¡Vámonos!
Let's travel and enjoy as many summers as we can! I recently read a book entitled, People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry and it was interesting to see the chapters labeled with the number of summer travels that the main character has taken. One of my favorite quotes is this line:
"Vacations always end. It's the very fact that it's finite that makes traveling special. You could move to any one of those destinations you loved in small doses, and it wouldn't be the spellbinding, life-altering seven days you spend there as a guest, letting a place into your heart fully, letting it change you.”
The book reminds me of the buzzing feeling I get after going on a good vacation. One of the few places I keep going back to in Cebu is Bantayan Island. My second post in Hive was about how beguiling to me the island is because I always want to come back to it.
In this post, I'll be sharing with you one of my travels to Bantayan Island. I was with my friends from work and we traveled during Holy Week which is the peak summer season for traveling.
Duolingo days and holding hands with a stranger
Holy Week is a long holiday here in the Philippines. It's a commemoration of the passion and resurrection of Christ. Since it's a long holiday, people would flock to travel destinations during this time. The terminals would just be packed with people. This trip happened pre-pandemic and social distancing was non-existent back then.
I remember coming to the bus terminal around 10 PM and waiting in line for almost 2 hours. Bantayan Island is north of Cebu and traveling there includes a 4-hour bus drive and one hour of sea travel via ferry boat.
I spent some of my waiting time doing my Spanish lessons through Duolingo. One sentence stood out because I wondered when I'll be able to use it in real life. I was moving quite ahead with my Spanish lessons but I stopped because I thought I wouldn't be traveling to any Spanish-speaking countries anytime soon.
My Spanish lessons were interrupted because a commotion broke out. Bus tickets were being sold and people were pushing against each other trying to get to the ticket booth. I was determined to stay in the queue and prevent others from inserting. A woman was in front of me and we decided to make a human wall to keep the line. I don't remember who grabbed whose hand first but we ended up holding hands until we reached the ticket booth. I didn't care anymore that a stranger was holding my hand as long as I was able to get tickets for the next bus. It was later when my friends and I got into the bus that I realized how awkward that situation was. We were all laughing hard about it as the bus went on its way.
We reached the port in Hagnaya where we would ride the ferry to Bantayan Island at dawn but it took another hour before our bus was able to board the ferry. It was already morning when the trip started and a bright sunrise accompanied us to our island destination.
The oldest Spanish fort
We arrived in Bantayan at around 10 in the morning but we couldn't check in to our resort before 2 PM, so our first destination was Kota Park in Madridejos where we would kill some time. I've been to Bantayan a couple of times but this is the first time that I went to Kota Park. Madridejos is a town north of the island. It doesn't have the best beaches but it's a historic town.
When we entered the park, remnants of the old fort greeted us. There were pillars and walls made from old concrete. I suspect they were made from colors and eggshells like how old Spanish architecture was constructed.
The fort was said to be constructed during the late 18th century making it the oldest Spanish fort in the Philippines. It served as a refuge from Moro pirates that plagued the seas a long time ago. It was then converted to a cemetery during the 19th and 20th centuries before being renovated as a park. [source]
Summer, for sure!
We had lunch near the park and after having our fill, we sought refuge under the cottages from the extreme summer heat. We rested for a couple of minutes debating whether or not we were brave (or foolish) enough to go out and feel the wrath, I mean, the warmth of the sun. But it was summer! And being under the sun was the main reason why we took this trip.
So we stepped into the beach and walked towards the cerulean waters. There was a bit of wind which slightly cooled off our skin from the battering heat of the sun. There were flags lined up along the beach because there was going to be an event later that afternoon. Bantayan Island celebrates its festivals and fiestas during Holy Week. That's why many people also flock to the island. It's also the only place allowed by the Catholic church to consume pork during the days of fasting. In the Christian faith, Holy Week is the time for reflection and repentance but when you're in Bantayan, it is also a time for summer festivities.
The boardwalk in Lawis
We walked further ahead and arrived at a boardwalk. I've posted a few photos in Liketu about our time there. There was a stone monument near the entrance that said the project was made possible by the efforts of a handful of people. On the other side, there was a promise of the mayor of the town to its people.
The sign revealed that the name of the place is Lawis. That makes sense since I've been to other beaches having the same name. Lawis actually means cape or a piece of land that extends toward the sea.
The water was clear and there were a few people swimming but we didn't want to get into the water because we haven't checked in yet to our resort and honestly, after hours of traveling, we just wanted to rest for a few hours before hitting the beach to swim.
After exhausting all our free time, we headed back to the shore and prepared our things for another half-hour drive to Santa Fe where our resort was located. It's also where most of the beaches are located and the parties happen.
That's it for now! This is the start of another travel series. I'm excited to showcase more of this beautiful island to you. In the next part, I'll be bringing you to a beach party in Santa Fe.
Until then, cheers!