Malapascua Island

Malapascua Island
March 6, 2012

Tuesday began bright and early. Jessie and I packed up our luggage and had a breakfast of fresh mangos and a granola bar. We checked out of our cebu hotel and made our way to the bus terminal. Once there, we were bombarded with different bus lines but we finally found our favorite bus—the red one.

We were told that the ride would only take about 3 hours (with a comfort break—bathrooms!) so we agreed to ride with this company. Initially our luggage was going to be stored on the roof of the bus, however we both put up a bit of a fight for that, and they agreed to place it in the bus with us.

We set off soon after that, on the ride that we would remember for the rest of our lives. Now, when you think of a long bus ride, you’d think that the bus you would take would resemble a coach or greyhound type that we have at home…. Nope! This bus was more the school bus style with slightly handicapped breaking abilities. It didn’t help that our driver drove at about 120km/hr weaving in between every possible vehicle infront of us while driving on bumpy dirt roads. The driver was on the wrong side of the road as much as the right side, and seemed to be racing the yellow bus line going the same direction. The windows on the bus were wide open and would allow a person to easily slip out, so Jessie and I were holding on for dear life. It was like an amusement park ride without seatbelts!

Due to the fact that we were driving at double the speed any sane person would drive, I predicted that we would arrive at our end destination (Maya) in about 2 hours, instead of the quoted 3. This was not the case. It took us almost 4 hours to arrive and I think the only reason I could stand the long journey was because the driver was playing Brian Adams and Maria Carey along the way, so I had something to sing along to.

Once we finally arrived at Maya (the farthest north city of the island) Jessie and I hauled our heavy luggage from the bus and made our way to the docking area. From this point, we needed to get on a banka (wooden boat) that would take us from Cebu Island to Malapascua Island.

A boat was leaving moments before we got there and would not wait for us, so we were left with Philippino men trying to ‘make a deal’ for a special ride to the island instead of waiting for the next one in an hour. It would not seem so ridiculous except for the fact that they wanted 5X the regular price…. Not going to happen!

Eventually we negotiated down to a better price and Jessie and I got onto this rickety old banka with a few other people and we were off. The conflict arose again when they wanted to charge us extra money for helping us get our luggage on board and by this time I was very frustrated. Eventually however, I was gazing out at bright blue water and crisp white sand ahead and all was forgotten. The captain of our banka looked remarkably like a Filipino Captain Jack Sparrow, but both Jessie and I were too intimidated to take a picture.

When the boat came to shore on the beach, I was careful to take my own luggage off and Jessie and I made our way to the walkway. Our bags were extremely heavy (shouldn’t have packed so much!) so some of the philippino men offered to help us carry them. We agreed because it was just exhausting hauling them through the sand. It was the best 50P I spent this trip. They led us straight to the hotel and we were soon brought to our cozy beachfront cabin.

The hotel we’re staying at is the Logon Beach Resort. It’s very simply decorated with wood and bamboo features but is absolutely beautiful. We have our own little cottage with a queen bed covered with mosquito netting. There is no AC, but we have a fan which will do just fine. The best part is our balcony. It overlooks the ocean, which is just about 20 steps away. I never want to leave!

Once we got settled, Jessie and I both showered to wash away all of the grime from the day. Then it was time for food. It was already 4:30pm and we hadn’t eaten since early morning…. I was beginning to get bitchy.

We found this wonderful Philippino restaurant called Ging Ging. We looked over the menu and our mouths watered. We settled on a chicken vegetable coconut curry and pork adobo. Both meals were absolutely delicious! Everything was outstanding except for the flies and stray dogs who were hoping to also get a bite. I guess you can’t harp on the atmosphere when a meal for two comes to $3.

After our meal we made our way back to the resort and the sun was just beginning to set. Jessie and I went down to the beach and decided to take our first swim in the ocean. IT WAS FABULOUS! The water was so clear and it was the perfect temperature. No flinching!

In the water we met a very nice Italian man, Andreas. It turns out that he has lived on the island for the past 20 years and is the owner of our resort. We showered him with questions about life on the island and he had a wealth of knowledge to share.

Jessie and I have decided that we will push back our next hotel reservations and stay in Malapascua for a few more days than planned because it is just paradise and we’d hate to leave in just 3 more days.

Right now, I’m writing this blog sitting out on our cottage balcony. It has just started to rain a bit and I can hear the sound of the waves. It’s a perfect evening!