A Blissful Moment

This past week has been a bit of a disaster. We left Coron on Monday and flew to Cebu with high hopes of famous waterfalls and marine adventures but Mother Nature had a different plan. A typhoon rolled through on Tuesday and lasted the better part of the week, putting a big damper on our plans. I basically spent 6 days taking busses to different hostels in different towns and finally ended up in Cebu City where we could atleast walk around inside of a mall and go to the movies. I tried my best to remain positive despite wanting to rip my hair out and for the most part I succeeded. It was a minor set back but thankfully I still have a little over a week left to visit everywhere I've wanted to go. Seeing bridges, roads, and homes destroyed made me realize that my frustrations are insignificant.

Today is December 1st and the sun has been shining all day. I love the new beginning that the first of the month represents. The bad weather is (hopefully) behind us and we can resume our plans. We were up at sunrise this morning to catch a bus, a ferry, another bus, and a little motor boat to make it to itty bitty Apo Island. The island only has electricity from 6-9pm, 5 guest houses, and 1 restaurant. I was so happy when we finally got on the little motor boat to get here. It felt amazing to be on a boat and not a bus, on the ocean instead of the road. 

We grabbed snorkels as soon as we arrived this afternoon and got into the water. We were all itching to be in the ocean after a week of being stuck inside. It felt like a rebirth being able to swim around in the salt water again, exploring coral reefs that line the shore. As if that wasn't enough in itself, the reefs were filled with my favorite marine animal, sea turtles! I can die happy now, having spent an hour swimming side by side with handfuls of these majestic creatures. It was one of the coolest experiences I've had and I can't wait to jump in the water with them again tomorrow. Of course this was our sole purpose for coming to Apo Island so it wasn't any sort of surprise but still when you actually see them you can't help but squeal. They are so tranquil and elegant, not giving a second of attention to the strangers following them around. 

All it took was one blissful moment in the ocean, swimming side by side with a giant sea turtle, and this entire week has been completely worth it. 

**December 2nd: Having no electricity last night and therefore no fan for sleeping was absolute torture. I don't know how people sleep in those conditions every night and I know I'm being a diva but it was so miserable. But the misery was worth it because this morning, after we hiked up to a lighthouse, we spent a solid hour swimming with sea turtles. We were all trying to come up with a way to describe them and were at a loss for words. All we could say is that they are just so freaking COOL! Once we were over swimming we got on another tiny wooden motor boat and started the 2 hour ride to Siquijor. I can already tell I'm going to love this little island. It's much cleaner and seems to have more development and civilization than some other ones we've been to. The sunset we saw this evening was a beautiful swirl of pink and purple and the water was perfectly still and peaceful. Tomorrow we'll rent motorbikes and explore the island. I've only got one full day here before I head to Bohol to meet a friend from home who is coming to travel with me for the next month. It's going to be so nice to see a familiar face and have someone to spend the holidays with. To say that I'm excited would be an understatement, I can not wait to see her!

El Nido in a Nutshell

Nov 17: Every day here gets better and better. Today we hired 2 motor tricycles to take us to Nacpan beach about 30 mins away. We had to drive on a windy dirt road with potholes and rickety log bridges to get there and my hand was completely cramped from holding the railing so tight. These tricycles are so sketchy, we bottomed out twice and the one that Paige and Bry were in got stuck in the mud and they had to get out and push it. It was scary and hysterical at the same time. Nacpan itself is absolutely breathtaking. Crystal blue water and fluffy white sand. Again, I can't believe how deserted these beaches are! We played in the waves for a few hours, ate a little lunch at a beach shack and then jumped back in the metal cages on wheels. Our drivers dropped us off at an inconspicuous hut on the side of the road and an adorable adolescent Filipino girl offered to guide us on our hike to the waterfall. We trekked through the jungle for about 25 minutes before coming to the waterfall. There were a few locals there but they quickly cleared out once we arrived. We jumped in and swam around, the water was cold and refreshing compared to the ocean. I could've relaxed there for hours but we wanted to see the sunset so we took off early. I went back to the rasta restaurant for some reggae and a veggie salad for dinner. It isn't very vegetarian friendly around here so my diet has been consisting mainly of rice or a raw veggie salad. Not very exciting but still delicious and I'm not complaining.

Nov 18: For our last day in El Nido we rented a chartered boat with 5 other people from the hostel and did our own island hopping tour. The first stop was Secret Beach and we had to swim through a small opening in a rock to reach it. The tide was so strong that you had to wait to be pulled out and then ride the wave through the opening before it sucked you back. The second island we hit had the best snorkeling we've done so far. Bright blue starfish, sea anemones, clown fish, etc. Rei and B saw a shark while I was laying on the beach and that made the rest of the day a little scarier, especially when the next island required a solid 15 minute swim through dark blue water to get to a raft. The raft was made of rickety old wood that you could feel bending beneath you. We all jumped back into the water one by one to start our swim back and one of the French girls decided she wanted a running start. Her foot broke through the wood but luckily her weight was already forward and she made it into the water. Had she been hurt I would've felt bad but it was absolutely hysterical. After hours of snorkeling, BBQing, and swimming, we made our way to the final island, completely deserted and the perfect spot for watching the sunset. I had so many moments today where I had to stop myself and look around. I'm getting so used to the scenery in Southeast Asia that I have to remind myself to pause and breathe in the beauty of my surroundings. I try to soak it all in because I know there will come a day when it's just a beautiful memory.

Up early tomorrow to head to Coron, an island famous for its wrecks. We're taking a 7 hour ferry to get there and I could not be dreading it more. I hope they sell some sort of horse tranquilizer on board or else I'm not sure how I'm gonna get through it without getting sick. Coron better be worth it! On the agenda: scuba diving, beach days, and bungee jumping (Mom- don't freak out)