Until today, I can't seem to forget the things that happened to me last May 23-- my last shot a perfect summer vacation. Not only I had experienced what it's like to go to office everyday, and stay up very late just to finish one issue but also I knew what real hard work and dedication was. One of my recollections is the day I went to Palawan. Two days before "d-day", my boss seemed to be deprecatory about a trip with people (actually they're my good friends) from the other paper. Maybe she (my boss) thought I didn't like staying in their office anymore. Perhaps she even got pissed off or dismayed the moment I told her about it, I really don't know. What I do know is that it wasn't a very good idea for her. Oh well. Did I feel sorry? Maybe, maybe not. But I totally enjoyed and savored the experience.
Here's a short article about the trip:
Exit to Eden: The Palawan Experience
Perfect sun, pristine waters, white sand, and serenity. This was the promise of a perfect summer jaunt that was Palawan.
Forget Everything
One way of maximizing your vacation to its fullest is not to think of the life you left behind. "No text messaging, no internet, no phone calls", this was my mantra for four days and three nights- an ever-strengthening chant I clung to until I got inside the plane back to Manila. I even betrayed reading, despite being the number one love of my life. I wanted nothing to come my way and ruin this great trip. And besides, I needed some break.
The moment we arrived at Hotel Fleuris, I rushed to my room, and immediately slumped myself on the bed with so many things swirling inside my head- things that were bugging me for the last couple of weeks. Forget about your friends who are back there in Manila, forget about school which starts in two weeks, forget about your apprenticeship that has just ended, forget about your delusion of having your ideal weekend in Boracay. It's over Gabby, it's totally over.
"Gabby, forget everything for the meantime," I muttered to myself.
And so I did. Then slowly, the things I was worrying about started slipping away.
Cut Loose
In my fancy, I was walking on a different plane of earth. Palawan seemed so remote, not because of its distance from Manila, or because it reeked rural life, but because of its splendor you would not imagine it existed. So much splendor that we found ourselves wide-eyed and almost gasping every time we arrive from one destination to another. It was that beautiful. I'll tell you the rest later.
One of the joys of being in a place where no one knew you was having the chance of breaking loose from your normal self. Don't you like the moments when you get to run like crazy without worrying that someone else might restrict you from doing so? Or the moments when you feel like eating as savagely as you can possibly bear just for the fun of it without worrying some priggish person might get offended? Palawan has a room for personal peculiarities, you know. So there's nothing really to be anxious of.
Underground River
This was one spot where earth displayed its spectacle. It is a colossal cave with a river flowing right under and through the large crevices that connected the rest of the convoluted 'chambers' of the cave. The stalactites and stalagmites were also to watch out for. These were the deposits that took in the forms of inanimate objects, animals, or even human figures over the centuries.
As our tour guide paddled slowly from one dark chamber of the cave to another- each chamber growing more and more menacing, I could not help but feel so tiny, like a runt that could easily get squashed any time. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the entire tour even if we hadn't even gone halfway through the entire course. They said it would take us three days to reach the end, and three more days to get back. "Gee, thanks na lang," I might be into that kind of adventure, but three days? I don't think so. If fifteen minutes were just enough to keep me perky and attentive, three days would definitely be a nightmare.
Sabang Beach
If you really hate the beach, then don't ever go here. Not even a glimpse of this place would help in keeping yourself true to your bote of cursing summer.
The second our boat reached the shores of Sabang, we all gasped. "Para tayong nasa Boracay," said Menchie Osial of Globe Telecoms while she gingerly took her clogs off and savored the feel of the fine sand against her toes.
We knew it was the place we had been all searching for. It captured nature's beauty in its simplest form. To many, it might seem like a vast piece of barren land, but to me, it was paradise. Actually, tranquility is the right word.
With the waters clear and tempting, and the air so relaxing, plus no one else was in sight, I suddenly got the urge of running towards the water and embrace every wave that splashed my way. I didn't even care if I was going to get drenched. But that idea was immediately dropped after the thought of getting in the van soaked snuck up on me.
Dos Palmas
Our boat started to glide away from the shore and trek the deep blue waters again when I gave this island one last glimpse. As I squint at the entirety of it, I found beauty once again, and peace as well. Suddenly, I felt so hollow by the enormity of the treasure we have been missing.
"I shall come back", a promise I whispered to myself in an almost inaudible voice as my attention fled from the sight before me to the monotonous chugging of the boat's engine- a dramatic end to my wondrous summer sojourn.
I could not bear it. I wanted to stay.
In a nutshell, Palawan is one major destination to experience the time of your life. I definitely had mine. Through the crocodile farm, I got terrified; through the Butterfly garden, I learned how to appreciate the treasures of mother nature more, especially those that come in small sizes; through the Underground river and other islands, I got the opportunity to commune with nature;
And finally, through the people I met who have been a part of my whole summer experience, I found family. A once-in-a-lifetime experience I shall never forget.
