Braving the Rapids

After many years of living in the Philippines, I had finally set foot on Mindanao. Locals and travelers are intimidated to travel around here due to the conflicts between the Muslim and the army. But there are places worth seeing in Mindanao that are safe to travel to. This time, I came to Cagayan de Oro only for one thing and what it's famous for - white water rafting.

I've traveled by this rugged ship from Camiguin to Cagayan de Oro. It was just an hour ride, and then I took a bus to get to the city. To my surprise I felt like I was somewhere in Manila again. Nothing special around here, food stalls, traffic, pollution and beggars everywhere. It was not what I was expecting, and then I thought that I had to get somewhere out of the city to experience some hidden beauty. Then I found out that I had to stay here until the next day as the white water rafting would only start in the morning.

The next morning I was picked up by the rafting organizers, and I sat alone in this Jeepney with a group of locals from Manila. I sat there silently staring outside and expectantly waiting for some good nature around.

We got off somewhere our of the town and headed down to the river. Here I met another group of locals also taking the “advanced” river rafting. We were briefed about the basics, like how to paddle, how to turn and even what to say when we get passed the rocks and rough water.

And of course I was the only one not part of some family or traveling friends, so I was asked to choose a group I’m most comfortable with. I am not always comfortable with any groups, but with no other choice, I went with this family on this big blue raft.  It was rainy season that time and so the water was chocolaty but the nature around was a sight to behold. 

It seemed easy at the beginning, no sharp turns or anything. Just smoothly going with the flow and paddling forward.  I sat in the front beside one staff directing us what to do.  We finally came across some rough water and made some sharp turns avoiding the rocks, which was all part of the thrill. Nevertheless we still found ourselves swimming away during our break and did some little cliff diving along the way.

We saw other groups tipping over. I’m glad we didn't as we were extremely careful. We were followed by the staffs in another raft taking pictures all the way through the course. I got bored with this group I was with, and wished that I could have taken the more advanced rafting course. However I was told that I needed to be with some more experienced or more physically fit group of people due to huge drops, waves and some sharp maneuvering  I immediately thought of my friends from swimming back in Manila. It could have been more fun if they were here.

I knew that I might not be back here again so I pleaded the rafting guys to make me experience that two-man raft. After some careful consideration and a little bit of charisma, they finally agreed. The next thing I knew I was sitting in front of this small inflatable kayak. I was a bit nervous but excited. The guy at the back was helping me maneuver the raft with all his strength while I seemed to focus on just taking the ride of my life.  The water was splashing on to my face. The ride seemed more dangerous as I felt the sharp turns and drops.  The whole ride was exhilarating but fun. I would have chosen to be in this raft in the first place if I would be allowed to.  Nevertheless, I was thankful enough to experience the difference for a moment.  

I was taken back to the big raft and headed back. It was truly unforgettable. And once again I fulfilled something in my bucket list. It was one hell of a holiday.

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One Minute High

I came to Butuan City in Agusan del Norte only for one thing – the 1.3 km zipline. I just wanted to accomplish my mission of riding the so-called longest zipline in Asia. I didn't know any other places worth seeing here. I just knew that I wouldn't stay here for long.  Coming from Cagayan de Oro, I arrived in this strange city with no idea where to sleep as usual. I remember looking for a cheap guesthouse where I can put my stuff and rest for a bit, but I ended up in this small cage-like room with red lights and no windows. It was like a brothel or something. I was so scared to sleep here.

I fled and ran for my life. Even though it was only my paranoia but I’d rather be in total discomfort than sleep in that place. Thanks to this 24 hour McDonalds, my safe refuge.

Even though I was some sort of vegetarian and go-healthy that time, I felt like I had no other choice but to order fries.  After a few minutes I also escaped from the bright light and air conditioning, and found myself curled up on a small cold park bench.

I couldn't remember if I had really slept, but I woke up when a strange guy was trying to tell me something I did not understand. I fled for my life once again and headed to Delta Discovery Park for the zipline. And guess what, I was the first one to arrive. It was too early and I had to wait around for the staff to come in. I went to this natural pool nearby and I opened the whole resort. The water was so cold I could barely swim but anyway I enjoyed the whole place alone.

And at last for my real mission here, I was brought to the top seeing the magnificent view of Agusan del Norte. The next thing I knew I was like being tied up in a superman position. Honestly I was so nervous after seeing the whole stretch of line passing through the mountains. The staff insisted on putting some little parachute to reduce the speed but I preferred to be riding fast. My heart started to pump faster. With lots of zipline around the country, I waited for this moment where I can ride one for the first time. It looked like I had no choice but to submit to the staffs’ orders, with no time to chicken out. 

My fear was dissolved quickly when I started sliding.  It felt like I was going to crash towards the mountains, then the time seemed to have gone slow as I was having the most amazing view of my life. Just being there high above, I felt the bird’s power for a moment.  I was nearing the end of the line when I felt the sharp jolt.  And that was it.

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Bumming Around Bohol

I think of that famous Chocolate Hills and that little monkey called Tarsier whenever I hear about Bohol. I flew from Manila to Tagbilaran after a much deserved vacation from work, making Bohol as my first destination during my long holiday trip. I met a local working as a policeman who helped me get to Chocolate Hills and the Tarsier conservation place.  Chocolate hills are well, small greenish brown hills in the countryside. The hill is a beautiful work of nature alright, but also over hyped. It’s better to see it and be amazed for a moment then proceed to other interesting places this island offers.

Tarsier has become a major attraction here, claimed to be the smallest monkey in the world. From the Chocolate hills I was taken to this Tarsier conservation area where I met these little nocturnal primates. I found myself walking carefully as I did not want to be the cause of death of these cute creatures. I've heard that they go head banging to death when they get stressed.

Bohol is not just about the Chocolate hills and Tarsier. There’s the Loboc river, zipline, cave, Spanish colonial town and the old church. I preferred to explore the city only for a day as I was headed to where I always wanted to be - the beach.

I planned to spend a night in Alona beach in Panglao island just a few kilometers away from the city. It was getting uncomfortable as the policeman obviously wanted something in return after taking me to Panglao Island by motorbike. Money was not an option here.  I had this tendency to accept help and be naive. I learned this the hard way after being in dangerous situations during my travels. Fortunately the guy finally understood my need to be left alone, so I found my guesthouse by the beach and settled there.

Snorkeling and dolphin watching were the activities I came here for. However it was not like in Palawan where you get everything for around $15. No free seafood buffet, one whole day of island hopping or whatever. Prices are all separate unfortunately, and I think it’s really a rip-off. I was sharing a boat ride with these German couple who were complaining about paying for everything. We didn't see any dolphins after the dolphin watching tour. So we were just taken to this island for snorkeling to compensate for our unluckiness.  And yet here we were asked again to pay for a small boat to get to the middle of the sea. We didn't give in after much complaint, so we swam up to the middle with our snorkeling gears.  And finally, I've got my marine life experience of Bohol. 

Say cheese fish face. 

Tourist trap it is. I've seen bars, hotels and lines of foreigners sunbathing as I walked on the beach. Travelers talking to the same people and all that shit, I knew I wasn't going to stay here for long. I was sitting on the beach enjoying my solitude when this elderly couple passed by and talked to me. A friendly Filipina and his Hawaiian husband, the woman was asking me if I could go snorkeling with her husband the next day as it will be safer to go with someone out there in the sea. I told them that I was leaving for Camiguin. They seemed so nice but I have to move on due to my limited time. Nevertheless, they invited me for a dinner and they were like my family for a night. The couple were also inviting me to visit them in their rest house by the beach in Zambales before they go back to United States.  I failed to do so as I was caught up in the routine and all my domestic travels. I hope to visit them in the future.

They say that the best thing about travel is the people you meet, and this makes all the difference.

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It's Christmas Time in Camiguin

I remember when I was inside this fast craft traveling from Bohol, I heard the cries of mothers and their children as the boat braved the rough sea. I saw some nervous foreign travelers transferred to another seat. I could see the waves crashing toward the windows. But that didn't last for long, the sea calmed down and we all arrived in our destination safely.

It was Christmas Eve and I still had no place to stay. All hostels by the rocky beach seemed fully-booked and it was dark and quiet around. I had to make quick decisions that night, and I had already accepted that I would be spending Christmas Eve alone somewhere in this mysterious island.

I found myself swimming in this crowded hot spring resort late at night.  I thought I could stay awake until dawn but I felt really tired. So I crashed this empty security guard’s post as the heavy rain began to pour. Great, I didn't seem to mind where I was sleeping that night. I was exhausted and I all wanted to do was sleep. It was late and everyone was feasting and celebrating inside their homes. This was my night.

The security guards found me early that morning curled up on a small chair inside their post, and they all seemed bewildered for obvious reasons. These locals worked for the hot spring resort and they were all friendly and helpful. They shared their breakfast with me and we talked about how I ended up there. Then I was taken to this really cool locally owned guesthouse called “Enigmata”. It’s an artsy treetop lodge, with alternative-eco and tribal atmosphere. I was told that there was some celebration that previous night in there and all the guests had already left. It was good for me, the whole place was mine.

It was rainy all day but that didn't stop me to get to know this beautiful island through a 33 km motorbike day tour. My guide took me to hot and cold springs, underground cemetery, beaches and waterfalls. Travelers seemed intimidated to come here as this island is part of northern Mindanao.  And so all these natural attractions are still unspoiled by tourists, and out of all the places I've been to in this country, this volcanic island definitely stands out.

There’s a little sand island across where one can snorkel and swim in the clear waters. It’s a beautiful white sand beach where you can see the great view of Mt Hibok Hibok.  And here I met some friendly local travelers from Cagayan de Oro. 

No wild nightlife around here and it’s better that way. I've heard about the mushrooming foreign owned pricey guesthouses killing some local businesses like “Enigmata”. The foreign businessmen discovered the potential of this piece of hidden jewel and so they marry the locals to be entitled for land ownership, with the local women serving as their key to paradise. This is a typical scenario in the Philippine countryside and this is how a place becomes commercialized eventually.

This is one of the best islands I've been too and definitely worth seeing again. Everything that nature can offer, it's all in one island - Camiguin.

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Surf's Up in Siargao!

I came to Siargao to fulfill one thing in my Bucketlist - Learn some watersport. I was traveling around Visayas and Mindanao during my long Holiday Christmas vacation, started from Bohol Island and ended up in Siargao Island. And here is where I learned surfing. 

“It’s like the mafia. Once you’re in, you’re in. There’s no getting out.”

It was life-changing.

And I wonder how come I was spending the rest of my life elsewhere. Here in Siargao is where the real cool people hang out. Foreigners call this home forever. This is where the local surfer dudes live with their beautiful young French or Russian girlfriends. Surprisingly, it’s the other way around here.  The surfing mecca in Mindanao, a tear-drop shaped island in the Philippine Sea in the province of Surigao del Norte. Cloud 9 is the place to be, with a worldwide reputation for thick hollow tubes and one of the best known surfing waves in Siargao. And for the noobs like me, don’t you dare surf these waves yet. Or you die!

After enduring the 3 hour stormy boat ride from Surigao, seating on a hard bench of this over-sized banca with some tarp above to protect the passengers from heavy rain, I finally arrived. I took the motorbike taxi with roof and headed to the famous Cloud 9 to look for accommodation. I found the cheapest room in Ocean 101 resort for P500 a night. I was pretty sure I could still find some cheaper rooms in the neighborhood or some locals' place. But with the view of the crashing waves and the beautiful green scenery around, what else could I ask for. This is what happens when you have a job and you can splurge your salary for a mere 2 week vacation (sarcasm). No regrets.

Cloud 9 is not for the beginner, the whole beach stretch is a reef break. That means expect to get hurt here and there, blood and cuts on your hands and feet whenever you fall off the surfboard. The waves are crazy big but thank God there are some baby waves available for noobs just near Ocean 101 resort. I was a bit hesitant at first to try surfing because I was scared as usual. But this is what I came here for. I waited for a couple of hours for my instructor. And the fun began.

I could not count how many times I fell off the surfboard. I remembered my instructor saying that if one could not stand up, then he or she don't have to pay. But what a shame if other people did it and I could not. I did not give up. So I tried and tried, I did not care about the cuts, and bruises all over my body anymore. No guts, no glory. That moment, all I want was a chance to experience the whole ride.

I pushed myself upward once again, fighting the rushing waves below me. And very quickly I stood up and spread my legs for balance. I squatted a little bit and maintained this posture for a couple of seconds as the white water pushed me towards the shore. I was ecstatic. That moment I realized what those adrenaline junkies felt as they surf the waves. The rush. It was truly memorable. It was addicting. Right now I may not be as good as the others but from that moment on, I am still surfing.

Surfing is this hobby of these cool Siargao locals, I heard them one time saying, “it’s time to play”, in my language. This is what some young local girls with beautiful tanned bodies do after class or during class. Surf is life.

Surfing season is from April to October. The Siargao cup competition is one of the biggest international sporting events in the country held during late September or early October every year. You can go walk along the long wooden bridge of Cloud 9 and stay at the top to witness this momentous event.

What better way to celebrate New Year’s eve than to party with the surfers in this surfing paradise. The unforgettable Ocean 101’s buffet for the “Media Noche” with a few new-found friends completed my whole vacation. Club hopping afterwards with some travelers from all over the world, drinking and having fun as if it was our last night on earth. Life is a party.

Unfortunately my German friends failed to go with me to fulfill our island-hopping plan as promised. They came back to our guesthouse the next morning still drunk from New Year’s Eve partying, and spent their whole day sleeping.

Well there is my good Alice, a new friend who works in Ocean 101 and also my surfing instructor. She showed me around this laidback town on her motorbike. And just when I thought Siargao is only all about surfing, there’s this Magpupungko Beach with its amazing tidal pool and rock formations where children and some locals go cliff diving. Go rent a motorbike to explore the town or invite your friends to go with you for some island hopping.

My stay in Siargao gave me an alternative, a lifestyle I can choose should I get tired from traveling. This is the place where you want to live the eat-sleep-surf kind of life. 

Home is where the waves are.

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Life in Nha Trang

I still have these mixed feelings about Vietnam until now. But as we all know, a worst day in traveling is still better than a worst day in job. Traveling in Vietnam is just amazing however confusing. Living here is another thing. This is the first foreign country I lived in, and it is a totally different world for me. There are just things that you don’t have to understand, and I am not only talking about the language - lifestyle, way of doing things, young and old people, everyday routine etc. Take it or leave it. Five months of ups and downs, work, play, love, food, coffee and beach life.

Beach life.  What could be better than this.

I know that Vietnam does not have the best beach in the world, but for me, a beach is a beach. SSS – Sun, Sand, Saltwater. After spending glorious weeks in this humble town of Vung tau, I moved alone in this bigger city called Nha trang seeking a new adventure while enduring the 300+ km long distance relationship with Mosquito man.

My varied career now included a stint as a waitress, / secretary / graphics designer in this French Wine bar, thanks to my crazy French boss for teaching me all about these wines, giving me a bit of instant sophistication points minus stupidity.  Now I know that if someone’s opening a bottle of red wine, it won’t make me cringe, or now I know which glass to use for champagne. I can say now that the Red wine from Chile is the best. Would you like to have a glass or a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon with that? 

Nha Trang City is bigger, more touristy and has a nicer beach compared to Vung tau. My friend call this little Russia, with all the Russian writings, travel agencies, bars and shops, all to cater for the Russian tourists. I will never forget that famous Sheraton hotel, serving as my landmark as I walked back to my guesthouse from work. And those nights when I take a long detour to walk along the shore just to feel the sand and hear the sound of the waves before I sleep. One of the best walks ever.

Nha trang is the local life. Amidst the high-rise hotels, resorts, Russian businesses and bars, you’ll still find street coffee shop, cheap beers, street food and the famous Vietnamese noodle soup “Pho” around the corner. If you know where to find these you can live very cheaply in this city. Thanks to the nice locals I became friends with during my stay here, they taught me how to live the local life.

It would have been easier if I have a motorbike, and I could have easily explored the whole Nha Trang in a day. Though I've learned how to ride a scooter in Bali, my confidence had gone down after seeing motorbike accidents, which seemed like a normal scene on the road. So I borrowed a friend’s bike. I knew that I have never really ridden a bicycle for a long time on the road and this is one of my weaknesses unfortunately. I gave it a chance like someone riding a bicycle for the first time. Panicking after seeing that truck behind me just resulted to a now forever scar on my right knee. 

Halloween was just ignored by the locals, probably their most uncelebrated time of the year. I was the emcee of the show as sexy Wednesday. Locals came in the bar in their normal outfit watching in amazement all these foreigners dressed up in their craziest costumes. Which by the way have gone too far after witnessing one of the folks dressed up as Hitler or those Russian girls wearing Nazi nurses costumes, inside the wine bar of French people. Sigh… HalloViet!

My career as an all-around employee came to an end, and left me bumming around the beach for a month. My routine consisted of grabbing my favorite Vietnamese baguette for breakfast, sitting on a low plastic chair in a street coffee shop, taking an enjoyable 4 km walk to my favorite vegetarian restaurant, sleeping on the beach in the afternoon and having occasional meet ups with Vietnamese friends.

Oh Nha Trang, you will be missed.

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