Breaking out from the borders of England, I took an 8-hour journey by coach from Liverpool to Glasgow. Whenever I wasn’t nodding off to sleep, I got an eyeful of some stunning British countryside along the way.
I got off at Glasgow at 6 am. Now, if this was the Philippines, I would probably catch at least two grandpas sweeping the leaves in front of their homes at this hour, but the roads of Glasgow on the other hand pretty much still deserted. I got to stroll around for around an hour, snapping away pictures of what I imagine to be streets bustling with life, when it wasn’t the break of dawn. On a Sunday.
Two weeks have passed by in just a blink, and I’ve barely gotten to write about it. Although it doesn’t seem like it, I was sent to London to do some actual work, so most of those first 14 days were spent within the Canary Wharf office.
I heard that the Portobello Market at Notting Hill was a mecca for quirky shoppers, so I set off even if the clouds were taunting. Served me right — I got my first dose of the infamous London moody weather. Close friends will know that I’m averse to actually having to open an umbrella; I would rather grin and bear it. On that day, however, I was never so happy that I had an umbrella handy.
This was not the way I pictured my adventure would start.
Imagine me there, all smiles as I walked into the arrival hall of Heathrow Airport, armed with the most luggage I’ve ever had to carry in my entire 26 years — then I realize the hotel cab was nowhere to be found. No signboards with my name, not even a signboard of the hotel. Que horror.
This morning, I woke up with my pulse racing. As I scrambled to cram some last minute packing, I realized that my hands were literally shaking. I was so jumpy that when a hanger fell out from my closet, I thought my heart has leaped out from my chest. I wasn’t even this close to an anxiety attack on the day I picked up my bags and chose to leave my home in Manila for the flats of Singapore. Continue reading Kaladkarin’s UK Adventure – The Prologue→
The anticipation is messing with your head. You could have sworn your heart was right next to your ear, as you hear the thumps bang against your eardrums. You glance at your designated spotter squinting at a distance, before swapping Bicolano with the other boatmen. You nervously fidget with your snorkel mask. Wait, did he just say… ‘Jump!’?
And you jump, right into the chilly beryl deep. After a few chaotic seconds of flailing limbs underwater, you compose yourself and catch sight of what you came all this way for: the magnificent leviathan of a fish, nonchalantly passing by in all its 8-metre spotted glory. Everything else fades into the background. You feel that it’s just you, and the giant. It takes all self-control not to reach out and hold on to its fin, ala-Free Willy.
We were blessed with a sunny day in Donsol; all in all, we spotted 4 whale sharks. It’s said that in season, it’s actually rare NOT to see at least one. Some of them glided slowly, letting you bask in its graceful splendor; some of them will really make you work your fins. During the interactions, the guides will remind you to stay at least 5 feet away from the whale sharks, as to not spook them or more importantly, not to get swatted by its tail. At one time, I was gliding along on top of the whale shark, when I noticed the spots getting larger by the second. I soon realized it was trying to surface. In my head, I was going like ‘5 feet! 5 feet!’ at the titan. My friends who dove in with me saw this as well. They swore that given a few more seconds, I could have gotten a free ride on the back of the whale shark. He plunged into the deep again after a while, and once the nervousness wore off, the thought of that rare close encounter still gives me smiles up to this day.
Close encounter of the BIG kind.
Donsol is one hour away by land from Legazpi City, Philippines. There are a lot of sites offering information on how you can organize your own Donsol whale shark experience; here’s one from the regional tourism site.
Of course, every great trip deserves a tribute video. =)
To say that Mt. Kitanglad was a sight to behold is a glaring understatement. It was definitely one of the best climbs I’ve been on –> fun trail + awesome view = winner! If there was any doubt if climbing is still my first great love, then this trip just about squashes it all.
This goes out to kindred spirits Jan, Stan & Biboy. Can’t wait to go back and visit D2 next! 🙂
I remember always wanting to go to New Zealand to try out the zorb, but the good thing was I didn’t have to go all the way to NZ anymore! A lot has changed since I last went to Boracay — now they’re offering zorb rides as well. Call it a cliche, but Boracay is really THE island paradise — nothing but fun, smiles, good food and the glorious beach. I had to ask myself over and over — how could I NOT be from Boracay?! Here we were, literally having a ‘ball’ at their new attraction.
.: ishcapades 