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.
0 comments :