ABW Sept 2018-1

Clockwise Below:
Coral reef Apo island
Next: Dongon Reef
Next: Kayaking in El
Nido
Bottom: Marinduque
the port was soon a thing of the past as a majestic
shoreline view opened up behind us, dominated
by the massive conical bulk of Mount Banahaw, a
dormant volcano and Christian pilgrimage site inland
in Quezon province. A wonderful sense of release
fell over all of us as we outran the greedy clutches
of city life, the timeless rhythms of tide and wind
replacing the blaring horns and non-stop hustle. We
breathed in great lungful’s of fresh sea air and dozed
on deck as we nosed out into the Sibuyan Sea.
It was time to appraise our shipmates. The crew
eyed us city-types and we in turn cast furtive
glances back at them, each of us mindful that these
strangers were all about to become very familiar
over the course of the next week. Slowly we shed
our wariness and relaxed. As the hours slipped by,
we sank into a sort of meditative state, lulled by the
action of the waves, the slap of water against the
hull, the creak as the boat’s timbers flexed against
the sea. Often we dozed, suddenly awaking as a
quiver in the frame of the boat betrayed a change
of direction.
After such a blissful
day afloat, our night’s
stay back in the urban
jungle was a shock to
the system.
We made only one stop along the Luzon coast that
day, stopping at the tiny, rarely visited community
of Pitogo laid out below a grand old stone church
that dated back to the days of the Spanish 400
years ago. Our quick tour attracted a gaggle of
curious youngsters and then we were back aboard.
Well before dusk we crossed the open water between
Luzon and the island of Marinduque in the midst of
the Sibuyan Sea. The banca gingerly wound its way
through the bamboo fish traps that sat on the edge
of the surrounding reefs, and headed in towards a
coast thick with mangroves. A successful first day,
and soon we were relaxing around a swimming pool
at our resort near the town of Santa Cruz.
Marinduque and Romblon
Our early morning wake-up call came courtesy of
the local fighting cocks loudly proclaiming their
prowess. These prized fowl are an integral part of
rural Filipino life, and they are kept well fed and
ready to do battle at all times.
We quickly readied ourselves and back on the water
we turned the banca north along the coast, making
our way to Balanacan, where a massive yet graceful
religious statue dominates the entrance to the
inner harbour, standing guard over all those who
shelter in the port. With its quiet shallows, it makes
an excellent place to sit out the typhoons that
batter these parts in the summer. Kevin Hamdorf,
a professional photographer, took the chance to
scurry off inland to Mogpog market on a mission
for colorful images.
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