A Backpacker’s Photo Diary: Enchanted River, Surigao del Sur
It took six hours of traveling by land from Davao City to reach Surigao del Sur. Touching the color turquoise with my fingers—just knowing what it would feel like, was the much awaited prize.
There were dozens of people swimming in the Enchanted River when my family and I arrived, so we patiently bided our time for them to clear out. Noon was the magic hour when the caretakers played a song for the fishes, and asked everyone to go to the shore, and let the river breathe.
My heart broke when I saw just how much trash was piling up at the sides because of the high volume of crowds visiting daily. The Enchanted River is such a gem, and a fairly young tourist hotspot. It’s being run by the local government, and I really hope that they would set stringent rules for safeguarding the area. We can all try to do our part, but we also need their initiative.
I then took a walk to the shallow end of the river (and carried my heavy heart with me), where small boats were lined up to take you around the sandbar and neighboring small islands.
The water was this clear—our boat seemed like it was suspended on a glass surface.
This was one of my favorite moments: standing on the sandbar, with the tide up to my waist, and waves coming from all directions.
The Mindanao region would always offer trips that inspired you to hope, and to believe that you could do so much to make things better. This was no exception.
Brave the waves,
Stoked to hear from you on Facebook and Twitter. See you there!
Source: bravethewaves.net
Road Trip with the Family
Anyone who’s ever met my family would immediately understand where my love affair with travel came from. Some of my earliest memories took place in transit—in cars, ships, and planes. My parents instilled a thirst for adventure in my brother and me before we learned how to properly talk. My cousins would tell you the same thing about their childhood.
Alo, Zach and Nikki (and Chuckee at the back)!
I’ve been living on my own for three years now, so I’ve only been able to see my relatives on special occasions. This trip to Surigao was unplanned, and materialized almost serendipitously, which made it all the more cherished.
A pristine waterfall, a quiet creek, and a clear blue swimming hole…these were some of the road side discoveries that we got to see. Being in the van with my family, and not knowing what else was in store for us felt like I was home.
Brave the waves,
Stoked to hear from you on Facebook and Twitter. See you there!
Source: bravethewaves.net
Beachside Picnic
Putting together a picnic can be similar to how you prepare a playlist. Before anything else, you think about who it is for. And when it’s by the beach, you can tell it’s already special to begin with.
I knew my friend Kitty was a fellow cheese lover, and that fruit slices, gooey chocolate, and munchies made her happy. I also took note of the fact that she wasn’t fond of wine, so I replaced it with sparkling apple juice instead. Nothing fancy, just grazes of what I hoped would mean something to her.
The spread below was the end product—what do you think? Would you like to dig in with us?
Brave the waves,
Stoked to hear from you on Facebook and Twitter. See you there!
Source: bravethewaves.net
This is the personal blog of Mia Bontol. I'm the island girl behind Shop Brave The Waves, a clothing line that offers Filipino-made resort wear. Swim with me?
