Guimaras... Sans Oil Spill

The first day of our 2007 summer getaway actually started the time we boarded the Super Ferry en route to Iloilo. I must say, for a first timer in a ship, I really enjoyed it! Of course, it helped that we weren’t booked in economy, and that we had comfy beds and the privacy of our own cabin to spend the night in. We even managed to catch American Idol 6 on TV. I can’t remember, though, if Sanjaya did well that night, coz we were basically channel surfing between AI6 and MSKM, which has become a hard habit to break. I love Anne Curtis. Haha! Anyway, I slept like a log the entire night, gently rocked by the waves outside. And it was so cold! I found the temperature quite cozy, though, even if Donski, Feypot and Fafi Cito were wrapped in two thick blankets each! Haha! I still remember that night in Sagada, two summers ago, when I took a shower, after a day’s worth of spelunking, with really cold water which I found quite, uh, “soothing,” and Fafi Cito and Sheila followed suit, thinking that the water’s temperature was quite tolerable, only to end up screaming their lungs out after the first splash of water hit them. I s’pose I’m one of ‘em truly warm-blooded mammals who take to cold weather like a duck to a pond. Anyways, when I opened my eyes, it was already light out, and we planned on going to the ship’s bow at exactly 6AM to go dolphin watching. We were told dolphins love showing off their acrobatic skills when passenger ships sail close to Iloilo. And that would be around 6AM. Only problem was, it was quarter past 6, and the three bozos were still catching some z’s! First plan foiled. But we didn’t really miss anything, coz we learned from DJ over breakfast that Flipper didn’t really make an appearance that morning…

We got off the boat at the Iloilo port at around 9AM this morning, and went straight by jeepney to the other side of the city to board the ferry that would take us to Guimaras Island, first stop in our island-hopping adventure. The sun was already beginning to sear our skin. Good thing we did dab on some sunblock right before we checked out of our cabin. Mine was SPF 50. I learned the hard way not to mess around with SPFs. The only sunblock I should use, and this is medically-proven, should have an SPF of at least 45. When I went to the mall a few days ago to pick up some stuff I needed for this trip, I was so in a hurry to get back home and start packing that I practically just grabbed stuff that looked familiar off the shelf. The sunblock I brought with me did have an SPF of 50. But it also had whitening ingredients! Good luck, tan. Dammit. Haha! I know I would have to bear with endless teasing from the two hags Fafi Cito and I brought along. Haha! Well, SPF 50 with whiteners is much better than first-degree burns.

We were met in the port by DJ’s contact, a 17-year old kid named Arjay. Fe, behave! Haha! The whole Fe-Arjay love affair started as beautifully as Jerry Maguire’s “You had me at ‘hello’…” Something tells me this would make for pretty interesting, and brutal, teasing for the next few days. It only took us about 15 minutes to reach Guimaras from Iloilo, and our bags were searched for mango seedlings at the Guimaras port. These people are just so rabidly protective of their famed mangoes! I say good for them! We still had to take a jeepney ride though, about 45 minutes, to the resort we’d be staying in for the next couple of days. But first, a quick stop at the market for some fruits, and lunch…

We had lunch at this resort right beside ours. It was a virtual cornucopia of the sea’s bounty! I really didn’t intend on flaunting my belly during this trip, but this afternoon’s lunch did nothing for my diet. Oh, well… We’re here to have fun, and what could be more fun than stuffing our mouths silly with grilled "everything"! We waited for 45 minutes (everything in Guimaras, apparently, takes 45 minutes!) before they served us our lunch, and during the wait, we whiled away the time by people-watching. Don’t you love sun glasses? Especially the dark, heavily-tinted ones? Haha! Anyway, after lunch, we went straight to our resort, unwound a little, then slipped into our swimming stuff and went onboard another pump boat that would take us to the surrounding islands for some snorkeling. Good thing I brought my own snorkel set. I can’t bear the thought of using snorkels that have been inside someone else’s mouth. Eewww…

The marine life around the island is so diverse, and there’s not a single trace of that horrible oil spill a few months ago. The water was just too, well, blue and pristine. And the sand’s so powdery white. I didn’t think anything like this could ever be found outside of Bora. On a side note, Fe didn’t jump off the boat to join us, afraid that she’d make the water turn red, or that sharks might be enticed to attack her. Haha! But while I was busy doing my own snorkeling and staring at a school of Nemos (clown fish?) on a coral garden a few meters off the shore, the others moved to another spot, much deeper, with Donna hanging precariously from the “katig” like a huge octopus! Haha! Eloy got stung by sea urchins, and Fafi Cito saw a couple of sea snakes. While Fe, well, she was busy making fun of a group of adolescent boys making a sand castle, or their pathetic attempt at a sand castle.

When we got back to our room this evening, we were met by a huge platter of sweet Guimaras mangoes, honey dew melon and water melon! Sarap! And we had a really delicious feast of sea foods for dinner. And we capped the night with beer, grilled hotdogs, great company and good conversation…

Tomorrow, we’ll be exploring the other islands off Guimaras and do some more snorkeling. And yeah, have our pictures taken with a tortoise (pawikan?)… That would prolly put us on the DENR watch list, but hey, what the heck! Haha! It’s gonna be Good Friday tomorrow, so we’ll see if we can witness this actual crucifixion on some hill near the town. That would be exciting. :)