may 13 - 16, 2006 Bantayan 101

i was stuck in Bantayan island for four days! we were supposed to stay for 3 days only but because of the storm (wuz it Caloy? i forgot..), the pumpboats were not given permission by the coastguard (or what have they) to travel.. i got to experience the "real" probinsiya life.. we stayed in another island of Bantayan called "Doong".. they only have electricity for the second half of the day till sun up.. they have this big energy source that turns their electricity on at around 6pm until 6am the next day.. i know.. i can't even believe i survived four freakin' days there.. but it wasn't really that hard.. really ;-D

i was with ian, lisa, neil, princess and a local named du ramil.. it was fun.. but it wasn't quite your typical vacation kinda' thing.. we (as expected) had seafoods for almost every meal.. and the best part is --- it's for free!! ;-D the friendly neighboring fishermen seemed to love the sight of some city folks that they give us enough portion of their every catch..

i got to try the most exotic food i hardly even knew existed.. did you know that those huge shells we see so beautifully decorated in our school libraries had something in them that is actually edible?? yep yep.. those big ones that we hold close to our ears and hear the sound of the ocean? that one. they cooked the insides of it.. sliced and diced.. added some vinegar for taste.. and whoala.. it was served and ready to be eaten.. i have to admit though that at one point i felt like i was one of those Fear Factor contenders.. only there's no prize for eating it --- just a full stomach! and contrary to how it looks, it was sumptuous. ;-D Delicious. Perfecto! Yumyum! and a heavy tummy i had!
;-D

Doong is separate from the main island of Bantayan. not that Doong doesn't have enough beaches to boast.. but we rather felt ambitious and wanted to go further.. so the group decided to take an hour and a half pumpboat ride to this other island called "Mambacayao".. virgin beach, dearies.. with soft white sands everywhere you look.. heaven. wow. i couldn't be more impressed. and the water is so fresh and clean. no part of it was ever turned into a resort nor was it commercialized to that effect. totally untouched.. i can't believe there's still a place like this in this side of the world..

of course, there's always a not-so-good side to it.. in the middle of my exploration of this gorgeous virgin beach.. i was snorkeling nearby when i was stung by the saliva of a jellyfish.. i didn't notice it because its color camouflaged somehow with the waters.. deadly? nah. it would've been if it was the jellyfish itself that stung me.. however, its saliva left marks on my right leg that i wish would soon go away. oh well..

no photographs were taken since we were too scared to wet our gadgets with the more-than-an-hour pumboat ride.. but it's memories will forever be embedded in my heart.. and on my right leg..

heavy..
;-)