My Malapascua Solo Backpacking - Part 1

The summer temperature in the Philippines is tropical high, and when we talk about summer, it is the mental vision of a beach that always comes to mind. The sun is cruel, however, its cruelty illuminates the captivating beauty of our shores.

Last weekend, I took a 4-hour bus trip to northern Cebu to reach the island of Malapascua. It is said to be one of the best places where one puts his/her demons aside and takes pleasure in the splendor this island could offer.

I took the 4AM air-conditioned Ceres bus at North Bus Terminal but we left a little ahead of the schedule. I should have dozed off but I could not resist the view of the northern terrains. The rolling hills and the calm plains greeted us a pleasant morning as the bus moved along a serpentine but safe road.

It was past 7AM when our bus reached Maya port in the town of Daanbantayan. It took me more than an hour to wait for a boat to carry us to Malapascua. I learned from one of the locals that boatmen do not leave the pier if there are fewer than 10 passengers. It was a Saturday, so I was confident that there would be a lot of passengers going to the island. The local, whom I spoke with about the boat, also told me that passengers usually start to arrive at 9AM; only a handful after lunch and there's a chance that these passengers do not get transported to Malapascua unless they pay a bigger amount to cover for the fuel.

 We were about 20 passengers on the boat; a mix of Malapascua residents and local tourists. Good thing the sea was calm contrary to what I heard in the past about the waves being restless. I was jittery each minute the boat was nearing the island. As we arrived closer to the shore, I could not wait to step foot, for the first time, on the warm sun-kissed sands of Malapascua.