off the beaten path: camiguin's white island

white island and childbirth have one thing in common: they are both miracles. this inhabited white sand bar, which changes its shape depending on the tide has the mt hibok-hibok as its glorious backdrop. the best time to see white island according to travelers is in the morning, but we did better. we arrived morning and stayed all day, and so we were able to see how some parts of island appeared, disappeared and reappeared.

the next best thing in the white island is the fresh seafood. there are stalls situated in the island and the locals station themselves very early morning to cook for the tourists who arrive there. we treated ourselves to a tuna belly and liempo; note that food here is cooked by the kilo so it can be a little expensive. but you starve for fresh foods in manila, so it's worth it.

as with any tourist attractions, expect to meet foreigners. my expectation though has one extra surprise -- i met a french couple who found my love for the camera delightful.

and now for the real reason for this posting this entry -- feed my narcissism. enjoy the pictures.

off the beaten path: captivating camiguin (an overview)

it was in 2007 while visiting nelie and his then-fiance keith (they are now happily married) in ascott hotel (the new oakwood) that i saw pictures of camiguin in a travel magazine. it looked like the garden of eden. and while some magazines lure you to visit places with adobe-enhanced pictures, the ones that show what to expect in camiguin don't do justice on what it looks like in real life. so together with my best buddies oliver and  mikael, we journeyed to the far south of the country to discover that there is something incredible about the philippines after all. except, of course, ourselves.

we bade manila adieu wednesday twilight and spoiled ourselves in the smoothest ride of our life thanks to the philippine airlines. it is spectacular to watch sunrise when you're thousands of feet above sea level and you need to bow your head down just to see the clouds! they even gave us newspapers to read (not back issues of magazines) but i was too distracted by the sexy voice of our captain-in-charge ian del castillo.









going to camiguin is like the muse that you always wish you'll have and you're ready to contend with the labors of love. its gateway is cagayan de oro, and from there you have to take a 2-hour bus ride to balingoan and a 1-hour ferry ride from balingoan to benoni pier. easier said than done. i can't help but think, why didn't i bring my ipod touch?

but once you've taken that first step to camiguin soil, you forget your sleeplessness and you just brim with excitement. you know you've left the polluted air, your pessimism about people and you welcome the smiles of the natives and the breaking of the waves.

[our stay in camiguin lasted six days and we explored the e.n.t.i.r.e. island, all of which will be discussed separately in greater detail.]