Turtle Tales and Magic: Siquijor, Dumaguete and Apo Island

19:32:00

The alarm clamorously rang before the lazy sunrise. I hurriedly showered and readied myself as Lawrence was going to pick me up in a few minutes and we would head to South Bus Terminal to catch the first ride to Lilo-an, Santander (South of Cebu). This trip we planned for so long and finally we were heading to Siquijor. The arcane place was said to inhabit witches that would cast spells on you if you ever irked them. Really? Well, that was a common notion. We had yet to see with our own eyes if this was true.

The bus ride from Cebu to Liloan took almost three hours and that was ample time for us to recharge ourselves for the rousing day ahead. It was around six thirty in the morning when we reached Liloan. A short pee break before we rode on a fastcraft to Sibulan, Dumaguete City. Dumaguete is a province of Negros Oriental. To get there it takes around 30 minutes to about an hour depending on what boat you are on. The sun shone bright when we reached the Land of mouth watering Sylvannas! The boat to Siquijor left just as we reached the port. Too excited to be in disappointment, we went to McDonald's to have breakfast. Our empty bellies and hunger pangs were becoming a distraction. With sweat quickly sliding down our foreheads, we entered the fast food resto and the cold air embraced us. (Lami-a sa aircon!) Ah yes, breakfast never tasted that good. When you're a hungry cow, everything you probably tastes like the best dish ever!

So we boarded the boat and off we went to Siquijor! We knew some people from the place and they picked us up from the port. We rode the multi-cab and braced ourselves as we began to explore this captivating island. It was a 20 to 30 minute ride to our accomodation. On the way, we delighted ourselves with the fresh air and traffic - free streets. There were no stoplights or colossal buildings. Everything was in the refreshing shade of green and brown. I could smell the sea breeze as we draw nearer and nearer to our home away from home. After unloading our stuff, I laid on the hammock and basked under the warm sunshine. Time to chill. Nobody else was staying there. We practically rented the whole place out. More like a private resort for us. There was even a mini kitchen on the terrace with a grandeur view of the beach just a few feet away. We witnessed the sun slowly sink beneath the skyline. It was a majestic scene. The sun stained the clouds red, then orange, then gray until all the heavens were engulfed in darkness. I think that's the only time I found darkness beautiful. The diamond - like stars took over the blind night and winked upon us as we gazed up in awe.

The ultimate chill pill.

Saying goodbye to Mr. Sun. :)

We went around the island the following day and the place was quiet..let's just say peaceful.:) We witnessed this gigantic Balete tree which locals say was housed by some spirits and fairies. Crystal clear water flowed underneath it and you could have a free fish spa (or tickle?heee) if you dipped your feet into the water! There was an old church in town where we had a picture at the nearly crumbling bell tower. There was a small waterfall wherein locals enjoyably jumped down the cascading water like a real life Tarzan! The water tumbled heavily onto the rocks and the smell was damp but reenergizing. I thought the tour was endless, I loved every moment of it! Each town was far from the other so when we stopped at one town we bought the things we needed. We had a mini kitchen, right? So we purchased some ingredients at the local market plus some charcoal and gas for grilling fish. Fishermen sometimes docked on the beach next to where we were staying and with them were the freshest catch of the day. From the briney water to our dinner plates. It was so fresh that it even had a hint of sweetness to it. With bellies satisfyingly filled, we ended the night watching the stars in the sky twinkle and crash. Some left trails of light as they faded.. millions of lightyears away.

Archaic bell at the bell tower of a church in Siquijor.

Fresh tomatoes, anyone?

Zoom in to see the majestic "flying horse" or "horse fly". lol

The public beach in Siquijor didn't look so local. In fact, it was clean for a public beach here in the Phlippines. The sand was white and fine with no trash lurking in the corners. Being thirsty for more adventure, we went up the cliff and dived into the deep blue sea. Not only once, but many times to say the least. When we went up again to take another jump, lo and behold, there was big turtle swimming afar! One of the people there said that it must have come from Apo Island. To our amazement, right then and there we decided to go to Apo Island the following day. We were scheduled to go back to Cebu, supposedly but then we thought...Cebu could and always can wait. Just like that, we went back to Dumaguete then rode a pump boat to Apo Island. The boat rental cost P2,000 for 3 persons and P3,000 for 8. Jeepney fare from Dumaguete Pier to Malatapay cost P8.00 per person. :)

Apo Island is a private cove and a marine reserve. In short, this is a diver's paradise. You get to snorkel with turtles and all other marine creatures there is. These pictures don't even do them any justice. (lol) The locals mainly manage the island and electricity was a bit sparse since the place depended on EDC Dumaguete for their supply. Rotating blackouts aren't new. Don't worry, the place is cool at night and even if we snoozed out in the terrace, there weren't any mosquitoes that snacked on us. hihihi :) We paid just P500 for two rooms (with shared bathroom). Food wasn't a problem either because there were a few sari-sari stores around the island. Just a short walk from the shores are the one of a kind rock formations. These will make you realize that this island is truly a Philippine gem. I hope it stays that way.

This trip made me love the waters even more. This goes more than just swimming and unwinding. For the love of the oceans, let's help protect them for the future generations to come. Enjoy Siquijor and Apo Island!

Carpe Diem,

Michelle

Snapshots (using Lumix DMC-FT3 Underwater Camera)