Suroy-Suroy sa Sugbo*: Island Getaway

Throwback Thursday, anyone?
(Photo credit: Tanja)

I can't believe it's been five years since I've met these amazing people. Like being part of the Big Brother house, we were chosen as individuals via auditions (by auditions I mean a technical exam + a series of interviews) and brought together by fate. We had no choice but to interact with each other and work together as a batch. As time went by, we grew together and formed an unbreakable bond. Some have left the company while others stayed behind (including me) but we remained the same group of crazy friends.

Feeling backpacker!

To celebrate our 5th anniversary (not as a batch but as friends), we decided to escape to South Cebu and swim with Oslob's famous whale sharks among other things. Thanks to Cebu Pacific, we were able to get reasonably priced plane tickets. Did I mention we're crazy? Crazy enough to book a 4:20 AM flight, that's for sure! That being said, I woke up as early as 1:30 AM to get ready then met up with Szet, Tanj and Ruel at Mcdo Mindanao. We left QC around 3:00 AM and reached the airport by 3:30 AM. Take note that boarding time is at 3:45 AM. Oh thank God for web check-in and my dad's super fast driving skills! The rest of our companions were already waiting for us at the boarding area so imagine our frenzy as we checked-in our toiletries and started brisk walking all the way to Gate 133.

I was so keen on listening to the announcement of our flight, I didn't even notice my batchmates looking at me (and my game face lol) and calling me while I made my way through the slow-moving crowd. Eventually, they got my attention and I got all excited upon seeing them - especially Mabel whom I haven't seen in a long time (and who thought I was already in the US HAHA)! As if on cue, the last call for our flight boomed all throughout the boarding area and we hopped on the shuttle that took us to our plane.

Good morning indeed. #nofilter

While some people hate airplanes, I love sleeping during flights. For some reason, traveling (be it by land, sea or air) relaxes me and puts me to sleep almost instantly. After chatting with Mabel for a bit (because we missed each other!), we all decided to catch some Z's. However, my nap didn't last for long as the rays of the sun seeped through my window. I welcomed the wake up call though because it's not often you get to catch the sunrise. It's definitely a sight to behold and I feel truly blessed to have been a witness to its beauty at thousands of feet off the ground. So yeah, thank you Lord, for another beautiful day!

Mactan Airport, we meet again!

We arrived at Mactan International Airport around 5:30 AM and took a cab to South Cebu Bus Terminal. From there, we rode a Sunrays bus (Php 155/person) that will take us to Sumilon. Take note that there were 11 of us so imagine how crazy it was to commute from place to place. Thus, Misadventure #1 happened.

Escape the busy life.
(Photo credit: Bluewater Sumilon Island Resort)

After eating breakfast and paying all my travel dues (Php 3,192 all in! Or so I thought. :|) to Erin, I started preparing for a nap when I heard a commotion near the end of the bus. Vanie looked a little panicked while talking to someone on the phone. It turns out, Bry and Joan didn't get on the bus with us!!! They were still at the terminal and were asking if the bus has already left. It took us a while to get convinced they weren't pulling a nasty prank on us. We're not sure whether it's a good or bad thing that the two of them got left behind. You see, it's good that there were two of them because not being alone makes any bad situation better. But at the same time, it's bad that there were two of them so there was no one to remind us that one of them was missing. Still, the show must go on! So after giving them instructions on how to get to Sumilon, we were ready for our much-needed naps.

On the way to Sumilon!

Being a certified sleepyhead, I didn't even notice that the bus ride to Sumilon was bumpy and kind of scary as the bus driver drove really fast and didn't even slow down at curves. I only found out from my batchmates, of course. Nevertheless, we got to Sumilon all in one piece around 9:00 AM, just in time for the 9:30 AM ferry trip. They served us lemongrass iced tea as welcome drinks which tasted weird at first but you'll get used to it after a few sips.

Chilling at the briefing area.

At 9:30 AM, we took the ferry to Bluewater Sumilon Island Resort and the ride was just wonderful. The sea breeze was a welcoming change to the scorching heat we've been experiencing lately in Manila. I even closed my eyes for a while to savor the fresh air and rest a bit as if the 3-hour bus ride to Sumilon wasn't enough. Haha Upon arriving at the resort, we were briefed regarding the inclusions of the Day Trip package (Php 1,500/person) and then it's game time!

What sand bar?

After changing into our swimwear, we separated into groups to explore the island. Vanie, Mabel and I stuck together and headed off in search of the sand bar. It's quite a long walk from the briefing area so by the time we reached the sand bar, we were quite confused why the sand bar is nowhere to be found. We asked one of their staff if we were in the right place and of course, we were. He then reminded us that it's a shifting sand bar so since it's still high tide, it's only natural for it to be hidden. Duh.

True to its name, the blue waters of Sumilon looked crystal clear, we couldn't bear not to swim in it ASAP. After a couple of minutes, Erin and Ty joined us so we had a couple of photo ops and swam our hearts out until 11:30 AM. Why 11:30 AM, you ask? Obviously, only food can separate us from the cool and clean (C2??) waters of Sumilon. Haha The Day Trip package includes lunch so we wanted to be early for the buffet. Hunger and exhaustion only made the walk back to the pavilion seem a bit longer. Fortunately, a shuttle passed by and offered us a ride. Yay to less walking!

Nothing makes us happier than free food.

When we got to the pavilion, we were a bit early for lunch (duh) so we decided to loaf around the infinity pool area for a while. Vanie and I were on our way to save tables for our group when they opened the buffet so we queued with no hesitation. Only then did we see Bry and Joan who finally made it to Sumilon. Yay, our party's complete at last! We were so hungry, we wolfed down the food really quick. I don't even think anyone instagram-ed it before digging in.

Oh wait, Tanj was able to take pictures of the food. Or at least what's left of it.

After lunch, we decided to chill a bit by the infinity pool (again) and then went kayaking. It was tiring to paddle at first but once you get your rhythm, it's quite fun and relaxing. I didn't know I had it in me to successfully maneuver a kayak. So maybe I might survive our white water rafting adventure in August after all.

Chilling by the infinity pool.

Yes, sa 'min ang lagoon!

And then it's time for more adventures! We originally wanted to snorkel near the briefing area but upon learning from Ate Light and Szet that there were some jellyfish, we quickly changed our minds. We decided to just go back to the sand bar hoping to finally see it, only to find out that the water rose even higher. To make the most out of our walk, we might as well snorkel for a bit and try searching for the marine sanctuary. We were so focused in our search for marine life that we lost track of how far we've gone ashore. I even noticed a man in red waving at us but my batchmates dismissed him saying he was signaling at the boats. So yeah, we continued swimming until we finally got tired and decided to go back to shore. Only then did we realize we were already swimming in the danger zone. Manong Lifeguard (the man in red) told us, "Konti na lang, nasa Dumaguete na kayo." Yikes!

Snorkeling in Sumilon/Dumaguete waters.

To refresh ourselves from the salty sea water, we went back to the infinity pool to finally swim and chill out. Unfortunately, we only had a few hours left to enjoy Sumilon as the last ferry back to the main land leaves at 5:30 PM. By 4:00 PM, we started to freshen up one by one as we got ready to leave paradise.

To infinity and beyond.

Reluctant as we are, all good things must come to an end. If only Ty agreed to check-in to Sumilon for the night, kahit kami na maglaba ng gamit niya, makapag-overnight lang. Haha Oh well, there's always next time. Still, it's a day well-spent!

If ever I get stranded in an island with these guys, I don't think I'll ever get bored.
Happy 5 years to us!

The only downside of our Sumilon trip? The ridiculously steep road connecting the main road and the waiting area. Sakit sa tuhod! Oh and we had to wait for what felt like eternity for the bus to arrive. We were considering all unlikely options (i.e. hitching a ride on motorcycles/bicycles/trucks/vans, renting a pump boat, trekking, etc.) when one of the locals (he claimed he was one of Sumilon's crew that served us earlier) came to our rescue. He offered to hail tricycles for us that will take us to the town proper. Desperation took over us as nighttime settled in. So for Php50/person (which we thought was expensive), we took two tricycles to get to New Village Lodge. I love how every province has their own version of the tricycle. Oslob's had seats facing backwards which reminded me of EK's Space Shuttle. Of course, I chose that seat just to try it. The wind on my face was lovely, it made me close my eyes for a couple of times. Thank God for occasional bumps that jolted me awake. No sleeping on motorcycles or tricycles for you, sleepyhead! After what seemed like forever, we finally arrived at the lodge. We were all surprised by how far we traveled. Surely, a 30-minute ride will take you farther in the province than in Manila. Suddenly, the Php50 fare didn't seem so bad.

When in Cebu, do as the Cebuanos do.

After checking-in real quick, our tricycles dropped us off at the street lined up with carinderias and various kinds of street food. We grabbed a table and feasted on pusô, lechon manok, sticks of assorted street food, and bottles of softdrinks and water. Batch unity at its finest! We felt like locals eating on the side of the road. Some even ate with their hands. I didn't though because I was too embarrassed of my non-existent pagkakamay skills. :(

Before going back to our lodge, we stopped by sari-sari stores and the nearby Julie's for tomorrow's breakfast. Then we walked back to our lodge where we washed up, did a little laundry, and crashed for the night. Whew. First day and we're already beat. 6:00 AM call time for whale shark watching? Challenge accepted!


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Traveling party: Bry, Erin (organizer), Joan, Light (organizer), Mabel,
Ruel, Sera, Szet, Tanj, Ty, and Vanie
Travel date: May 3, 2013 [Day 1]
Photo credits: Erin, Light, Szet, Tanj, Vanie

*"Suroy-Suroy sa Sugbo" is Cebu's current tourism slogan which means "Going Around in Cebu."