I think I can never get too tired with the breakfast that they serve, particularly that fish (I forgot the name) that was very soft and not at all salty. The serving might appear a bit small, compared to the usual serving of food that I eat.
It was also the birthday of Papa and my brother, as well as a couple of my friends. I’ve sent them my greetings, knowing that we might not have a cellphone signal once in the middle of nowhere.
Breakfast Day 3
We reached the travel agency earlier than usual, and we were also with some people who were with us the day before. Our destination, Malcapuya Island, was quite far and it would take us hours to go there.
Unfortunately, as if the travel time was not enough, there was one tourist boat whose motor malfunctioned in the middle of the sea and we had to go back a bit just to get them and tag their boat along. That severely slowed us down and it was already past lunchtime when we arrived in Malcapuya. =(
Our boatman
Look, I’m at the edge of the boat
The moment we reached the not-so picturesque backdoor of the island, we had to walk a few minutes to finally set foot on the beach. We wasted no time preparing for lunch and taking turns to pee. The travel time was no joke, but fortunately, the island was beautiful. That has completely compensated for that. We had the whole afternoon to swim, listen to the waves roll on the shore, and lie down on the hammocks next to the huts.
Don’t be fooled by their size, they are so friendly
Malcapuya Island
After eating, we wasted no time and went straight away to the water (hello, appendicitis)! From our vantage point, we can see where the waters were shallow (lighter, meaning there’s sand underneath) to where the seafloor drops (darker color).
On the shallow part itself, you can already see some fish, starfish and clams. While I know that the starfish there was the same kind that I held two years ago in Honda Bay, Puerto Princesa, I just did not want to risk it as I could be wrong. LOL
Clear waters as usual
Ready to be fried
An encounter with a giant clam
I know the starfish might be benign but I was too careful
One of the resident guides in the island offered us a boat ride to where the coral reefs where, thus having the chance for a close encounter with the community of fish. He did not name any price and we just agreed that we’d give a hundred peso each, considering that there were six of us.
We held on the outrigger (katig) of the boat, with out snorkeling gear firmly in place so that we can have our face down the water. I guess if there was a sound recorder while making our way around the reef, you can see my running commentary and sounds of amazement with the corals and fish that I saw. I was completely a kid.
With our severely soaked bread, the school of fish gladly beelined our way and chomped on every bit and morsel that they could find. I especially loved the striped fish, especially the ones that were brightly colored.
The coral area
Colorful fishies
I think the water was around 11 feet deep
There was a slight mishap on the way back to the shore, though. Mon has scraped his knee on a coral and it was bleeding substantially once we were on the beach. We had very little water left, and we had to use a bottled water to wash the abrasion. I also have an antibiotic cream with me, which we used once the blood has clotted a bit.
Going back to the shore
I’m way beyond tanned
Contrary to our boat ride back to Coron town proper the day before, today it was raining hard. We did not mind that we get wet with the rain, along with the splashing of the water. However, our bags had to bear the brunt of the water onslaught. My vivid imagine went to work again and I had images of sea monsters (i.e. giant squids and wide-mouthed invertebrates) waiting for our boat to capsize and gobble us down.
Fortunately, we reached the port in one piece and I breathed a heavy sigh of relief upon seeing the giant CORON atop Mt. Tapyas. Albeit shivering, I recalled that it was our last full day in Coron before heading back to Manila the next day.
