The Island of Fire

Editor's Pick Award

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How do I begin to write about one of the most fantastic places that I have ever had the privilege to see? Our trip started out a bit bumpy when our plane to Cebu from Manila was cancelled without notice. Now, I must say that we didn't see much of Manila and for this i am grateful. It is described as the LA of the Philippines. Plus, a part of me felt like I was going to get snatched right off the street. Oh and being light skinned means you stand out anywhere in the Philippines. I've spent my whole life being the Mexican, but here...I was the white girl. A place where random, "I love you's," whistles, hoots, hellos, etc are extremely common. Anyways we were lucky to find Cheryl's mom who had just flown in from the States. With a little bit of this and a little bit of that she had us set up on a flight to Dumaguete.

But Siquijor (where we spent our time)...oh one of the true secrets of the Philippines. (A plane flight and two boat trips from Manila) A place untouched by overarching tourism. It is so small on the map that it is not a surprise if you miss it. But this place was everything and more. Forget buying my summer home in Oz...its all about this island. We stayed with Cheryl's (my college roomate) family. They are so wonderful that I can hardly wait to return. Us three girls shared a beach bungalow with a fantastic view. There is nothing like waking up and looking out to the ocean everyday. The mornings consisted of sleeping in and taking cold baths with a bucket and scoop. Burr..only the first few scoops were gasp worthy! Animals are prevalent everywhere. We'd see cows, goats, pigs, chickens, roosters, dogs, and cats just hanging about. Not to mention the thousands of geckos everywhere. They'd climb along our walls (most 6-8 inches and some bigger) during the night. Good thing we'd have our sleeping nets around our beds! Some creepy bugs too! Haha we had our fair share of screams at some points.

But more importantly, the people here are so genuine. Auntie Fern (any references to relatives I mean Cheryls) made us our meals everyday and boy did we eat! Mangoes, Bananas, Coconuts, Pork, Calamari and Rice are found in abundance. Sometimes you can even here the pig being slaughtered! You can get virtually anywhere for pennies on a petty cab but usually we'd just ride on the motorcycles. Oh and seeing 10 people piled on a petty cab or a family of 4 or 5 on one motorcycle (dead serious) is completely normal. To put the cost equivalence into perspective...a regular sized bottle of Tanduay rum costs about $1.25. We felt like queens...rich ones for that matter! Not to mention they treat us "white" girls like celebrities. At one point a group of school girls stopped Rach and I and started taking pictures with their cell phones.  It was strange and funny all at once.

Our daily past times consisted of various escapades. Some days on the beach and others exploring. We went into a huge cave with giant stalagdamites hanging down. Some of the mineral formations looked like snow. It was a tricky feat over rocks. We swam in a cold fresh water pool at the very back of the cave to cool off too. I'd never seen anything like it. We also cliff jumped and played in waterfalls another day. My favorite was the diving. Uncle Neil took me on a day dive where I saw a HUGE sea turtle and a water snake (poisonous!)...so sweet! Then we went on a night dive! Rach and Cheryl said I was going to get gobbled up by a shark! Ha...With flashlights in tow, in the deep abyss, I watched Jun Jun spear fish. I felt a bit remorseful when he killed the pretty ones, but seeing him spear a squid which immediately sprayed ink everywhere was AWESOME!!

The nights were spent enjoying Tanduay and Coke...well Cheryl and Rach stuck with San Miguel....with the boys (mostly Cheryl's cousins). We introduced them to some college games while they danced to Shakira! Fun times! I can't forget to mention that we belted our hearts out to Karaoke too. The fam would just rent the machine and bring it down to the farm...heck yes! Some Bon Jovi here and Madonna there, oh yeah Philippine Idol here I come!

I have to say that I left the island with a heavy heart. Not only did we get to honestly experience the Philippine culture but I was touched on a level that was unexpected. I never realized that what we have can go such a long long way in another country. I mean we're told this all the time but you don't really get it until you live it.  This is a place that I definitely want to give back to someday when I am able. At the sametime there was a beauty in living without the luxuries that I am so selfishly accustomed too like hot water, cheese, super high tech electronics...etc. People just hang about outside and chat while kids run around rolling bike tires with a stick for fun. I mean..Wow! No wonder one of Cheryl's uncle's is 96 and going strong. Hard work and family go a long way here. Plus the gorgeous atmosphere makes it a rare gem in the pacific.  Driving around the island, your breath is taken away when the sun hits the coconut trees and rice fields along the mountains creating a vibrant glow of green! I can't stand it that words nor even a picture could do it justice.

I recommend this place but at the same time it is a fear that it, like so many places, will be overtaken by tourists.  Right now the island is so full of culture and authenticity that it is able to change the random tourist that may come along rather than the tourist changing the place. To see that disappear would be disheartening. I am so grateful to Cheryl and her family for inviting us into their lives and opening our eyes even wider at the same time. A gesture that may prove unrepayable. I am sorry if you have found this journal entry too long but please know that I could go on forever. No doubt i'll be talking a great deal about this place when I get home. Still no luck with the pictures, but I hope that my words will suffice for now. All in all, i'm doing great! Enjoying Bangkok at the moment and will tell more about it later. Love and miss you all!