Leave your 2nd thoughts behind; Ignore your doubts and fears!
This is what I learned from my Sunday morning experience while swimming with the sharks in a 15-feet deep sea water.
This is what I learned from my Sunday morning experience while swimming with the sharks in a 15-feet deep sea water.
Before deciding to pursue this lone traveler trip, I had a lot of 2nd thoughts on mind. I know this trip is quite risky knowing that I don’t know how to swim. And the notion that sharks eat human. I have this on my mind since I was a little child. I was also entertaining the fact that I just had 2 hours sleep and I don’t have underwater camera with me. It sounds so lame excuses, right? hahaha
But when the sun was almost up, I made up my mind. I get up from bed and decided to use what is available; I decided to just use my phone to capture what is in store for me there.
I charged my phone for a few minutes, packed my things in my tiger backpack; inside it are those I usually bring with me, wherever I go.
My favorite Ritter chocolate, 2-year-old tumbler, ‘The Girl with the Tattoo Dragon’ book, clothes that my bikini of course, toiletries, sarong, and of course my 5-year-old pencil case with ballpens, pencils, and ‘sili’ inside and calendar| notebook.
My favorite Ritter chocolate, 2-year-old tumbler, ‘The Girl with the Tattoo Dragon’ book, clothes that my bikini of course, toiletries, sarong, and of course my 5-year-old pencil case with ballpens, pencils, and ‘sili’ inside and calendar| notebook.
I headed South of Cebu, going to Tan-awan, Oslob. (If you’re reading this and interested to go there and use my blog as your guide, I will give instructions later.) While I was in the bus, I was a bit groggy as I just had a 2 -hour sleep and not to mention my runny nose.
After 2.5 hours I arrived at the place. I was not lost. Thanks to the bus driver and conductor who dropped me at the right place.
I was so excited to get down and look for whale shark watching signage. I knew I was at the right place when. I saw a lot of tourists including foreigners outside the blue gate painted with whale shark design. I was looking for someone where I can pay my entrance fee but no one welcomed me to get the payment so I just get inside. (It was not a trespassing, I guess. hehehe..)
I asked around what to do then a boatman accompanied me to the registration and briefing area. . They are so accommodating and warm. They are not commercialized workers or businessperson yet. I hope they won't be like those in other commercialized beaches I visited.
I was not certain if they will prioritize me considering that I am just alone, so I befriended them. (A strategy that you can use too whenever you are on a lone traveler trip..hehehe.)
My strategy worked and the boatmen gave me a small banca, just me and the boatman in that small banca. How lucky I am, as they normally have 2-3 passengers for little bancas and 7-8 passengers for big ones.
I was so excited to get down and look for whale shark watching signage. I knew I was at the right place when. I saw a lot of tourists including foreigners outside the blue gate painted with whale shark design. I was looking for someone where I can pay my entrance fee but no one welcomed me to get the payment so I just get inside. (It was not a trespassing, I guess. hehehe..)
I asked around what to do then a boatman accompanied me to the registration and briefing area. . They are so accommodating and warm. They are not commercialized workers or businessperson yet. I hope they won't be like those in other commercialized beaches I visited.
I was not certain if they will prioritize me considering that I am just alone, so I befriended them. (A strategy that you can use too whenever you are on a lone traveler trip..hehehe.)
My strategy worked and the boatmen gave me a small banca, just me and the boatman in that small banca. How lucky I am, as they normally have 2-3 passengers for little bancas and 7-8 passengers for big ones.
The banca is non-motirized. It is so small. I was actuall bit scared since it is not the ordinary boat that I usually ride when I go island hopping. But I ignored the feeling and just focus on the excitement and enjoying the beautiful landscape- the blue skies reflecting the seawater while you sitting on the banca waitng for the sharks to go nearer.
Up-close
While we were at the site the sharks are showing up. I can see everyone's faces,at the other bancas, with full of amusement. I assume they are in awe with what they see, same as what I am feeling.
We enjoyed watching four giant sharks, at about 3-5 meters long and one baby shark, in white color. They were following the fishermen that feed them with shrimps. My boatman, Kuya Mervin said, there are times that there as many as 14 sharks in the place.
Up-close
While we were at the site the sharks are showing up. I can see everyone's faces,at the other bancas, with full of amusement. I assume they are in awe with what they see, same as what I am feeling.
We enjoyed watching four giant sharks, at about 3-5 meters long and one baby shark, in white color. They were following the fishermen that feed them with shrimps. My boatman, Kuya Mervin said, there are times that there as many as 14 sharks in the place.
Kuya Mervin, is so kind that he even offered here goggles for me to swim and check what's down there. He is even the one who takes picture of me whenever I am having an up-close encounter with the sharks.
Seeing and swimming with them makes me reminisce my feeling and reaction when I went to Hongkong Disneyland. The feeling of forgetting everything and just enjoy what you are seeing. I knew I was acting and reacting like a kid. Who would not be amazed seeing sharks at the sea, not in the ocean parks.
My 30 minutes was up but I am still in awe with what I experienced and witnessed. My fear in swimming, with 15-feet deep, with the sharks was conquered. Yahooo! Sharks didn't eat me.
While I was heading back to Cebu City, riding on a bus, it was there I puzzled in, the question that I had been wanting to know the answer, why my outlook had changed, from being so bitter and negative to having a positive outlook.
While I was heading back to Cebu City, riding on a bus, it was there I puzzled in, the question that I had been wanting to know the answer, why my outlook had changed, from being so bitter and negative to having a positive outlook.
It was in this trip that I realized that traveling helps me have a good outlook. It was in this trip also that I officially confirmed that travelling makes me appreciate things more and makes me have a deeper appreciation in life, more than criticizing those negativity happening in me and around us.
Travelling totally sustains my sanity and good vibes.
After this trip, I am getting ready for the next challenges and dares. I think my next is to swim without life vest, do cliff and scuba diving. Next to that is yet to be determined.
So If I where you, leave your 2nd thoughts behind; Ignore your fears and doubts! Don’t just be at your room. Get up, pack your things and see the creation of My Ultimate Buddy and Your Untimate Buddy! He has a lot of things for us to be in awe and for us to enjoy and experience. This is a wonderful world for you and for all of us.
Note: Part two of this blog is on how to get there, random practical tips, stories from the local folks that I knew, learned, realized and observed.
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