What's up, Hive!
We're in for another summer adventure! I posted about my travel to Bantayan Island in my last blog. It's one of my favorite destinations here in Cebu or maybe even in the Philippines. The first part of our itinerary was Kota Park, a historical location north of the island.
After braving the summer heat on the boardwalk of Kota Park, we made our way to our resort in Santa Fe. We only included Kota Park in our itinerary to kill some time before we could check in at our resort.
THE BEACH AT SANTA FE
After unloading ourselves with our bags and resting for a couple of minutes, we left our resort and headed for the beach. Our resort was located in the northern part of the Santa Fe shoreline, away from the bustling resorts where most of the summer festivities happened. We passed by Sugar Beach, a popular beach resort for campers. There were a lot of tents pitched under dwarf coconut trees.
Although the resorts in the area didn't have the best rooms and amenities, the beach was still so beautiful. The sand was white, fine, and clean. After a few minutes of walking under the sun, we finally arrived at the party location, near Kota Beach Resort and Budyong Beach Resort. There were tents put up around the area and it looked like the events would happen at night because there were hanging lamps and lightbulbs.
This part of Santa Fe is the best location for beach parties because of the spacious area. It also has a sandbar that people come to see. Obviously, this spot is my favorite part of the island. It's my go-to area whenever I find myself in Bantayan.
PIZZA TIME! AND PICK UP YOUR TRASH!
The afternoon stroll made us hungry and we decided to look for a place to eat. We went to MJ Square, a popular food court in Santa Fe, and found a restaurant that served pizza. We paired it with the ultimate summer drink, a Mango shake.
We returned to the beach as the sun was coming low on the horizon. We noticed some large signs that were strategically placed where people could see them. They were reminders to keep the beach clean but delivered with hugot or sentimental lines. They don't really sound that good once I translate them. The one below translates to:
It's okay for you to leave me, just don't leave your trash.
The other two below translate to:
Love is like nature; it goes away if left uncared for.
Friend, don't treat your trash like yourself, left behind.
I thought they were a bit corny, but I guess they worked because the beach was so clean. I couldn't see any trash littered on the ground. It was nice to see a very clean beach.
We passed by a few starfish along the way. It was low tide and they were stranded. I didn't bother them and left them on their own as my friends and I looked for a nice location to wait for the beach festivities to get started.
BEACH PARTY!
As the sky dimmed to night, the lights turned on and the beach came to life. There were booths offering drinks, inflatable animal balloons, neon lights, and performers. The beach was suddenly full of people.
There was a band playing and I remember them only singing sad songs. Or maybe those were the only songs I noticed because I was still sad from my recent breakup. My friends and I chose to sit by the sand and listen to the songs from a distance. This was it. This was what I came to the beach for, sitting by the sand and just enjoying the sight of the sea and the sound of the waves.
UNDER THE MOON
The moon was shining above us while we were relaxing by the beach, away from the loud festivities. The tide had risen and although it was dark, I knew the water would still be crystal clear and the sand at the bottom would be fine and soft. I went in for a dip and savored my solitude while being in the water and looking up to the moon. One of the reasons why I took up the invitation to go to Bantayan Island was to replace the old memories I had of this place. I was in the process of moving on. I remember being mesmerized by the glittering of the water from the moonlight. One word came to my mind: mercurial. I knew everything eventually had to change and move on, including me.
After finishing our drinks, we went back to our resort. I was shivering from the cold after coming out of the water dripping wet. I still wanted to drink more but we had to be up early the next day. Tomorrow was a big day. It was the first time I'd be going island hopping in Bantayan.
That's it for now! Our first day in Bantayan is over. The beach in Santa Fe was as beautiful as ever, with its white sand and clear waters. I got all sappy there at the end, didn't I? I couldn't help it. This trip happened during Holy Week and it's the time for reflection and introspection. And as I've mentioned, I was heartbroken.
No worries! The second day of our stay in Bantayan was full of fun and excitement. I'll share about it in my next post. See you then. Cheers!
