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Recalling a trip from four years ago feels like entering the twilight zone; seeing pictures of ourselves, yet not quite believing how much we've changed since--kilograms gained, years aged, experiences that have grown us one way or another.
And yet, for everything that has come to pass, the real good things have thankfully remained the same. The same good friends, the same happy times, made even richer by time spent and joy shared since.
So for whatever lapse I may have in recalling the finer details of our trip, may the fondness of these memories nonetheless tide us over with a smile.
For the second trip of what has now become an annual ZESh tradition, we went to Camiguin and Cagayan de oro for a short, yet packed 3-day trip. We went straight to Camiguin via RORO (roll-on, roll-off ferry) the moment we arrived at CDO.
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| Photo Credit to Rheia Ramos-Yeo |
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| Photo Credit to Rheia Ramos-Yeo |
We checked in at the Paras Resort, and then immediately headed off to the Katibawasan Falls for a chilly swim. The falls itself, about 250 feet high, was cordoned off to prevent swimmers from going directly underneath.
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| Photo Credit to Rheia Ramos-Yeo |
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| Photo Credit to Rheia Ramos-Yeo |
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| Photo Credit to Rheia Ramos-Yeo |
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| Photo Credit to Rheia Ramos-Yeo |
We spent the following morning at White Island, a 1.4km sand bar to the north of Camiguin Island. Accessible by a 10-minute boat ride from Paras, the sand bar was devoid of any permanent improvements as a good chunk of it goes underwater during high tide. Instead, a store-on-a-boat visits the island daily selling snacks and drinks to visitors.
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| Photo Credit to Rheia Ramos-Yeo |
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| Photo Credit to Rheia Ramos-Yeo |
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| Photo Credit to Rheia Ramos-Yeo |
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| Photo Credit to Rheia Ramos-Yeo |
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| Photo Credit to Rheia Ramos-Yeo |
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| Photo Credit to Rheia Ramos-Yeo |
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| Photo Credit to Rheia Ramos-Yeo |
The island affords a picturesque view of Mt. Hibokhibok, a lush green landscape against the sea's myriad hues of blue and the island's white sand. It was also interesting how the water on the two sides of the sand bar were so different--calm but murky on one side, while the other had strong currents but was crystal clear.
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| Photo Credit to Rheia Ramos-Yeo |
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| Photo Credit to Rheia Ramos-Yeo |
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| Calm but murky water on one side |
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| Strong currents but clear water on the other |
We arrived at the island during low tide, and left just before the high tide completely settled in. It was amazing how the small patch of sand we claimed our own for the day completely disappeared within 15 minutes before our eyes.
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| Photo Credit to Rheia Ramos-Yeo |
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| Photo Credit to Rheia Ramos-Yeo |
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| Photo Credit to Rheia Ramos-Yeo |
That afternoon, we left the Paras Resort to go back to Cagayan de Oro for the second leg of our adventure. It was during the bus ride from the RORO port to Cagayan de Oro that Pugo encountered his first near-death experience for this trip: on one of the bus stops, he left the bus to go to the restroom. Unknowingly, the bus left without him, and it took several minutes before anyone realized that he wasn't on his seat! Ever-so-meek (according to Jeelai), Sheryll whispered to Jeelai that we left Pugo when the driver asked if we were all complete; to our relief, Pugo came running after the bus shortly after safe and sound.
The sun had set by the time we arrived at CDO, and checked in at the Mallberry Suites Business Hotel. Dinner was at Candy's Cafe and Restaurant, where Karen and Jeelai went berserk ordering cakes!
The highlight of the trip was the white water rafting on our third and last day. We took the beginner course, which lasted 4 hours and featured only light to moderate rapids. The more advanced courses last up to 9 hours, with significantly rougher waters. Because we were such a large group, we were split into 3 rafts, each with about 8 people including guides. We were on the last boat, which we shared with Karen's IBM officemates who happened to be there at that time.
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| Photo Credit to Rheia Ramos-Yeo |
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| Photo Credit to Rheia Ramos-Yeo |
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| Photo Credit to Rheia Ramos-Yeo |
The sun was scorching hot, so during calm stretches of water, our guides allowed us to jump in and float with the current. Live vests and helmets were standard gear, and we each had a paddle which we used frantically whenever our guides told us to.
Our raft was the most uneventful of the three, in a good way. We suffered no "casualties" throughout. Pugo, on the other hand, had his second near-death experience when he fell into the water in one of the rapids, and took a while to resurface downstream. At that moment, Sheryll again felt the despair of losing Pugo, this time crying real tears until she saw that Pugo was fine with his life vest keeping him afloat. From the third raft, Rheia also fell into the water--a bit too close to rocks for comfort-- but was pulled into the raft safely by their guides.
The rafting adventure was perfectly capped by a lunch of Lechon Baka and rice; much welcome nourishment after the physical exertion of paddling and swimming.
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| Photo Credit to Rheia Ramos-Yeo |
On our way back to the city, we took one last stop at the Macahambus Adventure Park for canopy walking, which involved crossing cable bridges suspended high above a ravine, and zip-lining. Pugo had one last close call before heading back to Manila here, when the person who was supposed to stop his momentum on the zip-line somehow got carried along with him, and they almost smacked into the cement wall! But Pugo was immortal this trip, and as with the previous 2 times, came out completely unscathed.
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| Photo Credit to Rheia Ramos-Yeo |
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| Photo Credit to Rheia Ramos-Yeo |
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| Photo Credit to Rheia Ramos-Yeo |
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| Photo Credit to Rheia Ramos-Yeo |
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| Photo Credit to Rheia Ramos-Yeo |
On our flight back to Manila, the skies outside our airplane window showed majestic golds and oranges from the setting sun. A fitting last shot of an equally wonderful adventure in Camiguin and Cagayan de Oro.
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| Photo Credit to Rheia Ramos-Yeo |
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