Malapascua Island, Cebu

We set off for the next and much awaited sail to Cebu at sunrise on Saturday, February 18. The wind and waters were beautifully calm the whole day, though we couldn't pick up any more speed to get to our first island destination before dark. But it was nice to be with just vast ocean and sky again, and we spent the whole day just taking in the scenery with our peace-starved souls, after almost half a year parked in front of party-mode Station 3, Boracay (All boats were mandated to stay on only one side of the island, so it was a pretty cramped feeling).

Towards the end of an otherwise uneventful first day of sailing though, we did encounter a bit of excitement when we spotted a mass of dark clouds looming overhead. It was a squall – one of those storm clouds that roam around the sea randomly. There was no way around the squall unless we were willing to give up an hour or two to get to our destination, and by then it was already getting dark. So we braced ourselves as we got closer and closer, anticipating the wall of rain that would hit us any minute... and when it did, it sure hit us! We thought we could manage with the sails up, but a few seconds after going under the clouds, the sails started flapping wildly, the boat picked up speed at an incredibly fast rate, and the steering wheel was getting uncontrollable. We had grossly underestimated one of Mother Nature's seemingly smaller squalls! So we did the best we could, soaking wet and with very little visibility, taking the sails down with all the might that merely two people on-board could afford. It was a very quick few minutes of adrenaline rush...until we hit the 'eye of the storm'.

I can't begin to tell you what an awesome experience it is to be right in the center of the storm, where all the winds and waves suddenly cease, and you're enveloped in a cocoon-like peace, while the perimeters of the storm go on gnashing outside. In the center, there is nothing but gently splattering rain and a wonderful silence as you are surrounded by a circle of clouds. It's like being cradled in a peaceful womb; protected. You feel an awe at being, literally and figuratively, centered. If we, as human beings, go into our core – our very heart - to get centered and calm, Mother Nature does the same. She is strong and forceful, but the very heart and source of that power is her calm. Experiencing that deepened my faith in the hidden well-spring of our own power to find peace within, even when everything on the outside seems to be chaos. Like Mother Nature's, our core is always peaceful, quiet, and a source of great power.

It was dark when we reached the first island to rest in for the night, and we were happy for the rest since we had to spend the last couple of hours maneuvering around fishing nets in the dark. Well, our first day was definitely pretty eventful, but the next few days were nothing but calm waters and a light breeze that allowed us to sail at a relaxed pace in cheerful sunny weather. Our next island stop (Panay area) was inhabited by a fishing town, but still had a very rural feel to it (Save for the noisy videoke at night! I swear, you can go to the most undeveloped areas and still find drunken Filipino men warbling away on a videoke!). But the sunset view was lovely, and the sea as calm as a lake. We were also able to buy some coconuts from an offering banca that came to our boat. The island itself was covered in lush greenery, which we could fully view and enjoy from the boat, and the stars made a full appearance of millions of twinkling dots at night.

We've now touched down in Malapascua Island, Cebu. It's a very pretty little island, only visited mostly by divers who are willing to go off the beaten track to find diving riches here. The island is as beautiful as Boracay, except laid-back, quiet, and still quite rural. There are a few resorts and restaurants in town that cater to tourists, and the rest of the island is peacefully inhabited by locals. You can walk around the whole island in 3 hours if you just keep walking; but we chose to make a few stops, of course.

It's a flat island, with just a few hills for a nice top-view. Tall grasses, large fields spotted with coconut trees, and rich wildlife make up the view on land; and long stretches of pristine, white-sand beaches cover a shore that faces clear, light-blue waters. At the end of the island, there's a large resort stationed on a hill, which seems almost abandoned, if not for the carpentry going on here-and-there. We had a drink at the little restaurant overlooking the sea, which was a pleasant rest from all the walking. And late in the day, we climbed a hill to the lighthouse tower, which offered a nice view of the island. The island is also abundant in Malunggay trees, so I picked a few for our dinner and tea, and took a stem as well to plant on the boat...we'll see how that does. Coconuts, Malunggay, Bananas, and Papayas grow in abundance here. We would've taken more fruits if we weren't already lugging knapsacks that added strain to our hiking, tired feet, as it was; so Malunggay was the best option - nutritious and lightweight.

I especially love the children that reside in these islands. They're just so friendly, energetic, curious, and creative in their play. Their toys are always those that the Earth provides; be it seashells, weeds, crab, rocks, sticks and stones, trees to climb on, or a whole shore to run freely on. Other toys, with the works of their imagination, include abandoned bancas, unused tires and gallons, and old fishing nets. The island children always make up a wonderful, free-spirited part of my explorations.

The past few days have been nothing but calm tropical weather, and it's been a pleasure to swim, kayak around, and just lie on deck while we watch the sunrises and sunsets by turn. Hundreds of little fish are surrounding our boat once again, as we're anchored by the reefs and they love the scraps of food I throw into the sea everyday. I, in turn, get to enjoy watching and swimming around with them.

Obviously, there's internet here, though it's not that fast; but definitely enough to keep up with the world. If you're interested, to get to this island from land, you go North of Cebu and take a 1-hour banca ride. I doubt you would need to book lodging in advance, since there are more resorts here than there are tourists.

In a day or two, we'll be heading to the next Cebu islands, the Camotes Islands. I'm sure there will be more to tell. But for now, here's Malapascua Island for you :)   

Living On-Board: How It Came To Be

Her Story:

I was living in El Nido, Palawan, Philippines in 2010. I usually spent my days doing artwork that I occasionally sold to friends, taking on part-time jobs now and then, riding along on banca boats to go out to the islands, and hanging out with friends at our favorite spots, Art Cafe and Ricsons Bar. Some of my friends played music here, so nighttimes were always about music, meeting vacationers and travelers, and just plain having a good time.

On one particular night, I ran into Ricsons Bar, soaking wet from the heavy rain that poured down almost instantly as I was walking to the bar, and plopped myself down on my usual seat next to the stage where my friends were doing a gig. I gave my moral support to the band while I waited for the other friends to arrive, which wouldn't be later in the night, as per usual.

During the band's break, one of them decided to approach a guy who had walked in a few minutes before I came, and had been drinking by himself and watching the band. My friend invited him to come join us by the stage, where I was also introduced to the guy. His name was Ali. We all chatted and asked him questions, until the band had to get back to playing, and I was left with him. In my usual curiosity about tourists that traveled to El Nido, I asked him where he came from, and where he was staying. He replied that he had come on a boat from Thailand, and that he was staying on a boat. My ears perked up at that reply. A boat? What do you mean you're staying on a boat? Is it yours? Are you like...living there? I asked, a smirk forming on my lips. I was thinking more in the lines of a banca boat. Ya, he replied. You guys can come visit my boat tomorrow, if you like. After a bit more chatting and a couple more drinks, he decided to head back home, and I excitedly told my friends what I'd just found out.

“He's the guy that owns that catamaran that was parked there just this morning!” one of my friends blurted in amazement, pointing out to the sea in front. We started jumping around giddily at the thought of being able to sail around on that beautiful, massive boat.

We weren't disappointed the next morning, because that was in fact, the very boat he lived in. Ali picked us up on a dinghy to get to the sailboat. Once we got there, he toured us around the boat while we walked open-mouthed through a spacious galley that held a dining/living area and a small kitchen, and into four bedrooms beneath. Out on the deck, there were two huge trampolines that allowed for chilling out under the sun while sailing. I couldn't believe how spacious the boat was on the inside, considering that it didn't seem like it could have much room, judging from the outside. Suffice it to say that we had a very nice time sailing on that boat...and that these sailing expeditions continued every few days in the next months. After that first day on the boat, I invited Ali to join us every afternoon for what we called Art sessions, where we all gathered to engage in anything art...writing, drawing/painting, music, (Funny fact: we held our Art sessions at a bar/resto called Art Cafe!) to which he accepted. And that, you can say, was the start of a beautiful friendship.

His Story:

Ali had been living in Phuket, Thailand for 2 years. He was a businessman from an early age (17, to be exact), and he co-owned a bar in Phuket, but eventually moved on to having an online publishing business. One day, he was invited by a friend to join a get-together on a sailboat. He decided it could be interesting, so he went. The experience of being on water turned out to be something he immensely enjoyed, so he decided to get a dinghy for himself, so that he could motor across the waters to visit nearby islands, and even countries such as Malaysia. During this same time, the owner of the yacht Ali had visited was also considering selling it. So then Ali thought, 'Well, since I already have a dinghy, why not just buy that sailboat to go with it?' Yeeaa, it's kind of the other way around; you usually buy a sailboat first, and then buy a dinghy to accompany it. But Ali was just the type to make impulsive decisions like that. If an idea felt right, he wasted no time acting on it. So he bought the sailboat to go with his dinghy.

After a few months of learning to sail, he decided in early 2010 that it was time to leave Phuket, Thailand, and sail into the Pacific Islands where he most wanted to go. He had to stopover at a few places in order to get to the Pacific, and one of these places happened to be El Nido. He had only intended to stop at El Nido for a night. Once there, he walked around town for abit, until a sudden downpour of rain came in when darkness fell, and he was forced to take shelter at the nearest bar, Ricsons. And that's how he ended up meeting us.

Our Story:

We all got along so well, and instantly formed strong bonds of friendship with one another, that Ali decided it might be worth staying a little longer, as he was having quite a bit of fun with us. Besides, after having sailed for weeks without anyone to talk to, he welcomed having new companions. It was because our group of friends were together almost everyday for the next few months that Ali and I got to know each other more, until we realized that something was starting to grow between us. There was a connection that allowed us to just know each other at the deeper levels; one of those unexplainable phenomenons when you know that the connection has nothing to do with external or surface things, because our personalities and interests weren't always similar. The sameness and connection was shared at our core. You can probably guess the rest, so that's how I eventually came to live on the boat.

Okay, admittedly, there were some obstacles along the way before we could really be together; a lot of factors for consideration, and nearly giving up on starting a relationship because of them... but I think I'll save your ears from all that drama. After all, it does come to the happy ending that we eventually realized that we could make it work - we just had to choose it and let life take its course for us. Anyway, love, like life, often works in mysterious (and not always so convenient) ways. So now I'm happily living on this boat with Ali, and there's not one day that I regret it. Looking back, what I really would've regretted was not giving 'us' a shot, because life has always thrown pleasant surprises at me anyway - even those I initially thought of as obstacles or setbacks.

I do miss my family of friends and the life I had in El Nido, but I believe that's just a part of life. It's a series of hello's and goodbye's, but always, even as we journey, we keep that love in our hearts for the people who have shared a part of our life with us. I'm always excited to explore new places, but one day, I do intend to check back in with El Nido and say hello again.

Unfortunately, repairs on the boat are taking longer still than I expected, so daily life goes on in Boracay, Philippines. Hopefully, by my next blog, I will have something to show you of our sailing trips. If not, then I'm sure I can come up with another topic for the blog for the meantime. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this little sort-of-romance-story! If not, then I apologize, but it couldn't be any other way, because romance is what got me on-board after all :)