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.
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| 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.
In this trying times, just like in life, you just sit there, wait for the storm to pass and somewhat enjoy the unspeakable beauty of the rain. Personally, I am a lover of scenes only found when it's raining. Maybe it is because of the scene that breathes melancholy, or silence, or retreat, or maybe total surrender. Unmindful of the rage in my surroundings, that storm offered some kind of retreat and with the company of crazy friends, I found refuge.
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| "...the scene that breathes melancholy, or silence, or retreat, or maybe total surrender." |
We enjoyed the night over a delicious soup of kinason we bought from a fisher folk that approached our cottage located some 200 meters away from the shore, and through the absence of a stable 3G connection that made us incommunicado to the virtual world, we engaged in a meaningful conversation and crunchy ba+nter of jokes and laughter without checking our gadgets once in a while. With the steady moon in the horizon that offered a dancing reflection in the calm and still waters of Pujada Bay below, we truly owned the night!
Waking up the morning after was a gift. Leo and I slept in the open-air cottage's balcony while Zyzle had the room all by herself, so the sea breeze chilled me to the bones all night long. But it wasn't it that woke me up, but the slow and frolic sound of sea waves clashing with each other.
What I saw was a scene that exuded life per se, with the sun painting the magic hour on an almost cloudless sky that cursed the possibility of rain, the silhouette of solitary fisherman in his banca hoping for a good day's catch, the petite fishes swimming as if enjoying the daylight, and the sight of people young and old opting for an early swim in the dormant waters of Masao. Waking up in such entirely different setting is truly a present, especially so that the past weeks have been very taxing and exhausting. Life is here, no doubt.
Waking up the morning after was a gift. Leo and I slept in the open-air cottage's balcony while Zyzle had the room all by herself, so the sea breeze chilled me to the bones all night long. But it wasn't it that woke me up, but the slow and frolic sound of sea waves clashing with each other.
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| The storm passed and we were gifted with this magic hour. |
What I saw was a scene that exuded life per se, with the sun painting the magic hour on an almost cloudless sky that cursed the possibility of rain, the silhouette of solitary fisherman in his banca hoping for a good day's catch, the petite fishes swimming as if enjoying the daylight, and the sight of people young and old opting for an early swim in the dormant waters of Masao. Waking up in such entirely different setting is truly a present, especially so that the past weeks have been very taxing and exhausting. Life is here, no doubt.
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| The clam and still waters of the Pujada Bay is breath-taking. |
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| Early Sunday Morning in Cinco Masao |
As I romanced my fingers and the keyboard as I write this piece, I finally hit the jackpot to the question I have many answers which I find not satisfying. Close friends would ask why I developed an itch to wander from time to time, and the quickest response would be because I wanted to see the place, to enjoy, to have a sweet escape, etcetera. Such lame responses.
Mati made me realize that traveling makes one a human. Larger than that, it makes you appreciate things—even the small ones—and to maximize only what you have and be thankful for it and to appreciate the simplicity of life. With the warmth of the hospitality and the self-assuring kindness of strangers you meet along the way, it restores your faith in humanity. With the wonders you see, traveling vouches your existence and be thankful to God for letting you see and experience the wonders of the world He created. Being stagnant in your comfort zone makes you feel like a giant, but only when you travel that you realized that you're but a speck of a dust in this world.
So when opportunity knocks to you to climb a treacherous mountain, to get lost in the forest, to hit the beach, to explore new places or islands perhaps, grab it. No matter how far or no matter how near, do yourself a favor. If you're young, you have the world to explore. If you're not getting any younger, it's never too late.
That slow-paced weekend getaway in Mati offered me a shift in perspectives. So when I saw what was written in the arch in the boundary of Banaybanay and Pantukan, I smiled as I read the colloquial term: Balik-balik baya ha!
When you're so engrossed with the place just like how you adore your first and true love, you'll surely keep coming back. I was smitten in the beginning, and so I will always be.
Louie.
3.16.2014
All photos in this post are taken by either an iPad or the trusty iPhone 4S.
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| Surfers Paradise that is Dahican |
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| Dahican Panorama |
PS:
I received few questions pertaining to budget. So here’s the breakdown:
I received few questions pertaining to budget. So here’s the breakdown:
Individual Expenses:
Airconditioned Bus Fare (Tagum-Mati-Tagum) - 374
Admission Fee, Subangan Museum - 50
2 sets of lunch - 200
624
Group Expenses (Group of 3 persons)
Groceries - 195
Downtown Mati to Cinco Masao - 150
Dinner - 255
Cottage Room - 600
Masao to Dahican via habal-habal - 100
Dahican to Mati Terminal -
50
1350 divided by 3 persons = 450
Total Expenses per Individual - 1074 pesos
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