Bantayan to Camiguin

I left Bantayan after two days. I'll confess it had the most beautiful beaches I've ever seen, but the reefs were all blown up. Dynamite fishing is a national specialty. Reefs grow back, right? So KABOOOOM! They also like cyanide fishing. It temporarily paralyzes the fish so they can catch it alive. It has the minor side affect of killing the coral. Snorkeling is one of my favorite leisurely activities and it was very disheartening to boat out to the "best" spot in the area and find that 80% of the reef life was bleached out and any fish over 2 inches was already on someone's lunch plate. There was also the lack of other tourist our age [with two notable exceptions] and an underlying creepiness to the "Old Man's Paradise" you encounter going into town for meals or drinks. It was also very, very annoying having tricycle drivers pester and follow you every time we left the resort. That they somehow remembered our names and would call out for us when we approached was bad, that they were calling me Hera was worse.

My plan was to go to a nearby small island after Hera went back home. Malapascua was supposed to have great snorkeling but my instincts told me to get out of the area. Things couldn't be too different 30 miles away, though the inaccessibility of the island made it appealing. No ferries, no paved roads, and one diesel generator powering the entire island.

So I gambled, spent a bit more cash than I wanted, and took a very small turboprop to a small island with seven volcanoes perched off the troubled island of Mindanao. Camiguin might be the most beautiful and enchanting place I've ever been.

Most of the Philippines has an odd vibe about it. I can't put my finger on it, but it's neither welcoming nor hostile. You're a walking dollar bill and, excepting Hera's hometown, that sums up my contact with most Filipino's thus far. There's none of the curiosity that accompanies that like in China. Filipino's know Americans a little too well.

Camiguin is much different. In my short five hours here I've been astounded by the general kindness around me. My guesthouse picked me up at the airport, I got picked up and dropped off for free by a private bus and I don't know why, I spent 30 minutes chatting with a young family running a souvenir stand while waiting for a Jeepney [picture at the bottom], I made fast friends with the people on the Jeepney who helped me find the lone ATM in town. People smile here. I haven't seen a lot of smiling since Thailand. Kids waved at me from the side of road as I passed by in the Jeepney. Even motorcyclist were waving at me as they passed by [and no, not a "get out of the way!!" wave]. Even the heavily armed bank guards seemed honored to be able to tell me that my Chinese debit card won't work on this small piece of paradise.

Here are some photos. Most are from a church destroyed by an earthquake 150+ years ago. There's also an underwater graveyard that slid into the ocean at the same time that I plan to snorkel over tomorrow.