Chasing Waterfalls

November 23:

I know I keep saying it but every day here gets better and better. I woke up planning to have a relaxing spa day but as I've learned in the past 2 months, you can never get attached to plans. You've got to be spontaneous and say yes to every opportunity that presents itself. So when a few people suggested we rent motor bikes and explore the island, I had to say yes. I hopped on the back of a bike and we rode 45 minutes across dirt roads looking for a waterfall that we'd seen a sign for. We got caught in a rainstorm and had to take cover in a local's garage and then, following directions from passersby, we found the path to the waterfall. Three little boys no older than 5 showed us the way along the path. Once again, a breathtaking view of a huge blue pool and 2 flowing waterfalls came into sight. We were the only foreigners there and were welcomed with smiles, waves, and lots of food. The genuine hospitality here never ceases to amaze me. Filipinos will literally give you the shirt off their back if you seem interested. We met the sweetest lady who was excited to meet an American because "there are muslims in America!" and she herself is Muslim. She offered us food and although my body really did not want to eat white bread and cheez whiz I felt too rude refusing. Bryony complimented her on one of her rings and she took it off her finger right away and offered it as a gift. This is the norm here, comment on a specific possession and it will quickly become yours.

We also met a sweet local guy who spoke great english and became our guide for the day. He told us about a secret waterfall and after a little convincing he agreed to lead us to it. So there we were once again walking through the jungle, searching for our own private waterfall. It was smaller than the first and there was no 18ft cliff to jump off but it was gorgeous and it did have a long vine to swing around on like Tarzan. Our new friend Franz invited us to his house and of course we excitedly accepted the offer. We were all pretty sure we'd be going to a small hut with chickens and stray dogs roaming around the yard when all of the sudden we turned onto a road that led straight to the ocean and a beautiful white villa. It turns out that Franz has a swedish uncle who owns this villa and is renovating it to become a guest house. Set to open December 1st so if you are ever on the island of Busuanga in the Philippines, make your way to the town of Conception and stay at the Fear House Lodging. Franz will serve you delicious sticky rice, lemon garlic prawns, and San Miguel Lights while you relax on the balcony and watch the boats on the horizon. 

Unexpected adventures are always the best and you can't beat the authentic experience of spending the entire day with a local. 

Heaven on Earth

November 22:

I found heaven today. I'm still in awe of the beauty here and sometimes I have a hard time believing it's real. We chartered a boat for another day of island hopping and it was complete magic. Upon pulling up to the entrance of Barracudda Lake it looks similar to most other islands we've been to; giant rock formations and crystal clear ocean. This time we stepped off the boat onto some wooden stairs that appeared to cut right in between two of the rocks. Walk up about 10 steps, turn a corner, and the most breathtaking view comes in to sight. It's a cerulean blue fresh water lake enclosed in rock in the middle of the ocean. What's better is that it's completely empty. Our own private oasis. None of us could believe our eyes and the 100-watt smiles permanently stained our faces. Having spent so many days swimming in the overly salty water, the fresh water of the lake was so crisp and refreshing. I remember floating on my back in the middle of the lake and actually having the thought that I could die right then and there and be perfectly happy. It was that amazing. We climbed up jagged rocks and took turns cannon balling into the water. All of us giddy with amazement. I really never wanted to leave.

But alas, we had 4 more stops so I had to kiss Barracudda Lake goodbye and hop back on the water chariot and onto the next one. Kayungan Lake was very similar to Barracudda but is more well known so it was crowded with tourists in bright orange life vests and not quite as enjoyable (although still incredible). Plus there were no cool rocks to dive off. Next was Twin !agoon, a salt water lagoon accessed by swimming through an opening under the rocks during low tide. The water temperature changes from warm to cold every couple of feet and little black fish swim up and nibble at your toes. After the lagoon we went to Skeleton Wreck, a small shipwreck close to shore. I was completely uninterested in the wreck, I was far too fascinated by the swarms of striped fish swimming in a cloud around me. It was surreal being suspended in the water with hundreds of little fish swimming all around me, and the craziest part is that not one of them ever touched me. 

We finished the day with an hour laying on the beach and watched the sunset from the boat as we approached the shore. Today was absolutely magical and I'm going to sleep a very happy and grateful girl.

Under the Sea

Nov 21: Went scuba diving for the first time! It just may be one of the coolest things I've ever done. What better place to try it than in one of the top diving sites in the world? I admit I was scared at first, it feels awkward to only breathe through your mouth and I was a little panicked that I'd forget how to breathe once we went down but per usual, everything went off smoothly. Our first dive was only about 6meters (18ft? I'm terrible at the metric system. God damn you, America) and was just a reef dive which means lots of coral, sea anemones, and fishies. I held my instructors hand the entire time because I kept floating away but it still counts. After that we got back on the boat, had some lunch, and cruised to the next dive site. I felt like I was in a dream sitting on top of that boat, sailing across crystal blue ocean with tiny islands scattered all around me. Another moment where I pause to soak in reality and can't help but smile to myself as I think about how lucky I am to be here and to be doing what I'm doing. The second dive was even better. We were fortunate enough to experience diving to a shipwreck. And not just any shipwreck but a Japanese World War Two ship. It was covered in sea life and reminiscent of a mini Titanic. We swam inside and through a small room and then explored all around the ship. Such a cool experience! I had so much fun diving that I'm planning to get my open water certification in Thailand next month. You can pretty much dive anywhere there's ocean so I might as well get certified and be able to take advantage of all the great diving in Asia.

Heavy Seas

Nov 19: I've been dreading this ferry ride for days now. 7 hours is a long time to be on a boat. I wondered what the odds were that it would have air conditioning but I knew I was being too optimistic. Rei asked if I thought they'd sell sea sickness medicine on board and what type of snacks we might be able to buy. I assumed they didn't have any vending services on the boat. I'm thinking this is gonna be a real rough ride, likening it in my mind to the slow boat from Hyannis to Nantucket. Forgetting of course that I'm in a third world country and the slow boat on Cape Cod is a yacht compared to the wooden vestibule I'm currently sitting on. Think of it as a short hallway, with a long wooden bench on each side and a pig pile of backpacks on the floor in the center and that's pretty much what I'm looking at for the next 7 hours. I managed to score some prime real estate next to a window so I'm hoping this bad boy gets enough speed to offer some sort of a breeze. It's 8am and already sweltering hot. The one saving grace is that somehow there is free wifi on board and there's a chance that spotify might work. To Coron!