siquijor

It was the beginning of summer in 2013 when our happy feet took us to the island of Visayas. And this particular adventure began with a funny twist.

J and I purchased our plane tickets separately but at the airline counter, we requested to be seated together. They allowed this, much to our joy. When we got to the plane, we realized that the seats we were assigned to were non-existent. Wait --- what???!!!

Yes, that really happened. I didn't know at the time if I wanted to laugh or get angry or panic. I was really surprised at the time. But as in everything, you've got to remember the good and the lovely twist in this incident was that there were still empty seats so we were able to sit... just not together.

Day 1

There were two things we wanted to do in Dumaguete as soon as we landed. 

1. Purchase tickets for the earliest fast craft to Siquijor. 

2. Grab brunch at Sans Rival.

Words of wisdom at the Dumaguete Port.

We only had enough time to do those things and a few minutes of waiting at the port, we boarded the fast craft. Roughly an hour later, we finally stepped onto Siquijor, which to this day still has one of the cleanest ports I have ever been to. The water at the port is crystal clear and has the loveliest shade of blue. The sun was shining so beautifully that day. It was a fine day to be in an island.

Siquijor.

The beach at Siquijor Port is a treat to behold.

This is the Siquijor Church which is one of the things that will
greet you upon arriving at the island.

As the people trickled out of the port, we also made our way to Siquijor Church where we were able to get a tricycle. It was quite a drive to the beach resort where we booked. Fortunately, the drive to the town of San Juan was one that J and I both enjoyed. We stayed at Charisma Beach Resort, which was a charming resort with friendly people. The resort is directly by the ocean and the beach is just so serene.

Because I wasn't feeling very well, J and I decided to explore the following day instead. Our plan for the rest of the day was to have late lunch and to watch the sunset.

Baby Squid Adobo. This tasted wonderful and the serving
was quite big.

This was what J had, which he said tasted really good.

Siquijor,
March 9, 2013.

I felt so blessed just having enough time to watch the sun as it set over San Juan, Siquijor. I am perpetually amazed at how the sky is painted different shades of yellow, orange, pink, and purple each time the sun sets. Soon, we were enveloped in still darkness, the kind you experience in places far away from dizzying bright city lights. Though we were enveloped in darkness, a felt a light shining so brightly inside of me. With that wonderful sunset etched in my mind, I opened my life to love and everything that came with it. There couldn't have been a better day.

I believe the greatest adventures happen when you allow spontaneity to take over. You have a plan but your plan is not very rigid. You allow for the unexpected and you allow yourself to go with the flow. Our second day in Siquijor went like that.

Day 2

We had a short list of places we wanted to experience and the rest was left undecided. It was nice to be traveling with someone whose happy feet were like mine - someone who didn't just want to see as many places in a short amount of time as possible but someone who wanted instead to experience a place as much as he wanted to. While I almost always leave a place not visiting every interesting space it has, I always think of that as a reason to come back.

Our list included:

• Cambugahay Falls
• Salagdoong Beach
• Tubod Marine Sanctuary

Short, isn't it?

The tricycle driver who drove us to the resort the day before came back early on Day 2 as agreed, to take us around the island.

A view of the resort before we left to start our island tour.

Our first stop was Capilay Spring. This wasn't on our list but it was on the way to Cambugahay Falls so we decided to stop.

It was still early when we arrived, around 8:30am and still a bit chilly. There weren't many people yet. The water of Capilay Springs is cool and refreshing. We didn't linger here but the laughter and carefree ways of the kids there stayed with me as a happy reminder of how simple life can be.

Capilay Spring

The tricycle driver brought us next to the oldest Balete tree in Siquijor. From another tour group, we overheard that the group of small fish in the pond at the foot of the Balete tree is said to be enchanted. In fact, the locals do not eat it. But one can dip their toes in the water for a free foot spa as the small fish nibble at your feet. I don't know if it was because this place was so quiet or that the Balete tree was so huge so much so that it blocked much of the sunlight or that the tree has been there far longer than most of the other things there but this place has an eerie and enchanting vibe.

We also stopped by the Lazi Church and Convent.

After all the stops and turns, we finally arrived at Cambugahay Falls. I visited the island the year before and this was one of the reasons why I wanted to come back. This was also the reason why J and I decided to go to Siquijor.

I loved climbing the stony steps that led down to the falls. There is a rush of excitement that builds with each step down. Imagine going down stony steps, the sound of cascading water growing louder as you go down, beckoning you to move faster and when you are close enough, you are treated to powder blue waters that look so enchanting. The sight is so tantalizing to the eyes especially amidst the greens of the tall trees surrounding it. I have fallen in love with this place the very first time I visited it. And my feelings did not change the second time I was there.

Cambugahay Falls, Siquijor
March 10, 2013

If you're going to Cambugahay Falls, come early to avoid tourists and locals that flock the falls. We were lucky we were there early and had plenty of time daring ourselves to jump and gathering enough courage to actually do it. I thought over and over again, calculated the risks that came with it. I stood at the precipice long enough to be scared of the height between where I stood and the water I wanted to jump into only to back away because I didn't feel quite ready yet. When your mind is not ready for something, the laws of science do not matter. It took me quite a long time but after much thinking and finally deciding I couldn't do it, I jumped with an earsplitting shriek that surprised even myself. I did it. I jumped.

It's those impulsive decisions you make at the split-second that either get you into trouble or lead you to new experiences that always bring an amazing high. It was my first time to jump that high into a body of water the depth of which I do not know and with no lifeguards on site. The experience was one of the most exhilarating things I have ever done. As gravity pulled me down, water pushed me up and I was surprised to find that I didn't drown. I swam as fast as I could to J, who was waiting for me with a proud smile on his face. When I reached J, I had never felt more secure and thankful that there was this guy who was still there despite my fickle-mindedness.

When lunch time rolled in, we found ourselves at Salagdoong Beach. We arrived at a time when the sun shone blessedly that we were treated with the most wonderful hues of blue of the ocean that stretched invitingly before us.

A couple of happy feet exploring Siquijor together.

Our final destination for the day was Tubod Marine Sanctuary. On our way there, the driver took us on a detour to Lugnason Falls. It isn't as popular as Cambugahay Falls but it holds its own beauty. I'm not sure if  you can jump but we didn't dare try. This one looked powerful and dangerous from the viewing deck.

Tubod Marine Sactuary is located in Coco Grove Resort. We paid a small fee to visit. The fee is also consumable to so we used that for snacks at one of the restaurants in the resort after snorkeling. Snorkeling in this marine sanctuary is a wonderful experience as there is much to see and visibility is good. However I got scared and quickly headed back to shore when we spotted a sea banded snake. I later found out that it is one of the features of the marine sanctuary because there aren't many places where you can spot that sea creature.

We capped off our day with sweets and snacks, watching the sun as it set perfectly over San Juan, Siquijor. Day 2 in Siquijor was just perfect.

When you see the sky in these hues, you know it's been a good day.

Day 3

Our last day in Siquijor was quite short as we had to get back to Dumaguete in time for our afternoon flight back to Manila. We spent the morning having breakfast at the resort with a nice view of San Juan beach.

After breakfast, we decided to spend what little remained of our morning by taking in the magnificent view before us. Siquijor is so serene. It is a nice enchanting place to find yourself, to find love, peace and relaxation.

It was hard to leave a place like Siquijor, where time stretched and where it seemed that the day is longer than it is when you are in the city. But we had a city to get back to.

Siquijor,
March 11, 2013

We arrived at the port early and after purchasing our fast craft tickets to Dumaguete, we had brunch at an eatery by the port. There weren't many tourists in Siquijor. The few we've seen were mostly Europeans.

It took the fast craft an hour to bring us back to Dumaguete.We just had enough time to walk around Rizal Boulevard to take some photos, buy pasalubong at Sans Rival, and eat at Moon Cafe.

Dumaguete,
March 11, 2013

I always feel a certain sense of sadness whenever I leave a place but in this trip, I was happy because there was that feeling that it will only get better from there on. My happy feet boarded the plane without a twinge of sadness with another set of happy feet beside mine. It was good to be coming back home.