The Philosophy of Travel

Hard to explain why I've come to love Leyte so much, hope these pics say more that what I've failed to explain.  WOW Southern Leyte! Wow Region 8 endorser na yata ako hahaha!

Canigao Dreaming

      What I miss about Canigao the most is the peace and quiet.  I think that distinguishes it from all other beaches I've been to- Boracay and Puerto Galera are so noisy, Samar is a little too isolated that all you'd hear are either crickets or the roaring Pacific.  Canigao faces Bohol and Cebu so the sea is placid.

     It was my first time to sleep under the stars, and boy there were a lot of them.  Reminded me when I was 7 and we visited the Planetarium on a field trip.  When you lay on the sand, the waters calm and glimmering from luminous creatures that lurk in the shallow waters, the sky above is a blanket of a thousand stars.  The moon is so large it almost looks artificial- inside your tent you might mistake it for a spotlight.  At a distance, the mainland lights shimmer across the water.

    I was really smitten by this island and the people of Matalom who takes care of their treasure.  They are very organized, very polite to visitors.  The communal showers and comfort rooms are clean and available 24 hours a day for those who live on rented tents (200-300 per night depending on the size).  There are Tourist rooms (fan rooms) with its own toilet and bath at 1,500 a night but the electricity in the island is only from 6pm to 12 midnight.  I say, tent accommodations are better.

    The snorkeling and diving areas still have a variety of corals and fishes to catch one's interest (there is a sanctuary on the island), while the swimming areas are shallow which allow young children to frolic.  There are stores and canteens at the center of the island that sell essentials and cooked meals.  For who prefer to grill fresh seafood (which locals sell at very reasonable prices) they also have designated areas.  For safety reasons, they do not allow bonfires so it is ideal for tourists to bring lamps and also mosquito repellents.  Overall Canigao gives the best island experience in Leyte- and the cheapest! Imagine, including transportation, food, accommodations- we spent only 630 pesos each (inclusive of driver's wages already).  The eight of us only added Php 100 more for a side trip to Maasin City- the capital of Southern Leyte for a visit to other attractions.

Underwater shots.

Simple living.

Hope next time I get to stay not just overnight but a little longer.  I miss the peace and quiet, and the soothing waters of Canigao...

Sunrise, Sunset

No Show Driver, Rain, and a Disappearing Man

         Back in September after the first Bi-monthly, our class had been longing to go and have a holiday in Canigao Island (they saw our pics from our visit when Ted and Rachel came to visit).  But there was always a reason not to go- practical exams, long quizzes, and all those stresses of med life.  Last Friday, after we finished our Finals in Psychiatry, we finally resolved THIS WAS IT!  We were going to Canigao.

             Problem 1: We were on tight budget, I mean it's the semester's end so people only had a few bucks to spare before going home to their provinces.  I was used to traveling on a shoestring budget, so I told them we can actually pull off a Canigao holiday for merely Php500.  Tipid trip means we have to cook and prepare our own food, bring lots of de latas.  We met Friday night at Mcdonalds so we could all go together to our house where they will sleep over because the driver will arrive at 4am.

                Problem 2:  Tacloban is such a small city, that almost all stores/ groceries were already closed by 8pm!  Good thing I went to the market earlier that day so we just reimbursed the cost of the Shrimp, Pork, and Chicken and let Ate Noreen buy the next day.  And so we cooked and prepared and waited for dawn.  But as  dawn came, and the first rays of the sun  the driver was a now-show.  I called up all the drivers I knew, and no one was free, worse comes to worst, Hannah said- we'll just be the ones to drive!  Luckily my mechanic called and said he has someone who is interested in driving us (2days) for 350 a day.  The thing is, that would be the first time I'll meet the driver.

 

 

       And so we went on the road, 4 hours late from our planned departure time.  We reached Matalom by 11am, went to their market to buy ice and fish.  Our food consisted of Adobong Manok, Pork Sinigang, and Shrimp we cooked the night before, 6 cans of Bluebay Tuna, Rice, a kilo of fresh fish we bought from their market which we will grill for dinner, 2 gallons of Pink Lemonade (my brother brought a lot from the US), soft drinks and water.

 

           Med 1 students celebrating the end of the 1st semester- Thad, Ivy- Med Tech from St Scho, Hannah a nurse from Western Leyte, Jayzel who took up Basic Medicine in Manila, Kat and Jonathan- nurses from Samar, Trina, a BS Bio major from UP Tac, and Josh, a nurse from Cebu Doc.

  

We finally reached our destination and set up camp... We had lunch and despite rains now and then, it promised to be the perfect day indeed!

I slept outside while my classmates were inside their tents.  First time to sleep under the stars. Amazing!

           And oh, the drama I was talking about?  We searched the entire island by snacktime early afternoon for our driver because we couldn't find him. I called the boat office on the mainland to check if the Fx was still there (I gave the keys to the driver, thinking that he would be with us the whole time. But since he disappeared I was worried he went away in the vehicle).  I went with the boatmen to the mainland even though they insisted that the vehicle was there including the driver, I told them firmly I need to see it for myself.  Relief came over me when we docked, I was pretty pissed the driver didn't ask permission that he was going to the mainland.  He told me he wanted to sleep in the car.  I gave him money from dinner and breakfast and told the management we would be going back to the mainland by 10am the next day.  All was well, so we hitched back to the island with a couple of fishermen.

 

Good night!