Under the Sea

In my quest to become dive certified...

I saw three sting rays glide effortlessly through the water. I swam through a sunken plane that had long ago become a part of the sea. I held a puffer fish as it grew in my hands. I finned below a school of barracudas. I held sea cucumbers and starfish, then swam after a cuttlefish that stared back at us with it's large knowing eyes. 

I feel so glad to have pursued this interest. How many people get the opportunity to experience this world? To breathe underwater and feel so close to nature? I will treasure the opportunity to have more experiences like these ones. They were all unforgettable. 

The Jeepney...

There is no greater insight into the culture of the Philippines then to take a ride on the local transportation. The concept of the Jeepney was first inspired by abandoned US military vehicles post World War II, but they have now evolved to have roofs for shade, long bench seats for lots of passengers and brightly colored designs or religious phrases to decorate the outside.

Within the first few minutes of being on the jeep you will likely begin to sweat, because you will sit extremely close to your fellow passengers. I have been sat on, leaned on, and slept on. Believe it or not, I have also fallen asleep on the jeep a few times. The number one rule of the jeep? There is ALWAYS room for one more, no matter how physically impossible it may seem. And if ever you forget this rule, the drivers are always happy to remind you. 

In Cebu it’s very common for young children to jump onto the back of the jeep where they will perform a song or rap, then beg for money asking “Ate? Kuya?”(big sister, big brother). There are also always vendors walking in the middle of the street who will approach the jeeps and try to sell bottled water or snacks.

I take a jeep to work every day and the fare is eight-ten pesos, that’s about twenty cents. A cab fare of the same distance costs one hundred pesos, ten times the cost of local transportation. When you are ready to pay your fare on the jeep you simply say, “Palihog ko” (please) and pass your fare to the person next to you who will pass it along a line of passengers until it reaches the driver. If you have change it will return to you in the same manner. The jeepney follows a specific route but does not have pre-planned stops. If you want the driver to stop simply knock loudly on the roof or yell, “Lugar lang” (place). Often times if someone’s request is not heard by the driver the other passengers will chime in to make sure the jeep stops. The whole process requires a profound sense of teamwork. In the Philippines, no man is an island. 

2013

Day 1

My New Year's adventure began when I met Candice, a fellow volunteer who had flown into Cebu and we made our way to the pier. We arrived an hour before our boat was planned to depart so we were feeling hopeful that things would go smoothly. At first things seemed normal enough, we found ourselves at the end of a long line. When the line didn’t move, I told myself that all the people must just be waiting for the counter to open. When people walked in front of us the first few times, I told myself they must have family members somewhere further along. I tried to remain positive as long as humanly possible but after about a half hour of waiting and hardly making any progress I began to feel anxious and irritable and I wasn’t the only one. The longer people waited, the more they would press forward, making the concept of personal space completely non-existent. We began strategizing, using our bags to hold people back and keep them from cutting in front of us. Within minutes a room of at least fifty people standing in two lines converged into a giant mob of people with arms outstretched tickets in hand. The man behind me kept moving closer and closer until I could feel his body pressed against me and no matter what I said he wouldn’t back off. 

Finally I was within reach of the counter, there was only one man in front of me when I was ambushed by a group of men who seemed to be allies, they tried to push me aside and move past me. But luckily Candice saw what was happening and threw her luggage down on the bag check platform, commanding service. At the same time I turned to the men soaked in sweat beside me who were trying to push me away from the ticket counter and held my ground forcing our passports and our tickets forward. I have never experienced anything like it, but we eventually succeeded. Three hours later when we finally arrived in Tagbilaran City on the neighboring island of Bohol. Melissa another volunteer was waiting for us with a warm welcome. We piled our bags on a trike, went back to her place and she gave us some M&M’s from her most recent care package, vacation had begun!

DAY 2

We woke up early and went to the supermarket to grab snacks for the beach. I needed a quick breakfast so I got some pancakes to go and we made our way to the jeep that was headed to the beach. I was used to being crammed in a jeep but here, not only did they pack every inch of seat space but in the two feet of space that would have normallyserved as an aisle they laid out stools for more people to sit. We didn’t leave until every inch of space was occupied. Then I slowly and carefully ate my pancakes, which took great skill and concentration.

When we arrived at our hostel, I was pleasantly surprised by the accommodation. For 350 pesos a night, the equivalent of 8.50$ per person, we stayed here www.citadelalona.com. Our room slept 3 people and we had use of a fridge, a full kitchen and a lovely terrace.

Next we made our way down to the beach and I jumped right in the ocean and swam back and forth through the crystal clear water. I spent some serious time just floating on my back looking up at the palm trees and letting the water move my body as it pleased. This was the life! After a few hours we all opted for a massage on the beach (250 pesos).

 For dinner we went to a Thai restaurant where, we sat outside just a few feet from the waves rolling on the beach.

Next we wandered along the waves until we found a secluded spot to go for a dip. It was a wonderful feeling swimming at night, looking up at the stars and the dimly lit restaurants along the beach. We stayed in the water for ages then hurried home and fell fast to sleep.

DAY 3

Today our group split, some staying on the beach and the rest of us heading off on a snorkel adventure. We met the boat at 8am and rented it for the day (190 pesos per person). My companions were fellow volunteers, two Filipino ladies and three Belgium men. 

It took us 40 minutes to get out to this little beautiful island across the water. There was a sanctuary there where we would go snorkeling. 

When we came closer we saw a few little huts selling the usual tourist gear but there was also a place where you could select seafood and have them prepare it while you snorkel. Our Belgium friends ordered fish, squid, shells, and seaweed for later, then we headed into the water.

When I first began to snorkel I went very slow, the water was only about 5 ft deep and there was already lots of interesting things to see. Most remarkable was the blue starfish that seemed to frequent these waters. 

I continued along enjoying the sites of fish and coral until suddenly I saw something that shocked me, I stopped immediately. A few meters ahead I could see what appeared to be an underwater cliff, the ocean floor simply stopped and beyond that point I could only see dark blue endlessness. I excitedly swam forward eager to look over the edge and when I did my breath was taken away by the drop. I could see an entire world of life, that extended at least a hundred feet deep. There were fish of all color, shapes and sizes swimming in schools all around me and down into the different crevices below. It was so beautiful and powerful, I was relishing every second.

I slowly built up my confidence and left the edge of the sea cliff swimming out into the open water, turning my back to the unknown. I felt so alive! With time I began to hold my breath and dive closer to the coral, going deeper every time. All the while there was a boat floating above us where we could swim up to and hold on if we needed a break. At one point I was swimming when I began to hear a strange clicking noise all around me, I raised my head to see little rain drops coming down on the water’s surface, I had never seen rain from such a strange perspective...this was so cool! Later on from the deep we saw bubbles rising slowly, at first we couldn’t see what was coming when suddenly two scuba divers appeared and they waived to us under the water. When I saw them rising up from this mysterious world under the sea, I was overcome with envy. I wanted to swim down the edge of the cliff and explore, but my snorkel could only take me so far. It was in that moment I think, that I became determined to get certified for diving.

The rain subsided and we swam back to shore and took our lunch. The Begiums shared their food and I enjoyed some fish and squid. Next we piled back on the boat and headed to a sand bar in the middle of the ocean. 

The ocean surrounding it was very shallow and warm as bath water. In the distance a mangrove tree grew in what looked like the middle of nowhere. It was remarkable and beautiful; so shallow everywhere, it looked like you could walk on water. From there we watched a huge storm moving in so we ran back to the boat to take cover.

For New Year’s Eve dinner we all went to The Bohol Bee Farm a hotel and restaurant that serves delicious organic food and sells all kinds of honey products. We took the buffet and ate salad, soup, lasagna, fish, chicken, warm breads and drank lemon grass juice. For dessert we had coconut based Bohol Bee Farm ice cream. It was amazing.

Afterward we made our way back to the beach where we were able to watch fire dancing, a local tradition. Then we sat down, ready to watch the fireworks. We faced the ocean expecting the show to start any minute when suddenly a huge explosion went off. The fireworks were blasting off behind us, right on the beach only a short distance away. We jumped to our feet and stood back while the fireworks cast light over the beach and the ocean. We hugged each other and shouted Happy New Year then ran to the closest dance party and joined in on the fun.