Is it okay if I call you mine?

"Just for the time

And I will be just fine..."

Yeah, just like the lyrics above, I want to call Cagbalete Island my own, my private island, mine. But, I am just a guest who enjoyed the sand and can only shout to the world that it's mine no more than the hours that i walked, sit, swam and shoot on its creamy fine white sand and clear water. My shout maybe loud but it will only be eaten by the wind, my footprints maybe deep but it will be buried by the waves. I can never make it mine, but i can have it forever etched in my mind.

After a very hot 10 minute walk on a pathway that penetrates the small community of the island, after the curious stares thrown our way, after the friendly exchanges of "magandang araw po" to the locals (and they returned it with a smile), after the little confusion with the right way and finding ourselves walking on the shore, we arrived sweating in Pensacola Resort (042-7840158, look for Fe) just in time for lunch. After the initial introductions with Mang Rommel (the owner), we were lead to the tree house that I reserved the previous day. And whoa! aside from it being too big for two persons, the tree house - the only one in Cagbalete, by the way - is open, save for pieces of woods hammered together, it has no walls! Later on, we find it a unique experience, and the air can freely come and pass by from all sides.

Since we availed of the meal package, P700.00 per head that covers lunch, dinner and breakfast plus two snacks, our lunch was served in no time. And man, the serving was huuuge! And i love the crispy pata and leche flan!

Lyn rested on the hammock under our tree house while I take a few steps towards the beach, low tide!!! The low tide in Cagbalete starts at around 9 in the morning and continue until 2 in the afternoon. During those times, if you are brave enough to challenge the scourging heat of the sun, you need to walk around 400 meters from the shore for you to reach a waist-deep water and maybe a few more if you want chest-deep. The water is very warm and clear but the walking is just not fair hehehe.

We observed that there's a group of yuppies doing a team building on the other cottage and it's fun watching them, we even complimented that they're behaved compared to other people of their age (not that we're that old). We just let the time pass by talking about sensible things like "kung isa kang ulam, ano ka?" hehehe. And the two of us were just laughing, unmindful of the other group that's now starting to get noisy.

The water started to return at around 2, and before we can change into our swimming gears, turon with langka and buko juice were served as our snacks. yay!

Since it's still very hot to go swimming, we just explored the area, and walk further on the other side, challenging ourselves if we can get into the other resort, we almost made it but we returned after we saw a cemetery by the shore. natakot?! hehe.

The resort is not very ideal if you're looking for a nice sunset shot, you need to walk to Sabang for a perfect view of it. I did not walk towards Sabang, but a nice opportunity with a docking boat gave me a shot of the sun that's starting to hide.

Dinner time. The generator is now running, lights are now flooding the cottages like there's electricity. The noise of the yuppies are now starting to accelerate to the level that later on will reach the annoying part. I really did not enjoy the fish as it tastes so...fishy, malansa! Yeah, it's fresh but I am not really a fan of fish, except when fried.

We slept early, but the yuppie groups are now alcohol-glazed and were laughing like they're the only one there. It's really annoying, the noise that they are making, plus the music from their gadgets does not actually blend with the surrounding, the owner should have banned loud music! but maybe they won't as they're also discreetly singing in the videoke! hehehe. I don't know, maybe we're just tired, but we dooze off and woke up the next day with some birds chirping on the tree.

After having breakfast, we had another round of photo-ops that we enjoyed so much, it took almost the entire morning and the moment we decided to swim the water is already running away from us hehehe.

Walking very far and swimming on knee-deep water is not really my idea of fun so we give up and just had pancit habhab and cake for snacks. yum!

By the way, the resort (and all island occupants) is relying on deep well, so the water you'll be using for taking a bath, to rinse off the salt water, is clean but has the deep well quality we all know, from the smell to the taste, but who are we to complain? A lot of people are using that everyday and they're still alive, besides it is logical that we already prepared ourselves for that di ba? So, if someone is sensitive to these kind of set-up, well, just don't go there and just check in to a 5-star hotel. :)

We boarded the 12:30 pm trip of the passenger boat, and the people we saw the other day were the same people we're with in the boat. And after the exchange of pleasantries, we talked like they already know us (I've learned from them that majority of Mauban folks haven't been to Cagbalete). We thought that our boat ride going here with everyone and everything was already a learning experience, going back to the town proper offered an even more surprising twist: the passenger boat has just boarded a fully grown carabao!

If Cagbalete was not an awesome experience, I don't know what is.

"It sets off something I can't explain

And I can't wait to see you again."

We'll be going back on May 1-3. :)