To See the World in a Grain of Sand

I had just booked a flight to Chicago. With months left to experience the allure of my home country, I wanted to do many things but had so little time.

Bohol. I picked Bohol to spend my last days of travelling the Philippines in. Not too long after I booked that one way ticket out of the Philippines, on a Friday after a long workweek, I found myself on a late night ferry to an island across Cebu City. As the boat drifted farther, the moon shone brighter. It was the simple joy of pushing myself against the boat's railing to reach my head out into the starlit night sky, smelling the salty sea, feeling the thickness of its breeze that started what was going to be a full-packed trip.

Arriving at nearly midnight, my friends and I went straight to bed for we had a whole touristy itinerary the next morning- an itinerary that ended with spending the next 2 nights at the beach. It was the days spent at the beach that was most unforgettable.

We woke up before sunset and jumped into a pump boat for a day of island hopping. You know that feeling of being on a roadtrip with so much surprises and spontaneity along the way? This was like one of those but at sea. Still with our cups of coffee in hand, we headed to Balicasag Island. Lo and behold, on our way, we saw a pod of dolphins jumping in and out of the water! We were following this pod and another one jumps off the water behind us. They were just popping out of the water as if to tease! Showing off their playfulness, we had a private dolphin show for ourselves.

Arriving at Balicasag Island, there seemed to be nothing much- until we got off the boat and opened our eyes underwater. What a magnificent sight! Fishes big and small and corals underneath that were even more colorful than the rainbow. The noise above water drowned out and I was just there- floating amongst this sea creatures in their sanctuary, a spectator of this preserved beauty.

A certain distance from where I was snorkeling, I saw that the seabed had a cliff. It was another sight to see. Free divers dove and rose like Superman, with one arm above his head and his head looking up. I had to try and swim closer to the ocean floor. So, I did. With the help of our boatman, I was able to go so close to the corals . It was surreal.

Being from an island myself, I am not new to weekends at the beach. But, Bohol had so much more to offer. Maybe it was the perfect mix of the right people, place and time too. One thing for sure, I'm definitely going back.