*In a trance: Cebu’s effortlessly majestic landscape, adventures
like never before in my life, high school friends I’ve always wanted to go away
with all coming together
Oh,
what I wouldn’t give to be there again right now; what I wouldn’t give to be doing
again what we were doing back then.
Following
a jampacked Siquijor escapade, my friends and I immediately headed to Cebu the
next day for another round of adventures.
What
else could possibly be worth spending half a day of travelling and transferring
from boats to buses then tricycles to single motorcycles than a full dose of
adrenaline rush in our system courtesy of canyoneering?
Canyoneering
in Alegria is fast becoming popular among tourists because of its intense nature.
From the starting point at Kanlaob River in Alegria, adventurers go through
more or less five hours of nonstop rappelling, trekking, swimming, and jumping
through huge rocks and strong water currents up to Kawasan Falls in Badian. But
due to our late arrival and long struggle at the first cliff, we had to cut our
trip short and exit somewhere in the middle of the river since the sun was
already setting. It was still all bits of crazy and unforgettable, though.
Truth
be told, I wasn’t prepared at all. During the planning when I learned about all
the jumping off rocks and cliffs, I instantly blocked the thought off my mind. I
didn’t want to torture myself with worries, as they might scare and stop me
from trying. The personal mantra became come
what may and whatever will be will be.
But that moment on the edge, one foot on the soft, muddied
soil and the other on that little rock that seemed to have just protruded, calm
and cool were immediately replaced with dread and panic. Looking down at the
violent gush of water matched with the uneven form of the cliff caused my knees
to shake and weaken. Things were worsened by the pressure felt not just by me
but by everyone. But despite them all and a hundred nerve-easing,
life-on-the-line, at-the-top-of-my-lungs cursing later, I finally got to let go
and be 15 feet off the air.
Let’s
get this sh*t over and done with.
That
was what was in my head minutes before I let go. I badly wanted to do it. What
was the point of even going if I wouldn’t try, right? Also, everyone was screaming
at me, and I was doing the same to those who came before me, so I was feeling
peer pressure. I had to prove to myself and to them that my words weren’t
hollow. Besides, I also wanted to make sure I get my money’s worth, so I already
knew I was going to do everything that needed to be done. And I did. Courageously. Successfully. HOORAY!
I
know others will see this as petty stuff, but this is one proud moment for us
all. It is something we were able to own up to, something not everyone will get
a chance to do or something not everyone can have the guts to get done, so yeah.
Caution: To those wishing to bring their
action camera during their jump and canyoneering, be sure to grip and seal them
tight to your hands. You don’t want to lose your gadgets and spend money just to
find them.
We
stayed at Joson’s workmate’s home that night, but only her grandparents were
there to accommodate us. What came before settling down in their place was like
something you would see on a horror movie. Imagine six stranger girls in what
looked like a deserted barangay, total darkness except for the moonlight and
very few lit bulbs in some houses, dogs barking and howling while cornering us,
very few vehicles passing by, and no person outside we could ask for help. Oh,
no! Until two kindhearted persons heard us and led us to the right house.
Huge thanks to Lolo and Lola for all the kindness, care and love they had shown us. They made us feel so at home, like it wasn’t the first time they met us. Thank you also to Kuya and Ate, the two persons who had been nice enough to assist us until we were able to get all settled down that night. We forgot to ask for their names, but that’s okay. God knows who they are.
Whale
shark (butanding) watching was my
most awaited Cebu adventure. It has always been on my bucket list, and to have
finally done it gives me a different sense of happiness and fulfillment.
The
contrast between the whale sharks’ enormity and docility has always been
amusing to me. In my eyes, they are just like any other pets, very cute, like
rabbits and dogs.
 |
| At the Whale Shark Briefing Center |
The
next morning, we were set to meet with the so-called gentle giants. They were swimming
just a few meters away from shore. They were that near ashore. Only their heads
were exposed above water while they grabbed food being thrown their way, still
cute. But the first moment I saw them underwater, I gasped in fear because they
looked magnified. They were too close we could already touch them if we wanted to
and so very huge they could swallow and chew us and our whole boat like chips.
My initial fright turned into amazement when I saw how calm and comfortable
they were around people. They would swim around us, no problem. Some of us would
even accidentally get in contact with them, no big deal. They were that
awesome. We spent a good 30-45 minutes playing with these babies. To say that
we had fun would be an understatement because the truth was we had way too much
of it.
This
escape was very different from all my other travels since this was the time I
had really been most adventurous. I would usually go away for some rest and
relaxation, but during this one, I opted to seek action and excitement where
they were plenty. There was something so fulfilling about discovering new
things about one’s self, extending one’s horizons, and going beyond the
limitations one had set for one’s self. Amen!
Aside
from my first time on a plane during this Siquijor-Cebu trip, this was also the
first time I got to travel this far with my high school girlfriends which made
it absolutely one for the books! Special thanks to Joson for bringing me up in
the air and to Faith for taking care of my needs the whole time. I owe these
angels a lot.
I
wish to go back to Cebu again because, apparently, all that we have seen hasn’t
even covered an eighth of this splendid island yet. I heard that it still has
many other beaches, natural spots and attractions that need much exploring.
You know what they say, live a little. Well, I’m
trying.
*Photos
by Erika Pablo, Katrina Tolentino, Justine Dador and Faith Ugates!
.jpg)
