Apo Reef Beachineering 2016: Day 1

So what happened in Apo Reef?

I fell in love. <3

January 16, 2016

Day 1

On regular Saturday mornings, I would get up from bed at around 10 am, cook sinangag with lots of garlic in it, watch movies/videos or read books, and eat while at it.

This Saturday is no ordinary Saturday for I am aboard a van, waiting for the ferry that will take us to Abra de Ilog Port in Occidental Mindoro.

It was past 5 am when we finally moved towards the ferry. Loved the chance to stretch my then numbing legs and behind. Into the ferry we went and, a little past 6 am, we set sail.

I love ferry rides. Love the warm sun and the cool breeze hitting my skin at the same time. Lovely!

And I love this. The trail the boat leaves behind as we sail onward.

2 hour and half past and we reached Abra de Ilog Port.

Time check, it's 9:30 and we still have 3 hours on the road before reaching Sablayan Port where we will board the boat that will take us to Apo Reef National Park (additional 3 hours).

Now, back to Abra de Ilog. Back again in the van, my head is spinning from the hours of travel and the way our driver drives. It's like a never ending roller coaster ride. 2 and a half hours of that and we, thankfully to all the good and holy, reached Sablayan Port. It's past 12 noon and everybody is starving.

From the port, we went back to the local market where we found the line of karinderyas and had our lunch there. Beside us is the view you see below. The reason why I took this photo is because the manner in which they board these tricycles amazed me. You know why? It's because people also sit on top of the side car, outside the side car on the back, and on the roof of the motor itself on which the driver sits. Extreme! Unfortunately, I didn't get to take proof shots of that, but yeah. It's extreme! 

And this photo below, I took when I went to use their public comfort room. To keep the place clean, they ask people to leave their footwear outside then use the ones provided for them. Pretty neat. :)

All of that done, we now drove back to the port, jumped on the boat, and once again, sit still and wait until we reach our destination. Honestly, my whole body is super tired by this time. The endless sea of Blue of cool breeze helped.

At half past 4 pm, we finally caught sight of the island. Woot! Here is out boat driver, skillfully navigating the boat.

Since the island is home to lots and lots of coral reefs, we couldn't anchor anywhere near the island than this. We were asked to alight and walk or swim the remaining distance to the island. Boatmen will take care of unloading our bags and getting it dry and safe to the shore.

I didn't swim or walk to the island though. I waited for the mini boat and boarded it. I'm not yet dressed for swimming, so I allowed myself some VIP treatment. Hehe.

And here we are! :)

The island is beautiful. White sand, Blue water, clear sky, and cool, salty sea breeze. I took plenty of lungful of air. It's truly wonderful to be alive. :)

Because I left my tent at home, I don't have anything to pitch. So while everyone was pitching their tents, I went walking along the shoreline, exploring the island alone. Here are the things I've seen on my solemn walk.

If you think this is an ordinary bamboo washed ashore, then you're mistaken

Looking closer, I discovered that this shy crab is taking refuge in it. Kewl!

These rocks are formed really prettily by the waves.

They're so pretty.

And so I selfie. :)

Now here is the infamous Apo Reef Lighthouse, standing tall and proud. I didn't climb up for I know it's part of our itinerary to visit it and have photos taken. I let those people be. Hehe.

While walking, I was singing Kolohe Kai's Lighthouse. If you know the song, cheers to you! :)

A little past the Lighthouse, I saw these dead corals. They're the mini version of what I showed you on the second part of this adventure. (Yup! 2nd part precedes the 1st part because I'm a weirdo like that.)

I thought of going inside that narrow opening but fear quickly climbed up my chest, thinking there could be snake or scorpions dwelling in those rocks. If you know me, you know how paranoid I can really be.

Got really excited to see shelled creatures alive. In most beaches, I see their shells littering the shore. But in Apo Reef, I see the shells intact in living bodies. Truly awesome!

It was almost totally dark if not for the whiteness of the sand that allows some illumination. I made my way back to camp and to my group. I learned that I’ll be sharing a tent with Camille and Dada, and I couldn’t thank them enough for taking me in. After realizing that I left my tent at home, I expected to have a place to rent a tent for 2 nights. Turns out, there’s none. I don’t have a hammock or a sleeping bag either, so it’s truly kind of them to share their tent with a stranger like me. Thank you!

If I believe in Reincarnation, I would say that I lived as a sea creature in my past life. The water is always too irresistible for me. And so, even with the day finally making way to night, I made my way to the sea.


Only, I didn't get to enjoy my most anticipated swim. The waves are big, fast, and strong and there are those little creatures that bite exposed flesh. Not five minutes into the water (when I usually last hours), I went out nursing bitten skin from unknown attackers. Huhuhu. Why are you so mean to me?


I quickly washed up and had dinner with others shortly after. The food was superb!


Later that night, with the cold, fine sand on my back, I was staring at the canopy of stars. Breathing in the sea air, I closed my eyes and felt greatly thankful for all the things beautiful.



Part 2 here. :)