109
{
}
T H E U L T I M A T E S H O E S T R I N G A D V E N T U R E
I was halfway through my journey
and in an awestruck haze, the sheer
diversity of the natural wonders left
me mesmerized. I’ve always loved the
great outdoors and would hate to miss
a chance to experience something
new and adventurous, so when a
friend offered me a tour of his home
province, I jumped at the chance.
Jumping, it would seem, was to be the
running theme of my first few days in
Mindanao. Early morning we traveled
by van to Hayanggabon Port and
rode an outrigger to Sohoton Cove, on
the eastern fringe of Siargao Island,
famous among surfers around the
world for the quality of its swells. You
enter Sohoton Cove through a small
cave opening during low tide; when
the tide rolls in, it submerges this long
passageway, making it impossible to
leave the cove until the following day.
This place, uninhabited by humans, is a
spectacle of nature — coral formations
in crystalline, turquoise waters;
shimmering cave walls; the musical
buzz and screech of hidden dwellers
among the lush trees.
There’s a must-do in the cove:
climb up the narrow Makukuob Cave
—
stepping on slippery footholds and
grasping ruts on the walls — to emerge
onto a cliff. From 30ft high, the only
way down is to jump into the clear
water. Don’t hesitate; there’s the rising
tide to think of.
my way to Borongan City in the eastern
part of the island, where I reconnected
with long-time friends and tried surfing
again. Then it was time to make my
way to Leyte, where I caught another
banca to the remote island of Biliran,
before heading back to the capital town
of Tacloban. It was Day 47 of my trip
when I stepped onto another ferry,
this time to cross a small artery of the
Pacific, from southern Leyte to Surigao
City in Mindanao.
I’d always dreamed of swimming with
the whale sharks in Donsol, Sorsogon,
and finally I was about to cross
another item off my bucket list. From
the little catamaran, I had three whale
shark sightings before I finally jumped
into the water. I was speechless on the
first encounter. The whale shark was
bigger than a bus and it moved gently,
softly, undistracted by the swarm of
tourists, myself included, swimming
around it. I swam about a meter over
the gentle giant, following its direction
and noticing small fish hitching a ride
on its skin. It was 10 solid minutes of
bliss that made me forget everything
else. It was just me, the whale, and
the peace of the underwater.
Two days later, after hopping around
islands in Masbate, I caught a ferry to
Allen Port in northern Samar. I made
S
w
i
m
m
i
n
g
w
i
t
h
s
h
a
r
k
s
Day
36
J
u
m
p
i
n
g
o
ff
c
l
i
ff
s
Day
50
