i have been invited a few times to cross the channel. the itch (or whatever, i might want to call it) began two years ago when chuckbong and doc fred set a date with me to cross the channel, from davao city to samal island on november 2003. i was always meaning to do it (yeah right, like diving, white water rafting, beachineering in glan, climbing apo... again, mountain biking, movie marathon - unleashed, madagascar and la visa loca, and all the other fun stuff that i promised to do, "falling in love" not included)... okay i am drifting.
well, as i was saying, i really would have wanted to do it, even then. but circumstances (pwede ako-di sila pwede, gusto ko na sana-kaya lang walang na-set, go na go na-biglang kinabahan-back out) prevented me to do it. not until she-she really did some serious ego massage (kaya mo yan bai; maganda naman ang mga strokes mo e; sandali lang yan pare) that finally i was able to come into terms with the sea last saturday.
it took two and a half hours to go from waking up to a cool and sleepy morning to the hot noon sun of cuaco beach, about the same time to take from getting feet wet and dripping towards our "lunch" back at the mainland.
everything seemed a dream, as the images of davao flashed right before my eyes. drove past bolton bridge and glanced upon the point where the sea and the davao river made love; passed by durian, pomelo and mangosteen at magsaysay and tasted the mixture of the scents; and then at the shores of cuaco beach, with the waves scrambling to the gray sand, i stared at samal. our target, paradise resort, a five minute, php10 ride from the mainland.
i stretched my muscles and limbs, and my imagination. i saw me swimming breast stroke against the strong currents of davao gulf, battling the waves as they come. i felt the coldness and warmth of the water embracing my body. i tasted the salty water and breathed the air just above the surface as it rushes to my lungs, and oxygen gravitating towards each and every cell of jerry. i heard the splashes of power and effort inching softly, tenderly, tantra-ish. i saw light rays emanating from underneath the sea.
good thing for imagination, for i cannot really remember what transpired during the swim. it was surreal. the world as i know it, seemed to watch me accomplish the feat. all i know, i was at cuaco in one moment, up the boat, talking with bernie our boatman in the next two or three seconds, and at babak pier at the last. seems like i was carrying the candle that the furry haired man gave tristran (from stardust).
the current took us off course to at least 45 minutes of bernie-rowing! i did not complain, for it was another one of those surprises. we landed at a coral garden just beside the babak pier. there were brain corals, and other colorful beings that made me smile while blowing bubbles underneath. stepping lightly, she-she and i did a high five celebrating in triumph!
i have triumphed, not against the currents of davao gulf, for nature cannot be subdued. but against myself, against my fears, against all those things that are holding me down. she-she was right, the swim was spiritual at the same time physical. the challenge has been given, accepted and now, humbly embraced. would i do it again?
yes!
well, as i was saying, i really would have wanted to do it, even then. but circumstances (pwede ako-di sila pwede, gusto ko na sana-kaya lang walang na-set, go na go na-biglang kinabahan-back out) prevented me to do it. not until she-she really did some serious ego massage (kaya mo yan bai; maganda naman ang mga strokes mo e; sandali lang yan pare) that finally i was able to come into terms with the sea last saturday.
it took two and a half hours to go from waking up to a cool and sleepy morning to the hot noon sun of cuaco beach, about the same time to take from getting feet wet and dripping towards our "lunch" back at the mainland.
everything seemed a dream, as the images of davao flashed right before my eyes. drove past bolton bridge and glanced upon the point where the sea and the davao river made love; passed by durian, pomelo and mangosteen at magsaysay and tasted the mixture of the scents; and then at the shores of cuaco beach, with the waves scrambling to the gray sand, i stared at samal. our target, paradise resort, a five minute, php10 ride from the mainland.
i stretched my muscles and limbs, and my imagination. i saw me swimming breast stroke against the strong currents of davao gulf, battling the waves as they come. i felt the coldness and warmth of the water embracing my body. i tasted the salty water and breathed the air just above the surface as it rushes to my lungs, and oxygen gravitating towards each and every cell of jerry. i heard the splashes of power and effort inching softly, tenderly, tantra-ish. i saw light rays emanating from underneath the sea.
good thing for imagination, for i cannot really remember what transpired during the swim. it was surreal. the world as i know it, seemed to watch me accomplish the feat. all i know, i was at cuaco in one moment, up the boat, talking with bernie our boatman in the next two or three seconds, and at babak pier at the last. seems like i was carrying the candle that the furry haired man gave tristran (from stardust).
the current took us off course to at least 45 minutes of bernie-rowing! i did not complain, for it was another one of those surprises. we landed at a coral garden just beside the babak pier. there were brain corals, and other colorful beings that made me smile while blowing bubbles underneath. stepping lightly, she-she and i did a high five celebrating in triumph!
i have triumphed, not against the currents of davao gulf, for nature cannot be subdued. but against myself, against my fears, against all those things that are holding me down. she-she was right, the swim was spiritual at the same time physical. the challenge has been given, accepted and now, humbly embraced. would i do it again?
yes!
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.