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 :)