Raw and wild, Bucas Grande is a paradise

SOCORRO, SURIGAO DEL NORTE—We were warned: the trip going here could take forever. Almost finishing one clock cycle, the journey could mean dozing off inside your vehicle, passing by pot-holed roads and experiencing provincial scenes along the way.

“Are we there yet?,” was asked on an hourly basis, perhaps a reflection of either weariness or excitement.

But as expected, there’s a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Now seven hours on the road on the waning days of blistering summer, we reached the reddish town of Claver, our gateway to one of Mindanao’s best destinations. From there, a 45-minute banca ride took us to paradise.

Welcome to Bucas Grande Islands, where different shades of blue and green serve as an effective killer of exhaustion. It’s the color of sweet escape, too, where all over the place the sweet marriage of blue and green are pleasant for the eyes to see. The truth is, everywhere you look—and I’m talking 360 degrees—the panoramic vistas are just perfect background for a photograph.

APPROACHING PARADISE. Making your way to Bucas Grande is an exciting experience.

Bucas Grande lies in the northern part of Mindanao and shares the famous waters of Siargao. It’s under the jurisdiction of the Municipality of Socorro of the Province of Surigao del Norte—a province known for wide array of sea-based activities.

Here, happiness abounds, thanks to the frolic waves, the awesome coves, the white sand on distant shores, the cliffs, the caves, countless lagoons, lakes and the jellyfish.

Bucas Grande is such a bliss.

Stingless jellyfishes make Bucas Grande as their abode, living calmly and peacefully in a solemn cove with waters the color of a posh swimming pool. One has to pass a narrow passage to enter this cove, which could elicit a feeling that somehow you’re like entering a basilica. It was a fleeting moment, but having the opportunity to touch a jellyfish is bliss.

Beauty that is Lake Holon

Panoramic Shot of the amazing Lake Holon in Tboli, South Cotabato

The mountains persisted in summoning my soul despite the countless times I dreaded it for its treacherous hills and its dangerous ravines. This time, I found myself in the deep jungles of South Cotabato's tribal municipality of T'boli, a land endowed with the gifts of nature and nurtured by the vibrant people that carried its name. In this town, simplicity is king, from its laid-back poblacion to the peaceful sitios. Life is slow here, which makes it all the more enticing. In this town also lies what could be considered as South Cotabato's prized gem—Lake Holon—which, despite its being serene and silent and relatively unknown, trumpets the moniker of the province as a prime destination for tourists possessing an excess appetite for adventure.

Centuries ago, the place where the lake is situated has become a witness to the rumblings of Mt. Parker, a stratovolcano that has last erupted in 1641. The eruption led to the formation of the Crater Lake, that became an abode for different creatures including the highly-celebrated tilapia. For two years in a row, Lake Holon—settled at 1,350 meters above sea level— earned the distinction as the cleanest lake in the Philippines.

The T'bolis protect it with highest regard, considering it as the gift from the Supreme Being. While allowing the public to marvel at the lake's unparalleled beauty, the tribe also sees to it that the lake will not be subject for abuse and destruction. The soft-speaking T'bolis, who undeniably bears the country's warmest smile, commit their life to maintain the sacredness and cleanliness of Holon.

Holon is an image of serenity and peace from afar and at close range.

In the waning days of this year’s blistering summer, I joined a number of travel bloggers from Davao and Manila to discover Lake Holon. From a distance or at close range, enjoying the beauty of the lake is sweet and satisfying. But getting to Holon is not easy as strolling in the park. One has to walk past through a thick canopy of forest trees, in a trail that will offer you different treats taking form of a cold stream, towering trees with really huge trunks, abaca, wild orchids and flowers or better yet, the company you’re with.

Drench and Sunny Tales

One never runs out of superlatives when it comes to Mati, that fabled town 114 kilometers south of Tagum City. To label the place as "amazing" is actually an understatement. With its picturesque seascapes and landscapes, Davao Oriental's prized gem is truly a haven for extroverts and introverts alike. I'm no stranger to this place, having visited it in different occasions, yet I keep coming back. Some would frown on me frequenting the place, but who am I to be blamed?

Last week, I was joined by my officemate Leo and bestfriend Zyzle in yet another weekend escapade to Mati. This time, we took it slow and just let ourselves be taken by our restless feet to anywhere it would lead us. It turned out to be a worry-free trip and we just enjoyed every bit of it without breaking the bank. The good thing about traveling with buddies who perfectly understand the idea of being a "backpacker" more than the idea of being a "tourist" is that you don't worry when one decides to hike rather than commute, eat in a carinderia over a fancy café or sleep in a simple hostel rather than a posh resort.

THREE'S A CROWD. Me, Zyzle and Leo in Dahican in Mati City.

The threat of a looming low pressure area brought an overcast sky on that Saturday morning when we left Tagum bound to Mati. The sky brought fury in the afternoon, with the intermittent rain bringing a heavy downpour and damping mists to the cottage's balcony where we stayed for a night. But this didn't hamper us to enjoy the moment. A traveler's greatest nightmare aside from missing the ride is actually the dark sky, the rain, the fierce wind and everything that goes in between. Those don't make a good setting for a perfect photograph.

The Book Thief: A Movie Review

There are no real winners in war; all are losers.

But behind the pandemonium, as in many disasters, is a champion—not the villain strategists, the soldiers nor the bombers, but the greatness and goodness of the human spirit. Wars may represent all the evils in the world,but the tiny and unnoticed details prove otherwise.

The Book Thief, based on the novel of the same title authored by Markus Zusak, succinctly provides the grim realities of war and the price every soul has to pay. Casualties and bombed buildings in rubble may quantify its damages, but its unspeakable horror goes beyond every poor soul: a child longing for love and affection, families that have to part because of segregation and forced duties.

Set during the aristocratic rule of Adolf Hitler in Germany, the movie follows the story of Liesel, a girl who has all the right to be mad at the world but chose not to. Hers is an admirable story of a soul-searching little girl looking for answers to the questions that haunt her. Life has been grossly unfair to her,and every episode in her life is mimicking that of a bomb's explosion loud enough to tear your heart apart.

The movie starts and ends with a narration by death, who in the finale told that it has constantly overestimated or underestimated the human race. Faced by many misfortunes, death wondered how the same thing could be so ugly and glorious,and its words and stories so damning and brilliant.

What I like about the movie is its love for words, most especially how death narrated his amazement at humans. The discourse between Liesel and Max and his adoptive parents are equally thought-provoking. I just wonder how words both written and spoken can mean so much in time of chaos; how it comforts in time of despair and fear; how it offers hope amidst a helpless situation.

In times of war, these words are much louder than exploding bombs. I have never been so interested in the evil rule of the Nazis under their self-righteous Führer until last night after watching the film, especially after learning for the first time a book-burning ceremony to get rid of"intellectual dirt." This adds up to the kristallnacht during Hitler's time, which calls for a violence and death against the Jews.

Poetically delivered in the movie,the dialogues trigger certain emotions enough for you to connect in each character, most especially to Liesel and her parents. These dialogues and lines blend well with excellent cinematography, which makes it one of my early favorite movies this year. The visual scope of The Book Thief is indeed remarkable. And did I mention that the Academy Award-winning John Williams provided the musical score for the film?

The words written in this movie review doesn't compensate the thrill of watching it in the big screen. It tells of the goodness and the greatness of the human spirit that even death wondered how it is to live:

"In my job, I'm always finding humans at their best and their worst, and you always wonder how the same thing can be both. I've seen many great things, attended the world's worst disasters, worked for a great many villains."

Referring to Liesel, death narrated:I took great pleasure that she had lived her ninety years so wisely. She was one of the few souls that made me wonder what it was like to live.

Despite the grim realities of war, Liesel indeed taught us what it was like to live and embrace every episode with a brave heart and a soul never seeking for revenge.

Louie.