Tuesday, July 17, 2012

[CORON] Hidden Lagoon + Calachuchi + Bulungan


Our lesson for today is the first three locations of Coron Galeri’s B-1 Tour package. Or was that B-2? Damn, I already forgot! HAHAHA. Anyway, I grouped the destinations by location, meaning the three referred to above are the first three to be seen, although not particularly the first ones visited in the case of Bulungan. In other news, today was awesome because my Pentax dilemma has finally been solved. The camera is not a joke. It takes good pictures and videos underwater. If you want proof, just see the video below! I usually do not splurge on gadgets but I am now convinced that this is a good investment.


You have to be at Coron Galeri by 8:30 AM. Walk to the pier with your group for five minutes or so, passing through the market. Board the boat, and go to wherever it is that you are headed to for the day. For today, the boat ride was just 20 minutes away from the first destination which was Hidden Lagoon. How hidden was Hidden Lagoon then?


Well, not so hidden, although you'll have to pass by a few cliffs to get there. The lagoon itself is obscured from plain view, thus, the name. What to do here? This is not yet the place to find Nemo. All I ever found were small fish too camera shy for their own good. There were some corals here and there but the main feature of this lagoon that is probably noteworthy would be the white sand surface that is visible even from the boat. The water seems to be that clear. It is clear underneath but somehow looks all boring because of the absence of any activity, as if all the fish were on recess or something. What best thing to do here, then? SWIM!


One amazing realization Hidden Lagoon has thought me is that sea water makes you float. Weh? Believe me when I say so. Here is the catch: people usually panic when tossed to the sea. Who would not? I mean, we always have this pronounced fear of the unknown and the uncertain. I jumped without a life vest and obviously sank as I touched the water. That is normal. Stop panicking and lay still. You will notice that you'll only sink until half of your face is submerged, including your nose, which probably contributes to the panic. Other than that, there is no more sinking for you unless they strap you to the anchor. If you are still not convinced, lie on your back. That solves the breathing problem. And there you go, Hidden Lagoon, the best place to swim because it is so damn peaceful! I think it even cured my annoyance with sea water!


We stayed at Hidden Lagoon for almost an hour. It was a relaxing swim. The next destination was Calachuchi Island which is a rather small islet with the said plants abundant on it. The boatman said that one could get on it but it is not recommended because of the sharp rocks that make up the ground. The real attraction here is not the islet itself but rather what you see underneath. Yes, fish. NEMO!!!


It was high time for Nemo and I to finally meet. It was quite evident even from the boat that the sea floor under us was full of new worlds to discover. Corals and fish abound, that part of the ocean was conquered by Pentax, my new best friend. After accidentally falling on purpose, I immediately witnessed how beautiful the world where I was swimming was. Little Mermaid was an idiot for preferring land over ocean. The sea obviously has more to offer. What disappointed me were the occasional blurry apparitions. You have to forgive me for this because I've never really explored the deep blue before. My sole point of reference are Nat Geo’s glossy documentaries that drown you with colors. Under the sea, in person, not everything is as magazine perfect, but they are colorful nonetheless. And then I saw Nemo.


Sorry, I just love that movie, and so when I finally met Nemo and his many clones I could not help but abuse Pentax by shooting one video right after another, and then shifting at once to photo mode so I could snap pictures too. I have never been that enthusiastic in documenting my adventures. Life under the sea has seriously caused me a new obsession. The problem was not with sinking but rather how to stay under water. At sea you'd think that your biggest problem would be keeping your head above water. Well, in open swimming and underwater photography without the aid of either fins or snorkel, all you have are your limbs to keep you down there. Wrapping my legs around the base of the boat’s ladder a la Cirque du Soleil trapeze artist seemed to be the best bet. Free diving proved to be futile given my lack of muscular strength. Still, it did not prevent me from taking loads of photos and videos. I hope my Samsung Galaxy S won't mind but I am really beginning to like Pentax a lot.


That feeling of awesomeness under water is hard to brush off but there will come a time when the corals start to resemble human brains and your companions start cursing you in thought bubbles because you are the only one enjoying. Not everyone has a waterproof camera nowadays. The boatman would then point to a beach called Bulungan where you'd all be going for lunch, but not after the hike to Kayangan Lake. Yes, you have to earn your lunch, people!


Bulungan is not really that fantastic. It's quite small, with only a few huts, the existence of which seem to be all for picnic purposes. The shore is narrow so sun bathing is not really recommended. You have lunch there, period. Yes, after Kayangan Lake. What do we still have left for the next entry? We have Kayangan Lake, Twin Peaks (a pair of islands hiding more marine life underneath), and CYC (another beach popular for its knee high waters).

2 creature(s) gave a damn:

Anonymous said...

Coron belongs to my top 3 islands in PI. I love the island I remember telling myself that if I were to build my resort or resthouse, it should be here. You have been to a lot of places. Hope we bump on each other one day. -JJ

http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/87a79/

ihcahieh said...

@Anonymous - Hope I bump into you to, in Coron! Hehe, definitely worth a second visit.

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