A Surreal Weekend with a Stranger

Their story goes along the line “A boy with a broken soul meets a girl with a broken heart.”  A kitsch and sentimental theme torn straight from the script of a local teleserye.

But it happened for real. To her, to him. In the mystical island of Siquijor.

And here’s their story:

Breaking a nine-year relationship with her ex was far from difficult... it was devastating, and to cope with the occasional bites of sadness, she had to do what she loves doing most -- traveling. As one of her post break-up trips, she planned a weekend trip to Siquijor and Dumaguete City. 

She was prepared to pushing through with the trip alone until she got a message from this person saying that he's impressed with her blog, and that he’s interested tagging along to some of her future trips. Casually, she told him about her upcoming Visayas getaway. And much to her surprise, he did book a round trip ticket to Dumaguete -- with the dates same as hers. 

“Where would he sleep?”, “What are we going to talk about?” were the first two questions that popped the minute she learned about him joining the trip. Yes, she knows him by name, but technically, he’s a stranger.

Then after giving it some thought, she realized that she needed a travel buddy to share financial damages with, and someone to break bread in the breakfast table with.

They had a couple of pre-trip meet-ups to discuss the "itinerary." She learned that he's the kind who likes to stick with outlined itineraries, while she’s the type who enjoys a good dose of spontaneity. 

She learned that he is also going through a difficult Saturn Return akin to hers. The past months were beating down on him, having to face huge endings and limping through small beginnings. And just like her, he is also working his way to recovery one day at a time. 

Despite the odds, they both felt that they needed this getaway. They needed a short break from their spiraling downhill lives. So they looked forward to the trip with so much gusto. 

Day 1 came.  It was a beautiful summer-like morning –the sky was clear, the air was crisp and the sunshine was divine. She met him at the train station en-route to the airport. They were two excited Northface-clad backpackers. 

They left Manila before noon, and arrived at Dumaguete an hour after. From Dumaguete Airport, they headed straight to the seaport where they boarded a small fastcraft going to Siquijor. In no time they were traversing the wild sea that separates the island of Negros from Siquijor. The whole time they were out in the sea, she had to keep a shuteye because the water was extra rowdy that day. She was close to puking, but she felt she needed to save her ass from unnecessary shame.  

They reached their destination an hour after. The first thing that struck her was the white sand beach that lies adjacent to the port. Right there, she fell in love with Siquijor. 

Just a few meters from the port, they found the Siquijor Church. He excitedly blurted out "They have Sr. Pedro here!" It cracked her up when she realized that he was referring to the grilled chicken nook, and not in reference to any saints. Her travelmate was obviously starving already. 

After taking photos of the church and the bell tower, they rented a trike to drive them to San Juan. Since they both wanted to keep their expenses low, they asked the good driver to take them to an affordable, comfortable, and with a great sunset-view resort.

They stopped in front Royal Cliff, a resort about 30 minutes’ drive from the port. She liked the place instantly. It's located in an elevated area with cottages and lanai perched on some charming rock formations. It has the constant whimsical sound of the ocean kissing the rocks and the fresh air gathered from the accumulation of trees around the area.

After settling their stuff, they sat near the shore waiting for dusk. Sunsets are a big part of her travels, and her Siquijor day 1 sunset proved to be just as magnificent as the others. She had to stop herself from taking photos and just enjoy the serenity of the whole scene. But she did cave in to the palpable urge to shout on top of her lungs of some random words she felt she needed to let out. It was liberating, just the kind of breather that she needed at that time.

  

They easily ended Day 1 after  dinner. But in a not-so-quiet fashion. Here are two tired souls, inside a nice cottage, in a far-away island – snoring.

The following day, they woke up to a gorgeous weather. They’ve decided to rent a motorcycle to drive around the island. Just armed with a map and fuelled by their adventurous spirit, they sped off to exploring the whole island.

Then…

Church-hopping.

Beach-bumming.

Waterfalls-chasing.

Mountain-climbing.

Mangrove-visit.

Cam-whoring.

Swimming and driving crash course.

Laughing.

After the long roadtrip, they pensively waited for the sunset near the beach. Again, it was as beautiful as the first day.

They were noticeably silent at the dinner table. It could be that they were both too tired, too sober with all the craziness that happened that day, or too absorbed listening to the music coming from the sea waves playing a few feet below them.

Painful muscles notwithstanding, it was a beautiful day.

On their final day, they spent the morning walking along the shoreline. They’ve covered about a kilometer distance, but she did not feel a tinge of fatigue. It was a surprisingly pleasant walk—made more interesting by meeting some locals who are hunting for sea urchins for their food, and seeing a writhing sea snake making its early morning pass along the beach. 

By noontime they were already aboard the boat, being ferried back to Dumaguete. As the boat sped off from Siquijor, she looked back and felt an overwhelming nostalgia. With the temporary amnesia and the fleeting kilig and aliw she felt in the island, she realized how badly she’s missing it already.

It was all good and, ummmm, surreal. Thanks to the stranger-turned-a-friend who was sitting next to her.

*If you get to read this post, you, you, thank you.  :)

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This post is my entry to Pinoy Travel Bloggers' Blog Carnival for November 2012. With the theme "Hello Stranger," Ron Cruz and Monette Fernandez of FlipTravels.com host this edition  of the blog carnival. 

Visit Estan Cabigas' Langyaw.com to see the archive of Pinoy Travel Bloggers' Blog Carnival! :)