I thought I wouldn’t
enjoy yesterday because of the weather. It was raining. It has been raining for
almost a week already, causing floods all over Cebu. Don’t get me wrong, I
don’t hate this kind of weather, as a matter of fact, I love it, I wouldn’t use
AC or the electric fan too much and I could sleep peacefully and comfortably
during the day as I work at night. But if you have a planned trip which feels
better if the weather is fine and sunny, you just wish that doing the sun dance
is freaking effective. I WAS WRONG, rain did not change what’s going on under
the sea, and the sea is even calm and warm.
Today, I
experienced few first time moment yesterday. One is riding a motor boat knowing
that the weather is not good, I would usually backed out because yes, I am
chicken and I don’t know how to swim despite after taking swimming lessons.
Two, snorkeling. I haven’t use a snorkel in my life and I am glad I found out
how to use on my own; of course I’m wearing a life vest because swimming is not
life.
Yesterday,
together with former teammates, we joined with our former Team Leader’s with
his current team on a team outing. They originally planned to go to Camotes
Island but a lot of things came up and ended up in going to Olango
Island/Marine Sanctuary.
7:00 am is the
call time at SM Cebu City and I came there at around 6:45 am, I almost got late
because I was playing Legends of Zelda, I forgot about the time. No Game, No
Life, reference. I’m the type who doesn’t get late on appointments. We managed
to depart at SM around 8:30 am because of waiting for others. Yep, Filipino
Time it is.
We rode a van
from SM to Punta Engaño Port in Mactan, Lapu-Lapu City for 60.00 pesos per head.
It’s my first time to go to this part in Lapu-Lapu, it reminds me of the mini
port in Ormoc for motor boats and the port in Palompon going to Kalanggaman
Island. We arrived at around 9:30 am at the port.
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| Punta Engaño Port |
They rented a
motor boat for 3,500 pesos, all day use and the docking fee for 67 pesos and 20
centavos. We paid 5.00 for the terminal fee. The port was neat clean but the
store keeper inside was not accommodating, maybe because we are just local
tourist or whatever. She won’t answer to our inquiries in a polite way, I just
brushed it off my mind and thought, and maybe she had some problems. My
positive mantra is to make excuses of other people’s wrongdoing so I won’t get
stress.
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| View from the port |
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| Map of Mactan inside the port |
We ate our
brunch on the motor boat around 10:00 am and it was scrumptious. We waited for
another hour for another person but decide not to wait further and go on with
our planned journey.
We paid 50.00
pesos for the entrance fee at the Olango Marine Sanctuary; a small Bangka
approached our motor boat to collect the fees.
 |
| Hi, I can swim Dog Style. Haha. |
We rented snorkeling
gears at the port for a hundred pesos and renting it was worth it. Learning to
use it was a bit challenging but it was one of the best feeling I’ve experience
in my life, it was the same feeling the first time I caught a fish when we had
a family outing way back when I was in Elementary. My Dad is a fond of catching
fish. Under the water, I saw different type of fishes, in size, in shape and in
colors; I thought I could only see them on the aquarium. I saw Dory and Nemo. I
could swim with them. I felt like I was in anime Nagi no Asukara (A Lull in the
Sea). I stayed there long, watching and observing. I felt the need to learn how
to dive and wish I owned underwater camera. I can’t find the need of buying one
since I’m not really into water adventure or whatever. I’m the indoor type. But
after what I have experience yesterday, I’m considering of having one. For now,
I’ll just have to keep the experience forever in my head.
We decided to go
back to the port at around 4:00 pm all tired from swimming. I was the last one
who got up off the water and I was surprised that the rain has stopped already,
finally a glimpse of Mister Golden Sun.
Thank goodness,
I was not caught up with the traffic and the flood back home. The experience
made me wants to go back to the sea again and observe life under it. My geeky
self is having a strong urge of rewatching Nagi no Asukara after all the things
I saw underwater and hopefully write a formal review of the series. Therefore,
even if it rained everything was worth it that day. I could say I did not
regret going with them.
