make one yourself. When we got off the boat, i got my camera and began taking pictures. My photos will explain the rest. We didnt stay long because there were no fishes/corals around, plus Jr felt a persistent stinging pain on his R eye, which more or less gave the cue that it was time to leave the water.

We decided to go straight to Guyam Island to eat lunch, and skipped Daku Island for tomorrow ( there was yet no foreboding of the "terror in the sea" we were about to experience). We paid 20 pesos to get access to the island. Aside from the caretaker and his family, the island was deserted. We chose a well shaded area underneath a tree and began eating our packed lunch of spicy seabass in olives, pepper and tomatoes, and fried fish fillet. Sarap. Lunch was over, yet Jr was still complaining about his eyes. I told him its best if we go back to the resort.

As the boat gained speed, Jr noticed that we were headed towards the open water .I asked the boatman why. He said it was a shorcut, and the route we took earlier was still inaccessible because of the low tide. I asked him if the waves there arent big, he said no. At that point, I knew it was a bad decision, and my heart began pounding. As soon as we passed the surf behind Guyam Island, the sky turned gray, the wind turned gusty and big waves of up to 10feet began undulating in front of us. The boat was going up and down, following the troughs and crest of the waves.Then, big waves began lapping against the side of the boat. It seemed liked a storm appeared from nowhere. I was scared and terrified. All I could do was yell at the boatman for putting us in a very precarious situation. For the first time, i thought it was the end of me. I couldnt open my eyes, so i kept them shut. Still feeling the gyrating movement of the boat, and the strong spray of water and wind blowing against my face, I held on to dear life by praying Hail Mary over and over. Donning the lifevest never ocurred to me, only praying did. Until it was gone. The boat wasnt shaking anymore.I could hear the engine humming again. Over the horizon were the rock islands in front of the resort. We were safe. I felt relieved. It was a close encounter of sorts, one that still haunts me when i see big waves in Discovery Channel. As for the boatman, I wanted to crack his skull open just to see if there was an actual brain inside it. But then again, maybe, it wasnt his fault. One word of advise, though: Never trust a boatman who is cross-eyed.