Bantayan Island
It’s a fine day in Cebu City,
finally seated inside the bus of the North of Cebu bus station after 4 hours of
walking. I can say that so far the weather has been gorgeous, the kind that
feels like a kiss of summer. I can feel the sun streaming through the bus window.
My mind started to drift away as it takes me to an island and I say to myself
“I can’t wait to see you Bantayan”. I grabbed my bag and looked for my journal.
I have to check exactly how long the travel time will take.
And it says there on my notes:
North of Cebu bus terminal - 4
hours to Hagnaya port
Hagnaya port - 1 hour to Sta. Fe
My sister who happens to peek at
my notes says “We are right on schedule”.
I smiled at her and said “Yes, we
are! Our expected arrival time on the island is 3:00 PM”
We were both seated there in the
bus waiting till our mind dragged us into the oblivion of sleep. It was a good
four hours nap after that long walk in the city. I woke up in the sound of the
conductor shouting that we’ve now reached Hagnaya Port. I then tapped my sister
to wake her up. Both excited, we immediately grabbed our bags and went down the
bus.
My sister then said “One more
hour and we’ll be on Bantayan Island”
Just the thought of that gives me
a nervous kind of energy; a sort of electric current that tingled through me.
My sister on the other hand felt giddy with excitement. But we had to wait. We
bought our tickets, paid the Port fee and have to wait for the Ferry to call in
for the passengers. We sat there and just observed the surrounding. Looks like
there’s not much tourist coming to the island today and that’s exactly how I
planned it. The lesser the tourist the better. I dreamt of having the island
all to myself.
Finally they start to call in for
the passengers. We immediately stand first in-line, like two excited kids who’s
riding the ferry for the first time. I then told my sister, “We have to
document this.” And she answered “Yes ma’am!” then we bought started laughing.
We were the first to get inside
the ferry and tried to look for the seat with the best view. We both decided to
seat on the deck so we could have the view of the surrounding. We sat there for
almost an hour when we bought realized how famished we are. Our excitement
turned to impatience and we both squirmed in our seats trying to silence the
rumbling noise of our stomach. We’re just both eager to get to our hotel and
find something to eat.
It’s not difficult to find a
tricycle that would take you to your hotel but some hotels do offer services
you just have to inform them of your arrival ahead of time. Which I forgot to
do. So we end up riding the tricycle. I was asked for the destination and answered
Kota beach Resort, the famous “Camp Sawi”.
Upon arrival we just left our bags,
changed our clothes and got ready for lunch and planned the remaining tour of
the day.
We end up eating at the hotel
restaurant and went out to rent a motorcycle for 250php/12hours so we could go
around the island.
Our first stop was Bantayan
Island Nature Park Resort, located at Sitio Kalubian a 31 min drive away from
Kota Beach resort. The place has its own underground cave with a natural pool
where you can swim and a beach front hotel. We planned to see the sunset but it
was way too cloudy. The clouds dominated the sky with a hue that is mostly
white but there’s a hint of greyness and the air was a bit chilly.
We decided to head out for
dinner; Bantayan Island has an area full of restaurants you can choose from we
had ours at Hr Native Restaurant. They serve great food, good meal sizes and
the place was nice.
We went to bed early that night
and was planning to be up as early as possible so we could catch the sunrise. As
usual, I woke up ahead of my alarm and realized it’s been raining. I can hear
the rain as it fell on the roof of our hut. I went out and see how soaked the
sand is. I waited for the rain to stop before going out. Then I called my
sister for that morning deep. The water was cold but it was refreshing, a good way
to start the day.
Then we decided to go island
hopping. We found the best boatman who was very welcoming and helpful. He took
us to Virgin Island, Snorkeling at Hilantagaan Island, Paradise beach, Ogtong
cave and Sta. Fe Cliff Diving Spot.
I can say that Virgin Island was
my favorite. It is one of the main attractions in Bantayan Island. We were the
first tourist to get to the island that day. So, we were able to explore it
mostly by ourselves. The most memorable spot was the cliff diving area; just
standing there at the edge already felt like there’s a bucket of icy water
being poured onto me that’s paralyzing my whole body. The fear of falling
(basophobia) is starting to consume me and I’m starting to freak out but then I
look at my sister saw how frightened she was I just have to stand for it and
show her that if I can do it so can she. There are moments in life that you have
to take courage and show others who are weaker (a.k.a. my sister) that you can
do it, so you can give them the courage to rise above their fears too even when
the truth is you’re also weak inside and fear is already killing you. This is
one of those moment.
Reminds me of the conversation
I’ve had with the life guard that day.
He says, “You guys are so lucky.
You’re the first to see the area today. Normally this place is crowded and
there’s a line of people wanting to take that jump but, today this area is all
yours.”
“Really Kuya?” I answered
My sister still looking at the
water trying to keep herself together so she could jump suddenly spoke and
said, “You know kuya on our way here I was so brave and excited to jump but now
I’m here, for some reason that I can’t explain I’m too afraid to jump”.
He answered, “You can do it
ma’am. It’s not that high. If you want you can go take a swim first and see how
deep it is and you can also use our life jacket”.
I was just there looking at the
water then I answered. “Ok Kuya, thanks for the advice I’ll do that”. So I went
down the water and had a swim. “It’s not that bad and the water is deep I’m
sure we won’t hit any rock from diving”. Then I saw my sister came after me and
she started swimming. Then I told her, “See, it’s not that bad”.
And so I went up again this time
I think I’ve already had enough courage to jump. Then I said to the lifeguard
“If only someone could jump first, I’ll surely jump after”.
“Are you sure ma’am” He says.
And I answered, “Yes, Kuya!”
Then without hesitation I saw him
dived into the water.
My heart jumped. It’s a mixture
of fear and excitement and I just had to do it. No more looking back although still
scared I stepped back, took a deep breath and made the sign of the cross. I
automatically placed my hand across my chest one hand squeezing my nose and the
other holding my shoulder more like the scuba diving jump and I just stepped
into nothingness. Freefall! And just like that I was able to jump. Next thing I
knew I am already under the water.
My sister was surprised when she
heard the splash in the water. She saw me swimming and I think she felt a rush
of excitement that pushed her to do it too.
Definitely, this was the best
experience ever.
As we head back to our boat we can’t
stop giggling for we’re both able to jump. We took a walk back to our boat and
enjoyed the view in the island. Our boatman then approached us and told him we
are ready for the next destination. And so, he pushed the boat back into the
water and started the engine. We had to pass by Hilantagaan Island so we could
rent for the snorkels before heading to the snorkeling site.
I looked at him and smiled and
with such delight I answered “Sure po!”.
It is advisable that you wear the
lifejacket even if you know how to swim. The area is big although the water is
shallow it is not advisable to step into the corals when you get tired cause it
will kill them and we don’t want that to happen do we? Plus there’s a lot of
sea urchin that will definitely sting you if you’re not careful.
We’ve been snorkeling for almost an
hour when we decide to go back to the boat and continue our Island hopping
adventure. On our way to Ogtong Cave we passed by the cliff diving area, the
ruins and the paradise beach resort but decide not to go down as the locations
were crowded. We’re already satisfied seeing the area from a distant.
Ogtong cave which is one of the
most visited place in Bantayan, can be found inside the resort named after the
cave itself. We enjoyed taking a dip in the cold fresh water and explored the
cave.
Kuya Leomar Areli for the island
hopping +639071914871
It was almost lunch time when we
finished our Island hopping adventure and we already skipped breakfast, so we
hurried back to our hotel. Showered and changed our clothes for our next road
trip adventure.
Still with the motorcycle we
rented, we drove to MJ square for lunch, where there are a lot of restaurants
to choose from. Plus the food is good and is not too pricey.
With the help of google map, we
were able to drive around Bantayan Island easily. We went to see the Obo-ob Mangroves
Eco Park, St. Peter and Paul Church and Kota Park for the sunset.
The Obo-ob Mangroves Eco Park is
a bit tricky to find; the place was situated far from the main road and a bit
isolated. However, we are glad we managed to find the place with the help of
the locals that are nice enough to show us the way. The Obo-ob Mangrove Eco
Park was a good idea to support the vegetation of some marine species and is
good for the eco system but there were already signs of deterioration in the
area. If only the locals could rigorously continue preserving the said location,
surely it would also be listed on the must see places of Bantayan Island.
We found St. Peter and Paul Church
at Pres. M. L. Quezon St. in the town of Bantayan. The church is known for
being acknowledged to be the “Oldest Church in the province of Cebu”.
Lastly, Kota Park in Madridejos,
is known for its picturesque fort and is the best place to see the sunset; also
locals has it that the milky way is visible in the midnight sky during summer.
It has been a tiring but
fulfilling day; we were able to see all the places on my check list and had
accomplished everything as planned and more. Up to now I still can’t believe
how amazing the place and the people are.
Finally, for our last night in the
island we have to treat ourselves for a nice dinner and so we celebrated it at
Café Del Mare Resto-Bar. I can say it is one of the best restaurants in
Bantayan Island.
The place is full of life, radiating
the warmth of nature and its people to everyone that comes along its
picturesque scenery. It is hard to leave this Island, I just wished we could
have stayed longer but “adulting” requires us to do so. Surely, we will be back
for more adventures; our experience has been surreal from the day we arrived
till the moment we’re about to leave the island. All I have are praises for
Bantayan and its people.
Comments
Post a Comment